UponwhichMrs。Flushingcriedoutwithdelight:
“She’smyfirstcousin！Goon——goon！“
WhenMrs。Flushingrosetogoshewasobviouslydelightedwithhernewacquaintances。Shemadethreeorfourdifferentplansformeetingorgoingonanexpedition，orshowingHelenthethingstheyhadbought，onherwaytothecarriage。Sheincludedthemallinavaguebutmagnificentinvitation。
AsHelenreturnedtothegardenagain，Ridley’swordsofwarningcameintoherhead，andshehesitatedamomentandlookedatRachelsittingbetweenHirstandHewet。Butshecoulddrawnoconclusions，forHewetwasstillreadingGibbonaloud，andRachel，foralltheexpressionshehad，mighthavebeenashell，andhiswordswaterrubbingagainstherears，aswaterrubsashellontheedgeofarock。
Hewet’svoicewasverypleasant。WhenhereachedtheendoftheperiodHewetstopped，andnoonevolunteeredanycriticism。
“Idoadorethearistocracy！“Hirstexclaimedafteramoment’spause。
“They’resoamazinglyunscrupulous。Noneofuswoulddaretobehaveasthatwomanbehaves。“
“WhatIlikeaboutthem，“saidHelenasshesatdown，“isthatthey’resowellputtogether。Naked，Mrs。Flushingwouldbesuperb。
Dressedasshedresses，it’sabsurd，ofcourse。“
“Yes，“saidHirst。Ashadeofdepressioncrossedhisface。
“I’veneverweighedmorethantenstoneinmylife，“hesaid，“whichisridiculous，consideringmyheight，andI’veactuallygonedowninweightsincewecamehere。Idaresaythataccountsfortherheumatism。“Againhejerkedhiswristbacksharply，sothatHelenmighthearthegrindingofthechalkstones。
Shecouldnothelpsmiling。
“It’snolaughingmatterforme，Iassureyou，“heprotested。
“Mymother’sachronicinvalid，andI’malwaysexpectingtobetoldthatI’vegotheartdiseasemyself。Rheumatismalwaysgoestotheheartintheend。“
“Forgoodness’sake，Hirst，“Hewetprotested；“onemightthinkyouwereanoldcrippleofeighty。Ifitcomestothat，Ihadanauntwhodiedofcancermyself，butIputaboldfaceonit——“
Heroseandbegantiltinghischairbackwardsandforwardsonitshindlegs。“Isanyonehereinclinedforawalk？“
hesaid。“There’samagnificentwalk，upbehindthehouse。
Youcomeoutontoacliffandlookrightdownintothesea。
Therocksareallred；youcanseethemthroughthewater。
TheotherdayIsawasightthatfairlytookmybreathaway——
abouttwentyjelly-fish，semi-transparent，pink，withlongstreamers，floatingonthetopofthewaves。“
“Suretheyweren’tmermaids？“saidHirst。“It’smuchtoohottoclimbuphill。“HelookedatHelen，whoshowednosignsofmoving。
“Yes，it’stoohot，“Helendecided。
Therewasashortsilence。
“I’dliketocome，“saidRachel。
“Butshemighthavesaidthatanyhow，“HelenthoughttoherselfasHewetandRachelwentawaytogether，andHelenwasleftalonewithSt。John，toSt。John’sobvioussatisfaction。
Hemayhavebeensatisfied，buthisusualdifficultyindecidingthatonesubjectwasmoredeservingofnoticethananotherpreventedhimfromspeakingforsometime。Hesatstaringintentlyattheheadofadeadmatch，whileHelenconsidered——soitseemedfromtheexpressionofhereyes——somethingnotcloselyconnectedwiththepresentmoment。
AtlastSt。Johnexclaimed，“Damn！Damneverything！Damneverybody！“
headded。“AtCambridgetherearepeopletotalkto。“
“AtCambridgetherearepeopletotalkto，“Helenechoedhim，rhythmicallyandabsent-mindedly。Thenshewokeup。“Bytheway，haveyousettledwhatyou’regoingtodo——isittobeCambridgeortheBar？“
Hepursedhislips，butmadenoimmediateanswer，forHelenwasstillslightlyinattentive。ShehadbeenthinkingaboutRachelandwhichofthetwoyoungmenshewaslikelytofallinlovewith，andnowsittingoppositetoHirstshethought，“He’sugly。
It’sapitythey’resougly。“
ShedidnotincludeHewetinthiscriticism；shewasthinkingoftheclever，honest，interestingyoungmensheknew，ofwhomHirstwasagoodexample，andwonderingwhetheritwasnecessarythatthoughtandscholarshipshouldthusmaltreattheirbodies，andshouldthuselevatetheirmindstoaveryhightowerfromwhichthehumanraceappearedtothemlikeratsandmicesquirmingontheflat。
“Andthefuture？“shereflected，vaguelyenvisagingaraceofmenbecomingmoreandmorelikeHirst，andaraceofwomenbecomingmoreandmorelikeRachel。“Ohno，“sheconcluded，glancingathim，“onewouldn’tmarryyou。Well，then，thefutureoftheraceisinthehandsofSusanandArthur；no——that’sdreadful。
Offarmlabourers；no——notoftheEnglishatall，butofRussiansandChinese。“Thistrainofthoughtdidnotsatisfyher，andwasinterruptedbySt。John，whobeganagain:
“IwishyouknewBennett。He’sthegreatestmanintheworld。“
“Bennett？“sheenquired。Becomingmoreatease，St。Johndroppedtheconcentratedabruptnessofhismanner，andexplainedthatBennettwasamanwholivedinanoldwindmillsixmilesoutofCambridge。
Helivedtheperfectlife，accordingtoSt。John，verylonely，verysimple，caringonlyforthetruthofthings，alwaysreadytotalk，andextraordinarilymodest，thoughhismindwasofthegreatest。
“Don’tyouthink，“saidSt。John，whenhehaddonedescribinghim，“thatkindofthingmakesthiskindofthingratherflimsy？DidyounoticeatteahowpooroldHewethadtochangetheconversation？
HowtheywereallreadytopounceuponmebecausetheythoughtI
wasgoingtosaysomethingimproper？Itwasn’tanything，really。
IfBennetthadbeentherehe’dhavesaidexactlywhathemeanttosay，orhe’dhavegotupandgone。Butthere’ssomethingratherbadforthecharacterinthat——Imeanifonehasn’tgotBennett’scharacter。
It’sinclinedtomakeonebitter。ShouldyousaythatIwasbitter？“
Helendidnotanswer，andhecontinued:
“OfcourseIam，disgustinglybitter，andit’sabeastlythingtobe。
ButtheworstofmeisthatI’msoenvious。Ienvyeveryone。
Ican’tendurepeoplewhodothingsbetterthanIdo——perfectlyabsurdthingstoo——waitersbalancingpilesofplates——evenArthur，becauseSusan’sinlovewithhim。Iwantpeopletolikeme，andtheydon’t。It’spartlymyappearance，Iexpect，“hecontinued，“thoughit’sanabsolutelietosayI’veJewishbloodinme——
asamatteroffactwe’vebeeninNorfolk，HirstofHirstbourneHall，forthreecenturiesatleast。Itmustbeawfullysoothingtobelikeyou——
everyonelikingoneatonce。“
“Iassureyoutheydon’t，“Helenlaughed。
“Theydo，“saidHirstwithconviction。“Inthefirstplace，you’rethemostbeautifulwomanI’veeverseen；inthesecond，youhaveanexceptionallynicenature。“
IfHirsthadlookedatherinsteadoflookingintentlyathisteacuphewouldhaveseenHelenblush，partlywithpleasure，partlywithanimpulseofaffectiontowardstheyoungmanwhohadseemed，andwouldseemagain，souglyandsolimited。Shepitiedhim，forshesuspectedthathesuffered，andshewasinterestedinhim，formanyofthethingshesaidseemedtohertrue；sheadmiredthemoralityofyouth，andyetshefeltimprisoned。Asifherinstinctweretoescapetosomethingbrightlycolouredandimpersonal，whichshecouldholdinherhands，shewentintothehouseandreturnedwithherembroidery。Buthewasnotinterestedinherembroidery；
hedidnotevenlookatit。
“AboutMissVinrace，“hebegan，——“oh，lookhere，dolet’sbeSt。JohnandHelen，andRachelandTerence——what’sshelike？Doesshereason，doesshefeel，orisshemerelyakindoffootstool？“
“Ohno，“saidHelen，withgreatdecision。FromherobservationsatteashewasinclinedtodoubtwhetherHirstwasthepersontoeducateRachel。Shehadgraduallycometobeinterestedinherniece，andfondofher；shedislikedsomethingsaboutherverymuch，shewasamusedbyothers；butshefelther，onthewhole，aliveifunformedhumanbeing，experimental，andnotalwaysfortunateinherexperiments，butwithpowersofsomekind，andacapacityforfeeling。Somewhereinthedepthsofher，too，shewasboundtoRachelbytheindestructibleifinexplicabletiesofsex。
“Sheseemsvague，butshe’sawillofherown，“shesaid，asifintheintervalshehadrunthroughherqualities。
Theembroidery，whichwasamatterforthought，thedesignbeingdifficultandthecolourswantingconsideration，broughtlapsesintothedialoguewhensheseemedtobeengrossedinherskeinsofsilk，or，withheadalittledrawnbackandeyesnarrowed，consideredtheeffectofthewhole。Thusshemerelysaid，“Um-m-m“toSt。John’snextremark，“Ishallaskhertogoforawalkwithme。“
Perhapsheresentedthisdivisionofattention。HesatsilentwatchingHelenclosely。
“You’reabsolutelyhappy，“heproclaimedatlast。
“Yes？“Helenenquired，stickinginherneedle。
“Marriage，Isuppose，“saidSt。John。
“Yes，“saidHelen，gentlydrawingherneedleout。
“Children？“St。Johnenquired。
“Yes，“saidHelen，stickingherneedleinagain。“Idon’tknowwhyI’mhappy，“shesuddenlylaughed，lookinghimfullintheface。
Therewasaconsiderablepause。
“There’sanabyssbetweenus，“saidSt。John。Hisvoicesoundedasifitissuedfromthedepthsofacavernintherocks。
“You’reinfinitelysimplerthanIam。Womenalwaysare，ofcourse。
That’sthedifficulty。Oneneverknowshowawomangetsthere。
Supposingallthetimeyou’rethinking，’Oh，whatamorbidyoungman！’“
Helensatandlookedathimwithherneedleinherhand。
Fromherpositionshesawhisheadinfrontofthedarkpyramidofamagnolia-tree。Withonefootraisedontherungofachair，andherelbowoutintheattitudeforsewing，herownfigurepossessedthesublimityofawoman’softheearlyworld，spinningthethreadoffate——thesublimitypossessedbymanywomenofthepresentdaywhofallintotheattituderequiredbyscrubbingorsewing。
St。Johnlookedather。
“Isupposeyou’veneverpaidanyacomplimentinthecourseofyourlife，“hesaidirrelevantly。
“IspoilRidleyrather，“Helenconsidered。
“I’mgoingtoaskyoupointblank——doyoulikeme？“
Afteracertainpause，shereplied，“Yes，certainly。“
“ThankGod！“heexclaimed。“That’sonemercy。Yousee，“hecontinuedwithemotion，“I’dratheryoulikedmethananyoneI’veevermet。“
“Whataboutthefivephilosophers？“saidHelen，withalaugh，stitchingfirmlyandswiftlyathercanvas。“Iwishyou’ddescribethem。“
Hirsthadnoparticularwishtodescribethem，butwhenhebegantoconsiderthemhefoundhimselfsoothedandstrengthened。Farawaytotheothersideoftheworldastheywere，insmokyrooms，andgreymedievalcourts，theyappearedremarkablefigures，free-spokenmenwithwhomonecouldbeatease；incomparablymoresubtleinemotionthanthepeoplehere。Theygavehim，certainly，whatnowomancouldgivehim，notHeleneven。Warmingatthethoughtofthem，hewentontolayhiscasebeforeMrs。Ambrose。ShouldhestayonatCambridgeorshouldhegototheBar？Onedayhethoughtonething，anotherdayanother。Helenlistenedattentively。
Atlast，withoutanypreface，shepronouncedherdecision。
“LeaveCambridgeandgototheBar，“shesaid。Hepressedherforherreasons。
“Ithinkyou’denjoyLondonmore，“shesaid。Itdidnotseemaverysubtlereason，butsheappearedtothinkitsufficient。
Shelookedathimagainstthebackgroundoffloweringmagnolia。
Therewassomethingcuriousinthesight。Perhapsitwasthattheheavywax-likeflowersweresosmoothandinarticulate，andhisface——
hehadthrownhishataway，hishairwasrumpled，heheldhiseye-glassesinhishand，sothataredmarkappearedoneithersideofhisnose——wassoworriedandgarrulous。Itwasabeautifulbush，spreadingverywidely，andallthetimeshehadsattheretalkingshehadbeennoticingthepatchesofshadeandtheshapeoftheleaves，andthewaythegreatwhiteflowerssatinthemidstofthegreen。
Shehadnoticedithalf-consciously，neverthelessthepatternhadbecomepartoftheirtalk。Shelaiddownhersewing，andbegantowalkupanddownthegarden，andHirstrosetooandpacedbyherside。
Hewasratherdisturbed，uncomfortable，andfullofthought。
Neitherofthemspoke。
Thesunwasbeginningtogodown，andachangehadcomeoverthemountains，asiftheywererobbedoftheirearthlysubstance，andcomposedmerelyofintensebluemist。Longthincloudsofflamingored，withedgesliketheedgesofcurledostrichfeathers，layupanddowntheskyatdifferentaltitudes。Theroofsofthetownseemedtohavesunklowerthanusual；thecypressesappearedveryblackbetweentheroofs，andtheroofsthemselveswerebrownandwhite。Asusualintheevening，singlecriesandsinglebellsbecameaudiblerisingfrombeneath。
St。Johnstoppedsuddenly。
