《[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版》

下载本书

添加书签

[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版- 第37部分


按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!

resembled Elizabeth’s。 She made her knees a fortable 
rest for his head; and ran her fingers through his hair。 

“I should like Mary to stroke my head like that;” Ralph 
thought to himself suddenly; and he looked at Christopher; 
almost affectionately; for calling forth his sister’s 
caresses。 Instantly he thought of Katharine; the thought 
of her being surrounded by the spaces of night and the 
open air; and Mary; watching him; saw the lines upon his 
forehead suddenly deepen。 He stretched out an arm and 
placed a log upon the fire; constraining himself to fit it 
carefully into the frail red scaffolding; and also to limit 
his thoughts to this one room。 

Mary had ceased to stroke her brother’s head; he moved 
it impatiently between her knees; and; much as though 
he were a child; she began once more to part the thick; 
reddishcolored locks this way and that。 But a far stronger 
passion had taken possession of her soul than any 
her brother could inspire in her; and; seeing Ralph’s change 
of expression; her hand almost automatically continued 
its movements; while her mind plunged desperately for 
some hold upon slippery banks。 

CHAPTER XVI 


Into that same black night; almost; indeed; into the very 
same layer of starlit air; Katharine Hilbery was now gazing; 
although not with a view to the prospects of a fine 
day for duck shooting on the morrow。 She was walking up 
and down a gravel path in the garden of Stogdon House; 
her sight of the heavens being partially intercepted by 
the light leafless hoops of a pergola。 Thus a spray of 
clematis would pletely obscure Cassiopeia; or blot 
out with its black pattern myriads of miles of the Milky 
Way。 At the end of the pergola; however; there was a 
stone seat; from which the sky could be seen pletely 
swept clear of any earthly interruption; save to the right; 
indeed; where a line of elmtrees was beautifully sprinkled 
with stars; and a low stable building had a full drop of 
quivering silver just issuing from the mouth of the chimney。 
It was a moonless night; but the light of the stars 
was sufficient to show the outline of the young woman’s 
form; and the shape of her face gazing gravely; indeed 
almost sternly; into the sky。 She had e out into the 

164 



Virginia Woolf 

winter’s night; which was mild enough; not so much to 
look with scientific eyes upon the stars; as to shake herself 
free from certain purely terrestrial discontents。 Much 
as a literary person in like circumstances would begin; 
absentmindedly; pulling out volume after volume; so she 
stepped into the garden in order to have the stars at 
hand; even though she did not look at them。 Not to be 
happy; when she was supposed to be happier than she 
would ever be again—that; as far as she could see; was 
the origin of a discontent which had begun almost as 
soon as she arrived; two days before; and seemed now so 
intolerable that she had left the family party; and e 
out here to consider it by herself。 It was not she who 
thought herself unhappy; but her cousins; who thought it 
for her。 The house was full of cousins; much of her age; or 
even younger; and among them they had some terribly 
bright eyes。 They seemed always on the search for something 
between her and Rodney; which they expected to 
find; and yet did not find; and when they searched; 
Katharine became aware of wanting what she had not 
been conscious of wanting in London; alone with William 

and her parents。 Or; if she did not want it; she missed it。 
And this state of mind depressed her; because she had 
been accustomed always to give plete satisfaction; 
and her selflove was now a little ruffled。 She would have 
liked to break through the reserve habitual to her in order 
to justify her engagement to some one whose opinion 
she valued。 No one had spoken a word of criticism; 
but they left her alone with William; not that that would 
have mattered; if they had not left her alone so politely; 
and; perhaps; that would not have mattered if they had 
not seemed so queerly silent; almost respectful; in her 
presence; which gave way to criticism; she felt; out of it。 

Looking now and then at the sky; she went through the 
list of her cousins’ names: Eleanor; Humphrey; Marmaduke; 
Silvia; Henry; Cassandra; Gilbert; and Mostyn—Henry; the 
cousin who taught the young ladies of Bungay to play 
upon the violin; was the only one in whom she could 
confide; and as she walked up and down beneath the 
hoops of the pergola; she did begin a little speech to 
him; which ran something like this: 

“To begin with; I’m very fond of William。 You can’t deny 

165 



Night and Day 

that。 I know him better than any one; almost。 But why 
I’m marrying him is; partly; I admit—I’m being quite 
honest with you; and you mustn’t tell any one—partly 
because I want to get married。 I want to have a house of 
my own。 It isn’t possible at home。 It’s all very well for 
you; Henry; you can go your own way。 I have to be there 
always。 Besides; you know what our house is。 You wouldn’t 
be happy either; if you didn’t do something。 It isn’t that 
I haven’t the time at home—it’s the atmosphere。” Here; 
presumably; she imagined that her cousin; who had listened 
with his usual intelligent sympathy; raised his eyebrows 
a little; and interposed: 

“Well; but what do you want to do?” 

Even in this purely imaginary dialogue; Katharine found 
it difficult to confide her ambition to an imaginary panion。 


“I should like;” she began; and hesitated quite a long 
time before she forced herself to add; with a change of 
voice; “to study mathematics—to know about the stars。” 

Henry was clearly amazed; but too kind to express all 
his doubts; he only said something about the difficulties 

of mathematics; and remarked that very little was known 
about the stars。 

Katharine thereupon went on with the statement of her 
case。 

“I don’t care much whether I ever get to know anything—
but I want to work out something in figures— 
something that hasn’t got to do with human beings。 I 
don’t want people particularly。 In some ways; Henry; I’m 
a humbug—I mean; I’m not what you all take me for。 I’m 
not domestic; or very practical or sensible; really。 And if I 
could calculate things; and use a telescope; and have to 
work out figures; and know to a fraction where I was 
wrong; I should be perfectly happy; and I believe I should 
give William all he wants。” 

Having reached this point; instinct told her that she 
had passed beyond the region in which Henry’s advice 
could be of any good; and; having rid her mind of its 
superficial annoyance; she sat herself upon the stone seat; 
raised her eyes unconsciously and thought about the 
deeper questions which she had to decide; she knew; for 
herself。 Would she; indeed; give William all he wanted? 

166 



Virginia Woolf 

In order to decide the question; she ran her mind rapidly 
over her little collection of significant sayings; looks; 
pliments; gestures; which had marked their intercourse 
during the last day or two。 He had been annoyed because 
a box; containing some clothes specially chosen by him 
for her to wear; had been taken to the wrong station; 
owing to her neglect in the matter of labels。 The box had 
arrived in the nick of time; and he had remarked; as she 
came downstairs on the first night; that he had never 
seen her look more beautiful。 She outshone all her cousins。 
He had discovered that she never made an ugly movement; 
he also said that the shape of her head made it 
possible for her; unlike most women; to wear her hair 
low。 He had twice reproved her for being silent at dinner; 
and once for never attending to what he said。 He had 
been surprised at the excellence of her French accent; 
but he thought it was selfish of her not to go with her 
mother to call upon the Middletons; because they were 
old family friends and very nice people。 On the whole; 
the balance was nearly even; and; writing down a kind of 
conclusion in her mind which finished the sum for the 

present; at least; she changed the focus of her eyes; and 
saw nothing but the stars。 

Tonight they seemed fixed with unusual firmness in 
the blue; and flashed back such a ripple of light into her 
eyes that she found herself thinking that tonight the 
stars were happy。 Without knowing or caring more for 
Church practices than most people of her age; Katharine 
could not look into the sky at Christmas time without 
feeling that; at this one season; the Heavens bend over 
the earth with sympathy; and signal with immortal radiance 
that they; too; take part in her festival。 Somehow; it 
seemed to her that they were even now beholding the 
procession of kings and wise men upon some road on a 
distant part of the earth。 And yet; after gazing for another 
second; the stars did their usual work upon the 
mind; froze to cinders the whole of our short human history; 
and reduced the human body to an apelike; furry 
form; crouching amid the brushwood of a barbarous clod 
of mud。 This stage was soon succeeded by another; in 
which there was nothing in the universe save stars and 
the light of stars; as she looked up the pupils of her eyes 

167 



Night and Day 

so dilated with starlight that the whole of her seemed 
dissolved in silver and spilt over the ledges of the stars 
for ever and ever indefinitely through space。 Somehow 
simultaneously; though incongruously; she was riding with 
the magnanimous hero upon the shore or under forest 
trees; and so might have continued were it not for the 
rebuke forcibly administered by the body; which; content 
with the normal conditions of life; in no way furthers any 
attempt on the part of the mind to alter them。 She grew 
cold; shook herself; rose; and walked towards the house。 

By the light of the stars; Stogdon House looked pale 
and romantic; and about twice its natural size。 Built by a 
retired admiral in the early years of the nieenth century; 
the curving bow windows of the front; now filled 
with reddishyellow light; suggested a portly threedecker; 
sailin

小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架