stifling； when one seemed always to be in contact with the other
person； like a blood…relation； was annulled。 She denied it； this
close relationship with her young husband。 He and she were not
one。 His heat was not always to suffuse her； suffuse her；
through her mind and her individuality； till she was of one heat
with him； till she had not her own self apart。 She wanted her
own life。 He seemed to lap her and suffuse her with his being；
his hot life； till she did not know whether she were herself； or
whether she were another creature； united with him in a world of
close blood…intimacy that closed over her and excluded her from
all the cool outside。
She wanted her own； old； sharp self； detached； detached；
active but not absorbed； active for her own part； taking and
giving； but never absorbed。 Whereas he wanted this strange
absorption with her； which still she resisted。 But she was
partly helpless against it。 She had lived so long in Tom
Brangwen's love； beforehand。
From the Skrebensky's； they went to Will Brangwen's beloved
Lincoln Cathedral； because it was not far off。 He had promised
her； that one by one； they should visit all the cathedrals of
England。 They began with Lincoln； which he knew well。
He began to get excited as the time drew near to set off。
What was it that changed him so much？ She was almost angry；
ing as she did from the Skrebensky's。 But now he ran on
alone。 His very breast seemed to open its doors to watch for the
great church brooding over the town。 His soul ran ahead。
When he saw the cathedral in the distance； dark blue lifted
watchful in the sky； his heart leapt。 It was the sign in heaven；
it was the Spirit hovering like a dove； like an eagle over the
earth。 He turned his glowing； ecstatic face to her； his mouth
opened with a strange； ecstatic grin。
〃There she is；〃 he said。
The 〃she〃 irritated her。 Why 〃she〃？ It was 〃it〃。 What was the
cathedral； a big building； a thing of the past； obsolete； to
excite him to such a pitch？ She began to stir herself to
readiness。
They passed up the steep hill； he eager as a pilgrim arriving
at the shrine。 As they came near the precincts； with castle on
one side and cathedral on the other； his veins seemed to break
into fiery blossom； he was transported。
They had passed through the gate； and the great west front
was before them； with all its breadth and ornament。
〃It is a false front；〃 he said； looking at the golden stone
and the twin towers； and loving them just the same。 In a little
ecstasy he found himself in the porch； on the brink of the
unrevealed。 He looked up to the lovely unfolding of the stone。
He was to pass within to the perfect womb。
Then he pushed open the door； and the great； pillared gloom
was before him； in which his soul shuddered and rose from her
nest。 His soul leapt； soared up into the great church。 His body
stood still； absorbed by the height。 His soul leapt up into the
gloom； into possession； it reeled； it swooned with a great
escape； it quivered in the womb； in the hush and the gloom of
fecundity； like seed of procreation in ecstasy。
She too was overe with wonder and awe。 She followed him in
his progress。 Here； the twilight was the very essence of life；
the coloured darkness was the embryo of all light； and the day。
Here； the very first dawn was breaking； the very last sunset
sinking； and the immemorial darkness； whereof life's day would
blossom and fall away again； re…echoed peace and profound
immemorial silence。
Away from time； always outside of time！ Between east and
west； between dawn and sunset； the church lay like a seed in
silence； dark before germination； silenced after death。
Containing birth and death； potential with all the noise and
transition of life； the cathedral remained hushed； a great；
involved seed； whereof the flower would be radiant life
inconceivable； but whose beginning and whose end were the circle
of silence。 Spanned round with the rainbow； the jewelled gloom
folded music upon silence； light upon darkness； fecundity upon
death； as a seed folds leaf upon leaf and silence upon the root
and the flower； hushing up the secret of all between its parts；
the death out of which it fell； the life into which it has
dropped； the immortality it involves； and the death it will
embrace again。
Here in the church； 〃before〃 and 〃after〃 were folded
together； all was contained in oneness。 Brangwen came to his
consummation。 Out of the doors of the womb he had e； putting
aside the wings of the womb； and proceeding into the light。
Through daylight and day…after…day he had e； knowledge after
knowledge； and experience after experience； remembering the
darkness of the womb； having prescience of the darkness after
death。 Then between……while he had pushed open the doors of
the cathedral； and entered the twilight of both darkness； the
hush of the two…fold silence where dawn was sunset； and the
beginning and the end were one。
Here the stone leapt up from the plain of earth； leapt up in
a manifold； clustered desire each time； up； away from the
horizontal earth； through twilight and dusk and the whole range
of desire； through the swerving； the declination； ah； to the
ecstasy； the touch； to the meeting and the consummation； the
meeting； the clasp； the close embrace； the neutrality； the
perfect； swooning consummation； the timeless ecstasy。 There his
soul remained； at the apex of the arch； clinched in the timeless
ecstasy； consummated。
And there was no time nor life nor death； but only this； this
timeless consummation； where the thrust from earth met the
thrust from earth and the arch was locked on the keystone of
ecstasy。 This was all； this was everything。 Till he came to
himself in the world below。 Then again he gathered himself
together； in transit； every jet of him strained and leaped；
leaped clear into the darkness above； to the fecundity and the
unique mystery； to the touch； the clasp； the consummation； the
climax of eternity； the apex of the arch。
She too was overe； but silenced rather than tuned to the
place。 She loved it as a world not quite her own； she resented
his transports and ecstasies。 His passion in the cathedral at
first awed her； then made her angry。 After all； there was the
sky outside； and in here； in this mysterious half…night； when
his soul leapt with the pillars upwards； it was not to the stars
and the crystalline dark space； but to meet and clasp with the
answering impulse of leaping stone； there in the dusk and
secrecy of the roof。 The far…off clinching and mating of the
arches； the leap and thrust of the stone； carrying a great roof
overhead； awed and silenced her。
But yet……yet she remembered that the open sky was no
blue vault； no dark dome hung with many twinkling lamps； but a
space where stars were wheeling in freedom； with freedom above
them always higher。
The cathedral roused her too。 But she would never consent to
the knitting of all the leaping stone in a great roof that
closed her in； and beyond which was nothing； nothing； it was the
ultimate confine。 His soul would have liked it to be so： here；
here is all； plete； eternal： motion； meeting； ecstasy； and no
illusion of time； of night and day passing by； but only
perfectly proportioned space and movement clinching and
renewing； and passion surging its way into great waves to the
altar； recurrence of ecstasy。
Her soul too was carried forward to the altar； to the
threshold of Eternity； in reverence and fear and joy。 But ever
she hung back in the transit； mistrusting the culmination of the
altar。 She was not to be flung forward on the lift and lift of
passionate flights； to be cast at last upon the altar steps as
upon the shore of the unknown。 There was a great joy and a
verity in it。 But even in the dazed swoon of the cathedral； she
claimed another right。 The altar was barren； its lights gone
out。 God burned no more in that bush。 It was dead matter lying
there。 She claimed the right to freedom above her； higher than
the roof。 She had always a sense of being roofed in。
So that she caught at little things； which saved her from
being swept forward headlong in the tide of passion that leaps
on into the Infinite in a great mass； triumphant and flinging
its own course。 She wanted to get out of this fixed； leaping；
forward…travelling movement； to rise from it as a bird rises
with wet； limp feet from the sea； to lift herself as a bird
lifts its breast and thrusts its body from the pulse and heave
of a sea that bears it forward to an unwilling conclusion； tear
herself away like a bird on wings； and in open space where there
is clarity； rise up above the fixed； surcharged motion； a
separate speck that hangs suspended； moves this way and that；
seeing and answering before it sinks again； having chosen or
found the direction in which it shall be carried forward。
And it was as if she must grasp at something； as if her wings
were too weak to lift her straight off the heaving motion。 So
she caught sight of the wicked； odd little faces carved in
stone； and she stood before them arrested。
These sly little faces peeped out of the grand tide of the
cathedral like something that knew better。 They knew quite well；
t