《夜与日》第162章

announced　it；　had　evidently　been　pressing　for　utterance　
for　some　time　past。　
“Oh；　Trevor；　please　tell　me；　what　was　the　date　of　the　
first　performance　of　‘Hamlet’？”　
In　order　to　answer　her　Mr。　Hilbery　had　to　have　recourse　
to　the　exact　scholarship　of　William　Rodney；　and　before　he　
had　given　his　excellent　authorities　for　believing　as　he　
believed；　Rodney　felt　himself　admitted　once　more　to　the　
society　of　the　civilized　and　sanctioned　by　the　authority　
of　no　less　a　person　than　Shakespeare　himself。　The　power　
434　
Virginia　Woolf　
of　literature；　which　had　temporarily　deserted　Mr。　Hilbery；　
now　came　back　to　him；　pouring　over　the　raw　ugliness　of　
human　affairs　its　soothing　balm；　and　providing　a　form　
into　which　such　passions　as　he　had　felt　so　painfully　the　
night　before　could　be　molded　so　that　they　fell　roundly　
from　the　tongue　in　shapely　phrases；　hurting　nobody。　He　
was　sufficiently　sure　of　his　mand　of　language　at　length　
to　look　at　Katharine　and　again　at　Denham。　All　this　talk　
about　Shakespeare　had　acted　as　a　soporific；　or　rather　as　
an　incantation　upon　Katharine。　She　leaned　back　in　her　
chair　at　the　head　of　the　teatable；　perfectly　silent；　looking　
vaguely　past　them　all；　receiving　the　most　generalized　
ideas　of　human　heads　against　pictures；　against　yellow
tinted　walls；　against　curtains　of　deep　crimson　velvet。　
Denham；　to　whom　he　turned　next；　shared　her　immobility　
under　his　gaze。　But　beneath　his　restraint　and　calm　it　was　
possible　to　detect　a　resolution；　a　will；　set　now　with　unalterable　
tenacity；　which　made　such　turns　of　speech　as　Mr。　
Hilbery　had　at　mand　appear　oddly　irrelevant。　At　any　
rate；　he　said　nothing。　He　respected　the　young　man；　he　
was　a　very　able　young　man；　he　was　likely　to　get　his　own　
way。　He　could；　he　thought；　looking　at　his　still　and　very　
dignified　head；　understand　Katharine’s　preference；　and；　
as　he　thought　this；　he　was　surprised　by　a　pang　of　acute　
jealousy。　She　might　have　married　Rodney　without　causing　
him　a　twinge。　This　man　she　loved。　Or　what　was　the　
state　of　affairs　between　them？　An　extraordinary　confusion　
of　emotion　was　beginning　to　get　the　better　of　him；　
when　Mrs。　Hilbery；　who　had　been　conscious　of　a　sudden　
pause　in　the　conversation；　and　had　looked　wistfully　at　
her　daughter　once　or　twice；　remarked：　
“Don’t　stay　if　you　want　to　go；　Katharine。　There’s　the　
little　room　over　there。　Perhaps　you　and　Ralph—”　
“We’re　engaged；”　said　Katharine；　waking　with　a　start；　
and　looking　straight　at　her　father。　He　was　taken　aback　by　
the　directness　of　the　statement；　he　exclaimed　as　if　an　
unexpected　blow　had　struck　him。　Had　he　loved　her　to　see　
her　swept　away　by　this　torrent；　to　have　her　taken　from　
him　by　this　uncontrollable　force；　to　stand　by　helpless；　
ignored？　Oh；　how　he　loved　her！　How　he　loved　her！　He　
nodded　very　curtly　to　Denham。　
“I　gathered　something　of　the　kind　last　night；”　he　said。　
435　
Night　and　Day　
“I　hope　you’ll　deserve　her。”　But　he　never　looked　at　his　
daughter；　and　strode　out　of　the　room；　leaving　in　the　minds　
of　the　women　a　sense；　half　of　awe；　half　of　amusement；　at　
the　extravagant；　inconsiderate；　uncivilized　male；　outraged　
somehow　and　gone　bellowing　to　his　lair　with　a　roar　which　
still　sometimes　reverberates　in　the　most　polished　of　draw
ingrooms。　Then　Katharine；　looking　at　the　shut　door；　
looked　down　again；　to　hide　her　tears。　
CHAPTER　XXXIV　
The　lamps　were　lit；　their　luster　reflected　itself　in　the　polished　
wood；　good　wine　was　passed　round　the　dinner
table；　before　the　meal　was　far　advanced　civilization　had　
triumphed；　and　Mr。　Hilbery　presided　over　a　feast　which　
came　to　wear　more　and　more　surely　an　aspect；　cheerful；　
dignified；　promising　well　for　the　future。　To　judge　from　
the　expression　in　Katharine’s　eyes　it　promised　something—
but　he　checked　the　approach　sentimentality。　He　
poured　out　wine；　he　bade　Denham　help　himself。　
They　went　upstairs　and　he　saw　Katharine　and　Denham　
abstract　themselves　directly　Cassandra　had　asked　whether　
she　might　not　play　him　something　—some　Mozart？　some　
Beethoven？　She　sat　down　to　the　piano；　the　door　closed　
softly　behind　them。　His　eyes　rested　on　the　closed　door　
for　some　seconds　unwaveringly；　but；　by　degrees；　the　look　
of　expectation　died　out　of　them；　and；　with　a　sigh；　he　
listened　to　the　music。　
Katharine　and　Ralph　were　agreed　with　scarcely　a　word　
of　discussion　as　to　what　they　wished　to　do；　and　in　a　
436　
Virginia　Woolf　
moment　she　joined　him　in　the　hall　dressed　for　walking。　
The　night　was　still　and　moonlit；　fit　for　walking；　though　
any　night　would　have　seemed　so　to　them；　desiring　more　
than　anything　movement；　freedom　from　scrutiny；　silence；　
and　the　open　air。　
“At　last！”　she　breathed；　as　the　front　door　shut。　She　told　
him　how　she　had　waited；　fidgeted；　thought　he　was　never　
ing；　listened　for　the　sound　of　doors；　half　expected　to　
see　him　again　under　the　lamppost；　looking　at　the　house。　
They　turned　and　looked　at　the　serene　front　with　its　gold
rimmed　windows；　to　him　the　shrine　of　so　much　adoration。　
In　spite　of　her　laugh　and　the　little　pressure　of　mockery　
on　his　arm；　he　would　not　resign　his　belief；　but　with　
her　hand　resting　there；　her　voice　quickened　and　mysteriously　
moving　in　his　ears；　he　had　not　time—they　had　not　
the　same　inclination—other　objects　drew　his　attention。　
How　they　came　to　find　themselves　walking　down　a　street　
with　many　lamps；　corners　radiant　with　light；　and　a　steady　
succession　of　motoromnibuses　plying　both　ways　along　
it；　they　could　neither　of　them　tell；　nor　account　for　the　
impulse　which　led　them　suddenly　to　select　one　of　these　
wayfarers　and　mount　to　the　very　front　seat。　After　curving　
through　streets　of　parative　darkness；　so　narrow　that　
shadows　on　the　blinds　were　pressed　within　a　few　feet　of　
their　faces；　they　came　to　one　of　those　great　knots　of　
activity　where　the　lights；　having　drawn　close　together；　
thin　out　again　and　take　their　separate　ways。　They　were　
borne　on　until　they　saw　the　spires　of　the　city　churches　
pale　and　flat　against　the　sky。　
“Are　you　cold？”　he　asked；　as　they　stopped　by　Temple　Bar。　
“Yes；　I　am　rather；”　she　replied；　being　con