bustled in again。 Children's voices were heard。 A thin blue
smoke ascended from the cabin chimney； there was a smell of
cooking。
Ursula； white as a moth； lingered to look。 Skrebensky
lingered by her。 The man glanced up。
〃Good evening；〃 he called； half impudent； half attracted。 He
had blue eyes which glanced impudently from his grimy face。
〃Good evening；〃 said Ursula； delighted。 〃Isn't it
nice now？〃
〃Ay；〃 said the man； 〃very nice。〃
His mouth was red under his ragged； sandy moustache。 His
teeth were white as he laughed。
〃Oh； but……〃 stammered Ursula； laughing； 〃it is。 Why do
you say it as if it weren't？〃
〃'Appen for them as is childt…nursin' it's none so rosy。〃
〃May I look inside your barge？〃 asked Ursula。
〃There's nobody'll stop you； you e if you like。〃
The barge lay at the opposite bank； at the wharf。 It was the
Annabel； belonging to J。 Ruth of Loughborough。 The man
watched Ursula closely from his keen； twinkling eyes。 His fair
hair was wispy on his grimed forehead。 Two dirty children
appeared to see who was talking。
Ursula glanced at the great lock gates。 They were shut； and
the water was sounding； spurting and trickling down in the gloom
beyond。 On this side the bright water was almost to the top of
the gate。 She went boldly across； and round to the wharf。
Stooping from the bank； she peeped into the cabin； where was
a red glow of fire and the shadowy figure of a woman。 She did
want to go down。
〃You'll mess your frock；〃 said the man； warningly。
〃I'll be careful；〃 she answered。 〃May I e？〃
〃Ay； e if you like。〃
She gathered her skirts； lowered her foot to the side of the
boat； and leapt down； laughing。 Coal…dust flew up。
The woman came to the door。 She was plump and sandy…haired；
young； with an odd； stubby nose。
〃Oh； you will make a mess of yourself；〃 she cried；
surprised and laughing with a little wonder。
〃I did want to see。 Isn't it lovely living on a barge？〃 asked
Ursula。
〃I don't live on one altogether；〃 said the woman
cheerfully。
〃She's got her parlour an' her plush suite in Loughborough；〃
said her husband with just pride。
Ursula peeped into the cabin； where saucepans were boiling
and some dishes were on the table。 It was very hot。 Then she
came out again。 The man was talking to the baby。 It was a
blue…eyed； fresh…faced thing with floss of red…gold hair。
〃Is it a boy or a girl？〃 she asked。
〃It's a girl……aren't you a girl； eh？〃 he shouted at the
infant； shaking his head。 Its little face wrinkled up into the
oddest； funniest smile。
〃Oh！〃 cried Ursula。 〃Oh； the dear！ Oh； how nice when she
laughs！〃
〃She'll laugh hard enough；〃 said the father。
〃What is her name？〃 asked Ursula。
〃She hasn't got a name； she's not worth one；〃 said the man。
〃Are you； you fag…end o' nothing？〃 he shouted to the baby。 The
baby laughed。
〃No we've been that busy； we've never took her to th'
registry office；〃 came the woman's voice。 〃She was born on th'
boat here。〃
〃But you know what you're going to call her？〃 asked
Ursula。
〃We did think of Gladys Em'ly；〃 said the mother。
〃We thought of nowt o' th' sort；〃 said the father。
〃Hark at him！ What do you want？' cried the mother in
exasperation。
〃She'll be called Annabel after th' boat she was born
on。〃
〃She's not； so there；〃 said the mother； viciously defiant
The father sat in humorous malice； grinning。
〃Well； you'll see；〃 he said。
And Ursula could tell； by the woman's vibrating exasperation；
that he would never give way。
〃They're all nice names；〃 she said。 〃Call her Gladys Annabel
Emily。〃
〃Nay； that's heavy…laden； if you like；〃 he answered。
〃You see！〃 cried the woman。 〃He's that pig…headed！〃
〃And she's so nice； and she laughs； and she hasn't even got a
name；〃 crooned Ursula to the child。
〃Let me hold her；〃 she added。
He yielded her the child； that smelt of babies。 But it had
such blue； wide； china blue eyes； and it laughed so oddly； with
such a taking grimace； Ursula loved it。 She cooed and talked to
it。 It was such an odd； exciting child。
〃What's your name？〃 the man suddenly asked of her。
〃My name is Ursula……Ursula Brangwen；〃 she replied。
〃Ursula！〃 he exclaimed； dumbfounded。
〃There was a Saint Ursula。 It's a very old name；〃 she added
hastily； in justification。
〃Hey； mother！〃 he called。
There was no answer。
〃Pem！〃 he called； 〃can't y'hear？〃
〃What？〃 came the short answer。
〃What about 'Ursula'？〃 he grinned。
〃What about what？〃 came the answer； and the woman
appeared in the doorway； ready for bat。
〃Ursula……it's the lass's name there；〃 he said；
gently。
The woman looked the young girl up and down。 Evidently she
was attracted by her slim； graceful； new beauty； her effect of
white elegance； and her tender way of holding the child。
〃Why； how do you write it？〃 the mother asked； awkward now she
was touched。 Ursula spelled out her name。 The man looked at the
woman。 A bright； confused flush came over the mother's face； a
sort of luminous shyness。
〃It's not a mon name； is it！〃 she exclaimed；
excited as by an adventure。
〃Are you goin' to have it then？〃 he asked。
〃I'd rather have it than Annabel；〃 she said； decisively。
〃An' I'd rather have it than Gladys Em'ler；〃 he replied。
There was a silence； Ursula looked up。
〃Will you really call her Ursula？〃 she asked。
〃Ursula Ruth；〃 replied the man； laughing vainly； as pleased
as if he had found something。
It was now Ursula's turn to be confused。
〃It does sound awfully nice；〃 she said。 〃I must give
her something。 And I haven't got anything at all。〃
She stood in her white dress； wondering； down there in the
barge。 The lean man sitting near to her watched her as if she
were a strange being； as if she lit up his face。 His eyes smiled
on her； boldly； and yet with exceeding admiration
underneath。
〃Could I give her my necklace？〃 she said。
It was the little necklace made of pieces of amethyst and
topaz and pearl and crystal； strung at intervals on a little
golden chain； which her Uncle Tom had given her。 She was very
fond of it。 She looked at it lovingly； when she had taken it
from her neck。
〃Is it valuable？〃 the man asked her； curiously。
〃I think so；〃 she replied。
〃The stones and pearl are real； it is worth three or four
pounds；〃 said Skrebensky from the wharf above。 Ursula could tell
he disapproved of her。
〃I must give it to your baby……may I？〃 she said to
the bargee。
He flushed； and looked away into the evening。
〃Nay；〃 he said； 〃it's not for me to say。〃
〃What would your father and mother say？〃 cried the woman
curiously； from the door。
〃It is my own；〃 said Ursula； and she dangled the little
glittering string before the baby。 The infant spread its little
fingers。 But it could not grasp。 Ursula closed the tiny hand
over the jewel。 The baby waved the bright ends of the string。
Ursula had given her necklace away。 She felt sad。 But she did
not want it back。
The jewel swung from the baby's hand and fell in a little
heap on the coal…dusty bottom of the barge。 The man groped for
it； with a kind of careful reverence。 Ursula noticed the
coarsened； blunted fingers groping at the little jewelled heap。
The skin was red on the back of the hand； the fair hairs
glistened stiffly。 It was a thin； sinewy； capable hand
nevertheless； and Ursula liked it。 He took up the necklace
carefully； and blew the coal…dust from it； as it lay in the
hollow of his hand。 He seemed still and attentive。 He held out
his hand with the necklace shining small in its hard； black
hollow。
〃Take it back；〃 he said。
Ursula hardened with a kind of radiance。
〃No；〃 she said。 〃It belongs to little Ursula。〃
And she went to the infant and fastened the necklace round
its warm； soft； weak little neck。
There was a moment of confusion； then the father bent over
his child：
〃What do you say？〃 he said。 〃Do you say thank you？ Do you say
thank you； Ursula？〃
〃Her name's Ursula now；〃 said the mother； smiling a
little bit ingratiatingly from the door。 And she came out to
examine the jewel on the child's neck。
〃It is Ursula； isn't it？〃 said Ursula Brangwen。
The father looked up at her； with an intimate； half…gallant；
half…impudent； but wistful look。 His captive soul loved her： but
his soul was captive； he knew； always。
She wanted to go。 He set a little ladder for her to climb up
to the wharf。 She kissed the child； which was in its mother's
arms； then she turned away。 The mother was effusive。 The man
stood silent by the ladder。
Ursula joined Skrebensky。 The two young figures crossed the
lock； above the shining yellow water。 The barge…man watched them
go。
〃I loved them；〃 she was saying。 〃He was so
gentle……oh； so gentle！ And the baby was such a dear！〃
〃Was he gentle？〃 said Skrebensky。 〃The woman had been a
servant； I'm sure of that。〃
Ursula winced。
〃But I loved his impudence……it was so gentle
underneath。〃
She went hastening on； gladdened by having met the grimy；
lean man with the ragged moustache。 He gave her a pleasant warm
feeling。 He made her feel the richness of her own life。
Skrebensky； somehow； had created a deadness round her； a
sterility； as if the world were ashes。
They said very little as they hastened home to the big
supper。 He was envying the lean father of three children； for
his impudent directness and his worship of the woman in Ursula；
a worship of body and soul together； the man's body and soul
wistful and worshipping the body and spirit of the girl； with a
desire that knew the inaccessibility of its object； but was only
glad to know that the perfect thing existed； glad to have had a
moment of munion。
Why could not he himself desire a woman so？ Why did he never
really want a woman； not with the whole of him： never loved；
never worshipped； only just physically wanted her。
But he would want her with his body； let his soul do as it
would。 A kind of flame of physical desire was gradually beating
up in the Marsh； kindled by Tom Brangwen； and by the fact of the
wedding of Fred； the shy； fair； stiff…set farmer with the
handsome； half…educated girl。 Tom Brangwen； with all his secret
power； seemed to fan the flame that was rising。 The bride was
strongly attracted by him； and he was exerting his influence on
another beautiful； fair girl； chill and burning as the sea； who
said witty things which he appreciated； making her glint with
more； like phosphorescence。 And her greenish eyes seemed to rock
a secret； and her hands like mother…of…pearl seemed luminous；
transparent； as if the secret were burning visible in them。
At the end of supper； during dessert； the music began to
play； violins； and flutes。 Everybody's face was lit up。 A glow
of excitement prevailed。 When the little speeches were over； and
the port remained unreached for any more； those who wished were
invited out to the open for coffee。 The night was warm。
Bright stars were shining； the moon was not yet up。 And under
the stars burned two great； red； flameless fires； and round
these lights and lanterns hung； the marquee stood open before a
fire； with its lights inside。
The young people flocked out into the mysterious night。 There
was sound of laughter and voices； and a scent of coffee。 The
farm…build