[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第17部分

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Mrs。　Seal　looked　up　with　renewed　hope　in　her　eyes；　
and　exclaiming：　

“The　proofs　at　last！”　ran　to　open　the　door。　“Oh；　it’s　only　
Mr。　Denham！”　she　cried；　without　any　attempt　to　conceal　
her　disappointment。　Ralph；　Katharine　supposed；　was　a　
frequent　visitor；　for　the　only　person　he　thought　it　necessary　
to　greet　was　herself；　and　Mary　at　once　explained　the　
strange　fact　of　her　being　there　by　saying：　

“Katharine　has　e　to　see　how　one　runs　an　office。”　

Ralph　felt　himself　stiffen　unfortably；　as　he　said：　

“I　hope　Mary　hasn’t　persuaded　you　that　she　knows　how　
to　run　an　office？”　

“What；　doesn’t　she？”　said　Katharine；　looking　from　one　

to　the　other。　

At　these　remarks　Mrs。　Seal　began　to　exhibit　signs　of　
disposure；　which　displayed　themselves　by　a　tossing　
movement　of　her　head；　and；　as　Ralph　took　a　letter　from　
his　pocket；　and　placed　his　finger　upon　a　certain　sentence；　
she　forestalled　him　by　exclaiming　in　confusion：　

“Now；　I　know　what　you’re　going　to　say；　Mr。　Denham！　
But　it　was　the　day　Kit　Markham　was　here；　and　she　upsets　
one　so—with　her　wonderful　vitality；　always　thinking　of　
something　new　that　we　ought　to　be　doing　and　aren’t—　
and　I　was　conscious　at　the　time　that　my　dates　were　mixed。　
It　had　nothing　to　do　with　Mary　at　all；　I　assure　you。”　

“My　dear　Sally；　don’t　apologize；”　said　Mary；　laughing。　
“Men　are　such　pedants—they　don’t　know　what　things　
matter；　and　what　things　don’t。”　

“Now；　Denham；　speak　up　for　our　sex；”　said　Mr。　Clacton　
in　a　jocular　manner；　indeed；　but　like　most　insignificant　
men　he　was　very　quick　to　resent　being　found　fault　with　
by　a　woman；　in　argument　with　whom　he　was　fond　of　
calling　himself　“a　mere　man。”　He　wished；　however；　to　
enter　into　a　literary　conservation　with　Miss　Hilbery；　and　

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Virginia　Woolf　

thus　let　the　matter　drop。　

“Doesn’t　it　seem　strange　to　you；　Miss　Hilbery；”　he　said；　
“that　the　French；　with　all　their　wealth　of　illustrious　names；　
have　no　poet　who　can　pare　with　your　grandfather？　
Let　me　see。　There’s　Chenier　and　Hugo　and　Alfred　de　
Musset—wonderful　men；　but；　at　the　same　time；　there’s　a　
richness；　a　freshness　about　Alardyce—”　

Here　the　telephone　bell　rang；　and　he　had　to　absent　
himself　with　a　smile　and　a　bow　which　signified　that；　although　
literature　is　delightful；　it　is　not　work。　Mrs。　Seal　
rose　at　the　same　time；　but　remained　hovering　over　the　
table；　delivering　herself　of　a　tirade　against　party　government。　
“For　if　I　were　to　tell　you　what　I　know　of　backstairs　
intrigue；　and　what　can　be　done　by　the　power　of　the　purse；　
you　wouldn’t　credit　me；　Mr。　Denham；　you　wouldn’t；　indeed。　
Which　is　why　I　feel　that　the　only　work　for　my　father’s　
daughter—for　he　was　one　of　the　pioneers；　Mr。　Denham；　
and　on　his　tombstone　I　had　that　verse　from　the　Psalms　
put；　about　the　sowers　and　the　seed…　。　And　what　wouldn’t　
I　give　that　he　should　be　alive　now；　seeing　what　we’re　
going　to　see—”　but　reflecting　that　the　glories　of　the　

future　depended　in　part　upon　the　activity　of　her　typewriter；　
she　bobbed　her　head；　and　hurried　back　to　the　
seclusion　of　her　little　room；　from　which　immediately　issued　
sounds　of　enthusiastic；　but　obviously　erratic；　position。　


Mary　made　it　clear　at　once；　by　starting　a　fresh　topic　of　
general　interest；　that　though　she　saw　the　humor　of　her　
colleague；　she　did　not　intend　to　have　her　laughed　at。　

“The　standard　of　morality　seems　to　me　frightfully　low；”　
she　observed　reflectively；　pouring　out　a　second　cup　of　
tea；　“especially　among　women　who　aren’t　well　educated。　
They　don’t　see　that　small　things　matter；　and　that’s　where　
the　leakage　begins；　and　then　we　find　ourselves　in　difficulties—
I　very　nearly　lost　my　temper　yesterday；”　she　went　
on；　looking　at　Ralph　with　a　little　smile；　as　though　he　
knew　what　happened　when　she　lost　her　temper。　“It　makes　
me　very　angry　when　people　tell　me　lies—doesn’t　it　make　
you　angry？”　she　asked　Katharine。　

“But　considering　that　every　one　tells　lies；”　Katharine　
remarked；　looking　about　the　room　to　see　where　she　had　
put　down　her　umbrella　and　her　parcel；　for　there　was　an　

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intimacy　in　the　way　in　which　Mary　and　Ralph　addressed　
each　other　which　made　her　wish　to　leave　them。　Mary；　on　
the　other　hand；　was　anxious；　superficially　at　least；　that　
Katharine　should　stay　and　so　fortify　her　in　her　determination　
not　to　be　in　love　with　Ralph。　

Ralph；　while　lifting　his　cup　from　his　lips　to　the　table；　
had　made　up　his　mind　that　if　Miss　Hilbery　left；　he　would　
go　with　her。　

“I　don’t　think　that　I　tell　lies；　and　I　don’t　think　that　
Ralph　tells　lies；　do　you；　Ralph？”　Mary　continued。　

Katharine　laughed；　with　more　gayety；　as　it　seemed　to　
Mary；　than　she　could　properly　account　for。　What　was　she　
laughing　at？　At　them；　presumably。　Katharine　had　risen；　
and　was　glancing　hither　and　thither；　at　the　presses　and　
the　cupboards；　and　all　the　machinery　of　the　office；　as　if　
she　included　them　all　in　her　rather　malicious　amusement；　
which　caused　Mary　to　keep　her　eyes　on　her　straightly　and　
rather　fiercely；　as　if　she　were　a　gayplumed；　mischievous　
bird；　who　might　light　on　the　topmost　bough　and　pick　off　
the　ruddiest　cherry；　without　any　warning。　Two　women　
less　like　each　other　could　scarcely　be　imagined；　Ralph　

thought；　looking　from　one　to　the　other。　Next　moment；　he　
too；　rose；　and　nodding　to　Mary；　as　Katharine　said　goodbye；　
opened　the　door　for　her；　and　followed　her　out。　

Mary　sat　still　and　made　no　attempt　to　prevent　them　
from　going。　For　a　second　or　two　after　the　door　had　shut　
on　them　her　eyes　rested　on　the　door　with　a　straightforward　
fierceness　in　which；　for　a　moment；　a　certain　degree　
of　bewilderment　seemed　to　enter；　but；　after　a　brief　hesitation；　
she　put　down　her　cup　and　proceeded　to　clear　away　
the　teathings。　

The　impulse　which　had　driven　Ralph　to　take　this　action　
was　the　result　of　a　very　swift　little　piece　of　reasoning；　
and　thus；　perhaps；　was　not　quite　so　much　of　an　impulse　
as　it　seemed。　It　passed　through　his　mind　that　if　he　missed　
this　chance　of　talking　to　Katharine；　he　would　have　to　
face　an　enraged　ghost；　when　he　was　alone　in　his　room　
again；　demanding　an　explanation　of　his　cowardly　indecision。　
It　was　better；　on　the　whole；　to　risk　present　disfiture　
than　to　waste　an　evening　bandying　excuses　and　
constructing　impossible　scenes　with　this　unpromising　
section　of　himself。　For　ever　since　he　had　visited　the　

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Virginia　Woolf　

Hilberys　he　had　been　much　at　the　mercy　of　a　phantom　
Katharine；　who　came　to　him　when　he　sat　alone；　and　answered　
him　as　he　would　have　her　answer；　and　was　always　
beside　him　to　crown　those　varying　triumphs　which　were　
transacted　almost　every　night；　in　imaginary　scenes；　as　he　
walked　through　the　lamplit　streets　home　from　the　office。　
To　walk　with　Katharine　in　the　flesh　would　either　feed　
that　phantom　with　fresh　food；　which；　as　all　who　nourish　
dreams　are　aware；　is　a　process　that　bees　necessary　
from　time　to　time；　or　refine　it　to　such　a　degree　of　thinness　
that　it　was　scarcely　serviceable　any　longer；　and　that；　
too；　is　sometimes　a　wele　change　to　a　dreamer。　And　
all　the　time　Ralph　was　well　aware　that　the　bulk　of　Katharine　
was　not　represented　in　his　dreams　at　all；　so　that　when　he　
met　her　he　was　bewildered　by　the　fact　that　she　had　nothing　
to　do　with　his　dream　of　her。　

When；　on　reaching　the　street；　Katharine　found　that　Mr。　
Denham　proceeded　to　keep　pace　by　her　side；　she　was　
surprised　and；　perhaps；　a　little　annoyed。　She；　too；　had　
her　margin　of　imagination；　and　tonight　her　activity　in　
this　obscure　region　of　the　mind　required　solitude。　If　she　

had　had　her　way；　she　would　have　walked　very　fast　down　
the　Tottenham　Court　Road；　and　then　sprung　into　a　cab　and　
raced　swiftly　home。　The　view　she　had　had　of　the　inside　of　
an　office　was　of　the　nature　of　a　dream　to　her。　Shut　off　up　
there；　she　pared　Mrs。　Seal；　and　Mary　Datchet；　and　Mr。　
Clacton　to　enchanted　people　in　a　bewitched　tower；　with　
the　spiders’　webs　looping　across　the　corners　of　the　room；　
and　all　the　tools　of　the　necromancer’s　craft　at　hand；　for　so　
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　

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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　h