Ursula and Anita 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 anita 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 Anita ‘ don’t you REALLY WANT to get married ? Ursula laid her embroidery in her lap and loooked up. Her face was calm and considerate. I don’t know; she replied. It depends how you mean. Anita was slightly taken aback .she watched her sister for some moments.’’well , ‘she said. But I’m not sure. Again Anita paused , slightly irritated. She wanted to be quite definite. You don’t think one need 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 Anita coolly. Possibly u desirable , but bound to be an experience of some sort. Not really , ‘ said Ursula. More likely to be the end of experience.Anita sat very still, to attend to this’ of course ‘ she said , there’s that to consider.This brought the conversation to a close.Anita , almost angrily , took up her rubber and began to rub out part if her drawing. Ursula stitched absorbedly . You wouldn’t consider a good offer? asked Anita. ‘I think I’ve rejected several, said Ursula. REALLY;Anita flushed dark. ‘But anything really worth while? Said Ursula.Really. But werent 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 a shot.I’m only tempted Not to.The faces of the sister’s suddenly lit up with amusement. The sisters went for a wedding party , gathered at shortlands, the Isaac home;it was a long ,low old house, a sort of manor farm that spread along the top of a slope. There Anita met gideon , where gideon was the host of the event. She looked up at gideon , she strartled him, he was flattered too that she came to talk to him for she took hardly any notice of anybody. He looked down at her tense clear face , with its heavy features , but he was afraid to look into her heavy seeing- blue eyes.He noticed how her hair looped in slack, slovenly strands over her rather beautiful ears which were not quite clean. Neither ears which were not quite clean.Neither was her neck perfectly clean. Even in that he seemed to belong to her rather than the rest of the company. He smiled faintly, thinking these things .Though he was tensed as he went up the stage for his speech. She watched him steadily while he spoke lost in thoughts, she looked at him somewhat surprised , completely forgetting herself. Gideon wanted a distraction so he could get himself round Anita. Gideon waited a moment, for his sister to play the hostess , He knew his mother would pay no attention to her duties , he hurriedly left to meet up with Anita and gave her a hug and a soft kiss . There was a moment’s pause. ’Did i do it by accident, or on purpose , he asked himself. Both smiled and left the party holding hands and talking more about theirselves . A school day was drawing to a close. In the classroom the last lesson was in progress peaceful and still.It was elementary botany. The desks were littered and catkins , hazel and willow , which the children had been sketching but the sky had come overdark, as the end of the afternoon approached. There was scarcely light to draw anymore. Anita stood in front of the class, leading the children by questions to understand the structure and the meaning of the catkins. Anita , however was scarcely conscious of it , she was busy, the end of the day was here, the work Went on , as a peaceful tide that is at flood, hushed to retire. This day had gone by like so many more , in an activity that was like a trance,At the end there was a little haste , to finish what was in hand. She was pressing the children with questions , so that they should know all they were to know by the time the gong went. She stood infront of the class , with catkins in her hand, and she leaned towards the children, absorbed in the passion of instruction. She heard , but did not notice the click of the door , Suddenly she started . She saw , in the shaft of ruddy, copper colored light near her , the face of a man. It was gleaming like fire, watching her waiting for her to be aware .It startled her terribly. She thought she was going to faint.All her suppressed, subconscious fear sprang into being with anguish. Did I startle you? Said Gideon, shaking hands with her. I thought you heard me come in.’No, ‘ she faltered, scarcely able to speak. He laughed, saying he was sorry. She wondered what amused him. It is so dark, he said ‘shall we have the light?’ And moving aside he switched on the electric lights.The classroom was distinct and hard. A strange place after the soft dim magic that filled it . Gideon held anita and both got lost in a passionate kiss,