minutes after she had sat down by the teatable； and she
had the happiness of receiving him alone。 His greeting
put her doubts of his affection at rest； but the first question
he asked was：
“Has Katharine spoken to you？”
“Yes。 But she says she’s not engaged。 She doesn’t seem
to think she’s ever going to be engaged。”
William frowned； and looked annoyed。
“They telephoned this morning； and she behaves very
oddly。 She forgets to help the pudding；” Cassandra added
by way of cheering him。
378
Virginia Woolf
“My dear child； after what I saw and heard last night；
it’s not a question of guessing or suspecting。 Either she’s
engaged to him—or—”
He left his sentence unfinished； for at this point
Katharine herself appeared。 With his recollections of the
scene the night before； he was too selfconscious even to
look at her； and it was not until she told him of her
mother’s visit to StratfordonAvon that he raised his eyes。
It was clear that he was greatly relieved。 He looked round
him now； as if he felt at his ease； and Cassandra exclaimed：
“Don’t you think everything looks quite different？”
“You’ve moved the sofa？” he asked。
“No。 Nothing’s been touched；” said Katharine。
“Everything’s exactly the same。” But as she said this； with
a decision which seemed to make it imply that more than
the sofa was unchanged； she held out a cup into which
she had forgotten to pour any tea。 Being told of her forgetfulness；
she frowned with annoyance； and said that
Cassandra was demoralizing her。 The glance she cast upon
them； and the resolute way in which she plunged them
into speech； made William and Cassandra feel like children
who had been caught prying。 They followed her obediently；
making conversation。 Any one ing in might
have judged them acquaintances met； perhaps； for the
third time。 If that were so； one must have concluded that
the hostess suddenly bethought her of an engagement
pressing for fulfilment。 First Katharine looked at her watch；
and then she asked William to tell her the right time。
When told that it was ten minutes to five she rose at
once； and said：
“Then I’m afraid I must go。”
She left the room； holding her unfinished bread and
butter in her hand。 William glanced at Cassandra。
“Well； she is queer！” Cassandra exclaimed。
William looked perturbed。 He knew more of Katharine
than Cassandra did； but even he could not tell—。 In a
second Katharine was back again dressed in outdoor
things； still holding her bread and butter in her bare hand。
“If I’m late； don’t wait for me；” she said。 “I shall have
dined；” and so saying； she left them。
“But she can’t—” William exclaimed； as the door shut；
379
Night and Day
“not without any gloves and bread and butter in her hand！”
They ran to the window； and saw her walking rapidly along
the street towards the City。 Then she vanished。
“She must have gone to meet Mr。 Denham；” Cassandra
exclaimed。
“Goodness knows！” William interjected。
The incident impressed them both as having something
queer and ominous about it out of all proportion to its
surface strangeness。
“It’s the sort of way Aunt Maggie behaves；” said
Cassandra； as if in explanation。
William shook his head； and paced up and down the
room looking extremely perturbed。
“This is what I’ve been foretelling；” he burst out。 “Once
set the ordinary conventions aside—Thank Heaven Mrs。
Hilbery is away。 But there’s Mr。 Hilbery。 How are we to
explain it to him？ I shall have to leave you。”
“But Uncle Trevor won’t be back for hours； William！”
Cassandra implored。
“You never can tell。 He may be on his way already。 Or
suppose Mrs。 Milvain—your Aunt Celia—or Mrs。 Cosham；
or any other of your aunts or uncles should be shown in
and find us alone together。 You know what they’re saying
about us already。”
Cassandra was equally stricken by the sight of William’s
agitation； and appalled by the prospect of his desertion。
“We might hide；” she exclaimed wildly； glancing at the
curtain which separated the room with the relics。
“I refuse entirely to get under the table；” said William
sarcastically。
She saw that he was losing his temper with the difficulties
of the situation。 Her instinct told her that an appeal
to his affection； at this moment； would be extremely
illjudged。 She controlled herself； sat down； poured out a
fresh cup of tea； and sipped it quietly。 This natural action；
arguing plete selfmastery； and showing her in
one of those feminine attitudes which William found adorable；
did more than any argument to pose his agitation。
It appealed to his chivalry。 He accepted a cup。 Next
she asked for a slice of cake。 By the time the cake was
eaten and the tea drunk the personal question had lapsed；
and they were discussing poetry。 Insensibly they turned
380
Virginia Woolf
from the question of dramatic poetry in general； to the
particular example which reposed in William’s pocket； and
when the maid came in to clear away the teathings；
William had asked permission to read a short passage
aloud； “unless it bored her？”
Cassandra bent her head in silence； but she showed a
little of what she felt in her eyes； and thus fortified； William
felt confident that it would take more than Mrs。 Milvain
herself to rout him from his position。 He read aloud。
Meanwhile Katharine walked rapidly along the street。
If called upon to explain her impulsive action in leaving
the teatable； she could have traced it to no better cause
than that William had glanced at Cassandra； Cassandra at
William。 Yet； because they had glanced； her position was
impossible。 If one forgot to pour out a cup of tea they
rushed to the conclusion that she was engaged to Ralph
Denham。 She knew that in half an hour or so the door
would open； and Ralph Denham would appear。 She could
not sit there and contemplate seeing him with William’s
and Cassandra’s eyes upon them； judging their exact degree
of intimacy； so that they might fix the weddingday。
She promptly decided that she would meet Ralph out of
doors； she still had time to reach Lincoln’s Inn Fields
before he left his office。 She hailed a cab； and bade it
take her to a shop for selling maps which she remembered
in Great Queen Street； since she hardly liked to be
set down at his door。 Arrived at the shop； she bought a
large scale map of Norfolk； and thus provided； hurried
into Lincoln’s Inn Fields； and assured herself of the position
of Messrs。 Hoper and Grateley’s office。 The great gas
chandeliers were alight in the office windows。 She conceived
that he sat at an enormous table laden with papers
beneath one of them in the front room with the
three tall windows。 Having settled his position there； she
began walking to and fro upon the pavement。 Nobody of
his build appeared。 She scrutinized each male figure as it
approached and passed her。 Each male figure had； nevertheless；
a look of him； due； perhaps； to the professional
dress； the quick step； the keen glance which they cast
upon her as they hastened home after the day’s work。
The square itself； with its immense houses all so fully
occupied and stern of aspect； its atmosphere of industry
381
Night and Day
and power； as if even the sparrows and the children were
earning their daily bread； as if the sky itself； with its
gray and scarlet clouds； reflected the serious intention of
the city beneath it； spoke of him。 Here was the fit place
for their meeting； she thought； here was the fit place for
her to walk thinking of him。 She could not help paring
it with the domestic streets of Chelsea。 With this
parison in her mind； she extended her range a little；
and turned into the main road。 The great torrent of vans
and carts was sweeping down Kingsway； pedestrians were
streaming in two currents along the pavements。 She stood
fascinated at the corner。 The deep roar filled her ears；
the changing tumult had the inexpressible fascination of
varied life pouring ceaselessly with a purpose which； as
she looked； seemed to her； somehow； the normal purpose
for which life was framed； its plete indifference to
the individuals； whom it swallowed up and rolled onwards；
filled her with at least a temporary exaltation。 The blend
of daylight and of lamplight made her an invisible spectator；
just as it gave the people who passed her a semitransparent
quality； and left the faces pale ivory ovals in
which the eyes alone were dark。 They tended the enormous
rush of the current—the great flow； the deep stream；
the unquenchable tide。 She stood unobserved and absorbed；
glorying openly in the rapture that had run
subterraneously all day。 Suddenly she was clutched； unwilling；
from the outside； by the recollection of her purpose
in ing there。 She had e to find Ralph Denham。
She hastily turned back into Lincoln’s Inn Fields； and
looked for her landmark—the light in the three tall windows。
She sought in vain。 The faces of the houses had
now merged in the general darkness； and she had difficulty
in determining which she sought。 Ralph’s three windows
gave back on their ghostly glass panels only a reflection
of the gray and greenish sky。 She rang the bell；
peremptorily； under the painted name of the firm。 After
some delay she was answered by a caretaker； whose pail
and brush of themselves told her that the working day
was over and the workers gone。 Nobody； save perhaps Mr。
Grateley himself； was left； she assured Katharine； every
one else had been gone these ten minutes。
The news woke Katharine pletely。 Anxiety gained
382
Virginia Woolf
upon her。 She hastened back into Kingsway； looking at
people who had miraculously regained their solidity。 She
ran as far as the Tube station； overhauling clerk after
clerk； solicitor after solicitor。 Not one of them even faintly
resembled Ralph Denham。 More and more plainly did she
see him； and more and more did he seem to her unlike
any one else。 At the door of the station sh