《夜与日》第148章

on　in　front　of　it；　slowly　laughed　and　reluctantly　left　off　
laughing；　and　applauded　with　a　helterskelter　generosity　
which　sometimes　became　unanimous　and　overwhelming。　
Once　William　saw　Katharine　leaning　forward　and　clapping　
her　hands　with　an　abandonment　that　startled　him。　Her　
laugh　rang　out　with　the　laughter　of　the　audience。　
397　
Night　and　Day　
For　a　second　he　was　puzzled；　as　if　this　laughter　disclosed　
something　that　he　had　never　suspected　in　her。　
But　then　Cassandra’s　face　caught　his　eye；　gazing　with　
astonishment　at　the　buffoon；　not　laughing；　too　deeply　
intent　and　surprised　to　laugh　at　what　she　saw；　and　for　
some　moments　he　watched　her　as　if　she　were　a　child。　
The　performance　came　to　an　end；　the　illusion　dying　out　
first　here　and　then　there；　as　some　rose　to　put　on　their　
coats；　others　stood　upright　to　salute　“God　Save　the　King；”　
the　musicians　folded　their　music　and　encased　their　instruments；　
and　the　lights　sank　one　by　one　until　the　house　was　
empty；　silent；　and　full　of　great　shadows。　Looking　back　over　
her　shoulder　as　she　followed　Ralph　through　the　swing　doors；　
Cassandra　marveled　to　see　how　the　stage　was　already　entirely　
without　romance。　But；　she　wondered；　did　they　really　
cover　all　the　seats　in　brown　holland　every　night？　
The　success　of　this　entertainment　was　such　that　before　
they　separated　another　expedition　had　been　planned　for　
the　next　day。　The　next　day　was　Saturday；　therefore　both　
William　and　Ralph　were　free　to　devote　the　whole　afternoon　
to　an　expedition　to　Greenwich；　which　Cassandra　
had　never　seen；　and　Katharine　confused　with　Dulwich。　
On　this　occasion　Ralph　was　their　guide。　He　brought　them　
without　accident　to　Greenwich。　
What　exigencies　of　state　or　fantasies　of　imagination　
first　gave　birth　to　the　cluster　of　pleasant　places　by　which　
London　is　surrounded　is　matter　of　indifference　now　that　
they　have　adapted　themselves　so　admirably　to　the　needs　
of　people　between　the　ages　of　twenty　and　thirty　with　
Saturday　afternoons　to　spend。　Indeed；　if　ghosts　have　any　
interest　in　the　affections　of　those　who　succeed　them　they　
must　reap　their　richest　harvests　when　the　fine　weather　
es　again　and　the　lovers；　the　sightseers；　and　the　holiday
makers　pour　themselves　out　of　trains　and　omnibuses　
into　their　old　pleasuregrounds。　It　is　true　that　they　go；　
for　the　most　part；　unthanked　by　name；　although　upon　
this　occasion　William　was　ready　to　give　such　discriminating　
praise　as　the　dead　architects　and　painters　received　
seldom　in　the　course　of　the　year。　They　were　walking　by　
the　river　bank；　and　Katharine　and　Ralph；　lagging　a　little　
behind；　caught　fragments　of　his　lecture。　Katharine　smiled　
at　the　sound　of　his　voice；　she　listened　as　if　she　found　it　
398　
Virginia　Woolf　
a　little　unfamiliar；　intimately　though　she　knew　it；　she　
tested　it。　The　note　of　assurance　and　happiness　was　new。　
William　was　very　happy。　She　learnt　every　hour　what　sources　
of　his　happiness　she　had　neglected。　She　had　never　asked　
him　to　teach　her　anything；　she　had　never　consented　to　
read　Macaulay；　she　had　never　expressed　her　belief　that　
his　play　was　second　only　to　the　works　of　Shakespeare。　
She　followed　dreamily　in　their　wake；　smiling　and　delighting　
in　the　sound　which　conveyed；　she　knew；　the　rapturous　
and　yet　not　servile　assent　of　Cassandra。　
Then　she　murmured；　“How　can　Cassandra—”　but　changed　
her　sentence　to　the　opposite　of　what　she　meant　to　say　
and　ended；　“how　could　she　herself　have　been　so　blind？”　
But　it　was　unnecessary　to　follow　out　such　riddles　when　
the　presence　of　Ralph　supplied　her　with　more　interesting　
problems；　which　somehow　became　involved　with　the　little　
boat　crossing　the　river；　the　majestic　and　careworn　City；　
and　the　steamers　homeing　with　their　treasury；　or　starting　
in　search　of　it；　so　that　infinite　leisure　would　be　necessary　
for　the　proper　disentanglement　of　one　from　the　
other。　He　stopped；　moreover；　and　began　inquiring　of　an　
old　boatman　as　to　the　tides　and　the　ships。　In　thus　talking　
he　seemed　different；　and　even　looked　different；　she　
thought；　against　the　river；　with　the　steeples　and　towers　
for　background。　His　strangeness；　his　romance；　his　power　
to　leave　her　side　and　take　part　in　the　affairs　of　men；　the　
possibility　that　they　should　together　hire　a　boat　and　cross　
the　river；　the　speed　and　wildness　of　this　enterprise　filled　
her　mind　and　inspired　her　with　such　rapture；　half　of　love　
and　half　of　adventure；　that　William　and　Cassandra　were　
startled　from　their　talk；　and　Cassandra　exclaimed；　“She　
looks　as　if　she　were　offering　up　a　sacrifice！　Very　beautiful；”　
she　added　quickly；　though　she　repressed；　in　deference　
to　William；　her　own　wonder　that　the　sight　of　Ralph　
Denham　talking　to　a　boatman　on　the　banks　of　the　Thames　
could　move　any　one　to　such　an　attitude　of　adoration。　
That　afternoon；　what　with　tea　and　the　curiosities　of　
the　Thames　tunnel　and　the　unfamiliarity　of　the　streets；　
passed　so　quickly　that　the　only　method　of　prolonging　it　
was　to　plan　another　expedition　for　the　following　day。　
Hampton　Court　was　decided　upon；　in　preference　to　
Hampstead；　for　though　Cassandra　had　dreamt　as　a　child　
399　
Night　and　Day　
of　the　brigands　of　Hampstead；　she　had　now　transferred　
her　affections　pletely　and　for　ever　to　William　III。　
Accordingly；　they　arrived　at　Hampton　Court　about　lunchtime　
on　a　fine　Sunday　morning。　Such　unity　marked　their　
expressions　of　admiration　for　the　redbrick　building　that　
they　might　have　e　there　for　no　other　purpose　than　to　
assure　each　other　that　this　palace　was　the　stateliest　palace　
in　the　world。　They　walked　up　and　down　the　Terrace；　
four　abreast；　and　fancied　themselves　the　owners　of　the　
place；　and　calculated　the　amount　of　good　to　the　world　
produced　indubitably　by　such　a　tenancy。　
“The　only　hope　for　us；”　said　Katharine；　“is　that　William　
shall　die；　and　Cassandra　shall　be　given　rooms　as　the　widow　
of　a　distinguished　poet。”　
“Or—”　Cassandra　began；　but　checked　herself　from　the　liberty　
of　envisaging　Katharine　as　the　widow　of　a　distinguished　
lawyer。　Upon　this；　the　third　day　of　junketing；　it　was　tiresome　
to　have　to　restrain　oneself　even　from