ge came over him. Delight
transfigured him. He jerked his head back as she had done, as if he
would like to continue the violent rhythm of her movement through his
own body, and blood and laughter rushed back to his face. Taking a step
towards her, he called softly: "Oh, my Ellen, don't let us quarrel! Come
here."

But she remembered then how that scene at the base of the golden stone
had ended. The pair had swung apart and had staggered their several
ways, shrieking over their shoulders; and had suddenly pivoted round and
stood looking at each other in silence. Then they had run together and
joined in a rocking embrace, a rubbing of their bodies, and had put
their mouths to each other's faces so munchingly that it had looked as
if they must turn aside some time and spit out the cores of their
kisses. She would have no such reconciliation. "I won't! I tell you I
hate you!" she cried, and escaped his arm.

Rage came into his face without displacing his intention to make love to
her. That was against nature, unless nature was utterly perverse! She
could not bear it. She struck him across the mouth and ran out of the
room.

There was a moment of confusion on the landing when she could not tell
which of the white doors on the right and left led into her bedroom. The
first one she opened showed her a table piled with heavy books; a vast
wardrobe with glass doors showing a line of dresses coloured like autumn
and of fabrics so exquisite that they might be imagined sentient; under
a shelf beneath it a long straight line, regular as the border plants in
a parterre, of glossy wooden shoe-trees rising out of rather large shoes
made from many kinds of leather and velvets and satins; and in the
carpets and the hangings a profound and vibrant blue. Accusingly she
exclaimed into the emptiness, "Marion!" and darted into her own room
just as Richard burst out into the passage. She flung herself on the bed
and lay quite still while he knocked on the door. Twice he called her
name. Nothing in her desired to answer. That was both relief and the
loss of all. Three times again he knocked, and there penetrated through
the panels one of those wordless noises that had been disgusting her all
the afternoon. After a moment's silence she heard him go downstairs. She
leaped up and dragged her trunk from a corner into the middle of the
room, but instead of beginning to pack she fell on her knees and wept on
to the comfortingly cool and smooth bl