Page 685 - women-in-love

‘Do you know,’ he said, suddenly looking at her with
dark, self-important, prophetic eyes, ‘your fate and mine,
they will run together, till—‘ and he broke off in a little gri-
mace.
‘Till when?’ she asked, blanched, her lips going white.
She was terribly susceptible to these evil prognostications,
but he only shook his head.
‘I don’t know,’ he said, ‘I don’t know.’
Gerald did not come in from his skiing until nightfall,
he missed the coffee and cake that she took at four o’clock.
The snow was in perfect condition, he had travelled a long
way, by himself, among the snow ridges, on his skis, he had
climbed high, so high that he could see over the top of the
pass, five miles distant, could see the Marienhutte, the hos-
tel on the crest of the pass, half buried in snow, and over
into the deep valley beyond, to the dusk of the pine trees.
One could go that way home; but he shuddered with nau-
sea at the thought of home;—one could travel on skis down
there, and come to the old imperial road, below the pass.
But why come to any road? He revolted at the thought of
finding himself in the world again. He must stay up there
in the snow forever. He had been happy by himself, high up
there alone, travelling swiftly on skis, taking far flights, and
skimming past the dark rocks veined with brilliant snow.
But he felt something icy gathering at his heart. This
strange mood of patience and innocence which had persist-
ed in him for some days, was passing away, he would be left
again a prey to the horrible passions and tortures.
So he came down reluctantly, snow-burned, snow-es-

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