神鸟电子书 > 文学名著电子书 > [夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版 >

第20部分

[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第20部分


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!



cups and the plainness of the food。 

“If we had known Miss Hilbery was ing; we should 
have bought a cake;” said Mary; upon which Mrs。 Seal 
looked at Katharine for the first time; suspiciously; because 
she was a person who needed cake。 

Here Mr。 Clacton opened the door; and came in; holding 
a typewritten letter in his hand; which he was reading 
aloud。 

“Salford’s affiliated;” he said。 

“Well done; Salford!” Mrs。 Seal exclaimed enthusiastically; 
thumping the teapot which she held upon the table; 
in token of applause。 

“Yes; these provincial centers seem to be ing into 
line at last;” said Mr。 Clacton; and then Mary introduced 
him to Miss Hilbery; and he asked her; in a very formal 
manner; if she were interested “in our work。” 

70 



Virginia Woolf 

“And the proofs still not e?” said Mrs。 Seal; putting 
both her elbows on the table; and propping her chin on 
her hands; as Mary began to pour out tea。 “It’s too bad— 
too bad。 At this rate we shall miss the country post。 Which 
reminds me; Mr。 Clacton; don’t you think we should circularize 
the provinces with Partridge’s last speech? What? 
You’ve not read it? Oh; it’s the best thing they’ve had in 
the House this Session。 Even the Prime Minister—” 

But Mary cut her short。 

“We don’t allow shop at tea; Sally;” she said firmly。 “We 
fine her a penny each time she forgets; and the fines go 
to buying a plum cake;” she explained; seeking to draw 
Katharine into the munity。 She had given up all hope 
of impressing her。 

“I’m sorry; I’m sorry;” Mrs。 Seal apologized。 “It’s my 
misfortune to be an enthusiast;” she said; turning to 
Katharine。 “My father’s daughter could hardly be anything 
else。 I think I’ve been on as many mittees as most 
people。 Waifs and Strays; Rescue Work; Church Work; C。 O。 
S。—local branch—besides the usual civic duties which 
fall to one as a householder。 But I’ve given them all up 

for our work here; and I don’t regret it for a second;” she 
added。 “This is the root question; I feel; until women 
have votes—” 

“It’ll be sixpence; at least; Sally;” said Mary; bringing 
her fist down on the table。 “And we’re all sick to death of 
women and their votes。” 

Mrs。 Seal looked for a moment as though she could 
hardly believe her ears; and made a deprecating “tuttuttut” 
in her throat; looking alternately at Katharine and 
Mary; and shaking her head as she did so。 Then she remarked; 
rather confidentially to Katharine; with a little 
nod in Mary’s direction: 

“She’s doing more for the cause than any of us。 She’s 
giving her youth —for; alas! when I was young there 
were domestic circumstances—” she sighed; and stopped 
short。 

Mr。 Clacton hastily reverted to the joke about luncheon; 
and explained how Mrs。 Seal fed on a bag of biscuits 
under the trees; whatever the weather might be; rather; 
Katharine thought; as though Mrs。 Seal were a pet dog 
who had convenient tricks。 

71 



Night and Day 

“Yes; I took my little bag into the square;” said Mrs。 
Seal; with the selfconscious guilt of a child owning some 
fault to its elders。 “It was really very sustaining; and the 
bare boughs against the sky do one so much GOOD。 But I 
shall have to give up going into the square;” she proceeded; 
wrinkling her forehead。 “The injustice of it! Why 
should I have a beautiful square all to myself; when poor 
women who need rest have nowhere at all to sit?” She 
looked fiercely at Katharine; giving her short locks a little 
shake。 “It’s dreadful what a tyrant one still is; in spite of 
all one’s efforts。 One tries to lead a decent life; but one 
can’t。 Of course; directly one thinks of it; one sees that 
all squares should be open to every one。 Is there any 
society with that object; Mr。 Clacton? If not; there should 
be; surely。” 

“A most excellent object;” said Mr。 Clacton in his professional 
manner。 “At the same time; one must deplore 
the ramification of organizations; Mrs。 Seal。 So much excellent 
effort thrown away; not to speak of pounds; shillings; 
and pence。 Now how many organizations of a philanthropic 
nature do you suppose there are in the City of 

London itself; Miss Hilbery?” he added; screwing his mouth 
into a queer little smile; as if to show that the question 
had its frivolous side。 

Katharine smiled; too。 Her unlikeness to the rest of 
them had; by this time; perated to Mr。 Clacton; who 
was not naturally observant; and he was wondering who 
she was; this same unlikeness had subtly stimulated Mrs。 
Seal to try and make a convert of her。 Mary; too; looked 
at her almost as if she begged her to make things easy。 
For Katharine had shown no disposition to make things 
easy。 She had scarcely spoken; and her silence; though 
grave and even thoughtful; seemed to Mary the silence 
of one who criticizes。 

“Well; there are more in this house than I’d any notion 
of;” she said。 “On the ground floor you protect natives; 
on the next you emigrate women and tell people to eat 
nuts—” 

“Why do you say that ‘we’ do these things?” Mary interposed; 
rather sharply。 “We’re not responsible for all the 
cranks who choose to lodge in the same house with us。” 

Mr。 Clacton cleared his throat and looked at each of the 

72 



Virginia Woolf 

young ladies in turn。 He was a good deal struck by the 
appearance and manner of Miss Hilbery; which seemed to 
him to place her among those cultivated and luxurious people 
of whom he used to dream。 Mary; on the other hand; was 
more of his own sort; and a little too much inclined to order 
him about。 He picked up crumbs of dry biscuit and put them 
into his mouth with incredible rapidity。 

“You don’t belong to our society; then?” said Mrs。 Seal。 

“No; I’m afraid I don’t;” said Katharine; with such ready 
candor that Mrs。 Seal was nonplussed; and stared at her 
with a puzzled expression; as if she could not classify her 
among the varieties of human beings known to her。 

“But surely “ she began。 

“Mrs。 Seal is an enthusiast in these matters;” said Mr。 
Clacton; almost apologetically。 “We have to remind her 
sometimes that others have a right to their views even if 
they differ from our own… 。 “Punch” has a very funny 
picture this week; about a Suffragist and an agricultural 
laborer。 Have you seen this week’s “Punch;” Miss Datchet?” 

Mary laughed; and said “No。” 

Mr。 Clacton then told them the substance of the joke; 

which; however; depended a good deal for its success 
upon the expression which the artist had put into the 
people’s faces。 Mrs。 Seal sat all the time perfectly grave。 
Directly he had done speaking she burst out: 

“But surely; if you care about the welfare of your sex at 
all; you must wish them to have the vote?” 

“I never said I didn’t wish them to have the vote;” 
Katharine protested。 

“Then why aren’t you a member of our society?” Mrs。 
Seal demanded。 

Katharine stirred her spoon round and round; stared 
into the swirl of the tea; and remained silent。 Mr。 Clacton; 
meanwhile; framed a question which; after a moment’s 
hesitation; he put to Katharine。 

“Are you in any way related; I wonder; to the poet 
Alardyce? His daughter; I believe; married a Mr。 Hilbery。” 

“Yes; I’m the poet’s granddaughter;” said Katharine; with 
a little sigh; after a pause; and for a moment they were 
all silent。 

“The poet’s granddaughter!” Mrs。 Seal repeated; half to 
herself; with a shake of her head; as if that explained 

73 



Night and Day 

what was otherwise inexplicable。 

The light kindled in Mr。 Clacton’s eye。 

“Ah; indeed。 That interests me very much;” he said。 “I 
owe a great debt to your grandfather; Miss Hilbery。 At 
one time I could have repeated the greater part of him 
by heart。 But one gets out of the way of reading poetry; 
unfortunately。 You don’t remember him; I suppose?” 

A sharp rap at the door made Katharine’s answer inaudible。 
Mrs。 Seal looked up with renewed hope in her eyes; 
and exclaiming: 

“The proofs at last!” ran to open the do

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的