《夜与日》第141章

minutes　after　she　had　sat　down　by　the　teatable；　and　she　
had　the　happiness　of　receiving　him　alone。　His　greeting　
put　her　doubts　of　his　affection　at　rest；　but　the　first　question　
he　asked　was：　
“Has　Katharine　spoken　to　you？”　
“Yes。　But　she　says　she’s　not　engaged。　She　doesn’t　seem　
to　think　she’s　ever　going　to　be　engaged。”　
William　frowned；　and　looked　annoyed。　
“They　telephoned　this　morning；　and　she　behaves　very　
oddly。　She　forgets　to　help　the　pudding；”　Cassandra　added　
by　way　of　cheering　him。　
378　
Virginia　Woolf　
“My　dear　child；　after　what　I　saw　and　heard　last　night；　
it’s　not　a　question　of　guessing　or　suspecting。　Either　she’s　
engaged　to　him—or—”　
He　left　his　sentence　unfinished；　for　at　this　point　
Katharine　herself　appeared。　With　his　recollections　of　the　
scene　the　night　before；　he　was　too　selfconscious　even　to　
look　at　her；　and　it　was　not　until　she　told　him　of　her　
mother’s　visit　to　StratfordonAvon　that　he　raised　his　eyes。　
It　was　clear　that　he　was　greatly　relieved。　He　looked　round　
him　now；　as　if　he　felt　at　his　ease；　and　Cassandra　exclaimed：　
“Don’t　you　think　everything　looks　quite　different？”　
“You’ve　moved　the　sofa？”　he　asked。　
“No。　Nothing’s　been　touched；”　said　Katharine。　
“Everything’s　exactly　the　same。”　But　as　she　said　this；　with　
a　decision　which　seemed　to　make　it　imply　that　more　than　
the　sofa　was　unchanged；　she　held　out　a　cup　into　which　
she　had　forgotten　to　pour　any　tea。　Being　told　of　her　forgetfulness；　
she　frowned　with　annoyance；　and　said　that　
Cassandra　was　demoralizing　her。　The　glance　she　cast　upon　
them；　and　the　resolute　way　in　which　she　plunged　them　
into　speech；　made　William　and　Cassandra　feel　like　children　
who　had　been　caught　prying。　They　followed　her　obediently；　
making　conversation。　Any　one　ing　in　might　
have　judged　them　acquaintances　met；　perhaps；　for　the　
third　time。　If　that　were　so；　one　must　have　concluded　that　
the　hostess　suddenly　bethought　her　of　an　engagement　
pressing　for　fulfilment。　First　Katharine　looked　at　her　watch；　
and　then　she　asked　William　to　tell　her　the　right　time。　
When　told　that　it　was　ten　minutes　to　five　she　rose　at　
once；　and　said：　
“Then　I’m　afraid　I　must　go。”　
She　left　the　room；　holding　her　unfinished　bread　and　
butter　in　her　hand。　William　glanced　at　Cassandra。　
“Well；　she　is　queer！”　Cassandra　exclaimed。　
William　looked　perturbed。　He　knew　more　of　Katharine　
than　Cassandra　did；　but　even　he　could　not　tell—。　In　a　
second　Katharine　was　back　again　dressed　in　outdoor　
things；　still　holding　her　bread　and　butter　in　her　bare　hand。　
“If　I’m　late；　don’t　wait　for　me；”　she　said。　“I　shall　have　
dined；”　and　so　saying；　she　left　them。　
“But　she　can’t—”　William　exclaimed；　as　the　door　shut；　
379　
Night　and　Day　
“not　without　any　gloves　and　bread　and　butter　in　her　hand！”　
They　ran　to　the　window；　and　saw　her　walking　rapidly　along　
the　street　towards　the　City。　Then　she　vanished。　
“She　must　have　gone　to　meet　Mr。　Denham；”　Cassandra　
exclaimed。　
“Goodness　knows！”　William　interjected。　
The　incident　impressed　them　both　as　having　something　
queer　and　ominous　about　it　out　of　all　proportion　to　its　
surface　strangeness。　
“It’s　the　sort　of　way　Aunt　Maggie　behaves；”　said　
Cassandra；　as　if　in　explanation。　
William　shook　his　head；　and　paced　up　and　down　the　
room　looking　extremely　perturbed。　
“This　is　what　I’ve　been　foretelling；”　he　burst　out。　“Once　
set　the　ordinary　conventions　aside—Thank　Heaven　Mrs。　
Hilbery　is　away。　But　there’s　Mr。　Hilbery。　How　are　we　to　
explain　it　to　him？　I　shall　have　to　leave　you。”　
“But　Uncle　Trevor　won’t　be　back　for　hours；　William！”　
Cassandra　implored。　
“You　never　can　tell。　He　may　be　on　his　way　already。　Or　
suppose　Mrs。　Milvain—your　Aunt　Celia—or　Mrs。　Cosham；　
or　any　other　of　your　aunts　or　uncles　should　be　shown　in　
and　find　us　alone　together。　You　know　what　they’re　saying　
about　us　already。”　
Cassandra　was　equally　stricken　by　the　sight　of　William’s　
agitation；　and　appalled　by　the　prospect　of　his　desertion。　
“We　might　hide；”　she　exclaimed　wildly；　glancing　at　the　
curtain　which　separated　the　room　with　the　relics。　
“I　refuse　entirely　to　get　under　the　table；”　said　William　
sarcastically。　
She　saw　that　he　was　losing　his　temper　with　the　difficulties　
of　the　situation。　Her　instinct　told　her　that　an　appeal　
to　his　affection；　at　this　moment；　would　be　extremely　
illjudged。　She　controlled　herself；　sat　down；　poured　out　a　
fresh　cup　of　tea；　and　sipped　it　quietly。　This　natural　action；　
arguing　plete　selfmastery；　and　showing　her　in　
one　of　those　feminine　attitudes　which　William　found　adorable；　
did　more　than　any　argument　to　pose　his　agitation。　
It　appealed　to　his　chivalry。　He　accepted　a　cup。　Next　
she　asked　for　a　slice　of　cake。　By　the　time　the　cake　was　
eaten　and　the　tea　drunk　the　personal　question　had　lapsed；　
and　they　were　discussing　poetry。　Insensibly　they　turned　
380　
Virginia　Woolf　
from　the　question　of　dramatic　poetry　in　general；　to　the　
particular　example　which　reposed　in　William’s　pocket；　and　
when　the　maid　came　in　to　clear　away　the　teathings；　
William　had　asked　permission　to　read　a　short　passage　
aloud；　“unless　it　bored　her？”　
Cassandra　bent　her　head　in　silence；　but　she　showed　a　
little　of　what　she　felt　in　her　eyes；　and　thus　fortified；　William　
felt　confident　that　it　would　take　more　than　Mrs。　Milvain　
herself　to　rout　him　from　his　position。　He　read　aloud。　
Meanwhile　Katharine　walked　rapidly　along　the　street。　
If　called　upon　to　explain　her　impulsive　action　in　leaving　
the　teatable；　she　could　have　traced　it　to　no　better　cause　
than　that　William　had　glanced　at　Cassandra；　Cassandra　at　
William。　Yet；　because　they　had　glanced；　her　position　was　
impossible。　If　one　forgot　to　pour　out　a　cup　of　tea　they　
rushed　to　the　conclusion　that　she　was　engaged　to　Ralph　
Denham。　She　knew　that　in　half　an　hour　or　so　the　door　
would　open；　and　Ralph　Denham　would　appear。　She　could　
not　sit　there　and　contemplate　seeing　him　with　William’s　
and　Cassandra’s　eyes　upon　them；　judging　their　exact　degree　
of　intimacy；　so　that　they　might　fix　the