“. . . this type of the English public school man.” (168)

In England, what Americans would traditionally think of as a private school is called a public school. Therefore, the attendance of such a school would indubitably put off an image of privilege – something Woolf would have known and used to her advantage when describing Hugh’s appearance and demeanor. Hugh is, as Woolf depicts him, a stereotypical product of elite institutions.

Source:

"Public school (privately funded)." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_school_(privately_funded).