‘Ah!! Well that’s unfortunate.’

‘And it’s raining, and it’s a horrible night. Really, you shouldn’t be forgiven for treating your body like it — you OUGHT to suffer, a man who takes as little notice of his body as that.’

‘ — takes as little notice of his body as that,’ he echoed mechanically.

This cut her short, and there was silence.

The others came in from church, and the two had the girls to face, then the mother and Gudrun, and then the father and the boy.

‘Good-evening,’ said Brangwen, faintly surprised. ‘Came to see me, did you?’

‘No,’ said Birkin,