第4章

SuddenlyMrs。Chailey，turningfromthesubjectofsheets，dismissingthementirely，clenchedherfistsonthetopofthem，andproclaimed，“Andyoucouldn’taskalivingcreaturetositwhereIsit！“

Mrs。Chaileywasexpectedtositinacabinwhichwaslargeenough，buttooneartheboilers，sothatafterfiveminutesshecouldhearherheart“go，“shecomplained，puttingherhandaboveit，whichwasastateofthingsthatMrs。Vinrace，Rachel’smother，wouldneverhavedreamtofinflicting——Mrs。Vinrace，whokneweverysheetinherhouse，andexpectedofeveryonethebesttheycoulddo，butnomore。

Itwastheeasiestthingintheworldtograntanotherroom，andtheproblemofsheetssimultaneouslyandmiraculouslysolveditself，thespotsandladdersnotbeingpastcureafterall，but——

“Lies！Lies！Lies！“exclaimedthemistressindignantly，assheranupontothedeck。“What’stheuseoftellingmelies？“

Inherangerthatawomanoffiftyshouldbehavelikeachildandcomecringingtoagirlbecauseshewantedtositwhereshehadnotleavetosit，shedidnotthinkoftheparticularcase，and，unpackinghermusic，soonforgotallabouttheoldwomanandhersheets。

Mrs。Chaileyfoldedhersheets，butherexpressiontestifiedtoflatnesswithin。Theworldnolongercaredabouther，andashipwasnotahome。Whenthelampswerelityesterday，andthesailorswenttumblingaboveherhead，shehadcried；shewouldcrythisevening；shewouldcryto-morrow。Itwasnothome。Meanwhileshearrangedherornamentsintheroomwhichshehadwontooeasily。

Theywerestrangeornamentstobringonaseavoyage——chinapugs，tea-setsinminiature，cupsstampedfloridlywiththearmsofthecityofBristol，hair-pinboxescrustedwithshamrock，antelopes’headsincolouredplaster，togetherwithamultitudeoftinyphotographs，representingdownrightworkmenintheirSundaybest，andwomenholdingwhitebabies。Buttherewasoneportraitinagiltframe，forwhichanailwasneeded，andbeforeshesoughtitMrs。Chaileyputonherspectaclesandreadwhatwaswrittenonaslipofpaperattheback:

“ThispictureofhermistressisgiventoEmmaChaileybyWilloughbyVinraceingratitudeforthirtyyearsofdevotedservice。“

Tearsobliteratedthewordsandtheheadofthenail。

“SolongasIcandosomethingforyourfamily，“shewassaying，asshehammeredatit，whenavoicecalledmelodiouslyinthepassage:

“Mrs。Chailey！Mrs。Chailey！“

Chaileyinstantlytidiedherdress，composedherface，andopenedthedoor。

“I’minafix，“saidMrs。Ambrose，whowasflushedandoutofbreath。

“Youknowwhatgentlemenare。Thechairstoohigh——thetablestoolow——there’ssixinchesbetweenthefloorandthedoor。

WhatIwant’sahammer，anoldquilt，andhaveyousuchathingasakitchentable？Anyhow，betweenus“——shenowflungopenthedoorofherhusband’ssittingroom，andrevealedRidleypacingupanddown，hisforeheadallwrinkled，andthecollarofhiscoatturnedup。

“It’sasthoughthey’dtakenpainstotormentme！“hecried，stoppingdead。“DidIcomeonthisvoyageinordertocatchrheumatismandpneumonia？ReallyonemighthavecreditedVinracewithmoresense。Mydear，“Helenwasonherkneesunderatable，“youareonlymakingyourselfuntidy，andwehadmuchbetterrecognisethefactthatwearecondemnedtosixweeksofunspeakablemisery。

Tocomeatallwastheheightoffolly，butnowthatwearehereI

supposethatIcanfaceitlikeaman。Mydiseasesofcoursewillbeincreased——IfeelalreadyworsethanIdidyesterday，butwe’veonlyourselvestothank，andthechildrenhappily——“

“Move！Move！Move！“criedHelen，chasinghimfromcornertocornerwithachairasthoughhewereanerranthen。

“Outoftheway，Ridley，andinhalfanhouryou’llfinditready。“

Sheturnedhimoutoftheroom，andtheycouldhearhimgroaningandswearingashewentalongthepassage。

“Idaresayheisn’tverystrong，“saidMrs。Chailey，lookingatMrs。Ambrosecompassionately，asshehelpedtoshiftandcarry。

“It’sbooks，“sighedHelen，liftinganarmfulofsadvolumesfromthefloortotheshelf。“Greekfrommorningtonight。

IfeverMissRachelmarries，Chailey，praythatshemaymarryamanwhodoesn’tknowhisABC。“

Thepreliminarydiscomfortsandharshnesses，whichgenerallymakethefirstdaysofaseavoyagesocheerlessandtryingtothetemper，beingsomehowlivedthrough，thesucceedingdayspassedpleasantlyenough。

Octoberwaswelladvanced，butsteadilyburningwithawarmththatmadetheearlymonthsofthesummerappearveryyoungandcapricious。

Greattractsoftheearthlaynowbeneaththeautumnsun，andthewholeofEngland，fromthebaldmoorstotheCornishrocks，waslitupfromdawntosunset，andshowedinstretchesofyellow，green，andpurple。

Underthatilluminationeventheroofsofthegreattownsglittered。

Inthousandsofsmallgardens，millionsofdark-redflowerswereblooming，untiltheoldladieswhohadtendedthemsocarefullycamedownthepathswiththeirscissors，snippedthroughtheirjuicystalks，andlaidthemuponcoldstoneledgesinthevillagechurch。

Innumerablepartiesofpicnickerscominghomeatsunsetcried，“Wasthereeversuchadayasthis？““It’syou，“theyoungmenwhispered；

“Oh，it’syou，“theyoungwomenreplied。Alloldpeopleandmanysickpeopleweredrawn，wereitonlyforafootortwo，intotheopenair，andprognosticatedpleasantthingsaboutthecourseoftheworld。

Asfortheconfidencesandexpressionsoflovethatwereheardnotonlyincornfieldsbutinlamplitrooms，wherethewindowsopenedonthegarden，andmenwithcigarskissedwomenwithgreyhairs，theywerenottobecounted。Somesaidthattheskywasanemblemofthelifetocome。Long-tailedbirdsclatteredandscreamed，andcrossedfromwoodtowood，withgoldeneyesintheirplumage。

Butwhileallthiswentonbyland，veryfewpeoplethoughtaboutthesea。Theytookitforgrantedthattheseawascalm；

andtherewasnoneed，asthereisinmanyhouseswhenthecreepertapsonthebedroomwindows，forthecouplestomurmurbeforetheykiss，“Thinkoftheshipsto-night，“or“ThankHeaven，I’mnotthemaninthelighthouse！“Foralltheyimagined，theshipswhentheyvanishedonthesky-linedissolved，likesnowinwater。

Thegrown-upview，indeed，wasnotmuchclearerthantheviewofthelittlecreaturesinbathingdrawerswhoweretrottingintothefoamallalongthecoastsofEngland，andscoopingupbucketsfullofwater。Theysawwhitesailsortuftsofsmokepassacrossthehorizon，andifyouhadsaidthatthesewerewaterspouts，orthepetalsofwhiteseaflowers，theywouldhaveagreed。

Thepeopleinships，however，tookanequallysingularviewofEngland。

Notonlydiditappeartothemtobeanisland，andaverysmallisland，butitwasashrinkingislandinwhichpeoplewereimprisoned。

Onefiguredthemfirstswarmingaboutlikeaimlessants，andalmostpressingeachotherovertheedge；andthen，astheshipwithdrew，onefiguredthemmakingavainclamour，which，beingunheard，eitherceased，orroseintoabrawl。Finally，whentheshipwasoutofsightofland，itbecameplainthatthepeopleofEnglandwerecompletelymute。Thediseaseattackedotherpartsoftheearth；

Europeshrank，Asiashrank，AfricaandAmericashrank，untilitseemeddoubtfulwhethertheshipwouldeverrunagainstanyofthosewrinkledlittlerocksagain。But，ontheotherhand，animmensedignityhaddescendeduponher；shewasaninhabitantofthegreatworld，whichhassofewinhabitants，travellingalldayacrossanemptyuniverse，withveilsdrawnbeforeherandbehind。Shewasmorelonelythanthecaravancrossingthedesert；shewasinfinitelymoremysterious，movingbyherownpowerandsustainedbyherownresources。Theseamightgiveherdeathorsomeunexampledjoy，andnonewouldknowofit。

Shewasabridegoingforthtoherhusband，avirginunknownofmen；

inhervigorandpurityshemightbelikenedtoallbeautifulthings，forasashipshehadalifeofherown。

Indeediftheyhadnotbeenblessedintheirweather，onebluedaybeingbowledupafteranother，smooth，round，andflawless。

Mrs。Ambrosewouldhavefounditverydull。Asitwas，shehadherembroideryframesetupondeck，withalittletablebyhersideonwhichlayopenablackvolumeofphilosophy。Shechoseathreadfromthevari-colouredtanglethatlayinherlap，andsewedredintothebarkofatree，oryellowintotherivertorrent。

Shewasworkingatagreatdesignofatropicalriverrunningthroughatropicalforest，wherespotteddeerwouldeventuallybrowseuponmassesoffruit，bananas，oranges，andgiantpomegranates，whileatroopofnakednativeswhirleddartsintotheair。

BetweenthestitchesshelookedtoonesideandreadasentenceabouttheRealityofMatter，ortheNatureofGood。Roundhermeninbluejerseyskneltandscrubbedtheboards，orleantovertherailsandwhistled，andnotfaroffMr。Peppersatcuttinguprootswithapenknife。Therestwereoccupiedinotherpartsoftheship:

RidleyathisGreek——hehadneverfoundquartersmoretohisliking；

Willoughbyathisdocuments，forheusedavoyagetoworkofarrearsofbusiness；andRachel——Helen，betweenhersentencesofphilosophy，wonderedsometimeswhatRachel_did_dowithherself？Shemeantvaguelytogoandsee。Theyhadscarcelyspokentwowordstoeachothersincethatfirstevening；theywerepolitewhentheymet，buttherehadbeennoconfidenceofanykind。Rachelseemedtogetonverywellwithherfather——muchbetter，Helenthought，thansheoughtto——andwasasreadytoletHelenaloneasHelenwastoletheralone。

AtthatmomentRachelwassittinginherroomdoingabsolutelynothing。

Whentheshipwasfullthisapartmentboresomemagnificenttitleandwastheresortofelderlysea-sickladieswholeftthedecktotheiryoungsters。Byvirtueofthepiano，andamessofbooksonthefloor，Rachelconsidereditherroom，andthereshewouldsitforhoursplayingverydifficultmusic，readingalittleGerman，oralittleEnglishwhenthemoodtookher，anddoing——asatthismoment——

absolutelynothing。

Thewayshehadbeeneducated，joinedtoafinenaturalindolence，wasofcoursepartlythereasonofit，forshehadbeeneducatedasthemajorityofwell-to-dogirlsinthelastpartofthenineteenthcenturywereeducated。Kindlydoctorsandgentleoldprofessorshadtaughthertherudimentsofabouttendifferentbranchesofknowledge，buttheywouldassoonhaveforcedhertogothroughonepieceofdrudgerythoroughlyastheywouldhavetoldherthatherhandsweredirty。

Theonehourorthetwohoursweeklypassedverypleasantly，partlyowingtotheotherpupils，partlytothefactthatthewindowlookeduponthebackofashop，wherefiguresappearedagainsttheredwindowsinwinter，partlytotheaccidentsthatareboundtohappenwhenmorethantwopeopleareinthesameroomtogether。

Buttherewasnosubjectintheworldwhichsheknewaccurately。

Hermindwasinthestateofanintelligentman’sinthebeginningofthereignofQueenElizabeth；shewouldbelievepracticallyanythingshewastold，inventreasonsforanythingshesaid。

Theshapeoftheearth，thehistoryoftheworld，howtrainsworked，ormoneywasinvested，whatlawswereinforce，whichpeoplewantedwhat，andwhytheywantedit，themostelementaryideaofasysteminmodernlife——noneofthishadbeenimpartedtoherbyanyofherprofessorsormistresses。Butthissystemofeducationhadonegreatadvantage。Itdidnotteachanything，butitputnoobstacleinthewayofanyrealtalentthatthepupilmightchancetohave。

Rachel，beingmusical，wasallowedtolearnnothingbutmusic；

shebecameafanaticaboutmusic。Alltheenergiesthatmighthavegoneintolanguages，science，orliterature，thatmighthavemadeherfriends，orshownhertheworld，pouredstraightintomusic。

Findingherteachersinadequate，shehadpracticallytaughtherself。

Attheageoftwenty-foursheknewasmuchaboutmusicasmostpeopledowhentheyarethirty；andcouldplayaswellasnatureallowedherto，which，asbecamedailymoreobvious，wasareallygenerousallowance。Ifthisonedefinitegiftwassurroundedbydreamsandideasofthemostextravagantandfoolishdescription，noonewasanythewiser。

Hereducationbeingthusordinary，hercircumstanceswerenomoreoutofthecommon。Shewasanonlychildandhadneverbeenbulliedandlaughedatbybrothersandsisters。Hermotherhavingdiedwhenshewaseleven，twoaunts，thesistersofherfather，broughtherup，andtheylivedforthesakeoftheairinacomfortablehouseinRichmond。Shewasofcoursebroughtupwithexcessivecare，whichasachildwasforherhealth；asagirlandayoungwomanwasforwhatitseemsalmostcrudetocallhermorals。

Untilquitelatelyshehadbeencompletelyignorantthatforwomensuchthingsexisted。Shegropedforknowledgeinoldbooks，andfounditinrepulsivechunks，butshedidnotnaturallycareforbooksandthusnevertroubledherheadaboutthecensorshipwhichwasexercisedfirstbyheraunts，laterbyherfather。