Коханець леді Чаттерлей
Chapter 16
TheyweresoonatMansfield,thatonce-romantic,nowutterlydishearteningcollierytown.Hildastoppedatthehotelnamedinthemotor-carbook,andtookaroom.Thewholethingwasutterlyuninteresting,andshewasalmosttooangrytotalk.However,Conniehadtotellhersomethingoftheman’shistory.
’He!He!Whatnamedoyoucallhimby?Youonlysayhe,’saidHilda.
’I’venevercalledhimbyanyname:norheme:whichiscurious,whenyoucometothinkofit.UnlesswesayLadyJaneandJohnThomas.ButhisnameisOliverMellors.’
’AndhowwouldyouliketobeMrsOliverMellors,insteadofLadyChatterley?’
’I’dloveit.’
TherewasnothingtobedonewithConnie.Andanyhow,ifthemanhadbeenalieutenantinthearmyinIndiaforfourorfiveyears,hemustbemoreorlesspresentable.Apparentlyhehadcharacter.Hildabegantorelentalittle.
’Butyou’llbethroughwithhiminawhile,’shesaid,’andthenyou’llbeashamedofhavingbeenconnectedwithhim.Onecan’tmixupwiththeworkingpeople.’
’Butyouaresuchasocialist!you’realwaysonthesideoftheworkingclasses.’
’Imaybeontheirsideinapoliticalcrisis,butbeingontheirsidemakesmeknowhowimpossibleitistomixone’slifewiththeirs.Notoutofsnobbery,butjustbecausethewholerhythmisdifferent.’
Hildahadlivedamongtherealpoliticalintellectuals,soshewasdisastrouslyunanswerable.
Thenondescripteveninginthehoteldraggedout,andatlasttheyhadanondescriptdinner.ThenConnieslippedafewthingsintoalittlesilkbag,andcombedherhaironcemore.
