Friendsmighthavetoldherthings，butshehadfewofherownage，——

Richmondbeinganawkwardplacetoreach，——and，asithappened，theonlygirlsheknewwellwasareligiouszealot，whointhefervourofintimacytalkedaboutGod，andthebestwaysoftakingupone’scross，atopiconlyfitfullyinterestingtoonewhosemindreachedotherstagesatothertimes。

Butlyinginherchair，withonehandbehindherhead，theothergraspingtheknobonthearm，shewasclearlyfollowingherthoughtsintently。Hereducationleftherabundanttimeforthinking。

Hereyeswerefixedsosteadilyuponaballontherailoftheshipthatshewouldhavebeenstartledandannoyedifanythinghadchancedtoobscureitforasecond。Shehadbegunhermeditationswithashoutoflaughter，causedbythefollowingtranslationfrom_Tristan_:

InshrinkingtrepidationHisshameheseemstohideWhiletothekinghisrelationHebringsthecorpse-likeBride。

SeemsitsosenselesswhatIsay？

Shecriedthatitdid，andthrewdownthebook。Nextshehadpickedup_Cowper’s__Letters_，theclassicprescribedbyherfatherwhichhadboredher，sothatonesentencechancingtosaysomethingaboutthesmellofbroominhisgarden，shehadthereuponseenthelittlehallatRichmondladenwithflowersonthedayofhermother’sfuneral，smellingsostrongthatnowanyflower-scentbroughtbackthesicklyhorriblesensation；

andsofromonesceneshepassed，half-hearing，half-seeing，toanother。ShesawherAuntLucyarrangingflowersinthedrawing-room。

“AuntLucy，“shevolunteered，“Idon’tlikethesmellofbroom；

itremindsmeoffunerals。“

“Nonsense，Rachel，“AuntLucyreplied；“don’tsaysuchfoolishthings，dear。Ialwaysthinkitaparticularlycheerfulplant。“

Lyinginthehotsunhermindwasfixeduponthecharactersofheraunts，theirviews，andthewaytheylived。IndeedthiswasasubjectthatlastedherhundredsofmorningwalksroundRichmondPark，andblottedoutthetreesandthepeopleandthedeer。Whydidtheydothethingstheydid，andwhatdidtheyfeel，andwhatwasitallabout？AgainsheheardAuntLucytalkingtoAuntEleanor。

Shehadbeenthatmorningtotakeupthecharacterofaservant，“And，ofcourse，athalf-pastteninthemorningoneexpectstofindthehousemaidbrushingthestairs。“Howodd！Howunspeakablyodd！

Butshecouldnotexplaintoherselfwhysuddenlyasherauntspokethewholesysteminwhichtheylivedhadappearedbeforehereyesassomethingquiteunfamiliarandinexplicable，andthemselvesaschairsorumbrellasdroppedabouthereandtherewithoutanyreason。

Shecouldonlysaywithherslightstammer，“Areyouf-f-fondofAuntEleanor，AuntLucy？“towhichherauntreplied，withhernervoushen-liketwitterofalaugh，“Mydearchild，whatquestionsyoudoask！“

“Howfond？Veryfond！“Rachelpursued。

“Ican’tsayI’veeverthought’how，’“saidMissVinrace。

“Ifonecaresonedoesn’tthink’how，’Rachel，“whichwasaimedattheniecewhohadneveryet“come“toherauntsascordiallyastheywished。

“ButyouknowIcareforyou，don’tyou，dear，becauseyou’reyourmother’sdaughter，iffornootherreason，andthere_are_plentyofotherreasons“——andsheleantoverandkissedherwithsomeemotion，andtheargumentwasspiltirretrievablyabouttheplacelikeabucketofmilk。

BythesemeansRachelreachedthatstageinthinking，ifthinkingitcanbecalled，whentheeyesareintentuponaballoraknobandthelipsceasetomove。Hereffortstocometoanunderstandinghadonlyhurtheraunt’sfeelings，andtheconclusionmustbethatitisbetternottotry。Tofeelanythingstronglywastocreateanabyssbetweenoneselfandotherswhofeelstronglyperhapsbutdifferently。

Itwasfarbettertoplaythepianoandforgetalltherest。

Theconclusionwasverywelcome。Lettheseoddmenandwomen——

heraunts，theHunts，Ridley，Helen，Mr。Pepper，andtherest——

besymbols，——featurelessbutdignified，symbolsofage，ofyouth，ofmotherhood，oflearning，andbeautifuloftenaspeopleuponthestagearebeautiful。Itappearedthatnobodyeversaidathingtheymeant，orevertalkedofafeelingtheyfelt，butthatwaswhatmusicwasfor。

Realitydwellinginwhatonesawandfelt，butdidnottalkabout，onecouldacceptasysteminwhichthingswentroundandroundquitesatisfactorilytootherpeople，withoutoftentroublingtothinkaboutit，exceptassomethingsuperficiallystrange。

Absorbedbyhermusicsheacceptedherlotverycomplacently，blazingintoindignationperhapsonceafortnight，andsubsidingasshesubsidednow。Inextricablymixedindreamyconfusion，hermindseemedtoenterintocommunion，tobedelightfullyexpandedandcombinedwiththespiritofthewhitishboardsondeck，withthespiritofthesea，withthespiritofBeethovenOp。

112，evenwiththespiritofpoorWilliamCowperthereatOlney。

Likeaballofthistledownitkissedthesea，rose，kisseditagain，andthusrisingandkissingpassedfinallyoutofsight。Therisingandfallingoftheballofthistledownwasrepresentedbythesuddendroopforwardofherownhead，andwhenitpassedoutofsightshewasasleep。

TenminuteslaterMrs。Ambroseopenedthedoorandlookedather。

ItdidnotsurprisehertofindthatthiswasthewayinwhichRachelpassedhermornings。Sheglancedroundtheroomatthepiano，atthebooks，atthegeneralmess。InthefirstplacesheconsideredRachelaesthetically；lyingunprotectedshelookedsomehowlikeavictimdroppedfromtheclawsofabirdofprey，butconsideredasawoman，ayoungwomanoftwenty-four，thesightgaverisetoreflections。

Mrs。Ambrosestoodthinkingforatleasttwominutes。Shethensmiled，turnednoiselesslyawayandwent，lestthesleepershouldwaken，andthereshouldbetheawkwardnessofspeechbetweenthem。

Earlynextmorningtherewasasoundasofchainsbeingdrawnroughlyoverhead；thesteadyheartofthe_Euphrosyne_slowlyceasedtobeat；andHelen，pokinghernoseabovedeck，sawastationarycastleuponastationaryhill。TheyhaddroppedanchorinthemouthoftheTagus，andinsteadofcleavingnewwavesperpetually，thesamewaveskeptreturningandwashingagainstthesidesoftheship。

Assoonasbreakfastwasdone，Willoughbydisappearedoverthevessel’sside，carryingabrownleathercase，shoutingoverhisshoulderthateveryonewastomindandbehavethemselves，forhewouldbekeptinLisbondoingbusinessuntilfiveo’clockthatafternoon。

Ataboutthathourhereappeared，carryinghiscase，professinghimselftired，bothered，hungry，thirsty，cold，andinimmediateneedofhistea。Rubbinghishands，hetoldthemtheadventuresoftheday:

howhehadcomeuponpooroldJacksoncombinghismoustachebeforetheglassintheoffice，littleexpectinghisdescent，hadputhimthroughsuchamorning’sworkasseldomcamehisway；thentreatedhimtoalunchofchampagneandortolans；paidacalluponMrs。Jackson，whowasfatterthanever，poorwoman，butaskedkindlyafterRachel——

andOLord，littleJacksonhadconfessedtoaconfoundedpieceofweakness——well，well，noharmwasdone，hesupposed，butwhatwastheuseofhisgivingordersiftheywerepromptlydisobeyed？

Hehadsaiddistinctlythathewouldtakenopassengersonthistrip。

Herehebegansearchinginhispocketsandeventuallydiscoveredacard，whichheplankeddownonthetablebeforeRachel。Onitsheread，“Mr。andMrs。RichardDalloway，23BrowneStreet，Mayfair。“

“Mr。RichardDalloway，“continuedVinrace，“seemstobeagentlemanwhothinksthatbecausehewasonceamemberofParliament，andhiswife’sthedaughterofapeer，theycanhavewhattheylikefortheasking。TheygotroundpoorlittleJacksonanyhow。

Saidtheymusthavepassages——producedaletterfromLordGlenaway，askingmeasapersonalfavour——overruledanyobjectionsJacksonmade(Idon’tbelievetheycametomuch)，andsothere’snothingforitbuttosubmit，Isuppose。“

ButitwasevidentthatforsomereasonorotherWilloughbywasquitepleasedtosubmit，althoughhemadeashowofgrowling。

ThetruthwasthatMr。andMrs。DallowayhadfoundthemselvesstrandedinLisbon。TheyhadbeentravellingontheContinentforsomeweeks，chieflywithaviewtobroadeningMr。Dalloway’smind。

Unableforaseason，byoneoftheaccidentsofpoliticallife，toservehiscountryinParliament，Mr。DallowaywasdoingthebesthecouldtoserveitoutofParliament。ForthatpurposetheLatincountriesdidverywell，althoughtheEast，ofcourse，wouldhavedonebetter。

“ExpecttohearofmenextinPetersburgorTeheran，“hehadsaid，turningtowavefarewellfromthestepsoftheTravellers’。ButadiseasehadbrokenoutintheEast，therewascholerainRussia，andhewasheardof，notsoromantically，inLisbon。TheyhadbeenthroughFrance；hehadstoppedatmanufacturingcentreswhere，producinglettersofintroduction，hehadbeenshownoverworks，andnotedfactsinapocket-book。InSpainheandMrs。Dallowayhadmountedmules，fortheywishedtounderstandhowthepeasantslive。

Aretheyripeforrebellion，forexample？Mrs。DallowayhadtheninsisteduponadayortwoatMadridwiththepictures。

FinallytheyarrivedinLisbonandspentsixdayswhich，inajournalprivatelyissuedafterwards，theydescribedasof“uniqueinterest。“

Richardhadaudienceswithministers，andforetoldacrisisatnodistantdate，“thefoundationsofgovernmentbeingincurablycorrupt。

Yethowblame，etc。“；whileClarissainspectedtheroyalstables，andtookseveralsnapshotsshowingmennowexiledandwindowsnowbroken。

AmongotherthingsshephotographedFielding’sgrave，andletlooseasmallbirdwhichsomeruffianhadtrapped，“becauseonehatestothinkofanythinginacagewhereEnglishpeoplelieburied，“

thediarystated。Theirtourwasthoroughlyunconventional，andfollowednomeditatedplan。Theforeigncorrespondentsofthe_Times_decidedtheirrouteasmuchasanythingelse。

Mr。Dallowaywishedtolookatcertainguns，andwasofopinionthattheAfricancoastisfarmoreunsettledthanpeopleathomewereinclinedtobelieve。Forthesereasonstheywantedaslowinquisitivekindofship，comfortable，fortheywerebadsailors，butnotextravagant，whichwouldstopforadayortwoatthisportandatthat，takingincoalwhiletheDallowayssawthingsforthemselves。MeanwhiletheyfoundthemselvesstrandedinLisbon，unableforthemomenttolayhandsupontheprecisevesseltheywanted。

Theyheardofthe_Euphrosyne_，butheardalsothatshewasprimarilyacargoboat，andonlytookpassengersbyspecialarrangement，herbusinessbeingtocarrydrygoodstotheAmazons，andrubberhomeagain。“Byspecialarrangement，“however，werewordsofhighencouragementtothem，fortheycameofaclasswherealmosteverythingwasspeciallyarranged，orcouldbeifnecessary。

OnthisoccasionallthatRicharddidwastowriteanotetoLordGlenaway，theheadofthelinewhichbearshistitle；

tocallonpooroldJackson；torepresenttohimhowMrs。Dallowaywasso-and-so，andhehadbeensomethingorotherelse，andwhattheywantedwassuchandsuchathing。Itwasdone。

Theypartedwithcomplimentsandpleasureonbothsides，andhere，aweeklater，cametheboatrowinguptotheshipintheduskwiththeDallowaysonboardofit；inthreeminutestheywerestandingtogetheronthedeckofthe_Euphrosyne_。Theirarrival，ofcourse，createdsomestir，anditwasseenbyseveralpairsofeyesthatMrs。Dallowaywasatallslightwoman，herbodywrappedinfurs，herheadinveils，whileMr。Dallowayappearedtobeamiddle-sizedmanofsturdybuild，dressedlikeasportsmanonanautumnalmoor。

Manysolidleatherbagsofarichbrownhuesoonsurroundedthem，inadditiontowhichMr。Dallowaycarriedadespatchbox，andhiswifeadressing-casesuggestiveofadiamondnecklaceandbottleswithsilvertops。

“It’ssolikeWhistler！“sheexclaimed，withawavetowardstheshore，assheshookRachelbythehand，andRachelhadonlytimetolookatthegreyhillsononesideofherbeforeWilloughbyintroducedMrs。Chailey，whotooktheladytohercabin。