He looked at Gerald with clear, happy eyes of discovery. Gerald looked down at him, attracted, so deeply bondaged in fascinated attraction, that he was mistrustful, resenting the bondage, hating the attraction.

‘We will swear to each other, one day, shall we?’ pleaded Birkin. ‘We will swear to stand by each other — be true to each other — ultimately — infallibly — given to each other, organically — without possibility of taking back.’

Birkin sought hard to express himself. But Gerald hardly listened. His face shone with a certain luminous pleasure. He was pleased. But he kept his reserve. He held himself back.

‘Shall we swear to each other, one day?’ said Birkin, putting out his hand towards Gerald.