The Rainbow-虹(英文版)-第80部分

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children　had　she　given　another　sessions's　lessons。　It　looked
tremendous。　The　excited　hours　passed　slowly　in　suspense。　Then　at
last　it　was　over。　For　the　last　time；　she　stood　before　her
children　whilst　they　said　their　prayers　and　sang　a　hymn。　Then　it
was　over。

〃Goodbye；　children；〃　she　said。　〃I　shall　not　fet　you；　and
you　must　not　fet　me。〃

〃No；　miss；〃　cried　the　children　in　chorus；　with　shining
faces。

She　stood　smiling　on　them；　moved；　as　they　filed　out。　Then　she
gave　her　monitors　their　term　sixpences；　and　they　too　departed。
Cupboards　were　locked；　blackboards　washed；　ink　wells　and　dusters
removed。　The　place　stood　bare　and　vacated。　She　had　triumphed
over　it。　It　was　a　shell　now。　She　had　fought　a　good　fight　here；
and　it　had　not　been　altogether　unenjoyable。　She　owed　some
gratitude　even　to　this　hard；　vacant　place；　that　stood　like　a
memorial　or　a　trophy。　So　much　of　her　life　had　been　fought　for
and　won　and　lost　here。　Something　of　this　school　would　always
belong　to　her；　something　of　her　to　it。　She　acknowledged　it。　And
now　came　the　leavetaking。

In　the　teachers'　room　the　teachers　were　chatting　and
loitering；　talking　excitedly　of　where　they　were　going：　to　the
Isle　of　Man；　to　Llandudno；　to　Yarmouth。　They　were　eager；　and
attached　to　each　other；　like　rades　leaving　a　ship。

Then　it　was　Mr。　Harby's　turn　to　make　a　speech　to　Ursula。　He
looked　handsome；　with　his　silvergrey　temples　and　black　brows；
and　his　imperturbable　male　solidity。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃we　must　say　goodbye　to　Miss　Brangwen　and
wish　her　all　good　fortune　for　the　future。　I　suppose　we　shall　see
her　again　some　time；　and　hear　how　she　is　getting　on。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Ursula；　stammering；　blushing；　laughing。　〃Oh；
yes；　I　shall　e　and　see　you。〃

Then　she　realized　that　this　sounded　too　personal；　and　she
felt　foolish。

〃Miss　Schofield　suggested　these　two　books；〃　he　said；　putting
a　couple　of　volumes　on　the　table：　〃I　hope　you　will　like
them。〃

Ursula　feeling　very　shy　picked　up　the　books。　There　was　a
volume　of　Swinburne's　poetry；　and　a　volume　of　Meredith's。

〃Oh；　I　shall　love　them；〃　she　said。　〃Thank　you　very
muchthank　you　all　so　muchit　is
so〃

She　stuttered　to　an　end；　and　very　red；　turned　the　leaves　of
the　books　eagerly；　pretending　to　be　taking　the　first　pleasure；
but　really　seeing　nothing。

Mr。　Harby's　eyes　were　twinkling。　He　alone　was　at　his　ease；
master　of　the　situation。　It　was　pleasing　to　him　to　make　Ursula
the　gift；　and　for　once　extend　good　feeling　to　his　teachers。　As　a
rule；　it　was　so　difficult；　each　one　was　so　strained　in
resentment　under　his　rule。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃we　hoped　you　would　like　the
choice〃

He　looked　with　his　peculiar；　challenging　smile　for　a　moment；
then　returned　to　his　cupboards。

Ursula　felt　very　confused。　She　hugged　her　books；　loving　them。
And　she　felt　that　she　loved　all　the　teachers；　and　Mr。　Harby。　It
was　very　confusing。

At　last　she　was　out。　She　cast　one　hasty　glance　over　the
school　buildings　squatting　on　the　asphalt　yard　in　the　hot；
glistening　sun；　one　look　down　the　wellknown　road；　and　turned
her　back　on　it　all。　Something　strained　in　her　heart。　She　was
going　away。

〃Well；　good　luck；〃　said　the　last　of　the　teachers；　as　she
shook　hands　at　the　end　of　the　road。　〃We'll　expect　you　back　some
day。〃

He　spoke　in　irony。　She　laughed；　and　broke　away。　She　was　free。
As　she　sat　on　the　top　of　the　tram　in　the　sunlight；　she　looked
round　her　with　tremendous　delight。　She　had　left　something　which
had　meant　much　to　her。　She　would　not　go　to　school　any　more；　and
do　the　familiar　things。　Queer！　There　was　a　little　pang　amid　her
exultation；　of　fear；　not　of　regret。　Yet　how　she　exulted　this
morning！

She　was　tremulous　with　pride　and　joy。　She　loved　the　two
books。　They　were　tokens　to　her；　representing　the　fruit　and
trophies　of　her　two　years　which；　thank　God；　were　over。

〃To　Ursula　Brangwen；　with　best　wishes　for　her　future；　and　in
warm　memory　of　the　time　she　spent　in　St。　Philip's　School；〃　was
written　in　the　headmaster's　neat；　scrupulous　handwriting。　She
could　see　the　careful　hand　holding　the　pen；　the　thick　fingers
with　tufts　of　black　hair　on　the　back　of　each　one。

He　had　signed；　all　the　teachers　had　signed。　She　liked　having
all　their　signatures。　She　felt　she　loved　them　all。　They　were　her
fellowworkers。　She　carried　away　from　the　school　a　pride　she
could　never　lose。　She　had　her　place　as　rade　and　sharer　in　the
work　of　the　school；　her　fellow　teachers　had　signed　to　her；　as
one　of　them。　And　she　was　one　of　all　workers；　she　had　put　in　her
tiny　brick　to　the　fabric　man　was　building；　she　had　qualified
herself　as　cobuilder。

Then　the　day　for　the　home　removal　came。　Ursula　rose　early；　to
pack　up　the　remaining　goods。　The　carts　arrived；　lent　by　her
uncle　at　the　Marsh；　in　the　lull　between　hay　and　corn　harvest。
The　goods　roped　in　the　cart；　Ursula　mounted　her　bicycle　and　sped
away　to　Beldover。

The　house　was　hers。　She　entered　its　cleanscrubbed　silence。
The　diningroom　had　been　covered　with　a　thick　rush　matting；　hard
and　of　the　beautiful；　luminous；　clean　colour　of　sundried　reeds。
The　walls　were　pale　grey；　the　doors　were　darker　grey。　Ursula
admired　it　very　much；　as　the　sun　came　through　the　large　windows；
streaming　in。

She　flung　open　doors　and　windows　to　the　sunshine。　Flowers
were　bright　and　shining　round　the　small　lawn；　which　stood　above
the　road；　looking　over　the　raw　field　opposite；　which　would　later
be　built　upon。　No　one　came。　So　she　wandered　down　the　garden　at
the　back　of　the　wall。　The　eight　bells　of　the　church　rang　the
hour。　She　could　hear　the　many　sounds　of　the　town　about　her。

At　last；　the　cart　was　seen　ing　round　the　corner；　familiar
furniture　piled　undignified　on　top；　Tom；　her　brother；　and
Theresa；　marching　on　foot　beside　the　mass；　proud　of　having
walked　ten　miles　or　more；　from　the　tram　terminus。　Ursula　poured
out　beer；　and　the　men　drank　thirstily；　by　the　door。　A　second
cart　was　ing。　Her　father　appeared　on　his　motor　bicycle。　There
was　the　staggering　transport　of　furniture　up　the　steps　to　the
little　lawn；　where　it　was　deposited　all　pellmell　in　the
sunshine；　very　queer　and　disforting。

Brangwen　was　a　pleasant　man　to　work　with；　cheerful　and　easy。
Ursula　loved　deciding　him　where　the　heavy　things　should　stand。
She　watched　anxiously　the　struggle　up　the　steps　and　through　the
doorways。　Then　the　big　things　were　in；　the　carts　set　off　again。
Ursula　and　her　father　worked　away　carrying　in　all　the　light
things　that　remained　upon　the　lawn；　and　putting　them　in　place。
Dinner　time　came。　They　ate　bread　and　cheese　in　the　kitchen。

〃Well；　we're　getting　on；〃　said　Brangwen；　cheerfully。

Two　more　loads　arrived。　The　afternoon　passed　away　in　a
struggle　with　the　furniture；　upstairs。　Towards　five　o'clock；
appeared　the　last　loads；　consisting　also　of　Mrs。　Brangwen　and
the　younger　children；　driven　by　Uncle　Fred　in　the　trap。　Gudrun
had　walked　with　Margaret　from　the　station。　The　whole　family　had
e。

〃There！〃　said　Brangwen；　as　his　wife　got　down　from　the　cart：
〃Now　we're　all　here。〃

〃Ay；〃　said　his　wife　pleasantly。

And　the　very　brevity；　the　silence　of　intimacy　between　the　two
made　a　home　in　the　hearts　of　the　children；　who　clustered　round
feeling　strange　in　the　new　place。

Everything　was　at　sixes　and　sevens。　But　a　fire　was　made　in
the　kitchen；　the　hearthrug　put　down；　the　kettle　set　on　the　hob；
and　Mrs。　Brangwen　began　towards　sunset　to　prepare　the　first
meal。　Ursula　and　Gudrun　were　slaving　in　the　bedrooms；　candles
were　rushing　about。　Then　from　the　kitchen　came　the　smell　of　ham
and　eggs　and　coffee；　and　in　the　gaslight；　the　scrambled　meal
began。　The　family　seemed　to　huddle　together　like　a　little　camp
in　a　strange　place。　Ursula　felt　a　load　of　responsibility　upon
her；　caring　for　the　halflittle　ones。　The　smallest　kept　near　the
mother。

It　was　dark；　and　the　children　went　sleepy　but　excited　to　bed。
It　was　a　long　time　before　the　sound　of　voices　died　out。　There
was　a　tremendous　sense　of　adventure。

In　the　morning　everybody　was　awake　soon　after　dawn；　the
children　crying：

〃When　I　wakened　up　I　didn't　know　where　I　was。〃

There　were　the　strange　sounds　of　the　town；　and　the　repeated
chiming　of　the　big　church　bells；　so　much　harsher　and　more
insistent　than　the　little　bells　of　Cossethay。　They　looked
through　the　windows　past　the　other　new　red　houses　to　the　wooded
hill　across　the　valley。　They　had　all　a　delightful　sense　of　space
and　liberation；　space　and　light　and　air。

But　gradually　all　set　to　work。　They　were　a　careless；　untidy
family。　Yet　when　once　they　set　about　to　get　the　house　in　order；
the　thing　went　with　felicity　and　quickness。　By　evening　the　place
was　roughly　established。

They　would　not　have　a　servant　to　live　in　the　house；　only　a
woman　who　could　go　home　at　night。　And　they　would　not　even　have
the　woman　yet。　They　wanted　to　do　as　they　liked　in　their　own
home；　with　no　stranger　in　the　midst。



CHAPTER　XV

THE　BITTERNESS　OF　ECSTASY

A　storm　of　industry　raged　on　in　the　house。　Ursula　did　not　go
to　college　till　October。　So；　with　a　distinct　feeling　of
responsibility；　as　if　she　must　express　herself　in　this　house；
she　laboured　arranging；　rearranging；　selecting；　contriving。

She　could　use　her　father's　ordinary　tools；　both　for　woodwork
and　metalwork；　so　she　hammered　and　tinkered。　Her　mother　was
quite　content　to　have　the　thing　done。　Brangwen　was　interested。
He　had　a　ready　belief　in　his　daughter。　He　himself　was　at　work
putting　up　his　workshed　in　the　garden。

At　last　she　had　finished　for　the　time　being。　The　drawingroom
was　big　and　empty。　It　had　the　good　Wilton　carpet；　of　which　the
family　was　so　proud；　and　the　large　couch　and　large　chairs
covered　with　shiny　chintz；　and　the　piano；　a　little　sculpture　in
plaster　that　Brangwen　had　done；　and　not　very　much　more。　It　was
too　large　and　emptyfeeling　for　the　family　to　occupy　very　much。
Yet　they　liked　to　know　it　was　there；　large　and　empty。

The　home　was　the　diningroom。　There　the　hard　rush
floorcovering　made　the　ground　light；　reflecting　light　upon　the
bottom　their　hearts；　in　the　windowbay　was　a　broad；　sunny　seat；
the　table　was　so　solid　one　could　not　jostle　it；　and　the　chairs
so　strong　one　could　knock　them　over　without　hurting　them。　The
familiar　an　that　Brangwen　had　made　stood　on　one　side；　looking
peculiarly　small；　the　sideboard　was　fortably　reduced　to
normal　proportions。　This　was　the　family　livingroom。

Ursula　had　a　bedroom　to　herself。　It　was　really　a　servants'
bedroom；　small　and　plain。　Its　window　looked　over　the　back　garden
at　other　back　gardens；　some　of　them　old　and　very　nice；　some　of
them　littered　with　packingcases；　then　at　the　backs　of　the
houses　whose　fronts　were　the　shops　in　High　Street；　or　the
genteel　homes　of　the　undermanager　or　the　chief　cashier；　facing
the　chapel。

She　had　six　weeks　still　before　going　to　college。　In　this　time
she　nervously　read　over　some　Latin　and　some　botany；　and　fitfully
worked　at　some　mathematics。　She　was　going　into　college　as　a
teacher；　for　her　training。　But；　having　already　taken　her
matriculation　examination；　she　was　entered　for　a　university
course。　At　the　end　of　a　year　she　would　sit　for　the　Intermediate
Arts；　then　two　years　after　for　her　B。A。　So　her　case　was　not　that
of　the　ordinary　schoolteacher。　She　would　be　working　among　the
private　students　who　came　only　for　pure　education；　not　for