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THE LIGHTHOUSEBelgian hares which he bred, and Minta followedthem, singing, and put her bare arm on his shoulder,lest he should tell her anything.

Minta was bored by hares, Lily thought. ButMinta never gave herself away. She never saidthings like that about playing chess in coffee-houses.She was far too conscious, far too wary. But to goon with their story—they had got through thedangerous stage by now. She had been staying withthem last summer some time and the car brokedown and Minta had to hand him his tools. He saton the road mending the car, and it was the way shegave him the tools—business-like, straightforward,friendly—that proved it was all right now. Theywere "in love" no longer; no, he had taken up withanother woman, a serious woman, with her hair ina plait and a case in her hand (Minta had describedher gratefully, almost admiringly), who went tomeetings and shared Paul’s views (they had gotmore and more pronounced) about the taxation ofland values and a capital levy. Far from breakingup the marriage, that alliance had righted it. Theywere excellent friends, obviously, as he sat on theroad and she handed him his tools.

So that was the story of the Rayleys, Lily thought.She imagined herself telling it to Mrs. Ramsay, whowould be full of curiosity to know what had be-259