ure: as when, in the wood, he talked about her having a child, and giving an heir to Wragby. But the day after, all the brilliant words seemed like dead leaves, crumpling up and turning to powder, meaning really nothing, blown away on any gust of wind. They were not the leafy words of an effective life, young with energy and belonging to the tree. They were the hosts of fallen leaves of a life that is ineffectual.

它在克利福德的心底肆虐，就连康妮也深感其害。内心的恐惧与茫然，对任何事物都漠不关心，这种消极的情绪一点点攫住康妮的灵魂。情绪昂扬时，克利福德仍能够口若悬河地谈天说地，甚至似乎可以牢牢把握住自己的未来。就像在树林里，他与康妮谈到借腹生子，为拉格比府培养继承人。但一夜之间，那些连珠妙语都散落成遍地的枯叶，片片碎裂，化作齑粉，毫无意义可言，清风拂过，留不下半点痕迹。那些语句并非生机盎然的叶片，充满青春活力，与树身紧紧相连。只是一堆了无生气的落叶而已。

So it seemed to her everywhere. The colliers at Tevershall were talking again of a strike, and it seemed to Connie there again it was not a manifestation of energy, it was the bruise of the war that had been in abeyance, slowly rising to the surface and creating the great ache of unrest, and stupor of discontent. The bruise was deep, deep, deep...the brui