Page 358 - lady-chatterlys-lover

’Did you wait long?’ Connie asked.
’Not so very,’ he replied.
They both waited for Hilda to get out. But Hilda shut the
door of the car and sat tight.
’This is my sister Hilda. Won’t you come and speak to
her? Hilda! This is Mr Mellors.’
The keeper lifted his hat, but went no nearer.
’Do walk down to the cottage with us, Hilda,’ Connie
pleaded. ‘It’s not far.’
’What about the car?’
’People do leave them on the lanes. You have the key.’
Hilda was silent, deliberating. Then she looked back-
wards down the lane.
’Can I back round the bush?’ she said.
’Oh yes!’ said the keeper.
She backed slowly round the curve, out of sight of the
road, locked the car, and got down. It was night, but lumi-
nous dark. The hedges rose high and wild, by the unused
lane, and very dark seeming. There was a fresh sweet scent
on the air. The keeper went ahead, then came Connie, then
Hilda, and in silence. He lit up the difficult places with a
flash-light torch, and they went on again, while an owl softly
hooted over the oaks, and Flossie padded silently around.
Nobody could speak. There was nothing to say.
At length Connie saw the yellow light of the house, and
her heart beat fast. She was a little frightened. They trailed
on, still in Indian file.
He unlocked the door and preceded them into the warm
but bare little room. The fire burned low and red in the