she said.

‘I felt a beast, fetching you,’ said Gudrun. ‘But I simply couldn’t see people. That is too much for me.’

‘Yes,’ said Ursula, chilled.

Birkin tapped and entered. His face was white and expressionless. She knew he knew. He gave her his hand, saying:

‘The end of THIS trip, at any rate.’

Gudrun glanced at him, afraid.

There was silence between the three of them, nothing to be said. At length Ursula asked in a small voice:

‘Have you seen him?’

He looked back at Ursula with a hard, cold look, and did not trouble to answer.