nd,hasigh,he
listenedtothesic
katharineandralphhscarcelyaword
ofdiscussionastotheyodo,andina
436
virginiawoolf
ntshejoinedhinthehalldressedforwalking
thenightoonlit,fitforhough
anynightedsotothedesiringre
thananythingvent,freedorocrutiny,silence,andtheopenair
“atlast”shebreathed,asthefrontdoorshutshetoldhioed,fidgeted,thoughthewasnever
ing,listenedforthesoundofdoors,halfexpectedtoseehigainunderthelapost,lookingatthehousetheytuedandlookedattheserenefronthitsgoldriedtheshrineofsochadoration
inspiteofherlaughandthelittlepressureofckeryonhisarheresignhisbelief,buth
herhandrestingthere,hervoicequickenedandsteriouslyvinginhisears,hehadnottitheyhadnot
thesainclinationotherobjectsdretention
hoetofindtheelvesreet
anylas,ersradianthlight,andasteady
suotoroibusesplyingbothwaysalong
it,theyuldneitheroftheell;noracuntfortheiulsesuddenlytoselectoneofthese
ounttotheveryfrontseataftercurving
throughstreetsofparativedarkness,sonarrohatshadoheblindshinafeof
theirfaces,theycatooneofthosegreatknotsofactivityhelights,havingdraogether,
thinoutagainandtaketheirseparateheywereboeonuntiltheysahespiresofthecitychurchespaleandflatagainstthesky
“areyould”heasked,astheystoppedbytelebar“yes,iaather,”shereplied,beingnsciousthatthesplendidraceoflightsdrahereyesbythe
superbcurvingandsonsteronhshe
satesuchursein
theirthoughtstoo;theyhadbeenboeon,victorsintheforefrontofsotriuhalcar,spectatorsofapageantena,stersoflifebutstandingon
thepaventalone,thisexaltationleftthetheyweregladtobealoogetherralphstoodstillforanttolighthispipebeneathala
shelookedathisfaceisolatedinthelittlecircleoflight
437
nightandday
“oh,thatttage,”shesaid“usttakeitandgo
there”
“andleaveallthis”heinquired
“asyoulike,”sherepliedshethought,lookingattheskyabovechancerylane,hoe
everyhatthislofty
blueanditssteadfastlightsanttoher;reality,,figures,love,truth
“ivesothingonnd,”saidralphabruptly“i
anivebeenthinkingofrydatchetwereverynearherroonoindifthere”
shehadtuedbeforesheansshehadno
edtoherthatthe
ienseriddlehadbeen
solved;sheheldinherhandsforonebriefntthegloberyingtoshape,round,
thenfusionofchaostosee
ryoriskthedestructionofthisglobe
“didyoutreatherbadly”sheaskedratherchanically,walkingon
“iulddefendself,”hesaid,alstdefiantly“butstheuse,ifonefeelsathingibehhera
nute,”hesaid“illjusttellher”
“ofurse,yousttellher,”saidkatharine,andnowfeltanxiousforhiodoappearedtobenecessaryifhe,too,ontround,
ire
“ielane
overherandobscuredatleastasectionofherclearvisiontheglobesbeforeherasifobscuredbytears
“iregretnothing,”saidralphfirysheleanttowardshilstasifsheuldthusseehesawshe
thoughthoilloher,saveonlythat
reandrenstantlyheappearedtoherafirebuingthroughitsske,asourceoflife
“goon,”shesaid“youregretnothing”
“nothingnothing,”herepeated
“afire”shethoughttoherselfshethoughtof
hilazingsplendidlyinthenight,yetsoobscurethattoholdhisarassheheldit,otouchthe
opaquesubstahatroaredupwards
438
virginiawoolf
“hing”sheaskedhurriedly,inorderthathe
ghtsayreandsokeresplendid,rered,
redarklyintertokethisflarushing
upwards
“areyouthinkingof,katharine”heaskedsuspiciously,notiinessandtheinapt
words
“ihinkingofyouyes,isalwaysofyou,
butyoutakesuchstrangeshapesinndyouve
destroyedlonelinessatotellyouhowiseeyouno,telltellfrohebeginning”
beginningodintospeak
reandrefluently,reandrepassionately,feelingherleaningto,listeninghwonderlikea
child,ansheinterruptedhibr >
gravelynohen
“butitostandoutsideandlookatthe
hadntseenyouwouldyou
havegoobed”
hecappedherreproofentthataan
ofherageuldhavestoodinkingsthe
trafficuntilsheforgot
“butited
“tellfrohebeginning,”hebeggedher
“no,ipersontellthings,”shepleaded
“ishallsaysothingridiethingabout
flasfiresno,icanttellyou”
buthepersuadedherintoabrokenstatent,beautifultohichargedeexcitentasshespokeof
thedarkredfire,andthesketaking
hieelthathehadsteppedoverthethresholdintothefaintlylitvastnessofanothed,stirringhshapes,solarge,sodiunveilingtheelvesonlyinflashes,andvingaothedarkness,engulfedbyitthey
hadetothestreetinarylived,
andbeingengrossedbytheysaidandpartlysaw,passedherstaircaseeof
nightthererafficandscarcelyanyfootpassengers,sothattheyuldpaceslohoutinterruption,
aarraisingtheirhandsnoething
uponthevastbluecurtainofthesky
439
nightandday
theybroughttheelvesbytheseans,actingonaodofprofoundhappiness,toastateofclearsightednessheliftingofafinge
