Asifwashedbytheairhervoicesoundedmorespiritualandsofterthanusual。Voicesatalittledistanceansweredher，“Yes。“
　　Throughthedarknessshewaslookingatthemboth，andtryingtodistinguishhim。Whatwasthereforhertosay？Rachelhadpassedbeyondherguardianship。Avoicemightreachherears，butneveragainwoulditcarryasfarasithadcarriedtwenty-fourhoursago。
　　Nevertheless，speechseemedtobeduefromherbeforeshewenttobed。
　　Shewishedtospeak，butshefeltstrangelyoldanddepressed。
　　“D’yourealisewhatyou’redoing？“shedemanded。“She’syoung，you’rebothyoung；andmarriage——“Heresheceased。Theybeggedher，however，tocontinue，withsuchearnestnessintheirvoices，asiftheyonlycravedadvice，thatshewasledtoadd:
　　“Marriage！well，it’snoteasy。“
　　“That’swhatwewanttoknow，“theyanswered，andsheguessedthatnowtheywerelookingateachother。
　　“Itdependsonbothofyou，“shestated。HerfacewasturnedtowardsTerence，andalthoughhecouldhardlyseeher，hebelievedthatherwordsreallycoveredagenuinedesiretoknowmoreabouthim。
　　Heraisedhimselffromhissemi-recumbentpositionandproceededtotellherwhatshewantedtoknow。Hespokeaslightlyashecouldinordertotakeawayherdepression。
　　“I’mtwenty-seven，andI’veaboutsevenhundredayear，“hebegan。
　　“Mytemperisgoodonthewhole，andhealthexcellent，thoughHirstdetectsagoutytendency。Well，then，IthinkI’mveryintelligent。“
　　Hepausedasifforconfirmation。
　　Helenagreed。
　　“Though，unfortunately，ratherlazy。IintendtoallowRacheltobeafoolifshewantsto，and——Doyoufindmeonthewholesatisfactoryinotherrespects？“heaskedshyly。
　　“Yes，IlikewhatIknowofyou，“Helenreplied。
　　“Butthen——oneknowssolittle。“
　　“WeshallliveinLondon，“hecontinued，“and——“Withonevoicetheysuddenlyenquiredwhethershedidnotthinkthemthehappiestpeoplethatshehadeverknown。
　　“Hush，“shecheckedthem，“Mrs。Flushing，remember。She’sbehindus。“
　　Thentheyfellsilent，andTerenceandRachelfeltinstinctivelythattheirhappinesshadmadehersad，and，whiletheywereanxioustogoontalkingaboutthemselves，theydidnotliketo。
　　“We’vetalkedtoomuchaboutourselves，“Terencesaid。“Tellus——“
　　“Yes，tellus——“Rachelechoed。Theywerebothinthemoodtobelievethateveryonewascapableofsayingsomethingveryprofound。
　　“WhatcanItellyou？“Helenreflected，speakingmoretoherselfinaramblingstylethanasaprophetessdeliveringamessage。
　　Sheforcedherselftospeak。
　　“Afterall，thoughIscoldRachel，I’mnotmuchwisermyself。
　　I’molder，ofcourse，I’mhalf-waythrough，andyou’rejustbeginning。
　　It’spuzzling——sometimes，Ithink，disappointing；thegreatthingsaren’tasgreat，perhaps，asoneexpects——butit’sinteresting——
　　Oh，yes，you’recertaintofinditinteresting——Andsoitgoeson，“
　　theybecameconscioushereoftheprocessionofdarktreesintowhich，asfarastheycouldsee，Helenwasnowlooking，“andtherearepleasureswhereonedoesn’texpectthemyoumustwritetoyourfather，andyou’llbeveryhappy，I’venodoubt。ButImustgotobed，andifyouaresensibleyouwillfollowintenminutes，andso，“
　　sheroseandstoodbeforethem，almostfeaturelessandverylarge，“Good-night。“Shepassedbehindthecurtain。
　　Aftersittinginsilenceforthegreaterpartofthetenminutessheallowedthem，theyroseandhungovertherail。Beneaththemthesmoothblackwaterslippedawayveryfastandsilently。
　　Thesparkofacigarettevanishedbehindthem。“Abeautifulvoice，“
　　Terencemurmured。
　　Rachelassented。Helenhadabeautifulvoice。
　　Afterasilencesheasked，lookingupintothesky，“AreweonthedeckofasteameronariverinSouthAmerica？AmIRachel，areyouTerence？“
　　Thegreatblackworldlayroundthem。Astheyweredrawnsmoothlyalongitseemedpossessedofimmensethicknessandendurance。
　　Theycoulddiscernpointedtree-topsandbluntroundedtree-tops。
　　Raisingtheireyesabovethetrees，theyfixedthemonthestarsandthepaleborderofskyabovethetrees。Thelittlepointsoffrostylightinfinitelyfarawaydrewtheireyesandheldthemfixed，sothatitseemedasiftheystayedalongtimeandfellagreatdistancewhenoncemoretheyrealisedtheirhandsgraspingtherailandtheirseparatebodiesstandingsidebyside。
　　“You’dforgottencompletelyaboutme，“Terencereproachedher，takingherarmandbeginningtopacethedeck，“andIneverforgetyou。“
　　“Oh，no，“shewhispered，shehadnotforgotten，onlythestars——
　　thenight——thedark——
　　“You’relikeabirdhalfasleepinitsnest，Rachel。You’reasleep。
　　You’retalkinginyoursleep。“
　　Halfasleep，andmurmuringbrokenwords，theystoodintheanglemadebythebowoftheboat。Itslippedondowntheriver。
　　Nowabellstruckonthebridge，andtheyheardthelappingofwaterasitrippledawayoneitherside，andonceabirdstartledinitssleepcreaked，flewontothenexttree，andwassilentagain。
　　Thedarknesspoureddownprofusely，andleftthemwithscarcelyanyfeelingoflife，exceptthattheywerestandingtheretogetherinthedarkness。
　　Thedarknessfell，butroseagain，andaseachdayspreadwidelyovertheearthandpartedthemfromthestrangedayintheforestwhentheyhadbeenforcedtotelleachotherwhattheywanted，thiswishoftheirswasrevealedtootherpeople，andintheprocessbecameslightlystrangetothemselves。Apparentlyitwasnotanythingunusualthathadhappened；itwasthattheyhadbecomeengagedtomarryeachother。Theworld，whichconsistedforthemostpartofthehotelandthevilla，expresseditselfgladonthewholethattwopeopleshouldmarry，andallowedthemtoseethattheywerenotexpectedtotakepartintheworkwhichhastobedoneinorderthattheworldshallgoon，butmightabsentthemselvesforatime。
　　Theywereaccordinglyleftaloneuntiltheyfeltthesilenceasif，playinginavastchurch，thedoorhadbeenshutonthem。
　　Theyweredriventowalkalone，andsitalone，tovisitsecretplaceswheretheflowershadneverbeenpickedandthetreesweresolitary。
　　Insolitudetheycouldexpressthosebeautifulbuttoovastdesireswhichweresooddlyuncomfortabletotheearsofothermenandwomen——
　　desiresforaworld，suchastheirownworldwhichcontainedtwopeopleseemedtothemtobe，wherepeoplekneweachotherintimatelyandthusjudgedeachotherbywhatwasgood，andneverquarrelled，becausethatwaswasteoftime。
　　Theywouldtalkofsuchquestionsamongbooks，oroutinthesun，orsittingintheshadeofatreeundisturbed。Theywerenolongerembarrassed，orhalf-chokedwithmeaningwhichcouldnotexpressitself；theywerenotafraidofeachother，or，liketravellersdownatwistingriver，dazzledwithsuddenbeautieswhenthecorneristurned；theunexpectedhappened，buteventheordinarywaslovable，andinmanywayspreferabletotheecstaticandmysterious，foritwasrefreshinglysolid，andcalledouteffort，andeffortundersuchcircumstanceswasnoteffortbutdelight。
　　WhileRachelplayedthepiano，Terencesatnearher，engaged，asfarastheoccasionalwritingofawordinpenciltestified，inshapingtheworldasitappearedtohimnowthatheandRachelweregoingtobemarried。Itwasdifferentcertainly。Thebookcalled_Silence_wouldnotnowbethesamebookthatitwouldhavebeen。Hewouldthenputdownhispencilandstareinfrontofhim，andwonderinwhatrespectstheworldwasdifferent——
　　ithad，perhaps，moresolidity，morecoherence，moreimportance，greaterdepth。Why，eventheearthsometimesseemedtohimverydeep；
　　notcarvedintohillsandcitiesandfields，butheapedingreatmasses。
　　Hewouldlookoutofthewindowfortenminutesatatime；butno，hedidnotcarefortheearthsweptofhumanbeings。Helikedhumanbeings——
　　helikedthem，hesuspected，betterthanRacheldid。Thereshewas，swayingenthusiasticallyoverhermusic，quiteforgetfulofhim，——
　　buthelikedthatqualityinher。Helikedtheimpersonalitywhichitproducedinher。Atlast，havingwrittendownaseriesoflittlesentences，withnotesofinterrogationattachedtothem，heobservedaloud，“’Women——’undertheheadingWomenI’vewritten:
　　“’Notreallyvainerthanmen。Lackofself-confidenceatthebaseofmostseriousfaults。Dislikeofownsextraditional，orfoundedonfact？Everywomannotsomucharakeatheart，asanoptimist，becausetheydon’tthink。’Whatdoyousay，Rachel？“Hepausedwithhispencilinhishandandasheetofpaperonhisknee。
　　Rachelsaidnothing。UpandupthesteepspiralofaverylateBeethovensonatasheclimbed，likeapersonascendingaruinedstaircase，energeticallyatfirst，thenmorelaboriouslyadvancingherfeetwitheffortuntilshecouldgonohigherandreturnedwitharuntobeginattheverybottomagain。
　　“’Again，it’sthefashionnowtosaythatwomenaremorepracticalandlessidealisticthanmen，alsothattheyhaveconsiderableorganisingabilitybutnosenseofhonour’——query，whatismeantbymasculineterm，honour？——whatcorrespondstoitinyoursex？Eh？“
　　Attackingherstaircaseoncemore，Rachelagainneglectedthisopportunityofrevealingthesecretsofhersex。
　　Shehad，indeed，advancedsofarinthepursuitofwisdomthatsheallowedthesesecretstorestundisturbed；itseemedtobereservedforalatergenerationtodiscussthemphilosophically。
　　Crashingdownafinalchordwithherlefthand，sheexclaimedatlast，swingingrounduponhim:
　　“No，Terence，it’snogood；hereamI，thebestmusicianinSouthAmerica，nottospeakofEuropeandAsia，andIcan’tplayanotebecauseofyouintheroominterruptingmeeveryothersecond。“
　　“Youdon’tseemtorealisethatthat’swhatI’vebeenaimingatforthelasthalf-hour，“heremarked。“I’venoobjectiontonicesimpletunes——indeed，Ifindthemveryhelpfultomyliterarycomposition，butthatkindofthingismerelylikeanunfortunateolddoggoingroundonitshindlegsintherain。“
　　Hebeganturningoverthelittlesheetsofnote-paperwhichwerescatteredonthetable，conveyingthecongratulationsoftheirfriends。
　　“’——allpossiblewishesforallpossiblehappiness，’“heread；
　　“correct，butnotveryvivid，arethey？“
　　“They’resheernonsense！“Rachelexclaimed。“Thinkofwordscomparedwithsounds！“shecontinued。“Thinkofnovelsandplaysandhistories——“Perchedontheedgeofthetable，shestirredtheredandyellowvolumescontemptuously。Sheseemedtoherselftobeinapositionwhereshecoulddespiseallhumanlearning。
　　Terencelookedatthemtoo。
　　“God，Rachel，youdoreadtrash！“heexclaimed。“Andyou’rebehindthetimestoo，mydear。Noonedreamsofreadingthiskindofthingnow——antiquatedproblemplays，harrowingdescriptionsoflifeintheeastend——oh，no，we’veexplodedallthat。
　　Readpoetry，Rachel，poetry，poetry，poetry！“
　　Pickinguponeofthebooks，hebegantoreadaloud，hisintentionbeingtosatirisetheshortsharpbarkofthewriter’sEnglish；
　　butshepaidnoattention，andafteranintervalofmeditationexclaimed:
　　“Doesiteverseemtoyou，Terence，thattheworldiscomposedentirelyofvastblocksofmatter，andthatwe’renothingbutpatchesoflight——“shelookedatthesoftspotsofsunwaveringoverthecarpetandupthewall——“likethat？“
　　“No，“saidTerence，“Ifeelsolid；immenselysolid；thelegsofmychairmightberootedinthebowelsoftheearth。ButatCambridge，Icanremember，thereweretimeswhenonefellintoridiculousstatesofsemi-comaaboutfiveo’clockinthemorning。Hirstdoesnow，Iexpect——oh，no，Hirstwouldn’t。“
　　Rachelcontinued，“Thedayyournotecame，askingustogoonthepicnic，Iwassittingwhereyou’resittingnow，thinkingthat；
　　IwonderifIcouldthinkthatagain？Iwonderiftheworld’schanged？
　　andifso，whenit’llstopchanging，andwhichistherealworld？“
　　“WhenIfirstsawyou，“hebegan，“Ithoughtyouwerelikeacreaturewho’dlivedallitslifeamongpearlsandoldbones。
　　Yourhandswerewet，d’youremember，andyouneversaidaworduntilIgaveyouabitofbread，andthenyousaid，’HumanBeings！’“