than a moment or so。 The task which lay before her was
to organize a series of entertainments； the profits of which
were to benefit the society； which drooped for want of
funds。 It was her first attempt at organization on a large
scale； and she meant to achieve something remarkable。
She meant to use the cumbrous machine to pick out this；
that； and the other interesting person from the muddle
of the world； and to set them for a week in a pattern
which must catch the eyes of Cabi Ministers； and the
eyes once caught； the old arguments were to be delivered
with unexampled originality。 Such was the scheme
as a whole； and in contemplation of it she would bee
quite flushed and excited； and have to remind herself of
all the details that intervened between her and success。
The door would open； and Mr。 Clacton would e in to
search for a certain leaflet buried beneath a pyramid of
leaflets。 He was a thin； sandyhaired man of about thirty
five； spoke with a Cockney accent； and had about him a
frugal look； as if nature had not dealt generously with
him in any way； which； naturally； prevented him from
dealing generously with other people。 When he had found
his leaflet； and offered a few jocular hints upon keeping
papers in order； the typewriting would stop abruptly； and
Mrs。 Seal would burst into the room with a letter which
needed explanation in her hand。 This was a more serious
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Night and Day
interruption than the other； because she never knew exactly
what she wanted； and half a dozen requests would
bolt from her； no one of which was clearly stated。 Dressed
in plumcolored velveteen； with short； gray hair； and a
face that seemed permanently flushed with philanthropic
enthusiasm； she was always in a hurry； and always in
some disorder。 She wore two crucifixes； which got themselves
entangled in a heavy gold chain upon her breast；
and seemed to Mary expressive of her mental ambiguity。
Only her vast enthusiasm and her worship of Miss Markham；
one of the pioneers of the society； kept her in her place；
for which she had no sound qualification。
So the morning wore on； and the pile of letters grew；
and Mary felt； at last； that she was the center ganglion of
a very fine work of nerves which fell over England；
and one of these days； when she touched the heart of the
system； would begin feeling and rushing together and
emitting their splendid blaze of revolutionary fireworks
—for some such metaphor represents what she felt about
her work； when her brain had been heated by three hours
of application。
Shortly before one o’clock Mr。 Clacton and Mrs。 Seal
desisted from their labors； and the old joke about luncheon；
which came out regularly at this hour； was repeated
with scarcely any variation of words。 Mr。 Clacton
patronized a vegetarian restaurant； Mrs。 Seal brought
sandwiches； which she ate beneath the plarees in
Russell Square； while Mary generally went to a gaudy establishment；
upholstered in red plush； near by； where；
much to the vegetarian’s disapproval； you could buy steak；
two inches thick； or a roast section of fowl； swimming in
a pewter dish。
“The bare branches against the sky do one so much
good；” Mrs。 Seal asserted； looking out into the Square。
“But one can’t lunch off trees； Sally；” said Mary。
“I confess I don’t know how you manage it； Miss
Datchet；” Mr。 Clacton remarked。 “I should sleep all the
afternoon； I know； if I took a heavy meal in the middle of
the day。”
“What’s the very latest thing in literature？” Mary asked；
goodhumoredly pointing to the yellowcovered volume
beneath Mr。 Clacton’s arm； for he invariably read some
66
Virginia Woolf
new French author at lunchtime； or squeezed in a visit
to a picture gallery； balancing his social work with an
ardent culture of which he was secretly proud； as Mary
had very soon divined。
So they parted and Mary walked away； wondering if
they guessed that she really wanted to get away from
them； and supposing that they had not quite reached
that degree of subtlety。 She bought herself an evening
paper； which she read as she ate； looking over the top of
it again and again at the queer people who were buying
cakes or imparting their secrets； until some young woman
whom she knew came in； and she called out； “Eleanor；
e and sit by me；” and they finished their lunch together；
parting on the strip of pavement among the different
lines of traffic with a pleasant feeling that they
were stepping once more into their separate places in
the great and eternally moving pattern of human life。
But； instead of going straight back to the office today；
Mary turned into the British Museum； and strolled down
the gallery with the shapes of stone until she found an
empty seat directly beneath the gaze of the Elgin marbles。
She looked at them； and seemed； as usual； borne up on
some wave of exaltation and emotion； by which her life
at once became solemn and beautiful—an impression
which was due as much； perhaps； to the solitude and
chill and silence of the gallery as to the actual beauty of
the statues。 One must suppose； at least； that her emotions
were not purely esthetic； because； after she had
gazed at the Ulysses for a minute or two； she began to
think about Ralph Denham。 So secure did she feel with
these silent shapes that she almost yielded to an impulse
to say “I am in love with you” aloud。 The presence of this
immense and enduring beauty made her almost alarmingly
conscious of her desire； and at the same time proud
of a feeling which did not display anything like the same
proportions when she was going about her daily work。
She repressed her impulse to speak aloud； and rose and
wandered about rather aimlessly among the statues until
she found herself in another gallery devoted to engraved
obelisks and winged Assyrian bulls； and her emotion took
another turn。 She began to picture herself traveling with
Ralph in a land where these monsters were couchant in
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Night and Day
the sand。 “For；” she thought to herself； as she gazed fixedly
at some information printed behind a piece of glass；
“the wonderful thing about you is that you’re ready for
anything； you’re not in the least conventional； like most
clever men。”
And she conjured up a scene of herself on a camel’s
back； in the desert； while Ralph manded a whole tribe
of natives。
“That is what you can do；” she went on； moving on to the
next statue。 “You always make people do what you want。”
A glow spread over her spirit； and filled her eyes with
brightness。 Nevertheless； before she left the Museum she
was very far from saying； even in the privacy of her own
mind； “I am in love with you；” and that sentence might
very well never have framed itself。 She was； indeed； rather
annoyed with herself for having allowed such an illconsidered
breach of her reserve； weakening her powers of
resistance； she felt； should this impulse return again。
For； as she walked along the street to her office； the force
of all her customary objectio