Politics was a gamble, he reflected; but the
gamewasnt over yet. Theyd been gentlefolk; theyd owned land up in
Yorkshire.
Noone guessed that there was such a place, and that
of course made it allthe more amusing.
But Angela, with her genius for sympathy, had
discovered allsorts of qualities in Sissy Miller.
Miss OKeefe was muddled and annoyed; she wasmuddy
instead of clear.
She looked at her father-in-law, a furtivelittle
man with dyed moustaches.
Nothing but moor and sky, moor and sky, for ever
and ever, shemurmured. But we couldnt, she said, find the telescope. Every friend
had beenleft some little token of her affection. For a moment, on thethreshold, as
if a sudden thought had struck her, she stopped. It was the sort of thing that made
his gorge rise. He could still see theglance she cast at him, and how she had tears
in her eyes. He focussedit upon a dark mass of wood upon the horizon.
She seemed for amoment not to
understand.
But it was a moonless night;very warm, after a fine
summers day. Rosalind exclaimed, as if she had been expecting this. I plucked
upcourage and talked to Gilbert at last.
It musthave been about then that my
greatgrandfather was a boy.
He remembered how he hated the clothes she wore on
those occasions.
She looked at her father-in-law, a furtivelittle
man with dyed moustaches.
It was very unlike her to conceal anything; shehad
been the soul of candour. Nothing but moor and sky, moor and sky, for ever and ever,
shemurmured. It stands all alone, thegrass grows right up to the gate . A minor post
only, but her comment was: I am quite certainnow that he will be Prime
Minister!
Her eyes rested onthe writing table behind
him.
She dipped her spoon in a plate of cleargolden
fluid. It was like Angela to have remembered even Sissy Miller, her secretary. And
what he said next he was reallyashamed of saying, but he said it.
Gilbert gave me a most interestingaccount of the
history of Venice.
Dalloway was married, gave parties; wasnt his sort
at all.
And,taking the brooch, he gave it her with the
little speech that he hadprepared. The house was nothing buta little farmhouse,
standing in the middle of fields. Ive been so happy here, she said, looking
round.
Gilbert, he read, opening it at random, looked so
wonderful.
To-day, said Ernest, twitching his nose as he bit
the end off hiscigar, he chased a hare.
Hadnt she enough to do looking after him, afterher
home? Ive been so happy here, she said, looking round.