The Project Gutenberg EBook of Night and Day, by Virginia Woolf

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Title: Night and Day

Author: Virginia Woolf

Posting Date: August 26, 2008 [EBook #1245]
Release Date: March, 1998

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NIGHT AND DAY ***

Produced by Judy Boss

NIGHT AND DAY

By Virginia Woolf

TO
VANESSA BELL
BUT, LOOKING FOR A PHRASE,
I FOUND NONE TO STAND
BESIDE YOUR NAME

NIGHT AND DAY

CHAPTER I

It was a Sunday evening in October, and in common with many other young
ladies of her class, Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. Perhaps a
fifth part of her mind was thus occupied, and the remaining parts leapt
over the little barrier of day which interposed between Monday morning
and this rather subdued moment, and played with the things one does
voluntarily and normally in the daylight. But although she was silent,
she was evidently mistress of a situation which was familiar enough to
her, and inclined to let it take its way for the six hundredth time,
perhaps, without bringing into play any of her unoccupied faculties. A
single glance was enough to show that Mrs. Hilbery was so rich in the
gifts which make tea-parties of elderly distinguished people successful,
that she scarcely needed any help from her daughter, provided that the
tiresome business of teacups and bread and butter was discharged for
her.

Considering that the little party had been seated round the tea-table
for less than twenty minutes, the animation observable on their faces,
and the amount of sound they were producing collectively, were very
creditable to the hostess. It suddenly came into Katharine's mind that
if some one opened the door at this moment he would think that they were
enjoying themselves; he would think, "What an extremely nice house
to come into!" and instinctively she laughed, and said something to
increase the noise, for the credit of the house presumably, since she
herself had not been feeling exhilarated. At the very same moment,
rather to her amusement, the door was flung open, and a young man
entered