按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
watch birds in it？ The street does all right for hoops。 And
if children can’t be trusted in the streets； their mothers
should keep them at home。”
Mary made no answer to this remark； but frowned。
She leant back on the seat and looked about her at the
great houses breaking the soft grayblue sky with their
chimneys。
“Ah； well；” she said； “London’s a fine place to live in。 I
believe I could sit and watch people all day long。 I like
my fellowcreatures… 。”
Ralph sighed impatiently。
“Yes； I think so； when you e to know them；” she
added； as if his disagreement had been spoken。
“That’s just when I don’t like them；” he replied。 “Still； I
don’t see why you shouldn’t cherish that illusion； if it
pleases you。” He spoke without much vehemence of agreement
or disagreement。 He seemed chilled。
“Wake up； Ralph！ You’re half asleep！” Mary cried； turning
and pinching his sleeve。 “What have you been doing
with yourself？ Moping？ Working？ Despising the world； as
usual？”
As he merely shook his head； and filled his pipe； she
went on：
“It’s a bit of a pose； isn’t it？”
“Not more than most things；” he said。
“Well；” Mary remarked； “I’ve a great deal to say to you；
but I must go on—we have a mittee。” She rose； but
hesitated； looking down upon him rather gravely。 “You
don’t look happy； Ralph；” she said。 “Is it anything； or is
it nothing？”
He did not immediately answer her； but rose； too； and
walked with her towards the gate。 As usual； he did not
speak to her without considering whether what he was
about to say was the sort of thing that he could say to her。
137
Night and Day
“I’ve been bothered；” he said at length。 “Partly by work；
and partly by family troubles。 Charles has been behaving
like a fool。 He wants to go out to Canada as a farmer—”
“Well； there’s something to be said for that；” said Mary；
and they passed the gate； and walked slowly round the
Fields again； discussing difficulties which； as a matter of
fact； were more or less chronic in the Denham family； and
only now brought forward to appease Mary’s sympathy；
which； however； soothed Ralph more than he was aware
of。 She made him at least dwell upon problems which
were real in the sense that they were capable of solution；
and the true cause of his melancholy； which was not susceptible
to such treatment； sank rather more deeply into
the shades of his mind。
Mary was attentive； she was helpful。 Ralph could not
help feeling grateful to her； the more so； perhaps； because
he had not told her the truth about his state； and
when they reached the gate again he wished to make
some affectionate objection to her leaving him。 But his
affection took the rather uncouth form of expostulating
with her about her work。
“What d’you want to sit on a mittee for？” he asked。
“It’s waste of your time； Mary。”
“I agree with you that a country walk would benefit the
world more；” she said。 “Look here；” she added suddenly；
“why don’t you e to us at Christmas？ It’s almost the
best time of year。”
“e to you at Disham？” Ralph repeated。
“Yes。 We won’t interfere with you。 But you can tell me
later；” she said； rather hastily； and then started off in the
direction of Russell Square。 She had invited him on the
impulse of the moment； as a vision of the country came
before her； and now she was annoyed with herself for
having done so； and then she was annoyed at being annoyed。
“If I can’t face a walk in a field alone with Ralph；” she
reasoned； “I’d better buy a cat and live in a lodging at
Ealing； like Sally Seal —and he won’t e。 Or did he
mean that he would e？”
She shook her head。 She really did not know what he
had meant。 She never felt quite certain； but now she was
more than usually baffled。 Was he concealing something
138
Virginia Woolf
from her？ His manner had been odd； his deep absorption
had impressed her； there was something in him that she
had not fathomed； and the mystery of his nature laid
more of a spell upon her than she liked。 Moreover； she
could not prevent herself from doing now what she had
often blamed others of her sex for doing—from endowing
her friend with a kind of heavenly fire； and passing
her life before it for his sanction。
Under this process； the mittee rather dwindled in
importance； the Suffrage shrank； she vowed she would
work harder at the Italian language； she thought she would
take up the study of birds。 But this program for a perfect
life threatened to bee so absurd that she very soon
caught herself out in the evil habit； and was rehearsing
her speech to the mittee by the time the chestnut
colored bricks of Russell Square came in sight。 Indeed；
she never noticed them。 She ran upstairs as usual； and
was pletely awakened to reality by the sight of Mrs。
Seal； on the landing outside the office； inducing a very
large dog to drink water out of a tumbler。
“Miss Markham has already arrived；” Mrs。 Seal remarked；
with due solemnity； “and this is her dog。”
“A very fine dog； too；” said Mary； patting him on the
head。
“Yes。 A magnificent fellow； Mrs。 Seal agreed。 “A kind of
St。 Bernard； she tells me—so like Kit to have a St。 Bernard。
And you guard your mistress well； don’t you； Sailor？
You see that wicked men don’t break into her larder when
she’s out at HER work—helping poor souls who have lost
their way… 。 But we’re late—we must begin！” and scattering
the rest of the water indiscriminately over the floor；
she hurried Mary into the mitteeroom。
139
Night and Day
CHAPTER XIV
Mr。 Clacton was in his glory。 The machinery which he had
perfected and controlled was now about to turn out its
bimonthly product； a mittee meeting； and his pride
in the perfect structure of these assemblies was great。
He loved the jargon of mitteerooms； he loved the
way in which the door kept opening as the clock struck
the hour； in obedience to a few strokes of his pen on a
piece of paper； and when it had opened sufficiently often；