Ok, before I tackle the next section I want to post this, it took me awhile to write:
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He had perched her on a rock over a quiet pool, beyond the cotton-wood trees. It was early September, and the canyon already cool, but the leaves of the cottonwoods were still green. The Princess stood on her rock, a small but perfectly-formed figure, wearing a soft, close grey sweater and neatly-cut grey riding-breeches, with tall black boots, her fluffy brown hair straggling from under a little grey felt hat.
A woman? Not quite. A changeling of some sort, perched in outline there on the rock, in the bristling wild canyon. She knew perfectly well how to handle a line. Her father had made a fisherman of her.
The word ‘perched’ is used several times in this paragraph and is almost an indication of something birdlike, or hawk-like.
I find it interesting how L describes her here as “a small but perfectly-formed figure”…then follows her ‘smart’ clothing appearance. Kind of matches his taper look.
The thing that strike me the most is the statements “A woman? Not quite. A changeling of some sort“…that some sort is odd…then again the ‘perched’ word sounds fairy-like - being of nature and ancient forests.
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Romero, in a black shirt and with loose black trousers pushed into wide black riding-boots, was fishing a little farther down. He had put his hat on a rock behind him; his dark head was bent a little forward, watching the water. He had caught three trout. From time to time he glanced up-stream at the Princess, perched there so daintily. He saw she had caught nothing.
He seems contrasted here with the dainty Princess. He is catching fish and she is catching none and he observes it.
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Soon he quietly drew in his line and came up to her. His keen eye watched her line, watched her position. Then, quietly, he suggested certain changes to her, putting his sensitive brown hand before her. And he withdrew a little, and stood in silence, leaning against a tree, watching her. He was helping her across the distance. She knew it, and thrilled. And in a moment she had a bite. In two minutes she landed a good trout. She looked round at him quickly, her eyes sparkling, the colour heightened in her cheeks. And as she met his eyes a smile of greeting went over his dark face, very sudden, with an odd sweetness.
So here is almost like a 'knight in shining armour' coming to the Princess’ rescue. He has a 'keen eye' like an animal or bird, hawk? This could be right out of King Arthur. He is described quiet, withdrawn and silent….three things that often will attract a woman’s attention….almost like a challenge. The statement that really stands out to me here, is “helping her across the distance” - how telling is that? Then it goes on to say “She knew it, and thrilled.” The last statement, coming from an 'aloof' type man is a real turn-on. Also, as in many L works, the mention of 'hand/s' - 'sensitive brown hand'.
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She knew he was helping her. And she felt in his presence a subtle, insidious male kindliness she had never known before waiting upon her. Her cheek flushed, and her blue eyes darkened.
Again, she is feeling something she never felt before. I think the important thing here is that fact, that she is actually ‘feeling’ and later on she turns that off to him. At first, she views him as kindly and in reality, he does not stay ‘kind’ to her, by the end of the story; so it is really an fantasy for her.
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After this, she always looked for him, and for that curious dark beam of a man's kindliness which he could give her, as it were, from his chest, from his heart. It was something she had never known before.
Again, it is stated that it was something 'she never knew before'. The ‘curious dark beam of a man’s kindliness” - now that is an interesting statement. In "The Plumed Serpent" one of the main characters, is seen as a beam or column of light or fire, but this is just opposite and goes with the idea of the dark side of a person and the idea perhaps of ‘demon’, yet kindly, and all the other positive attributes the text assigns to Romero.
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A vague, unspoken intimacy grew up between them. She liked his voice, his appearance, his presence. His natural language was Spanish; he spoke English like a foreign language, rather slow, with a slight hesitation, but with a sad, plangent sonority lingering over from his Spanish. There was a certain subtle correctness in his appearance; he was always perfectly shaved; his hair was thick and rather long on top, but always carefully groomed behind. And his fine black cashmere shirt, his wide leather belt, his well-cut, wide black trousers going into the embroidered cowboy boots had a certain inextinguishable elegance. He wore no silver rings or buckles. Only his boots were embroidered and decorated at the top with an inlay of white suède. He seemed elegant, slender, yet he was very strong.
The first statement seems to say it all, with the word 'vague'. I tend to think, the Princess thinks in a vague sort of way. ‘unspoken intimacy' only lead further to the notion of a sort of imaginary aura or fantasy about this man. Everything about him which is subtle, seems to attract her to him. He is actually quite well groomed; which is different than the gypsy or peasant images, Lawrence uses in some of his books. He is actually seen more groomed and well dressed as an aristocrat might be - someone going off to an English hunt perhaps. He seems to exude a sort of charm, cowboy charm for her. The last statement says it all - elegant, slender, yet very strong. The ‘will’ is seen here mixed into the whole 'elegant, slender, quiet, sad,' mix of his persona. Since I have this thing for men with interesting accents this part especially attracted my attention 'a sad, plangent sonority lingering over from his Spanish'...I knew someone once, who had this 'sad, plangent sonority' to their voice or speech, it came to mind and I could relate...for some reason, this greatly intrigued me, and strongly attracted me; it is almost like this very subtle mystery and one feels the need to figure that individual out.
I will work on more of the last section tomorrow and then push onto the new parts. I really wish to finish up these first before going on. I know this is taking a long time but it is a long story and complex this time.
Ok, I finished it tonight - see, Virgil, you know how to light a fire under me! Sorry I was dragging my feet. If this flips to the next page you will have to requote your own post with the new text...sorry 'bout that....I hope you read what I wrote first...took me over an hour to write all this....
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And at the same time, curiously, he gave her the feeling that death was not far from him. Perhaps he too was half in love with death. However that may be, the sense she had that death was not far from him made him 'possible' to her.
The first statement is perfect, because up until now we might think Romero totally safe and kindly and now the danger starts to creep in; and The Princess senses ‘death’ not far from him. Then the word ‘impossible’ makes it clear, that even at this early stage, she has made up her mind - he’s 'impossible' for her.
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Small as she was, she was quite a good horsewoman. They gave her at the ranch a sorrel mare, very lovely in colour, and well-made, with a powerful broad neck and the hollow back that betokens a swift runner. Tansy, she was called. Her only fault was the usual mare's failing, she was inclined to be hysterical.
Haha - funny that the mare is inclined to be hysterical because someone gets hysterical by the end of the story. I like the name Tansy for the horse. We should suggest that one to *Classic *Charm*.
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So that every day the Princess set off with Miss Cummins and Romero, on horseback, riding into the mountains. Once they went camping for several days, with two more friends in the party.
So she has been camping with Romero before this but in a larger party and not alone. In a way this would build her trust in him. I wondered before why she would automatically trust him to take her all alone, but now reading this I see it clearer.
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"I think I like it better," the Princess said to Romero, "when we three go alone."
And he gave her one of his quick, transfiguring smiles.
So she is kind of closing the gap here and making the outings a little more intimate gradually. In response he gives her a quick, ‘transfiguring’ smile….hummm. The word transfiguring already shows up in the text. I think that is a clever way to introduce the idea subtly.
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It was curious no white man had ever showed her this capacity for subtle gentleness, thispower to help her in silence across a distance, if she were fishing without success, or tired of her horse, or if Tansy suddenly got scared. It was as if Romero could send her from his heart a dark beam of succour and sustaining. She had never known this before, and it was very thrilling.
Once again he is like the savior or like the knight for her. She sees his gentleness as his power. Again L repeats the phrase ‘to help her in silence across a distance‘. He is like a ‘helpmate’ or potential one, but of course that never comes to completion. I like the part - “the dark beam of succour and sustaining.” - those are interesting words in combination and again the ‘dark beam’ is mentioned, along with them.
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Then the smile that suddenly creased his dark face, showing the strong white teeth. It creased his face almost into a savage grotesque. And at the same time there was in it something so warm, such a dark flame of kindliness for her, she was elated into her true Princess self.
Very curious that a smile will crease his dark face and look like a savage groteque - Dark Muse, you must have liked this one.
Again, the ‘dark flame’ and this time of ‘kindliness‘. That is really interesting. Maybe his demon is a dark flame of kindliness. Most significant I think is this last statement - “she was elated into her true Princess self“….what exactly does Lawrence mean by that statement, do you think? Is she undergoing a sort of transfiguration in a fantasy sense or is he indulging her Princess persona. I don’t know quite what to make of that last statement.
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Then that vivid, latent spark in his eye, which she had seen, and which she knew he was aware she had seen. It made an inter-recognition between them, silent and delicate. Here he was delicate as a woman in this subtle inter-recognition.
‘inter-recognition’ is such an interesting word; definitely a Lawrence word - unique. So that here she even perceives him as “delicate as a woman” - not much different than the way in which Lawrence describes her in the other prior passages. So does she feel this connection through his feminine side? It is rather funny, but even back then Lawrence is tapping into the feminine side of a man. He has been described as elegant, quiet, slender…many terms that could apply also to a woman. I find that part truly interesting.
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And yet his presence only put to flight in her the idée fixe of 'marriage'. For some reason, in her strange little brain, the idea of marrying him could not enter. Not for any definite reason. He was in himself a gentleman, and she had plenty of money for two. There was no actual obstacle. Nor was she conventional.
idée fixe of 'marriage' - what does that mean exactly? Her fixed notion or idea of marriage? So even though she knows there is no obstacle to marrying him she can’t get that into her ‘strange little brain’…and L ends with “Nor was she conventional.”…so what is her problem? :lol: Romero sounds rather handsome and alluring to me.:lol:
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No, now she came down to it, it was as if their two 'dæmons' could marry, were perhaps married. Only their two selves, Miss Urquhart and Señor Domingo Romero, were for some reason incompatible. There was a peculiar subtle intimacy of inter-recognition between them. But she did not see in the least how it would lead to marriage. Almost she could more easily marry one of the nice boys from Harvard or Yale.
Ok, now I see - the part about the two ‘daemons’ - they could marry but not the other part of her - the self with the will. - that would render them incompatible. She can’t give that up for him. She holds fast to her will and her self. Again Lawrence drive this point home about the ‘inter-recognition’ between them. However the Princess can’t see marriage in the picture.
Ok, I am addressing the new text here - I guess I felt ambitious tonight. I will also comment on your statements about this part of the text tomorrow, Virgil. I didn't mean to skip over them and now I am too tired to go back and do that for now - it is late. I also posted a few others on the past text before this post - lots to read here. When did you sneak in there and say to post from the previous text? I didn't see that until I just posted this. This is an edit. This took me hours to write, but I was in the mood to play 'catch up' tonight. So here is my take on this part:
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The time passed, and she let it pass. The end of September came, with aspens going yellow on the mountain heights, and oak-scrub going red. But as yet the cottonwoods in the valley and canyons had not changed.
Love the fact that, most of the story takes place in the fall and the descriptions going up the mountainside, I thought, were just stunning…so beautiful…some of Lawrence‘s best descriptive writing.
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"When will you go away?" Romero asked her, looking at her fixedly, with a blank black eye.
"By the end of October," she said. "I have promised to be in Santa Barbara at the beginning of November."
This inevitable separation for the two now really spurs them on..actually she is doing the pursuing whether she know it consciously or subconsciously…she is luring him, like one does when fishing….
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He was hiding the spark in his eye from her. But she saw the peculiar sullen thickening of his heavy mouth.
So the spark now he hides from her and that will only just make him more mysterious and desirable in my opinion. Even the ‘peculiar sullen thickening of his heavy mouth’ seems to intrigue her.
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She had complained to him many times that one never saw any wild animals, except chipmunks and squirrels, and perhaps a skunk and a porcupine. Never a deer, or a bear, or a mountain lion.
You are right Virgil about her ‘childishness’ and ‘motives’ and how “Romero humors her as if she's a child.”….so I won’t comment on this further.
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"Are there no bigger animals in these mountains?" she asked, dissatisfied.
"Yes," he said. "There are deer--I see their tracks. And I saw the tracks of a bear."
"But why can one never see the animals themselves?" She looked dissatisfied and wistful like a child.
"Why, it's pretty hard for you to see them. They won't let you come close. You have to keep still, in a place where they come. Or else you have to follow their tracks a long way."
“ The won’t let you come close” - that is interesting since she won’t let him come close later on.
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"I can't bear to go away till I've seen them: a bear, or a deer--"
The smile came suddenly on his face, indulgent.
"Well, what do you want? Do you want to go up into the mountains to some place, to wait till they come?"
"Yes," she said, looking up at him with a sudden naïve impulse of recklessness.
And immediately his face became sombre again, responsible.
Wow, do you notice this subtle power play going on between them? It is almost like one could interpret it like this. Lots of hidden meanings here and subtext.
Ok - like “I can’t bear to go away”… (till I’ve been with alone with you….does she really want to see a bear or a deer? Isn’t she either consciously or subconsciously ‘fantasying’ here a bit?)…
Then he smiles - ‘indulgent‘….(he is humoring her and giving into her whim, he is thinking he would like to be alone with her, as well)
Well, what do you want? (now that is a loaded question)… wait till they come….(wait till he comes to her? Hummm…..)
She says with no hesitation “Yes” (now how would most guys take that?…again very suggestive…) …goes onto say…. “With sudden naïve impulse of recklessness”…so the fact, that Lawrence adds the word ‘naïve‘, does that mean Lawrence paints a picture of her as truly naïve or just pretending to be?
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And immediately his face became sombre again, responsible.
"Well," he said, with slight irony, a touch of mockery of her. "You will have to find a house. It's very cold at night now. You would have to stay all night in a house."
"And there are no houses up there?" she said.
He is pre-warning her of the cold and the need of a house or shelter. But even this does not deter her.
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"Yes," he replied. "There is a little shack that belongs to me, that a miner built a long time ago, looking for gold. You can go there and stay one night, and maybe you see something. Maybe! I don't know. Maybe nothing come."
He seems to be giving it all to her straight and yet she still persist in her childish motives, supposedly to see a wild animal. He is letting her know that is still unlikely she will actually see one.
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"How much chance is there?"
"Well, I don't know. Last time when I was there I see three deer come down to drink at the water, and I shot two raccoons. But maybe this time we don't see anything."
"Is there water there?" she asked.
"Yes, there is a little round pond, you know, below the spruce trees. And the water from the snow runs into it."
"Is it far away?" she asked.
"Yes, pretty far. You see that ridge there"--and turning to the mountains he lifted his arm in the gesture which is somehow so moving, out in the West, pointing to the distance--"that ridge where there are no trees, only rock"--his black eyes were focussed on the distance, his face impassive, but as if in pain--"you go round that ridge, and along, then you come down through the spruce trees to where that cabin is. My father bought that placer claim from a miner who was broke, but nobody ever found any gold or anything, and nobody ever goes there. Too lonesome!"
Again, he is giving her all the facts and she doesn’t heed a word he is saying, about how cold it could be or anything that is truly realistic about going - it is far, it is probably a little dangerous and it is cold there. So before she goes with him she does know the score. The phrase “somehow so moving, out in the West” seems to indicate to me the romantic quality that she feels she sees in Romero. Instead of being in England and a knight he is the romantised version set in the West…the pioneer, the cowboy, etc. just makes him more fascinating. I find this curious also “his black eyes were focussed on the distance, his face impassive, but as if in pain--” - so ‘in pain’…does he then sense his death in the mountains if he takes her there? It is certainly foreshadowing.
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The Princess watched the massive, heavy-sitting, beautiful bulk of the Rocky Mountains. It was early in October, and the aspens were already losing their gold leaves; high up, the spruce and pine seemed to be growing darker; the great flat patches of oak scrub on the heights were red like gore.
“red like gore” - wow, what a way to say that…kind of gothic and dark, gore, blood…what a sense of foreshadowing in that statement. I love this whole description - the massive, heavy-sitting , beautiful bulk of the Rocky Mountains….a lot of power in those words and that phrase - also sort of menacing. The aspens were already losing their gold leaves - even that seems forboding and winter like - one thinks of bare branches and death. A brilliant description….so telling…
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"Can I go over there?" she asked, turning to him and meeting the spark in his eye.
His face was heavy with responsibility.
The spark is visible again and she meets it, embraces it; his face in return, was expressed as “heavy with responsibility.” He seems to know or sense his fate.
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"Yes," he said, "you can go. But there'll be snow over the ridge, and it's awful cold, and awful lonesome."
Again he is being straight with her and telling he it will be “awful cold and awful lonesome.” He does pre-warn her. How more emphatic can he be?
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"I should like to go," she said, persistent.
She seems to me all persistence. She seems also to want to hold the power of making him take her. To me this exchange is very much a power-play…she is totally insistent.
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"All right," he said. "You can go if you want to."
She doubted, though, if the Wilkiesons would let her go; at least alone with Romero and Miss Cummins.
So now he doesn’t really think it will happen even though he has finally given into her whims.
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Yet an obstinacy characteristic of her nature, an obstinacy tinged perhaps with madness, had taken hold of her. She wanted to look over the mountains into their secret heart. She wanted to descend to the cabin below the spruce trees, near the tarn of bright green water. She wanted to see the wild animals move about in their wild unconsciousness.
So that first statement is the what is central to it and her persistence. “Obstiniacy” pretty much spells it out and Lawrence goes as far as using the word ‘madeness’….which he points out had “taken hold of her.” So her thinking is far from logical or even sane. She is letting her fascination rule her being and not thinking of what consequences there might be in the end or on top of the mountains. It is all romantic to her and she does not look on it realistically at all. Words to describe what she seeks, like the mountain’s “secret heart” make this notion even more clear - all romantic and unreal….”tarn of green water” sounds fairy-like, doesn’t it? Seeing the animals in their “wild unconsciousness”…yet she is in a sort of unconscious state herself ….a sort of dream-state….“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” - fairy-like…
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"Let us say to the Wilkiesons that we want to make the trip round the Frijoles canyon," she said.
So she puts him up to a lie with herself.
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The trip round the Frijoles canyon was a usual thing. It would not be strenuous, nor cold, nor lonely: they could sleep in the log house that was called an hotel.
She is pretty darn manipulative…
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Romero looked at her quickly.
"If you want to say that," he replied, "you can tell Mrs. Wilkieson. Only I know she'll be mad with me if I take you up in the mountains to that place. And I've got to go there first with a pack-horse, to take lots of blankets and some bread. Maybe Miss Cummins can't stand it. Maybe not. It's a hard trip.".
He is even pre-warning he that Miss Cummins might not hold up. He says it is a hard trip. Romero all the time is being quite honest with the Princess. In a way she is baiting him and playing him for all he is worth. I am starting to see Romero quite differently now that I am looking at the individual text and seeing so much more in it. I sort of feel for him now. He is trying to warn her of the danger and she is determined.
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He was speaking, and thinking, in the heavy, disconnected Mexican fashion.
"Never mind!" The Princess was suddenly very decisive and stiff with authority. "I want to do it. I will arrange with Mrs. Wilkieson. And we'll go on Saturday."
He shook his head slowly..
She really begins to have the upper hand here, she takes the reigns and makes the final decision - it is now in her hands, not his. He tried to dissuade her, but she is on a mission now and can’t be stopped at this point…she lords the power over him now, and he conceeds. He finally gives into her…much like her father probably did.
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"I've got to go up on Sunday with a pack-horse and blankets," he said. "Can't do it before."
"Very well!" she said, rather piqued. "Then we'll start on Monday."
She hated being thwarted even the tiniest bit. .
Power - she really likes this bit of power over Romero. She is one determined woman at this point and doesn’t treat him very amicably - she feels piqued and is sort of irritated towards him. She is really like a spoiled brat used to getting her own way - obviously, her father did so, with her and she learned to be that way and get what she wanted.
