Page 412 - lady-chatterlys-lover

’But can’t you trust it between you and me?’ she asked,
gazing anxiously at him.
She saw his face all softening down, losing its armour.
‘Maybe!’ he said. They were both silent.
’I want you to hold me in your arms,’ she said. ‘I want you
to tell me you are glad we are having a child.’
She looked so lovely and warm and wistful, his bowels
stirred towards her.
’I suppose we can go to my room,’ he said. ‘Though it’s
scandalous again.’
But she saw the forgetfulness of the world coming over
him again, his face taking the soft, pure look of tender pas-
sion.
They walked by the remoter streets to Coburg Square,
where he had a room at the top of the house, an attic room
where he cooked for himself on a gas ring. It was small, but
decent and tidy.
She took off her things, and made him do the same. She
was lovely in the soft first flush of her pregnancy.
’I ought to leave you alone,’ he said.
’No!’ she said. ‘Love me! Love me, and say you’ll keep me.
Say you’ll keep me! Say you’ll never let me go, to the world
nor to anybody.’
She crept close against him, clinging fast to his thin,
strong naked body, the only home she had ever known.
’Then I’ll keep thee,’ he said. ‘If tha wants it, then I’ll keep
thee.’
He held her round and fast.
’And say you’re glad about the child,’ she repeated.

11