《[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版》

下载本书

添加书签

[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版- 第6部分


按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
not perceive what poor dear Joan had gained from the 
fact that she was the granddaughter of a man who kept a 
shop; and herself earned her own living。 The infinite 
dreariness and sordidness of their life oppressed him in 
spite of his fundamental belief that; as a family; they 
were somehow remarkable。 

“Shall you talk to mother?” Joan inquired。 “Because; 
you see; the thing’s got to be settled; one way or another。 
Charles must write to Uncle John if he’s going 
there。” 

Ralph sighed impatiently。 

24 



Virginia Woolf 

“I suppose it doesn’t much matter either way;” he exclaimed。 
“He’s doomed to misery in the long run。” 

A slight flush came into Joan’s cheek。 

“You know you’re talking nonsense;” she said。 “It doesn’t 
hurt any one to have to earn their own living。 I’m very 
glad I have to earn mine。” 

Ralph was pleased that she should feel this; and wished 
her to continue; but he went on; perversely enough。 

“Isn’t that only because you’ve forgotten how to enjoy 
yourself? You never have time for anything decent—” 

“As for instance?” 

“Well; going for walks; or music; or books; or seeing 
interesting people。 You never do anything that’s really 
worth doing any more than I do。” 

“I always think you could make this room much nicer; if 
you liked;” she observed。 

“What does it matter what sort of room I have when 
I’m forced to spend all the best years of my life drawing 
up deeds in an office?” 

“You said two days ago that you found the law so interesting。” 


“So it is if one could afford to know anything about it。” 

(“That’s Herbert only just going to bed now;” Joan interposed; 
as a door on the landing slammed vigorously。 
“And then he won’t get up in the morning。”) 

Ralph looked at the ceiling; and shut his lips closely 
together。 Why; he wondered; could Joan never for one 
moment detach her mind from the details of domestic 
life? It seemed to him that she was getting more and 
more enmeshed in them; and capable of shorter and less 
frequent flights into the outer world; and yet she was 
only thirtythree。 

“D’you ever pay calls now?” he asked abruptly。 

“I don’t often have the time。 Why do you ask?” 

“It might be a good thing; to get to know new people; 
that’s all。” 

“Poor Ralph!” said Joan suddenly; with a smile。 “You 
think your sister’s getting very old and very dull—that’s 
it; isn’t it?” 

“I don’t think anything of the kind;” he said stoutly; 
but he flushed。 “But you lead a dog’s life; Joan。 When 
you’re not working in an office; you’re worrying over the 

25 



Night and Day 

rest of us。 And I’m not much good to you; I’m afraid。” 

Joan rose; and stood for a moment warming her hands; 
and; apparently; meditating as to whether she should say 
anything more or not。 A feeling of great intimacy united 
the brother and sister; and the semicircular lines above 
their eyebrows disappeared。 No; there was nothing more 
to be said on either side。 Joan brushed her brother’s head 
with her hand as she passed him; murmured good night; 
and left the room。 For some minutes after she had gone 
Ralph lay quiescent; resting his head on his hand; but 
gradually his eyes filled with thought; and the line reappeared 
on his brow; as the pleasant impression of panionship 
and ancient sympathy waned; and he was left 
to think on alone。 

After a time he opened his book; and read on steadily; 
glancing once or twice at his watch; as if he had set 
himself a task to be acplished in a certain measure of 
time。 Now and then he heard voices in the house; and the 
closing of bedroom doors; which showed that the building; 
at the top of which he sat; was inhabited in every 
one of its cells。 When midnight struck; Ralph shut his 

book; and with a candle in his hand; descended to the 
ground floor; to ascertain that all lights were extinct and 
all doors locked。 It was a threadbare; wellworn house 
that he thus examined; as if the inmates had grazed down 
all luxuriance and plenty to the verge of decency; and in 
the night; bereft of life; bare places and ancient blemishes 
were unpleasantly visible。 Katharine Hilbery; he 
thought; would condemn it offhand。 

26 



Virginia Woolf 

CHAPTER III 


Denham had accused Katharine Hilbery of belonging to 
one of the most distinguished families in England; and if 
any one will take the trouble to consult Mr。 Galton’s “Hereditary 
Genius;” he will find that this assertion is not far 
from the truth。 The Alardyces; the Hilberys; the 
Millingtons; and the Otways seem to prove that intellect 
is a possession which can be tossed from one member of 
a certain group to another almost indefinitely; and with 
apparent certainty that the brilliant gift will be safely 
caught and held by nine out of ten of the privileged race。 
They had been conspicuous judges and admirals; lawyers 
and servants of the State for some years before the richness 
of the soil culminated in the rarest flower that any 
family can boast; a great writer; a poet eminent among 
the poets of England; a Richard Alardyce; and having produced 
him; they proved once more the amazing virtues of 
their race by proceeding unconcernedly again with their 
usual task of breeding distinguished men。 They had sailed 
with Sir John Franklin to the North Pole; and ridden with 

Havelock to the Relief of Lucknow; and when they were 
not lighthouses firmly based on rock for the guidance of 
their generation; they were steady; serviceable candles; 
illuminating the ordinary chambers of daily life。 Whatever 
profession you looked at; there was a Warburton or 
an Alardyce; a Millington or a Hilbery somewhere in authority 
and prominence。 

It may be said; indeed; that English society being what 
it is; no very great merit is required; once you bear a 
wellknown name; to put you into a position where it is 
easier on the whole to be eminent than obscure。 And if 
this is true of the sons; even the daughters; even in the 
nieenth century; are apt to bee people of importance—
philanthropists and educationalists if they are 
spinsters; and the wives of distinguished men if they marry。 
It is true that there were several lamentable exceptions 
to this rule in the Alardyce group; which seems to indicate 
that the cadets of such houses go more rapidly to 
the bad than the children of ordinary fathers and mothers; 
as if it were somehow a relief to them。 But; on the 
whole; in these first years of the twentieth century; the 

27 



Night and Day 

Alardyces and their relations were keeping their heads well 
above water。 One finds them at the tops of professions; 
with letters after their names; they sit in luxurious public 
offices; with private secretaries attached to them; they 
write solid books in dark covers; issued by the presses of 
the two great universities; and when one of them dies the 
chances are that another of them writes his biography。 

Now the source of this nobility was; of course; the poet; 
and his immediate descendants; therefore; were invested 
with greater luster than the collateral branches。 Mrs。 
Hilbery; in virtue of her position as the only child of the 
poet; was spiritually the head of the family; and Katharine; 
her daughter; had some superior rank among all the cousins 
and connections; the more so because she was an only 
child。 The Alardyces had married and intermarried; and 
their offspring were generally profuse; and had a way of 
meeting regularly in each other’s houses for meals and 
family celebrations which had acquired a semisacred 
character; and were as regularly observed as days of feasting 
and fasting in the Church。 

In times gone by; Mrs。 Hilbery had known all the poets; 

all the novelists; all the beautiful women and distinguished 
men of her time。 These being now either dead or secluded 
in their infirm glory; she made her house a meet
ingplace for her own relations; to whom she would lament 
the passing of the great days of the nieenth 
century; when every department of letters and art was 
represented in England by two or three illustrious names。 
Where are their successors? she would ask; and the absence 
of any poet or painter or novelist of the true caliber 
at the present day was a text upon which she liked to 
ruminate; in a sunset mood of benignant reminiscence; 
which it would have been hard to disturb had there been 
need。 But she was far from visiting their inferiority upon 
the younger generation。 She weled them very heartily 
to her house; told them her stories; gave them sovereigns 
and ices and good advice; and weaved round them 
romances which had generally no likeness to the truth。 

The quality of her birth oozed into Katharine’s consciousness 
from a dozen different sources as soon as she 
was able to perceive anything。 Above her nursery fireplace 
hung a photograph of her grandfather’s tomb in 

28 



Virginia Woolf 

Poets’ Corner; and she was told in one of those moments 
of grownup confidence which are so tremendously impressive 
to the child’s mind; that he was buried there 
because he was a “good and great man。” Later; on an 
anniversary; she was taken by her mother through the 
fog in a hansom cab; and given a large bunch of bright; 
sweetscented flowers to lay upon his tomb。 The candles 
in the church; the singing and the booming of the organ; 
were all; she thought; in his honor。 Again and again she 
was brought down into the drawingroom to receive the 
blessing of some awful distinguished old man; who sat; 
even to her childish eye; somewhat apart; all gathered 
together and clutching a stick; unlike an ordinary visitor 
in her father’s own armchair; and her father himself was 
there; unlike himself; too; a little excited and very polite。 
These formidable old creatures used to take her in 
their arms; look very keenly in her eyes; and then to 
bless her; and tell her that she must mind and be a good 
girl; or detect a look in her face something like Richard’s 
as a small boy。 That drew down upon her her mother’s 
fervent embrace; and she was

小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架