[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第29章

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thus　entitled　to　be　heard　with　respect。　

“This　unhappy　business；”　she　began；　out　of　breath　as　
she　was。　“If　the　train　had　not　gone　out　of　the　station　just　
as　I　arrived；　I　should　have　been　with　you　before。　Celia　
has　doubtless　told　you。　You　will　agree　with　me；　Maggie。　
He　must　be　made　to　marry　her　at　once　for　the　sake　of　the　
children—”　

“But　does　he　refuse　to　marry　her？”　Mrs。　Hilbery　inquired；　
with　a　return　of　her　bewilderment。　

“He　has　written　an　absurd　perverted　letter；　all　quotations；”　
Cousin　Caroline　puffed。　“He　thinks　he’s　doing　a　very　
fine　thing；　where　we　only　see　the　folly　of　it…　。　The　girl’s　
every　bit　as　infatuated　as　he　is—for　which　I　blame　him。”　

“She　entangled　him；”　Aunt　Celia　intervened；　with　a　very　
curious　smoothness　of　intonation；　which　seemed　to　convey　
a　vision　of　threads　weaving　and　interweaving　a　close；　
white　mesh　round　their　victim。　

“It’s　no　use　going　into　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　the　
affair　now；　Celia；”　said　Cousin　Caroline　with　some　acerbity；　
for　she　believed　herself　the　only　practical　one　of　the　

family；　and　regretted　that；　owing　to　the　slowness　of　the　
kitchen　clock；　Mrs。　Milvain　had　already　confused　poor　
dear　Maggie　with　her　own　inplete　version　of　the　facts。　
“The　mischief’s　done；　and　very　ugly　mischief　too。　Are　we　
to　allow　the　third　child　to　be　born　out　of　wedlock？　（I　am　
sorry　to　have　to　say　these　things　before　you；　Katharine。）　
He　will　bear　your　name；　Maggie—your　father’s　name；　remember。”　


“But　let　us　hope　it　will　be　a　girl；”　said　Mrs。　Hilbery。　

Katharine；　who　had　been　looking　at　her　mother　constantly；　
while　the　chatter　of　tongues　held　sway；　perceived　
that　the　look　of　straightforward　indignation　had　already　
vanished；　her　mother　was　evidently　casting　about　in　her　
mind　for　some　method　of　escape；　or　bright　spot；　or　sudden　
illumination　which　should　show　to　the　satisfaction　
of　everybody　that　all　had　happened；　miraculously　but　
incontestably；　for　the　best。　

“It’s　detestable—quite　detestable！”　she　repeated；　but　
in　tones　of　no　great　assurance；　and　then　her　face　lit　up　
with　a　smile　which；　tentative　at　first；　soon　became　almost　
assured。　“Nowadays；　people　don’t　think　so　badly　of　

103　



Night　and　Day　

these　things　as　they　used　to　do；”　she　began。　“It　will　be　
horribly　unfortable　for　them　sometimes；　but　if　they　
are　brave；　clever　children；　as　they　will　be；　I　dare　say　it’ll　
make　remarkable　people　of　them　in　the　end。　Robert　Browning　
used　to　say　that　every　great　man　has　Jewish　blood　in　
him；　and　we　must　try　to　look　at　it　in　that　light。　And；　after　
all；　Cyril　has　acted　on　principle。　One　may　disagree　with　
his　principle；　but；　at　least；　one　can　respect　it—like　the　
French　Revolution；　or　Cromwell　cutting　the　King’s　head　
off。　Some　of　the　most　terrible　things　in　history　have　been　
done　on　principle；”　she　concluded。　

“I’m　afraid　I　take　a　very　different　view　of　principle；”　
Cousin　Caroline　remarked　tartly。　

“Principle！”　Aunt　Celia　repeated；　with　an　air　of　deprecating　
such　a　word　in　such　a　connection。　“I　will　go　tomorrow　
and　see　him；”　she　added。　

“But　why　should　you　take　these　disagreeable　things　
upon　yourself；　Celia？”　Mrs。　Hilbery　interposed；　and　Cousin　
Caroline　thereupon　protested　with　some　further　plan　involving　
sacrifice　of　herself。　

Growing　weary　of　it　all；　Katharine　turned　to　the　win


dow；　and　stood　among　the　folds　of　the　curtain；　pressing　
close　to　the　windowpane；　and　gazing　disconsolately　at　
the　river　much　in　the　attitude　of　a　child　depressed　by　the　
meaningless　talk　of　its　elders。　She　was　much　disappointed　
in　her　mother—and　in　herself　too。　The　little　tug　which　
she　gave　to　the　blind；　letting　it　fly　up　to　the　top　with　a　
snap；　signified　her　annoyance。　She　was　very　angry；　and　
yet　impotent　to　give　expression　to　her　anger；　or　know　
with　whom　she　was　angry。　How　they　talked　and　moralized　
and　made　up　stories　to　suit　their　own　version　of　the　being；　
and　secretly　praised　their　own　devotion　and　tact！　
No；　they　had　their　dwelling　in　a　mist；　she　decided；　hundreds　
of　miles　away　—away　from　what？　“Perhaps　it　would　
be　better　if　I　married　William；”　she　thought　suddenly；　
and　the　thought　appeared　to　loom　through　the　mist　like　
solid　ground。　She　stood　there；　thinking　of　her　own　destiny；　
and　the　elder　ladies　talked　on；　until　they　had　talked　
themselves　into　a　decision　to　ask　the　young　woman　to　
luncheon；　and　tell　her；　very　friendlily；　how　such　behavior　
appeared　to　women　like　themselves；　who　knew　the　world。　
And　then　Mrs。　Hilbery　was　struck　by　a　better　idea。　

104　



Virginia　Woolf　

CHAPTER　X　


Messrs。　Grateley　and　Hooper；　the　solicitors　in　whose　firm　
Ralph　Denham　was　clerk；　had　their　office　in　Lincoln’s　Inn　
Fields；　and　there　Ralph　Denham　appeared　every　morning　
very　punctually　at　ten　o’clock。　His　punctuality；　together　
with　other　qualities；　marked　him　out　among　the　clerks　
for　success；　and　indeed　it　would　have　been　safe　to　wager　
that　in　ten　years’　time　or　so　one　would　find　him　at　the　
head　of　his　profession；　had　it　not　been　for　a　peculiarity　
which　sometimes　seemed　to　make　everything　about　him　
uncertain　and　perilous。　His　sister　Joan　had　already　been　
disturbed　by　his　love　of　gambling　with　his　savings。　Scrutinizing　
him　constantly　with　the　eye　of　affection；　she　
had　bee　aware　of　a　curious　perversity　in　his　temperament　
which　caused　her　much　anxiety；　and　would　have　
caused　her　still　more　if　she　had　not　recognized　the　germs　
of　it　in　her　own　nature。　She　could　fancy　Ralph　suddenly　
sacrificing　his　entire　career　for　some　fantastic　imagination；　
some　cause　or　idea　or　even　（so　her　fancy　ran）　for　
some　woman　seen　from　a　railway　train；　hanging　up　clothes　

in　a　back　yard。　When　he　had　found　this　beauty　or　this　
cause；　no　force；　she　knew；　would　avail　to　restrain　him　
from　pursuit　of　it。　She　suspected　the　East　also；　and　always　
fidgeted　herself　when　she　saw　him　with　a　book　of　
Indian　travels　in　his　hand；　as　though　he　were　sucking　
contagion　from　the　page。　On　the　other　hand；　no　mon　
love　affair；　had　there　been　such　a　thing；　would　have　caused　
her　a　moment’s　uneasiness　where　Ralph　was　concerned。　
He　was　destined　in　her　fancy　for　something　splendid　in　
the　way　of　success　or　failure；　she　knew　not　which。　

And　yet　nobody　could　have　worked　harder　or　done　better　
in　all　the　recognized　stages　of　a　young　man’s　life　than　
Ralph　had　done；　and　Joan　had　to　gather　materials　for　her　
fears　from　trifles　in　her　brother’s　behavior　which　would　
have　escaped　any　other　eye。　It　was　natural　that　she　should　
be　anxious。　Life　had　been　so　arduous　for　all　of　them　from　
the　start　that　she　could　not　help　dreading　any　sudden　
relaxation　of　his　grasp　upon　what　he　held；　though；　as　she　
knew　from　inspection　of　her　own　life；　such　sudden　impulse　
to　let　go　and　make　away　from　the　discipline　and　
the　drudgery　was　sometimes　almost　irresistible。　But　with　

105　



Night　and　Day　

Ralph；　if　he　broke　away；　she　knew　that　it　would　be　only　to　
put　himself　under　harsher　constraint；　she　figured　him　toiling　
through　sandy　deserts　under　a　tropical　sun　to　find　the　
source　of　some　river　or　the　haunt　of　some　fly；　she　figured　
him　living　by　the　labor　of　his　hands　in　some　city　slum；　the　
victim　of　one　of　those　terrible　theories　of　right　and　wrong　
which　were　current　at　the　time；　she　figured　him　prisoner　
for　life　in　the　house　of　a　woman　who　had　seduced　him　by　
her　misfortunes。　Half　proudly；　and　wholly　anxiously；　she　
framed　such　thoughts；　as　they　sat；　late　at　night；　talking　
together　over　the　gasstove　in　Ralph’s　bedroom。　

It　is　likely　that　Ralph　would　not　have　recognized　his　
own　dream　of　a　future　in　the　forecasts　which　disturbed　
his　sister’s　peace　of　mind。　Certainly；　if　any　one　of　them　
had　been　put　before　him　he　would　have　rejected　it　with　a　
laugh；　as　the　sort　of　life　that　held　no　attractions　for　him。　
He　could　not　have　said　how　it　was　that　he　had　put　these　
absurd　notions　into　his　sister’s　head。　Indeed；　he　prided　
himself　upon　being　well　broken　into　a　life　of　hard　work；　
about　which　he　had　no　sort　of　illusions。　His　vision　of　his　
own　future；　unlike　many　such　forecasts；　could　have　been　

made　pu