and put his arm round her. She walked as if she were
unaware. But gradually, as he walked, he drew her a little
closer, into the movement of his side and hip. She fitted in
there very well. It was a real good fit, to walk with her like
this. It made him exquisitely aware of his own muscular self.
And his hand that grasped her side felt one curve of her, and it
seemed like a new creation to him, a reality, an absolute, an
existing tangible beauty of the absolute. It was like a star.
Everything in him was absorbed in the sensual delight of this
one small, firm curve in her body, that his hand, and his whole
being, had lighted upon.

He led her into the Park, where it was almost dark. He
noticed a corner between two walls, under a great overhanging
bush of ivy.

"Let us stand here a minute," he said.

He put down the umbrella, and followed her into the corner,
retreating out of the rain. He needed no eyes to see. All he
wanted was to know through touch. She was like a piece of
palpable darkness. He found her in the darkness, put his arms
round her and his hands upon her. She was silent and
inscrutable. But he did not want to know anything about her, he
only wanted to discover her. And through her clothing, what
absolute beauty he touched.

"Take your hat off," he said.

Silently, obediently, she shook off her hat and gave herself
to his arms again. He liked her--he liked the feel of
her--he wanted to know her more closely. He let his fingers
subtly seek out her cheek and neck. What amazing beauty and
pleasure, in the dark! His fingers had often touched Anna on the
face and neck like that. What matter! It was one man who touched
Anna, another who now touched this girl. He liked best his new
self. He was given over altogether to the sensuous knowledge of
this woman, and every moment he seemed to be touching absolute
beauty, something beyond knowledge.

Very close, marvelling and exceedingly joyful in their
discoveries, his hands pressed upon her, so subtly, so
seekingly, so finely and desirously searching her out, that she
too was almost swooning in the absolute of sensual knowledge. In
utter sensual delight she clenched her knees, her thighs, her
loins together! It was an added beauty to him.

But he was patiently working for her relaxation, patiently,
his whole being fixed in the smile of latent gratification, his
whole body electric with a subtle, powerful, reducing force upon
her. So he came at length to kis