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[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第22部分


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aloof and unreal and apart from the normal world did they 
seem to her; in the house of innumerable typewriters; 
murmuring their incantations and concocting their drugs; 
and flinging their frail spiders’ webs over the torrent of life 
which rushed down the streets outside。 

She may have been conscious that there was some exaggeration 
in this fancy of hers; for she certainly did not 
wish to share it with Ralph。 To him; she supposed; Mary 
Datchet; posing leaflets for Cabi Ministers among 
her typewriters; represented all that was interesting and 
genuine; and; accordingly; she shut them both out from 
all share in the crowded street; with its pendant necklace 
of lamps; its lighted windows; and its throng of men and 

77 



Night and Day 

women; which exhilarated her to such an extent that she 
very nearly forgot her panion。 She walked very fast; 
and the effect of people passing in the opposite direction 
was to produce a queer dizziness both in her head 
and in Ralph’s; which set their bodies far apart。 But she 
did her duty by her panion almost unconsciously。 

“Mary Datchet does that sort of work very well… 。 She’s 
responsible for it; I suppose?” 

“Yes。 The others don’t help at all… 。 Has she made a 
convert of you?” 

“Oh no。 That is; I’m a convert already。” 

“But she hasn’t persuaded you to work for them?” 

“Oh dear no—that wouldn’t do at all。” 

So they walked on down the Tottenham Court Road; 
parting and ing together again; and Ralph felt much 
as though he were addressing the summit of a poplar in a 
high gale of wind。 

“Suppose we get on to that omnibus?” he suggested。 

Katharine acquiesced; and they climbed up; and found 
themselves alone on top of it。 

“But which way are you going?” Katharine asked; wak


ing a little from the trance into which movement among 
moving things had thrown her。 

“I’m going to the Temple;” Ralph replied; inventing a 
destination on the spur of the moment。 He felt the change 
e over her as they sat down and the omnibus began 
to move forward。 He imagined her contemplating the avenue 
in front of them with those honest sad eyes which 
seemed to set him at such a distance from them。 But the 
breeze was blowing in their faces; it lifted her hat for a 
second; and she drew out a pin and stuck it in again;—a 
little action which seemed; for some reason; to make her 
rather more fallible。 Ah; if only her hat would blow off; 
and leave her altogether disheveled; accepting it from 
his hands! 

“This is like Venice;” she observed; raising her hand。 
“The motorcars; I mean; shooting about so quickly; with 
their lights。” 

“I’ve never seen Venice;” he replied。 “I keep that and 
some other things for my old age。” 

“What are the other things?” she asked。 

“There’s Venice and India and; I think; Dante; too。” 

78 



Virginia Woolf 

She laughed。 

“Think of providing for one’s old age! And would you 
refuse to see Venice if you had the chance?” 

Instead of answering her; he wondered whether he 
should tell her something that was quite true about himself; 
and as he wondered; he told her。 

“I’ve planned out my life in sections ever since I was a 
child; to make it last longer。 You see; I’m always afraid 
that I’m missing something—” 

“And so am I!” Katharine exclaimed。 “But; after all;” 
she added; “why should you miss anything?” 

“Why? Because I’m poor; for one thing;” Ralph rejoined。 
“You; I suppose; can have Venice and India and Dante 
every day of your life。” 

She said nothing for a moment; but rested one hand; 
which was bare of glove; upon the rail in front of her; 
meditating upon a variety of things; of which one was 
that this strange young man pronounced Dante as she 
was used to hearing it pronounced; and another; that he 
had; most unexpectedly; a feeling about life that was 
familiar to her。 Perhaps; then; he was the sort of person 

she might take an interest in; if she came to know him 
better; and as she had placed him among those whom 
she would never want to know better; this was enough to 
make her silent。 She hastily recalled her first view of 
him; in the little room where the relics were kept; and 
ran a bar through half her impressions; as one cancels a 
badly written sentence; having found the right one。 

“But to know that one might have things doesn’t alter 
the fact that one hasn’t got them;” she said; in some confusion。 
“How could I go to India; for example? Besides;” 
she began impulsively; and stopped herself。 Here the conductor 
came round; and interrupted them。 Ralph waited 
for her to resume her sentence; but she said no more。 

“I have a message to give your father;” he remarked。 
“Perhaps you would give it him; or I could e—” 

“Yes; do e;” Katharine replied。 

“Still; I don’t see why you shouldn’t go to India;” Ralph 
began; in order to keep her from rising; as she threatened 
to do。 

But she got up in spite of him; and said goodbye with 
her usual air of decision; and left him with a quickness 

79 



Night and Day 

which Ralph connected now with all her movements。 He 
looked down and saw her standing on the pavement edge; 
an alert; manding figure; which waited its season to 
cross; and then walked boldly and swiftly to the other 
side。 That gesture and action would be added to the picture 
he had of her; but at present the real woman pletely 
routed the phantom one。 

CHAPTER VII 


And little Augustus Pelham said to me; ‘It’s the younger 
generation knocking at the door;’ and I said to him; ‘Oh; 
but the younger generation es in without knocking; 
Mr。 Pelham。’ Such a feeble little joke; wasn’t it; but down 
it went into his notebook all the same。” 

“Let us congratulate ourselves that we shall be in the 
grave before that work is published;” said Mr。 Hilbery。 

The elderly couple were waiting for the dinnerbell to 
ring and for their daughter to e into the room。 Their 
armchairs were drawn up on either side of the fire; and 
each sat in the same slightly crouched position; looking 
into the coals; with the expressions of people who have 
had their share of experiences and wait; rather passively; 
for something to happen。 Mr。 Hilbery now gave all his 
attention to a piece of coal which had fallen out of the 
grate; and to selecting a favorable position for it among 
the lumps that were burning already。 Mrs。 Hilbery watched 
him in silence; and the smile changed on her lips as if 
her mind still played with the events of the afternoon。 

80 



Virginia Woolf 

When Mr。 Hilbery had acplished his task; he resumed 
his crouching position again; and began to toy with the 
little green stone attached to his watchchain。 His deep; 
ovalshaped eyes were fixed upon the flames; but behind 
the superficial glaze seemed to brood an observant and 
whimsical spirit; which kept the brown of the eye still 
unusually vivid。 But a look of indolence; the result of 
skepticism or of a taste too fastidious to be satisfied by 
the prizes and conclusions so easily within his grasp; 
lent him an expression almost of melancholy。 After sitting 
thus for a time; he seemed to reach some point in 
his thinking which demonstrated its futility; upon which 
he sighed and stretched his hand for a book lying on the 
table by his side。 

Directly the door opened he closed the book; and the 
eyes of father and mother both rested on Katharine as 
she came towards them。 The sight seemed at once to 
give them a motive which they had not had before。 To 
them she appeared; as she walked towards them in her 
light evening dress; extremely young; and the sight of 
her refreshed them; were it only because her youth and 

ignorance made their knowledge of the world of some 
value。 

“The only excuse for you; Katharine; is that dinner is 
still later than you are;” said Mr。 Hilbery; putting down 
his spectacles。 

“I don’t mind her being late when the result is so charming;” 
said Mrs。 Hilbery; looking with pride at her daughter。 
“Still; I don’t know that I like your being out

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