“Howsillythepooroldlightslook！“saidEvelynM。inacuriouslysubduedtoneofvoice。“Andourselves；itisn’tbecoming。“
　　Itwastrue；theuntidyhair，andthegreenandyellowgems，whichhadseemedsofestivehalfanhourago，nowlookedcheapandslovenly。
　　Thecomplexionsoftheelderladiessufferedterribly，and，asifconsciousthatacoldeyehadbeenturneduponthem，theybegantosaygood-nightandtomaketheirwayuptobed。
　　Rachel，thoughrobbedofheraudience，hadgoneonplayingtoherself。
　　FromJohnPeelshepassedtoBach，whowasatthistimethesubjectofherintenseenthusiasm，andonebyonesomeoftheyoungerdancerscameinfromthegardenandsatuponthedesertedgiltchairsroundthepiano，theroombeingnowsoclearthattheyturnedoutthelights。
　　Astheysatandlistened，theirnerveswerequieted；theheatandsorenessoftheirlips，theresultofincessanttalkingandlaughing，wassmoothedaway。Theysatverystillasiftheysawabuildingwithspacesandcolumnssucceedingeachotherrisingintheemptyspace。
　　Thentheybegantoseethemselvesandtheirlives，andthewholeofhumanlifeadvancingverynoblyunderthedirectionofthemusic。
　　Theyfeltthemselvesennobled，andwhenRachelstoppedplayingtheydesirednothingbutsleep。
　　Susanrose。“Ithinkthishasbeenthehappiestnightofmylife！“
　　sheexclaimed。“Idoadoremusic，“shesaid，asshethankedRachel。
　　“Itjustseemstosayallthethingsonecan’tsayoneself。“
　　Shegaveanervouslittlelaughandlookedfromonetoanotherwithgreatbenignity，asthoughshewouldliketosaysomethingbutcouldnotfindthewordsinwhichtoexpressit。“Everyone’sbeensokind——
　　soverykind，“shesaid。Thenshetoowenttobed。
　　Thepartyhavingendedintheveryabruptwayinwhichpartiesdoend，HelenandRachelstoodbythedoorwiththeircloakson，lookingforacarriage。
　　“Isupposeyourealisethattherearenocarriagesleft？“
　　saidSt。John，whohadbeenouttolook。“Youmustsleephere。“
　　“Oh，no，“saidHelen；“weshallwalk。“
　　“Maywecometoo？“Hewetasked。“Wecan’tgotobed。Imaginelyingamongbolstersandlookingatone’swashstandonamorninglikethis——
　　Isthatwhereyoulive？“Theyhadbeguntowalkdowntheavenue，andheturnedandpointedatthewhiteandgreenvillaonthehillside，whichseemedtohaveitseyesshut。
　　“That’snotalightburning，isit？“Helenaskedanxiously。
　　“It’sthesun，“saidSt。John。Theupperwindowshadeachaspotofgoldonthem。
　　“Iwasafraiditwasmyhusband，stillreadingGreek，“shesaid。
　　“Allthistimehe’sbeenediting_Pindar_。“
　　Theypassedthroughthetownandturnedupthesteeproad，whichwasperfectlyclear，thoughstillunborderedbyshadows。
　　Partlybecausetheyweretired，andpartlybecausetheearlylightsubduedthem，theyscarcelyspoke，butbreathedinthedeliciousfreshair，whichseemedtobelongtoadifferentstateoflifefromtheairatmidday。Whentheycametothehighyellowwall，wherethelaneturnedofffromtheroad，Helenwasfordismissingthetwoyoungmen。
　　“You’vecomefarenough，“shesaid。“Gobacktobed。“
　　Buttheyseemedunwillingtomove。
　　“Let’ssitdownamoment，“saidHewet。Hespreadhiscoatontheground。“Let’ssitdownandconsider。“Theysatdownandlookedoutoverthebay；itwasverystill，theseawasripplingfaintly，andlinesofgreenandbluewerebeginningtostripeit。Therewerenosailingboatsasyet，butasteamerwasanchoredinthebay，lookingveryghostlyinthemist；itgaveoneunearthlycry，andthenallwassilent。
　　Racheloccupiedherselfincollectingonegreystoneafteranotherandbuildingthemintoalittlecairn；shediditveryquietlyandcarefully。
　　“Andsoyou’vechangedyourviewoflife，Rachel？“saidHelen。
　　Racheladdedanotherstoneandyawned。“Idon’tremember，“shesaid，“Ifeellikeafishatthebottomofthesea。“Sheyawnedagain。
　　Noneofthesepeoplepossessedanypowertofrightenherouthereinthedawn，andshefeltperfectlyfamiliarevenwithMr。Hirst。
　　“Mybrain，onthecontrary，“saidHirst，“isinaconditionofabnormalactivity。“Hesatinhisfavouritepositionwithhisarmsbindinghislegstogetherandhischinrestingonthetopofhisknees。“Iseethrougheverything——absolutelyeverything。
　　Lifehasnomoremysteriesforme。“Hespokewithconviction，butdidnotappeartowishforananswer。Nearthoughtheysat，andfamiliarthoughtheyfelt，theyseemedmereshadowstoeachother。
　　“Andallthosepeopledowntheregoingtosleep，“Hewetbegandreamily，“thinkingsuchdifferentthings，——MissWarrington，Isuppose，isnowonherknees；theElliotsarealittlestartled，it’snotoften_they_getoutofbreath，andtheywanttogettosleepasquicklyaspossible；thenthere’sthepoorleanyoungmanwhodancedallnightwithEvelyn；he’sputtinghisflowerinwaterandaskinghimself，’Isthislove？’——andpooroldPerrott，Idaresay，can’tgettosleepatall，andisreadinghisfavouriteGreekbooktoconsolehimself——
　　andtheothers——no，Hirst，“hewoundup，“Idon’tfinditsimpleatall。“
　　“Ihaveakey，“saidHirstcryptically。Hischinwasstilluponhiskneesandhiseyesfixedinfrontofhim。
　　Asilencefollowed。ThenHelenroseandbadethemgood-night。
　　“But，“shesaid，“rememberthatyou’vegottocomeandseeus。“
　　Theywavedgood-nightandparted，butthetwoyoungmendidnotgobacktothehotel；theywentforawalk，duringwhichtheyscarcelyspoke，andnevermentionedthenamesofthetwowomen，whowere，toaconsiderableextent，thesubjectoftheirthoughts。
　　Theydidnotwishtosharetheirimpressions。Theyreturnedtothehotelintimeforbreakfast。
　　Thereweremanyroomsinthevilla，butoneroomwhichpossessedacharacterofitsownbecausethedoorwasalwaysshut，andnosoundofmusicorlaughterissuedfromit。Everyoneinthehousewasvaguelyconsciousthatsomethingwentonbehindthatdoor，andwithoutintheleastknowingwhatitwas，wereinfluencedintheirownthoughtsbytheknowledgethatifthepasseditthedoorwouldbeshut，andiftheymadeanoiseMr。Ambroseinsidewouldbedisturbed。Certainactsthereforepossessedmerit，andotherswerebad，sothatlifebecamemoreharmoniousandlessdisconnectedthanitwouldhavebeenhadMr。Ambrosegivenupediting_Pindar_，andtakentoanomadexistence，inandoutofeveryroominthehouse。
　　Asitwas，everyonewasconsciousthatbyobservingcertainrules，suchaspunctualityandquiet，bycookingwell，andperformingothersmallduties，oneodeafteranotherwassatisfactorilyrestoredtotheworld，andtheysharedthecontinuityofthescholar’slife。
　　Unfortunately，asageputsonebarrierbetweenhumanbeings，andlearninganother，andsexathird，Mr。Ambroseinhisstudywassomethousandmilesdistantfromthenearesthumanbeing，whointhishouseholdwasinevitablyawoman。Hesathourafterhouramongwhite-leavedbooks，alonelikeanidolinanemptychurch，stillexceptforthepassageofhishandfromonesideofthesheettoanother，silentsaveforanoccasionalchoke，whichdrovehimtoextendhispipeamomentintheair。Asheworkedhiswayfurtherandfurtherintotheheartofthepoet，hischairbecamemoreandmoredeeplyencircledbybooks，whichlayopenonthefloor，andcouldonlybecrossedbyacarefulprocessofstepping，sodelicatethathisvisitorsgenerallystoppedandaddressedhimfromtheoutskirts。
　　Onthemorningafterthedance，however，Rachelcameintoheruncle’sroomandhailedhimtwice，“UncleRidley，“beforehepaidheranyattention。
　　Atlengthhelookedoverhisspectacles。
　　“Well？“heasked。
　　“Iwantabook，“shereplied。“Gibbon’s_History__of__the_
　　_Roman__Empire_。MayIhaveit？“
　　Shewatchedthelinesonheruncle’sfacegraduallyrearrangethemselvesatherquestion。Ithadbeensmoothasamaskbeforeshespoke。
　　“Pleasesaythatagain，“saidheruncle，eitherbecausehehadnotheardorbecausehehadnotunderstood。
　　Sherepeatedthesamewordsandreddenedslightlyasshedidso。
　　“Gibbon！Whatonearthd’youwanthimfor？“heenquired。
　　“Somebodyadvisedmetoreadit，“Rachelstammered。
　　“ButIdon’ttravelaboutwithamiscellaneouscollectionofeighteenth-centuryhistorians！“heruncleexclaimed。
　　“Gibbon！Tenbigvolumesatleast。“
　　Rachelsaidthatshewassorrytointerrupt，andwasturningtogo。
　　“Stop！“criedheruncle。Heputdownhispipe，placedhisbookononeside，androseandledherslowlyroundtheroom，holdingherbythearm。
　　“Plato，“hesaid，layingonefingeronthefirstofarowofsmalldarkbooks，“andJorrocksnextdoor，whichiswrong。Sophocles，Swift。
　　Youdon’tcareforGermancommentators，Ipresume。French，then。
　　YoureadFrench？YoushouldreadBalzac。ThenwecometoWordsworthandColeridge，Pope，Johnson，Addison，Wordsworth，Shelley，Keats。
　　Onethingleadstoanother。WhyisMarlowehere？Mrs。Chailey，Ipresume。Butwhat’stheuseofreadingifyoudon’treadGreek？
　　Afterall，ifyoureadGreek，youneedneverreadanythingelse，purewasteoftime——purewasteoftime，“thusspeakinghalftohimself，withquickmovementsofhishands；theyhadcomeroundagaintothecircleofbooksonthefloor，andtheirprogresswasstopped。
　　“Well，“hedemanded，“whichshallitbe？“
　　“Balzac，“saidRachel，“orhaveyouthe_Speech__on__the_
　　_American__Revolution_，UncleRidley？“
　　“_The__Speech__on__the__American__Revolution_？“heasked。
　　Helookedatherverykeenlyagain。“Anotheryoungmanatthedance？“
　　“No。ThatwasMr。Dalloway，“sheconfessed。
　　“GoodLord！“heflungbackhisheadinrecollectionofMr。Dalloway。
　　Shechoseforherselfavolumeatrandom，submittedittoheruncle，who，seeingthatitwas_La__Cousine__bette_，badeherthrowitawayifshefoundittoohorrible，andwasabouttoleavehimwhenhedemandedwhethershehadenjoyedherdance？
　　Hethenwantedtoknowwhatpeopledidatdances，seeingthathehadonlybeentoonethirty-fiveyearsago，whennothinghadseemedtohimmoremeaninglessandidiotic。Didtheyenjoyturningroundandroundtothescreechofafiddle？Didtheytalk，andsayprettythings，andifso，whydidn’ttheydoit，underreasonableconditions？
　　Asforhimself——hesighedandpointedatthesignsofindustrylyingallabouthim，which，inspiteofhissigh，filledhisfacewithsuchsatisfactionthathisniecethoughtgoodtoleave。
　　Onbestowingakissshewasallowedtogo，butnotuntilshehadboundherselftolearnatanyratetheGreekalphabet，andtoreturnherFrenchnovelwhendonewith，uponwhichsomethingmoresuitablewouldbefoundforher。
　　Astheroomsinwhichpeopleliveareapttogiveoffsomethingofthesameshockastheirfaceswhenseenforthefirsttime，Rachelwalkedveryslowlydownstairs，lostinwonderatheruncle，andhisbooks，andhisneglectofdances，andhisqueer，utterlyinexplicable，butapparentlysatisfactoryviewoflife，whenhereyewascaughtbyanotewithhernameonitlyinginthehall。
　　Theaddresswaswritteninasmallstronghandunknowntoher，andthenote，whichhadnobeginning，ran:——
　　IsendthefirstvolumeofGibbonasIpromised。PersonallyIfindlittletobesaidforthemoderns，butI’mgoingtosendyouWedekindwhenI’vedonehim。Donne？HaveyoureadWebsterandallthatset？
　　Ienvyyoureadingthemforthefirsttime。Completelyexhaustedafterlastnight。Andyou？
　　TheflourishofinitialswhichshetooktobeSt。J。A。H。，wounduptheletter。ShewasverymuchflatteredthatMr。Hirstshouldhaverememberedher，andfulfilledhispromisesoquickly。
　　Therewasstillanhourtoluncheon，andwithGibboninonehand，andBalzacintheothershestrolledoutofthegateanddownthelittlepathofbeatenmudbetweentheolivetreesontheslopeofthehill。Itwastoohotforclimbinghills，butalongthevalleythereweretreesandagrasspathrunningbytheriverbed。