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第15章

[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第15章


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minute on the edge of the Strand: 

“I hear that Bent has given up his theory of truth。” 

Denham returned a suitable answer; and he proceeded 
to explain how this decision had been arrived at; and 
what changes it involved in the philosophy which they 
both accepted。 Meanwhile Katharine and Rodney drew 
further ahead; and Denham kept; if that is the right expression 
for an involuntary action; one filament of his 
mind upon them; while with the rest of his intelligence 
he sought to understand what Sandys was saying。 

As they passed through the courts thus talking; Sandys 
laid the tip of his stick upon one of the stones forming a 

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Virginia Woolf 

timeworn arch; and struck it meditatively two or three 
times in order to illustrate something very obscure about 
the plex nature of one’s apprehension of facts。 During 
the pause which this necessitated; Katharine and 
Rodney turned the corner and disappeared。 For a moment 
Denham stopped involuntarily in his sentence; and continued 
it with a sense of having lost something。 

Unconscious that they were observed; Katharine and 
Rodney had e out on the Embankment。 When they 
had crossed the road; Rodney slapped his hand upon the 
stone parapet above the river and exclaimed: 

“I promise I won’t say another word about it; Katharine! 
But do stop a minute and look at the moon upon the 
water。” 

Katharine paused; looked up and down the river; and 
snuffed the air。 

“I’m sure one can smell the sea; with the wind blowing 
this way;” she said。 

They stood silent for a few moments while the river 
shifted in its bed; and the silver and red lights which 
were laid upon it were torn by the current and joined 

together again。 Very far off up the river a steamer hooted 
with its hollow voice of unspeakable melancholy; as if 
from the heart of lonely mistshrouded voyagings。 

“Ah!” Rodney cried; striking his hand once more upon 
the balustrade; “why can’t one say how beautiful it all is? 
Why am I condemned for ever; Katharine; to feel what I 
can’t express? And the things I can give there’s no use in 
my giving。 Trust me; Katharine;” he added hastily; “I won’t 
speak of it again。 But in the presence of beauty—look at 
the iridescence round the moon!—one feels—one feels— 
Perhaps if you married me—I’m half a poet; you see; and 
I can’t pretend not to feel what I do feel。 If I could 
write—ah; that would be another matter。 I shouldn’t 
bother you to marry me then; Katharine。” 

He spoke these disconnected sentences rather abruptly; 
with his eyes alternately upon the moon and upon the 
stream。 

“But for me I suppose you would remend marriage?” 
said Katharine; with her eyes fixed on the moon。 

“Certainly I should。 Not for you only; but for all women。 
Why; you’re nothing at all without it; you’re only half 

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Night and Day 

alive; using only half your faculties; you must feel that 
for yourself。 That is why—” Here he stopped himself; and 
they began to walk slowly along the Embankment; the 
moon fronting them。

 “With how sad steps she climbs the sky;

 How silently and with how wan a face;” 

Rodney quoted。 

“I’ve been told a great many unpleasant things about 
myself tonight;” Katharine stated; without attending to 
him。 “Mr。 Denham seems to think it his mission to lecture 
me; though I hardly know him。 By the way; William; 
you know him; tell me; what is he like?” 

William drew a deep sigh。 

“We may lecture you till we’re blue in the face—” 

“Yes—but what’s he like?” 

“And we write sons to your eyebrows; you cruel practical 
creature。 Denham?” he added; as Katharine remained 
silent。 “A good fellow; I should think。 He cares; naturally; 
for the right sort of things; I expect。 But you mustn’t 

marry him; though。 He scolded you; did he—what did he 
say?” 

“What happens with Mr。 Denham is this: He es to 
tea。 I do all I can to put him at his ease。 He merely sits 
and scowls at me。 Then I show him our manuscripts。 At 
this he bees really angry; and tells me I’ve no business 
to call myself a middleclass woman。 So we part in a 
huff; and next time we meet; which was tonight; he 
walks straight up to me; and says; ‘Go to the Devil!’ That’s 
the sort of behavior my mother plains of。 I want to 
know; what does it mean?” 

She paused and; slackening her steps; looked at the 
lighted train drawing itself smoothly over Hungerford 
Bridge。 

“It means; I should say; that he finds you chilly and 
unsympathetic。” 

Katharine laughed with round; separate notes of genuine 
amusement。 

“It’s time I jumped into a cab and hid myself in my own 
house;” she exclaimed。 

“Would your mother object to my being seen with you? 

54 



Virginia Woolf 

No one could possibly recognize us; could they?” Rodney 
inquired; with some solicitude。 

Katharine looked at him; and perceiving that his solicitude 
was genuine; she laughed again; but with an ironical 
note in her laughter。 

“You may laugh; Katharine; but I can tell you that if 
any of your friends saw us together at this time of night 
they would talk about it; and I should find that very 
disagreeable。 But why do you laugh?” 

“I don’t know。 Because you’re such a queer mixture; I 
think。 You’re half poet and half old maid。” 

“I know I always seem to you highly ridiculous。 But I 
can’t help having inherited certain traditions and trying 
to put them into practice。” 

“Nonsense; William。 You may e of the oldest family 
in Devonshire; but that’s no reason why you should mind 
being seen alone with me on the Embankment。” 

“I’m ten years older than you are; Katharine; and I know 
more of the world than you do。” 

“Very well。 Leave me and go home。” 

Rodney looked back over his shoulder and perceived 

that they were being followed at a short distance by a 
taxicab; which evidently awaited his summons。 Katharine 
saw it; too; and exclaimed: 

“Don’t call that cab for me; William。 I shall walk。” 

“Nonsense; Katharine; you’ll do nothing of the kind。 It’s 
nearly twelve o’clock; and we’ve walked too far as it is。” 

Katharine laughed and walked on so quickly that both 
Rodney and the taxicab had to increase their pace to 
keep up with her。 

“Now; William;” she said; “if people see me racing along 
the Embankment like this they will talk。 You had far better 
say goodnight; if you don’t want people to talk。” 

At this William beckoned; with a despotic gesture; to 
the cab with one hand; and with the other he brought 
Katharine to a standstill。 

“Don’t let the man see us struggling; for God’s sake!” 
he murmured。 Katharine stood for a moment quite still。 

“There’s more of the old maid in you than the poet;” 
she observed briefly。 

William shut the door sharply; gave the address to the 
driver; and turned away; lifting his hat punctiliously high 

55 



Night and Day 

in farewell to the invisible lady。 

He looked back after the cab twice; suspiciously; half 
expecting that she would stop it and dismount; but it 
bore her swiftly on; and was soon out of sight。 William 
felt in the mood for a short soliloquy of indignation; for 
Katharine had contrived to exasperate him in more ways 
than one。 

“Of all the unreasonable; inconsiderate creatures I’ve 
ever known; she’s the worst!” he exclaimed to himself; 
striding back along the Embankment。 “Heaven forbid that 
I should ever make a fool of myself with her again。 Why; 
I’d sooner marry the daughter of my landlady than 
Katharine Hilbery! She’d leave me not a moment’s peace— 
and she’d never understand me—never; never; never!” 

Uttered aloud and with vehemence so that the stars of 
Heaven might hear; for there was no human being at hand; 
these sentiments sounded satisfactorily irrefutable。 
Rodney quieted down; and walked on in silence; until he 
perceived some one approaching him; who had something; 
either in his walk or his dress; which proclaimed 
that he was one of William’s acquaintances before it was 

possible to tell which of them he

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