The Rainbow-虹(英文版)-第49章

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and　he　with　only　one　man's　capacity。

He　lived　in　a　passion　of　sensual　discovery　with　her　for　some
timeit　was　a　duel：　no　love；　no　words；　no　kisses　even；
only　the　maddening　perception　of　beauty　consummate；　absolute
through　touch。　He　wanted　to　touch　her；　to　discover　her；
maddeningly　he　wanted　to　know　her。　Yet　he　must　not　hurry；　or　he
missed　everything。　He　must　enjoy　one　beauty　at　a　time。　And　the
multitudinous　beauties　of　her　body；　the　many　little　rapturous
places；　sent　him　mad　with　delight；　and　with　desire　to　be　able　to
know　more；　to　have　strength　to　know　more。　For　all　was　there。

He　would　say　during　the　daytime：

〃Tonight　I　shall　know　the　little　hollow　under　her　ankle；
where　the　blue　vein　crosses。〃　And　the　thought　of　it；　and　the
desire　for　it；　made　a　thick　darkness　of　anticipation。

He　would　go　all　the　day　waiting　for　the　night　to　e；　when
he　could　give　himself　to　the　enjoyment　of　some　luxurious
absolute　of　beauty　in　her。　The　thought　of　the　hidden　resources
of　her；　the　undiscovered　beauties　and　ecstatic　places　of　delight
in　her　body；　waiting；　only　waiting　for　him　to　discover　them；
sent　him　slightly　insane。　He　was　obsessed。　If　he　did　not
discover　and　make　known　to　himself　these　delights；　they　might　be
lost　for　ever。　He　wished　he　had　a　hundred　men's　energies；　with
which　to　enjoy　her。　＇He　wished　he　were　a　cat；　to　lick　her　with　a
rough；　grating；　lascivious　tongue。　He　wanted　to　wallow　in　her；
bury　himself　in　her　flesh；　cover　himself　over　with　her　flesh。＇

And　she；　separate；　with　a　strange；　dangerous；　glistening　look
in　her　eyes　received　all　his　activities　upon　her　as　if　they　were
expected　by　her；　and　provoked　him　ore；
till　sometimes　he　was　ready　to　perish　for　sheer　inability　to　be
satisfied　of　her；　inability　to　have　had　enough　of　her。

Their　children　became　mere　offspring　to　them；　they　lived　in
the　darkness　and　death　of　their　own　sensual　activities。
Sometimes　he　felt　he　was　going　mad　with　a　sense　of　Absolute
Beauty；　perceived　by　him　in　her　through　his　senses。　It　was
something　too　much　for　him。　And　in　everything；　was　this　same；
almost　sinister；　terrifying　beauty。　But　in　the　revelations　of
her　body　through　contact　with　his　body；　was　the　ultimate　beauty；
to　know　which　was　almost　death　in　itself；　and　yet　for　the
knowledge　of　which　he　would　have　undergone　endless　torture。　He
would　have　forfeited　anything；　anything；　rather　than　forego　his
right　even　to　the　instep　of　her　foot；　and　the　place　from　which
the　toes　radiated　out；　the　little；　miraculous　white　plain　from
which　ran　the　little　hillocks　of　the　toes；　and　the　folded；
dimpling　hollows　between　the　toes。　He　felt　he　would　have　died
rather　than　forfeit　this。

This　was　what　their　love　had　bee；　a　sensuality　violent　and
extreme　as　death。　They　had　no　conscious　intimacy；　no　tenderness
of　love。　It　was　all　the　lust　and　the　infinite；　maddening
intoxication　of　the　sense；　a　passion　of　death。

He　had　always；　all　his　life；　had　a　secret　dread　of　Absolute
Beauty。　It　had　always　been　like　a　fetish　to　him；　something　to
fear；　really。　For　it　was　immoral　and　against　mankind。　So　he　had
turned　to　the　Gothic　form；　which　always　asserted　the　broken
desire　of　mankind　in　its　pointed　arches；　escaping　the　rolling；
absolute　beauty　of　the　round　arch。

But　now　he　had　given　way；　and　with　infinite　sensual　violence
gave　himself　to　the　realization　of　this　supreme；　immoral；
Absolute　Beauty；　in　the　body　of　woman。　It　seemed　to　him；　that　it
came　to　being　in　the　body　of　woman；　under　his　touch。　Under　his
touch；　even　under　his　sight；　it　was　there。　But　when　he　neither
saw　nor　touched　the　perfect　place；　it　was　not　perfect；　it　was
not　there。　And　he　must　make　it　exist。

But　still　the　thing　terrified　him。　Awful　and　threatening　it
was；　dangerous　to　a　degree；　even　whilst　he　gave　himself　to　it。
It　was　pure　darkness；　also。　All　the　shameful　things　of　the　body
revealed　themselves　to　him　now　with　a　sort　of　sinister；　tropical
beauty。　All　the　shameful；　natural　and　unnatural　acts　of　sensual
voluptuousness　which　he　and　the　woman　partook　of　together；
created　together；　they　had　their　heavy　beauty　and　their　delight。
Shame；　what　was　it？　It　was　part　of　extreme　delight。　It　was　that
part　of　delight　of　which　man　is　usually　afraid。　Why　afraid？　The
secret；　shameful　things　are　most　terribly　beautiful。

They　accepted　shame；　and　were　one　with　it　in　their　most
unlicensed　pleasures。　It　was　incorporated。　It　was　a　bud　that
blossomed　into　beauty　and　heavy；　fundamental　gratification。

Their　outward　life　went　on　much　the　same；　but　the　inward　life
was　revolutionized。　The　children　became　less　important；　the
parents　were　absorbed　in　their　own　living。

And　gradually；　Brangwen　began　to　find　himself　free　to　attend
to　the　outside　life　as　well。　His　intimate　life　was　so　violently
active；　that　it　set　another　man　in　him　free。　And　this　new　man
turned　with　interest　to　public　life；　to　see　what　part　he　could
take　in　it。　This　would　give　him　scope　for　new　activity；　activity
of　a　kind　for　which　he　was　now　created　and　released。　He　wanted
to　be　unanimous　with　the　whole　of　purposive　mankind。

At　this　time　Education　was　in　the　forefront　as　a　subject　of
interest。　There　was　the　talk　of　new　Swedish　methods；　of　handwork
instruction；　and　so　on。　Brangwen　embraced　sincerely　the　idea　of
handwork　in　schools。　For　the　first　time；　he　began　to　take　real
interest　in　a　public　affair。　He　had　at　length；　from　his　profound
sensual　activity；　developed　a　real　purposive　self。

There　was　talk　of　nightschools；　and　of　handicraft　classes。
He　wanted　to　start　a　woodwork　class　in　Cossethay；　to　teach
carpentry　and　joinery　and　woodcarving　to　the　village　boys；　two
nights　a　week。　This　seemed　to　him　a　supremely　desirable　thing　to
be　doing。　His　pay　would　be　very　littleand　when　he　had　it；
he　spent　it　all　on　extra　wood　and　tools。　But　he　was　very　happy
and　keen　in　his　new　public　spirit。

He　started　his　nightclasses　in　woodwork　when　he　was　thirty
years　old。　By　this　time　he　had　five　children；　the　last　a　boy。
But　boy　or　girl　mattered　very　little　to　him。　He　had　a　natural
bloodaffection　for　his　children；　and　he　liked　them　as　they
turned　up：　boys　or　girls。　Only　he　was　fondest　of　Ursula。
Somehow；　she　seemed　to　be　at　the　back　of　his　new　nightschool
venture。

The　house　by　the　yew　trees　was　in　connection　with　the　great
human　endeavour　at　last。　It　gained　a　new　vigour　thereby。

To　Ursula；　a　child　of　eight；　the　increase　in　magic　was
considerable。　She　heard　all　the　talk；　she　saw　the　parish　room
fitted　up　as　a　workshop。　The　parish　room　was　a　high；　stone；
barnlike；　ecclesiastical　building　standing　away　by　itself　in
the　Brangwens'　second　garden；　across　the　lane。　She　was　always
attracted　by　its　age　and　its　stranded　obsoleteness。　Now　she
watched　preparations　made；　she　sat　on　the　flight　of　stone　steps
that　came　down　from　the　porch　to　the　garden；　and　heard　her
father　and　the　vicar　talking　and　planning　and　working。　Then　an
inspector　came；　a　very　strange　man；　and　stayed　talking　with　her
father　all　one　evening。　Everything　was　settled；　and　twelve　boys
enrolled　their　names。　It　was　very　exciting。

But　to　Ursula；　everything　her　father　did　was　magic。　Whether
he　came　from　Ilkeston　with　news　of　the　town；　whether　he　went
across　to　the　church　with　his　music　or　his　tools　on　a　sunny
evening；　whether　he　sat　in　his　white　surplice　at　the　an　on
Sundays；　leading　the　singing　with　his　strong　tenor　voice；　or
whether　he　were　in　the　workshop　with　the　boys；　he　was　always　a
centre　of　magic　and　fascination　to　her；　his　voice；　sounding　out
in　mand；　cheerful；　laconic；　had　always　a　twang　in　it　that
sent　a　thrill　over　her　blood；　and　hypnotized　her。　She　seemed　to
run　in　the　shadow　of　some　dark；　potent　secret　of　which　she　would
not；　of　whose　existence　even　she　dared　not　bee　conscious；　it
cast　such　a　spell　over　her；　and　so　darkened　her　mind。



CHAPTER　IX

THE　MARSH　AND　THE　FLOOD

There　was　always　regular　connection　between　the　Yew　Cottage
and　the　Marsh；　yet　the　two　households　remained　separate；
distinct。

After　Anna's　marriage；　the　Marsh　became　the　home　of　the　two
boys；　Tom　and　Fred。　Tom　was　a　rather　short；　goodlooking　youth；
with　crisp　black　hair　and　long　black　eyelashes　and　soft；　dark；
possessed　eyes。　He　had　a　quick　intelligence。　From　the　High
School　he　went　to　London　to　study。　He　had　an　instinct　for
attracting　people　of　character　and　energy。　He　gave　place
entirely　to　the　other　person；　and　at　the　same　time　kept　himself
independent。　He　scarcely　existed　except　through　other　people。
When　he　was　alone　he　was　unresolved。　When　he　was　with　another
man；　he　seemed　to　add　himself　to　the　other；　make　the　other
bigger　than　life　size。　So　that　a　few　people　loved　him　and
attained　a　sort　of　fulfilment　in　him。　He　carefully　chose　these
few。

He　had　a　subtle；　quick；　critical　intelligence；　a　mind　that
was　like　a　scale　or　balance。　There　was　something　of　a　woman　in
all　this。

In　London　he　had　been　the　favourite　pupil　of　an　engineer；　a
clever　man；　who　became　wellknown　at　the　time　when　Tom　Brangwen
had　just　finished　his　studies。　Through　this　master　the　youth
kept　acquaintance　with　various　individual；　outstanding
characters。　He　never　asserted　himself。　He　seemed　to　be　there　to
estimate　and　establish　the　rest。　He　was　like　a　presence　that
makes　us　aware　of　our　own　being。　So　that　he　was　while　still
young　connected　with　some　of　the　most　energetic　scientific　and
mathematical　people　in　London。　They　took　him　as　an　equal。　Quiet
and　perceptive　and　impersonal　as　he　was；　he　kept　his　place　and
learned　how　to　value　others　in　just　degree。　He　was　there　like　a
judgment。　Besides；　he　was　very　goodlooking；　of　medium　stature；
but　beautifully　proportioned；　dark；　with　fine　colouring；　always
perfectly　healthy。

His　father　allowed　him　a　liberal　pocketmoney；　besides　which
he　had　a　sort　of　post　as　assistant　to　his　chief。　Then　from　time
to　time　the　young　man　appeared　at　the　Marsh；　curiously
attractive；　welldressed；　reserved；　having　by　nature　a　subtle；
refined　manner。　And　he　set　the　change　in　the　farm。

Fred；　the　younger　brother；　was　a　Brangwen；　largeboned；
blueeyed；　English。　He　was　his　father's　very　son；　the　two　men；
father　and　son；　were　supremely　at　ease　with　one　another。　Fred
was　succeeding　to　the　farm。

Between　the　elder　brother　and　the　younger