niouks.cc 
have
spoken,butuldnotbringherselftoaskhiorsignsofaffectionthenviction
thathehusstrangetoherfilledherhdespondency,andillustratedquitebeyonddoubttheinfinitelonelinessofhunbeingsshehadneverfeltthetruthofthissostronglybeforeshelookedaothefire;itseedtoherthatevenphysicallytheywerenowscarcelyhinspeakingdistance;andspirituallythereanbeingsheuldclaibr >
radeship;nodreahatsatisfiedherasshewasusedtobesatisfied;nothingreinedinyshe
uldbelieve,savethoseabstractideasfigures,laws,stars,facts,oforlackof
knoe
245
nightandday
hefollyofthisprolonged
silence,andtheannessofsuchdevices,and
lookedupreadytoseeksoexcuseforagoodlaugh,oropeningforanfession,heedby
hesaedequallyobliviousofwas
badorofherexpressionsuggested
hingentirelyretefrobr >
hersurroundingstheed
tohiathersculihanfeninehisiulseto
breakupthenstraintorethe
exasperatingsenseofhisopoten
heuldnothelpntrastingkatharinehhisvisionoftheengaging,sicalcassandrkatharineundenstrative,innsiderate,silent,andyetsonotablethat
heuldneverdohouthergoodopinion
sheveeredrounduponhintlater,asif,when
hertrainofthoughteawareofhis
presence
“haveyoufinishedyourletter”sheaskedhethoughtheheardfaintasentinhertone,butnotatraceofjealousy
“no,iotgoingtooretonight,”hesaid
“iotintheodforitforsoreasonicantsay
itosay”
“cassandraknostenorbadlyten,”
katharinererked
“iotsosureaboutthatishouldsayshehasa
gooddealofliteraryfeeling”
“perhaps,”saidkatharineindifferently“youvebeenneglectingeducationlately,bythewayiwishyoudreadsothingletchooseabook”sospeaking,sheacrosstohisbookshelvesandbeganlookinginadesultoryonghisbooksanything,shethought,terthanbickeringorthestrangesilenceh
drovehotoherthedistancebetasshe
pulledonebookforhenanothershethought
ironicallyofheroaintynotanhourago;ho
hadvanishedinant,hoerelyrking
tiasbestsheuld,notknoheleastwhere
theystood,lovedher
ootreandrethenditionofrysndseed
toheruldbe
246
virginiawoolf
quiteasshefigureditif,indeed,silicityexistedforanyoneofthedaughtersofen
“seathaphazard
tosettlethisquestionatleast“letushavesos”
rodneytookthebook,helditinfrontofhiinsertedonefingerbethepages,butsaidnothinghisfaceion,asifhewere
hinghanother,andsayanything
untilhisndadeup
katharine,takingherchairbesidehinotedhissilenceandlookedathisuddenapprehension
shehopedorfeared,sheuldnothavesaid;ast
irrationalandindefensibledesireforsoassuranceofhisaffeindpeevishness,
plaints,exainationshewas
usedto,butthisattitudeofposedquiet,h
seedtoefrohensciousnessofpohin,
puzzledhershedidnotknoohappen
next
atlastspoke
“ithinkitsalittleodd,dontyou”hesaid,inavoiceofdetaostpeople,ian,wouldbe
seriouslyupsetiftheirrriageonths
orsobut;noforthat”
shelookedathindobservedhisjudicialattitudeasofoneholdingfaralooffrotion
“iattributeit,”heon,houtingforherto
ansothefactthatneitherofusisintheleast
rontiaybepartly,nodoubt,
becauseinclined
tothinktheresreinitthanthattheressothingteerantalithinkyoureatrifleld,andi
suspectitrifleselfabsorbedifthatgoes
alongoexplainingouroddlackofillusionabouteanotsayingthatthestsatisfactory
rriagesarentfoundeduponthissortofunderstandingbutoing,when
e,hotleupsetifeltbytheway,youre
surettedourselvestothathouse”
“ivekepttheletters,andillgothroughtheorrow;butiertainhesafeside”
247
nightandday
“thanksastothepsy,”hentinued,
asifthequestioninterestedhinadetachedway,“theresnodoubt,ithink,thateitherofusiscapableoffeelingplicity,icallroncefor
athirdpersonatleast,ivelittledoubtinoase”iteinallherknowledgeof
hihatkatharinehadknoenterthusdeliberatelyandotionuponastatentof
hisoate
discussionsbyalittlelaughortuofthenversation,asen,ooftheworld,
findsuchtopicsalittlesilly,orindoubtfultastehisobviousethingpuzzledher,interested
her,andneutralizedtheohervanityfor
soreason,too,shefeltreateasethan
usual;orhereaseoretheeaseofequalityshe
uldnotstoptothinkofthatatthentthough
hisrerksinterestedhertoochforthelightthattheythresofherown
“ance”shesed
“ah,thatsthequestionivenevereacrossadefinitionthatsatisfied,thoughtherearesoverygoodones”heglancedinthedirectionofhisbooks
“itsnotaltogetherknoheotherperson,perhapsitsignorance,”shehazarded
“soauthoritiessayitsaquestionofdistanceronceinliterature,thatis”
“possibly,inthecaseofartbutinthecaseofpeopleitybe”shehesitated
“haveyounopersonalexperienceofit”heasked,letting
