Місіс Деллоуей

           Iamalone;Iamalone!shecried,bythefountaininRegent’sPark(staringattheIndianandhiscross),asperhapsatmidnight,whenallboundariesarelost,thecountryrevertstoitsancientshape,astheRomanssawit,lyingcloudy,whentheylanded,andthehillshadnonamesandriverswoundtheyknewnotwhere—suchwasherdarkness;whensuddenly,asifashelfwereshotforthandshestoodonit,shesaidhowshewashiswife,marriedyearsagoinMilan,hiswife,andwouldnever,nevertellthathewasmad!Turning,theshelffell;down,downshedropped.Forhewasgone,shethought—gone,ashethreatened,tokillhimself—tothrowhimselfunderacart!Butno;therehewas;stillsittingaloneontheseat,inhisshabbyovercoat,hislegscrossed,staring,talkingaloud.

           Menmustnotcutdowntrees.ThereisaGod.(Henotedsuchrevelationsonthebacksofenvelopes.)Changetheworld.Noonekillsfromhatred.Makeitknown(hewroteitdown).Hewaited.Helistened.AsparrowperchedontherailingoppositechirpedSeptimus,Septimus,fourorfivetimesoverandwenton,drawingitsnotesout,tosingfreshlyandpiercinglyinGreekwordshowthereisnocrimeand,joinedbyanothersparrow,theysanginvoicesprolongedandpiercinginGreekwords,fromtreesinthemeadowoflifebeyondariverwherethedeadwalk,howthereisnodeath.

           Therewashishand;therethedead.Whitethingswereassemblingbehindtherailingsopposite.Buthedarednotlook.