g he had to do, to come into tender touch, without losing his pride or his dignity or his integrity as a man. After all, if she had money and means, and he had none, he should be too proud and honourable to hold back his tenderness from her on that account. "I stand for the touch of bodily awareness between human beings," he said to himself, "and the touch of tenderness. And she is my mate. And it is a battle against the money, and the machine, and the insentient ideal monkeyishness of the world. And she will stand behind me there. Thank God I've got a woman! Thank God I've got a woman who is with me, and tender and aware of me. Thank God she's not a bully, nor a fool. Thank God she's a tender, aware woman.” And as his seed sprang in her, his soul sprang towards her too, in the creative act that is far more than procreative.

当他插进她的身体，他意识到这是自己理应完成的重任，以深情与她交缠，并保持自己身为男子汉的骄傲、尊严以及完整。毕竟，她有钱有势，而他两手空空，为保有自尊和傲气，他自然不会因此而压抑对她的柔情。“我接受人与人之间的肌肤之亲，”他自语道，“以及情感的交融。她是我的伴侣。这是场战斗，我们面对的敌人是金钱、机器以及这世界残酷无情的兽性。她会成为我坚强的后盾。感谢上帝，让我拥有这女子！感谢上帝，让我拥有她，这位支持我、爱我、理解我的好伴侣。感谢上帝，她心地良善，蕙质兰心。感谢上帝，她柔情似水，善解人意。”当他将精液喷洒在她的体内，在这种远远高于生殖行为的创造性过程中，他的灵魂也与她的相互交融。

She was quite determined now that there should be no parting between him and her. But the ways and means were still to settle.

现在，她已铁了心，跟他永不离分。但采取怎样的方法还需考量。

"Did you hate Bertha Coutts?" she asked him.

“你恨贝莎·库茨吗？”她问他。

"Don't talk to me about her.” "Yes! You must let me. Because once you liked her. And once you were as intimate with her as you are with me. So you have to tell me. Isn't it rather terrible, when you've been intimate with her, to hate her so? Why is it?” "I don't know. She sort of kept her will ready against me, always, always: her ghastly female will: her freedom! A woman's ghastly freedom that ends in the most beastly bullying! Oh, she always kept her freedom against me, like vitriol in my face.” "But she's not free of you even now. Does she still love you?” "No, no! If she's not free of me, i