She would have liked to hang back; but she was more ashamed to
retreat from him than to expose herself to the crowd or to dare
the swingboat。 His eyes laughed; and standing before her with
his sharp; sudden figure; he set the boat swinging。 She was not
afraid; she was thrilled。 His colour flushed; his eyes shone
with a roused light; and she looked up at him; her face like a
flower in the sun; so bright and attractive。 So they rushed
through the bright air; up at the sky as if flung from a
catapult; then falling terribly back。 She loved it。 The motion
seemed to fan their blood to fire; they laughed; feeling the
flames。
After the swingboats; they went on the roundabouts to calm
down; he twisting astride on his jerky wooden steed towards her;
and always seeming at his ease; enjoying himself。 A zest of
antagonism to the convention made him fully himself。 As they sat
on the whirling carousal; with the music grinding out; she was
aware of the people on the earth outside; and it seemed that he
and she were riding carelessly over the faces of the crowd;
riding for ever buoyantly; proudly; gallantly over the upturned
faces of the crowd; moving on a high level; spurning the mon
mass。
When they must descend and walk away; she was unhappy;
feeling like a giant suddenly cut down to ordinary level; at the
mercy of the mob。
They left the fair; to return for the dog…cart。 Passing the
large church; Ursula must look in。 But the whole interior was
filled with scaffolding; fallen stone and rubbish were heaped on
the floor; bits of plaster crunched underfoot; and the place
re…echoed to the calling of secular voices and to blows of the
hammer。
She had e to plunge in the utter gloom and peace for a
moment; bringing all her yearning; that had returned on her
uncontrolled after the reckless riding over the face of the
crowd; in the fair。 After pride; she wanted fort; solace; for
pride and scorn seemed to hurt her most of all。
And she found the immemorial gloom full of bits of falling
plaster; and dust of floating plaster; smelling of old lime;