Місіс Деллоуей

           Butoddunexpectedpeopleturnedup;anartistsometimes;sometimesawriter;queerfishinthatatmosphere.Andbehinditallwasthatnetworkofvisiting,leavingcards,beingkindtopeople;runningaboutwithbunchesofflowers,littlepresents;So-and-sowasgoingtoFrance—musthaveanair-cushion;arealdrainonherstrength;allthatinterminabletrafficthatwomenofhersortkeepup;butshediditgenuinely,fromanaturalinstinct.

           Oddlyenough,shewasoneofthemostthoroughgoingscepticshehadevermet,andpossibly(thiswasatheoryheusedtomakeuptoaccountforher,sotransparentinsomeways,soinscrutableinothers),possiblyshesaidtoherself,Asweareadoomedrace,chainedtoasinkingship(herfavouritereadingasagirlwasHuxleyandTyndall,andtheywerefondofthesenauticalmetaphors),asthewholethingisabadjoke,letus,atanyrate,doourpart;mitigatethesufferingsofourfellow-prisoners(Huxleyagain);decoratethedungeonwithflowersandair-cushions;beasdecentaswepossiblycan.Thoseruffians,theGods,shan’thaveitalltheirownway—hernotionbeingthattheGods,whoneverlostachanceofhurting,thwartingandspoilinghumanliveswereseriouslyputoutif,allthesame,youbehavedlikealady.ThatphasecamedirectlyafterSylvia’sdeath—thathorribleaffair.