The Voyage Out

o any conclusion, for by one of those accidents which are liable to h

z, became a colt in a field. The plates slanted away from the knives, and Mrs. Dalloway's face blanched for a second as she helped herself and saw the potatoes roll this way and that. Willoughby, of course, extolled the virtues of his ship, and

loway stayed in her room. Richard faced three meals, eating valiantly at each;

e," he said,

er, looking round the table; but no one was ready t

ut a bandanna on her head. For comfort they retreated to their cabins, where with tightly wedged feet they let the ship bounce and tumble. Their sensations were the sensations of potatoes in a sack on a galloping horse. The world outside was merely a violent grey tumult. For t

y's door, knocked, could not be heard for the slamm

half-raised on a pillow, and did not open her

as thrown against the w

incredibly dissipated appearance. "Awful

ntrived to pour champagne into a

gne," s

Clarissa, and smiled; it might have been

ng the basins. Relics of humour still

crossed Mrs. Dalloway in waves. When the curtains flapped, grey lights puffed across her. Between the spasms of the storm, Hele

Clarissa gaspe

allen and scattered on the floor. For one second she

nice," s

lloway. She could not help respecting her spirit and her desire, even in the thro

hip instead of taking the usual plunge went steadily. The monotonous order of plunging and rising, roaring and relaxing, was interfered with, and every one at table l

me," Ridley calle

y spot of gold. Instantly the world dropped into shape; they were no longer atoms flying in the void, but people riding a triumphant ship on the back of the sea. Win

cle of sun; next minute it was traversed by sailing stands of cloud, and then completely hidden. By breakfast the next morning, however, the sky was swept clean, the waves, altho

head, and then lay down again. The inside of his brain was still rising and falling like the sea on the stage. At four o'clock he woke from sleep and saw the sunlight make a vivi

down to her by the lapel of his coat, k

ook quite washed out. . . . How nice you smell! . .

the cool side of her pillow, terri

rother-in-law, over two dishes of ye

exclaimed on seeing him.

ands that moved about

She's had an awful time of it. You came in and fed he

n sick for twenty yea

of Willoughby. "The milk stage, the bread-and-butter stage, and the roast-beef st

k; and by dinner-time you'll be clamouring for beef, eh?" He

he is!" said Richard. "A

n, "he's always

on't stop with ships, I should say. We shall see him in Parliament, or I'm much

much interested in

hing, isn't it?" she ask

ne's body in this world. D'you know, I can never work without a kettle on the h

bad for you

we politicians must make up our minds to that at the

our goose!" said

time? Reading-philosophy?" (He saw the black book.) "Metaphysics and fishing!" he exclaimed. "If I

member arguing until five in the morning with Duffy-now Secretary for India-pacing round and round those cloisters until we decided it was too late to go to bed, and we went for a ride instead. Whether we ever came to any conclusion-that's another matter. Still, it's the arguing that counts. It

elen. "But can you remember

and went off with

d firm. With his head slightly lowered he sheered round corners, strode uphill, and met the blast. There was a collision. For a second he could not see what the body was he had run into. "Sorry." "Sorry." It was Rachel who apologised. They both laughed, too much blown about to speak. Sh

t a tempest!"

uggle and wind had given her a decision she lack

on? Is this your room? How jolly!" "There-sit

eights? . . . Is this where you meditate on the world, and then come out and pose poor politicians with qu

ou think!

an communicate! There are lots of things I should like to tel

repeated. "Wh

me what you think of it. This reticence-this isolation-that's what's the matter with modern life! Now, tell me about yourself. What are your interests and occupations? I should imagine that you were a person with very stron

m a woman,"

throwing his head back, and dra

iously, "has the whole world at her feet. That's true, Miss Vinrace. You have

asked

ht, he kissed her passionately, so that she felt the hardness of his body and the roughness of his cheek printed upon hers. She fell bac

he emotion was so great that she could only keep herself moving above the great leaps of her heart. She leant upon the rail of the ship, and gradually ceased to feel, for a chill of body and mind crept over

e possibilities she had never guessed at. She leant upon the rail and looked over the troubled grey waters, where the sunlight was fitf

er which is hidden in ordinary life, so that they did not like to look at each other. Richard slid his eyes over her un

ed. "Come now-after that walk you

people at the dinner-table seem featureless and small. After dinner, sitting alone with Rachel under the great swinging l

d. Are you tir

achel. "Oh, yes, I

t she could touch the damp bricks on either side. At length the tunnel opened and became a vault; she found herself trapped in it, bricks meeting her wherever she turned, alone with a little deformed man who squatted on the floor gibbering, with long nails. His

ce. She felt herself pursued, so that she got up and actually locked her door. A voice moaned for her; eyes desired her. All night lon