Любовник леди Чаттерлей
Chapter 17
ButwithMrsBoltonIonlyfeelthedownwardplunge,down,horribly,amongthesea-weedsandthepallidmonstersoftheverybottom.
Iamafraidwearegoingtoloseourgame-keeper.Thescandalofthetruantwife,insteadofdyingdown,hasreverberatedtogreaterandgreaterdimensions.Heisaccusedofallunspeakablethingsandcuriouslyenough,thewomanhasmanagedtogetthebulkofthecolliers’wivesbehindher,gruesomefish,andthevillageisputrescentwithtalk.
IhearthisBerthaCouttsbesiegesMellorsinhismother’shouse,havingransackedthecottageandthehut.Sheseizedonedayuponherowndaughter,asthatchipofthefemaleblockwasreturningfromschool;butthelittleone,insteadofkissingthelovingmother’shand,bititfirmly,andsoreceivedfromtheotherhandasmackinthefacewhichsentherreelingintothegutter:whenceshewasrescuedbyanindignantandharassedgrandmother.
Thewomanhasblownoffanamazingquantityofpoison-gas.Shehasairedindetailallthoseincidentsofherconjugallifewhichareusuallyburieddowninthedeepestgraveofmatrimonialsilence,betweenmarriedcouples.Havingchosentoexhumethem,aftertenyearsofburial,shehasaweirdarray.IhearthesedetailsfromLinleyandthedoctor:thelatterbeingamused.Ofcoursethereisreallynothinginit.Humanityhasalwayshadastrangeavidityforunusualsexualpostures,andifamanlikestousehiswife,asBenvenutoCellinisays,’intheItalianway’,wellthatisamatteroftaste.ButIhadhardlyexpectedourgame-keepertobeuptosomanytricks.