《夜与日》第2章

kind　of　thing；　and　had　e　out　of　curiosity；　or　because　
her　father　had　invited　him—anyhow；　he　would　not　be　
easily　bined　with　the　rest。　
“I　should　think　there　would　be　no　one　to　talk　to　in　
Manchester；”　she　replied　at　random。　Mr。　Fortescue　had　
been　observing　her　for　a　moment　or　two；　as　novelists　are　
inclined　to　observe；　and　at　this　remark　he　smiled；　and　
made　it　the　text　for　a　little　further　speculation。　
“In　spite　of　a　slight　tendency　to　exaggeration；　Katharine　
decidedly　hits　the　mark；”　he　said；　and　lying　back　in　his　
chair；　with　his　opaque　contemplative　eyes　fixed　on　the　
ceiling；　and　the　tips　of　his　fingers　pressed　together；　he　
depicted；　first　the　horrors　of　the　streets　of　Manchester；　
and　then　the　bare；　immense　moors　on　the　outskirts　of　the　
town；　and　then　the　scrubby　little　house　in　which　the　girl　
would　live；　and　then　the　professors　and　the　miserable　young　
students　devoted　to　the　more　strenuous　works　of　our　
younger　dramatists；　who　would　visit　her；　and　how　her　appearance　
would　change　by　degrees；　and　how　she　would　fly　
to　London；　and　how　Katharine　would　have　to　lead　her　about；　
as　one　leads　an　eager　dog　on　a　chain；　past　rows　of　clamorous　
butchers’　shops；　poor　dear　creature。　
“Oh；　Mr。　Fortescue；”　exclaimed　Mrs。　Hilbery；　as　he　finished；　
“I　had　just　written　to　say　how　I　envied　her！　I　was　
thinking　of　the　big　gardens　and　the　dear　old　ladies　in　
mittens；　who　read　nothing　but　the　“Spectator；”　and　snuff　
the　candles。　Have　they　ALL　disappeared？　I　told　her　she　
would　find　the　nice　things　of　London　without　the　horrid　
5　
Night　and　Day　
streets　that　depress　one　so。”　
“There　is　the　University；”　said　the　thin　gentleman；　who　
had　previously　insisted　upon　the　existence　of　people　knowing　
Persian。　
“I　know　there　are　moors　there；　because　I　read　about　
them　in　a　book　the　other　day；”　said　Katharine。　
“I　am　grieved　and　amazed　at　the　ignorance　of　my　family；”　
Mr。　Hilbery　remarked。　He　was　an　elderly　man；　with　a　
pair　of　oval；　hazel　eyes　which　were　rather　bright　for　his　
time　of　life；　and　relieved　the　heaviness　of　his　face。　He　
played　constantly　with　a　little　green　stone　attached　to　
his　watchchain；　thus　displaying　long　and　very　sensitive　
fingers；　and　had　a　habit　of　moving　his　head　hither　and　
thither　very　quickly　without　altering　the　position　of　his　
large　and　rather　corpulent　body；　so　that　he　seemed　to　be　
providing　himself　incessantly　with　food　for　amusement　
and　reflection　with　the　least　possible　expenditure　of　energy。　
One　might　suppose　that　he　had　passed　the　time　of　
life　when　his　ambitions　were　personal；　or　that　he　had　
gratified　them　as　far　as　he　was　likely　to　do；　and　now　
employed　his　considerable　acuteness　rather　to　observe　
and　reflect　than　to　attain　any　result。　
Katharine；　so　Denham　decided；　while　Mr。　Fortescue　built　
up　another　rounded　structure　of　words；　had　a　likeness　to　
each　of　her　parents；　but　these　elements　were　rather　oddly　
blended。　She　had　the　quick；　impulsive　movements　of　her　
mother；　the　lips　parting　often　to　speak；　and　closing　again；　
and　the　dark　oval　eyes　of　her　father　brimming　with　light　
upon　a　basis　of　sadness；　or；　since　she　was　too　young　to　
have　acquired　a　sorrowful　point　of　view；　one　might　say　
that　the　basis　was　not　sadness　so　much　as　a　spirit　given　
to　contemplation　and　selfcontrol。　Judging　by　her　hair；　
her　coloring；　and　the　shape　of　her　features；　she　was　striking；　
if　not　actually　beautiful。　Decision　and　posure　
stamped　her；　a　bination　of　qualities　that　produced　a　
very　marked　character；　and　one　that　was　not　calculated　
to　put　a　young　man；　who　scarcely　knew　her；　at　his　ease。　
For　the　rest；　she　was　tall；　her　dress　was　of　some　quiet　
color；　with　old　yellowtinted　lace　for　ornament；　to　which　
the　spark　of　an　ancient　jewel　gave　its　one　red　gleam。　
Denham　noticed　that；　although　silent；　she　kept　sufficient　
control　of　the　situation　to　answer　immediately　her　
6　
Virginia　Woolf　
mother　appealed　to　her　for　help；　and　yet　it　was　obvious　to　
him　that　she　attended　only　with　the　surface　skin　of　her　
mind。　It　struck　him　that　her　position　at　the　teatable；　among　
all　these　elderly　people；　was　not　without　its　difficulties；　
and　he　checked　his　inclination　to　find　her；　or　her　attitude；　
generally　antipathetic　to　him。　The　talk　had　passed　over　
Manchester；　after　dealing　with　it　very　generously。　
“Would　it　be　the　Battle　of　Trafalgar　or　the　Spanish　Armada；　
Katharine？”　her　mother　demanded。　
“Trafalgar；　mother。”　
“Trafalgar；　of　course！　How　stupid　of　me！　Another　cup　of　
tea；　with　a　thin　slice　of　lemon　in　it；　and　then；　dear　Mr。　
Fortescue；　please　explain　my　absurd　little　puzzle。　One　
can’t　help　believing　gentlemen　with　Roman　noses；　even　
if　one　meets　them　in　omnibuses。”　
Mr。　Hilbery　here　interposed　so　far　as　Denham　was　concerned；　
and　talked　a　great　deal　of　sense　about　the　solicitors’　
profession；　and　the　changes　which　he　had　seen　in　
his　lifetime。　Indeed；　Denham　properly　fell　to　his　lot；　owing　
to　the　fact　that　an　article　by　Denham　upon　some　
legal　matter；　published　by　Mr。　Hilbery　in　his　Review；　had　
brought　them　acquainted。　But　when　a　moment　later　Mrs。　
Sutton　Bailey　was　announced；　he　turned　to　her；　and　Mr。　
Denham　found　himself　sitting　silent；　rejecting　possible　
things　to　say；　beside　Katharine；　who　was　silent　too。　Being　
much　about　the　same　age　and　both　under　thirty；　they　
were　prohibited　from　the　use　of　a　great　many　convenient　
phrases　which　launch　conversation　into　smooth　waters。　
They　were　further　silenced　by　Katharine’s　rather　malicious　
determination　not　to　help　this　young　man；　in　whose　
upright　and　resolute　bearing　she　detected　something　
hostile　to　her　surroundings；　by　any　of　the　usual　feminine　
amenities。　They　therefore　sat　silent；　Denham　controlling　
his　desire　to　say　something　abrupt　and　explosive；　which　
should　shock　her　into　life。　But　Mrs。　Hilbery　was　immediately　
sensitive　to　any　silence　in　the　drawingroom；　as　of　
a　dumb　note　in　a　sonorous　scale；　and　leaning　across　the　
table　she　observed；　in　the　curiously　tentative　detached　
manner　which　always　gave　her　phrases　the　likeness　of　
butterflies　flaunting　from　one　sunny　spot　to　a