'On the bank by the pond. And WE'LL carry the things up, if you'll just
get them ready, Mrs Salmon,' said Birkin.
'All right,' said the pleased woman.
The party moved down the passage into the front room. It was empty, but
clean and sunny. There was a window looking on to the tangled front
garden.
'This is the dining room,' said Hermione. 'We'll measure it this way,
Rupert--you go down there--' 'Can't I do it for you,' said Gerald, coming to take the end of the
tape.
'No, thank you,' cried Hermione, stooping to the ground in her bluish,
brilliant foulard. It was a great joy to her to DO things, and to have
the ordering of the job, with Birkin. He obeyed her subduedly. Ursula
and Gerald looked on. It was a peculiarity of Hermione's, that at every
moment, she had one intimate, and turned all the rest of those present
into onlookers. This raised her into a state of triumph.
They measured and discussed in the dining-room, and Hermione decided
what the floor coverings must be. It sent her into a strange, convulsed
anger, to be thwarted. Birkin always let her have her way, for the
moment.
Then they moved across, through the hall, to the other front room, that
was a little smaller than the first.
'This is the study,' said Hermione. 'Rupert, I have a rug that I want
you to have for here. Will you let me give it to you? Do--I want to
give it you.' 'What is it like?' he asked ungraciously.
'You haven't seen it. It is chiefly rose red, then blue, a metallic,
mid-blue, and a very soft dark blue. I think you would like it. Do you
think you would?' 'It sounds very nice,' he replied. 'What is it? Oriental? With a pile?' 'Yes. Persian! It is made of camel's hair, silky. I think it is called
Bergamos--twelve feet by seven--. Do you think it will do?' 'It would DO,' he said. 'But why should you give me an expensive rug? I
can manage perfectly well with my old Oxford Turkish.' 'But may I give it to you? Do let me.' 'How much did it cost?' She looked at him, and said: 'I don't remember. It was quite cheap.' He looked at her, his face set.
'I don't want to take it, Hermione,' he said.
'Do let me give it to the rooms,' she said, going up to him and putting
her hand on his arm lightly, pleadingly. 'I shall be so disappointed.' 'You know I don't want you to give me things,' he repeated helplessly.