Love among the Haystacks by DH Lawrence. Part 5
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Chapter 4 | At night in the Hayfield
Geoffrey worked hard all afternoon, cutting the hay, While Maurice worked on the wagon. The brothers did not speak, but the feeling between them was warm and friendly. Geoffrey understood that their little fight would stay a secret — Maurice would not tell.
The sun got hotter and hotter. There was not a breath of wind, and everybody began to feel tired.
‘There’s another day’s work here,’ said the father at tea-time, while they sat under the tree.
‘Somebody will have to stay the night here then,’ said Geoffrey. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘No, I’ll do it,’ said Maurice.
‘You did it last night,’ said the father. ‘You must get some rest tonight.’
‘No, I’m staying,’ said Maurice.
‘He wants to meet his girl again,’ explained Henry.
The father thought about this. ‘I don’t know …’
But in the end Maurice stayed. At eight o’clock, after sundown, the men got on their bicycles, the father got the wagon ready, and everybody left.
Slowly, the evening sky turned dark. The young man stood alone in the field, listening to the sounds of the night. It was still hot, and from the hedges came the rich, sweet smell of wild flowers. Then the moon came out, catching the flowers in its light, and they shone like white ghostly faces against the dark of the hedge.
Higher on the hill, the farm horses, free for the night, were moving around the field. Maurice had an hour to wait before Paula came, and he decided to take a bath in the little river at the bottom of the fields.
He washed himself in the cold water, and it felt good on his warm body. Above him the tall trees by the river whispered in a little wind. ‘How beautiful the night is!’ he thought. Laughing, he took a handful of white flowers from the hedge, and threw them over himself.
At nine o’clock he was waiting under the tree by the haystacks. He felt both excited, and afraid. She was late. At a quarter past nine she came, running across the field, as light and as quick as a bird.
‘Oh, their little girl would not go to sleep tonight,’ she cried. ‘I sat in that bedroom for an hour.’ She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. ‘Ah, the night smells so good!’ She smiled.
She was full of life, quick and strong at the same time.
‘I want’ — she could not find the English words — ‘I would like — to run — now!
Maurice laughed. ‘Let’s run, then,’ he said.
And in a second she was gone. Maurice ran after her, but he could not catch her easily. At last he caught her by the arm, and they stood together, laughing.
‘I can run faster,’ she cried happily. ‘Yes?’
‘No,’ he replied, with his deep little laugh. ‘No, you can’t.’ They walked on across the field, and then suddenly saw the three farm horses in front of them.
‘We ride a horse?’ she said.
‘Now?’ said Maurice. ‘In the dark?’
‘Yes, yes,’ she cried, ‘in the dark!’
Maurice caught one of the horses, put the girl on the horse’s back, then climbed up in front of her. She put her arms round his waist.
The horse walked uphill and at the top they stopped and looked round. Clouds were moving across the sky, hiding the moon and the stars. The night lay across the fields and hills like a great dark carpet, with here and there the little lights of a house or a farm.
Maurice could feel the girl’s warm arms around his waist. ‘Do you want to go back now?’ he asked.
‘I stay with you,’ she answered softly.
Maurice gave a little laugh. He wanted to kiss her, but he was afraid to. The horse moved under them.
‘Let the horse go fast,’ said Paula. ‘Fast!’
‘All right then,’ Maurice said. He hit the horse’s neck. ‘Come on, boy, let’s go!’ he cried.
And away they went down the hill, faster and faster. It was a wild, dangerous, exciting ride. Maurice held on to the horse with hands and knees; Paula held on to Maurice, her arms around his waist, and her face against his strong, warm back.