第6章

Momentarythoughitseemed，neverthelesstheinterruptionwasupsetting；

everyonewasmoreorlessputoutbyit，fromMr。Grice，thesteward，toRidleyhimself。AfewminuteslaterRachelpassedthesmoking-room，andfoundHelenmovingarm-chairs。Shewasabsorbedinherarrangements，andonseeingRachelremarkedconfidentially:

“Ifonecangivemenaroomtothemselveswheretheywillsit，it’salltothegood。Arm-chairsare_the_importantthings——“

Shebeganwheelingthemabout。“Now，doesitstilllooklikeabaratarailwaystation？“

Shewhippedaplushcoveroffatable。Theappearanceoftheplacewasmarvellouslyimproved。

Again，thearrivalofthestrangersmadeitobvioustoRachel，asthehourofdinnerapproached，thatshemustchangeherdress；

andtheringingofthegreatbellfoundhersittingontheedgeofherberthinsuchapositionthatthelittleglassabovethewashstandreflectedherheadandshoulders。Intheglasssheworeanexpressionoftensemelancholy，forshehadcometothedepressingconclusion，sincethearrivaloftheDalloways，thatherfacewasnotthefaceshewanted，andinallprobabilityneverwouldbe。

However，punctualityhadbeenimpressedonher，andwhateverfaceshehad，shemustgointodinner。

ThesefewminuteshadbeenusedbyWilloughbyinsketchingtotheDallowaysthepeopletheyweretomeet，andcheckingthemuponhisfingers。

“There’smybrother-in-law，Ambrose，thescholar(Idaresayyou’veheardhisname)，hiswife，myoldfriendPepper，averyquietfellow，butknowseverything，I’mtold。Andthat’sall。

We’reaverysmallparty。I’mdroppingthemonthecoast。“

Mrs。Dalloway，withherheadalittleononeside，didherbesttorecollectAmbrose——wasitasurname？——butfailed。Shewasmadeslightlyuneasybywhatshehadheard。Sheknewthatscholarsmarriedanyone——girlstheymetinfarmsonreadingparties；

orlittlesuburbanwomenwhosaiddisagreeably，“OfcourseIknowit’smyhusbandyouwant；not_me_。“

ButHelencameinatthatpoint，andMrs。Dallowaysawwithreliefthatthoughslightlyeccentricinappearance，shewasnotuntidy，heldherselfwell，andhervoicehadrestraintinit，whichsheheldtobethesignofalady。Mr。Pepperhadnottroubledtochangehisneatuglysuit。

“Butafterall，“ClarissathoughttoherselfasshefollowedVinraceintodinner，“_every__one’s_interestingreally。“

Whenseatedatthetableshehadsomeneedofthatassurance，chieflybecauseofRidley，whocameinlate，lookeddecidedlyunkempt，andtooktohissoupinprofoundgloom。

Animperceptiblesignalpassedbetweenhusbandandwife，meaningthattheygraspedthesituationandwouldstandbyeachotherloyally。

WithscarcelyapauseMrs。DallowayturnedtoWilloughbyandbegan:

“WhatIfindsotiresomeabouttheseaisthattherearenoflowersinit。Imaginefieldsofhollyhocksandvioletsinmid-ocean！

Howdivine！“

“Butsomewhatdangeroustonavigation，“boomedRichard，inthebass，likethebassoontotheflourishofhiswife’sviolin。“Why，weedscanbebadenough，can’tthey，Vinrace？Iremembercrossinginthe_Mauretania_once，andsayingtotheCaptain——Richards——didyouknowhim？——’Nowtellmewhatperilsyoureallydreadmostforyourship，CaptainRichards？’expectinghimtosayicebergs，orderelicts，orfog，orsomethingofthatsort。Notabitofit。I’vealwaysrememberedhisanswer。’_Sedgius__aquatici_，’hesaid，whichI

taketobeakindofduck-weed。“

Mr。Pepperlookedupsharply，andwasabouttoputaquestionwhenWilloughbycontinued:

“They’veanawfultimeofit——thosecaptains！Threethousandsoulsonboard！“

“Yes，indeed，“saidClarissa。SheturnedtoHelenwithanairofprofundity。“I’mconvincedpeoplearewrongwhentheysayit’sworkthatwearsone；it’sresponsibility。That’swhyonepaysone’scookmorethanone’shousemaid，Isuppose。“

“Accordingtothat，oneoughttopayone’snursedouble；

butonedoesn’t，“saidHelen。

“No；butthinkwhatajoytohavetodowithbabies，insteadofsaucepans！“

saidMrs。Dalloway，lookingwithmoreinterestatHelen，aprobablemother。

“I’dmuchratherbeacookthananurse，“saidHelen。“Nothingwouldinducemetotakechargeofchildren。“

“Mothersalwaysexaggerate，“saidRidley。“Awell-bredchildisnoresponsibility。I’vetravelledalloverEuropewithmine。

Youjustwrap’emupwarmandput’emintherack。“

Helenlaughedatthat。Mrs。Dallowayexclaimed，lookingatRidley:

“Howlikeafather！Myhusband’sjustthesame。Andthenonetalksoftheequalityofthesexes！“

“Doesone？“saidMr。Pepper。

“Oh，somedo！“criedClarissa。“Myhusbandhadtopassanirateladyeveryafternoonlastsessionwhosaidnothingelse，Iimagine。“

“Shesatoutsidethehouse；itwasveryawkward，“saidDalloway。

“AtlastIpluckedupcourageandsaidtoher，’Mygoodcreature，you’reonlyinthewaywhereyouare。You’rehinderingme，andyou’redoingnogoodtoyourself。’“

“Andthenshecaughthimbythecoat，andwouldhavescratchedhiseyesout——“Mrs。Dallowayputin。

“Pooh——that’sbeenexaggerated，“saidRichard。“No，Ipitythem，Iconfess。Thediscomfortofsittingonthosestepsmustbeawful。“

“Servethemright，“saidWilloughbycurtly。

“Oh，I’mentirelywithyouthere，“saidDalloway。“NobodycancondemntheutterfollyandfutilityofsuchbehaviourmorethanIdo；

andasforthewholeagitation，well！mayIbeinmygravebeforeawomanhastherighttovoteinEngland！That’sallIsay。“

Thesolemnityofherhusband’sassertionmadeClarissagrave。

“It’sunthinkable，“shesaid。“Don’ttellmeyou’reasuffragist？“

sheturnedtoRidley。

“Idon’tcareafigonewayort’other，“saidAmbrose。

“Ifanycreatureissodeludedastothinkthatavotedoeshimorheranygood，lethimhaveit。He’llsoonlearnbetter。“

“You’renotapolitician，Isee，“shesmiled。

“Goodness，no，“saidRidley。

“I’mafraidyourhusbandwon’tapproveofme，“saidDallowayaside，toMrs。Ambrose。ShesuddenlyrecollectedthathehadbeeninParliament。

“Don’tyoueverfinditratherdull？“sheasked，notknowingexactlywhattosay。

Richardspreadhishandsbeforehim，asifinscriptionsweretobereadinthepalmsofthem。

“IfyouaskmewhetherIeverfinditratherdull，“hesaid，“Iamboundtosayyes；ontheotherhand，ifyouaskmewhatcareerdoyouconsideronthewhole，takingthegoodwiththebad，themostenjoyableandenviable，nottospeakofitsmoreseriousside，ofallcareers，foraman，Iamboundtosay，’ThePolitician’s。’“

“TheBarorpolitics，Iagree，“saidWilloughby。“Yougetmorerunforyourmoney。“

“Allone’sfacultieshavetheirplay，“saidRichard。“Imaybetreadingondangerousground；butwhatIfeelaboutpoetsandartistsingeneralisthis:onyourownlines，youcan’tbebeaten——

granted；butoffyourownlines——puff——onehastomakeallowances。

Now，Ishouldn’tliketothinkthatanyonehadtomakeallowancesforme。“

“Idon’tquiteagree，Richard，“saidMrs。Dalloway。“ThinkofShelley。

Ifeelthatthere’salmosteverythingonewantsin’Adonais。’“

“Read’Adonais’byallmeans，“Richardconceded。“ButwheneverI

hearofShelleyIrepeattomyselfthewordsofMatthewArnold，’Whataset！Whataset！’“

ThisrousedRidley’sattention。“MatthewArnold？Adetestableprig！“

hesnapped。

“Aprig——granted，“saidRichard；“but，Ithinkamanoftheworld。

That’swheremypointcomesin。Wepoliticiansdoubtlessseemtoyou“

(hegraspedsomehowthatHelenwastherepresentativeofthearts)

“agrosscommonplacesetofpeople；butweseebothsides；

wemaybeclumsy，butwedoourbesttogetagraspofthings。

Nowyourartists_find_thingsinamess，shrugtheirshoulders，turnasidetotheirvisions——whichIgrantmaybeverybeautiful——

and_leave_thingsinamess。Nowthatseemstomeevadingone’sresponsibilities。Besides，wearen’tallbornwiththeartisticfaculty。“

“It’sdreadful，“saidMrs。Dalloway，who，whileherhusbandspoke，hadbeenthinking。“WhenI’mwithartistsIfeelsointenselythedelightsofshuttingoneselfupinalittleworldofone’sown，withpicturesandmusicandeverythingbeautiful，andthenIgooutintothestreetsandthefirstchildImeetwithitspoor，hungry，dirtylittlefacemakesmeturnroundandsay，’No，I

_can’t_shutmyselfup——I_won’t_liveinaworldofmyown。

Ishouldliketostopallthepaintingandwritingandmusicuntilthiskindofthingexistsnolonger。’Don’tyoufeel，“

shewoundup，addressingHelen，“thatlife’saperpetualconflict？“

Helenconsideredforamoment。“No，“shesaid。“Idon’tthinkIdo。“

Therewasapause，whichwasdecidedlyuncomfortable。

Mrs。Dallowaythengavealittleshiver，andaskedwhethershemighthaveherfurcloakbroughttoher。Assheadjustedthesoftbrownfuraboutherneckafreshtopicstruckher。

“Iown，“shesaid，“thatIshallneverforgetthe_Antigone_。

IsawitatCambridgeyearsago，andit’shauntedmeeversince。

Don’tyouthinkit’squitethemostmodernthingyoueversaw？“

sheaskedRidley。“ItseemedtomeI’dknowntwentyClytemnestras。

OldLadyDitchlingforone。Idon’tknowawordofGreek，butIcouldlistentoitforever——“

HereMr。Pepperstruckup:

{SomeeditionsoftheworkcontainabriefpassagefromAntigone，inGreek，atthisspot。ed。}

Mrs。Dallowaylookedathimwithcompressedlips。

“I’dgivetenyearsofmylifetoknowGreek，“shesaid，whenhehaddone。

“Icouldteachyouthealphabetinhalfanhour，“saidRidley，“andyou’dreadHomerinamonth。Ishouldthinkitanhonourtoinstructyou。“

Helen，engagedwithMr。Dallowayandthehabit，nowfallenintodecline，ofquotingGreekintheHouseofCommons，noted，inthegreatcommonplacebookthatliesopenbesideusaswetalk，thefactthatallmen，evenmenlikeRidley，reallypreferwomentobefashionable。

Clarissaexclaimedthatshecouldthinkofnothingmoredelightful。

Foraninstantshesawherselfinherdrawing-roominBrowneStreetwithaPlatoopenonherknees——PlatointheoriginalGreek。Shecouldnothelpbelievingthatarealscholar，ifspeciallyinterested，couldslipGreekintoherheadwithscarcelyanytrouble。

Ridleyengagedhertocometo-morrow。

“Ifonlyyourshipisgoingtotreatuskindly！“sheexclaimed，drawingWilloughbyintoplay。Forthesakeofguests，andtheseweredistinguished，Willoughbywasreadywithabowofhisheadtovouchforthegoodbehaviourevenofthewaves。

“I’mdreadfullybad；andmyhusband’snotverygood，“sighedClarissa。

“Iamneversick，“Richardexplained。“Atleast，Ihaveonlybeenactuallysickonce，“hecorrectedhimself。“ThatwascrossingtheChannel。Butachoppysea，Iconfess，orstillworse，aswell，makesmedistinctlyuncomfortable。Thegreatthingisnevertomissameal。Youlookatthefood，andyousay，’Ican’t’；