Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Sisters CHAPTER II. Shortlands CHAPTER III. Class-room CHAPTER IV. Diver CHAPTER V. In the Train CHAPTER VI. Crème de Menthe CHAPTER VII. Fetish CHAPTER VIII. Breadalby CHAPTER IX. Coal-dust CHAPTER X. Sketch-book CHAPTER XI. An Island CHAPTER XII. Carpeting CHAPTER XIII. Mino CHAPTER XIV. Water-party CHAPTER XV. Sunday Evening CHAPTER XVI. Man to Man CHAPTER XVII. The Industrial Magnate CHAPTER XVIII. Rabbit CHAPTER XIX. Moony CHAPTER XX. Gladiatorial CHAPTER XXI. Threshold CHAPTER XXII. Woman to Woman CHAPTER XXIII. Excurse CHAPTER XXIV. Death and Love CHAPTER XXV. Marriage or Not CHAPTER XXVI. A Chair CHAPTER XXVII. Flitting CHAPTER XXVIII. Gudrun in the Pompadour CHAPTER XXIX. Continental CHAPTER XXX. Snowed Up CHAPTER XXXI. Exeunt CHAPTER I. SISTERS Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen sat one morning in the window-bay of their father’s house in Beldover, working and talking. Ursula was stitching a piece of brightly-coloured embroidery, and Gudrun was drawing upon a board which she held on her knee. They were mostly silent, talking as their thoughts strayed through their minds. “Ursula,” said Gudrun, “don’t you _really want_ to get married?” Ursula laid her embroidery in her lap and looked up. Her face was calm and considerate. “I don’t know,” she replied. “It depends how you mean.” Gudrun was slightly taken aback. She watched her sister for some moments. “Well,” she said, ironically, “it usually means one thing! But don’t you think anyhow, you’d be—” she darkened slightly—“in a better position than you are in now.” A shadow came over Ursula’s face. “I might,” she said. “But I’m not sure.” Again Gudrun paused, slightly irritated. She wanted to be quite definite. “You don’t think one needs the _experience_ of having been married?” she asked. “Do you think it need _be_ an experience?” replied Ursula. “Bound to be, in some way or other,” said Gudrun, coolly. “Possibly undesirable, but bound to be an experience of some sort.” “Not really,” said Ursula. “More likely to be the end of experience.” Gudrun sat very still, to attend to this. “Of course,” she said, “there’s _that_ to consider.” This brought the conversation to a close. Gudrun, almost angrily, took up her rubber and began to rub out part of her drawing. Ursula stitched absorbedly. “You wouldn’t consider a good offer?” asked Gudrun. “I think I’ve rejected several,” said Ursula. “_Really!_” Gudrun flushed dark—“But anything really worth while? Have you _really?_” “A thousand a year, and an awfully nice man. I liked him awfully,” said Ursula. “Really! But weren’t you fearfully tempted?” “In the abstract but not in the concrete,” said Ursula. “When it comes to the point, one isn’t even tempted—oh, if I were tempted, I’d marry like a shot. I’m only tempted _not_ to.” The faces of both sisters suddenly lit up with amusement.