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[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版-第2部分

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in service。 There lay the gigantic goldrimmed spectacles; 
ready to his hand; and beneath the table was a pair of 
large; worn slippers; one of which Katharine picked up; 
remarking: 

“I think my grandfather must have been at least twice as 
large as any one is nowadays。 This;” she went on; as if she 
knew what she had to say by heart; “is the original manuscript 
of the ‘Ode to Winter。’ The early poems are far less 
corrected than the later。 Would you like to look at it?” 

While Mr。 Denham examined the manuscript; she glanced 
up at her grandfather; and; for the thousandth time; fell 
into a pleasant dreamy state in which she seemed to be 
the panion of those giant men; of their own lineage; 
at any rate; and the insignificant present moment was 

put to shame。 That magnificent ghostly head on the canvas; 
surely; never beheld all the trivialities of a Sunday 
afternoon; and it did not seem to matter what she and 
this young man said to each other; for they were only 
small people。 

“This is a copy of the first edition of the poems;” she 
continued; without considering the fact that Mr。 Denham 
was still occupied with the manuscript; “which contains 
several poems that have not been reprinted; as well as 
corrections。” She paused for a minute; and then went on; 
as if these spaces had all been calculated。 

“That lady in blue is my greatgrandmother; by 
Millington。 Here is my uncle’s walkingstick—he was Sir 
Richard Warburton; you know; and rode with Havelock to 
the Relief of Lucknow。 And then; let me see—oh; that’s 
the original Alardyce; 1697; the founder of the family 
fortunes; with his wife。 Some one gave us this bowl the 
other day because it has their crest and initials。 We think 
it must have been given them to celebrate their silver 
weddingday。” 

Here she stopped for a moment; wondering why it was 

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Night and Day 

that Mr。 Denham said nothing。 Her feeling that he was 
antagonistic to her; which had lapsed while she thought 
of her family possessions; returned so keenly that she 
stopped in the middle of her catalog and looked at him。 
Her mother; wishing to connect him reputably with the 
great dead; had pared him with Mr。 Ruskin; and the 
parison was in Katharine’s mind; and led her to be 
more critical of the young man than was fair; for a young 
man paying a call in a tailcoat is in a different element 
altogether from a head seized at its climax of expressiveness; 
gazing immutably from behind a sheet of glass; 
which was all that remained to her of Mr。 Ruskin。 He had 
a singular face—a face built for swiftness and decision 
rather than for massive contemplation; the forehead broad; 
the nose long and formidable; the lips cleanshaven and 
at once dogged and sensitive; the cheeks lean; with a 
deeply running tide of red blood in them。 His eyes; expressive 
now of the usual masculine impersonality and 
authority; might reveal more subtle emotions under favorable 
circumstances; for they were large; and of a clear; 
brown color; they seemed unexpectedly to hesitate and 

speculate; but Katharine only looked at him to wonder 
whether his face would not have e nearer the standard 
of her dead heroes if it had been adorned with side
whiskers。 In his spare build and thin; though healthy; 
cheeks; she saw tokens of an angular and acrid soul。 His 
voice; she noticed; had a slight vibrating or creaking sound 
in it; as he laid down the manuscript and said: 

“You must be very proud of your family; Miss Hilbery。” 

“Yes; I am;” Katharine answered; and she added; “Do 
you think there’s anything wrong in that?” 

“Wrong? How should it be wrong? It must be a bore; 
though; showing your things to visitors;” he added reflectively。 


“Not if the visitors like them。” 

“Isn’t it difficult to live up to your ancestors?” he proceeded。 


“I dare say I shouldn’t try to write poetry;” Katharine 
replied。 

“No。 And that’s what I should hate。 I couldn’t bear my 
grandfather to cut me out。 And; after all;” Denham went 
on; glancing round him satirically; as Katharine thought; 

10 



Virginia Woolf 

“it’s not your grandfather only。 You’re cut out all the way 
round。 I suppose you e of one of the most distinguished 
families in England。 There are the Warburtons 
and the Mannings—and you’re related to the Otways; 
aren’t you? I read it all in some magazine;” he added。 

“The Otways are my cousins;” Katharine replied。 

“Well;” said Denham; in a final tone of voice; as if his 
argument were proved。 

“Well;” said Katharine; “I don’t see that you’ve proved 
anything。” 

Denham smiled; in a peculiarly provoking way。 He was 
amused and gratified to find that he had the power to annoy 
his oblivious; supercilious hostess; if he could not impress 
her; though he would have preferred to impress her。 

He sat silent; holding the precious little book of poems 
unopened in his hands; and Katharine watched him; the 
melancholy or contemplative expression deepening in her 
eyes as her annoyance faded。 She appeared to be considering 
many things。 She had forgotten her duties。 

“Well;” said Denham again; suddenly opening the little 
book of poems; as though he had said all that he meant 

to say or could; with propriety; say。 He turned over the 
pages with great decision; as if he were judging the book 
in its entirety; the printing and paper and binding; as 
well as the poetry; and then; having satisfied himself of 
its good or bad quality; he placed it on the writingtable; 
and examined the malacca cane with the gold knob which 
had belonged to the soldier。 

“But aren’t you proud of your family?” Katharine demanded。 


“No;” said Denham。 “We’ve never done anything to be 
proud of—unless you count paying one’s bills a matter 
for pride。” 

“That sounds rather dull;” Katharine remarked。 

“You would think us horribly dull;” Denham agreed。 

“Yes; I might find you dull; but I don’t think I should 
find you ridiculous;” Katharine added; as if Denham had 
actually brought that charge against her family。 

“No—because we’re not in the least ridiculous。 We’re a 
respectable middleclass family; living at Highgate。” 

“We don’t live at Highgate; but we’re middle class too; 
I suppose。” 

11 



Night and Day 

Denham merely smiled; and replacing the malacca cane 
on the rack; he drew a sword from its ornamental sheath。 

“That belonged to Clive; so we say;” said Katharine; 
taking up her duties as hostess again automatically。 

“Is it a lie?” Denham inquired。 

“It’s a family tradition。 I don’t know that we can prove 
it。” 

“You see; we don’t have traditions in our family;” said 
Denham。 

“You sound very dull;” Katharine remarked; for the second 
time。 

“Merely middle class;” Denham replied。 

“You pay your bills; and you speak the truth。 I don’t see 
why you should despise us。” 

Mr。 Denham carefully sheathed the sword which the 
Hilberys said belonged to Clive。 

“I shouldn’t like to be you; that’s all I said;” he replied; 
as if he were saying what he thought as accurately as he 
could。 

“No; but one never would like to be any one else。” 

“I should。 I should like to be lots of other people。” 

“Then why not us?” Katharine asked。 

Denham looked at her as she sat in her grandfather’s 
armchair; drawing her greatuncle’s malacca cane 
smoothly through her fingers; while her background was 
made up equally of lustrous blueandwhite paint; and 
crimson books with gilt lines on them。 The vitality and 
posure of her attitude; as of a brightplumed bird 
poised easily before further flights; roused him to show 
her the limitations of her lot。 So soon; so easily; would 
he be forgotten。 

“You’ll never know anything at first hand;” he began; 
almost savagely。 “It’s all been done for you。 You’ll never 
know the pleasure of buying things after saving up for 
them; or reading books for the first time; or making discoveries。” 


“Go on;” Katharine observed; as he paused; suddenly 
doubtful; when he heard his voice proclaiming aloud these 
facts; whether there was any truth in them。 

“Of course; I don’t know how you spend your time;” he 
continued; a little stiffly; “but I suppose you have to 
show people round。 You are writing a life of your grand


12 



Virginia Woolf 

father; aren’t you? And this kind of thing”—he nodded 
towards the other room; where they could hear bursts of 
cultivated laughter—”must take up a lot of time。” 

She looked at him expectantly; as if between them they 
were decorating a small figure of herself; and she saw 
him hesitating in the disposition of some bow or sash。 

“You’ve got it very nearly right;” she said; “but I only 
help my mother。 I don’t write myself。” 

“Do you do anything yourself?” he demanded。 

“What do you mean?” she asked。 “I don’t leave the 
house at ten and e back at six。” 

“I don’t mean that。” 

Mr。 Denham had recovered his selfcontrol; he spoke 
with a quietness which made Katharine rather anxious 
that he should explain himself; but at the same time she 
wished to annoy him; to waft him away from her on some 
light current of ridicule or satire; as she was wont to do 
with these intermittent young men of her father’s。 

“Nobody ever does do anything worth doing nowadays;” 
she remarked。 “You see”—she tapped the volume of her 
grandfather’s poems—”we don’t even print as well as they 

did; and as for poets or painters or novelists—there are 
none; so; at any rate; I’m not singular。” 

“No; we haven’t any great men;” Denham replied。 “I’m 
very glad that we haven’t。 I hate great men。 The worship 
of greatness in the nieenth century seems to me to 
explain the worthlessness of that generation。” 

Katharine opened her lips and drew in her breath; as if 
to reply with equal vigor; when the shutting of a door in 
the next room withdrew her attention; and they both 
became conscious that the voices; which had been rising 
and falling round the teatable; had fallen silent; the 
light; even; seemed to have sunk lower。 A moment later 
Mrs。 Hilbery appeared in the doorway of the anteroom。 
She stood looking at them with a smile of expectancy on 
her face; as if a scene from the drama of the younger 
generation were being played for her benefit。 She was a 
remarkablelooking woman; well advanced in the sixties; 
but owing to the lightness of her frame and the brightness 
of her eyes she seemed to have been wafted over 
the surface of the years without taking much harm in the 
passage。 Her face was shrunken and aquiline; but any 

13 



Night and Day 

hint of sharpness was dispelled by the large blue eyes; at 
once sagacious and innocent; which seemed to regard 
the world with an enormous desire that it should behave 
itself nobly; and an entire confidence that it could do so; 
if it would only take the pains。 

Certain lines on the broad forehead and about the lips 
might be taken to suggest that she had known moments 
of some difficulty and perplexity in the course of her 
career; but these had not destroyed her trustfulness; and 
she was clearly still prepared to give every one any number 
of fresh chances and the whole system the benefit of 
the doubt。 She wore a great resemblance to her father; 
and suggested; as he did; the fresh airs and open spaces 
of a younger world。 

“Well;” she said; “how do you like our things; Mr。 
Denham?” 

Mr。 Denham rose; put his book down; opened his 
mouth; but said nothing; as Katharine observed; with 
some amusement。 

Mrs。 Hilbery handled the book he had laid down。 

“There are some books that live;” she mused。 “They are 

young with us; and they grow old with us。 Are you fond 
of poetry; Mr。 Denham? But what an absurd question to 
ask! The truth is; dear Mr。 Fortescue has almost tired me 
out。 He is so eloquent and so witty; so searching and so 
profound that; after half an hour or so; I feel inclined to 
turn out all the lights。 But perhaps he’d be more wonderful 
than ever in the dark。 What d’you think; Katharine? 
Shall we give a little party in plete darkness? There’d 
have to be bright rooms for the bores… 。” 

Here Mr。 Denham held out his hand。 

“But we’ve any number of things to show you!” Mrs。 
Hilbery exclaimed; taking no notice of it。 “Books; pictures; 
china; manuscripts; and the very chair that Mary 
Queen of Scots sat in when she heard of Darnley’s murder。 
I must lie down for a little; and Katharine must change 
her dress (though she’s wearing a very pretty one); but if 
you don’t mind being left alone; supper will be at eight。 
I dare say you’ll write a poem of your own while you’re 
waiting。 Ah; how I love the firelight! Doesn’t our room 
look charming?” 

She stepped back and bade them contemplate the empty 

14 



Virginia Woolf 

drawingroom; with its rich; irregular lights; as the flames 
leapt and wavered。 

“Dear things!” she exclaimed。 “Dear chairs and tables! 
How like old friends they are—faithful; silent friends。 
Which reminds me; Katharine; little Mr。 Anning is ing 
tonight; and Tite Street; and Cadogan Square… 。 Do 
remember to get that drawing of your greatuncle glazed。 
Aunt Millicent remarked it last time she was here; and I 
know how it would hurt me to see MY father in a broken 
glass。” 

It was like tearing through a maze of diamondglittering 
spiders’ webs to say goodbye and escape; for at each 
movement Mrs。 Hilbery remembered something further 
about the villainies of pictureframers or the delights of 
poetry; and at one time it seemed to the young man that 
he would be hypnotized into doing what she pretended 
to want him to do; for he could not suppose that she 
attached any value whatever to his presence。 Katharine; 
however; made an opportunity for him to leave; and for 
that he was grateful to her; as one young person is grateful 
for the understanding of another。 

CHAPTER II 


The young man shut the door with a sharper slam than 
any visitor had used that afternoon; and walked up the 
street at a great pace; cutting the air with his walkingstick。 
He was glad to find himself outside that drawing
room; breathing raw fog; and in contact with unpolished 
people who only wanted their share of the pavement allowed 
them。 He thought that if he had had Mr。 or Mrs。 or 
Miss Hilbery out here he would have made them; somehow; 
feel his superiority; for he was chafed by the memory 
of halting awkward sentences which had failed to give 
even the young woman with the sad; but inwardly ironical 
eyes a hint of his force。 He tried to recall the actual 
words of his little outburst; and unconsciously supplemented 
them by so many words of greater expressiveness 
that the irritation of his failure was somewhat assuaged。 
Sudden stabs of the unmitigated truth assailed him now 
and then; for he was not inclined by nature to take a rosy 
view of his conduct; but what with the beat of his foot 
upon the pavement; and the glimpse which halfdrawn 

15 



Night and Day 

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