wish her all good fortune for the future。 I suppose we shall see
her again some time； and hear how she is getting on。〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 said Ursula； stammering； blushing； laughing。 〃Oh；
yes； I shall e and see you。〃
Then she realized that this sounded too personal； and she
felt foolish。
〃Miss Schofield suggested these two books；〃 he said； putting
a couple of volumes on the table： 〃I hope you will like
them。〃
Ursula feeling very shy picked up the books。 There was a
volume of Swinburne's poetry； and a volume of Meredith's。
〃Oh； I shall love them；〃 she said。 〃Thank you very
much……thank you all so much……it is
so〃
She stuttered to an end； and very red； turned the leaves of
the books eagerly； pretending to be taking the first pleasure；
but really seeing nothing。
Mr。 Harby's eyes were twinkling。 He alone was at his ease；
master of the situation。 It was pleasing to him to make Ursula
the gift； and for once extend good feeling to his teachers。 As a
rule； it was so difficult； each one was so strained in
resentment under his rule。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃we hoped you would like the
choice〃
He looked with his peculiar； challenging smile for a moment；
then returned to his cupboards。
Ursula felt very confused。 She hugged her books； loving them。
And she felt that she loved all the teachers； and Mr。 Harby。 It
was very confusing。
At last she was out。 She cast one hasty glance over the
school buildings squatting on the asphalt yard in the hot；
glistening sun； one look down the well…known road； and turned
her back on it all。 Something strained in her heart。 She was
going away。
〃Well； good luck；〃 said the last of the teachers； as she
shook hands at the end of the road。 〃We'll expect you back some
day。〃
He spoke in irony。 She laughed； and broke away。 She was free。
As she sat on the top of the tram in the sunlight； she looked
round her with tremendous delight。 She had left something which
had meant much to her。 She would not go to school any more； and
do the familiar things。 Queer！ There was a little pang amid her
exultation； of fear； not of regret。 Yet how she exulted this
morning！
She was tremulous with pride and joy。 She loved the two
books。 They were tokens to her； representing the fruit and
trophies of her two years which； thank God； were over。
〃To Ursula Brangwen； with best wishes for her future； and in
warm memory of the time she spent in St。 Philip's School；〃 was
written in the headmaster's neat； scrupulous handwriting。 She
could see the careful hand holding the pen； the thick fingers
with tufts of black hair on the back of each one。
He had signed； all the teachers had signed。 She liked having
all their signatures。 She felt she loved them all。 They were her
fellow…workers。 She carried away from the school a pride she
could never lose。 She had her place as rade and sharer in the
work of the school； her fellow teachers had signed to her； as
one of them。 And she was one of all workers； she had put in her
tiny brick to the fabric man was building； she had qualified
herself as co…builder。
Then the day for the home removal came。 Ursula rose early； to
pack up the remaining goods。 The carts arrived； lent by her
uncle at the Marsh； in the lull between hay and corn harvest。
The goods roped in the cart； Ursula mounted her bicycle and sped
away to Beldover。
The house was hers。 She entered its clean…scrubbed silence。
The dining…room had been covered with a thick rush matting； hard
and of the beautiful； luminous； clean colour of sun…dried reeds。
The walls were pale grey； the doors were darker grey。 Ursula
admired it very much； as the sun came through the large windows；
streaming in。
She flung open doors and windows to the sunshine。 Flowers
were bright and shining round the small lawn； which stood above
the road； looking over the raw field opposite； which would later
be built upon。 No one came。 So she wandered down the garden at
the back of the wall。 The eight bells of the church rang the
hour。 She could hear the many sounds of the town about her。
At last； the cart was seen ing round the corner； familiar
furniture piled undignified on top； Tom； her brother； and
Theresa； marching on foot beside the mass； proud of having
walked ten miles or more； from the tram terminus。 Ursula poured
out beer； and the men drank thirstily； by the door。 A second
cart was ing。 Her father appeared on his motor bicycle。 There
was the staggering transport of furniture up the steps to the
little lawn； where it was deposited all pell…mell in the
sunshine； very queer and disforting。
Brangwen was a pleasant man to work with； cheerful and easy。
Ursula loved deciding him where the heavy things should stand。
She watched anxiously the struggle up the steps and through the
doorways。 Then the big things were in； the carts set off again。
Ursula and her father worked away carrying in all the light
things that remained upon the lawn； and putting them in place。
Dinner time came。 They ate bread and cheese in the kitchen。
〃Well； we're getting on；〃 said Brangwen； cheerfully。
Two more loads arrived。 The afternoon passed away in a
struggle with the furniture； upstairs。 Towards five o'clock；
appeared the last loads； consisting also of Mrs。 Brangwen and
the younger children； driven by Uncle Fred in the trap。 Gudrun
had walked with Margaret from the station。 The whole family had
e。
〃There！〃 said Brangwen； as his wife got down from the cart：
〃Now we're all here。〃
〃Ay；〃 said his wife pleasantly。
And the very brevity； the silence of intimacy between the two
made a home in the hearts of the children； who clustered round
feeling strange in the new place。
Everything was at sixes and sevens。 But a fire was made in
the kitchen； the hearth…rug put down； the kettle set on the hob；
and Mrs。 Brangwen began towards sunset to prepare the first
meal。 Ursula and Gudrun were slaving in the bedrooms； candles
were rushing about。 Then from the kitchen came the smell of ham
and eggs and coffee； and in the gaslight； the scrambled meal
began。 The family seemed to huddle together like a little camp
in a strange place。 Ursula felt a load of responsibility upon
her； caring for the half…little ones。 The smallest kept near the
mother。
It was dark； and the children went sleepy but excited to bed。
It was a long time before the sound of voices died out。 There
was a tremendous sense of adventure。
In the morning everybody was awake soon after dawn； the
children crying：
〃When I wakened up I didn't know where I was。〃
There were the strange sounds of the town； and the repeated
chiming of the big church bells； so much harsher and more
insistent than the little bells of Cossethay。 They looked
through the windows past the other new red houses to the wooded
hill across the valley。 They had all a delightful sense of space
and liberation； space and light and air。
But gradually all set to work。 They were a careless； untidy
family。 Yet when once they set about to get the house in order；
the thing went with felicity and quickness。 By evening the place
was roughly established。
They would not have a servant to live in the house； only a
woman who could go home at night。 And they would not even have
the woman yet。 They wanted to do as they liked in their own
home； with no stranger in the midst。
CHAPTER XV
THE BITTERNESS OF ECSTASY
A storm of industry raged on in the house。 Ursula did not go
to college till October。 So； with a distinct feeling of
responsibility； as if she must express herself in this house；
she laboured arranging； re…arranging； selecting； contriving。
She could use her father's ordinary tools； both for woodwork
and metal…work； so she hammered and tinkered。 Her mother was
quite content to have the thing done。 Brangwen was interested。
He had a ready belief in his daughter。 He himself was at work
putting up his work…shed in the garden。
At last she had finished for the time being。 The drawing…room
was big and empty。 It had the good Wilton carpet； of which the
family was so proud； and the large couch and large chairs
covered with shiny chintz； and the piano； a little sculpture in
plaster that Brangwen had done； and not very much more。 It was
too large and empty…feeling for the family to occupy very much。
Yet they liked to know it was there； large and empty。
The home was the dining…room。 There the hard rush
floor…covering made the ground light； reflecting light upon the
bottom their hearts； in the window…bay was a broad； sunny seat；
the table was so solid one could not jostle it； and the chairs
so strong one could knock them over without hurting them。 The
familiar organ that Brangwen had made stood on one side； looking
peculiarly small； the sideboard was fortably reduced to
normal proportions。 This was the family living…room。
Ursula had a bedroom to herself。 It was really a servants'
bedroom； small and plain。 Its window looked over the back garden
at other back gardens； some of them old and very nice； some of
them littered with packing…cases； then at the backs of the
houses whose fronts were the shops in High Street； or the
genteel homes of the under…manager or the chief cashier； facing
the chapel。
She had six weeks