Page 110 - lady-chatterlys-lover

two great wild beech-trees stood, on the flat in front of the
house.
Connie had run out to the steps. Hilda pulled up her car,
got out, and kissed her sister.
’But Connie!’ she cried. ‘Whatever is the matter?’
’Nothing!’ said Connie, rather shamefacedly; but she
knew how she had suffered in contrast to Hilda. Both sisters
had the same rather golden, glowing skin, and soft brown
hair, and naturally strong, warm physique. But now Connie
was thin and earthy-looking, with a scraggy, yellowish neck,
that stuck out of her jumper.
’But you’re ill, child!’ said Hilda, in the soft, rather breath-
less voice that both sisters had alike. Hilda was nearly, but
not quite, two years older than Connie.
’No, not ill. Perhaps I’m bored,’ said Connie a little pa-
thetically.
The light of battle glowed in Hilda’s face; she was a wom-
an, soft and still as she seemed, of the old amazon sort, not
made to fit with men.
’This wretched place!’ she said softly, looking at poor,
old, lumbering Wragby with real hate. She looked soft and
warm herself, as a ripe pear, and she was an amazon of the
real old breed.
She went quietly in to Clifford. He thought how hand-
some she looked, but also he shrank from her. His wife’s
family did not have his sort of manners, or his sort of eti-
quette. He considered them rather outsiders, but once they
got inside they made him jump through the hoop.
He sat square and well-groomed in his chair, his hair

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