V ir g in ia Wo olf (I882-1941)

Born in London, Virginia W oolf is recognized as one of the most important

novelists of the twentieth century. Influenced by Jam es Joyce and M arcel Proust,
she attempted to create a new form for the novel by experim enting w ith stream-
jf-consciousness writing, in which she disrupted time in an effort to capture the
inner thought processes of her characters.
W oolf wrote novels, short stories, essays, literary criticism, and biographies.
Her novels include Mrs. Dalloivay (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and The Waves
: 1931). Among her short-story collections are Keiv Gardens (1919) and A Haunted
House and Other Short Stories (1943)- Her book A Room o f One’s Own (1929), in
which she deals with the problems of being a woman writer, is recognized as an
important example of early feminist literature. In 1941, deeply disturbed by the two
world wars she had experienced, as w ell as by her increasing inability to deal with
severe chronic depression, W oolf drowned herself.

39
40 ■ Husbands, Wives, and Lovers

THE LEGACY
When a well-known politician's wife dies, her husband fin d s that she
has left him an unusual legacy.

U T 7 o r Sissy M iller.” Gilbert Clandon, taking up the pearl brooch1that lay

X among a litter2 of rings and brooches on a little table in his w ife’s
drawing-room, read the inscription: “For Sissy M iller, w ith my love.”
It was like Angela to have remembered even Sissy M iller, her secretary.
Yet how strange it was, Gilbert Clandon thought once more, that she had s
left everything in such order— a little gift of some sort for every one of her
friends. It was as if she had foreseen her death. Yet she had been in
perfect health when she left the house that morning, six weeks ago; when
she stepped off the kerb3 in Piccadilly and the car had killed her.
He was waiting for Sissy M iller. He had asked her to come; he owed 10
her, he felt, after all the years she had been w ith them, this token of
consideration.4 Yes, he w ent on, as he sat there waiting, it was strange
that Angela had left everything in such order. Every friend had been left
some little token of her affection. Every ring, every necklace, every little
Chinese box— she had a passion for little boxes— had a name on it. And 15
each had some memory for him. This he had given her; this— the enamel
dolphin w'ith the ruby eyes— she had pounced upon5 one day in a back
street in Venice. He could remember her little cry of delight. To him, of
course, she had left nothing in particular, unless it were her diary. Fifteen
little volum es, bound in green leather, stood behind him on her w riting 20
table. Ever since they were married, she had kept a diary. Some of their
very few— he could not call them quarrels, say tiffs6— had been about
that diary. W hen he came in and found her w riting, she always shut it or
put her hand over it. “No, no, no,” he could hear her say. “After I ’m
dead— perhaps.” So she had left it him, as her legacy.7 It was the only 25
thing they had not shared when she was alive. But he had always taken
it for granted8 that she w ould outlive him. If only she had stopped one
moment, and had thought what she was doing, she would be alive now.
But she had stepped straight off the kerb, the driver of the car had said
at the inquest.9 She had given him no chance to pull up. . . . Here the 30
sound of voices in the hall interrupted him.
“Miss M iller, Sir,” said the maid.

1 brooch a piece of jewelry that fastens with a pin 6 tiffs small disagreements
2 a litter an untidy arrangement 7 legacy what is left to someone after death;
3 kerb British spelling of curb (the edge of a inheritance
sidewalk) 8 taken for granted assumed
4 token of consideration a small sign of regard 9 inquest an official inquiry into cause of death
5 pounced upon suddenly grabbed
 The Legacy ■ 41

She came in. He had never seen her alone in his life, nor, of course,
in tears. She was terribly distressed, 10 and no wonder. 11 Angela had been
much more to her than an employer. She had been a friend. To himself, 35
he thought, as he pushed a chair for her and asked her to sit down, she
was scarcely distinguishable from any other wom an of her kind. There
were thousands of Sissy M illers— drab 12 little wom en in black carrying
attache cases. 13 But Angela, w ith her genius for sympathy, had discovered
all sorts of qualities in Sissy M iller. She was the soul of discretion ; 14 so 40
silent; so trustworthy, one could tell her anything, and so on.
Miss M iller could not speak at first. She sat there dabbing 15 her eyes
w ith her pocket handkerchief. Then she made an effort.
“Pardon me, Mr. Clandon,” she said.
He murmured. O f course he understood. It was only natural. He 45
could guess what his w ife had meant to her.
“I ’ve been so happy here,” she said, looking round. Her eyes rested
on the w riting table behind him. It was here they had worked— she and
Angela. For Angela had her share of the duties that fall to the lot o f 16 a
prom inent17 p olitician’s w ife. She had been the greatest help to him in his so
career. He had often seen her and Sissy sitting at that table— Sissy at the
typewriter, taking down letters from her dictation. No doubt Miss M iller
was thinking of that, too. Now all he had to do was to give her the
brooch his w ife had left her. A rather incongruous18 gift it seemed. It
might have been better to have left her a sum of money, or even the 55
typewriter. But there it was— “For Sissy M iller, w ith my love.” And, taking
the brooch, he gave it her with the little speech that he had prepared. He
knew, he said, that she w ould value it. His w ife had often w orn it. . . .
And she replied, as she took it almost as if she too had prepared a
speech, that it w ould always be a treasured possession. . . . She had, he eo
supposed, other clothes upon w hich a pearl brooch would not look quite
so incongruous. She was wearing the little black coat and skirt that
seemed the uniform of her profession. Then he remembered— she was in
m ourning,19of course. She, too, had had her tragedy— a brother, to whom
she was devoted, had died only a week or two before Angela. In some 65
accident was it? He could not remember— only Angela telling him. Angela,
w ith her genius for sympathy, had been terribly upset. M eanwhile Sissy
M iller had risen. She was putting on her gloves. Evidently she felt that she
ought not to intrude. But he could not let her go without saying something
about her future. W hat were her plans? Was there any w ay in which he 70
could help her?

10 distressed deeply upset 15 dabbing lightly patting

11 no wonder not surprisingly 16 fall to the lot of become the responsibility of
12 drab dull 17 prominent well-known
13 attache cases small leather cases for carrying 18 incongruous unsuitable
papers 19 in mourning in a state of grief for someone
14 soul of discretion a perfect example of who has died
trustworthiness
42 ■ Husbands, Wives, and Lovers

She was gazing at the table, where she had sat at her typewriter,
where the diary lay. And, lost in her memories of Angela, she did not at
once answer his suggestion that he should help her. She seemed for a
moment not to understand. So he repeated: 75
“W hat are your plans, Miss M iller?”
“M y plans? Oh, that’s all right, Mr. Clandon,” she exclaimed. “Please
don’t bother yourself about m e.”
He took her to mean 20 that she was in no need of financial assistance.
It would be better, he realized, to make any suggestion of that kind so
in a letter. A ll he could do now was to say as he pressed her hand,
“Remember, Miss M iller, if there’s any w ay in which I can help you, it w ill
be a pleasure. . . . ” Then he opened the door. For a moment, on the
threshold, as if a sudden thought had struck her, she stopped.
“Mr. Clandon,” she said, looking straight at him for the first time, and as
for the first time he was struck by the expression, sympathetic yet searching,
in her eyes. “If at any time,” she continued, “there’s anything I can do to
help you, remember, I shall feel it, for your w ife’s sake, a pleasure. . . . ”
W ith that she was gone. H er words and the look that went w ith them
w ere unexpected. It was almost as if she believed, or hoped, that he 90

w ould need her. A curious, perhaps a fantastic idea occurred to him as

he returned to his chair. Could it be, that during all those years when he
had scarcely noticed her, she, as the novelists say, had entertained a
passion for him? He caught his own reflection in the glass as he passed.
He was over fifty; but he could not help admitting that he was still, as 95

the looking-glass showed him, a very distinguished-looking21 man.

“Poor Sissy M iller!” he said, half laughing. H ow he would have liked
to share that joke w ith his wife! He turned instinctively to her diary.
“G ilbert,” he read, opening it at random ,22 “looked so wonderful. . . .” It
was as if she had answered his question. O f course, she seemed to say, 100

you’re very attractive to women. O f course Sissy M iller felt that too. He
read on. “H ow proud I am to be his w ife!” And he had always been very
proud to be her husband. H ow often, when they dined out somewhere,
he had looked at her across the table and said to himself, “She is the
loveliest wom an here!” He read on. That first year he had been standing 10 5

for Parliam ent.23 They had toured his constituency.24 “W hen Gilbert sat
down the applause was terrific. The w hole audience rose and sang: ‘For
he’s a jolly good fellow .’ I was quite overcom e.” He remembered that,
too. She had been sitting on the platform beside him. He could still see
the glance she cast at him, and how she had tears in her eyes. And then? 110

He turned the pages. They had gone to Venice. He recalled that happy
holiday after the election. “W e had ices at Florians.” He smiled— she was
still such a child; she loved ices. “G ilbert gave me a most interesting

20 He took her to mean He assumed 23 standing for Parliament running for election
she meant to the British legislature
21 distinguished-looking appearing important 24 constituency the area he would represent in
22 at random without any plan Parliament
 The Legacy m 43

account of the history of Venice. He told me that the Doges25 . . . ” she

had w ritten it all out in her schoolgirl hand. One of the delights of 115
travelling w ith Angela had been that she was so eager to learn. She was
so terribly ignorant, she used to say, as if that were not one of her
charms. And then— he opened the next volume— they had come back to
London. “I was so anxious to make a good impression. I wore my
wedding dress.” He could see her now sitting next to old Sir Edward; and 120
making a conquest of that form idable26 old man, his chief. He read on
rapidly, filling in scene after scene from her scrappy fragments.27 “Dined
at the House of Commons. . . . To an evening party at the Lovegroves’.
Did I realize m y responsibility, Lady L. asked me, as G ilbert’s w ife?”
Then, as the years passed— he took another volum e from the writing 12 5

table— he had become more and more absorbed in his work. And she,
of course, was more often home. . . . It had been a great grief to her,
apparently, that they had had no children. “H ow I w ish,” one entry read,
“that Gilbert had a son!” O ddly enough he had never much regretted that
himself. Life had been so full, so rich as it was. That year he had been 130

given a m inor post in the government. A minor post only, but her
comment was: “I am quite certain now that he w ill be Prim e M inister!”
W ell, if things had gone differently, it might have been so. He paused
here to speculate upon what might have been. Politics was a gamble, he
reflected; but the game w asn’t over yet. Not at fifty. He cast his eyes 135

rapidly over more pages, full of the little trifles,28 the insignificant, happy,
daily trifles that had made up her life.
He took up another volum e and opened it at random. “W hat a
coward I am! I let the chance slip again. But it seemed selfish to bother
him w ith my own affairs, when he had so much to think about. And we 140

so seldom have an evening alone.” W hat was the meaning of that? Oh,
here was the explanation— it referred to her work in the East En d .29 “I
plucked up courage and talked to G ilbert at last. He was so kind, so
good. He made no objection.” He remembered that conversation. She
had told him that she felt so idle, so useless. She wished to have some 145

w ork of her own. She wanted to do something— she had blushed so

prettily, he remembered, as she said it, sitting in that very30 chair— to help
others. He had bantered31 her a little. Hadn’t she enough to do looking
after him, after her home? Still, if it amused her, of course he had no
objection. W hat was it? Some district? Some committee? O nly she must 15 0

promise not to make herself ill. So it seemed that every W ednesday she
went to W hitechapel.32 He remembered how he hated the clothes she
wore on those occasions. But she had taken it very seriously, it seemed.
The diary was full of references like this: “Saw Mrs. Jones. . . . She has

25 the Doges chief officials in the Italian 28 trifles unimportant events

republics of Venice and Genoa 29 the East End a traditionally poor area of London
26 formidable frightening 30 very particular
27 scrappy fragments very incomplete diary 31 bantered teased
entries 32 Whitechapel an area in the East End of London
44 ■ Husbands, Wives, and Lovers

ten children. . . . Husband lost his arm in an accident. . . . Did my best 15 5

to find a job for Lily.” He skipped on. His own name occurred less
frequently.
His interest slackened.33 Some of the entries conveyed nothing to him.
For example: “Had a heated argument about socialism w ith B. M .” W ho
was B. M.? He could not fill in the initials; some woman, he supposed, iso
that she had met on one of her committees. “B. M. made a violent attack
upon the upper classes. . . . I walked back after the meeting with B. M.
and tried to convince him. But he is so narrow-minded.” So B. M. was a
man— no doubt one of those “intellectuals,” as they call themselves, who
are so violent, as Angela said, and so narrow-minded. She had invited him ies
to come and see her apparently. “B. M. came to dinner. He shook hands
w ith M innie!” That note of exclamation gave another twist to his mental
picture. B. M., it seemed, wasn’t used to parlourmaids; he had shaken
hands w ith Minnie. Presum ably he was one of those tame w orking men
who air their view s in ladies’ drawing-rooms. Gilbert knew the type, and 170

had no liking for this particular specimen, whoever B. M. might be. Here
he was again. “W ent with B. M. to the Tower of London. . . . He said
revolution is bound to 34 come. . . . He said w e live in a Fool’s Paradise.”
That was just the kind of thing B. M. would say— Gilbert could hear him.
He could also see him quite distinctly— a stubby35 little man, with a rough 17 5

beard, red tie, dressed as they always did in tw eeds,36 w ho had never
done an honest day’s work in his life. Surely Angela had the sense to see
through him? He read on. “B. M. said some very disagreeable things
about— .” The name was carefully scratched out. “I told him I w ould not
listen to any more abuse of— ” Again the name was obliterated. Could it iso
have been his own name? Was that w hy Angela covered the page so
quickly when he came in? The thought added to his growing dislike of
B. M. He had had the im pertinence to discuss him in this very room. W hy
had Angela never told him? It was very unlike her to conceal anything;
she had been the soul of candour.37 He turned the pages, picking out iss
every reference to B. M. “B. M. told me the story of his childhood. His
mother went out charring.38 . . . W hen I think of it, I can hardly bear to
go on living in such luxury. . . . Three guineas39 for one hat!” If only she
had discussed the matter with him, instead of puzzling her poor little head
about questions that were much too difficult for her to understand! He 190

had lent her books. Karl Marx, The Coming Revolution. The initials B. M.,
B. M., B. M., recurred repeatedly. But w hy never the full name? There was
an inform ality, an intim acy in the use of initials that was very' unlike
Angela. Had she called him B. M. to his face? He read on. “B. M. came
unexpectedly^ after dinner. Luckily, I was alone.” That was only a year ago. 195

33 slackened lessened 37 soul of candour a perfect example of honesty

34 is bound to is certain to 38 charring housecleaning
35 stubby short and broad 39 three guineas three pounds and three
36 tweeds clothes made from a rough woolen shillings (old British currency)
material
 The Legacy m 45

"Luckily”— w hy luckily?— “I was alone.” W here had he been that night? He

checked the date in his engagement book. It had been the night of the
Mansion House dinner. And B. M. and Angela had spent the evening
alone! He tried to recall that evening. Was she waiting up for him when
he came back? Had the room looked just as usual? W ere there glasses on 200

the table? Were the chairs drawn close together? He could remember
nothing— nothing whatever, nothing except his own speech at the
Mansion House dinner. It became more and more inexplicable to him—
the w hole situation: his w ife receiving an unknown man alone. Perhaps
the next volum e w ould explain. Hastily he reached for the last of the 205

diaries— the one she had left unfinished when she died. There, on the very
first page, was that cursed40 fellow again. “Dined alone w ith B. M. . . . He
became very agitated. He said it was time we understood each other. . . .
I tried to make him listen. But he would not. He threatened that if I did
not . . . ” the rest of the page was scored over.41 She had written “Egypt. 210

Egypt. Egypt,” over the whole page. He could not make out a single word;
but there could be only one interpretation: the scoundrel42 had asked her
to become his mistress. Alone in his room! The blood rushed to Gilbert
Clandon’s face. He turned the pages rapidly. W hat had been her answer?
Initials had ceased. It was sim ply “he” now. “He came again. I told him I 2 15

could not come to any decision. . . . I im plored43 him to leave m e.” He

had forced him self upon her in this very house. But w hy hadn’t she told
him? H ow could she have hesitated for an instant? Then: “I wrote him a
letter.” Then pages were left blank. Then there was this: “No answer to
my letter.” Then more blank pages; and then this: “He has done what he 220

threatened.” After that— what came after that? He turned page after page.
A ll were blank. But there, on the very day before her death, was this
entry: “Have I the courage to do it too?” That was the end.
Gilbert Clandon let the book slide to the floor. He could see her in
front of him. She was standing on the kerb in Piccadilly. Her eyes stared; 225

her fists w ere clenched. Here came the car. . . . He could not bear it. He
must know the truth. He strode to the telephone.
“Miss M iller?” There was silence. Then he heard someone m oving in
the room. “Sissy M iller speaking”— her voice at last answered him.
“W ho,” he thundered, “is B. M .?” 230

He could hear the cheap clock ticking on her m antelpiece; then a

long drawn sigh. Then at last she said: “He was my brother.”
He was her brother; her brother who had killed himself. “Is there,”
he heard Sissy M iller asking, '"anything that I can explain?”
“Nothing!” he cried. “Nothing!” 235

He had received his legacy. She had told him the truth. She had
stepped off the kerb to rejoin her lover. She had stepped off the kerb to
escape from him.

40 cursed beastly 42 scoundrel a bad ordishonest person

41 the page was scored over the words were 43 im plored begged
blocked out by writing over them
46 ■ Husbands, Wives, and Lovers

PART A First Reading

A Thinking About the Story_________________________

At what point in the story did you grasp the full significance of
Gilbert Clandon’s legacy? W ere you quicker than Gilbert to
understand what had happened? W hat earlier clues did you
perhaps miss?

B Understanding the Plot___________________________

1. W hat puzzles Gilbert Clandon about the circumstances

surrounding his w ife’s death?
2. W hat does Gilbert assume caused her death?
3. H ow does Gilbert initially account for Sissy M iller’sextreme
distress when she enters the room? W hat does he later
remember about her?
4. W hy does Gilbert feel that the brooch is a “rather incongruous
gift” for Sissy M iller? (line 54)
5. W hy does Sissy M iller extend an offer to help Gilbert?
6. W hat does “that first year” (line 105) refer to? W hat was Gilbert
trying to achieve then? Was he successful?
7. W hy did Gilbert particularly enjoy traveling w ith his wife,
Angela?
8. W hat are G ilbert’s career ambitions at age fifty?
9. W hy did Angela Clandon want to do volunteer work in the
East End of London? W hat was G ilbert’s response to her
request?
10. W hat two political ideologies are contrasted in the story?
11. W hy was Angela so amazed when B. M. shook hands with
Minnie?
12. W hat does Gilbert assume B. M. wanted Angela to do? W hat
do you think B. M. asked Angela to do?
PART Second Reading

A Exploring Themes________
You are now ready to reread “The Legacy.” This time around,
consider how Gilbert Clandon, as a result of his egotism,
persistently m isinterprets his w ife’s actions.

1. How does G ilbert Clandon expect his w ife to behave

throughout their married life?
2. H ow does Angela Clandon change during the course of their
marriage?
3. W hat is the relevance to the story’s theme of the details Gilbert
can and cannot remember concerning the night of the Mansion
House dinner? (lines 196-203)
4. W hat is Gilbert Clandon’s attitude toward the working class?
Explain your answer with examples from the text.
5. W hat is the role of B. M. in the story?

B Analyzing the Author's Style______________________

For more information on the literary term in this section, turn to the
explanation of point of view (page 306).

POINT OF VIEW
In “The Legacy,” the p o in t o f vie w of the story is filtered through
the eyes of G ilbert Clandon, whose figurative blindness is crucial
to its theme and plot. For example, when Clandon reflects on
Angela’s regret that they’d had no children, he thinks
com placently, Oddly enough he had never much regretted that
himself. Life had been so full, so rich as it was. (lines 129-130) He
has no concept that as full and rich as his life was, his w ife’s had
been correspondingly empty and poor.

1. H ow does G ilbert Clandon’s lim ited point of view influence his

perception of his w ife, B. M., and Sissy M iller? G ive as many
examples as possible.
2. H ow much does G ilbert’s understanding of the events change
by the end of the story?
■ Husbands, Wives, and Lovers

3. W hy is it ironic that Gilbert thinks of Sissy M iller as “the soul of

discretion; so silent; so trustworthy, one could tell her anything,
and so on.” (lines 40-41) W hat other examples of irony can you
find that arise out of G ilbert’s lim ited perceptions?
Note: For inform ation on irony, see page 304.

C Judging for Yourself______________________________

Express yourself as personally as you like in your answers to the
following questions.

1. Do you feel sym pathetic toward Gilbert Clandon? Explain your

answer.
2. In your view , should Angela Clandon have confessed to what
was going on w hile she was still alive?
3- W hat do you think a typical day in Angela’s life was like before
she began her volunteer work? Contrast this w ith a typical day
in G ilbert’s life.
4. W hy do you suppose Angela was so attracted to B. M.?
5. Do you think learning the truth about Angela and B. M. w ill
affect G ilbert’s future plans? Explain your answer.

D Making Connections______________________________
1. Is suicide considered m orally wrong in your religion or society?
Is it more prevalent among certain groups or ages in your
country?
2. How is adultery view ed in your country? Are there moral or
legal constraints against it?
3. W hat p olitical ideologies compete for the public vote in your
country? Are any political beliefs outlawed?
4. Is it customary7to keep a diary or a journal in your country?
If so, what kinds of people tend to do it? If not, explain why.

E Debate_________________________________________
Debate this proposition:
Suicide is the coward’s w ay out of solving problems.
 The Legacy m 49

PART 3 Focus on Language

Building Vocabulary Skills___________

The follow ing descriptions are used by Gilbert Clandon when
thinking about him self, his w ife, Sissy M iller, and B. M.

Without looking back at the story, write each description under the
appropriate name in the chart.
childlike narrow-minded
distinguished-looking prominent
distressed soul of candour
drab soul of discretion
im pertinent stubby
lovely-looking trustworthy

G ilbert Angela Sissy B. M.

50 ■ Husbands, Wives, and Lovers

The following adjectives do not appear in the text, but they, too, could
apply to the characters in "The Legacy." Decide which adjectives refer to
which character, and write them in the appropriate columns in the chart.
Then think of three more fitting descriptive adjectives for each character.
Add them to the appropriate columns in the chart.

argumentative lonely
arrogant loyal
bitter modest
compassionate patronizing
deceitful radical
hard-working vain

PART 4 Writing Activities

1. Choose two of the four main characters in “The Legacy.” Create

an im aginary dialogue between them, using some of the
adjectives you used in the language exercise in Part 3- Your
dialogue should be about a page long.
2. Im agine that you find Angela Clandon unconscious after her
suicide attempt. W ould you try to save her? In a two-page
essay, consider the pros and cons of allow ing her to kill herself.
W ould the prevailing attitude toward suicide in your country
affect your reasoning?
3. Im agine that you are Angela, Gilbert, or Sissy. Choose a period
covering a few weeks in your character’s life. Keep a diary,
reflecting his or her thoughts and feelings, making sure that
they are consistent w ith the story’s plot and themes.
4. Luis Bunuel’s film Belle de Jour (1967) starred Catherine
Deneuve as a w ealthy surgeon’s w ife who finds release from
the frustrations of her daily routine by secretly 'working as a
prostitute in a brothel during the afternoon. W rite an essay on
a book or m ovie you are fam iliar w ith that revolves around a
w ife or husband wdio lives a hidden life unknow n to the
spouse. Analyze what drives the person to such deception.
Say wrhich partner you sympathize w ith more, and why.