Thinking no harm, for the family would not come, never again, somesaid, and the house would be sold at Michaelmas perhaps, Mrs McNabstooped and picked a bunch of flowers to take home with her. She laidthem on the table while she dusted. She was fond of flowers. It was apity to let them waste. Suppose the house were sold (she stood armsakimbo in front of the looking-glass) it would want seeing to—it would.

　　There it had stood all these years without a soul in it. The books andthings were mouldy, for, what with the war and help being hard to get,the house had not been cleaned as she could have wished. It was beyondone person's strength to get it straight now. She was too old. Her legspained her. All those books needed to be laid out on the grass in the sun;there was plaster fallen in the hall; the rain-pipe had blocked over thestudy window and let the water in; the carpet was ruined quite. Butpeople should come themselves; they should have sent somebody downto see. For there were clothes in the cupboards; they had left clothes in allthe bedrooms. What was she to do with them? They had the moth inthem—Mrs Ramsay's things. Poor lady! She would never want THEMagain. She was dead, they said; years ago, in London. There was the oldgrey cloak she wore gardening (Mrs McNab fingered it). She could seeher, as she came up the drive with the washing, stooping over herflowers (the garden was a pitiful sight now, all run to riot, and rabbitsscuttling at you out of the beds)—she could see her with one of the childrenby her in that grey cloak. There were boots and shoes; and a brushand comb left on the dressing-table, for all the world as if she expected tocome back tomorrow. (She had died very sudden at the end, they said.)And once they had been coming, but had put off coming, what with thewar, and travel being so difficult these days; they had never come allthese years; just sent her money; but never wrote, never came, and expectedto find things as they had left them, ah, dear! Why the dressing-table drawers were full ............