Любовник леди Чаттерлей
Chapter 5
HedidnotlookatConnieatall,onlyatthechair.
’Connie,thisisthenewgame-keeper,Mellors.Youhaven’tspokentoherladyshipyet,Mellors?’
’No,Sir!’cametheready,neutralwords.
Themanliftedhishatashestood,showinghisthick,almostfairhair.HestaredstraightintoConnie’seyes,withaperfect,fearless,impersonallook,asifhewantedtoseewhatshewaslike.Hemadeherfeelshy.Shebentherheadtohimshyly,andhechangedhishattohislefthandandmadeheraslightbow,likeagentleman;buthesaidnothingatall.Heremainedforamomentstill,withhishatinhishand.
’Butyou’vebeenheresometime,haven’tyou?’Conniesaidtohim.
’Eightmonths,Madam...yourLadyship!’hecorrectedhimselfcalmly.
’Anddoyoulikeit?’
Shelookedhimintheeyes.Hiseyesnarrowedalittle,withirony,perhapswithimpudence.
’Why,yes,thankyou,yourLadyship!Iwasrearedhere...’
Hegaveanotherslightbow,turned,puthishaton,andstrodetotakeholdofthechair.Hisvoiceonthelastwordshadfallenintotheheavybroaddragofthedialect...perhapsalsoinmockery,becausetherehadbeennotraceofdialectbefore.Hemightalmostbeagentleman.Anyhow,hewasacurious,quick,separatefellow,alone,butsureofhimself.
Cliffordstartedthelittleengine,themancarefullyturnedthechair,andsetitnose-forwardstotheinclinethatcurvedgentlytothedarkhazelthicket.
’Isthatallthen,SirClifford?’askedtheman.
’No,you’dbettercomealongincaseshesticks.Theengineisn’treallystrongenoughfortheuphillwork.