D H Lawrence

Women in Love D H Lawrence

'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.