Well then, Nancy had gone with them, Mrs Ramsay supposed, wondering,as she put down a brush, took up a comb, and said "Come in" to atap at the door (Jasper and Rose came in), whether the fact that Nancywas with them made it less likely or more likely that anything wouldhappen; it made it less likely, somehow, Mrs Ramsay felt, very irrationally,except that after all holocaust on such a scale was not probable.

　　They could not all be drowned. And again she felt alone in the presenceof her old antagonist, life.

　　Jasper and Rose said that Mildred wanted to know whether sheshould wait dinner.

　　"Not for the Queen of England," said Mrs Ramsay emphatically.

　　"Not for the Empress of Mexico," she added, laughing at Jasper; for heshared his mother's vice: he, too, exaggerated.

　　And if Rose liked, she said, while Jasper took the message, she mightchoose which jewels she was to wear. When there are fifteen people sittingdown to dinner, one cannot keep things waiting for ever. She wasnow beginning to feel annoyed with them for being so late; it was inconsiderateof them, and it annoyed her on top of her anxiety about them,that they should choose this very night to be out late, when, in fact, shewished the dinner to be particularly nice, since William Bankes had atlast consented to dine with them; and they were having Mildred's masterpiece—BOEUF EN DAUBE. Everything depended upon things beingserved up to the precise moment they were ready. The beef, the bayleaf,and the wine—all must be done to a turn. To keep it waiting was out ofthe question. Yet of course tonight, of all nights, out they went, and theycame in late, and things had to be sent out, things had to be kept hot; theBOEUF EN DAUBE would be entirely spoilt.

　　Jasper offered her an opal necklace; Rose a gold necklace. Whichlooked best against her black dress? Which did indeed, said Mrs Ramsayabsent-mindedly, looking at her neck and shoulders (but avoiding herface) in the glass. And then, while the children rummaged among herthings, she looked out of the window at a sight which always amusedher—the rooks trying to decide which tree to settle on. Every time, theyseemed to change their minds and rose up into the air again, because,she thought, the old rook, the father rook, old Joseph was her name forhim, was a bird of a very trying and difficult disposition. He was a disreputableold bird, with half his wing feathers missing. He was like someseedy old gentleman in a top hat she had seen playing the horn in frontof a public house.

　　"Look!" she said, laughing. They were actually fighting. Joseph andMary were fighting. Anyhow they all went up again, and the air wasshoved aside by their black wings and cut into exquisite scimitar shapes.

　　The movements of the wings beating out, out, out—she could never describeit accurately enough to please herself—was one of the loveliest ofall to her. Look at that, she said to Rose, hoping that Rose would see itmore clearly than she could. For one's children so often gave one's ownperceptions a little thrust forwards.

　　But which was it to be? They had all the trays of her jewel-case open.

　　The gold necklace, which was Italian, or the opal necklace, which UncleJames had brought her from India; or should she wear her amethysts?

　　"Choose, dearest............