t Wragby, in spite of all their connexions. A sense of isolation intensified the family tie, a sense of the weakness of their position, a sense of defencelessness, in spite of, or because of, the title and the land. They were cut off from those industrial Midlands in which they passed their lives. And they were cut off from their own class by the brooding, obstinate, shut-up nature of Sir Geoffrey, their father, whom they ridiculed, but whom they were so sensitive about.

查泰莱三兄妹虽认识的人不少，但在拉格比却过着奇怪的、与世隔绝的生活，把自己封锁起来。内心的孤独将亲情的纽带系得更紧，虽然他们拥有爵位和土地，但或许正因为此，才会忧心地位不保，感到莫名的无助。虽然生活在工业化的米德兰地区，但他们却与外部世界阻隔开来。他们甚至与同阶层的人们也不相往来，这都拜其父杰弗里爵士所赐，他那阴郁倔强、沉默寡言的性格让人敬而远之。虽然兄妹三人总是将父亲作为奚落的对象，但心里却又很在意他。

The three had said they would all live together always. But now Herbert was dead, and Sir Geoffrey wanted Clifford to marry. Sir Geoffrey barely mentioned it: he spoke very little. But his silent, brooding insistence that it should be so was hard for Clifford to bear up against.

他们甚至承诺过彼此永不分离。但如今，赫伯特已不在人世，杰弗里爵士希望克利福德成