[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第83部分

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not　similarly　destined。　A　different　demeanor　was　necessary　
directly　one　stepped　out　upon　Liverpool　Street　
platform；　and　became　one　of　those　preoccupied　and　hasty　

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citizens　for　whose　needs　innumerable　taxicabs；　motor
omnibuses；　and　underground　railways　were　in　waiting。　
She　did　her　best　to　look　dignified　and　preoccupied　too；　
but　as　the　cab　carried　her　away；　with　a　determination　
which　alarmed　her　a　little；　she　became　more　and　more　
forgetful　of　her　station　as　a　citizen　of　London；　and　turned　
her　head　from　one　window　to　another；　picking　up　eagerly　
a　building　on　this　side　or　a　street　scene　on　that　to　feed　
her　intense　curiosity。　And　yet；　while　the　drive　lasted　no　
one　was　real；　nothing　was　ordinary；　the　crowds；　the　Government　
buildings；　the　tide　of　men　and　women　washing　
the　base　of　the　great　glass　windows；　were　all　generalized；　
and　affected　her　as　if　she　saw　them　on　the　stage。　

All　these　feelings　were　sustained　and　partly　inspired　by　
the　fact　that　her　journey　took　her　straight　to　the　center　
of　her　most　romantic　world。　A　thousand　times　in　the　midst　
of　her　pastoral　landscape　her　thoughts　took　this　precise　
road；　were　admitted　to　the　house　in　Chelsea；　and　went　
directly　upstairs　to　Katharine’s　room；　where；　invisible　
themselves；　they　had　the　better　chance　of　feasting　upon　
the　privacy　of　the　room’s　adorable　and　mysterious　mis


tress。　Cassandra　adored　her　cousin；　the　adoration　might　
have　been　foolish；　but　was　saved　from　that　excess　and　
lent　an　engaging　charm　by　the　volatile　nature　of　
Cassandra’s　temperament。　She　had　adored　a　great　many　
things　and　people　in　the　course　of　twentytwo　years；　she　
had　been　alternately　the　pride　and　the　desperation　of　her　
teachers。　She　had　worshipped　architecture　and　music；　
natural　history　and　humanity；　literature　and　art；　but　always　
at　the　height　of　her　enthusiasm；　which　was　acpanied　
by　a　brilliant　degree　of　acplishment；　she　
changed　her　mind　and　bought；　surreptitiously；　another　
grammar。　The　terrible　results　which　governesses　had　predicted　
from　such　mental　dissipation　were　certainly　apparent　
now　that　Cassandra　was　twentytwo；　and　had　never　
passed　an　examination；　and　daily　showed　herself　less　and　
less　capable　of　passing　one。　The　more　serious　prediction　
that　she　could　never　possibly　earn　her　living　was　also　
verified。　But　from　all　these　short　strands　of　different　acplishments　
Cassandra　wove　for　herself　an　attitude；　a　
cast　of　mind；　which；　if　useless；　was　found　by　some　people　
to　have　the　not　despicable　virtues　of　vivacity　and　fresh


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ness。　Katharine；　for　example；　thought　her　a　most　charming　
panion。　The　cousins　seemed　to　assemble　between　
them　a　great　range　of　qualities　which　are　never　found　
united　in　one　person　and　seldom　in　half　a　dozen　people。　
Where　Katharine　was　simple；　Cassandra　was　plex；　
where　Katharine　was　solid　and　direct；　Cassandra　was　vague　
and　evasive。　In　short；　they　represented　very　well　the　manly　
and　the　womanly　sides　of　the　feminine　nature；　and；　for　
foundation；　there　was　the　profound　unity　of　mon　blood　
between　them。　If　Cassandra　adored　Katharine　she　was　
incapable　of　adoring　any　one　without　refreshing　her　spirit　
with　frequent　draughts　of　raillery　and　criticism；　and　
Katharine　enjoyed　her　laughter　at　least　as　much　as　her　
respect。　

Respect　was　certainly　uppermost　in　Cassandra’s　mind　
at　the　present　moment。　Katharine’s　engagement　had　appealed　
to　her　imagination　as　the　first　engagement　in　a　
circle　of　contemporaries　is　apt　to　appeal　to　the　imaginations　
of　the　others；　it　was　solemn；　beautiful；　and　mysterious；　
it　gave　both　parties　the　important　air　of　those　who　
have　been　initiated　into　some　rite　which　is　still　con


cealed　from　the　rest　of　the　group。　For　Katharine’s　sake　
Cassandra　thought　William　a　most　distinguished　and　interesting　
character；　and　weled　first　his　conversation　
and　then　his　manuscript　as　the　marks　of　a　friendship　
which　it　flattered　and　delighted　her　to　inspire。　

Katharine　was　still　out　when　she　arrived　at　Cheyne　Walk。　
After　greeting　her　uncle　and　aunt　and　receiving；　as　usual；　
a　present　of　two　sovereigns　for　“cab　fares　and　dissipation”　
from　Uncle　Trevor；　whose　favorite　niece　she　was；　
she　changed　her　dress　and　wandered　into　Katharine’s　room　
to　await　her。　What　a　great　lookingglass　Katharine　had；　
she　thought；　and　how　mature　all　the　arrangements　upon　
the　dressingtable　were　pared　to　what　she　was　used　
to　at　home。　Glancing　round；　she　thought　that　the　bills　
stuck　upon　a　skewer　and　stood　for　ornament　upon　the　
mantelpiece　were　astonishingly　like　Katharine；　There　
wasn’t　a　photograph　of　William　anywhere　to　be　seen。　The　
room；　with　its　bination　of　luxury　and　bareness；　its　
silk　dressinggowns　and　crimson　slippers；　its　shabby　carpet　
and　bare　walls；　had　a　powerful　air　of　Katharine　herself；　
she　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room　and　enjoyed　the　

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sensation；　and　then；　with　a　desire　to　finger　what　her　
cousin　was　in　the　habit　of　fingering；　Cassandra　began　to　
take　down　the　books　which　stood　in　a　row　upon　the　shelf　
above　the　bed。　In　most　houses　this　shelf　is　the　ledge　
upon　which　the　last　relics　of　religious　belief　lodge　themselves　
as　if；　late　at　night；　in　the　heart　of　privacy；　people；　
skeptical　by　day；　find　solace　in　sipping　one　draught　of　
the　old　charm　for　such　sorrows　or　perplexities　as　may　
steal　from　their　hidingplaces　in　the　dark。　But　there　was　
no　hymnbook　here。　By　their　battered　covers　and　enigmatical　
contents；　Cassandra　judged　them　to　be　old　schoolbooks　
belonging　to　Uncle　Trevor；　and　piously；　though　
eccentrically；　preserved　by　his　daughter。　There　was　no　
end；　she　thought；　to　the　unexpectedness　of　Katharine。　
She　had　once　had　a　passion　for　geometry　herself；　and；　
curled　upon　Katharine’s　quilt；　she　became　absorbed　in　
trying　to　remember　how　far　she　had　forgotten　what　she　
once　knew。　Katharine；　ing　in　a　little　later；　found　her　
deep　in　this　characteristic　pursuit。　

“My　dear；”　Cassandra　exclaimed；　shaking　the　book　at　
her　cousin；　“my　whole　life’s　changed　from　this　moment！　I　

must　write　the　man’s　name　down　at　once；　or　I　shall　forget—”　


Whose　name；　what　book；　which　life　was　changed　
Katharine　proceeded　to　ascertain。　She　began　to　lay　aside　
her　clothes　hurriedly；　for　she　was　very　late。　

“May　I　sit　and　watch　you？”　Cassandra　asked；　shutting　
up　her　book。　“I　got　ready　on　purpose。”　

“Oh；　you’re　ready；　are　you？”　said　Katharine；　half　turning　
in　the　midst　of　her　operations；　and　looking　at　
Cassandra；　who　sat；　clasping　her　knees；　on　the　edge　of　
the　bed。　

“There　are　people　dining　here；”　she　said；　taking　in　the　
effect　of　Cassandra　from　a　new　point　of　view。　After　an　
interval；　the　distinction；　the　irregular　charm；　of　the　small　
face　with　its　long　tapering　nose　and　its　bright　oval　eyes　
were　very　notable。　The　hair　rose　up　off　the　forehead　rather　
stiffly；　and；　given　a　more　careful　treatment　by　hairdressers　
and　dressmakers；　the　light　angular　figure　might　possess　
a　likeness　to　a　French　lady　of　distinction　in　the　eighteenth　
century。　

“Who’s　ing　to　dinner？”　Cassandra　asked；　anticipat


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ing　further　possibilities　of　rapture。　

“There’s　William；　and；　I　believe；　Aunt　Eleanor　and　Uncle　
Aubrey。”　

“I’m　so　glad　William　is　ing。　Did　he　tell　you　that　he　
sent　me　his　manuscript？　I　think　it’s　wonderful—I　think　
he’s　almost　good　enough　for　you；　Katharine。”　

“You　shall　sit　next　to　him　and　tell　him　what　you　think　
of　him。”　

“I　shan’t　dare　do　that；”　Cassandra　asserted。　

“Why？　You’re　not　afraid　of　him；　are　you？”　

“A　little—because　he’s　connected　with　you。”　

Katharine　smiled。　

“But　then；　with　your　wellknown　fidelity；　considering　that　
you’re　staying　here　at　least　a　fortnight；　you　won’t　have　
any　illusions　left　about　me　by　the　time　you　go。　I　give　you　
a　week；　Cassandra。　I　shall　see　my　power　fading　day　by　day。　
Now　it’s　at　the　climax；　but　tomorrow　it’ll　have　begun　to　
fade。　What　am　I　to　wear；　I　wonder？　Find　me　a　blue　dress；　
Cassandra；　over　there　in　the　long　wardrobe。”　

She　spoke　disconnectedly；　handling　brush