Page 353 - lady-chatterlys-lover

’ CONNIE!’ said Hilda, hard as a hammer-stroke, and
pale with anger.
’I shall if I possibly can. I should be fearfully proud if I
had a child by him.’
It was no use talking to her. Hilda pondered.
’And doesn’t Clifford suspect?’ she said.
’Oh no! Why should he?’
’I’ve no doubt you’ve given him plenty of occasion for
suspicion,’ said Hilda.
’Not it all.’
’And tonight’s business seems quite gratuitous folly.
Where does the man live?’
’In the cottage at the other end of the wood.’
’Is he a bachelor?’
’No! His wife left him.’
’How old?’
’I don’t know. Older than me.’
Hilda became more angry at every reply, angry as her
mother used to be, in a kind of paroxysm. But still she hid
it.
’I would give up tonight’s escapade if I were you,’ she ad-
vised calmly.
’I can’t! I MUST stay with him tonight, or I can’t go to
Venice at all. I just can’t.’
Hilda heard her father over again, and she gave way, out
of mere diplomacy. And she consented to drive to Mans-
field, both of them, to dinner, to bring Connie back to the
lane-end after dark, and to fetch her from the lane-end the
next morning, herself sleeping in Mansfield, only half an

Lady Chatterly’s Lover