THE WINDOW
she had been so very, very cold twenty years ago;
but now she went among them like a ghost; and
it fascinated her, as if, while she had changed, that
particular day, now become very still and beautiful,
had remained there, all these years. Had Carrie
written to him herself? she asked.
“Yes. She says they're building a new
billiard room,” he said. No! Nol That was out
of the question! Building a billiard room! It
seemed to her impossible.
Mr. Bankes could not see that there was
anything very odd about it. They were very
well off now. Should he give her love to
Carrie?
“ Oh,” said Mrs. Ramsay with a little start,
““ No,” she added, reflecting that she did not know
this Carrie who built a new billiard room. But
how strange, she repeated, to Mr. Bankes’s
amusement, that they should be going on there
still. For it was extraordinary to think that they
had been capable of going on living all these years
when she had not thought of them more than once
all that time. How eventful her own life had been,
during those same years. Yet perhaps Carrie
Manning had not thought about her either. The
thought was strange and distasteful.
“ People soon driftapart,” said Mr. Bankes, feeling,
 however, some satisfaction when he thought
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