“Thelivesofthesepeople，“shetriedtoexplain，theaimlessness，thewaytheylive。Onegoesfromonetoanother，andit’sallthesame。
　　Onenevergetswhatonewantsoutofanyofthem。“
　　HeremotionalstateandherconfusionwouldhavemadeheraneasypreyifHelenhadwishedtoargueorhadwishedtodrawconfidences。
　　Butinsteadoftalkingshefellintoaprofoundsilenceastheywalkedon。Aimless，trivial，meaningless，ohno——whatshehadseenatteamadeitimpossibleforhertobelievethat。
　　Thelittlejokes，thechatter，theinanitiesoftheafternoonhadshrivelledupbeforehereyes。Underneaththelikingsandspites，thecomingstogetherandpartings，greatthingswerehappening——
　　terriblethings，becausetheyweresogreat。Hersenseofsafetywasshaken，asifbeneathtwigsanddeadleavesshehadseenthemovementofasnake。Itseemedtoherthatamoment’srespitewasallowed，amoment’smake-believe，andthenagaintheprofoundandreasonlesslawasserteditself，mouldingthemalltoitsliking，makinganddestroying。
　　ShelookedatRachelwalkingbesideher，stillcrushingtheleavesinherfingersandabsorbedinherownthoughts。Shewasinlove，andshepitiedherprofoundly。Butsherousedherselffromthesethoughtsandapologised。“I’mverysorry，“shesaid，“butifI’mdull，it’smynature，anditcan’tbehelped。“Ifitwasanaturaldefect，however，shefoundaneasyremedy，forshewentontosaythatshethoughtMr。Flushing’sschemeaverygoodone，onlyneedingalittleconsideration，whichitappearedshehadgivenitbythetimetheyreachedhome。Bythattimetheyhadsettledthatifanythingmorewassaid，theywouldaccepttheinvitation。
　　WhenconsideredindetailbyMr。FlushingandMrs。Ambrosetheexpeditionprovedneitherdangerousnordifficult。
　　Theyfoundalsothatitwasnotevenunusual。EveryyearatthisseasonEnglishpeoplemadepartieswhichsteamedashortwayuptheriver，landed，andlookedatthenativevillage，boughtacertainnumberofthingsfromthenatives，andreturnedagainwithoutdamagedonetomindorbody。Whenitwasdiscoveredthatsixpeoplereallywishedthesamethingthearrangementsweresooncarriedout。
　　SincethetimeofElizabethveryfewpeoplehadseentheriver，andnothinghasbeendonetochangeitsappearancefromwhatitwastotheeyesoftheElizabethanvoyagers。ThetimeofElizabethwasonlydistantfromthepresenttimebyamomentofspacecomparedwiththeageswhichhadpassedsincethewaterhadrunbetweenthosebanks，andthegreenthicketsswarmedthere，andthesmalltreeshadgrowntohugewrinkledtreesinsolitude。
　　Changingonlywiththechangeofthesunandtheclouds，thewavinggreenmasshadstoodthereforcenturyaftercentury，andthewaterhadrunbetweenitsbanksceaselessly，sometimeswashingawayearthandsometimesthebranchesoftrees，whileinotherpartsoftheworldonetownhadrisenupontheruinsofanothertown，andthemeninthetownshadbecomemoreandmorearticulateandunlikeeachother。Afewmilesofthisriverwerevisiblefromthetopofthemountainwheresomeweeksbeforethepartyfromthehotelhadpicnicked。SusanandArthurhadseenitastheykissedeachother，andTerenceandRachelastheysattalkingaboutRichmond，andEvelynandPerrottastheystrolledabout，imaginingthattheyweregreatcaptainssenttocolonisetheworld。
　　Theyhadseenthebroadbluemarkacrossthesandwhereitflowedintothesea，andthegreencloudoftreesmassthemselvesaboutitfartherup，andfinallyhideitswatersaltogetherfromsight。
　　Atintervalsforthefirsttwentymilesorsohouseswerescatteredonthebank；bydegreesthehousesbecamehuts，and，laterstill，therewasneitherhutnorhouse，buttreesandgrass，whichwereseenonlybyhunters，explorers，ormerchants，marchingorsailing，butmakingnosettlement。
　　ByleavingSantaMarinaearlyinthemorning，drivingtwentymilesandridingeight，theparty，whichwascomposedfinallyofsixEnglishpeople，reachedtheriver-sideasthenightfell。
　　Theycamecanteringthroughthetrees——Mr。andMrs。Flushing，HelenAmbrose，Rachel，Terence，andSt。John。Thetiredlittlehorsesthenstoppedautomatically，andtheEnglishdismounted。
　　Mrs。Flushingstrodetotheriver-bankinhighspirits。Thedayhadbeenlongandhot，butshehadenjoyedthespeedandtheopenair；
　　shehadleftthehotelwhichshehated，andshefoundthecompanytoherliking。Theriverwasswirlingpastinthedarkness；
　　theycouldjustdistinguishthesmoothmovingsurfaceofthewater，andtheairwasfullofthesoundofit。Theystoodinanemptyspaceinthemidstofgreattree-trunks，andouttherealittlegreenlightmovingslightlyupanddownshowedthemwherethesteamerlayinwhichtheyweretoembark。
　　Whentheyallstooduponitsdecktheyfoundthatitwasaverysmallboatwhichthrobbedgentlybeneaththemforafewminutes，andthenshovedsmoothlythroughthewater。Theyseemedtobedrivingintotheheartofthenight，forthetreesclosedinfrontofthem，andtheycouldhearallroundthemtherustlingofleaves。Thegreatdarknesshadtheusualeffectoftakingawayalldesireforcommunicationbymakingtheirwordssoundthinandsmall；and，afterwalkingroundthedeckthreeorfourtimes，theyclusteredtogether，yawningdeeply，andlookingatthesamespotofdeepgloomonthebanks。Murmuringverylowintherhythmicaltoneofoneoppressedbytheair，Mrs。Flushingbegantowonderwheretheyweretosleep，fortheycouldnotsleepdownstairs，theycouldnotsleepinadogholesmellingofoil，theycouldnotsleepondeck，theycouldnotsleep——Sheyawnedprofoundly。ItwasasHelenhadforeseen；thequestionofnakednesshadrisenalready，althoughtheywerehalfasleep，andalmostinvisibletoeachother。
　　WithSt。John’shelpshestretchedanawning，andpersuadedMrs。Flushingthatshecouldtakeoffherclothesbehindthis，andthatnoonewouldnoticeifbychancesomepartofherwhichhadbeenconcealedforforty-fiveyearswaslaidbaretothehumaneye。
　　Mattresseswerethrowndown，rugsprovided，andthethreewomenlayneareachotherinthesoftopenair。
　　Thegentlemen，havingsmokedacertainnumberofcigarettes，droppedtheglowingendsintotheriver，andlookedforatimeattherippleswrinklingtheblackwaterbeneaththem，undressedtoo，andlaydownattheotherendoftheboat。Theywereverytired，andcurtainedfromeachotherbythedarkness。Thelightfromonelanternfelluponafewropes，afewplanksofthedeck，andtherailoftheboat，butbeyondthattherewasunbrokendarkness，nolightreachedtheirfaces，orthetreeswhichweremassedonthesidesoftheriver。
　　SoonWilfridFlushingslept，andHirstslept。Hewetalonelayawakelookingstraightupintothesky。Thegentlemotionandtheblackshapesthatweredrawnceaselesslyacrosshiseyeshadtheeffectofmakingitimpossibleforhimtothink。Rachel’spresencesonearhimlulledthoughtasleep。Beingsonearhim，onlyafewpacesoffattheotherendoftheboat，shemadeitasimpossibleforhimtothinkaboutherasitwouldhavebeenimpossibletoseeherifshehadstoodquiteclosetohim，herforeheadagainsthisforehead。
　　Insomestrangewaytheboatbecameidentifiedwithhimself，andjustasitwouldhavebeenuselessforhimtogetupandsteertheboat，sowasituselessforhimtostruggleanylongerwiththeirresistibleforceofhisownfeelings。Hewasdrawnonandonawayfromallheknew，slippingoverbarriersandpastlandmarksintounknownwatersastheboatglidedoverthesmoothsurfaceoftheriver。
　　Inprofoundpeace，envelopedindeeperunconsciousnessthanhadbeenhisformanynights，helayondeckwatchingthetree-topschangetheirpositionslightlyagainstthesky，andarchthemselves，andsinkandtowerhuge，untilhepassedfromseeingthemintodreamswherehelaybeneaththeshadowofthevasttrees，lookingupintothesky。
　　Whentheywokenextmorningtheyhadgoneaconsiderablewayuptheriver；ontherightwasahighyellowbankofsandtuftedwithtrees，ontheleftaswampquiveringwithlongreedsandtallbamboosonthetopofwhich，swayingslightly，perchedvividgreenandyellowbirds。Themorningwashotandstill。Afterbreakfasttheydrewchairstogetherandsatinanirregularsemicircleinthebow。
　　Anawningabovetheirheadsprotectedthemfromtheheatofthesun，andthebreezewhichtheboatmadeairedthemsoftly。Mrs。Flushingwasalreadydottingandstripinghercanvas，herheadjerkingthiswayandthatwiththeactionofabirdnervouslypickingupgrain；
　　theothershadbooksorpiecesofpaperorembroideryontheirknees，atwhichtheylookedfitfullyandagainlookedattheriverahead。
　　AtonepointHewetreadpartofapoemaloud，butthenumberofmovingthingsentirelyvanquishedhiswords。Heceasedtoread，andnoonespoke。Theymovedonundertheshelterofthetrees。
　　Therewasnowacoveyofredbirdsfeedingononeofthelittleisletstotheleft，oragainablue-greenparrotflewshriekingfromtreetotree。Astheymovedonthecountrygrewwilderandwilder。
　　Thetreesandtheundergrowthseemedtobestranglingeachothernearthegroundinamultitudinouswrestle；whilehereandthereasplendidtreetoweredhighabovetheswarm，shakingitsthingreenumbrellaslightlyintheupperair。Hewetlookedathisbooksagain。
　　Themorningwaspeacefulasthenighthadbeen，onlyitwasverystrangebecausehecouldseeitwaslight，andhecouldseeRachelandhearhervoiceandbeneartoher。Hefeltasifhewerewaiting，asifsomehowhewerestationaryamongthingsthatpassedoverhimandaroundhim，voices，people’sbodies，birds，onlyRacheltoowaswaitingwithhim。Helookedathersometimesasifshemustknowthattheywerewaitingtogether，andbeingdrawnontogether，withoutbeingabletoofferanyresistance。Againhereadfromhisbook:
　　Whoeveryouareholdingmenowinyourhand，Withoutonethingallwillbeuseless。
　　Abirdgaveawildlaugh，amonkeychuckledamaliciousquestion，and，asfirefadesinthehotsunshine，hiswordsflickeredandwentout。
　　Bydegreesastherivernarrowed，andthehighsandbanksfelltolevelgroundthicklygrownwithtrees，thesoundsoftheforestcouldbeheard。Itechoedlikeahall。Thereweresuddencries；
　　andthenlongspacesofsilence，suchasthereareinacathedralwhenaboy’svoicehasceasedandtheechoofitstillseemstohauntabouttheremoteplacesoftheroof。OnceMr。Flushingroseandspoketoasailor，andevenannouncedthatsometimeafterluncheonthesteamerwouldstop，andtheycouldwalkalittlewaythroughtheforest。
　　“Therearetracksallthroughthetreesthere，“heexplained。
　　“We’renodistancefromcivilisationyet。“
　　Hescrutinisedhiswife’spainting。Toopolitetopraiseitopenly，hecontentedhimselfwithcuttingoffonehalfofthepicturewithonehand，andgivingaflourishintheairwiththeother。
　　“God！“Hirstexclaimed，staringstraightahead。“Don’tyouthinkit’samazinglybeautiful？“
　　“Beautiful？“Helenenquired。Itseemedastrangelittleword，andHirstandherselfbothsosmallthatsheforgottoanswerhim。
　　Hewetfeltthathemustspeak。
　　“That’swheretheElizabethansgottheirstyle，“hemused，staringintotheprofusionofleavesandblossomsandprodigiousfruits。
　　“Shakespeare？IhateShakespeare！“Mrs。Flushingexclaimed；
　　andWilfridreturnedadmiringly，“Ibelieveyou’retheonlypersonwhodarestosaythat，Alice。“ButMrs。Flushingwentonpainting。
　　Shedidnotappeartoattachmuchvaluetoherhusband’scompliment，andpaintedsteadily，sometimesmutteringahalf-audiblewordorgroan。
　　Themorningwasnowveryhot。
　　“LookatHirst！“Mr。Flushingwhispered。Hissheetofpaperhadslippedontothedeck，hisheadlayback，andhedrewalongsnoringbreath。
　　TerencepickedupthesheetofpaperandspreaditoutbeforeRachel。
　　ItwasacontinuationofthepoemonGodwhichhehadbeguninthechapel，anditwassoindecentthatRacheldidnotunderstandhalfofitalthoughshesawthatitwasindecent。
　　HewetbegantofillinwordswhereHirsthadleftspaces，buthesoonceased；hispencilrolledondeck。Graduallytheyapproachednearerandnearertothebankontheright-handside，sothatthelightwhichcoveredthembecamedefinitelygreen，fallingthroughashadeofgreenleaves，andMrs。Flushingsetasidehersketchandstaredaheadofherinsilence。Hirstwokeup；
　　theywerethencalledtoluncheon，andwhiletheyateit，thesteamercametoastandstillalittlewayoutfromthebank。
　　Theboatwhichwastowedbehindthemwasbroughttotheside，andtheladieswerehelpedintoit。