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Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941

"The Voyage Out"


There seemed to be no foundation for St. John's gossip about Arthur and
Susan. Sunburnt and vigorous they sat side by side, with their racquets
across their knees, not saying much but smiling slightly all the time.
Through the thin white clothes which they wore, it was possible to
see the lines of their bodies and legs, the beautiful curves of their
muscles, his leanness and her flesh, and it was natural to think of the
firm-fleshed sturdy children that would be theirs. Their faces had too
little shape in them to be beautiful, but they had clear eyes and an
appearance of great health and power of endurance, for it seemed as if
the blood would never cease to run in his veins, or to lie deeply and
calmly in her cheeks. Their eyes at the present moment were brighter
than usual, and wore the peculiar expression of pleasure and
self-confidence which is seen in the eyes of athletes, for they had been
playing tennis, and they were both first-rate at the game.
Evelyn had not spoken, but she had been looking from Susan to Rachel.
Well--they had both made up their minds very easily, they had done in a
very few weeks what it sometimes seemed to her that she would never be
able to do. Although they were so different, she thought that she could
see in each the same look of satisfaction and completion, the same
calmness of manner, and the same slowness of movement.


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