TO THE LIGHTHOUSEhedge mean to her, what did the garden mean to her,what did it mean to her when a wave broke? (Lilylooked up, as she had seen Mrs. Ramsay look up; shetoo heard a wave falling on the beach). And then whatstirred and trembled in her mind when the childrencried, ‘How’s that? How’s that?’ cricketing? She wouldstop knitting for a second. She would look intent. Thenshe would lapse again, and suddenly Mr. Ramsaystopped dead in his pacing in front of her, and somecurious shock passed through her and seemed to rockher in profound agitation on its breast when stoppingthere he stood over her, and looked down at her. Lilycould see him.

He stretched out his hand and raised her from herchair. It seemed somehow as if he had done it be-fore; as if he had once bent in the same way and raisedher from a boat which, lying a few inches off someisland, had required that the ladies should thus behelped on shore by the gentlemen. An old-fashionedscene that was, which required, very nearly, crinolinesand peg-top trousers. Letting herself be helped byhim, Mrs. Ramsay had thought (Lily supposed) thetime has come now; Yes, she would say it now. Yes,she would marry him. And she stepped slowly, quietlyon shore. Probably she said one word only, letting herhand rest still in his. I will marry you, she might havesaid, with her hand in his; but no more. Time aftertime the same thrill had passed between them — ob-viously it had, Lily thought, smoothing a way for herants. She was not inventing; she was only trying tosmooth out something she had been given years agofolded up; something she had seen. For in the roughand tumble of daily life, with all those children about,230
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