himself as it were at
her mercy. There was a moment's pause.

"Come to Rollins?" he said.

"No--not there."

"To Carson's, then?"

There was a silence. The other girl hung on. The man was the
centre of positive force.

"Will your friend come as well?"

There was another moment of silence, while the other girl
felt her ground.

"No, thanks," she said. "I've promised to meet a friend."

"Another time, then?" he said.

"Oh, thanks," she replied, very awkward.

"Good night," he said.

"See you later," said his girl to her friend.

"Where?" said the friend.

"You know, Gertie," replied his girl.

"All right, Jennie."

The friend was gone into the darkness. He turned with his
girl to the tea-shop. They talked all the time. He made his
sentences in sheer, almost muscular pleasure of exercising
himself with her. He was looking at her all the time, perceiving
her, appreciating her, finding her out, gratifying himself with
her. He could see distinct attractions in her; her eyebrows,
with their particular curve, gave him keen aesthetic pleasure.
Later on he would see her bright, pellucid eyes, like shallow
water, and know those. And there remained the open, exposed
mouth, red and vulnerable. That he reserved as yet. And all the
while his eyes were on the girl, estimating and handling with
pleasure her young softness. About the girl herself, who or what
she was, he cared nothing, he was quite unaware that she was
anybody. She was just the sensual object of his attention.

"Shall we go, then?" he said.

She rose in silence, as if acting without a mind, merely
physically. He seemed to hold her in his will. Outside it was
still raining.

"Let's have a walk," he said. "I don't mind the rain, do
you?"

"No, I don't mind it," she said.

He was alert in every sense and fibre, and yet quite sure and
steady, and lit up, as if transfused. He had a free sensation of
walking in his own darkness, not in anybody else's world at all.
He was purely a world to himself, he had nothing to do with any
general consciousness. Just his own senses were supreme. All the
rest was external, insignificant, leaving him alone with this
girl whom he wanted to absorb, whose properties he wanted to
absorb into his own senses. He did not care about her, except
that he wanted to overcome her resistance, to have her in his
power, fully and exhaustively to enjoy her.

They turned into the dark streets. He held her umbrella over
her,