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TO THE LIGHTHOUSEsitting between Jasper and Prue. How odd that one’schild should do that!

How odd to see them sitting there, in a row,her children, Jasper, Rose, Prue, Andrew, almostsilent, but with some joke of their own going on,she guessed, from the twitching at their lips. It wassomething quite apart from everything else, some-thing they were hoarding up to laugh over in theirown room. It was not about their father, she hoped.No, she thought not. What was it, she wondered,sadly rather, for it seemed to her that they wouldlaugh when she was not there. There was all thathoarded behind those rather set, still, mask-likefaces, for they did not join in easily; they were likewatchers, surveyors, a little raised or set apart fromthe grown-up people. But when she looked at Pruetonight, she saw that this was not now quite trueof her. She was just beginning, just moving, justdescending. The faintest light was on her face, asif the glow of Minta opposite, some excitement,some anticipation of happiness was reflected inher, as if the sun of the love of men and womenrose over the rim of the table-cloth, and withoutknowing what it was she bent towards it and greetedit. She kept looking at Minta, shyly, yet curiously,so that Mrs. Ramsay looked from one to the otherand said, speaking to Prue in her own mind, You164