ere such strangers； they must for ever be such
strangers； that his passion was a clanging torment to him。 Such
intimacy of embrace； and such utter foreignness of contact！ It
was unbearable。 He could not bear to be near her； and know the
utter foreignness between them； know how entirely they were
strangers to each other。 He went out into the wind。 Big holes
were blown into the sky； the moonlight blew about。 Sometimes a
high moon； liquid…brilliant； scudded across a hollow space and
took cover under electric； brown…iridescent cloud…edges。 Then
there was a blot of cloud； and shadow。 Then somewhere in the
night a radiance again； like a vapour。 And all the sky was
teeming and tearing along； a vast disorder of flying shapes and
darkness and ragged fumes of light and a great brown circling
halo； then the terror of a moon running liquid…brilliant into
the open for a moment； hurting the eyes before she plunged under
cover of cloud again。
CHAPTER II
THEY LIVE AT THE MARSH
She was the daughter of a Polish landowner who； deeply in
debt to the Jews； had married a German wife with money； and who
had died just before the rebellion。 Quite young； she had married
Paul Lensky； an intellectual who had studied at Berlin； and had
returned to Warsaw a patriot。 Her mother had married a German
merchant and gone away。
Lydia Lensky； married to the young doctor； became with him a
patriot and an emancipee。 They were poor； but they
were very conceited。 She learned nursing as a mark of her
emancipation。 They represented in Poland the new movement just
begun in Russia。 But they were very patriotic： and； at the