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190 clare hemmings strates a feminine desire that cuts through the prevailing masculine narrative She strokes “the new Croix de Guerre” (a sign of the bravery that marks Stephen’s masculinity throughout the book) and catches “hold of Stephen’s sleeve” (295), literalizing her entreaty Shortly after this, at what will become their home in Rue Jacob, Stephen is tense in their isolated intimacy, while Mary is again forthright The speech in which Mary imagines her future helping Stephen with her writing, and that confirms femininity as object of masculine narrative, is framed by two direct and knowing expressions of desire on Mary’s part Just prior to their musings, Mary lays her hand on Stephen’s knee, “but Stephen appeared not to notice that hand, for she just let it lie there and went on talking” (299) This is neither simply a friendly gesture nor an unconscious one on Mary’s part—Mary is “very conscious of the unnoticed hand.” While Stephen’s gestures are erratic—“she suddenly laid her hand over Mary’s” (300)—Mary is persistent in her advances, later in the same scene asking Stephen to kiss her directly: “Stephen won’t you kiss me good night? It’s our first night together here in your home Stephen, you know that you’ve never kissed me?” (301) Again, Stephen is reticent: “Do you want me to kiss you?” “More than anything else in the world” She kissed the girl quietly on her cheek (301–302) Mary is not innocent of the kiss she is asking for; the tension in the passage derives from the fact that we know Mary cannot be satisfied with the merest peck on the cheek that she receives Once in Orotava at the Villa del Ciprés, Mary continues to seduce Stephen, while the latter continues to act nervously and inconsistently, clasping Mary to her one moment, pushing her away with a patronizing word the next But Mary Llewellyn was no coward and no weakling, and one night, at long last, pride came to her rescue She said: “I want to speak to you, Stephen.” “Not now, it’s so late—tomorrow morning.” “No, now.” And she followed Stephen into her bedroom (315) Mary threatens to leave Stephen, to go back to that place we can scarcely imagine—her home in Wales—rather than suffer the indignity of what she
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