Page 584 - women-in-love

solitary forces against all the world. Birkin looked on with
some mistrust and wonder.
When they had bathed and changed, Gerald came in. He
looked shining like the sun on frost.
‘Go with Gerald and smoke,’ said Ursula to Birkin.
‘Gudrun and I want to talk.’
Then the sisters sat in Gudrun’s bedroom, and talked
clothes, and experiences. Gudrun told Ursula the experi-
ence of the Birkin letter in the cafe. Ursula was shocked and
frightened.
‘Where is the letter?’ she asked.
‘I kept it,’ said Gudrun.
‘You’ll give it me, won’t you?’ she said.
But Gudrun was silent for some moments, before she re-
plied:
‘Do you really want it, Ursula?’
‘I want to read it,’ said Ursula.
‘Certainly,’ said Gudrun.
Even now, she could not admit, to Ursula, that she want-
ed to keep it, as a memento, or a symbol. But Ursula knew,
and was not pleased. So the subject was switched off.
‘What did you do in Paris?’ asked Ursula.
‘Oh,’ said Gudrun laconically—‘the usual things. We had
a FINE party one night in Fanny Bath’s studio.’
‘Did you? And you and Gerald were there! Who else? Tell
me about it.’
‘Well,’ said Gudrun. ‘There’s nothing particular to tell.
You know Fanny is FRIGHTFULLY in love with that painter,
Billy Macfarlane. He was there—so Fanny spared nothing,

584 Women in Love