Page 501 - sons-and-lovers
P. 501

‘I don’t know why she and I shouldn’t be friends as long
         as we live,’ he said. ‘But it’ll only be friends.’
            Clara drew away from him, leaning away from contact
         with him.
            ‘What are you drawing away for?’ he asked.
            She did not answer, but drew farther from him.
            ‘Why do you want to walk alone?’ he asked.
            Still there was no answer. She walked resentfully, hang-
         ing her head.
            ‘Because I said I would be friends with Miriam!’ he ex-
         claimed.
            She would not answer him anything.
            ‘I tell you it’s only words that go between us,’ he persist-
         ed, trying to take her again.
            She resisted. Suddenly he strode across in front of her,
         barring her way.
            ‘Damn it!’ he said. ‘What do you want now?’
            ‘You’d better run after Miriam,’ mocked Clara.
            The blood flamed up in him. He stood showing his teeth.
         She  drooped  sulkily.  The  lane  was  dark,  quite  lonely.  He
         suddenly caught her in his arms, stretched forward, and put
         his mouth on her face in a kiss of rage. She turned franti-
         cally to avoid him. He held her fast. Hard and relentless his
         mouth came for her. Her breasts hurt against the wall of his
         chest. Helpless, she went loose in his arms, and he kissed
         her, and kissed her.
            He heard people coming down the hill.
            ‘Stand up! stand up!’ he said thickly, gripping her arm till
         it hurt. If he had let go, she would have sunk to the ground.

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