Місіс Деллоуей

           LadyBrutonoftensuspendedjudgementuponmenindeferencetothemysteriousaccordinwhichthey,butnowoman,stoodtothelawsoftheuniverse;knewhowtoputthings;knewwhatwassaid;sothatifRichardadvisedher,andHughwroteforher,shewassureofbeingsomehowright.SosheletHugheathissoufflé;askedafterpoorEvelyn;waiteduntiltheyweresmoking,andthensaid,

           “Milly,wouldyoufetchthepapers?”

           AndMissBrushwentout,cameback;laidpapersonthetable;andHughproducedhisfountainpen;hissilverfountainpen,whichhaddonetwentyyears’service,hesaid,unscrewingthecap.Itwasstillinperfectorder;hehadshownittothemakers;therewasnoreason,theysaid,whyitshouldeverwearout;whichwassomehowtoHugh’scredit,andtothecreditofthesentimentswhichhispenexpressed(soRichardDallowayfelt)asHughbegancarefullywritingcapitalletterswithringsroundtheminthemargin,andthusmarvellouslyreducedLadyBruton’stanglestosense,togrammarsuchastheeditoroftheTimes,LadyBrutonfelt,watchingthemarvelloustransformation,mustrespect.Hughwasslow.Hughwaspertinacious.Richardsaidonemusttakerisks.Hughproposedmodificationsindeferencetopeople’sfeelings,which,hesaidrathertartlywhenRichardlaughed,“hadtobeconsidered,”andreadout“how,therefore,weareofopinionthatthetimesareripe...thesuperfluousyouthofourever-increasingpopulation...whatweowetothedead...