Page 259 - sons-and-lovers

ed into prayer beside him. He felt the strange fascination of
shadowy religious places. All his latent mysticism quivered
into life. She was drawn to him. He was a prayer along with
her.
Miriam very rarely talked to the other lads. They at once
became awkward in conversation with her. So usually she
was silent.
It was past midday when they climbed the steep path to
the manor. All things shone softly in the sun, which was
wonderfully warm and enlivening. Celandines and violets
were out. Everybody was tip-top full with happiness. The
glitter of the ivy, the soft, atmospheric grey of the castle
walls, the gentleness of everything near the ruin, was per-
fect.
The manor is of hard, pale grey stone, and the other walls
are blank and calm. The young folk were in raptures. They
went in trepidation, almost afraid that the delight of explor-
ing this ruin might be denied them. In the first courtyard,
within the high broken walls, were farm-carts, with their
shafts lying idle on the ground, the tyres of the wheels bril-
liant with gold-red rust. It was very still.
All eagerly paid their sixpences, and went timidly
through the fine clean arch of the inner courtyard. They
were shy. Here on the pavement, where the hall had been,
an old thorn tree was budding. All kinds of strange open-
ings and broken rooms were in the shadow around them.
After lunch they set off once more to explore the ruin.
This time the girls went with the boys, who could act as
guides and expositors. There was one tall tower in a corner,

Sons and Lovers