Friendsmighthavetoldherthings，butshehadfewofherownage，——
Richmondbeinganawkwardplacetoreach，——and，asithappened，theonlygirlsheknewwellwasareligiouszealot，whointhefervourofintimacytalkedaboutGod，andthebestwaysoftakingupone’scross，atopiconlyfitfullyinterestingtoonewhosemindreachedotherstagesatothertimes。
Butlyinginherchair，withonehandbehindherhead，theothergraspingtheknobonthearm，shewasclearlyfollowingherthoughtsintently。Hereducationleftherabundanttimeforthinking。
Hereyeswerefixedsosteadilyuponaballontherailoftheshipthatshewouldhavebeenstartledandannoyedifanythinghadchancedtoobscureitforasecond。Shehadbegunhermeditationswithashoutoflaughter，causedbythefollowingtranslationfrom_Tristan_:
InshrinkingtrepidationHisshameheseemstohideWhiletothekinghisrelationHebringsthecorpse-likeBride。
SeemsitsosenselesswhatIsay？
Shecriedthatitdid，andthrewdownthebook。Nextshehadpickedup_Cowper’s__Letters_，theclassicprescribedbyherfatherwhichhadboredher，sothatonesentencechancingtosaysomethingaboutthesmellofbroominhisgarden，shehadthereuponseenthelittlehallatRichmondladenwithflowersonthedayofhermother’sfuneral，smellingsostrongthatnowanyflower-scentbroughtbackthesicklyhorriblesensation；
andsofromonesceneshepassed，half-hearing，half-seeing，toanother。ShesawherAuntLucyarrangingflowersinthedrawing-room。
“AuntLucy，“shevolunteered，“Idon’tlikethesmellofbroom；
itremindsmeoffunerals。“
“Nonsense，Rachel，“AuntLucyreplied；“don’tsaysuchfoolishthings，dear。Ialwaysthinkitaparticularlycheerfulplant。“
Lyinginthehotsunhermindwasfixeduponthecharactersofheraunts，theirviews，andthewaytheylived。IndeedthiswasasubjectthatlastedherhundredsofmorningwalksroundRichmondPark，andblottedoutthetreesandthepeopleandthedeer。Whydidtheydothethingstheydid，andwhatdidtheyfeel，andwhatwasitallabout？AgainsheheardAuntLucytalkingtoAuntEleanor。
Shehadbeenthatmorningtotakeupthecharacterofaservant，“And，ofcourse，athalf-pastteninthemorningoneexpectstofindthehousemaidbrushingthestairs。“Howodd！Howunspeakablyodd！
Butshecouldnotexplaintoherselfwhysuddenlyasherauntspokethewholesysteminwhichtheylivedhadappearedbeforehereyesassomethingquiteunfamiliarandinexplicable，andthemselvesaschairsorumbrellasdroppedabouthereandtherewithoutanyreason。
Shecouldonlysaywithherslightstammer，“Areyouf-f-fondofAuntEleanor，AuntLucy？“towhichherauntreplied，withhernervoushen-liketwitterofalaugh，“Mydearchild，whatquestionsyoudoask！“
“Howfond？Veryfond！“Rachelpursued。
“Ican’tsayI’veeverthought’how，’“saidMissVinrace。
“Ifonecaresonedoesn’tthink’how，’Rachel，“whichwasaimedattheniecewhohadneveryet“come“toherauntsascordiallyastheywished。
“ButyouknowIcareforyou，don’tyou，dear，becauseyou’reyourmother’sdaughter，iffornootherreason，andthere_are_plentyofotherreasons“——andsheleantoverandkissedherwithsomeemotion，andtheargumentwasspiltirretrievablyabouttheplacelikeabucketofmilk。
BythesemeansRachelreachedthatstageinthinking，ifthinkingitcanbecalled，whentheeyesareintentuponaballoraknobandthelipsceasetomove。Hereffortstocometoanunderstandinghadonlyhurtheraunt’sfeelings，andtheconclusionmustbethatitisbetternottotry。Tofeelanythingstronglywastocreateanabyssbetweenoneselfandotherswhofeelstronglyperhapsbutdifferently。
Itwasfarbettertoplaythepianoandforgetalltherest。
Theconclusionwasverywelcome。Lettheseoddmenandwomen——
heraunts，theHunts，Ridley，Helen，Mr。Pepper，andtherest——
besymbols，——featurelessbutdignified，symbolsofage，ofyouth，ofmotherhood，oflearning，andbeautifuloftenaspeopleuponthestagearebeautiful。Itappearedthatnobodyeversaidathingtheymeant，orevertalkedofafeelingtheyfelt，butthatwaswhatmusicwasfor。
Realitydwellinginwhatonesawandfelt，butdidnottalkabout，onecouldacceptasysteminwhichthingswentroundandroundquitesatisfactorilytootherpeople，withoutoftentroublingtothinkaboutit，exceptassomethingsuperficiallystrange。
Absorbedbyhermusicsheacceptedherlotverycomplacently，blazingintoindignationperhapsonceafortnight，andsubsidingasshesubsidednow。Inextricablymixedindreamyconfusion，hermindseemedtoenterintocommunion，tobedelightfullyexpandedandcombinedwiththespiritofthewhitishboardsondeck，withthespiritofthesea，withthespiritofBeethovenOp。
112，evenwiththespiritofpoorWilliamCowperthereatOlney。
Likeaballofthistledownitkissedthesea，rose，kisseditagain，andthusrisingandkissingpassedfinallyoutofsight。Therisingandfallingoftheballofthistledownwasrepresentedbythesuddendroopforwardofherownhead，andwhenitpassedoutofsightshewasasleep。
TenminuteslaterMrs。Ambroseopenedthedoorandlookedather。
ItdidnotsurprisehertofindthatthiswasthewayinwhichRachelpassedhermornings。Sheglancedroundtheroomatthepiano，atthebooks，atthegeneralmess。InthefirstplacesheconsideredRachelaesthetically；lyingunprotectedshelookedsomehowlikeavictimdroppedfromtheclawsofabirdofprey，butconsideredasawoman，ayoungwomanoftwenty-four，thesightgaverisetoreflections。
Mrs。Ambrosestoodthinkingforatleasttwominutes。Shethensmiled，turnednoiselesslyawayandwent，lestthesleepershouldwaken，andthereshouldbetheawkwardnessofspeechbetweenthem。
Earlynextmorningtherewasasoundasofchainsbeingdrawnroughlyoverhead；thesteadyheartofthe_Euphrosyne_slowlyceasedtobeat；andHelen，pokinghernoseabovedeck，sawastationarycastleuponastationaryhill。TheyhaddroppedanchorinthemouthoftheTagus，andinsteadofcleavingnewwavesperpetually，thesamewaveskeptreturningandwashingagainstthesidesoftheship。
Assoonasbreakfastwasdone，Willoughbydisappearedoverthevessel’sside，carryingabrownleathercase，shoutingoverhisshoulderthateveryonewastomindandbehavethemselves，forhewouldbekeptinLisbondoingbusinessuntilfiveo’clockthatafternoon。
Ataboutthathourhereappeared，carryinghiscase，professinghimselftired，bothered，hungry，thirsty，cold，andinimmediateneedofhistea。Rubbinghishands，hetoldthemtheadventuresoftheday:
howhehadcomeuponpooroldJacksoncombinghismoustachebeforetheglassintheoffice，littleexpectinghisdescent，hadputhimthroughsuchamorning’sworkasseldomcamehisway；thentreatedhimtoalunchofchampagneandortolans；paidacalluponMrs。Jackson，whowasfatterthanever，poorwoman，butaskedkindlyafterRachel——
andOLord，littleJacksonhadconfessedtoaconfoundedpieceofweakness——well，well，noharmwasdone，hesupposed，butwhatwastheuseofhisgivingordersiftheywerepromptlydisobeyed？
Hehadsaiddistinctlythathewouldtakenopassengersonthistrip。
Herehebegansearchinginhispocketsandeventuallydiscoveredacard，whichheplankeddownonthetablebeforeRachel。Onitsheread，“Mr。andMrs。RichardDalloway，23BrowneStreet，Mayfair。“
“Mr。RichardDalloway，“continuedVinrace，“seemstobeagentlemanwhothinksthatbecausehewasonceamemberofParliament，andhiswife’sthedaughterofapeer，theycanhavewhattheylikefortheasking。TheygotroundpoorlittleJacksonanyhow。
Saidtheymusthavepassages——producedaletterfromLordGlenaway，askingmeasapersonalfavour——overruledanyobjectionsJacksonmadeIdon’tbelievetheycametomuch，andsothere’snothingforitbuttosubmit，Isuppose。“
ButitwasevidentthatforsomereasonorotherWilloughbywasquitepleasedtosubmit，althoughhemadeashowofgrowling。
ThetruthwasthatMr。andMrs。DallowayhadfoundthemselvesstrandedinLisbon。TheyhadbeentravellingontheContinentforsomeweeks，chieflywithaviewtobroadeningMr。Dalloway’smind。
Unableforaseason，byoneoftheaccidentsofpoliticallife，toservehiscountryinParliament，Mr。DallowaywasdoingthebesthecouldtoserveitoutofParliament。ForthatpurposetheLatincountriesdidverywell，althoughtheEast，ofcourse，wouldhavedonebetter。
“ExpecttohearofmenextinPetersburgorTeheran，“hehadsaid，turningtowavefarewellfromthestepsoftheTravellers’。ButadiseasehadbrokenoutintheEast，therewascholerainRussia，andhewasheardof，notsoromantically，inLisbon。TheyhadbeenthroughFrance；hehadstoppedatmanufacturingcentreswhere，producinglettersofintroduction，hehadbeenshownoverworks，andnotedfactsinapocket-book。InSpainheandMrs。Dallowayhadmountedmules，fortheywishedtounderstandhowthepeasantslive。
Aretheyripeforrebellion，forexample？Mrs。DallowayhadtheninsisteduponadayortwoatMadridwiththepictures。
FinallytheyarrivedinLisbonandspentsixdayswhich，inajournalprivatelyissuedafterwards，theydescribedasof“uniqueinterest。“
Richardhadaudienceswithministers，andforetoldacrisisatnodistantdate，“thefoundationsofgovernmentbeingincurablycorrupt。
Yethowblame，etc。“；whileClarissainspectedtheroyalstables，andtookseveralsnapshotsshowingmennowexiledandwindowsnowbroken。
AmongotherthingsshephotographedFielding’sgrave，andletlooseasmallbirdwhichsomeruffianhadtrapped，“becauseonehatestothinkofanythinginacagewhereEnglishpeoplelieburied，“
thediarystated。Theirtourwasthoroughlyunconventional，andfollowednomeditatedplan。Theforeigncorrespondentsofthe_Times_decidedtheirrouteasmuchasanythingelse。
Mr。Dallowaywishedtolookatcertainguns，andwasofopinionthattheAfricancoastisfarmoreunsettledthanpeopleathomewereinclinedtobelieve。Forthesereasonstheywantedaslowinquisitivekindofship，comfortable，fortheywerebadsailors，butnotextravagant，whichwouldstopforadayortwoatthisportandatthat，takingincoalwhiletheDallowayssawthingsforthemselves。MeanwhiletheyfoundthemselvesstrandedinLisbon，unableforthemomenttolayhandsupontheprecisevesseltheywanted。
Theyheardofthe_Euphrosyne_，butheardalsothatshewasprimarilyacargoboat，andonlytookpassengersbyspecialarrangement，herbusinessbeingtocarrydrygoodstotheAmazons，andrubberhomeagain。“Byspecialarrangement，“however，werewordsofhighencouragementtothem，fortheycameofaclasswherealmosteverythingwasspeciallyarranged，orcouldbeifnecessary。
OnthisoccasionallthatRicharddidwastowriteanotetoLordGlenaway，theheadofthelinewhichbearshistitle；
tocallonpooroldJackson；torepresenttohimhowMrs。Dallowaywasso-and-so，andhehadbeensomethingorotherelse，andwhattheywantedwassuchandsuchathing。Itwasdone。
Theypartedwithcomplimentsandpleasureonbothsides，andhere，aweeklater，cametheboatrowinguptotheshipintheduskwiththeDallowaysonboardofit；inthreeminutestheywerestandingtogetheronthedeckofthe_Euphrosyne_。Theirarrival，ofcourse，createdsomestir，anditwasseenbyseveralpairsofeyesthatMrs。Dallowaywasatallslightwoman，herbodywrappedinfurs，herheadinveils，whileMr。Dallowayappearedtobeamiddle-sizedmanofsturdybuild，dressedlikeasportsmanonanautumnalmoor。
Manysolidleatherbagsofarichbrownhuesoonsurroundedthem，inadditiontowhichMr。Dallowaycarriedadespatchbox，andhiswifeadressing-casesuggestiveofadiamondnecklaceandbottleswithsilvertops。
“It’ssolikeWhistler！“sheexclaimed，withawavetowardstheshore，assheshookRachelbythehand，andRachelhadonlytimetolookatthegreyhillsononesideofherbeforeWilloughbyintroducedMrs。Chailey，whotooktheladytohercabin。