Місіс Деллоуей

           Tolookat,hemighthavebeenaclerk,butofthebettersort;forheworebrownboots;hishandswereeducated;so,too,hisprofile—hisangular,big-nosed,intelligent,sensitiveprofile;butnothislipsaltogether,fortheywereloose;andhiseyes(aseyestendtobe),eyesmerely;hazel,large;sothathewas,onthewhole,abordercase,neitheronethingnortheother,mightendwithahouseatPurleyandamotorcar,orcontinuerentingapartmentsinbackstreetsallhislife;oneofthosehalf-educated,self-educatedmenwhoseeducationisalllearntfrombooksborrowedfrompubliclibraries,readintheeveningaftertheday’swork,ontheadviceofwell-knownauthorsconsultedbyletter.

           Asfortheotherexperiences,thesolitaryones,whichpeoplegothroughalone,intheirbedrooms,intheiroffices,walkingthefieldsandthestreetsofLondon,hehadthem;hadlefthome,amereboy,becauseofhismother;shelied;becausehecamedowntoteaforthefiftiethtimewithhishandsunwashed;becausehecouldseenofutureforapoetinStroud;andso,makingaconfidantofhislittlesister,hadgonetoLondonleavinganabsurdnotebehindhim,suchasgreatmenhavewritten,andtheworldhasreadlaterwhenthestoryoftheirstruggleshasbecomefamous.

           LondonhasswallowedupmanymillionsofyoungmencalledSmith;thoughtnothingoffantasticChristiannameslikeSeptimuswithwhichtheirparentshavethoughttodistinguishthem.