"The children are disgraceful," she said, sighing.He said something about punctuality being one ofthe minor virtues which we do not acquire untillater in life.

"If at all," said Mrs. Ramsay merely to fill upspace, thinking what an old maid William was be-coming. Conscious of his treachery, conscious ofher wish to talk about something more intimate, yetout of mood for it at present, he felt come over himthe disagreeableness of life, sitting there, waiting.Perhaps the others were saying something interest-ing? What were they saying?

That the fishing season was bad; that the menwere emigrating. They were talking about wagesand unemployment. The young man was abusingthe government. William Bankes, thinking what arelief it was to catch on to something of this sortwhen private life was disagreeable, heard him saysomething about "one of the most scandalous actsof the present government." Lily was listening;Mrs. Ramsay was listening; they were all lis-tening. But already bored, Lily felt that some-thing was lacking; Mr. Bankes felt that some-thing was lacking. Pulling her shawl round herMrs. Ramsay felt that something was lacking.141