William Morel Quotes

“She's had no love."
"No! - Well, you must make up to her.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“William was only one year old, and his mother was proud of him, he was so pretty... He was a joy to her, the twining wisps of hair clustering round his head. Mrs Morel lay listening, one Sunday morning, to the chatter of the two. Then she dozed off. When she came downstairs... seated in his armchair, against the chimney piece, sat Morel, rather timid: and standing between his legs, the child - cropped like a sheep, with such an odd round poll - looking wondering at her: and on a newspaper spread out upon the hearth rug, a myriad of crescent-shaped curls, like the petals of a marigold scattered in the reddening firelight.
Mrs Morel stood still. It was her first baby. She went very white, and was unable to speak.
"What dost think on 'im?" Morel laughed uneasily.
She gripped her two fists, lifted them, and came forward. Morel shrank back...
Her lip trembled, her face broke, and, snatching up the child, she buried her face in his shoulder and cried painfully. She was one of those women who cannot cry: whom it hurts as it hurts a man. It was like the ripping something out of her, her sobbing...
She went about her work with closed mouth and very quiet... She spoke to him civilly, and never alluded to what he had done. But he felt something final had happened.
...But she knew, and Morel knew, that that act had caused something momentous to take place in her soul. She remembered that scene all her life, as one in which she had suffered the most intensely.
This act of masculine clumsiness was a spear through the side of her love for Morel.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“Paul was treated to dazzling descriptions of all kinds of flower-like ladies, most of whom lived like cut blooms in William's heart, for a brief fortnight.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“They want me in Lime Street on Monday week, mother," he cried, his eyes blazing, as he read the letter. Mrs Morel felt everything go silent inside her.
... It never occurred to him that she might be more hurt of his going away, than glad of his success.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“My lad," she said, "they're very wise. They know they've only got to flatter your vanity, and you press up to them like a dog that has its head scratched."
"Well, they can't go on scratching for ever," he replied. "And when they've done, I trot away."
"But one day you'll find a string round your neck, that you can't pull off," she answered.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“They're all alike. They're large in promises, but it's precious little fulfillment you get... I wonder who ever brought me a gold bangle."
"Well, you never wanted one."
"No, I didn't - but it would have been all the same if I had."
"Didn't my father ever buy you things?"
"Yes - one half-pound of apples - and that was all - every penny he spent on me, before we were married."
"Why?"
"Because I was silly, and when he said 'What should I buy thee?' I told him 'Nothing'. But bring me anything! - it never occurred to him.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“Hello!" he called, sitting on the stairs. "Are you getting up?"
"Yes," her voice called, faintly.
"Merry Christmas!" he shouted to her.
Her laugh, pretty and tinkling, was heard in the bedroom.
...
He waited a while, then went to the stairs again.
"Happy New Year!" he called.
"Thank you Chubby Dear!" came the laughing voice, far away.
...
The family had breakfast, all but William. He went to the foot of the stairs.
"Shall I have to send you an Easter Egg up there?" he called, rather crossly. She only laughed.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“They lay down, all three, in a meadow by Minton Church... [William] lay back in the sunshine and dreamed, while she fingered with his hair. Paul went gathering the big daisies. She had taken off her hat... Paul came back and threaded daisies in her jet black hair, big spangles of white and yellow, and just a pink touch of ragged robbin...
"Has he made a sight of me?" she asked, laughing down on her lover.
"That he has!" said William smiling. And as he lay he continued to look at her. His eyes never sought hers. He did not want to meet her eyes. He only wanted to look at her, not to come together with her in her gaze...
"Can't you smell the sun o your hair?" [Paul] said. "Now, that's how you ought to go to the ball."...
"Shall I?" she asked of William. "May I go like this."
William looked at her again. Her beauty seemed to hurt him.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers

“You should have seen him as a young man-" she cried suddenly to Paul, drawing herself up to imitate her husband's once handsome bearing. Morel watched her shyly. He saw again the passion she had had for him. It blazed upon her for a moment. He was shy, rather scared, and humble. Yet again he felt his old glow. And then, immediately, he felt the ruin he had made during these years. He wanted to bustle about, to run away from it.
"Gi'e my back a bit of a wesh," he asked her.
His wife brought a well-soaped flannel and clapped it on his shoulders. He gave a jump.
"Eh tha mucky little 'ussy!" he cried. "Cowd as death!"...
"The next world won't be half hot enough for you," she added.
"No," he said, "tha'lt see as it's draughty for me.”
― D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers