Page 215 - sons-and-lovers

Annie and Arthur went. Paul followed with his mother.
He stood with his arm round her waist in the inner door-
way. Down the middle of the cleared room waited six chairs,
face to face. In the window, against the lace curtains, Ar-
thur held up one candle, and by the open door, against the
night, Annie stood leaning forward, her brass candlestick
glittering.
There was the noise of wheels. Outside in the darkness of
the street below Paul could see horses and a black vehicle,
one lamp, and a few pale faces; then some men, miners, all
in their shirt-sleeves, seemed to struggle in the obscurity.
Presently two men appeared, bowed beneath a great weight.
It was Morel and his neighbour.
‘Steady!’ called Morel, out of breath.
He and his fellow mounted the steep garden step, heaved
into the candlelight with their gleaming coffin-end. Limbs
of other men were seen struggling behind. Morel and Burns,
in front, staggered; the great dark weight swayed.
‘Steady, steady!’ cried Morel, as if in pain.
All the six bearers were up in the small garden, hold-
ing the great coffin aloft. There were three more steps to the
door. The yellow lamp of the carriage shone alone down the
black road.
‘Now then!’ said Morel.
The coffin swayed, the men began to mount the three
steps with their load. Annie’s candle flickered, and she
whimpered as the first men appeared, and the limbs and
bowed heads of six men struggled to climb into the room,
bearing the coffin that rode like sorrow on their living

1 Sons and Lovers