Page 370 - sons-and-lovers

And in the middle of High Street he stuck the flowers in
her coat.
‘An old thing like me!’ she said, sniffing.
‘You see,’ he said, ‘I want people to think we’re awful
swells. So look ikey.’
‘I’ll jowl your head,’ she laughed.
‘Strut!’ he commanded. ‘Be a fantail pigeon.’
It took him an hour to get her through the street. She
stood above Glory Hole, she stood before Stone Bow, she
stood everywhere, and exclaimed.
A man came up, took off his hat, and bowed to her.
‘Can I show you the town, madam?’
‘No, thank you,’ she answered. ‘I’ve got my son.’
Then Paul was cross with her for not answering with
more dignity.
‘You go away with you!’ she exclaimed. ‘Ha! that’s the
Jew’s House. Now, do you remember that lecture, Paul—?’
But she could scarcely climb the cathedral hill. He did
not notice. Then suddenly he found her unable to speak. He
took her into a little public-house, where she rested.
‘It’s nothing,’ she said. ‘My heart is only a bit old; one
must expect it.’
He did not answer, but looked at her. Again his heart was
crushed in a hot grip. He wanted to cry, he wanted to smash
things in fury.
They set off again, pace by pace, so slowly. And every
step seemed like a weight on his chest. He felt as if his heart
would burst. At last they came to the top. She stood en-
chanted, looking at the castle gate, looking at the cathedral