‘it usually means one thing! But don’t you think anyhow, you’d be — ’ she darkened slightly — ’in a better position than you are in now.’

A shadow came over Ursula’s face.

‘I might,’ she said. ‘But I’m not sure.’

Again Gudrun paused, slightly irritated. She wanted to be quite definite.

‘You don’t think one needs the EXPERIENCE of having been married?’ she asked.

‘Do you think it need BE an experience?’ replied Ursula.

‘Bound to be, in some way or other,’ said Gudrun, coolly. ‘Possibly undesirable, but bound to be an experience of some sort.’