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[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第52部分


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nature ran in its deep narrow channel with great force 
and with an alarming lack of consideration for the feelings 
of others。 Just as the two elder ladies had finished 
their survey of the family prospects; and Lady Otway was 
nervously anticipating some general statement as to life 
and death from her sisterinlaw; Cassandra burst into 
the room with the news that the carriage was at the door。 

“Why didn’t Andrews tell me himself?” said Lady Otway; 
peevishly; blaming her servants for not living up to her 
ideals。 

When Mrs。 Hilbery and Katharine arrived in the hall; 
ready dressed for their drive; they found that the usual 
discussion was going forward as to the plans of the rest 
of the family。 In token of this; a great many doors were 
opening and shutting; two or three people stood irresolutely 
on the stairs; now going a few steps up; and now a 
few steps down; and Sir Francis himself had e out 
from his study; with the “Times” under his arm; and a 
plaint about noise and draughts from the open door 
which; at least; had the effect of bundling the people 
who did not want to go into the carriage; and sending 
those who did not want to stay back to their rooms。 It 
was decided that Mrs。 Hilbery; Katharine; Rodney; and 
Henry should drive to Lincoln; and any one else who wished 
to go should follow on bicycles or in the ponycart。 Every 
one who stayed at Stogdon House had to make this expedition 
to Lincoln in obedience to Lady Otway’s conception 
of the right way to entertain her guests; which she 
had imbibed from reading in fashionable papers of the 
behavior of Christmas parties in ducal houses。 The carriage 
horses were both fat and aged; still they matched; 

185 



Night and Day 

the carriage was shaky and unfortable; but the Otway 
arms were visible on the panels。 Lady Otway stood on the 
topmost step; wrapped in a white shawl; and waved her 
hand almost mechanically until they had turned the corner 
under the laurelbushes; when she retired indoors 
with a sense that she had played her part; and a sigh at 
the thought that none of her children felt it necessary to 
play theirs。 

The carriage bowled along smoothly over the gently 
curving road。 Mrs。 Hilbery dropped into a pleasant; inattentive 
state of mind; in which she was conscious of the 
running green lines of the hedges; of the swelling 
ploughland; and of the mild blue sky; which served her; 
after the first five minutes; for a pastoral background to 
the drama of human life; and then she thought of a cottage 
garden; with the flash of yellow daffodils against 
blue water; and what with the arrangement of these different 
prospects; and the shaping of two or three lovely 
phrases; she did not notice that the young people in the 
carriage were almost silent。 Henry; indeed; had been included 
against his wish; and revenged himself by observ


ing Katharine and Rodney with disillusioned eyes; while 
Katharine was in a state of gloomy selfsuppression which 
resulted in plete apathy。 When Rodney spoke to her 
she either said “Hum!” or assented so listlessly that he 
addressed his next remark to her mother。 His deference 
was agreeable to her; his manners were exemplary; and 
when the church towers and factory chimneys of the town 
came into sight; she roused herself; and recalled memories 
of the fair summer of 1853; which fitted in harmoniously 
with what she was dreaming of the future。 

186 



Virginia Woolf 

CHAPTER XVIII 


But other passengers were approaching Lincoln meanwhile 
by other roads on foot。 A county town draws the 
inhabitants of all vicarages; farms; country houses; and 
wayside cottages; within a radius of ten miles at least; 
once or twice a week to its streets; and among them; on 
this occasion; were Ralph Denham and Mary Datchet。 They 
despised the roads; and took their way across the fields; 
and yet; from their appearance; it did not seem as if they 
cared much where they walked so long as the way did not 
actually trip them up。 When they left the Vicarage; they 
had begun an argument which swung their feet along so 
rhythmically in time with it that they covered the ground 
at over four miles an hour; and saw nothing of the 
hedgerows; the swelling plowland; or the mild blue sky。 
What they saw were the Houses of Parliament and the 
Government Offices in Whitehall。 They both belonged to 
the class which is conscious of having lost its birthright 
in these great structures and is seeking to build another 
kind of lodging for its own notion of law and govern


ment。 Purposely; perhaps; Mary did not agree with Ralph; 
she loved to feel her mind in conflict with his; and to be 
certain that he spared her female judgment no ounce of 
his male muscularity。 He seemed to argue as fiercely with 
her as if she were his brother。 They were alike; however; 
in believing that it behooved them to take in hand the 
repair and reconstruction of the fabric of England。 They 
agreed in thinking that nature has not been generous in 
the endowment of our councilors。 They agreed; unconsciously; 
in a mute love for the muddy field through which 
they tramped; with eyes narrowed close by the concentration 
of their minds。 At length they drew breath; let 
the argument fly away into the limbo of other good arguments; 
and; leaning over a gate; opened their eyes for 
the first time and looked about them。 Their feet tingled 
with warm blood and their breath rose in steam around 
them。 The bodily exercise made them both feel more direct 
and less selfconscious than usual; and Mary; indeed; 
was overe by a sort of lightheadedness which made 
it seem to her that it mattered very little what happened 
next。 It mattered so little; indeed; that she felt herself 

187 



Night and Day 

on the point of saying to Ralph: 

“I love you; I shall never love anybody else。 Marry me 
or leave me; think what you like of me—I don’t care a 
straw。” At the moment; however; speech or silence seemed 
immaterial; and she merely clapped her hands together; 
and looked at the distant woods with the rustlike bloom 
on their brown; and the green and blue landscape through 
the steam of her own breath。 It seemed a mere tossup 
whether she said; “I love you;” or whether she said; “I 
love the beechtrees;” or only “I love—I love。” 

“Do you know; Mary;” Ralph suddenly interrupted her; 
“I’ve made up my mind。” 

Her indifference must have been superficial; for it disappeared 
at once。 Indeed; she lost sight of the trees; and 
saw her own hand upon the topmost bar of the gate with 
extreme distinctness; while he went on: 

“I’ve made up my mind to chuck my work and live down 
here。 I want you to tell me about that cottage you spoke 
of。 However; I suppose there’ll be no difficulty about getting 
a cottage; will there?” He spoke with an assumption 
of carelessness as if expecting her to dissuade him。 

She still waited; as if for him to continue; she was 
convinced that in some roundabout way he approached 
the subject of their marriage。 

“I can’t stand the office any longer;” he proceeded。 “I 
don’t know what my family will say; but I’m sure I’m right。 
Don’t you think so?” 

“Live down here by yourself?” she asked。 

“Some old woman would do for me; I suppose;” he replied。 
“I’m sick of the whole thing;” he went on; and 
opened the gate with a jerk。 They began to cross the 
next field walking side by side。 

“I tell you; Mary; it’s utter destruction; working away; 
day after day; at stuff that doesn’t matter a damn to any 
one。 I’ve stood eight years of it; and I’m not going to 
stand it any longer。 I suppose this all seems to you mad; 
though?” 

By this time Mary had recovered her selfcontrol。 

“No。 I thought you weren’t happy;” she said。 

“Why did you think that?” he asked; with some surprise。 


“Don’t you remember that morning in Lincoln’s Inn 

188 



Virginia Woolf 

Fields?” she asked。 

“Yes;” said Ralph; slackening his pace and remembering 
Katharine and her engagement; the purple leaves 
stamped into the path; the white 

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