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“Cyril seems to have been behaving in a very foolish
manner；” said Mr。 Hilbery； in his pleasant and deliberate
tones。
Katharine found some difficulty in carrying on the conversation；
while her father balanced his fingertips so
judiciously； and seemed to reserve so many of his thoughts
for himself。
“He’s about done for himself； I should say；” he continued。
Without saying anything； he took Katharine’s letters
out of her hand； adjusted his eyeglasses； and read them
through。
At length he said “Humph！” and gave the letters back
to her。
“Mother knows nothing about it；” Katharine remarked。
“Will you tell her？”
“I shall tell your mother。 But I shall tell her that there
is nothing whatever for us to do。”
“But the marriage？” Katharine asked； with some diffidence。
Mr。 Hilbery said nothing； and stared into the fire。
“What in the name of conscience did he do it for？” he
speculated at last； rather to himself than to her。
Katharine had begun to read her aunt’s letter over again；
and she now quoted a sentence。 “Ibsen and Butler… 。 He
has sent me a letter full of quotations—nonsense； though
clever nonsense。”
“Well； if the younger generation want to carry on its
life on those lines； it’s none of our affair；” he remarked。
“But isn’t it our affair； perhaps； to make them get married？”
Katharine asked rather wearily。
“Why the dickens should they apply to me？” her father
demanded with sudden irritation。
91
Night and Day
“Only as the head of the family—”
“But I’m not the head of the family。 Alfred’s the head of
the family。 Let them apply to Alfred；” said Mr。 Hilbery；
relapsing again into his armchair。 Katharine was aware
that she had touched a sensitive spot； however； in mentioning
the family。
“I think； perhaps； the best thing would be for me to go
and see them；” she observed。
“I won’t have you going anywhere near them；” Mr。
Hilbery replied with unwonted decision and authority。
“Indeed； I don’t understand why they’ve dragged you into
the business at all—I don’t see that it’s got anything to
do with you。”
“I’ve always been friends with Cyril；” Katharine observed。
“But did he ever tell you anything about this？” Mr。
Hilbery asked rather sharply。
Katharine shook her head。 She was； indeed； a good deal
hurt that Cyril had not confided in her—did he think； as
Ralph Denham or Mary Datchet might think； that she was；
for some reason； unsympathetic—hostile even？
“As to your mother；” said Mr。 Hilbery； after a pause； in
which he seemed to be considering the color of the flames；
“you had better tell her the facts。 She’d better know the
facts before every one begins to talk about it； though
why Aunt Celia thinks it necessary to e； I’m sure I
don’t know。 And the less talk there is the better。”
Granting the assumption that gentlemen of sixty who
are highly cultivated； and have had much experience of
life； probably think of many things which they do not say；
Katharine could not help feeling rather puzzled by her
father’s attitude； as she went back to her room。 What a
distance he was from it all！ How superficially he smoothed
these events into a semblance of decency which harmonized
with his own view of life！ He never wondered what
Cyril had felt； nor did the hidden aspects of the case tempt
him to examine into them。 He merely seemed to realize；
rather languidly； that Cyril had behaved in a way which
was foolish； because other people did not behave in that
way。 He seemed to be looking through a telescope at little
figures hundreds of miles in the distance。
Her selfish anxiety not to have to tell Mrs。 Hilbery what
had happened made her follow her father into the hall
92
Virginia Woolf
after breakfast the next morning in order to question
him。
“Have you told mother？” she asked。 Her manner to her
father was almost stern； and she seemed to hold endless
depths of reflection in the dark of her eyes。
Mr。 Hilbery sighed。
“My dear child； it went out of my head。” He smoothed
his silk hat energetically； and at once affected an air of
hurry。 “I’ll send a note round from the office… 。 I’m late
this morning； and I’ve any amount of proofs to get
through。”
“That wouldn’t do at all；” Katharine said decidedly。 “She
must be told—you or I must tell her。 We ought to have
told her at first。”
Mr。 Hilbery had now placed his hat on his head； and his
hand was on the doorknob。 An expression which Katharine
knew well from her childhood； when he asked her to shield
him in some neglect of duty； came into his eyes； malice；
humor； and irresponsibility were blended in it。 He nodded
his head to and fro significantly； opened the door
with an adroit movement； and stepped out with a light
ness unexpected at his age。 He waved his hand once to
his daughter； and was gone。 Left alone； Katharine could
not help laughing to find herself cheated as usual in domestic
bargainings with her father； and left to do the
disagreeable work which belonged； by rights； to him。
93
Night and Day
CHAPTER IX this morning； and get a lot done。”
Katharine disliked telling her mother about Cyril’s misbehavior
quite as much as her father did； and for much the
same reasons。 They both shrank； nervously； as people fear
the report of a gun on the stage； from all that would have
to be said on this occasion。 Katharine； moreover； was
unable to decide what she thought of Cyril’s misbehavior。
As usual； she saw something which her father and mother
did not see； and the effect of that something was to
suspend Cyril’s behavior in her mind without any qualification
at all。 They would think whether it was good or
bad； to her it was merely a thing that had happened。
When Katharine reached the study； Mrs。 Hilbery had
already dipped her pen in the ink。
“Katharine；” she said； lifting it in the air； “I’ve just
made out such a queer； strange thing about your grandfather。
I’m three years and six months older than he was
when he