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——overruledanyobjectionsJacksonmadeIdon’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。