itwasnowa
quarterofanhourbeyondthespecifiedtihebethoughthifapieceofne
intheearlierpartofthedayootheillnessofoneofhisfellohatheno
holidayuntillaterintheyear,eanthe
postponentoftheirrriagebutthispossibility,afterall,sodisagreeableastheprobabilityh
forheverytickoftheclockthat
katharinehadpletelyforgottenherengagentsuchthingshadhappenedlessfrequentlysincechrists,butiftheyobegintohappenagain
iftheirrriageshouldtuout,asshehadsaid,afarceheacquittedherofanyonly,but
242
virginiawoolf
thereethinginhercharacteradeitiossible
forhertohelphurtingpeopleold
riedtofitherheachof
thesedescriptions,buthehadtoohatshepuzzledhi
“therearesonythingsthatshedoesntunderstand,”hereflected,glancingatthelettertocassandrahhehadbegunandlaidasidefroinishing
theletteruchenjoyedbeginning
thereasonight,atanynt,
entertheroothethought,ilyinghisbondage
toher,irritatedhithat
heheletterlyingopenforhertosee,and
heaketheopportunityoftellingherthathehadsenthisplaytocassandraforhertocriticizepossibly,butnotbyanyanscertainly,thiswouldannoyherandashereachedthedoubtfulfortofthisnclusion,theree
intheykissedeaadenoapology
forbeinglatenevertheless,herrepresencevedhitrangely;butheinedthatthisshould
notakesokindofstand
againsther;togetatthetruthaboutherheletherkeheroself
htheplates
“ivegotapieceofneharine,”hesaid
directlytheysatdoyholiday
inaprilarriage”
herappedthehacertaindegreeofbriskness
katharinestartedalittle,asiftheannouncentdisturbedherthoughts
“thatakeanydifference,eanthe
leaseisntsigned,”shereplied“buthashappened”hetoldher,inanoffhand
clerkshadbrokendoighthavetobeawayfor
nths,sixnthseven,inheywouldhave
tothinkovertheirpositionhesaiditinah
stru
therehathehher
sufficientlysoperhaps
sheeshelookedforaclock
243
nightandday
“itsagoodthingtakethehousethen,”she
repeatedthoughtfully
“itllan,too,ifraid,thatishantbeasfreeforansiderabletiasihavebeen,”hentinuedshe
hadtitoreflectthatshegainedsothingbyallthis,thoughitinebutthelight
e
alonguchbyhisnner
asbyhisneeetopposition,
pletoenunterparedhshe
didnotknoithatshehadtoenunterthe
alpassedinquiet,rolledtalkaboutindifferentthingssicasubjectabouthsheknew
anything,butshelikedhiotellherthings;anduld,shesed,ashetalked,fanarried
lifespentthus,overthefire;spentthus,orhabook,perhaps,forthensheetoreadherbooks,
andtograspfiryusind
ospherewasveryfree
suddenlybrokeoffshelookedupapprehensively,brushingasidethesethoughtshannoyance
“tertocassandra”heasked
herithadsoaning
orothertonight,oreod“ruckup
afriendship,”headded
“shesatho,ithink,”katharinereplied
“theykeephertoochatho,”said“why
dontyouaskhertostayhyou,andletherheara
littlegoodsicilljustfinishiwassaying,ifyoudontnd,becauseiarticularlyanxiousthatsheshouldheartorrow”
katharinesankbackinherchair,androdneytookthepaperonhisknees,andonhhissentence“style,youknoendtoneglect”;buthewasfar
rensthanof
hestyleheknehatshewaslooking
athibutherhirritationorindifferencehe
uldnotguess
intruth,shehadfallensufficientlyintohistraptofeelunfortablyrousedanddisturbedandunabletoproceedonthelineslaiddo,
ifnothostile,attitudeonspartdeitios
244
virginiawoolf
sibletobreakoffosity,largelyandpletely
infinitelypreferablearysstate,shethought,plethingtodoandonediditin
faelittleness
ofnaturehadapartinalltherefinents,reserves,andsubtletiesoffeelingforilywere
sodistinguishedforexale,althoughshelikedcassandraethodoflifestruck
heraspurelyfrivolous;no,nowas
silks,nousicshesupposed
ssuddeninterestinheever
beforehadinutesofherpresencein
inghislettershacurioussenseoflightopeningherto,hadbeenopaque,itdawnedupon
herthat,afterall,possibly,yes,probably,nay,certainly,thedevotionostakenfor
grantedexistedinachslighterdegreethanshehadsuspeattentively
asifthisdisveryofhersstshoracesinhis
faceneverhadsheseensochtorespectinhisappearance,sochthatattractedherbyitssensitiveness
andintelligence,althoughshesahesequalitiesasiftheybly,inthefaceofa
strangertheheadbentoverthepaper,thoughtfulasusual,hadnoposureedsohoo
plae
oneelsebehindglass
heeon,houtraisinghiseyesshewould
