Page 334 - sons-and-lovers

ous people he was mocking. His mockery always hurt her; it
was too near the reality. He was too clever and cruel. She felt
that when his eyes were like this, hard with mocking hate,
he would spare neither himself nor anybody else. But Mrs.
Leivers was wiping her eyes with laughter, and Mr. Leivers,
just awake from his Sunday nap, was rubbing his head in
amusement. The three brothers sat with ruffled, sleepy ap-
pearance in their shirt-sleeves, giving a guffaw from time
to time. The whole family loved a ‘take-off’ more than any-
thing.
He took no notice of Miriam. Later, she saw him remark
her new blouse, saw that the artist approved, but it won
from him not a spark of warmth. She was nervous, could
hardly reach the teacups from the shelves.
When the men went out to milk, she ventured to address
him personally.
‘You were late,’ she said.
‘Was I?’ he answered.
There was silence for a while.
‘Was it rough riding?’ she asked.
‘I didn’t notice it.’ She continued quickly to lay the table.
When she had finished—-
‘Tea won’t be for a few minutes. Will you come and look
at the daffodils?’ she said.
He rose without answering. They went out into the back
garden under the budding damson-trees. The hills and the
sky were clean and cold. Everything looked washed, rather
hard. Miriam glanced at Paul. He was pale and impassive.
It seemed cruel to her that his eyes and brows, which she