inuateanyofherooreover,sheliked
katharine;shetrustedher;shefeltarespectforherthefirststepofnfidenceparativelysile;buta
furthefidencehadrevealeditself,askatharinespoke,ple,andyetitiresseditselfupon
herasanecessity;shesttellkatharineitwasusttell
katharihatralphhher
“idontknoeanstodo,”shesaidhurriedly,
seekingtiagainstthepressureofheroion
“ivenotseenhiincechrists”
katharinereflectedthatthiser
all,shehadsunderstoodthepositionshehe
habitofassung,hohatsheherunobservant
ofthefinershadesoffeeling,andshenotedherpresentfailureasanotherproofthatsheical,abstractndedperson,betterfittedtodealhfiguresthanenandenanyhow,
rodneywouldsayso
“andnow”shesaid
“oh,pleasestay”ryexclaid,puttingoutherhandtostopherdirectlykatharinevedshefelt,inarticulatelyandviolently,thatsheuldnotbeartolethergoifkatharine,heronlychanceofspeaking;
heronlyethingtrendouslyiortant
halfadozento
harinesattention,andputflightandfurthersilencebeyondherpoe
236
virginiawoolf
toherlips,herthroatanddrovethebr >
backafterall,shensidered,whyshouldshespeakbecauseitisright,herinstincttoldher;righttoexposeoneselfanbeingsshe
flinuchofonealready
strippedbaresothingshestkeepofherown
butifshedidkeepsothingofherodiately
shefiguredaniuredlife,ntinuingforanienseperiod,thesafeelingslivingforever,neitherdwindlingnorchanginghintheringofathickstonewall
theiginationofthislonelinessfrightenedher,andyettospeaktoloseherloneliness,forithadalreadybeedeartoher,wasbeyondherpower
herhandofkatharinesskirt,
and,fingeringalineoffur,shebentherheadasiftoexaneit
“ilikethisfur,”shesaid,“ilikeyourclothesandyoustntthinkthatioingtorryralph,”shentinued,inthesatone,“beeat
allheeoneelse”herheadreinedbent,
andherhandstillrestedupontheskirt
“itsashabbyolddress,”saidkatharine,andtheonlysignthatryshatshespoke
halittlejerk
“youdontndtellingyouthat”saidry,raisingherself
“no,no,”saidkatharine;“butyourestaken,arentyou”shefortable,disyed,
indeed,disillusionedshedislikedthetuthingshadtakenquiteintenselytheindecencyofitafflictedherthesufferingiliedbythetoneappalledhershelookedatryfurtively,heyesthatwerefullofapprehensionbutifshehadhopedtofindthatthesewordshadbeenspokeneaning,
shearylaybackinherchair,
froly,andlooking,katharihought,asif
shehadlivedfifteenyearsorsointhespaceofafewnutes
“therearesothings,dontyouthink,thatonecantbestakenabout”rysaid,quietlyandalstldly“thatiseaboutthisquestionofbeingin
loveivealyselfuponbeingreasonable,”
237
nightandday
sheadded“ididntthinkiuldhavefeltthisianiftheotherpersondidntiyself
pretend”hereshepaused“for,yousee,katharine,”sheproceeded,rousingherselfandspeakinghgreaterenergy,“ianlovetheresnodoubtaboutthatibr >trendouslyinlovehralph”thelittleforwardshakeofherhead,ogether
hherbrighterlor,gaveheranappearanceatonceproudanddefiant
katharihoughttoherself,“thatshofeelsthen”shehesitated,hafeelingthatitforherto
speak;andthensaid,inaloone,“youvegotthat”“yes,”saidry;“ivegotthatonenotbein
lovebutididntantotalkaboutthat;ionly
edyoutoknoherthingitotell
you”shepaused“ihaventanyauthorityfroalphtosayit;butiureofthishesinlovehyou”
katharinelookedatheragain,asifherfirstglancesthavebeendeluded,for,surely,therestbesooutaryalkinginanexcited,orbewildered,
orfantasticnneo;shestillfrowned,asif
shesoughtherhroughtheclausesofadifficultargunt,butshestilllookedrelikeonewhoreasonsthanonewhofeels
“thatprovesthatyourestakenutterlystaken,”saidkatharine,speakingreasonably,tooshehadnoneedtoverifythestakebyaglanceatheroions,
peduponher
ndthatifralphhadanyfeelingtowasone
ofatteranother
thought,andry,nohatshehadstatedthefact,didnotseektoproveit,buttriedtoexplaintoherself,ratherthantokatharine,hertivesinkingthestatentshehadnervedherselftodoelargeandieriousinstinctdendedherdoing;shehadbeens
onthebreastofakoning
“ivetoldyou,”shesaid,“becauseiyoutohelpidontibr >
fearfullyjealoustheonlyhought,otell
you”
shehesitated,andgropedinherendeavortokeherfeelingscleartoherself
238
virginiawoolf
“ifitellyou,thenjealous,i
tetedtodosothingfrightfully
an,iaketellyoui
findtalkingsodiffiei
shouldshutitupinndyes,thatsafraid
ofgoingaboutethinginndalllife
thatneverchangesifinditsodifficulttochangewhenithinkathingsopthinkingitwrong,
andralpheright,isee,hattheres
nosuchthingasrightandean,
asjudgingpeople”
“ralphdenhaaidthat”saidkatharine,hnsiderableindignationinordertohaveproducedsuchsufferinginry,itseedtoherthathesthavebehaved
eedto
