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第90章

[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第90章


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red jars; together with the display of curious patterns 
and fantastic shapes; produced an atmosphere in which 
human beings tended to look pale and to fall silent。 

Opening the door of a house which rang with the mocking 
and profoundly unhappy laughter of monkeys; they 
discovered William and Cassandra。 William appeared to 
be tempting some small reluctant animal to descend from 
an upper perch to partake of half an apple。 Cassandra 
was reading out; in her highpitched tones; an account 

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of this creature’s secluded disposition and nocturnal habits。 
She saw Katharine and exclaimed: 

“Here you are! Do prevent William from torturing this 
unfortunate ayeaye。” 

“We thought we’d lost you;” said William。 He looked 
from one to the other; and seemed to take stock of 
Denham’s unfashionable appearance。 He seemed to wish 
to find some outlet for malevolence; but; failing one; he 
remained silent。 The glance; the slight quiver of the upper 
lip; were not lost upon Katharine。 

“William isn’t kind to animals;” she remarked。 “He doesn’t 
know what they like and what they don’t like。” 

“I take it you’re well versed in these matters; Denham;” 
said Rodney; withdrawing his hand with the apple。 

“It’s mainly a question of knowing how to stroke them;” 
Denham replied。 

“Which is the way to the Reptile House?” Cassandra 
asked him; not from a genuine desire to visit the reptiles; 
but in obedience to her newborn feminine susceptibility; 
which urged her to charm and conciliate the other 
sex。 Denham began to give her directions; and Katharine 

and William moved on together。 

“I hope you’ve had a pleasant afternoon;” William remarked。 


“I like Ralph Denham;” she replied。 

“Ca se voit;” William returned; with superficial urbanity。 

Many retorts were obvious; but wishing; on the whole; 
for peace; Katharine merely inquired: 

“Are you ing back to tea?” 

“Cassandra and I thought of having tea at a little shop 
in Portland Place;” he replied。 “I don’t know whether you 
and Denham would care to join us。” 

“I’ll ask him;” she replied; turning her head to look for 
him。 But he and Cassandra were absorbed in the ayeaye 
once more。 

William and Katharine watched them for a moment; and 
each looked curiously at the object of the other’s preference。 
But resting his eye upon Cassandra; to whose elegance 
the dressmakers had now done justice; William 
said sharply: 

“If you e; I hope you won’t do your best to make 
me ridiculous。” 

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Night and Day 

“If that’s what you’re afraid of I certainly shan’t e;” 
Katharine replied。 

They were professedly looking into the enormous central 
cage of monkeys; and being thoroughly annoyed by 
William; she pared him to a wretched misanthropical 
ape; huddled in a scrap of old shawl at the end of a pole; 
darting peevish glances of suspicion and distrust at his 
panions。 Her tolerance was deserting her。 The events 
of the past week had worn it thin。 She was in one of 
those moods; perhaps not unmon with either sex; 
when the other bees very clearly distinguished; and 
of contemptible baseness; so that the necessity of association 
is degrading; and the tie; which at such moments 
is always extremely close; drags like a halter round the 
neck。 William’s exacting demands and his jealousy had 
pulled her down into some horrible swamp of her nature 
where the primeval struggle between man and woman 
still rages。 

“You seem to delight in hurting me;” William persisted。 
“Why did you say that just now about my behavior to 
animals?” As he spoke he rattled his stick against the 

bars of the cage; which gave his words an acpaniment 
peculiarly exasperating to Katharine’s nerves。 

“Because it’s true。 You never see what any one feels;” 
she said。 “You think of no one but yourself。” 

“That is not true;” said William。 By his determined rattling 
he had now collected the animated attention of 
some halfdozen apes。 Either to propitiate them; or to 
show his consideration for their feelings; he proceeded 
to offer them the apple which he held。 

The sight; unfortunately; was so ically apt in its 
illustration of the picture in her mind; the ruse was so 
transparent; that Katharine was seized with laughter。 She 
laughed uncontrollably。 William flushed red。 No display 
of anger could have hurt his feelings more profoundly。 It 
was not only that she was laughing at him; the detachment 
of the sound was horrible。 

“I don’t know what you’re laughing at;” he muttered; 
and; turning; found that the other couple had rejoined 
them。 As if the matter had been privately agreed upon; 
the couples separated once more; Katharine and Denham 
passing out of the house without more than a perfunc


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Virginia Woolf 

tory glance round them。 Denham obeyed what seemed to 
be Katharine’s wish in thus making haste。 Some change 
had e over her。 He connected it with her laughter; 
and her few words in private with Rodney; he felt that 
she had bee unfriendly to him。 She talked; but her 
remarks were indifferent; and when he spoke her attention 
seemed to wander。 This change of mood was at first 
extremely disagreeable to him; but soon he found it salutary。 
The pale drizzling atmosphere of the day affected 
him; also。 The charm; the insidious magic in which he 
had luxuriated; were suddenly gone; his feeling had bee 
one of friendly respect; and to his great pleasure 
he found himself thinking spontaneously of the relief of 
finding himself alone in his room that night。 In his surprise 
at the suddenness of the change; and at the extent 
of his freedom; he bethought him of a daring plan; by 
which the ghost of Katharine could be more effectually 
exorcised than by mere abstinence。 He would ask her to 
e home with him to tea。 He would force her through 
the mill of family life; he would place her in a light unsparing 
and revealing。 His family would find nothing to 

admire in her; and she; he felt certain; would despise 
them all; and this; too; would help him。 He felt himself 
being more and more merciless towards her。 By such 
courageous measures any one; he thought; could end the 
absurd passions which were the cause of so much pain 
and waste。 He could foresee a time when his experiences; 
his discovery; and his triumph were made available for 
younger brothers who found themselves in the same predicament。 
He looked at his watch; and remarked that the 
gardens would soon be closed。 

“Anyhow;” he added; “I think we’ve seen enough for 
one afternoon。 Where have the others got to?” He looked 
over his shoulder; and; seeing no trace of them; remarked 
at once: 

“We’d better be independent of them。 The best plan 
will be for you to e back to tea with me。” 

“Why shouldn’t you e with me?” she asked。 

“Because we’re next door to Highgate here;” he replied 
promptly。 

She assented; having very little notion whether Highgate 
was next door to Regent’s Park or not。 She was only glad 

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Night and Day 

to put off her return to the family teatable in Chelsea for 
an hour or two。 They proceeded with dogged determination 
through the winding roads of Regent’s Park; and the 
Sundaystricken streets of the neighborhood; in the direction 
of the Tube station。 Ignorant of the way; she resigned 
herself entirely to him; and found his silence a 
convenient cover beneath which to continue her anger 
with Rodney。 

When they stepped out of the train into the still grayer 
gloom of Highgate; she wondered; for the first time; where 
he was taking her。 Had he a family; or did he live alone in 
rooms? On the whole she was inclined to believe that he 
was the only son of an aged; and possibly invalid; mother。 
She sketched lightly; upon the blank vista down which 
they walked; the little white house and the tremulous old 
lady rising from behind her teatable to greet her with 
faltering words about “my son’s friends;” and was on the 
point of asking Ralph to tell her what she might expect; 
when he jerked open one of the

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