Ok, I had a chance to work on the next part of the text so here it is. Go ahead and discuss it; I did add some of my own comments again and some things I am questioning.
Next Part of the Text:
Quote:
She bowed her head. Of compact physique, uncorseted, her figure bowed richly to the piano. He watched the shallow concave between her shoulders, marvelling at its rich solidity. She let one arm fall loose, he looked at the shadows in the dimples of her elbow. Slowly smiling a look of brooding affection, of acknowledgment upon him for a forgetful moment, she said:
A good description of Winifred and how Coutts perceives her. I take it her uncorseted figure makes her appear more casual and sexy to him. This part does seem to suggest to me that she does indeed play the piano along with the violin. I found that last line of particular interest. Again this does reveal how familiar the two are to each other.
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"And what have you done lately?"
"Simply nothing," he replied quietly. "For all that these months have been so full of variety, I think they will sink out of my life; they will evaporate and leave no result; I shall forget them."
Exactly what does he mean by this statement?
Quote:
Her blue eyes were dark and heavy upon him, watching. She did not answer. He smiled faintly at her.
"And you?" he said, at length.
"With me it is different," she said quietly.
"You sit with your crystal," he laughed.
"While you tilt . . ." She hung on her ending.
I like this first line in this section with her blue eyes dark and heavy upon him, watching…
Here is where he first brings up the idea of the crystal and she says he tilts – does that mean he is faltering, or tilting towards her, or what exactly does this mean?
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He laughed, sighed, and they were quiet awhile.
"I've got such a skinful of heavy visions, they come sweating through my dreams," he said.
I also very much liked that passage and it made me wonder about his use of the word ‘visions’ and then of ‘dreams’. What exactly does Coutts mean to imply by this. Is it Winifred he is dreaming of or is it Connie?
Prompted by his remark, Winifred goes on to ask him:
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"Whom have you read?" She smiled.
"Meredith. Very healthy," he laughed.
She laughed quickly at being caught.
"Now, have you found out all you want?" he asked.
"Oh, no," she cried with full throat.
"Well, finish, at any rate. I'm not diseased. How are you?"
"But . . . but . . ." she stumbled on doggedly. "What do you intend to do?"
He hardened the line of his mouth and eyes, only to retort with immediate lightness:
"Just go on."
I am not well read enough, to know who Meredith is, in reference to passage. Does anyone know? Obviously he is being sarcastic when he says “very healthy”; can someone confirm that or correct me.
Then why does she say she is caught. Is Meredith a mystical or magical author?
Why does he say “I’m not diseased” – does he mean he is not distressed over her questioning?
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This was their battlefield: she could not understand how he could marry: it seemed almost monstrous to her; she fought against his marriage. She looked up at him, witch-like, from under bent brows. Her eyes were dark blue and heavy. He shivered, shrank with pain. She was so cruel to that other, common, everyday part of him.
This paragraph seemed key. Now the truth comes out how she does feel about him marrying. Is she opposed to him marrying Connie or any woman for that matter? That last line is truly a key statement and explains so much.
Quote:
"I wonder you dare go on like it," she said.
"Why dare?" he replied. "What's the odds?"
"I don't know," she answered, in deep, bitter displeasure.
"And I don't care," he said.
"But . . ." she continued, slowly, gravely pressing the point: "You know what you intend to do."
"Marry--settle--be a good husband, good father, partner in the business; get fat, be an amiable gentleman--Q.E.F."
"Very good," she said, deep and final.
"Thank you."
"I did not congratulate you," she said.
"Ah!" His voice tailed off into sadness and self-mistrust. Meanwhile she watched him heavily. He did not mind being scrutinised: it flattered him.
So now they do finally confront the real issue of the marriage. She is obviously bitter with displeasure and the prospects of him marrying. She pressed the point and he replies:
"Marry--settle--be a good husband, good father, partner in the business; get fat, be an amiable gentleman--Q.E.F."
Just curious what does Q.E.F. stand for? I know I am lame. Does anyone else think or perceive that his tone here is cynical? Or is it just being resigned to the situation of being married, being acceptable and respectable, to society as well?
Quote:
"Yes, it is, or may be, very good," she began; "but why all this?--why?"
"And why not? And why?--Because I want to."
He could not leave it thus flippantly.
"You know, Winifred, we should only drive each other into insanity, you and I: become abnormal."
"Well," she said, "and even so, why the other?"
"My marriage?--I don't know. Instinct."
"One has so many instincts," she laughed bitterly.
That was a new idea to him.
I think we did discuss the fact that he forsees what would happen if it were Winifred and not Connie he would stay with, married or as a lover. He knows they would become ‘abnormal.’ Those last few statements are interesting – he remarks he is marrying due to instinct; and yet it seems to me it is the opposite - He is marrying and ignoring his true self and instincts.
When Winifred says to him “One had so many instincts” he then sees it as a new idea. To me that is curious. What does everyone thing of these two statements?
