Everythinghesawwasdistastefultohim。Hehatedtheblueandwhite，theintensityanddefiniteness，thehumandheatofthesouth；
thelandscapeseemedtohimashardandasromanticasacardboardbackgroundonthestage，andthemountainbutawoodenscreenagainstasheetpaintedblue。Hewalkedfastinspiteoftheheatofthesun。
Tworoadsledoutofthetownontheeasternside；onebranchedofftowardstheAmbroses’villa，theotherstruckintothecountry，eventuallyreachingavillageontheplain，butmanyfootpaths，whichhadbeenstampedintheearthwhenitwaswet，ledofffromit，acrossgreatdryfields，toscatteredfarm-houses，andthevillasofrichnatives。Hewetsteppedofftheroadontooneofthese，inordertoavoidthehardnessandheatofthemainroad，thedustofwhichwasalwaysbeingraisedinsmallcloudsbycartsandramshackleflieswhichcarriedpartiesoffestivepeasants，orturkeysswellingunevenlylikeabundleofairballsbeneathanet，orthebrassbedsteadandblackwoodenboxesofsomenewlyweddedpair。
Theexerciseindeedservedtoclearawaythesuperficialirritationsofthemorning，butheremainedmiserable。ItseemedprovedbeyondadoubtthatRachelwasindifferenttohim，forshehadscarcelylookedathim，andshehadtalkedtoMr。Flushingwithjustthesameinterestwithwhichshetalkedtohim。Finally，Hirst’sodiouswordsflickedhismindlikeawhip，andherememberedthathehadlefthertalkingtoHirst。Shewasatthismomenttalkingtohim，anditmightbetrue，ashesaid，thatshewasinlovewithhim。
Hewentoveralltheevidenceforthissupposition——hersuddeninterestinHirst’swriting，herwayofquotinghisopinionsrespectfully，orwithonlyhalfalaugh；herverynicknameforhim，“thegreatMan，“
mighthavesomeseriousmeaninginit。Supposingthattherewereanunderstandingbetweenthem，whatwoulditmeantohim？
“Damnitall！“hedemanded，“amIinlovewithher？“Tothathecouldonlyreturnhimselfoneanswer。Hecertainlywasinlovewithher，ifheknewwhatlovemeant。Eversincehehadfirstseenherhehadbeeninterestedandattracted，moreandmoreinterestedandattracted，untilhewasscarcelyabletothinkofanythingexceptRachel。
Butjustashewasslidingintooneofthelongfeastsofmeditationaboutthemboth，hecheckedhimselfbyaskingwhetherhewantedtomarryher？
Thatwastherealproblem，forthesemiseriesandagoniescouldnotbeendured，anditwasnecessarythatheshouldmakeuphismind。
Heinstantlydecidedthathedidnotwanttomarryanyone。
PartlybecausehewasirritatedbyRacheltheideaofmarriageirritatedhim。Itimmediatelysuggestedthepictureoftwopeoplesittingaloneoverthefire；themanwasreading，thewomansewing。
Therewasasecondpicture。Hesawamanjumpup，saygood-night，leavethecompanyandhastenawaywiththequietsecretlookofonewhoisstealingtocertainhappiness。Boththesepictureswereveryunpleasant，andevenmoresowasathirdpicture，ofhusbandandwifeandfriend；andthemarriedpeopleglancingateachotherasthoughtheywerecontenttoletsomethingpassunquestioned，beingthemselvespossessedofthedeepertruth。Otherpictures——
hewaswalkingveryfastinhisirritation，andtheycamebeforehimwithoutanyconsciouseffort，likepicturesonasheet——
succeededthese。Herewerethewornhusbandandwifesittingwiththeirchildrenroundthem，verypatient，tolerant，andwise。
Butthattoo，wasanunpleasantpicture。Hetriedallsortsofpictures，takingthemfromthelivesoffriendsofhis，forheknewmanydifferentmarriedcouples；buthesawthemalways，walledupinawarmfirelitroom。When，ontheotherhand，hebegantothinkofunmarriedpeople，hesawthemactiveinanunlimitedworld；
aboveall，standingonthesamegroundastherest，withoutshelteroradvantage。Allthemostindividualandhumaneofhisfriendswerebachelorsandspinsters；indeedhewassurprisedtofindthatthewomenhemostadmiredandknewbestwereunmarriedwomen。
Marriageseemedtobeworseforthemthanitwasformen。
Leavingthesegeneralpicturesheconsideredthepeoplewhomhehadbeenobservinglatelyatthehotel。Hehadoftenrevolvedthesequestionsinhismind，ashewatchedSusanandArthur，orMr。andMrs。Thornbury，orMr。andMrs。Elliot。Hehadobservedhowtheshyhappinessandsurpriseoftheengagedcouplehadgraduallybeenreplacedbyacomfortable，tolerantstateofmind，asiftheyhadalreadydonewiththeadventureofintimacyandweretakinguptheirparts。SusanusedtopursueArthuraboutwithasweater，becausehehadonedayletslipthatabrotherofhishaddiedofpneumonia。Thesightamusedhim，butwasnotpleasantifyousubstitutedTerenceandRachelforArthurandSusan；andArthurwasfarlesseagertogetyouinacornerandtalkaboutflyingandthemechanicsofaeroplanes。Theywouldsettledown。Hethenlookedatthecoupleswhohadbeenmarriedforseveralyears。ItwastruethatMrs。Thornburyhadahusband，andthatforthemostpartshewaswonderfullysuccessfulinbringinghimintotheconversation，butonecouldnotimaginewhattheysaidtoeachotherwhentheywerealone。TherewasthesamedifficultywithregardtotheElliots，exceptthattheyprobablybickeredopenlyinprivate。Theysometimesbickeredinpublic，thoughthesedisagreementswerepainfullycoveredoverbylittleinsinceritiesonthepartofthewife，whowasafraidofpublicopinion，becauseshewasmuchstupiderthanherhusband，andhadtomakeeffortstokeepholdofhim。
Therecouldbenodoubt，hedecided，thatitwouldhavebeenfarbetterfortheworldifthesecoupleshadseparated。EventheAmbroses，whomheadmiredandrespectedprofoundly——inspiteofallthelovebetweenthem，wasnottheirmarriagetooacompromise？
Shegavewaytohim；shespoilthim；shearrangedthingsforhim；
shewhowasalltruthtootherswasnottruetoherhusband，wasnottruetoherfriendsiftheycameinconflictwithherhusband。
Itwasastrangeandpiteousflawinhernature。PerhapsRachelhadbeenright，then，whenshesaidthatnightinthegarden，“Webringoutwhat’sworstineachother——weshouldliveseparate。“
NoRachelhadbeenutterlywrong！EveryargumentseemedtobeagainstundertakingtheburdenofmarriageuntilhecametoRachel’sargument，whichwasmanifestlyabsurd。Fromhavingbeenthepursued，heturnedandbecamethepursuer。Allowingthecaseagainstmarriagetolapse，hebegantoconsiderthepeculiaritiesofcharacterwhichhadledtohersayingthat。Hadshemeantit？Surelyoneoughttoknowthecharacterofthepersonwithwhomonemightspendallone’slife；
beinganovelist，lethimtrytodiscoverwhatsortofpersonshewas。
Whenhewaswithherhecouldnotanalyseherqualities，becauseheseemedtoknowtheminstinctively，butwhenhewasawayfromheritsometimesseemedtohimthathedidnotknowheratall。Shewasyoung，butshewasalsoold；shehadlittleself-confidence，andyetshewasagoodjudgeofpeople。Shewashappy；butwhatmadeherhappy？
Iftheywerealoneandtheexcitementhadwornoff，andtheyhadtodealwiththeordinaryfactsoftheday，whatwouldhappen？
Castinghiseyeuponhisowncharacter，twothingsappearedtohim:
thathewasveryunpunctual，andthathedislikedansweringnotes。
AsfarasheknewRachelwasinclinedtobepunctual，buthecouldnotrememberthathehadeverseenherwithapeninherhand。
Lethimnextimagineadinner-party，sayattheCrooms，andWilson，whohadtakenherdown，talkingaboutthestateoftheLiberalparty。
Shewouldsay——ofcourseshewasabsolutelyignorantofpolitics。
Neverthelessshewasintelligentcertainly，andhonesttoo。
Hertemperwasuncertain——thathehadnoticed——andshewasnotdomestic，andshewasnoteasy，andshewasnotquiet，orbeautiful，exceptinsomedressesinsomelights。Butthegreatgiftshehadwasthatsheunderstoodwhatwassaidtoher；therehadneverbeenanyonelikeherfortalkingto。Youcouldsayanything——
youcouldsayeverything，andyetshewasneverservile。Herehepulledhimselfup，foritseemedtohimsuddenlythatheknewlessaboutherthanaboutanyone。Allthesethoughtshadoccurredtohimmanytimesalready；oftenhadhetriedtoargueandreason；
andagainhehadreachedtheoldstateofdoubt。Hedidnotknowher，andhedidnotknowwhatshefelt，orwhethertheycouldlivetogether，orwhetherhewantedtomarryher，andyethewasinlovewithher。
Supposinghewenttoherandsaidheslackenedhispaceandbegantospeakaloud，asifhewerespeakingtoRachel:
“Iworshipyou，butIloathemarriage，Ihateitssmugness，itssafety，itscompromise，andthethoughtofyouinterferinginmywork，hinderingme；whatwouldyouanswer？“
Hestopped，leantagainstthetrunkofatree，andgazedwithoutseeingthematsomestonesscatteredonthebankofthedryriver-bed。HesawRachel’sfacedistinctly，thegreyeyes，thehair，themouth；thefacethatcouldlooksomanythings——plain，vacant，almostinsignificant，orwild，passionate，almostbeautiful，yetinhiseyeswasalwaysthesamebecauseoftheextraordinaryfreedomwithwhichshelookedathim，andspokeasshefelt。
Whatwouldsheanswer？Whatdidshefeel？Didshelovehim，ordidshefeelnothingatallforhimorforanyotherman，being，asshehadsaidthatafternoon，free，likethewindorthesea？
“Oh，you’refree！“heexclaimed，inexultationatthethoughtofher，“andI’dkeepyoufree。We’dbefreetogether。
We’dshareeverythingtogether。Nohappinesswouldbelikeours。
Noliveswouldcomparewithours。“Heopenedhisarmswideasiftoholdherandtheworldinoneembrace。
Nolongerabletoconsidermarriage，ortoweighcoollywhathernaturewas，orhowitwouldbeiftheylivedtogether，hedroppedtothegroundandsatabsorbedinthethoughtofher，andsoontormentedbythedesiretobeinherpresenceagain。
ButHewetneednothaveincreasedhistormentsbyimaginingthatHirstwasstilltalkingtoRachel。Thepartyverysoonbrokeup，theFlushingsgoinginonedirection，Hirstinanother，andRachelremaininginthehall，pullingtheillustratedpapersabout，turningfromonetoanother，hermovementsexpressingtheunformedrestlessdesireinhermind。Shedidnotknowwhethertogoortostay，thoughMrs。Flushinghadcommandedhertoappearattea。
Thehallwasempty，saveforMissWillettwhowasplayingscaleswithherfingersuponasheetofsacredmusic，andtheCarters，anopulentcouplewhodislikedthegirl，becausehershoelaceswereuntied，andshedidnotlooksufficientlycheery，whichbysomeindirectprocessofthoughtledthemtothinkthatshewouldnotlikethem。
Rachelcertainlywouldnothavelikedthem，ifshehadseenthem，fortheexcellentreasonthatMr。Carterwaxedhismoustache，andMrs。Carterworebracelets，andtheywereevidentlythekindofpeoplewhowouldnotlikeher；butshewastoomuchabsorbedbyherownrestlessnesstothinkortolook。
ShewasturningovertheslipperypagesofanAmericanmagazine，whenthehalldoorswung，awedgeoflightfelluponthefloor，andasmallwhitefigureuponwhomthelightseemedfocussed，madestraightacrosstheroomtoher。
“What！Youhere？“Evelynexclaimed。“Justcaughtaglimpseofyouatlunch；butyouwouldn’tcondescendtolookat_me_。“
ItwaspartofEvelyn’scharacterthatinspiteofmanysnubswhichshereceivedorimagined，shenevergaveupthepursuitofpeopleshewantedtoknow，andinthelongrungenerallysucceededinknowingthemandeveninmakingthemlikeher。
Shelookedroundher。“Ihatethisplace。Ihatethesepeople，“
shesaid。“Iwishyou’dcomeuptomyroomwithme。Idowanttotalktoyou。“
AsRachelhadnowishtogoortostay，Evelyntookherbythewristanddrewheroutofthehallandupthestairs。Astheywentupstairstwostepsatatime，Evelyn，whostillkeptholdofRachel’shand，ejaculatedbrokensentencesaboutnotcaringahangwhatpeoplesaid。
“Whyshouldone，ifoneknowsone’sright？Andlet’emallgotoblazes！Them’smyopinions！“