Page:Sons and Lovers, 1913, Lawrence.djvu/325

Rh else!” But they remained looking into each other’s eyes and laughing. Then they kissed with little nibbling kisses.

“T-t-t-t!” he went with his tongue, like his mother. “I tell you, nothing gets done when there’s a woman about.”

And he returned to his boot-cleaning, singing softly. She touched his thick hair, and he kissed her fingers. He worked away at her shoes. At last they were quite presentable.

“There you are, you see!” he said. “Aren’t I a great hand at restoring you to respectability? Stand up! There, you look as irreproachable as Britannia herself!”

He cleaned his own boots a little, washed his hands in a puddle, and sang. They went on into Clifton village. He was madly in love with her; every movement she made, every crease in her garments, sent a hot flash through him and seemed adorable.

The old lady at whose house they had tea was roused into gaiety by them.

“I could wish you’d had something of a better day,” she said, hovering round.

“Nay!” he laughed. “We’ve been saying how nice it is.”

The old lady looked at him curiously. There was a peculiar glow and charm about him. His eyes were dark and laughing. He rubbed his moustache with a glad movement.

“Have you been saying so!” she exclaimed, a light rousing in her old eyes.

“Truly!” he laughed.

“Then I’m sure the day’s good enough,” said the old lady.

She fussed about, and did not want to leave them.

“I don’t know whether you’d like some radishes as well,” she said to Clara; “but I’ve got some in the garden—and a cucumber.”

Clara flushed. She looked very handsome.

“I should like some radishes,” she answered.

And the old lady pottered off gleefully.

“If she knew!” said Clara quietly to him.

“Well, she doesn’t know; and it shows we’re nice in ourselves, at any rate. You look quite enough to satisfy an archangel, and I’m sure I feel harmless—so—if it makes you look nice, and makes folk happy when they have us, and makes us happy—why, we’re not cheating them out of much!”

They went on with the meal. When they were going away, the old lady came timidly with three tiny dahlias in full blow,