affection.

But Gerald remained with Birkin, wanting to probe him to the bottom, to
know what he meant by the dual will in horses. A flicker of excitement
danced on Gerald's face.

Hermione and Ursula strayed on together, united in a sudden bond of
deep affection and closeness.

'I really do not want to be forced into all this criticism and analysis
of life. I really DO want to see things in their entirety, with their
beauty left to them, and their wholeness, their natural holiness. Don't
you feel it, don't you feel you CAN'T be tortured into any more
knowledge?' said Hermione, stopping in front of Ursula, and turning to
her with clenched fists thrust downwards.

'Yes,' said Ursula. 'I do. I am sick of all this poking and prying.'

'I'm so glad you are. Sometimes,' said Hermione, again stopping
arrested in her progress and turning to Ursula, 'sometimes I wonder if
I OUGHT to submit to all this realisation, if I am not being weak in
rejecting it. But I feel I CAN'T--I CAN'T. It seems to destroy
EVERYTHING. All the beauty and the--and the true holiness is
destroyed--and I feel I can't live without them.'

'And it would be simply wrong to live without them,' cried Ursula. 'No,
it is so IRREVERENT to think that everything must be realised in the
head. Really, something must be left to the Lord, there always is and
always will be.'

'Yes,' said Hermione, reassured like a child, 'it should, shouldn't it?
And Rupert--' she lifted her face to the sky, in a muse--'he CAN only
tear things to pieces. He really IS like a boy who must pull everything
to pieces to see how it is made. And I can't think it is right--it does
seem so irreverent, as you say.'

'Like tearing open a bud to see what the flower will be like,' said
Ursula.

'Yes. And that kills everything, doesn't it? It doesn't allow any
possibility of flowering.'

'Of course not,' said Ursula. 'It is purely destructive.'

'It is, isn't it!'

Hermione looked long and slow at Ursula, seeming to accept confirmation
from her. Then the two women were silent. As soon as they were in
accord, they began mutually to mistrust each other. In spite of
herself, Ursula felt herself recoiling from Hermione. It was all she
could do to restrain her revulsion.

They returned to the men, like two conspirators who have withdrawn to
come to an agreement. Birkin looked up at them. Ursula hated him for
his cold watchfulness. But he said nothing.

'Shall we be going?' said Hermio