“Haveyoudonewhatyousaidyou’ddo？“sheasked。
　　“Asearchingquestion！Ianswer——YesandNo。IfontheonehandI
　　havenotaccomplishedwhatIsetouttoaccomplish——whichofusdoes！——
　　ontheotherIcanfairlysaythis:Ihavenotloweredmyideal。“
　　Helookedresolutelyatasea-gull，asthoughhisidealflewonthewingsofthebird。
　　“But，“saidRachel，“what_is_yourideal？“
　　“Thereyouasktoomuch，MissVinrace，“saidRichardplayfully。
　　Shecouldonlysaythatshewantedtoknow，andRichardwassufficientlyamusedtoanswer。
　　“Well，howshallIreply？Inoneword——Unity。Unityofaim，ofdominion，ofprogress。Thedispersionofthebestideasoverthegreatestarea。“
　　“TheEnglish？“
　　“IgrantthattheEnglishseem，onthewhole，whiterthanmostmen，theirrecordscleaner。But，goodLord，don’trunawaywiththeideathatIdon’tseethedrawbacks——horrors——unmentionablethingsdoneinourverymidst！I’mundernoillusions。Fewpeople，Isuppose，havefewerillusionsthanIhave。Haveyoueverbeeninafactory，MissVinrace！——No，Isupposenot——ImaysayIhopenot。
　　AsforRachel，shehadscarcelywalkedthroughapoorstreet，andalwaysundertheescortoffather，maid，oraunts。
　　“Iwasgoingtosaythatifyou’deverseenthekindofthingthat’sgoingonroundyou，you’dunderstandwhatitisthatmakesmeandmenlikemepoliticians。YouaskedmeamomentagowhetherI’ddonewhatIsetouttodo。Well，whenIconsidermylife，thereisonefactIadmitthatI’mproudof；owingtomesomethousandsofgirlsinLancashire——andmanythousandstocomeafterthem——
　　canspendanhoureverydayintheopenairwhichtheirmothershadtospendovertheirlooms。I’mprouderofthat，Iown，thanIshouldbeofwritingKeatsandShelleyintothebargain！“
　　ItbecamepainfultoRacheltobeoneofthosewhowriteKeatsandShelley。ShelikedRichardDalloway，andwarmedashewarmed。
　　Heseemedtomeanwhathesaid。
　　“Iknownothing！“sheexclaimed。
　　“It’sfarbetterthatyoushouldknownothing，“hesaidpaternally，“andyouwrongyourself，I’msure。Youplayverynicely，I’mtold，andI’venodoubtyou’vereadheapsoflearnedbooks。“
　　Elderlybanterwouldnolongercheckher。
　　“Youtalkofunity，“shesaid。“Yououghttomakemeunderstand。“
　　“Ineverallowmywifetotalkpolitics，“hesaidseriously。
　　“Forthisreason。Itisimpossibleforhumanbeings，constitutedastheyare，bothtofightandtohaveideals。IfIhavepreservedmine，asIamthankfultosaythatingreatmeasureIhave，itisduetothefactthatIhavebeenabletocomehometomywifeintheeveningandtofindthatshehasspentherdayincalling，music，playwiththechildren，domesticduties——whatyouwill；
　　herillusionshavenotbeendestroyed。Shegivesmecouragetogoon。
　　Thestrainofpubliclifeisverygreat，“headded。
　　Thismadehimappearabatteredmartyr，partingeverydaywithsomeofthefinestgold，intheserviceofmankind。
　　“Ican’tthink，“Rachelexclaimed，“howanyonedoesit！“
　　“Explain，MissVinrace，“saidRichard。“ThisisamatterIwanttoclearup。“
　　Hiskindnesswasgenuine，andshedeterminedtotakethechancehegaveher，althoughtotalktoamanofsuchworthandauthoritymadeherheartbeat。
　　“Itseemstomelikethis，“shebegan，doingherbestfirsttorecollectandthentoexposehershiveringprivatevisions。
　　“There’sanoldwidowinherroom，somewhere，letussupposeinthesuburbsofLeeds。“
　　Richardbenthisheadtoshowthatheacceptedthewidow。
　　“InLondonyou’respendingyourlife，talking，writingthings，gettingbillsthrough，missingwhatseemsnatural。Theresultofitallisthatshegoestohercupboardandfindsalittlemoretea，afewlumpsofsugar，oralittlelessteaandanewspaper。
　　WidowsalloverthecountryIadmitdothis。Still，there’sthemindofthewidow——theaffections；thoseyouleaveuntouched。Butyouwasteyouown。“
　　“Ifthewidowgoestohercupboardandfindsitbare，“Richardanswered，“herspiritualoutlookwemayadmitwillbeaffected。IfImaypickholesinyourphilosophy，MissVinrace，whichhasitsmerits，Iwouldpointoutthatahumanbeingisnotasetofcompartments，butanorganism。Imagination，MissVinrace；useyourimagination；
　　that’swhereyouyoungLiberalsfail。Conceivetheworldasawhole。
　　Nowforyoursecondpoint；whenyouassertthatintryingtosetthehouseinorderforthebenefitoftheyounggenerationIamwastingmyhighercapabilities，Itotallydisagreewithyou。
　　Icanconceivenomoreexaltedaim——tobethecitizenoftheEmpire。
　　Lookatitinthisway，MissVinrace；conceivethestateasacomplicatedmachine；wecitizensarepartsofthatmachine；
　　somefulfilmoreimportantduties；othersperhapsIamoneofthem
　　serveonlytoconnectsomeobscurepartsofthemechanism，concealedfromthepubliceye。Yetifthemeanestscrewfailsinitstask，theproperworkingofthewholeisimperilled。“
　　Itwasimpossibletocombinetheimageofaleanblackwidow，gazingoutofherwindow，andlongingforsomeonetotalkto，withtheimageofavastmachine，suchasoneseesatSouthKensington，thumping，thumping，thumping。Theattemptatcommunicationhadbeenafailure。
　　“Wedon’tseemtounderstandeachother，“shesaid。
　　“ShallIsaysomethingthatwillmakeyouveryangry？“hereplied。
　　“Itwon’t，“saidRachel。
　　“Well，then；nowomanhaswhatImaycallthepoliticalinstinct。
　　Youhaveverygreatvirtues；Iamthefirst，Ihope，toadmitthat；
　　butIhavenevermetawomanwhoevensawwhatismeantbystatesmanship。Iamgoingtomakeyoustillmoreangry。
　　IhopethatInevershallmeetsuchawoman。Now，MissVinrace，areweenemiesforlife？“
　　Vanity，irritation，andathrustingdesiretobeunderstood，urgedhertomakeanotherattempt。
　　“Underthestreets，inthesewers，inthewires，inthetelephones，thereissomethingalive；isthatwhatyoumean？Inthingslikedust-carts，andmenmendingroads？YoufeelthatallthetimewhenyouwalkaboutLondon，andwhenyouturnonatapandthewatercomes？“
　　“Certainly，“saidRichard。“Iunderstandyoutomeanthatthewholeofmodernsocietyisbaseduponcooperativeeffort。
　　Ifonlymorepeoplewouldrealisethat，MissVinrace，therewouldbefewerofyouroldwidowsinsolitarylodgings！“
　　Rachelconsidered。
　　“AreyouaLiberalorareyouaConservative？“sheasked。
　　“IcallmyselfaConservativeforconveniencesake，“saidRichard，smiling。“Butthereismoreincommonbetweenthetwopartiesthanpeoplegenerallyallow。“
　　Therewasapause，whichdidnotcomeonRachel’ssidefromanylackofthingstosay；asusualshecouldnotsaythem，andwasfurtherconfusedbythefactthatthetimefortalkingprobablyranshort。
　　Shewashauntedbyabsurdjumbledideas——how，ifonewentbackfarenough，everythingperhapswasintelligible；everythingwasincommon；forthemammothswhopasturedinthefieldsofRichmondHighStreethadturnedintopavingstonesandboxesfullofribbon，andheraunts。
　　“Didyousayyoulivedinthecountrywhenyouwereachild？“
　　sheasked。
　　Crudeashermannersseemedtohim，Richardwasflattered。
　　Therecouldbenodoubtthatherinterestwasgenuine。
　　“Idid，“hesmiled。
　　“Andwhathappened？“sheasked。“OrdoIasktoomanyquestions？“
　　“I’mflattered，Iassureyou。But——letmesee——whathappened？
　　Well，riding，lessons，sisters。Therewasanenchantedrubbishheap，Iremember，whereallkindsofqueerthingshappened。Odd，whatthingsimpresschildren！Icanrememberthelookoftheplacetothisday。
　　It’safallacytothinkthatchildrenarehappy。They’renot；
　　they’reunhappy。I’veneversufferedsomuchasIdidwhenIwasachild。“
　　“Why？“sheasked。
　　“Ididn’tgetonwellwithmyfather，“saidRichardshortly。
　　“Hewasaveryableman，buthard。Well——itmakesonedeterminednottosininthatwayoneself。Childrenneverforgetinjustice。
　　Theyforgiveheapsofthingsgrown-uppeoplemind；butthatsinistheunpardonablesin。Mindyou——IdaresayIwasadifficultchildtomanage；butwhenIthinkwhatIwasreadytogive！No，Iwasmoresinnedagainstthansinning。AndthenIwenttoschool，whereIdidveryfairlywell；andandthen，asIsay，myfathersentmetobothuniversities……D’youknow，MissVinrace，you’vemademethink？Howlittle，afterall，onecantellanybodyaboutone’slife！HereIsit；thereyousit；both，Idoubtnot，chock-fullofthemostinterestingexperiences，ideas，emotions；
　　yethowcommunicate？I’vetoldyouwhateverysecondpersonyoumeetmighttellyou。“
　　“Idon’tthinkso，“shesaid。“It’sthewayofsayingthings，isn’tit，notthethings？“
　　“True，“saidRichard。“Perfectlytrue。“Hepaused。“WhenI
　　lookbackovermylife——I’mforty-two——whatarethegreatfactsthatstandout？Whatweretherevelations，ifImaycallthemso？
　　Themiseryofthepoorand——“hehesitatedandpitchedover“love！“
　　Uponthatwordheloweredhisvoice；itwasawordthatseemedtounveiltheskiesforRachel。
　　“It’sanoddthingtosaytoayounglady，“hecontinued。
　　“Buthaveyouanyideawhat——whatImeanbythat？No，ofcoursenot。
　　Idon’tusethewordinaconventionalsense。Iuseitasyoungmenuseit。Girlsarekeptveryignorant，aren’tthey？
　　Perhapsit’swise——perhaps——You_don’t_know？“
　　Hespokeasifhehadlostconsciousnessofwhathewassaying。
　　“No；Idon’t，“shesaid，scarcelyspeakingaboveherbreath。
　　“Warships，Dick！Overthere！Look！“Clarissa，releasedfromMr。Grice，appreciativeofallhisseaweeds，skimmedtowardsthem，gesticulating。
　　Shehadsightedtwosinistergreyvessels，lowinthewater，andbaldasbone，onecloselyfollowingtheotherwiththelookofeyelessbeastsseekingtheirprey。ConsciousnessreturnedtoRichardinstantly。
　　“ByGeorge！“heexclaimed，andstoodshieldinghiseyes。
　　“Ours，Dick？“saidClarissa。
　　“TheMediterraneanFleet，“heanswered。
　　“The_Euphrosyne_wasslowlydippingherflag。Richardraisedhishat。
　　ConvulsivelyClarissasqueezedRachel’shand。
　　“Aren’tyougladtobeEnglish！“shesaid。
　　Thewarshipsdrewpast，castingacuriouseffectofdisciplineandsadnessuponthewaters，anditwasnotuntiltheywereagaininvisiblethatpeoplespoketoeachothernaturally。Atlunchthetalkwasallofvalouranddeath，andthemagnificentqualitiesofBritishadmirals。Clarissaquotedonepoet，Willoughbyquotedanother。
　　Lifeonboardaman-of-warwassplendid，sotheyagreed，andsailors，wheneveronemetthem，werequiteespeciallyniceandsimple。
　　Thisbeingso，noonelikeditwhenHelenremarkedthatitseemedtoheraswrongtokeepsailorsastokeepaZoo，andthatasfordyingonabattle-field，surelyitwastimeweceasedtopraisecourage——“ortowritebadpoetryaboutit，“snarledPepper。
　　ButHelenwasreallywonderingwhyRachel，sittingsilent，lookedsoqueerandflushed。