l; so I HOPE he'll find himself
comfortable.'

Hermione turned and looked at her slowly.

'Thank you so much,' she said, and then she turned completely away
again. She recovered her position, and lifting her face towards him,
and addressing him exclusively, she said:

'Have you measured the rooms?'

'No,' he said, 'I've been mending the punt.'

'Shall we do it now?' she said slowly, balanced and dispassionate.

'Have you got a tape measure, Mrs Salmon?' he said, turning to the
woman.

'Yes sir, I think I can find one,' replied the woman, bustling
immediately to a basket. 'This is the only one I've got, if it will
do.'

Hermione took it, though it was offered to him.

'Thank you so much,' she said. 'It will do very nicely. Thank you so
much.' Then she turned to Birkin, saying with a little gay movement:
'Shall we do it now, Rupert?'

'What about the others, they'll be bored,' he said reluctantly.

'Do you mind?' said Hermione, turning to Ursula and Gerald vaguely.

'Not in the least,' they replied.

'Which room shall we do first?' she said, turning again to Birkin, with
the same gaiety, now she was going to DO something with him.

'We'll take them as they come,' he said.

'Should I be getting your teas ready, while you do that?' said the
labourer's wife, also gay because SHE had something to do.

'Would you?' said Hermione, turning to her with the curious motion of
intimacy that seemed to envelop the woman, draw her almost to
Hermione's breast, and which left the others standing apart. 'I should
be so glad. Where shall we have it?'

'Where would you like it? Shall it be in here, or out on the grass?'

'Where shall we have tea?' sang Hermione to the company at large.

'On the bank by the pond. And WE'LL carry the things up, if you'll just
get them ready, Mrs Salmon,' said Birkin.

'All right,' said the pleased woman.

The party moved down the passage into the front room. It was empty, but
clean and sunny. There was a window looking on to the tangled front
garden.

'This is the dining room,' said Hermione. 'We'll measure it this way,
Rupert--you go down there--'

'Can't I do it for you,' said Gerald, coming to take the end of the
tape.

'No, thank you,' cried Hermione, stooping to the ground in her bluish,
brilliant foulard. It was a great joy to her to DO things, and to have
the ordering of the job, with Birkin. He obeyed her subduedly. Ursula
and Gerald looked on. It was a peculiarity of H