Themorningwashot，andtheexerciseofreadinglefthermindcontractingandexpandinglikethemain-springofaclock，andthesmallnoisesofmidday，whichonecanascribetonodefinitecause，inaregularrhythm。Itwasallveryreal，verybig，veryimpersonal，andafteramomentortwoshebegantoraiseherfirstfingerandtoletitfallonthearmofherchairsoastobringbacktoherselfsomeconsciousnessofherownexistence。
Shewasnextovercomebytheunspeakablequeernessofthefactthatsheshouldbesittinginanarm-chair，inthemorning，inthemiddleoftheworld。Whowerethepeoplemovinginthehouse——
movingthingsfromoneplacetoanother？Andlife，whatwasthat？
Itwasonlyalightpassingoverthesurfaceandvanishing，asintimeshewouldvanish，thoughthefurnitureintheroomwouldremain。Herdissolutionbecamesocompletethatshecouldnotraiseherfingeranymore，andsatperfectlystill，listeningandlookingalwaysatthesamespot。Itbecamestrangerandstranger。Shewasovercomewithawethatthingsshouldexistatall……Sheforgotthatshehadanyfingerstoraise……Thethingsthatexistedweresoimmenseandsodesolate……Shecontinuedtobeconsciousofthesevastmassesofsubstanceforalongstretchoftime，theclockstilltickinginthemidstoftheuniversalsilence。
“Comein，“shesaidmechanically，forastringinherbrainseemedtobepulledbyapersistentknockingatthedoor。Withgreatslownessthedooropenedandatallhumanbeingcametowardsher，holdingoutherarmandsaying:
“WhatamItosaytothis？“
TheutterabsurdityofawomancomingintoaroomwithapieceofpaperinherhandamazedRachel。
“Idon’tknowwhattoanswer，orwhoTerenceHewetis，“Helencontinued，inthetonelessvoiceofaghost。SheputapaperbeforeRachelonwhichwerewrittentheincrediblewords:
DEARMRS。AMBROSE——IamgettingupapicnicfornextFriday，whenweproposetostartateleven-thirtyiftheweatherisfine，andtomaketheascentofMonteRosa。Itwilltakesometime，buttheviewshouldbemagnificent。ItwouldgivemegreatpleasureifyouandMissVinracewouldconsenttobeoftheparty——
Yourssincerely，TERENCEHEWET
Rachelreadthewordsaloudtomakeherselfbelieveinthem。
ForthesamereasonsheputherhandonHelen’sshoulder。
“Books——books——books，“saidHelen，inherabsent-mindedway。
“Morenewbooks——Iwonderwhatyoufindinthem……“
ForthesecondtimeRachelreadtheletter，buttoherself。
Thistime，insteadofseemingvagueasghosts，eachwordwasastonishinglyprominent；theycameoutasthetopsofmountainscomethroughamist。_Friday_——_eleven-thirty_——_Miss__Vinrace_。
Thebloodbegantoruninherveins；shefelthereyesbrighten。
“Wemustgo，“shesaid，rathersurprisingHelenbyherdecision。
“Wemustcertainlygo“——suchwasthereliefoffindingthatthingsstillhappened，andindeedtheyappearedthebrighterforthemistsurroundingthem。
“MonteRosa——that’sthemountainoverthere，isn’tit？“saidHelen；
“butHewet——who’she？OneoftheyoungmenRidleymet，Isuppose。
ShallIsayyes，then？Itmaybedreadfullydull。“
Shetooktheletterbackandwent，forthemessengerwaswaitingforheranswer。
ThepartywhichhadbeensuggestedafewnightsagoinMr。Hirst’sbedroomhadtakenshapeandwasthesourceofgreatsatisfactiontoMr。Hewet，whohadseldomusedhispracticalabilities，andwaspleasedtofindthemequaltothestrain。Hisinvitationshadbeenuniversallyaccepted，whichwasthemoreencouragingastheyhadbeenissuedagainstHirst’sadvicetopeoplewhowereverydull，notatallsuitedtoeachother，andsurenottocome。
“Undoubtedly，“hesaid，ashetwirledanduntwirledanotesignedHelenAmbrose，“thegiftsneededtomakeagreatcommanderhavebeenabsurdlyoverrated。Abouthalftheintellectualeffortwhichisneededtoreviewabookofmodernpoetryhasenabledmetogettogethersevenoreightpeople，ofoppositesexes，atthesamespotatthesamehouronthesameday。Whatelseisgeneralship，Hirst？WhatmoredidWellingtondoonthefieldofWaterloo？It’slikecountingthenumberofpebblesofapath，tediousbutnotdifficult。“
Hewassittinginhisbedroom，onelegoverthearmofthechair，andHirstwaswritingaletteropposite。Hirstwasquicktopointoutthatallthedifficultiesremained。
“Forinstance，herearetwowomenyou’veneverseen。Supposeoneofthemsuffersfrommountain-sickness，asmysisterdoes，andtheother——“
“Oh，thewomenareforyou，“Hewetinterrupted。“Iaskedthemsolelyforyourbenefit。Whatyouwant，Hirst，youknow，isthesocietyofyoungwomenofyourownage。Youdon’tknowhowtogetonwithwomen，whichisagreatdefect，consideringthathalftheworldconsistsofwomen。“
Hirstgroanedthathewasquiteawareofthat。
ButHewet’scomplacencywasalittlechilledashewalkedwithHirsttotheplacewhereageneralmeetinghadbeenappointed。
Hewonderedwhyonearthhehadaskedthesepeople，andwhatonereallyexpectedtogetfrombunchinghumanbeingsuptogether。
“Cows，“hereflected，“drawtogetherinafield；shipsinacalm；
andwe’rejustthesamewhenwe’venothingelsetodo。Butwhydowedoit？——isittopreventourselvesfromseeingtothebottomofthings“
(hestoppedbyastreamandbeganstirringitwithhiswalking-stickandcloudingthewaterwithmud)，“makingcitiesandmountainsandwholeuniversesoutofnothing，ordowereallyloveeachother，ordowe，ontheotherhand，liveinastateofperpetualuncertainty，knowingnothing，leapingfrommomenttomomentasfromworldtoworld？——
whichis，onthewhole，theview_I_inclineto。“
Hejumpedoverthestream；Hirstwentroundandjoinedhim，remarkingthathehadlongceasedtolookforthereasonofanyhumanaction。
Halfamilefurther，theycametoagroupofplanetreesandthesalmon-pinkfarmhousestandingbythestreamwhichhadbeenchosenasmeeting-place。Itwasashadyspot，lyingconvenientlyjustwherethehillsprungoutfromtheflat。Betweenthethinstemsoftheplanetreestheyoungmencouldseelittleknotsofdonkeyspasturing，andatallwomanrubbingthenoseofoneofthem，whileanotherwomanwaskneelingbythestreamlappingwateroutofherpalms。
Astheyenteredtheshadyplace，Helenlookedupandthenheldoutherhand。
“Imustintroducemyself，“shesaid。“IamMrs。Ambrose。“
Havingshakenhands，shesaid，“That’smyniece。“
Rachelapproachedawkwardly。Sheheldoutherhand，butwithdrewit。
“It’sallwet，“shesaid。
Scarcelyhadtheyspoken，whenthefirstcarriagedrewup。
Thedonkeyswerequicklyjerkedintoattention，andthesecondcarriagearrived。Bydegreesthegrovefilledwithpeople——
theElliots，theThornburys，Mr。VenningandSusan，MissAllan，EvelynMurgatroyd，andMr。Perrott。Mr。Hirstactedthepartofhoarseenergeticsheep-dog。BymeansofafewwordsofcausticLatinhehadtheanimalsmarshalled，andbyincliningasharpshoulderheliftedtheladies。“WhatHewetfailstounderstand，“heremarked，“isthatwemustbreakthebackoftheascentbeforemidday。“
Hewasassistingayounglady，bynameEvelynMurgatroyd，ashespoke。
Sheroselightasabubbletoherseat。Withafeatherdroopingfromabroad-brimmedhat，inwhitefromtoptotoe，shelookedlikeagallantladyofthetimeofCharlestheFirstleadingroyalisttroopsintoaction。
“Ridewithme，“shecommanded；and，assoonasHirsthadswunghimselfacrossamule，thetwostarted，leadingthecavalcade。
“You’renottocallmeMissMurgatroyd。Ihateit，“shesaid。
“Myname’sEvelyn。What’syours？“
“St。John，“hesaid。
“Ilikethat，“saidEvelyn。“Andwhat’syourfriend’sname？“
“HisinitialsbeingR。S。T。，wecallhimMonk，“saidHirst。
“Oh，you’realltooclever，“shesaid。“Whichway？“Pickmeabranch。
Let’scanter。“
Shegaveherdonkeyasharpcutwithaswitchandstartedforward。
ThefullandromanticcareerofEvelynMurgatroydisbesthitoffbyherownwords，“CallmeEvelynandI’llcallyouSt。John。“
Shesaidthatonveryslightprovocation——hersurnamewasenough——
butalthoughagreatmanyyoungmenhadansweredheralreadywithconsiderablespiritshewentonsayingitandmakingchoiceofnone。Butherdonkeystumbledtoajog-trot，andshehadtorideinadvancealone，forthepathwhenitbegantoascendoneofthespinesofthehillbecamenarrowandscatteredwithstones。
Thecavalcadewoundonlikeajointedcaterpillar，tuftedwiththewhiteparasolsoftheladies，andthepanamahatsofthegentlemen。
Atonepointwherethegroundrosesharply，EvelynM。jumpedoff，threwherreinstothenativeboy，andadjuredSt。JohnHirsttodismounttoo。Theirexamplewasfollowedbythosewhofelttheneedofstretching。
“Idon’tseeanyneedtogetoff，“saidMissAllantoMrs。Elliotjustbehindher，“consideringthedifficultyIhadgettingon。“
“Theselittledonkeysstandanything，_n’est-ce__pas_？“
Mrs。Elliotaddressedtheguide，whoobliginglybowedhishead。
“Flowers，“saidHelen，stoopingtopickthelovelylittlebrightflowerswhichgrewseparatelyhereandthere。“Youpinchtheirleavesandthentheysmell，“shesaid，layingoneonMissAllan’sknee。
“Haven’twemetbefore？“askedMissAllan，lookingather。
“Iwastakingitforgranted，“Helenlaughed，forintheconfusionofmeetingtheyhadnotbeenintroduced。
“Howsensible！“chirpedMrs。Elliot。“That’sjustwhatonewouldalwayslike——onlyunfortunatelyit’snotpossible。““Notpossible？“
saidHelen。“Everything’spossible。Whoknowswhatmayn’thappenbeforenight-fall？“shecontinued，mockingthepoorlady’stimidity，whodependedimplicitlyupononethingfollowinganotherthatthemereglimpseofaworldwheredinnercouldbedisregarded，orthetablemovedoneinchfromitsaccustomedplace，filledherwithfearsforherownstability。
Higherandhighertheywent，becomingseparatedfromtheworld。
Theworld，whentheyturnedtolookback，flatteneditselfout，andwasmarkedwithsquaresofthingreenandgrey。
“Townsareverysmall，“Rachelremarked，obscuringthewholeofSantaMarinaanditssuburbswithonehand。Theseafilledinalltheanglesofthecoastsmoothly，breakinginawhitefrill，andhereandthereshipsweresetfirmlyintheblue。Theseawasstainedwithpurpleandgreenblots，andtherewasaglitteringlineupontherimwhereitmetthesky。Theairwasveryclearandsilentsaveforthesharpnoiseofgrasshoppersandthehumofbees，whichsoundedloudintheearastheyshotpastandvanished。
Thepartyhaltedandsatforatimeinaquarryonthehillside。
“Amazinglyclear，“exclaimedSt。John，identifyingonecleftinthelandafteranother。
EvelynM。satbesidehim，proppingherchinonherhand。
Shesurveyedtheviewwithacertainlookoftriumph。
“D’youthinkGaribaldiwaseveruphere？“sheaskedMr。Hirst。
Oh，ifshehadbeenhisbride！If，insteadofapicnicparty，thiswasapartyofpatriots，andshe，red-shirtedliketherest，hadlainamonggrimmen，flatontheturf，aiminghergunatthewhiteturretsbeneaththem，screeninghereyestopiercethroughthesmoke！
Sothinking，herfootstirredrestlessly，andsheexclaimed:
“Idon’tcallthis_life_，doyou？“
“Whatdoyoucalllife？“saidSt。John。
“Fighting——revolution，“shesaid，stillgazingatthedoomedcity。
“Youonlycareforbooks，Iknow。“
“You’requitewrong，“saidSt。John。
“Explain，“sheurged，fortherewerenogunstobeaimedatbodies，andsheturnedtoanotherkindofwarfare。
“WhatdoIcarefor？People，“hesaid。
“Well，I_am_surprised！“sheexclaimed。“Youlooksoawfullyserious。
Dolet’sbefriendsandtelleachotherwhatwe’relike。Ihatebeingcautious，don’tyou？“
ButSt。Johnwasdecidedlycautious，asshecouldseebythesuddenconstrictionofhislips，andhadnointentionofrevealinghissoultoayounglady。“Theassiseatingmyhat，“heremarked，andstretchedoutforitinsteadofansweringher。EvelynblushedveryslightlyandthenturnedwithsomeimpetuosityuponMr。Perrott，andwhentheymountedagainitwasMr。Perrottwholiftedhertoherseat。
“Whenonehaslaidtheeggsoneeatstheomelette，“saidHughlingElliot，exquisitelyinFrench，ahinttotherestofthemthatitwastimetorideonagain。
