“Well，youmusttaketheresponsibility，“hesaid。“I’vemadeupmymind；IshallgototheBar。“
　　Hiswordswereveryserious，almostemotional；theyrecalledHelenafterasecond’shesitation。
　　“I’msureyou’reright，“shesaidwarmly，andshookthehandheheldout。“You’llbeagreatman，I’mcertain。“
　　Then，asiftomakehimlookatthescene，shesweptherhandroundtheimmensecircumferenceoftheview。Fromthesea，overtheroofsofthetown，acrossthecrestsofthemountains，overtheriverandtheplain，andagainacrossthecrestsofthemountainsitsweptuntilitreachedthevilla，thegarden，themagnolia-tree，andthefiguresofHirstandherselfstandingtogether，whenitdroppedtoherside。
　　HewetandRachelhadlongagoreachedtheparticularplaceontheedgeofthecliffwhere，lookingdownintothesea，youmightchanceonjelly-fishanddolphins。Lookingtheotherway，thevastexpanseoflandgavethemasensationwhichisgivenbynoview，howeverextended，inEngland；thevillagesandthehillstherehavingnames，andthefarthesthorizonofhillsasoftenasnotdippingandshowingalineofmistwhichisthesea；heretheviewwasoneofinfinitesun-driedearth，earthpointedinpinnacles，heapedinvastbarriers，earthwideningandspreadingawayandawayliketheimmensefloorofthesea，earthchequeredbydayandbynight，andpartitionedintodifferentlands，wherefamouscitieswerefounded，andtheracesofmenchangedfromdarksavagestowhitecivilisedmen，andbacktodarksavagesagain。PerhapstheirEnglishbloodmadethisprospectuncomfortablyimpersonalandhostiletothem，forhavingonceturnedtheirfacesthatwaytheynextturnedthemtothesea，andfortherestofthetimesatlookingatthesea。
　　Thesea，thoughitwasathinandsparklingwaterhere，whichseemedincapableofsurgeoranger，eventuallynarroweditself，cloudeditspuretintwithgrey，andswirledthroughnarrowchannelsanddashedinashiverofbrokenwatersagainstmassivegraniterocks。
　　ItwasthisseathatfloweduptothemouthoftheThames；
　　andtheThameswashedtherootsofthecityofLondon。
　　Hewet’sthoughtshadfollowedsomesuchcourseasthis，forthefirstthinghesaidastheystoodontheedgeofthecliffwas——
　　“I’dliketobeinEngland！“
　　Rachellaydownonherelbow，andpartedthetallgrasseswhichgrewontheedge，sothatshemighthaveaclearview。Thewaterwasverycalm；rockingupanddownatthebaseofthecliff，andsoclearthatonecouldseetheredofthestonesatthebottomofit。
　　Soithadbeenatthebirthoftheworld，andsoithadremainedeversince。Probablynohumanbeinghadeverbrokenthatwaterwithboatorwithbody。Obeyingsomeimpulse，shedeterminedtomarthateternityofpeace，andthrewthelargestpebbleshecouldfind。
　　Itstruckthewater，andtheripplesspreadoutandout。
　　Hewetlookeddowntoo。
　　“It’swonderful，“hesaid，astheywidenedandceased。Thefreshnessandthenewnessseemedtohimwonderful。Hethrewapebblenext。
　　Therewasscarcelyanysound。
　　“ButEngland，“Rachelmurmuredintheabsorbedtoneofonewhoseeyesareconcentrateduponsomesight。“Whatd’youwantwithEngland？“
　　“Myfriendschiefly，“hesaid，“andallthethingsonedoes。“
　　HecouldlookatRachelwithouthernoticingit。Shewasstillabsorbedinthewaterandtheexquisitelypleasantsensationswhichalittledepthoftheseawashingoverrockssuggests。
　　Henoticedthatshewaswearingadressofdeepbluecolour，madeofasoftthincottonstuff，whichclungtotheshapeofherbody。
　　Itwasabodywiththeanglesandhollowsofayoungwoman’sbodynotyetdeveloped，butinnowaydistorted，andthusinterestingandevenlovable。RaisinghiseyesHewetobservedherhead；
　　shehadtakenherhatoff，andthefacerestedonherhand。
　　Asshelookeddownintothesea，herlipswereslightlyparted。
　　Theexpressionwasoneofchildlikeintentness，asifshewerewatchingforafishtoswimpastovertheclearredrocks。
　　Neverthelesshertwenty-fouryearsoflifehadgivenheralookofreserve。Herhand，whichlayontheground，thefingerscurlingslightlyin，waswellshapedandcompetent；thesquare-tippedandnervousfingerswerethefingersofamusician。WithsomethinglikeanguishHewetrealisedthat，farfrombeingunattractive，herbodywasveryattractivetohim。Shelookedupsuddenly。
　　Hereyeswerefullofeagernessandinterest。
　　“Youwritenovels？“sheasked。
　　Forthemomenthecouldnotthinkwhathewassaying。Hewasovercomewiththedesiretoholdherinhisarms。
　　“Ohyes，“hesaid。“Thatis，Iwanttowritethem。“
　　Shewouldnottakeherlargegreyeyesoffhisface。
　　“Novels，“sherepeated。“Whydoyouwritenovels？Yououghttowritemusic。Music，yousee“——sheshiftedhereyes，andbecamelessdesirableasherbrainbegantowork，inflictingacertainchangeuponherface——“musicgoesstraightforthings。Itsaysallthereistosayatonce。Withwritingitseemstomethere’ssomuch“——shepausedforanexpression，andrubbedherfingersintheearth——“scratchingonthematchbox。MostofthetimewhenI
　　wasreadingGibbonthisafternoonIwashorribly，ohinfernally，damnablybored！“Shegaveashakeoflaughter，lookingatHewet，wholaughedtoo。
　　“_I_shan’tlendyoubooks，“heremarked。
　　“Whyisit，“Rachelcontinued，“thatIcanlaughatMr。Hirsttoyou，butnottohisface？AtteaIwascompletelyoverwhelmed，notbyhisugliness——byhismind。“Sheenclosedacircleintheairwithherhands。SherealisedwithagreatsenseofcomfortwhoeasilyshecouldtalktoHewet，thosethornsorraggedcornerswhichtearthesurfaceofsomerelationshipsbeingsmoothedaway。
　　“SoIobserved，“saidHewet。“That’sathingthatneverceasestoamazeme。“Hehadrecoveredhiscomposuretosuchanextentthathecouldlightandsmokeacigarette，andfeelingherease，becamehappyandeasyhimself。
　　“Therespectthatwomen，evenwell-educated，veryablewomen，haveformen，“hewenton。“Ibelievewemusthavethesortofpoweroveryouthatwe’resaidtohaveoverhorses。Theyseeusthreetimesasbigasweareorthey’dneverobeyus。Forthatveryreason，I’minclinedtodoubtthatyou’lleverdoanythingevenwhenyouhavethevote。“Helookedatherreflectively。Sheappearedverysmoothandsensitiveandyoung。“It’lltakeatleastsixgenerationsbeforeyou’resufficientlythick-skinnedtogointolawcourtsandbusinessoffices。Considerwhatabullytheordinarymanis，“
　　hecontinued，“theordinaryhard-working，ratherambitioussolicitorormanofbusinesswithafamilytobringupandacertainpositiontomaintain。Andthen，ofcourse，thedaughtershavetogivewaytothesons；thesonshavetobeeducated；theyhavetobullyandshovefortheirwivesandfamilies，andsoitallcomesoveragain。
　　Andmeanwhiletherearethewomeninthebackground……Doyoureallythinkthatthevotewilldoyouanygood？“
　　“Thevote？“Rachelrepeated。Shehadtovisualiseitasalittlebitofpaperwhichshedroppedintoaboxbeforesheunderstoodhisquestion，andlookingateachothertheysmiledatsomethingabsurdinthequestion。
　　“Nottome，“shesaid。“ButIplaythepiano……Aremenreallylikethat？“sheasked，returningtothequestionthatinterestedher。
　　“I’mnotafraidofyou。“Shelookedathimeasily。
　　“Oh，I’mdifferent，“Hewetreplied。“I’vegotbetweensixandsevenhundredayearofmyown。Andthennoonetakesanovelistseriously，thankheavens。There’snodoubtithelpstomakeupforthedrudgeryofaprofessionifaman’stakenvery，veryseriouslybyeveryone——
　　ifhegetsappointments，andhasofficesandatitle，andlotsoflettersafterhisname，andbitsofribbonanddegrees。
　　Idon’tgrudgeit’em，thoughsometimesitcomesoverme——whatanamazingconcoction！Whatamiraclethemasculineconceptionoflifeis——judges，civilservants，army，navy，HousesofParliament，lordmayors——whataworldwe’vemadeofit！LookatHirstnow。
　　Iassureyou，“hesaid，“notaday’spassedsincewecameherewithoutadiscussionastowhetherhe’stostayonatCambridgeortogototheBar。It’shiscareer——hissacredcareer。AndifI’veheardittwentytimes，I’msurehismotherandsisterhavehearditfivehundredtimes。Can’tyouimaginethefamilyconclaves，andthesistertoldtorunoutandfeedtherabbitsbecauseSt。Johnmusthavetheschool-roomtohimself——’St。John’sworking，’’St。Johnwantshisteabroughttohim。’Don’tyouknowthekindofthing？
　　NowonderthatSt。Johnthinksitamatterofconsiderableimportance。
　　Itistoo。Hehastoearnhisliving。ButSt。John’ssister——“
　　Hewetpuffedinsilence。“Noonetakesherseriously，poordear。
　　Shefeedstherabbits。“
　　“Yes，“saidRachel。“I’vefedrabbitsfortwenty-fouryears；itseemsoddnow。“Shelookedmeditative，andHewet，whohadbeentalkingmuchatrandomandinstinctivelyadoptingthefemininepointofview，sawthatshewouldnowtalkaboutherself，whichwaswhathewanted，forsotheymightcometoknoweachother。
　　Shelookedbackmeditativelyuponherpastlife。
　　“Howdoyouspendyourday？“heasked。
　　Shemeditatedstill。Whenshethoughtoftheirdayitseemedtoheritwascutintofourpiecesbytheirmeals。Thesedivisionswereabsolutelyrigid，thecontentsofthedayhavingtoaccommodatethemselveswithinthefourrigidbars。Lookingbackatherlife，thatwaswhatshesaw。
　　“Breakfastnine；luncheonone；teafive；dinnereight，“shesaid。
　　“Well，“saidHewet，“whatd’youdointhemorning？“
　　“Ineedtoplaythepianoforhoursandhours。“
　　“Andafterluncheon？“
　　“ThenIwentshoppingwithoneofmyaunts。Orwewenttoseesomeone，orwetookamessage；orwedidsomethingthathadtobedone——
　　thetapsmightbeleaking。Theyvisitthepooragooddeal——
　　oldchar-womenwithbadlegs，womenwhowantticketsforhospitals。
　　OrIusedtowalkintheparkbymyself。Andafterteapeoplesometimescalled；orinsummerwesatinthegardenorplayedcroquet；
　　inwinterIreadaloud，whiletheyworked；afterdinnerIplayedthepianoandtheywroteletters。Iffatherwasathomewehadfriendsofhistodinner，andaboutonceamonthwewentuptotheplay。
　　Everynowandthenwedinedout；sometimesIwenttoadanceinLondon，butthatwasdifficultbecauseofgettingback。
　　Thepeoplewesawwereoldfamilyfriends，andrelations，butwedidn’tseemanypeople。Therewastheclergyman，Mr。Pepper，andtheHunts。Fathergenerallywantedtobequietwhenhecamehome，becauseheworksveryhardatHull。Alsomyauntsaren’tverystrong。Ahousetakesupalotoftimeifyoudoitproperly。
　　Ourservantswerealwaysbad，andsoAuntLucyusedtodoagooddealinthekitchen，andAuntClara，Ithink，spentmostofthemorningdustingthedrawing-roomandgoingthroughthelinenandsilver。
　　Thentherewerethedogs。Theyhadtobeexercised，besidesbeingwashedandbrushed。NowSandy’sdead，butAuntClarahasaveryoldcockatoothatcamefromIndia。Everythinginourhouse，“
　　sheexclaimed，“comesfromsomewhere！It’sfullofoldfurniture，notreallyold，Victorian，thingsmother’sfamilyhadorfather’sfamilyhad，whichtheydidn’tliketogetridof，Isuppose，thoughwe’vereallynoroomforthem。It’sratheranicehouse，“
　　shecontinued，“exceptthatit’salittledingy——dullIshouldsay。“
　　Shecalledupbeforehereyesavisionofthedrawing-roomathome；
　　itwasalargeoblongroom，withasquarewindowopeningonthegarden。
　　Greenplushchairsstoodagainstthewall；therewasaheavycarvedbook-case，withglassdoors，andageneralimpressionoffadedsofacovers，largespacesofpalegreen，andbasketswithpiecesofwool-workdroppingoutofthem。PhotographsfromoldItalianmasterpieceshungonthewalls，andviewsofVenetianbridgesandSwedishwaterfallswhichmembersofthefamilyhadseenyearsago。