TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

walking as if she expected to meet someone round
the corner, while for the first time in his lite
Charles Tansley felt an extraordinary pride; a man
digging in a drain stopped digging and looked at
her; let his arm fall down and looked at her;
Charles Tansley felt an extraordinary pride; felt
the wind and the cyclamen and the violets for he
was walking with a beautiful woman for the first
time in his life. He had hold of her bag.

"No going to the Lighthouse, James/' he
said, as he stood by the window, speaking awk-
wardly, but trying in deference to Mrs. Ramsay
to soften his voice into some semblance of
geniality at least.

Odious little man, thought Mrs. Ramsay, why
go on saying that?

" Perhaps you will wake up and find the sun
shining and the birds singing/* she said com-
passionately, smoothing the little boy's hair, for
her husband, with his caustic saying that it would
not be fine, had dashed his spirits she could see.
This going to the Lighthouse was a passion of
his, she saw, and then, as if her husband had not
28