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administer consolation； and she hoped that Katharine
would keep ahead with Mr。 Denham； as a child who plays
at being grownup hopes that her mother won’t e in
just yet； and spoil the game。 Or was it not rather that she
had ceased to play at being grownup； and was conscious；
suddenly； that she was alarmingly mature and in earnest？
There was still unbroken silence between Katharine and
Ralph Denham； but the occupants of the different cages
served instead of speech。
“What have you been doing since we met？” Ralph asked
at length。
“Doing？” she pondered。 “Walking in and out of other
people’s houses。 I wonder if these animals are happy？”
she speculated； stopping before a gray bear； who was
philosophically playing with a tassel which once； perhaps；
formed part of a lady’s parasol。
“I’m afraid Rodney didn’t like my ing；” Ralph remarked。
“No。 But he’ll soon get over that；” she replied。 The detachment
expressed by her voice puzzled Ralph； and he
would have been glad if she had explained her meaning
further。 But he was not going to press her for explanations。
Each moment was to be； as far as he could make it；
plete in itself； owing nothing of its happiness to explanations；
borrowing neither bright nor dark tints from
the future。
“The bears seem happy；” he remarked。 “But we must
buy them a bag of something。 There’s the place to buy
buns。 Let’s go and get them。” They walked to the counter
piled with little paper bags； and each simultaneously produced
a shilling and pressed it upon the young lady； who
did not know whether to oblige the lady or the gentleman；
but decided； from conventional reasons； that it was
the part of the gentleman to pay。
“I wish to pay；” said Ralph peremptorily； refusing the
coin which Katharine tendered。 “I have a reason for what
I do；” he added； seeing her smile at his tone of decision。
“I believe you have a reason for everything；” she agreed；
breaking the bun into parts and tossing them down the
bears’ throats； “but I can’t believe it’s a good one this
time。 What is your reason？”
319
Night and Day
He refused to tell her。 He could not explain to her that
he was offering up consciously all his happiness to her；
and wished； absurdly enough； to pour every possession
he had upon the blazing pyre； even his silver and gold。
He wished to keep this distance between them—the distance
which separates the devotee from the image in the
shrine。
Circumstances conspired to make this easier than it
would have been； had they been seated in a drawing
room； for example； with a teatray between them。 He saw
her against a background of pale grottos and sleek hides；
camels slanted their heavyridded eyes at her； giraffes
fastidiously observed her from their melancholy eminence；
and the pinklined trunks of elephants cautiously abstracted
buns from her outstretched hands。 Then there
were the hothouses。 He saw her bending over pythons
coiled upon the sand； or considering the brown rock breaking
the stagnant water of the alligators’ pool； or searching
some minute section of tropical forest for the golden
eye of a lizard or the indrawn movement of the green
frogs’ flanks。 In particular； he saw her outlined against
the deep green waters； in which squadrons of silvery fish
wheeled incessantly； or ogled her for a moment； pressing
their distorted mouths against the glass； quivering their
tails straight out behind them。 Again； there was the insect
house； where she lifted the blinds of the little cages；
and marveled at the purple circles marked upon the rich
tussore wings of some lately emerged and semiconscious
butterfly； or at caterpillars immobile like the knobbed
twigs of a paleskinned tree； or at slim green snakes stabbing
the glass wall again and again with their flickering
cleft tongues。 The heat of the air； and the bloom of heavy
flowers； which swam in water or rose stiffly from great
red jars； together with the display of curious patterns
and fantastic shapes； produced an atmosphere in which
human beings tended to look pale and to fall silent。
Opening the door of a house which rang with the mocking
and profoundly unhappy laughter of monkeys； they
discovered William and Cassandra。 William appeared to
be tempting some small reluctant animal to descend from
an upper perch to partake of half an apple。 Cassandra
was reading out； in her highpitched tones； an account
320
Virginia Woolf
of this creature’s secluded disposition and nocturnal habits。
She saw Katharine and exclaimed：
“Here you are！ Do prevent William from torturing this
unfortunate ayeaye。”
“We thought we’d lost you；” said William。 He looked
from one to the other； and seemed to take stock of
Denham’s unfashionable appearance。 He seemed to wish
to find some outlet for malevolence； but； failing one； he
remained silent。 The glance； the slight quiver of the upper
lip； were not lost upon Katharine。
“William isn’t kind to animals；” she remarked。 “He doesn’t
know what they like and what they don’t like。”
“I take it you’re well versed in these matters； Denham；”
said Rodney； withdrawing his hand with the apple。
“It’s mainly a question of knowing how to stroke them；”
Denham replied。
“Which is the way to the Reptile House？” Cassandra
asked him； not from a genuine desire to visit the reptiles；
but in obedience to her newborn feminine susceptibility；
which urged her to charm and conciliate the other
sex。 Denham began to give her directions； and Katharine
and William moved on together。
“I hope you’ve had a pleasant afternoon；” William remarked。
“I like Ralph Denham；” she replied。
“Ca se voit；” William returned； with superficial urbanity。
Many retorts were obvious； but wishing； on the whole；
for peace； Katharine merely inquired：
“Are you ing back to tea？”
“Cassandra and I thought of having tea at a little shop
in Portland Place；” he replied。 “I don’t know whether you
and Denham would care to join us。”
“I’ll ask him；” she repl