Любовник леди Чаттерлей
Chapter 9
’Whereas,asConniecouldseeevenfromMrsBolton’sgossip,thewomanhadbeenmerelyamealy-mouthedsort,andthemanangrilyhonest.Butangryhonestymadea’badman’ofhim,andmealy-mouthednessmadea’nicewoman’ofher,inthevicious,conventionalchannellingofsympathybyMrsBolton.
Forthisreason,thegossipwashumiliating.Andforthesamereason,mostnovels,especiallypopularones,arehumiliatingtoo.Thepublicrespondsnowonlytoanappealtoitsvices.
Nevertheless,onegotanewvisionofTevershallvillagefromMrsBolton’stalk.Aterrible,seethingwelterofuglylifeitseemed:notatalltheflatdrabnessitlookedfromoutside.Cliffordofcourseknewbysightmostofthepeoplementioned,Connieknewonlyoneortwo.ButitsoundedreallymorelikeaCentralAfricanjunglethananEnglishvillage.
’IsupposeyouheardasMissAllsoppwasmarriedlastweek!Wouldyouever!MissAllsopp,oldJames’daughter,theboot-and-shoeAllsopp.YouknowtheybuiltahouseupatPyeCroft.Theoldmandiedlastyearfromafall;eighty-three,hewas,an’nimbleasalad.An’thenheslippedonBestwoodHill,onaslideasthelads’admadelastwinter,an’brokehisthigh,andthatfinishedhim,pooroldman,itdidseemashame.Well,heleftallhismoneytoTattie:didn’tleavetheboysapenny.An’Tattie,Iknow,isfiveyears--yes,she’sfifty-threelastautumn.AndyouknowtheyweresuchChapelpeople,myword!ShetaughtSundayschoolforthirtyyears,tillherfatherdied.
