Page 408 - lady-chatterlys-lover
P. 408
But naturally it made him want to see the last of me.’
’I’m going to have a child.’
The expression died utterly out of his face, out of his
whole body. He looked at her with darkened eyes, whose
look she could not understand at all: like some dark-flamed
spirit looking at her.
’Say you’re glad!’ she pleaded, groping for his hand. And
she saw a certain exultance spring up in him. But it was net-
ted down by things she could not understand.
’It’s the future,’ he said.
’But aren’t you glad?’ she persisted.
’I have such a terrible mistrust of the future.’
’But you needn’t be troubled by any responsibility. Clif-
ford would have it as his own, he’d be glad.’
She saw him go pale, and recoil under this. He did not
answer.
’Shall I go back to Clifford and put a little baronet into
Wragby?’ she asked.
He looked at her, pale and very remote. The ugly little
grin flickered on his face.
’You wouldn’t have to tell him who the father was?’
’Oh!’ she said; ‘he’d take it even then, if I wanted him to.’
He thought for a time.
’Ay!’ he said at last, to himself. ‘I suppose he would.’
There was silence. A big gulf was between them.
’But you don’t want me to go back to Clifford, do you?’
she asked him.
’What do you want yourself?’ he replied.
’I want to live with you,’ she said simply.
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