Page 119 - lady-chatterlys-lover

without a word, adjusting herself to the upper classes.
She came very mute, with her long, handsome face, and
downcast eyes, to administer to him. And she said very
humbly: ‘Shall I do this now, Sir Clifford? Shall I do that?’
’No, leave it for a time. I’ll have it done later.’
’Very well, Sir Clifford.’
’Come in again in half an hour.’
’Very well, Sir Clifford.’
’And just take those old papers out, will you?’
’Very well, Sir Clifford.’
She went softly, and in half an hour she came softly again.
She was bullied, but she didn’t mind. She was experiencing
the upper classes. She neither resented nor disliked Clif-
ford; he was just part of a phenomenon, the phenomenon
of the high-class folks, so far unknown to her, but now to
be known. She felt more at home with Lady Chatterley, and
after all it’s the mistress of the house matters most.
Mrs Bolton helped Clifford to bed at night, and slept
across the passage from his room, and came if he rang for
her in the night. She also helped him in the morning, and
soon valeted him completely, even shaving him, in her soft,
tentative woman’s way. She was very good and compe-
tent, and she soon knew how to have him in her power. He
wasn’t so very different from the colliers after all, when you
lathered his chin, and softly rubbed the bristles. The stand-
offishness and the lack of frankness didn’t bother her; she
was having a new experience.
Clifford, however, inside himself, never quite forgave
Connie for giving up her personal care of him to a strange

11 Lady Chatterly’s Lover