“Well，youmusttaketheresponsibility，“hesaid。“I’vemadeupmymind；IshallgototheBar。“
Hiswordswereveryserious，almostemotional；theyrecalledHelenafterasecond’shesitation。
“I’msureyou’reright，“shesaidwarmly，andshookthehandheheldout。“You’llbeagreatman，I’mcertain。“
Then，asiftomakehimlookatthescene，shesweptherhandroundtheimmensecircumferenceoftheview。Fromthesea，overtheroofsofthetown，acrossthecrestsofthemountains，overtheriverandtheplain，andagainacrossthecrestsofthemountainsitsweptuntilitreachedthevilla，thegarden，themagnolia-tree，andthefiguresofHirstandherselfstandingtogether，whenitdroppedtoherside。
HewetandRachelhadlongagoreachedtheparticularplaceontheedgeofthecliffwhere，lookingdownintothesea，youmightchanceonjelly-fishanddolphins。Lookingtheotherway，thevastexpanseoflandgavethemasensationwhichisgivenbynoview，howeverextended，inEngland；thevillagesandthehillstherehavingnames，andthefarthesthorizonofhillsasoftenasnotdippingandshowingalineofmistwhichisthesea；heretheviewwasoneofinfinitesun-driedearth，earthpointedinpinnacles，heapedinvastbarriers，earthwideningandspreadingawayandawayliketheimmensefloorofthesea，earthchequeredbydayandbynight，andpartitionedintodifferentlands，wherefamouscitieswerefounded，andtheracesofmenchangedfromdarksavagestowhitecivilisedmen，andbacktodarksavagesagain。PerhapstheirEnglishbloodmadethisprospectuncomfortablyimpersonalandhostiletothem，forhavingonceturnedtheirfacesthatwaytheynextturnedthemtothesea，andfortherestofthetimesatlookingatthesea。
Thesea，thoughitwasathinandsparklingwaterhere，whichseemedincapableofsurgeoranger，eventuallynarroweditself，cloudeditspuretintwithgrey，andswirledthroughnarrowchannelsanddashedinashiverofbrokenwatersagainstmassivegraniterocks。
ItwasthisseathatfloweduptothemouthoftheThames；
andtheThameswashedtherootsofthecityofLondon。
Hewet’sthoughtshadfollowedsomesuchcourseasthis，forthefirstthinghesaidastheystoodontheedgeofthecliffwas——
“I’dliketobeinEngland！“
Rachellaydownonherelbow，andpartedthetallgrasseswhichgrewontheedge，sothatshemighthaveaclearview。Thewaterwasverycalm；rockingupanddownatthebaseofthecliff，andsoclearthatonecouldseetheredofthestonesatthebottomofit。
Soithadbeenatthebirthoftheworld，andsoithadremainedeversince。Probablynohumanbeinghadeverbrokenthatwaterwithboatorwithbody。Obeyingsomeimpulse，shedeterminedtomarthateternityofpeace，andthrewthelargestpebbleshecouldfind。
Itstruckthewater，andtheripplesspreadoutandout。
Hewetlookeddowntoo。
“It’swonderful，“hesaid，astheywidenedandceased。Thefreshnessandthenewnessseemedtohimwonderful。Hethrewapebblenext。
Therewasscarcelyanysound。
“ButEngland，“Rachelmurmuredintheabsorbedtoneofonewhoseeyesareconcentrateduponsomesight。“Whatd’youwantwithEngland？“
“Myfriendschiefly，“hesaid，“andallthethingsonedoes。“
HecouldlookatRachelwithouthernoticingit。Shewasstillabsorbedinthewaterandtheexquisitelypleasantsensationswhichalittledepthoftheseawashingoverrockssuggests。
Henoticedthatshewaswearingadressofdeepbluecolour，madeofasoftthincottonstuff，whichclungtotheshapeofherbody。
Itwasabodywiththeanglesandhollowsofayoungwoman’sbodynotyetdeveloped，butinnowaydistorted，andthusinterestingandevenlovable。RaisinghiseyesHewetobservedherhead；
shehadtakenherhatoff，andthefacerestedonherhand。
Asshelookeddownintothesea，herlipswereslightlyparted。
Theexpressionwasoneofchildlikeintentness，asifshewerewatchingforafishtoswimpastovertheclearredrocks。
Neverthelesshertwenty-fouryearsoflifehadgivenheralookofreserve。Herhand，whichlayontheground，thefingerscurlingslightlyin，waswellshapedandcompetent；thesquare-tippedandnervousfingerswerethefingersofamusician。WithsomethinglikeanguishHewetrealisedthat，farfrombeingunattractive，herbodywasveryattractivetohim。Shelookedupsuddenly。
Hereyeswerefullofeagernessandinterest。
“Youwritenovels？“sheasked。
Forthemomenthecouldnotthinkwhathewassaying。Hewasovercomewiththedesiretoholdherinhisarms。
“Ohyes，“hesaid。“Thatis，Iwanttowritethem。“
Shewouldnottakeherlargegreyeyesoffhisface。
“Novels，“sherepeated。“Whydoyouwritenovels？Yououghttowritemusic。Music，yousee“——sheshiftedhereyes，andbecamelessdesirableasherbrainbegantowork，inflictingacertainchangeuponherface——“musicgoesstraightforthings。Itsaysallthereistosayatonce。Withwritingitseemstomethere’ssomuch“——shepausedforanexpression，andrubbedherfingersintheearth——“scratchingonthematchbox。MostofthetimewhenI
wasreadingGibbonthisafternoonIwashorribly，ohinfernally，damnablybored！“Shegaveashakeoflaughter，lookingatHewet，wholaughedtoo。
“_I_shan’tlendyoubooks，“heremarked。
“Whyisit，“Rachelcontinued，“thatIcanlaughatMr。Hirsttoyou，butnottohisface？AtteaIwascompletelyoverwhelmed，notbyhisugliness——byhismind。“Sheenclosedacircleintheairwithherhands。SherealisedwithagreatsenseofcomfortwhoeasilyshecouldtalktoHewet，thosethornsorraggedcornerswhichtearthesurfaceofsomerelationshipsbeingsmoothedaway。
“SoIobserved，“saidHewet。“That’sathingthatneverceasestoamazeme。“Hehadrecoveredhiscomposuretosuchanextentthathecouldlightandsmokeacigarette，andfeelingherease，becamehappyandeasyhimself。
“Therespectthatwomen，evenwell-educated，veryablewomen，haveformen，“hewenton。“Ibelievewemusthavethesortofpoweroveryouthatwe’resaidtohaveoverhorses。Theyseeusthreetimesasbigasweareorthey’dneverobeyus。Forthatveryreason，I’minclinedtodoubtthatyou’lleverdoanythingevenwhenyouhavethevote。“Helookedatherreflectively。Sheappearedverysmoothandsensitiveandyoung。“It’lltakeatleastsixgenerationsbeforeyou’resufficientlythick-skinnedtogointolawcourtsandbusinessoffices。Considerwhatabullytheordinarymanis，“
hecontinued，“theordinaryhard-working，ratherambitioussolicitorormanofbusinesswithafamilytobringupandacertainpositiontomaintain。Andthen，ofcourse，thedaughtershavetogivewaytothesons；thesonshavetobeeducated；theyhavetobullyandshovefortheirwivesandfamilies，andsoitallcomesoveragain。
Andmeanwhiletherearethewomeninthebackground……Doyoureallythinkthatthevotewilldoyouanygood？“
“Thevote？“Rachelrepeated。Shehadtovisualiseitasalittlebitofpaperwhichshedroppedintoaboxbeforesheunderstoodhisquestion，andlookingateachothertheysmiledatsomethingabsurdinthequestion。
“Nottome，“shesaid。“ButIplaythepiano……Aremenreallylikethat？“sheasked，returningtothequestionthatinterestedher。
“I’mnotafraidofyou。“Shelookedathimeasily。
“Oh，I’mdifferent，“Hewetreplied。“I’vegotbetweensixandsevenhundredayearofmyown。Andthennoonetakesanovelistseriously，thankheavens。There’snodoubtithelpstomakeupforthedrudgeryofaprofessionifaman’stakenvery，veryseriouslybyeveryone——
ifhegetsappointments，andhasofficesandatitle，andlotsoflettersafterhisname，andbitsofribbonanddegrees。
Idon’tgrudgeit’em，thoughsometimesitcomesoverme——whatanamazingconcoction！Whatamiraclethemasculineconceptionoflifeis——judges，civilservants，army，navy，HousesofParliament，lordmayors——whataworldwe’vemadeofit！LookatHirstnow。
Iassureyou，“hesaid，“notaday’spassedsincewecameherewithoutadiscussionastowhetherhe’stostayonatCambridgeortogototheBar。It’shiscareer——hissacredcareer。AndifI’veheardittwentytimes，I’msurehismotherandsisterhavehearditfivehundredtimes。Can’tyouimaginethefamilyconclaves，andthesistertoldtorunoutandfeedtherabbitsbecauseSt。Johnmusthavetheschool-roomtohimself——’St。John’sworking，’’St。Johnwantshisteabroughttohim。’Don’tyouknowthekindofthing？
NowonderthatSt。Johnthinksitamatterofconsiderableimportance。
Itistoo。Hehastoearnhisliving。ButSt。John’ssister——“
Hewetpuffedinsilence。“Noonetakesherseriously，poordear。
Shefeedstherabbits。“
“Yes，“saidRachel。“I’vefedrabbitsfortwenty-fouryears；itseemsoddnow。“Shelookedmeditative，andHewet，whohadbeentalkingmuchatrandomandinstinctivelyadoptingthefemininepointofview，sawthatshewouldnowtalkaboutherself，whichwaswhathewanted，forsotheymightcometoknoweachother。
Shelookedbackmeditativelyuponherpastlife。
“Howdoyouspendyourday？“heasked。
Shemeditatedstill。Whenshethoughtoftheirdayitseemedtoheritwascutintofourpiecesbytheirmeals。Thesedivisionswereabsolutelyrigid，thecontentsofthedayhavingtoaccommodatethemselveswithinthefourrigidbars。Lookingbackatherlife，thatwaswhatshesaw。
“Breakfastnine；luncheonone；teafive；dinnereight，“shesaid。
“Well，“saidHewet，“whatd’youdointhemorning？“
“Ineedtoplaythepianoforhoursandhours。“
“Andafterluncheon？“
“ThenIwentshoppingwithoneofmyaunts。Orwewenttoseesomeone，orwetookamessage；orwedidsomethingthathadtobedone——
thetapsmightbeleaking。Theyvisitthepooragooddeal——
oldchar-womenwithbadlegs，womenwhowantticketsforhospitals。
OrIusedtowalkintheparkbymyself。Andafterteapeoplesometimescalled；orinsummerwesatinthegardenorplayedcroquet；
inwinterIreadaloud，whiletheyworked；afterdinnerIplayedthepianoandtheywroteletters。Iffatherwasathomewehadfriendsofhistodinner，andaboutonceamonthwewentuptotheplay。
Everynowandthenwedinedout；sometimesIwenttoadanceinLondon，butthatwasdifficultbecauseofgettingback。
Thepeoplewesawwereoldfamilyfriends，andrelations，butwedidn’tseemanypeople。Therewastheclergyman，Mr。Pepper，andtheHunts。Fathergenerallywantedtobequietwhenhecamehome，becauseheworksveryhardatHull。Alsomyauntsaren’tverystrong。Ahousetakesupalotoftimeifyoudoitproperly。
Ourservantswerealwaysbad，andsoAuntLucyusedtodoagooddealinthekitchen，andAuntClara，Ithink，spentmostofthemorningdustingthedrawing-roomandgoingthroughthelinenandsilver。
Thentherewerethedogs。Theyhadtobeexercised，besidesbeingwashedandbrushed。NowSandy’sdead，butAuntClarahasaveryoldcockatoothatcamefromIndia。Everythinginourhouse，“
sheexclaimed，“comesfromsomewhere！It’sfullofoldfurniture，notreallyold，Victorian，thingsmother’sfamilyhadorfather’sfamilyhad，whichtheydidn’tliketogetridof，Isuppose，thoughwe’vereallynoroomforthem。It’sratheranicehouse，“
shecontinued，“exceptthatit’salittledingy——dullIshouldsay。“
Shecalledupbeforehereyesavisionofthedrawing-roomathome；
itwasalargeoblongroom，withasquarewindowopeningonthegarden。
Greenplushchairsstoodagainstthewall；therewasaheavycarvedbook-case，withglassdoors，andageneralimpressionoffadedsofacovers，largespacesofpalegreen，andbasketswithpiecesofwool-workdroppingoutofthem。PhotographsfromoldItalianmasterpieceshungonthewalls，andviewsofVenetianbridgesandSwedishwaterfallswhichmembersofthefamilyhadseenyearsago。
