TO THE LIGHTHOUSE'There isn’t a cloud anywhere within miles,’ atwhich she could feel little Charles Tansley, who hadfollowed them out snigger. But she did it on purpose.Whether Nancy was there or not, she could not becertain, looking from one to the other in her mind’seye.She read on: ‘ "Ah, wife," said the man, "why shouldwe be king? I do not want to be King." "Well," saidthe wife, "if you won’t be King, I will; go to the Floun-der, for I will be King."'
‘Come in or go out, Cam,’ she said, knowing thatCam was attracted only by the word ‘Flounder’ andthat in a moment she would fidget and fight withJames as usual. Cam shot off. Mrs. Ramsay went onreading, relieved, for she and James shared the sametastes and were comfortable together.
‘And when he came to the sea, it was quite darkgrey, and the water heaved up from below, and smeltputrid. Then he went and stood by it and said,'Flounder, flounder, in the sea,Come, I pray thee, here to me;For my wife, good Ilsabil,Wills not as I'd have her will.'"Well, what does she want then?" said the Flounder.'And where were they now? Mrs. Ramsay wondered,reading and thinking, quite easily, both at the sametime; for the story of the Fisherman and his Wife waslike the bass gently accompanying a tune, which nowand then ran up unexpectedly into the melody. Andwhen should she be told? If nothing happened, shewould have to speak seriously to Minta. For she couldnot go trapesing about all over the country, even if68
