子浪小说

第66部分（第2页）

machine　out　of　work。〃

〃They　know　they　are　sold；〃　said　Tom　Brangwen。　〃Thats　where

it　is。　They　know　they　are　sold　to　their　job。　If　a　woman　talks

her　throat　out；　what　difference　can　it　make？　The　mans　sold　to

his　job。　So　the　women　dont　bother。　They　take　what　they　can

catch……and　vogue　la　galere。〃

〃Arent　they　very　strict　here？〃　asked　Miss　Inger。

〃Oh；　no。　Mrs。　Smith　has　two　sisters　who　have　just　changed

husbands。　Theyre　not　very　particular……neither　are　they

very　interested。　They　go　dragging　along　what　is　left　from　the

pits。　Theyre　not　interested　enough　to　be　very　immoral……it

all　amounts　to　the　same　thing；　moral　or　immoral……just　a

question　of　pit…wages。　The　most　moral　duke　in　England　makes　two

hundred　thousand　a　year　out　of　these　pits。　He　keeps　the　morality

end　up。〃

Ursula　sat　black…souled　and　very　bitter；　hearing　the　two　of

them　talk。　There　seemed　something　ghoulish　even　in　their　very

deploring　of　the　state　of　things。　They　seemed　to　take　a　ghoulish

satisfaction　in　it。　The　pit　was　the　great　mistress。　Ursula

looked　out　of　the　window　and　saw　the　proud；　demonlike　colliery

with　her　wheels　twinkling　in　the　heavens；　the　formless；　squalid

mass　of　the　town　lying　aside。　It　was　the　squalid　heap　of

side…shows。　The　pit　was　the　main　show；　the　raison　detre

of　all。

How　terrible　it　was！　There　was　a　horrible　fascination

in　it……human　bodies　and　lives　subjected　in　slavery　to　that

symmetric　monster　of　the　colliery。　There　was　a　swooning；

perverse　satisfaction　in　it。　For　a　moment　she　was　dizzy。

Then　she　recovered；　felt　herself　in　a　great　loneliness；

where…in　she　was　sad　but　free。　She　had　departed。　No　more　would

she　subscribe　to　the　great　colliery；　to　the　great　machine　which

has　taken　us　all　captives。　In　her　soul；　she　was　against　it；　she

disowned　even　its　power。　It　had　only　to　be　forsaken　to　be　inane；

meaningless。　And　she　knew　it　was　meaningless。　But　it　needed　a

great；　passionate　effort　of　will　on　her　part；　seeing　the

colliery；　still　to　maintain　her　knowledge　that　it　was

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