Волны

           ’

           ’Withinfinitetimebeforeus,’saidNeville,’weaskwhatshallwedo?ShallweloiterdownBondStreet,lookinghereandthere,andbuyingperhapsafountain-penbecauseitisgreen,oraskinghowmuchistheringwiththebluestone?Orshallwesitindoorsandwatchthecoalsturncrimson?Shallwestretchourhandsforbooksandreadhereapassageandthereapassage?Shallweshoutwithlaughterfornoreason?Shallwepushthroughfloweringmeadowsandmakedaisychains?ShallwefindoutwhenthenexttrainstartsfortheHebridesandengageareservedcompartment?Allistocome.’

           ’Foryou,’saidBernard,’butyesterdayIwalkedbangintoapillar-box.YesterdayIbecameengaged.’

           ’Howstrange,’saidSusan,’thelittleheapsofsugarlookbythesideofourplates.Alsothemottledpeelingsofpears,andtheplushrimstothelooking-glasses.Ihadnotseenthembefore.Everythingisnowset;everythingisfixed.Bernardisengaged.Somethingirrevocablehashappened.Acirclehasbeencastonthewaters;achainisimposed.Weshallneverflowfreelyagain.’

           ’Foronemomentonly,’saidLouis.’Beforethechainbreaks,beforedisorderreturns,seeusfixed,seeusdisplayed,seeusheldinavice.

           ’Butnowthecirclebreaks.Nowthecurrentflows.Nowwerushfasterthanbefore.Nowpassionsthatlayinwaitdownthereinthedarkweedswhichgrowatthebottomriseandpounduswiththeirwaves.Painandjealousy,envyanddesire,andsomethingdeeperthantheyare,strongerthanloveandmoresubterranean.Thevoiceofactionspeaks.