nse. He seemed to
penetrate into Gerald's more solid, more diffuse bulk, to interfuse his
body through the body of the other, as if to bring it subtly into
subjection, always seizing with some rapid necromantic fore-knowledge
every motion of the other flesh, converting and counteracting it,
playing upon the limbs and trunk of Gerald like some hard wind. It was
as if Birkin's whole physical intelligence interpenetrated into
Gerald's body, as if his fine, sublimated energy entered into the flesh
of the fuller man, like some potency, casting a fine net, a prison,
through the muscles into the very depths of Gerald's physical being.

So they wrestled swiftly, rapturously, intent and mindless at last, two
essential white figures working into a tighter closer oneness of
struggle, with a strange, octopus-like knotting and flashing of limbs
in the subdued light of the room; a tense white knot of flesh gripped
in silence between the walls of old brown books. Now and again came a
sharp gasp of breath, or a sound like a sigh, then the rapid thudding
of movement on the thickly-carpeted floor, then the strange sound of
flesh escaping under flesh. Often, in the white interlaced knot of
violent living being that swayed silently, there was no head to be
seen, only the swift, tight limbs, the solid white backs, the physical
junction of two bodies clinched into oneness. Then would appear the
gleaming, ruffled head of Gerald, as the struggle changed, then for a
moment the dun-coloured, shadow-like head of the other man would lift
up from the conflict, the eyes wide and dreadful and sightless.

At length Gerald lay back inert on the carpet, his breast rising in
great slow panting, whilst Birkin kneeled over him, almost unconscious.
Birkin was much more exhausted. He caught little, short breaths, he
could scarcely breathe any more. The earth seemed to tilt and sway, and
a complete darkness was coming over his mind. He did not know what
happened. He slid forward quite unconscious, over Gerald, and Gerald
did not notice. Then he was half-conscious again, aware only of the
strange tilting and sliding of the world. The world was sliding,
everything was sliding off into the darkness. And he was sliding,
endlessly, endlessly away.

He came to consciousness again, hearing an immense knocking outside.
What could be happening, what was it, the great hammer-stroke
resounding through the house? He did not know. And then it came to him
that it was hi