[夜与日].(night.and.day).(英)弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙.文字版- 第99部分

Mary　had　a　ruffled　appearance；　as　if　she　had　been　running　
her　fingers　through　her　hair　in　the　course　of　her　
conversation；　she　was　dressed　more　or　less　like　a　Russian　
peasant　girl。　She　sat　down　again　in　a　chair　which　looked　
as　if　it　had　been　her　seat　for　some　hours；　the　saucer　
which　stood　upon　the　arm　contained　the　ashes　of　many　
cigarettes。　Mr。　Bast；　a　very　young　man　with　a　fresh　
plexion　and　a　high　forehead　from　which　the　hair　was　
bed　straight　back；　was　one　of　that　group　of　“very　
able　young　men”　suspected　by　Mr。　Clacton；　justly　as　it　
turned　out；　of　an　influence　upon　Mary　Datchet。　He　had　
e　down　from　one　of　the　Universities　not　long　ago；　
and　was　now　charged　with　the　reformation　of　society。　In　
connection　with　the　rest　of　the　group　of　very　able　young　
men　he　had　drawn　up　a　scheme　for　the　education　of　labor；　
for　the　amalgamation　of　the　middle　class　and　the　
working　class；　and　for　a　joint　assault　of　the　two　bodies；　
bined　in　the　Society　for　the　Education　of　Democracy；　

upon　Capital。　The　scheme　had　already　reached　the　stage　
in　which　it　was　permissible　to　hire　an　office　and　engage　
a　secretary；　and　he　had　been　deputed　to　expound　the　
scheme　to　Mary；　and　make　her　an　offer　of　the　Secretaryship；　
to　which；　as　a　matter　of　principle；　a　small　salary　
was　attached。　Since　seven　o’clock　that　evening　he　had　
been　reading　out　loud　the　document　in　which　the　faith　of　
the　new　reformers　was　expounded；　but　the　reading　was　
so　frequently　interrupted　by　discussion；　and　it　was　so　
often　necessary　to　inform　Mary　“in　strictest　confidence”　
of　the　private　characters　and　evil　designs　of　certain　individuals　
and　societies　that　they　were　still　only　halfway　
through　the　manuscript。　Neither　of　them　realized　that　
the　talk　had　already　lasted　three　hours。　In　their　absorption　
they　had　forgotten　even　to　feed　the　fire；　and　yet　
both　Mr。　Bast　in　his　exposition；　and　Mary　in　her　interrogation；　
carefully　preserved　a　kind　of　formality　calculated　
to　check　the　desire　of　the　human　mind　for　irrelevant　
discussion。　Her　questions　frequently　began；　“Am　I　
to　understand—”　and　his　replies　invariably　represented　
the　views　of　some　one　called　“we。”　

309　



Night　and　Day　

By　this　time　Mary　was　almost　persuaded　that　she；　too；　
was　included　in　the　“we；”　and　agreed　with　Mr。　Bast　in　
believing　that　“our”　views；　“our”　society；　“our”　policy；　
stood　for　something　quite　definitely　segregated　from　the　
main　body　of　society　in　a　circle　of　superior　illumination。　

The　appearance　of　Katharine　in　this　atmosphere　was　
extremely　incongruous；　and　had　the　effect　of　making　Mary　
remember　all　sorts　of　things　that　she　had　been　glad　to　
forget。　

“You’ve　been　dining　out？”　she　asked　again；　looking；　
with　a　little　smile；　at　the　blue　silk　and　the　pearlsewn　
shoes。　

“No；　at　home。　Are　you　starting　something　new？”　
Katharine　hazarded；　rather　hesitatingly；　looking　at　the　
papers。　

“We　are；”　Mr。　Bast　replied。　He　said　no　more。　

“I’m　thinking　of　leaving　our　friends　in　Russell　Square；”　
Mary　explained。　

“I　see。　And　then　you　will　do　something　else。”　

“Well；　I’m　afraid　I　like　working；”　said　Mary。　

“Afraid；”　said　Mr。　Bast；　conveying　the　impression　

that；　in　his　opinion；　no　sensible　person　could　be　afraid　
of　liking　to　work。　

“Yes；”　said　Katharine；　as　if　he　had　stated　this　opinion　
aloud。　“I　should　like　to　start　something—something　off　
one’s　own　bat—that’s　what　I　should　like。”　

“Yes；　that’s　the　fun；”　said　Mr。　Bast；　looking　at　her　
for　the　first　time　rather　keenly；　and　refilling　his　pipe。　

“But　you　can’t　limit　work—that’s　what　I　mean；”　said　
Mary。　“I　mean　there　are　other　sorts　of　work。　No　one　works　
harder　than　a　woman　with　little　children。”　

“Quite　so；”　said　Mr。　Bast。　“It’s　precisely　the　women　
with　babies　we　want　to　get　hold　of。”　He　glanced　at　his　
document；　rolled　it　into　a　cylinder　between　his　fingers；　
and　gazed　into　the　fire。　Katharine　felt　that　in　this　pany　
anything　that　one　said　would　be　judged　upon　its　
merits；　one　had　only　to　say　what　one　thought；　rather　
barely　and　tersely；　with　a　curious　assumption　that　the　
number　of　things　that　could　properly　be　thought　about　
was　strictly　limited。　And　Mr。　Bast　was　only　stiff　upon　
the　surface；　there　was　an　intelligence　in　his　face　which　
attracted　her　intelligence。　

310　



Virginia　Woolf　

“When　will　the　public　know？”　she　asked。　

“What　d’you　mean—about　us？”　Mr。　Bast　asked；　with　
a　little　smile。　

“That　depends　upon　many　things；”　said　Mary。　The　conspirators　
looked　pleased；　as　if　Katharine’s　question；　with　
the　belief　in　their　existence　which　it　implied；　had　a　warming　
effect　upon　them。　

“In　starting　a　society　such　as　we　wish　to　start　（we　can’t　
say　any　more　at　present）；”　Mr。　Bast　began；　with　a　
little　jerk　of　his　head；　“there　are　two　things　to　remember—
the　Press　and　the　public。　Other　societies；　which　shall　
be　nameless；　have　gone　under　because　they’ve　appealed　
only　to　cranks。　If　you　don’t　want　a　mutual　admiration　
society；　which　dies　as　soon　as　you’ve　all　discovered　each　
other’s　faults；　you　must　nobble　the　Press。　You　must　appeal　
to　the　public。”　

“That’s　the　difficulty；”　said　Mary　thoughtfully。　

“That’s　where　she　es　in；”　said　Mr。　Bast；　jerking　
his　head　in　Mary’s　direction。　“She’s　the　only　one　of　us　
who’s　a　capitalist。　She　can　make　a　wholetime　job　of　it。　I’m　
tied　to　an　office；　I　can　only　give　my　spare　time。　Are　you；　

by　any　chance；　on　the　lookout　for　a　job？”　he　asked　

Katharine；　with　a　queer　mixture　of　distrust　and　deference。　

“Marriage　is　her　job　at　present；”　Mary　replied　for　her。　

“Oh；　I　see；”　said　Mr。　Bast。　He　made　allowances　for　
that；　he　and　his　friends　had　faced　the　question　of　sex；　
along　with　all　others；　and　assigned　it　an　honorable　place　
in　their　scheme　of　life。　Katharine　felt　this　beneath　the　
roughness　of　his　manner；　and　a　world　entrusted　to　the　
guardianship　of　Mary　Datchet　and　Mr。　Bast　seemed　to　
her　a　good　world；　although　not　a　romantic　or　beautiful　
place　or；　to　put　it　figuratively；　a　place　where　any　line　of　
blue　mist　softly　linked　tree　to　tree　upon　the　horizon。　For　
a　moment　she　thought　she　saw　in　his　face；　bent　now　over　
the　fire；　the　features　of　that　original　man　whom　we　still　
recall　every　now　and　then；　although　we　know　only　the　
clerk；　barrister；　Governmental　official；　or　workingman　
variety　of　him。　Not　that　Mr。　Bast；　giving　his　days　to　
merce　and　his　spare　time　to　social　reform；　would　long　
carry　about　him　any　trace　of　his　possibilities　of　pleteness；　
but；　for　the　moment；　in　his　youth　and　ardor；　
still　speculative；　still　uncramped；　one　might　imagine　him　

311　



Night　and　Day　

the　citizen　of　a　nobler　state　than　ours。　Katharine　turned　
over　her　small　stock　of　information；　and　wondered　what　
their　society　might　be　going　to　attempt。　Then　she　remembered　
that　she　was　hindering　their　business；　and　rose；　
still　thinking　of　this　society；　and　thus　thinking；　she　said　
to　Mr。　Bast：　

“Well；　you’ll　ask　me　to　join　when　the　time　es；　I　
hope。”　

He　nodded；　and　took　his　pipe　from　his　mouth；　but；　
being　unable　to　think　of　anything　to　say；　he　p