“Thelivesofthesepeople，“shetriedtoexplain，theaimlessness，thewaytheylive。Onegoesfromonetoanother，andit’sallthesame。
Onenevergetswhatonewantsoutofanyofthem。“
HeremotionalstateandherconfusionwouldhavemadeheraneasypreyifHelenhadwishedtoargueorhadwishedtodrawconfidences。
Butinsteadoftalkingshefellintoaprofoundsilenceastheywalkedon。Aimless，trivial，meaningless，ohno——whatshehadseenatteamadeitimpossibleforhertobelievethat。
Thelittlejokes，thechatter，theinanitiesoftheafternoonhadshrivelledupbeforehereyes。Underneaththelikingsandspites，thecomingstogetherandpartings，greatthingswerehappening——
terriblethings，becausetheyweresogreat。Hersenseofsafetywasshaken，asifbeneathtwigsanddeadleavesshehadseenthemovementofasnake。Itseemedtoherthatamoment’srespitewasallowed，amoment’smake-believe，andthenagaintheprofoundandreasonlesslawasserteditself，mouldingthemalltoitsliking，makinganddestroying。
ShelookedatRachelwalkingbesideher，stillcrushingtheleavesinherfingersandabsorbedinherownthoughts。Shewasinlove，andshepitiedherprofoundly。Butsherousedherselffromthesethoughtsandapologised。“I’mverysorry，“shesaid，“butifI’mdull，it’smynature，anditcan’tbehelped。“Ifitwasanaturaldefect，however，shefoundaneasyremedy，forshewentontosaythatshethoughtMr。Flushing’sschemeaverygoodone，onlyneedingalittleconsideration，whichitappearedshehadgivenitbythetimetheyreachedhome。Bythattimetheyhadsettledthatifanythingmorewassaid，theywouldaccepttheinvitation。
WhenconsideredindetailbyMr。FlushingandMrs。Ambrosetheexpeditionprovedneitherdangerousnordifficult。
Theyfoundalsothatitwasnotevenunusual。EveryyearatthisseasonEnglishpeoplemadepartieswhichsteamedashortwayuptheriver，landed，andlookedatthenativevillage，boughtacertainnumberofthingsfromthenatives，andreturnedagainwithoutdamagedonetomindorbody。Whenitwasdiscoveredthatsixpeoplereallywishedthesamethingthearrangementsweresooncarriedout。
SincethetimeofElizabethveryfewpeoplehadseentheriver，andnothinghasbeendonetochangeitsappearancefromwhatitwastotheeyesoftheElizabethanvoyagers。ThetimeofElizabethwasonlydistantfromthepresenttimebyamomentofspacecomparedwiththeageswhichhadpassedsincethewaterhadrunbetweenthosebanks，andthegreenthicketsswarmedthere，andthesmalltreeshadgrowntohugewrinkledtreesinsolitude。
Changingonlywiththechangeofthesunandtheclouds，thewavinggreenmasshadstoodthereforcenturyaftercentury，andthewaterhadrunbetweenitsbanksceaselessly，sometimeswashingawayearthandsometimesthebranchesoftrees，whileinotherpartsoftheworldonetownhadrisenupontheruinsofanothertown，andthemeninthetownshadbecomemoreandmorearticulateandunlikeeachother。Afewmilesofthisriverwerevisiblefromthetopofthemountainwheresomeweeksbeforethepartyfromthehotelhadpicnicked。SusanandArthurhadseenitastheykissedeachother，andTerenceandRachelastheysattalkingaboutRichmond，andEvelynandPerrottastheystrolledabout，imaginingthattheyweregreatcaptainssenttocolonisetheworld。
Theyhadseenthebroadbluemarkacrossthesandwhereitflowedintothesea，andthegreencloudoftreesmassthemselvesaboutitfartherup，andfinallyhideitswatersaltogetherfromsight。
Atintervalsforthefirsttwentymilesorsohouseswerescatteredonthebank；bydegreesthehousesbecamehuts，and，laterstill，therewasneitherhutnorhouse，buttreesandgrass，whichwereseenonlybyhunters，explorers，ormerchants，marchingorsailing，butmakingnosettlement。
ByleavingSantaMarinaearlyinthemorning，drivingtwentymilesandridingeight，theparty，whichwascomposedfinallyofsixEnglishpeople，reachedtheriver-sideasthenightfell。
Theycamecanteringthroughthetrees——Mr。andMrs。Flushing，HelenAmbrose，Rachel，Terence，andSt。John。Thetiredlittlehorsesthenstoppedautomatically，andtheEnglishdismounted。
Mrs。Flushingstrodetotheriver-bankinhighspirits。Thedayhadbeenlongandhot，butshehadenjoyedthespeedandtheopenair；
shehadleftthehotelwhichshehated，andshefoundthecompanytoherliking。Theriverwasswirlingpastinthedarkness；
theycouldjustdistinguishthesmoothmovingsurfaceofthewater，andtheairwasfullofthesoundofit。Theystoodinanemptyspaceinthemidstofgreattree-trunks，andouttherealittlegreenlightmovingslightlyupanddownshowedthemwherethesteamerlayinwhichtheyweretoembark。
Whentheyallstooduponitsdecktheyfoundthatitwasaverysmallboatwhichthrobbedgentlybeneaththemforafewminutes，andthenshovedsmoothlythroughthewater。Theyseemedtobedrivingintotheheartofthenight，forthetreesclosedinfrontofthem，andtheycouldhearallroundthemtherustlingofleaves。Thegreatdarknesshadtheusualeffectoftakingawayalldesireforcommunicationbymakingtheirwordssoundthinandsmall；and，afterwalkingroundthedeckthreeorfourtimes，theyclusteredtogether，yawningdeeply，andlookingatthesamespotofdeepgloomonthebanks。Murmuringverylowintherhythmicaltoneofoneoppressedbytheair，Mrs。Flushingbegantowonderwheretheyweretosleep，fortheycouldnotsleepdownstairs，theycouldnotsleepinadogholesmellingofoil，theycouldnotsleepondeck，theycouldnotsleep——Sheyawnedprofoundly。ItwasasHelenhadforeseen；thequestionofnakednesshadrisenalready，althoughtheywerehalfasleep，andalmostinvisibletoeachother。
WithSt。John’shelpshestretchedanawning，andpersuadedMrs。Flushingthatshecouldtakeoffherclothesbehindthis，andthatnoonewouldnoticeifbychancesomepartofherwhichhadbeenconcealedforforty-fiveyearswaslaidbaretothehumaneye。
Mattresseswerethrowndown，rugsprovided，andthethreewomenlayneareachotherinthesoftopenair。
Thegentlemen，havingsmokedacertainnumberofcigarettes，droppedtheglowingendsintotheriver，andlookedforatimeattherippleswrinklingtheblackwaterbeneaththem，undressedtoo，andlaydownattheotherendoftheboat。Theywereverytired，andcurtainedfromeachotherbythedarkness。Thelightfromonelanternfelluponafewropes，afewplanksofthedeck，andtherailoftheboat，butbeyondthattherewasunbrokendarkness，nolightreachedtheirfaces，orthetreeswhichweremassedonthesidesoftheriver。
SoonWilfridFlushingslept，andHirstslept。Hewetalonelayawakelookingstraightupintothesky。Thegentlemotionandtheblackshapesthatweredrawnceaselesslyacrosshiseyeshadtheeffectofmakingitimpossibleforhimtothink。Rachel’spresencesonearhimlulledthoughtasleep。Beingsonearhim，onlyafewpacesoffattheotherendoftheboat，shemadeitasimpossibleforhimtothinkaboutherasitwouldhavebeenimpossibletoseeherifshehadstoodquiteclosetohim，herforeheadagainsthisforehead。
Insomestrangewaytheboatbecameidentifiedwithhimself，andjustasitwouldhavebeenuselessforhimtogetupandsteertheboat，sowasituselessforhimtostruggleanylongerwiththeirresistibleforceofhisownfeelings。Hewasdrawnonandonawayfromallheknew，slippingoverbarriersandpastlandmarksintounknownwatersastheboatglidedoverthesmoothsurfaceoftheriver。
Inprofoundpeace，envelopedindeeperunconsciousnessthanhadbeenhisformanynights，helayondeckwatchingthetree-topschangetheirpositionslightlyagainstthesky，andarchthemselves，andsinkandtowerhuge，untilhepassedfromseeingthemintodreamswherehelaybeneaththeshadowofthevasttrees，lookingupintothesky。
Whentheywokenextmorningtheyhadgoneaconsiderablewayuptheriver；ontherightwasahighyellowbankofsandtuftedwithtrees，ontheleftaswampquiveringwithlongreedsandtallbamboosonthetopofwhich，swayingslightly，perchedvividgreenandyellowbirds。Themorningwashotandstill。Afterbreakfasttheydrewchairstogetherandsatinanirregularsemicircleinthebow。
Anawningabovetheirheadsprotectedthemfromtheheatofthesun，andthebreezewhichtheboatmadeairedthemsoftly。Mrs。Flushingwasalreadydottingandstripinghercanvas，herheadjerkingthiswayandthatwiththeactionofabirdnervouslypickingupgrain；
theothershadbooksorpiecesofpaperorembroideryontheirknees，atwhichtheylookedfitfullyandagainlookedattheriverahead。
AtonepointHewetreadpartofapoemaloud，butthenumberofmovingthingsentirelyvanquishedhiswords。Heceasedtoread，andnoonespoke。Theymovedonundertheshelterofthetrees。
Therewasnowacoveyofredbirdsfeedingononeofthelittleisletstotheleft，oragainablue-greenparrotflewshriekingfromtreetotree。Astheymovedonthecountrygrewwilderandwilder。
Thetreesandtheundergrowthseemedtobestranglingeachothernearthegroundinamultitudinouswrestle；whilehereandthereasplendidtreetoweredhighabovetheswarm，shakingitsthingreenumbrellaslightlyintheupperair。Hewetlookedathisbooksagain。
Themorningwaspeacefulasthenighthadbeen，onlyitwasverystrangebecausehecouldseeitwaslight，andhecouldseeRachelandhearhervoiceandbeneartoher。Hefeltasifhewerewaiting，asifsomehowhewerestationaryamongthingsthatpassedoverhimandaroundhim，voices，people’sbodies，birds，onlyRacheltoowaswaitingwithhim。Helookedathersometimesasifshemustknowthattheywerewaitingtogether，andbeingdrawnontogether，withoutbeingabletoofferanyresistance。Againhereadfromhisbook:
Whoeveryouareholdingmenowinyourhand，Withoutonethingallwillbeuseless。
Abirdgaveawildlaugh，amonkeychuckledamaliciousquestion，and，asfirefadesinthehotsunshine，hiswordsflickeredandwentout。
Bydegreesastherivernarrowed，andthehighsandbanksfelltolevelgroundthicklygrownwithtrees，thesoundsoftheforestcouldbeheard。Itechoedlikeahall。Thereweresuddencries；
andthenlongspacesofsilence，suchasthereareinacathedralwhenaboy’svoicehasceasedandtheechoofitstillseemstohauntabouttheremoteplacesoftheroof。OnceMr。Flushingroseandspoketoasailor，andevenannouncedthatsometimeafterluncheonthesteamerwouldstop，andtheycouldwalkalittlewaythroughtheforest。
“Therearetracksallthroughthetreesthere，“heexplained。
“We’renodistancefromcivilisationyet。“
Hescrutinisedhiswife’spainting。Toopolitetopraiseitopenly，hecontentedhimselfwithcuttingoffonehalfofthepicturewithonehand，andgivingaflourishintheairwiththeother。
“God！“Hirstexclaimed，staringstraightahead。“Don’tyouthinkit’samazinglybeautiful？“
“Beautiful？“Helenenquired。Itseemedastrangelittleword，andHirstandherselfbothsosmallthatsheforgottoanswerhim。
Hewetfeltthathemustspeak。
“That’swheretheElizabethansgottheirstyle，“hemused，staringintotheprofusionofleavesandblossomsandprodigiousfruits。
“Shakespeare？IhateShakespeare！“Mrs。Flushingexclaimed；
andWilfridreturnedadmiringly，“Ibelieveyou’retheonlypersonwhodarestosaythat，Alice。“ButMrs。Flushingwentonpainting。
Shedidnotappeartoattachmuchvaluetoherhusband’scompliment，andpaintedsteadily，sometimesmutteringahalf-audiblewordorgroan。
Themorningwasnowveryhot。
“LookatHirst！“Mr。Flushingwhispered。Hissheetofpaperhadslippedontothedeck，hisheadlayback，andhedrewalongsnoringbreath。
TerencepickedupthesheetofpaperandspreaditoutbeforeRachel。
ItwasacontinuationofthepoemonGodwhichhehadbeguninthechapel，anditwassoindecentthatRacheldidnotunderstandhalfofitalthoughshesawthatitwasindecent。
HewetbegantofillinwordswhereHirsthadleftspaces，buthesoonceased；hispencilrolledondeck。Graduallytheyapproachednearerandnearertothebankontheright-handside，sothatthelightwhichcoveredthembecamedefinitelygreen，fallingthroughashadeofgreenleaves，andMrs。Flushingsetasidehersketchandstaredaheadofherinsilence。Hirstwokeup；
theywerethencalledtoluncheon，andwhiletheyateit，thesteamercametoastandstillalittlewayoutfromthebank。
Theboatwhichwastowedbehindthemwasbroughttotheside，andtheladieswerehelpedintoit。
