‘No, I don’t want one.’

‘Neither do I.’

Gerald fastened the door and pushed the furniture aside. The room was large, there was plenty of space, it was thickly carpeted. Then he quickly threw off his clothes, and waited for Birkin. The latter, white and thin, came over to him. Birkin was more a presence than a visible object, Gerald was aware of him completely, but not really visually. Whereas Gerald himself was concrete and noticeable, a piece of pure final substance.

‘Now,’ said Birkin, ‘I will show you what I learned, and what I remember. You let me take you so — ’ And his hands closed on the naked body of the other man. In another moment, he had Gerald swung over lightly and balanced against