Women in Love by D H Lawrence Chapter 5 Page 18

centre at all. It is artificially held TOGETHER by the social mechanism.’

Birkin pondered as if he would crack something.

‘I know,’ he said, ‘it just doesn’t centre. The old ideals are dead as nails — nothing there. It seems to me there remains only this perfect union with a woman — sort of ultimate marriage — and there isn’t anything else.’

‘And you mean if there isn’t the woman, there’s nothing?’ said Gerald.

‘Pretty well that — seeing there’s no God.’

‘Then we’re hard put to it,’ said Gerald. And he turned to look out of the window at the flying, golden landscape.