Momentarythoughitseemed，neverthelesstheinterruptionwasupsetting；
everyonewasmoreorlessputoutbyit，fromMr。Grice，thesteward，toRidleyhimself。AfewminuteslaterRachelpassedthesmoking-room，andfoundHelenmovingarm-chairs。Shewasabsorbedinherarrangements，andonseeingRachelremarkedconfidentially:
“Ifonecangivemenaroomtothemselveswheretheywillsit，it’salltothegood。Arm-chairsare_the_importantthings——“
Shebeganwheelingthemabout。“Now，doesitstilllooklikeabaratarailwaystation？“
Shewhippedaplushcoveroffatable。Theappearanceoftheplacewasmarvellouslyimproved。
Again，thearrivalofthestrangersmadeitobvioustoRachel，asthehourofdinnerapproached，thatshemustchangeherdress；
andtheringingofthegreatbellfoundhersittingontheedgeofherberthinsuchapositionthatthelittleglassabovethewashstandreflectedherheadandshoulders。Intheglasssheworeanexpressionoftensemelancholy，forshehadcometothedepressingconclusion，sincethearrivaloftheDalloways，thatherfacewasnotthefaceshewanted，andinallprobabilityneverwouldbe。
However，punctualityhadbeenimpressedonher，andwhateverfaceshehad，shemustgointodinner。
ThesefewminuteshadbeenusedbyWilloughbyinsketchingtotheDallowaysthepeopletheyweretomeet，andcheckingthemuponhisfingers。
“There’smybrother-in-law，Ambrose，thescholarIdaresayyou’veheardhisname，hiswife，myoldfriendPepper，averyquietfellow，butknowseverything，I’mtold。Andthat’sall。
We’reaverysmallparty。I’mdroppingthemonthecoast。“
Mrs。Dalloway，withherheadalittleononeside，didherbesttorecollectAmbrose——wasitasurname？——butfailed。Shewasmadeslightlyuneasybywhatshehadheard。Sheknewthatscholarsmarriedanyone——girlstheymetinfarmsonreadingparties；
orlittlesuburbanwomenwhosaiddisagreeably，“OfcourseIknowit’smyhusbandyouwant；not_me_。“
ButHelencameinatthatpoint，andMrs。Dallowaysawwithreliefthatthoughslightlyeccentricinappearance，shewasnotuntidy，heldherselfwell，andhervoicehadrestraintinit，whichsheheldtobethesignofalady。Mr。Pepperhadnottroubledtochangehisneatuglysuit。
“Butafterall，“ClarissathoughttoherselfasshefollowedVinraceintodinner，“_every__one’s_interestingreally。“
Whenseatedatthetableshehadsomeneedofthatassurance，chieflybecauseofRidley，whocameinlate，lookeddecidedlyunkempt，andtooktohissoupinprofoundgloom。
Animperceptiblesignalpassedbetweenhusbandandwife，meaningthattheygraspedthesituationandwouldstandbyeachotherloyally。
WithscarcelyapauseMrs。DallowayturnedtoWilloughbyandbegan:
“WhatIfindsotiresomeabouttheseaisthattherearenoflowersinit。Imaginefieldsofhollyhocksandvioletsinmid-ocean！
Howdivine！“
“Butsomewhatdangeroustonavigation，“boomedRichard，inthebass，likethebassoontotheflourishofhiswife’sviolin。“Why，weedscanbebadenough，can’tthey，Vinrace？Iremembercrossinginthe_Mauretania_once，andsayingtotheCaptain——Richards——didyouknowhim？——’Nowtellmewhatperilsyoureallydreadmostforyourship，CaptainRichards？’expectinghimtosayicebergs，orderelicts，orfog，orsomethingofthatsort。Notabitofit。I’vealwaysrememberedhisanswer。’_Sedgius__aquatici_，’hesaid，whichI
taketobeakindofduck-weed。“
Mr。Pepperlookedupsharply，andwasabouttoputaquestionwhenWilloughbycontinued:
“They’veanawfultimeofit——thosecaptains！Threethousandsoulsonboard！“
“Yes，indeed，“saidClarissa。SheturnedtoHelenwithanairofprofundity。“I’mconvincedpeoplearewrongwhentheysayit’sworkthatwearsone；it’sresponsibility。That’swhyonepaysone’scookmorethanone’shousemaid，Isuppose。“
“Accordingtothat，oneoughttopayone’snursedouble；
butonedoesn’t，“saidHelen。
“No；butthinkwhatajoytohavetodowithbabies，insteadofsaucepans！“
saidMrs。Dalloway，lookingwithmoreinterestatHelen，aprobablemother。
“I’dmuchratherbeacookthananurse，“saidHelen。“Nothingwouldinducemetotakechargeofchildren。“
“Mothersalwaysexaggerate，“saidRidley。“Awell-bredchildisnoresponsibility。I’vetravelledalloverEuropewithmine。
Youjustwrap’emupwarmandput’emintherack。“
Helenlaughedatthat。Mrs。Dallowayexclaimed，lookingatRidley:
“Howlikeafather！Myhusband’sjustthesame。Andthenonetalksoftheequalityofthesexes！“
“Doesone？“saidMr。Pepper。
“Oh，somedo！“criedClarissa。“Myhusbandhadtopassanirateladyeveryafternoonlastsessionwhosaidnothingelse，Iimagine。“
“Shesatoutsidethehouse；itwasveryawkward，“saidDalloway。
“AtlastIpluckedupcourageandsaidtoher，’Mygoodcreature，you’reonlyinthewaywhereyouare。You’rehinderingme，andyou’redoingnogoodtoyourself。’“
“Andthenshecaughthimbythecoat，andwouldhavescratchedhiseyesout——“Mrs。Dallowayputin。
“Pooh——that’sbeenexaggerated，“saidRichard。“No，Ipitythem，Iconfess。Thediscomfortofsittingonthosestepsmustbeawful。“
“Servethemright，“saidWilloughbycurtly。
“Oh，I’mentirelywithyouthere，“saidDalloway。“NobodycancondemntheutterfollyandfutilityofsuchbehaviourmorethanIdo；
andasforthewholeagitation，well！mayIbeinmygravebeforeawomanhastherighttovoteinEngland！That’sallIsay。“
Thesolemnityofherhusband’sassertionmadeClarissagrave。
“It’sunthinkable，“shesaid。“Don’ttellmeyou’reasuffragist？“
sheturnedtoRidley。
“Idon’tcareafigonewayort’other，“saidAmbrose。
“Ifanycreatureissodeludedastothinkthatavotedoeshimorheranygood，lethimhaveit。He’llsoonlearnbetter。“
“You’renotapolitician，Isee，“shesmiled。
“Goodness，no，“saidRidley。
“I’mafraidyourhusbandwon’tapproveofme，“saidDallowayaside，toMrs。Ambrose。ShesuddenlyrecollectedthathehadbeeninParliament。
“Don’tyoueverfinditratherdull？“sheasked，notknowingexactlywhattosay。
Richardspreadhishandsbeforehim，asifinscriptionsweretobereadinthepalmsofthem。
“IfyouaskmewhetherIeverfinditratherdull，“hesaid，“Iamboundtosayyes；ontheotherhand，ifyouaskmewhatcareerdoyouconsideronthewhole，takingthegoodwiththebad，themostenjoyableandenviable，nottospeakofitsmoreseriousside，ofallcareers，foraman，Iamboundtosay，’ThePolitician’s。’“
“TheBarorpolitics，Iagree，“saidWilloughby。“Yougetmorerunforyourmoney。“
“Allone’sfacultieshavetheirplay，“saidRichard。“Imaybetreadingondangerousground；butwhatIfeelaboutpoetsandartistsingeneralisthis:onyourownlines，youcan’tbebeaten——
granted；butoffyourownlines——puff——onehastomakeallowances。
Now，Ishouldn’tliketothinkthatanyonehadtomakeallowancesforme。“
“Idon’tquiteagree，Richard，“saidMrs。Dalloway。“ThinkofShelley。
Ifeelthatthere’salmosteverythingonewantsin’Adonais。’“
“Read’Adonais’byallmeans，“Richardconceded。“ButwheneverI
hearofShelleyIrepeattomyselfthewordsofMatthewArnold，’Whataset！Whataset！’“
ThisrousedRidley’sattention。“MatthewArnold？Adetestableprig！“
hesnapped。
“Aprig——granted，“saidRichard；“but，Ithinkamanoftheworld。
That’swheremypointcomesin。Wepoliticiansdoubtlessseemtoyou“
hegraspedsomehowthatHelenwastherepresentativeofthearts
“agrosscommonplacesetofpeople；butweseebothsides；
wemaybeclumsy，butwedoourbesttogetagraspofthings。
Nowyourartists_find_thingsinamess，shrugtheirshoulders，turnasidetotheirvisions——whichIgrantmaybeverybeautiful——
and_leave_thingsinamess。Nowthatseemstomeevadingone’sresponsibilities。Besides，wearen’tallbornwiththeartisticfaculty。“
“It’sdreadful，“saidMrs。Dalloway，who，whileherhusbandspoke，hadbeenthinking。“WhenI’mwithartistsIfeelsointenselythedelightsofshuttingoneselfupinalittleworldofone’sown，withpicturesandmusicandeverythingbeautiful，andthenIgooutintothestreetsandthefirstchildImeetwithitspoor，hungry，dirtylittlefacemakesmeturnroundandsay，’No，I
_can’t_shutmyselfup——I_won’t_liveinaworldofmyown。
Ishouldliketostopallthepaintingandwritingandmusicuntilthiskindofthingexistsnolonger。’Don’tyoufeel，“
shewoundup，addressingHelen，“thatlife’saperpetualconflict？“
Helenconsideredforamoment。“No，“shesaid。“Idon’tthinkIdo。“
Therewasapause，whichwasdecidedlyuncomfortable。
Mrs。Dallowaythengavealittleshiver，andaskedwhethershemighthaveherfurcloakbroughttoher。Assheadjustedthesoftbrownfuraboutherneckafreshtopicstruckher。
“Iown，“shesaid，“thatIshallneverforgetthe_Antigone_。
IsawitatCambridgeyearsago，andit’shauntedmeeversince。
Don’tyouthinkit’squitethemostmodernthingyoueversaw？“
sheaskedRidley。“ItseemedtomeI’dknowntwentyClytemnestras。
OldLadyDitchlingforone。Idon’tknowawordofGreek，butIcouldlistentoitforever——“
HereMr。Pepperstruckup:
{SomeeditionsoftheworkcontainabriefpassagefromAntigone，inGreek，atthisspot。ed。}
Mrs。Dallowaylookedathimwithcompressedlips。
“I’dgivetenyearsofmylifetoknowGreek，“shesaid，whenhehaddone。
“Icouldteachyouthealphabetinhalfanhour，“saidRidley，“andyou’dreadHomerinamonth。Ishouldthinkitanhonourtoinstructyou。“
Helen，engagedwithMr。Dallowayandthehabit，nowfallenintodecline，ofquotingGreekintheHouseofCommons，noted，inthegreatcommonplacebookthatliesopenbesideusaswetalk，thefactthatallmen，evenmenlikeRidley，reallypreferwomentobefashionable。
Clarissaexclaimedthatshecouldthinkofnothingmoredelightful。
Foraninstantshesawherselfinherdrawing-roominBrowneStreetwithaPlatoopenonherknees——PlatointheoriginalGreek。Shecouldnothelpbelievingthatarealscholar，ifspeciallyinterested，couldslipGreekintoherheadwithscarcelyanytrouble。
Ridleyengagedhertocometo-morrow。
“Ifonlyyourshipisgoingtotreatuskindly！“sheexclaimed，drawingWilloughbyintoplay。Forthesakeofguests，andtheseweredistinguished，Willoughbywasreadywithabowofhisheadtovouchforthegoodbehaviourevenofthewaves。
“I’mdreadfullybad；andmyhusband’snotverygood，“sighedClarissa。
“Iamneversick，“Richardexplained。“Atleast，Ihaveonlybeenactuallysickonce，“hecorrectedhimself。“ThatwascrossingtheChannel。Butachoppysea，Iconfess，orstillworse，aswell，makesmedistinctlyuncomfortable。Thegreatthingisnevertomissameal。Youlookatthefood，andyousay，’Ican’t’；