[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第43部分

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late　Mrs。　Datchet　had　left　an　excellent　cupboard　of　linen；　
to　which　Elizabeth　had　succeeded　at　the　age　of　nieen；　
when　her　mother　died；　and　the　charge　of　the　family　rested　
upon　the　shoulders　of　the　eldest　daughter。　She　kept　a　
fine　flock　of　yellow　chickens；　sketched　a　little；　certain　
rosetrees　in　the　garden　were　mitted　specially　to　her　
care；　and　what　with　the　care　of　the　house；　the　care　of　the　
chickens；　and　the　care　of　the　poor；　she　scarcely　knew　
what　it　was　to　have　an　idle　minute。　An　extreme　rectitude　
of　mind；　rather　than　any　gift；　gave　her　weight　in　the　
family。　When　Mary　wrote　to　say　that　she　had　asked　Ralph　
Denham　to　stay　with　them；　she　added；　out　of　deference　
to　Elizabeth’s　character；　that　he　was　very　nice；　though　
rather　queer；　and　had　been　overworking　himself　in　London。　
No　doubt　Elizabeth　would　conclude　that　Ralph　was　
in　love　with　her；　but　there　could　be　no　doubt　either　that　
not　a　word　of　this　would　be　spoken　by　either　of　them；　

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Night　and　Day　

unless；　indeed；　some　catastrophe　made　mention　of　it　unavoidable。　


Mary　went　down　to　Disham　without　knowing　whether　
Ralph　intended　to　e；　but　two　or　three　days　before　
Christmas　she　received　a　telegram　from　Ralph；　asking　her　
to　take　a　room　for　him　in　the　village。　This　was　followed　
by　a　letter　explaining　that　he　hoped　he　might　have　his　
meals　with　them；　but　quiet；　essential　for　his　work；　made　
it　necessary　to　sleep　out。　

Mary　was　walking　in　the　garden　with　Elizabeth；　and　
inspecting　the　roses；　when　the　letter　arrived。　

“But　that’s　absurd；”　said　Elizabeth　decidedly；　when　the　
plan　was　explained　to　her。　“There　are　five　spare　rooms；　
even　when　the　boys　are　here。　Besides；　he　wouldn’t　get　a　
room　in　the　village。　And　he　oughtn’t　to　work　if　he’s　overworked。”　


“But　perhaps　he　doesn’t　want　to　see　so　much　of　us；”　
Mary　thought　to　herself；　although　outwardly　she　assented；　
and　felt　grateful　to　Elizabeth　for　supporting　her　in　what　
was；　of　course；　her　desire。　They　were　cutting　roses　at　the　
time；　and　laying　them；　head　by　head；　in　a　shallow　basket。　

“If　Ralph　were　here；　he’d　find　this　very　dull；”　Mary　
thought；　with　a　little　shiver　of　irritation；　which　led　her　
to　place　her　rose　the　wrong　way　in　the　basket。　Meanwhile；　
they　had　e　to　the　end　of　the　path；　and　while　
Elizabeth　straightened　some　flowers；　and　made　them　stand　
upright　within　their　fence　of　string；　Mary　looked　at　her　
father；　who　was　pacing　up　and　down；　with　his　hand　behind　
his　back　and　his　head　bowed　in　meditation。　Obeying　
an　impulse　which　sprang　from　some　desire　to　interrupt　
this　methodical　marching；　Mary　stepped　on　to　the　
grass　walk　and　put　her　hand　on　his　arm。　

“A　flower　for　your　buttonhole；　father；”　she　said；　presenting　
a　rose。　

“Eh；　dear？”　said　Mr。　Datchet；　taking　the　flower；　and　
holding　it　at　an　angle　which　suited　his　bad　eyesight；　
without　pausing　in　his　walk。　

“Where　does　this　fellow　e　from？　One　of　Elizabeth’s　
roses—I　hope　you　asked　her　leave。　Elizabeth　doesn’t　like　having　
her　roses　picked　without　her　leave；　and　quite　right；　too。”　

He　had　a　habit；　Mary　remarked；　and　she　had　never　noticed　
it　so　clearly　before；　of　letting　his　sentences　tail　

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away　in　a　continuous　murmur；　whereupon　he　passed　into　
a　state　of　abstraction；　presumed　by　his　children　to　indicate　
some　train　of　thought　too　profound　for　utterance。　

“What？”　said　Mary；　interrupting；　for　the　first　time　in　
her　life；　perhaps；　when　the　murmur　ceased。　He　made　no　
reply。　She　knew　very　well　that　he　wished　to　be　left　alone；　
but　she　stuck　to　his　side　much　as　she　might　have　stuck　to　
some　sleepwalker；　whom　she　thought　it　right　gradually　
to　awaken。　She　could　think　of　nothing　to　rouse　him　with　
except：　

“The　garden’s　looking　very　nice；　father。”　

“Yes；　yes；　yes；”　said　Mr。　Datchet；　running　his　words　together　
in　the　same　abstracted　manner；　and　sinking　his　
head　yet　lower　upon　his　breast。　And　suddenly；　as　they　
turned　their　steps　to　retrace　their　way；　he　jerked　out：　

“The　traffic’s　very　much　increased；　you　know。　More　rolling
stock　needed　already。　Forty　trucks　went　down　yesterday　
by　the　12。15—counted　them　myself。　They’ve　taken　
off　the　9。3；　and　given　us　an　8。30　instead—suits　the　business　
men；　you　know。　You　came　by　the　old　3。10　yesterday；　
I　suppose？”　

She　said　“Yes；”　as　he　seemed　to　wish　for　a　reply；　and　
then　he　looked　at　his　watch；　and　made　off　down　the　path　
towards　the　house；　holding　the　rose　at　the　same　angle　in　
front　of　him。　Elizabeth　had　gone　round　to　the　side　of　the　
house；　where　the　chickens　lived；　so　that　Mary　found　herself　
alone；　holding　Ralph’s　letter　in　her　hand。　She　was　
uneasy。　She　had　put　off　the　season　for　thinking　things　
out　very　successfully；　and　now　that　Ralph　was　actually　
ing；　the　next　day；　she　could　only　wonder　how　her　
family　would　impress　him。　She　thought　it　likely　that　her　
father　would　discuss　the　train　service　with　him；　Elizabeth　
would　be　bright　and　sensible；　and　always　leaving　
the　room　to　give　messages　to　the　servants。　Her　brothers　
had　already　said　that　they　would　give　him　a　day’s　shooting。　
She　was　content　to　leave　the　problem　of　Ralph’s　
relations　to　the　young　men　obscure；　trusting　that　they　
would　find　some　mon　ground　of　masculine　agreement。　
But　what　would　he　think　of　her？　Would　he　see　that　she　
was　different　from　the　rest　of　the　family？　She　devised　a　
plan　for　taking　him　to　her　sittingroom；　and　artfully　leading　
the　talk　towards　the　English　poets；　who　now　occu


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Night　and　Day　

pied　prominent　places　in　her　little　bookcase。　Moreover；　
she　might　give　him　to　understand；　privately；　that　she；　
too；　thought　her　family　a　queer　one—queer；　yes；　but　not　
dull。　That　was　the　rock　past　which　she　was　bent　on　steering　
him。　And　she　thought　how　she　would　draw　his　attention　
to　Edward’s　passion　for　Jorrocks；　and　the　enthusiasm　
which　led　Christopher　to　collect　moths　and　butterflies　
though　he　was　now　twentytwo。　Perhaps　Elizabeth’s　
sketching；　if　the　fruits　were　invisible；　might　lend　color　to　
the　general　effect　which　she　wished　to　produce　of　a　family；　
eccentric　and　limited；　perhaps；　but　not　dull。　Edward；　
she　perceived；　was　rolling　the　lawn；　for　the　sake　of　exercise；　
and　the　sight　of　him；　with　pink　cheeks；　bright　little　
brown　eyes；　and　a　general　resemblance　to　a　clumsy　young　
carthorse　in　its　winter　coat　of　dusty　brown　hair；　made　
Mary　violently　ashamed　of　her　ambitious　scheming。　She　
loved　him　precisely　as　he　was；　she　loved　them　all；　and　as　
she　walked　by　his　side；　up　and　down；　and　down　and　up；　
her　strong　moral　sense　administered　a　sound　drubbing　to　
the　vain　and　romantic　element　aroused　in　her　by　the　mere　
thought　of　Ralph。　She　felt　quite　certain　that；　for　good　or　

for　bad；　she　was　very　like　the　rest　of　her　family。　

Sitting　in　the　corner　of　a　thirdclass　railway　carriage；　
on　the　afternoon　of　the　following　day；　Ralph　made　several　
inquiries　of　a　mercial　traveler　in　the　opposite　
corner。　They　centered　round　a　village　called　Lampsher；　
not　three　miles；　he　understood；　from　Lincoln；　was　there　a　
big　house　in　Lampsher；　he　asked；　inhabited　by　a　gentleman　
of　the　name　of　Otway？　

The　traveler　knew　nothing；　but　rolled　the　name　of　Otway　
on　his　tongue；　reflectively；　and　the　sound　of　it　gratified　
Ralph　amazingly。　It　gave　him　an　excuse　to　take　a　letter　
from　his　pocket　in　order　to　verify　the　address。　

“Stogdon　House；　Lampsher；　Lincoln；”　he　read　out。　

“You’ll　find　somebody　to　direct　you　at　Lincoln；”　said　
the　man；　and　Ralph　had　to　confess　that　he　was　not　bound　
there　this　very　evening。　

“I’ve　got　to　walk　over　from　Disham；”　he　said；　and　in　the　
heart　of　him　could　not　help　marveling　at　the　pleasure　
which　he　derived　from　making　a　bagman　in　a　train　believe　
what　he　himself　did　not　believe。　For　the　letter；　though　
signed　by　Katharine’s　father；　contained　no　invitation　or　

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Virginia　Woolf　

warrant　for　thinking　that　Katharine　herself　was　there；　
the　only　fact　it　disclosed　was　that　for　a　fortnight　this　
address　would　be　Mr。　Hilbery’s　address。　But　when　he　looked　
out　of　the　window；　it　was　of　her　he　thought；　she；　too；　
had　seen　these　gray