How really beautifully this room is done,’ she said aloud. ‘This hard plaited matting — what a lovely colour it is, the colour of cool light!’

And it seemed to her perfect.

‘Ursula,’ she said at length, in a voice of question and detachment, ‘did you know that Gerald Crich had suggested our going away all together at Christmas?’

‘Yes, he’s spoken to Rupert.’

A deep flush dyed Gudrun’s cheek. She was silent a moment, as if taken aback, and not knowing what to say.

‘But don’t you thing,’ she said at last, ‘it is AMAZINGLY COOL !’

Ursula laughed.