1984

           Folly,folly,folly!hethoughtagain. Itwasinconceivablethattheycouldfrequentthisplaceformorethanafewweekswithoutbeingcaught. Butthetemptationofhavingahiding-placethatwastrulytheirown,indoorsandnearathand,hadbeentoomuchforbothofthem. Forsometimeaftertheirvisittothechurchbelfryithadbeenimpossibletoarrangemeetings. WorkinghourshadbeendrasticallyincreasedinanticipationofHateWeek. Itwasmorethanamonthdistant,buttheenormous,complexpreparationsthatitentailedwerethrowingextraworkontoeverybody. Finallybothofthemmanagedtosecureafreeafternoononthesameday. Theyhadagreedtogobacktotheclearinginthewood. Ontheeveningbeforehandtheymetbrieflyinthestreet. Asusual,WinstonhardlylookedatJuliaastheydriftedtowardsoneanotherinthecrowd,butfromtheshortglancehegaveheritseemedtohimthatshewaspalerthanusual. 

           ‘It’salloff,’shemurmuredassoonasshejudgeditsafetospeak. ‘Tomorrow,Imean.’ 

           ‘What?’ 

           ‘Tomorrowafternoon.Ican’tcome.’ 

           ‘Whynot?’ 

           ‘Oh,theusualreason. It’sstartedearlythistime.’ 

           Foramomenthewasviolentlyangry. Duringthemonththathehadknownherthenatureofhisdesireforherhadchanged. Atthebeginningtherehadbeenlittletruesensualityinit. Theirfirstlove-makinghadbeensimplyanactofthewill.