beauty； his strange； bestial nostrils opened so hard and wide；
and his well…shaped head almost disquieting in its nakedness；
rather bald from the front； and all its soft fulness
betrayed。
Skrebensky saw the man rather than the woman。 She saw only
the slender； unchangeable youth waiting there inscrutable； like
her fate。 He was beyond her； with his loose； slightly horsey
appearance； that made him seem very manly and foreign。 Yet his
face was smooth and soft and impressionable。 She shook hands
with him； and her voice was like the rousing of a bird startled
by the dawn。
〃Isn't it nice；〃 she cried； 〃to have a wedding？〃
There were bits of coloured confetti lodged on her dark
hair。
Again the confusion came over him； as if he were losing
himself and being all vague； undefined； inchoate。 Yet he
wanted to be hard； manly； horsey。 And he followed her。
There was a light tea； and the guests scattered。 The real
feast was for the evening。 Ursula walked out with Skrebensky
through the stackyard to the fields； and up the embankment to
the canal…side。
The new corn…stacks were big and golden as they went by； an
army of white geese marched aside in braggart protest。 Ursula
was light as a white ball of down。 Skrebensky drifted beside
her； indefinite； his old from loosened； and another self； grey；
vague； drifting out as from a bud。 They talked lightly； of
nothing。
The blue way of the canal wound softly between the autumn
hedges； on towards the greenness of a small hill。 On the left
was the whole black agitation of colliery and railway and the
town which rose on its hill； the church tower topping all。 The
round white dot of the clock on the tower was distinct in the
evening light。
That way； Ursula felt； was the way to London； through the
grim； alluring seethe of the town。 On the other hand was the
evening； mellow over the green water…meadows and the winding
alder trees beside the river； and the pale stretches of stubble
beyond。 There the evening glowed softly； and even a pee…wit was
flapping in solitude and peace。
Ursula and Anton Skrebensky walked along the ridge of the
canal between。 The berries on the hedges were crimson and bright
red； above the leaves。 The glow of evening and the wheeling of
the solitary pee…wit and the faint cry of the birds came to meet
the shuffling noise of the pits； the dark； fuming stress of the
town opposite； and they two walked the blue strip of water…way；
the ribbon of sky between。
He was looking； Ursula thought； very beautiful； because of a
flush of sunburn on his hands and face。 He was telling her how
he had learned to shoe horses and select cattle fit for
killing。
〃Do you like to be a soldier？〃 she asked。
〃I am not exactly a soldier；〃 he replied。
〃But you only do things for wars；〃 she said。
〃Yes。〃
〃Would you like to go to war？〃
〃I？ Well； it would be exciting。 If there were a war I would
want to go。〃
A strange； distracted feeling came over her； a sense of
potent unrealities。
〃Why would you want to go？〃
〃I should be doing something； it would be genuine。 It's a
sort of toy…life as it is。〃
〃But what would you be doing if you went to war？〃
〃I would be making railways or bridges； working like a
nigger。〃
〃But you'd only make them to be pulled down again when the
armies had done with them。 It seems just as much a game。〃
〃If you call war a game。〃
〃What is it？〃
〃It's about the most serious business there is；
fighting。〃
A sense of hard separateness came over her。
〃Why is fighting more serious than anything else？〃 she
asked。
〃You either kill or get killed……and I suppose it is
serious enough； killing。〃
〃But when you're dead you don't matter any more；〃 she
said。
He was silenced for a moment。
〃But the result matters；〃 he said。 〃It matters whether we
settle the Mahdi or not。〃
〃Not to you……nor me……we don't care about
Khartoum。〃
〃You want to have room to live in： and somebody has to make
room。〃
〃But I don't want to live in the desert of Sahara……do
you？〃 she replied； laughing with antagonism。
〃I don't……but we've got to back up those who do。
〃Why have we？〃
〃Where is the nation if we don't？〃
〃But we aren't the nation。 There are heaps of other people
who are the nation。〃
〃They might say they weren't either。〃
〃Well； if everybody said it； there wouldn't be a nation。 But
I should still be myself；〃 she asserted brilliantly。
〃You wouldn't be yourself if there were no nation。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Because you'd just be a prey to everybody and anybody。〃
〃How a prey？〃
〃They'd e and take everything you'd got。〃
〃Well； they couldn't take much even then。 I don't care what
they take。 I'd rather have a robber who carried me off than a
millionaire who gave me everything you can buy。〃
〃That's because you are a romanticist。〃
〃Yes； I am。 I want to be romantic。 I hate houses that never
go away； and people just living in the houses。 It's all so stiff
and stupid。 I hate soldiers； they are stiff and wooden。 What do
you fight for； really？〃
〃I would fight for the nation。〃
〃For all that； you aren't the nation。 What would you do for
yourself？〃
〃I belong to the nation and must do my duty by the
nation。〃
〃But when it didn't need your services in
particular……when there is no fighting？ What would you do
then？〃
He was irritated。
〃I would do what everybody else does。〃
〃What？〃
〃Nothing。 I would be in readiness for when I was needed。〃
The answer came in exasperation。
〃It seems to me；〃 she answered； 〃as if you weren't
anybody……as if there weren't anybody there； where you are。
Are you anybody； really？ You seem like nothing to me。〃
They had walked till they had reached a wharf； just above a
lock。 There an empty barge； painted with a red and yellow cabin
hood； but with a long； coal…black hold； was lying moored。 A man；
lean and grimy； was sitting on a box against the cabin…side by
the door； smoking； and nursing a baby that was wrapped in a drab
shawl； and looking into the glow of evening。 A woman bustled
out； sent a pail dashing into the canal； drew her water； and
bustled in again。 Children's voices were heard。 A thin blue
smoke ascended from the cabin chimney； there was a smell of
cooking。
Ursula； white as a moth； lingered to look。 Skrebensky
lingered by her。 The man glanced up。
〃Good evening；〃 he called； half impudent； half attracted。 He
had blue eyes which glanced impudently from his grimy face。
〃Good evening；〃 said Ursula； delighted。 〃Isn't it
nice now？〃
〃Ay；〃 said the man； 〃very nice。〃
His mouth was red under his ragged； sandy moustache。 His
teeth were white as he laughed。
〃Oh； but……〃 stammered Ursula； laughing； 〃it is。 Why do
you say it as if it weren't？〃
〃'Appen for them as is childt…nursin' it's none so rosy。〃
〃May I look inside your barge？〃 asked Ursula。
〃There's nobody'll stop you； you e if you like。〃
The barge lay at the opposite bank； at the wharf。 It was the
Annabel； belonging to J。 Ruth of Loughborough。 The man
watched Ursula closely from his keen； twinkling eyes。 His fair
hair was wispy on his grimed forehead。 Two dirty children
appeared to see who was talking。
Ursula glanced at the great lock gates。 They were shut； and
the water was sounding； spurting and trickling down in the gloom
beyond。 On this side the bright water was almost to the top of
the gate。 She went boldly across； and round to the wharf。
Stooping from the bank； she peeped into the cabin； where was
a red glow of fire and the shadowy figure of a woman。 She did
want to go down。
〃You'll mess your frock；〃 said the man； warningly。
〃I'll be careful；〃 she answered。 〃May I e？〃
〃Ay； e if you like。〃
She gathered her skirts； lowered her foot to the side of the
boat； and leapt down； laughing。 Coal…dust flew up。
The woman came to the door。 She was plump and sandy…haired；
young； with an odd； stubby nose。
〃Oh； you will make a mess of yourself；〃 she cried；
surprised and laughing with a little wonder。
〃I did want to see。 Isn't it lovely living on a barge？〃 asked
Ursula。
〃I don't live on one altogether；〃 said the woman
cheerfully。
〃She's got her parlour an' her plush suite in Loughborough；〃
said her husba