“Howsillythepooroldlightslook！“saidEvelynM。inacuriouslysubduedtoneofvoice。“Andourselves；itisn’tbecoming。“
Itwastrue；theuntidyhair，andthegreenandyellowgems，whichhadseemedsofestivehalfanhourago，nowlookedcheapandslovenly。
Thecomplexionsoftheelderladiessufferedterribly，and，asifconsciousthatacoldeyehadbeenturneduponthem，theybegantosaygood-nightandtomaketheirwayuptobed。
Rachel，thoughrobbedofheraudience，hadgoneonplayingtoherself。
FromJohnPeelshepassedtoBach，whowasatthistimethesubjectofherintenseenthusiasm，andonebyonesomeoftheyoungerdancerscameinfromthegardenandsatuponthedesertedgiltchairsroundthepiano，theroombeingnowsoclearthattheyturnedoutthelights。
Astheysatandlistened，theirnerveswerequieted；theheatandsorenessoftheirlips，theresultofincessanttalkingandlaughing，wassmoothedaway。Theysatverystillasiftheysawabuildingwithspacesandcolumnssucceedingeachotherrisingintheemptyspace。
Thentheybegantoseethemselvesandtheirlives，andthewholeofhumanlifeadvancingverynoblyunderthedirectionofthemusic。
Theyfeltthemselvesennobled，andwhenRachelstoppedplayingtheydesirednothingbutsleep。
Susanrose。“Ithinkthishasbeenthehappiestnightofmylife！“
sheexclaimed。“Idoadoremusic，“shesaid，asshethankedRachel。
“Itjustseemstosayallthethingsonecan’tsayoneself。“
Shegaveanervouslittlelaughandlookedfromonetoanotherwithgreatbenignity，asthoughshewouldliketosaysomethingbutcouldnotfindthewordsinwhichtoexpressit。“Everyone’sbeensokind——
soverykind，“shesaid。Thenshetoowenttobed。
Thepartyhavingendedintheveryabruptwayinwhichpartiesdoend，HelenandRachelstoodbythedoorwiththeircloakson，lookingforacarriage。
“Isupposeyourealisethattherearenocarriagesleft？“
saidSt。John，whohadbeenouttolook。“Youmustsleephere。“
“Oh，no，“saidHelen；“weshallwalk。“
“Maywecometoo？“Hewetasked。“Wecan’tgotobed。Imaginelyingamongbolstersandlookingatone’swashstandonamorninglikethis——
Isthatwhereyoulive？“Theyhadbeguntowalkdowntheavenue，andheturnedandpointedatthewhiteandgreenvillaonthehillside，whichseemedtohaveitseyesshut。
“That’snotalightburning，isit？“Helenaskedanxiously。
“It’sthesun，“saidSt。John。Theupperwindowshadeachaspotofgoldonthem。
“Iwasafraiditwasmyhusband，stillreadingGreek，“shesaid。
“Allthistimehe’sbeenediting_Pindar_。“
Theypassedthroughthetownandturnedupthesteeproad，whichwasperfectlyclear，thoughstillunborderedbyshadows。
Partlybecausetheyweretired，andpartlybecausetheearlylightsubduedthem，theyscarcelyspoke，butbreathedinthedeliciousfreshair，whichseemedtobelongtoadifferentstateoflifefromtheairatmidday。Whentheycametothehighyellowwall，wherethelaneturnedofffromtheroad，Helenwasfordismissingthetwoyoungmen。
“You’vecomefarenough，“shesaid。“Gobacktobed。“
Buttheyseemedunwillingtomove。
“Let’ssitdownamoment，“saidHewet。Hespreadhiscoatontheground。“Let’ssitdownandconsider。“Theysatdownandlookedoutoverthebay；itwasverystill，theseawasripplingfaintly，andlinesofgreenandbluewerebeginningtostripeit。Therewerenosailingboatsasyet，butasteamerwasanchoredinthebay，lookingveryghostlyinthemist；itgaveoneunearthlycry，andthenallwassilent。
Racheloccupiedherselfincollectingonegreystoneafteranotherandbuildingthemintoalittlecairn；shediditveryquietlyandcarefully。
“Andsoyou’vechangedyourviewoflife，Rachel？“saidHelen。
Racheladdedanotherstoneandyawned。“Idon’tremember，“shesaid，“Ifeellikeafishatthebottomofthesea。“Sheyawnedagain。
Noneofthesepeoplepossessedanypowertofrightenherouthereinthedawn，andshefeltperfectlyfamiliarevenwithMr。Hirst。
“Mybrain，onthecontrary，“saidHirst，“isinaconditionofabnormalactivity。“Hesatinhisfavouritepositionwithhisarmsbindinghislegstogetherandhischinrestingonthetopofhisknees。“Iseethrougheverything——absolutelyeverything。
Lifehasnomoremysteriesforme。“Hespokewithconviction，butdidnotappeartowishforananswer。Nearthoughtheysat，andfamiliarthoughtheyfelt，theyseemedmereshadowstoeachother。
“Andallthosepeopledowntheregoingtosleep，“Hewetbegandreamily，“thinkingsuchdifferentthings，——MissWarrington，Isuppose，isnowonherknees；theElliotsarealittlestartled，it’snotoften_they_getoutofbreath，andtheywanttogettosleepasquicklyaspossible；thenthere’sthepoorleanyoungmanwhodancedallnightwithEvelyn；he’sputtinghisflowerinwaterandaskinghimself，’Isthislove？’——andpooroldPerrott，Idaresay，can’tgettosleepatall，andisreadinghisfavouriteGreekbooktoconsolehimself——
andtheothers——no，Hirst，“hewoundup，“Idon’tfinditsimpleatall。“
“Ihaveakey，“saidHirstcryptically。Hischinwasstilluponhiskneesandhiseyesfixedinfrontofhim。
Asilencefollowed。ThenHelenroseandbadethemgood-night。
“But，“shesaid，“rememberthatyou’vegottocomeandseeus。“
Theywavedgood-nightandparted，butthetwoyoungmendidnotgobacktothehotel；theywentforawalk，duringwhichtheyscarcelyspoke，andnevermentionedthenamesofthetwowomen，whowere，toaconsiderableextent，thesubjectoftheirthoughts。
Theydidnotwishtosharetheirimpressions。Theyreturnedtothehotelintimeforbreakfast。
Thereweremanyroomsinthevilla，butoneroomwhichpossessedacharacterofitsownbecausethedoorwasalwaysshut，andnosoundofmusicorlaughterissuedfromit。Everyoneinthehousewasvaguelyconsciousthatsomethingwentonbehindthatdoor，andwithoutintheleastknowingwhatitwas，wereinfluencedintheirownthoughtsbytheknowledgethatifthepasseditthedoorwouldbeshut，andiftheymadeanoiseMr。Ambroseinsidewouldbedisturbed。Certainactsthereforepossessedmerit，andotherswerebad，sothatlifebecamemoreharmoniousandlessdisconnectedthanitwouldhavebeenhadMr。Ambrosegivenupediting_Pindar_，andtakentoanomadexistence，inandoutofeveryroominthehouse。
Asitwas，everyonewasconsciousthatbyobservingcertainrules，suchaspunctualityandquiet，bycookingwell，andperformingothersmallduties，oneodeafteranotherwassatisfactorilyrestoredtotheworld，andtheysharedthecontinuityofthescholar’slife。
Unfortunately，asageputsonebarrierbetweenhumanbeings，andlearninganother，andsexathird，Mr。Ambroseinhisstudywassomethousandmilesdistantfromthenearesthumanbeing，whointhishouseholdwasinevitablyawoman。Hesathourafterhouramongwhite-leavedbooks，alonelikeanidolinanemptychurch，stillexceptforthepassageofhishandfromonesideofthesheettoanother，silentsaveforanoccasionalchoke，whichdrovehimtoextendhispipeamomentintheair。Asheworkedhiswayfurtherandfurtherintotheheartofthepoet，hischairbecamemoreandmoredeeplyencircledbybooks，whichlayopenonthefloor，andcouldonlybecrossedbyacarefulprocessofstepping，sodelicatethathisvisitorsgenerallystoppedandaddressedhimfromtheoutskirts。
Onthemorningafterthedance，however，Rachelcameintoheruncle’sroomandhailedhimtwice，“UncleRidley，“beforehepaidheranyattention。
Atlengthhelookedoverhisspectacles。
“Well？“heasked。
“Iwantabook，“shereplied。“Gibbon’s_History__of__the_
_Roman__Empire_。MayIhaveit？“
Shewatchedthelinesonheruncle’sfacegraduallyrearrangethemselvesatherquestion。Ithadbeensmoothasamaskbeforeshespoke。
“Pleasesaythatagain，“saidheruncle，eitherbecausehehadnotheardorbecausehehadnotunderstood。
Sherepeatedthesamewordsandreddenedslightlyasshedidso。
“Gibbon！Whatonearthd’youwanthimfor？“heenquired。
“Somebodyadvisedmetoreadit，“Rachelstammered。
“ButIdon’ttravelaboutwithamiscellaneouscollectionofeighteenth-centuryhistorians！“heruncleexclaimed。
“Gibbon！Tenbigvolumesatleast。“
Rachelsaidthatshewassorrytointerrupt，andwasturningtogo。
“Stop！“criedheruncle。Heputdownhispipe，placedhisbookononeside，androseandledherslowlyroundtheroom，holdingherbythearm。
“Plato，“hesaid，layingonefingeronthefirstofarowofsmalldarkbooks，“andJorrocksnextdoor，whichiswrong。Sophocles，Swift。
Youdon’tcareforGermancommentators，Ipresume。French，then。
YoureadFrench？YoushouldreadBalzac。ThenwecometoWordsworthandColeridge，Pope，Johnson，Addison，Wordsworth，Shelley，Keats。
Onethingleadstoanother。WhyisMarlowehere？Mrs。Chailey，Ipresume。Butwhat’stheuseofreadingifyoudon’treadGreek？
Afterall，ifyoureadGreek，youneedneverreadanythingelse，purewasteoftime——purewasteoftime，“thusspeakinghalftohimself，withquickmovementsofhishands；theyhadcomeroundagaintothecircleofbooksonthefloor，andtheirprogresswasstopped。
“Well，“hedemanded，“whichshallitbe？“
“Balzac，“saidRachel，“orhaveyouthe_Speech__on__the_
_American__Revolution_，UncleRidley？“
“_The__Speech__on__the__American__Revolution_？“heasked。
Helookedatherverykeenlyagain。“Anotheryoungmanatthedance？“
“No。ThatwasMr。Dalloway，“sheconfessed。
“GoodLord！“heflungbackhisheadinrecollectionofMr。Dalloway。
Shechoseforherselfavolumeatrandom，submittedittoheruncle，who，seeingthatitwas_La__Cousine__bette_，badeherthrowitawayifshefoundittoohorrible，andwasabouttoleavehimwhenhedemandedwhethershehadenjoyedherdance？
Hethenwantedtoknowwhatpeopledidatdances，seeingthathehadonlybeentoonethirty-fiveyearsago，whennothinghadseemedtohimmoremeaninglessandidiotic。Didtheyenjoyturningroundandroundtothescreechofafiddle？Didtheytalk，andsayprettythings，andifso，whydidn’ttheydoit，underreasonableconditions？
Asforhimself——hesighedandpointedatthesignsofindustrylyingallabouthim，which，inspiteofhissigh，filledhisfacewithsuchsatisfactionthathisniecethoughtgoodtoleave。
Onbestowingakissshewasallowedtogo，butnotuntilshehadboundherselftolearnatanyratetheGreekalphabet，andtoreturnherFrenchnovelwhendonewith，uponwhichsomethingmoresuitablewouldbefoundforher。
Astheroomsinwhichpeopleliveareapttogiveoffsomethingofthesameshockastheirfaceswhenseenforthefirsttime，Rachelwalkedveryslowlydownstairs，lostinwonderatheruncle，andhisbooks，andhisneglectofdances，andhisqueer，utterlyinexplicable，butapparentlysatisfactoryviewoflife，whenhereyewascaughtbyanotewithhernameonitlyinginthehall。
Theaddresswaswritteninasmallstronghandunknowntoher，andthenote，whichhadnobeginning，ran:——
IsendthefirstvolumeofGibbonasIpromised。PersonallyIfindlittletobesaidforthemoderns，butI’mgoingtosendyouWedekindwhenI’vedonehim。Donne？HaveyoureadWebsterandallthatset？
Ienvyyoureadingthemforthefirsttime。Completelyexhaustedafterlastnight。Andyou？
TheflourishofinitialswhichshetooktobeSt。J。A。H。，wounduptheletter。ShewasverymuchflatteredthatMr。Hirstshouldhaverememberedher，andfulfilledhispromisesoquickly。
Therewasstillanhourtoluncheon，andwithGibboninonehand，andBalzacintheothershestrolledoutofthegateanddownthelittlepathofbeatenmudbetweentheolivetreesontheslopeofthehill。Itwastoohotforclimbinghills，butalongthevalleythereweretreesandagrasspathrunningbytheriverbed。
