Місіс Деллоуей

           CoulditbeSirWilliamBradshaw?Hadhesentalready?

           No!itwasonlythesmallgirlwiththeeveningpaper.

           Whatalwayshappened,thenhappened—whathappenedeverynightoftheirlives.Thesmallgirlsuckedherthumbatthedoor;Reziawentdownonherknees;Reziacooedandkissed;Reziagotabagofsweetsoutofthetabledrawer.Forsoitalwayshappened.Firstonething,thenanother.Soshebuiltitup,firstonethingandthenanother.Dancing,skipping,roundandroundtheroomtheywent.Hetookthepaper.Surreywasallout,heread.Therewasaheatwave.Reziarepeated:Surreywasallout.Therewasaheatwave,makingitpartofthegameshewasplayingwithMrs.Filmer’sgrandchild,bothofthemlaughing,chatteringatthesametime,attheirgame.Hewasverytired.Hewasveryhappy.Hewouldsleep.Heshuthiseyes.Butdirectlyhesawnothingthesoundsofthegamebecamefainterandstrangerandsoundedlikethecriesofpeopleseekingandnotfinding,andpassingfurtherandfurtheraway.Theyhadlosthim!

           Hestartedupinterror.Whatdidhesee?Theplateofbananasonthesideboard.Nobodywasthere(Reziahadtakenthechildtoitsmother.Itwasbedtime).Thatwasit:tobealoneforever.ThatwasthedoompronouncedinMilanwhenhecameintotheroomandsawthemcuttingoutbuckramshapeswiththeirscissors;tobealoneforever.

           Hewasalonewiththesideboardandthebananas.