a room with a view-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



told　you；　and　all　the　time　we　were　making　conversation　I　was

wondering　what　to　do　with　them。〃　He　pointed　down…stream。　〃They've

gone。〃　The　river　swirled　under　the　bridge；　〃I　did　mind　them　so；

and　one　is　so　foolish；　it　seemed　better　that　they　should　go　out

to　the　seaI　don't　know；　I　may　just　mean　that　they　frightened　me。

Then　the　boy　verged　into　a　man。　〃For　something　tremendous　has

happened；　I　must　face　it　without　getting　muddled。　It　isn't

exactly　that　a　man　has　died。〃



Something　warned　Lucy　that　she　must　stop　him。



〃It　has　happened；〃　he　repeated；　〃and　I　mean　to　find　out　what　it

is。〃



〃Mr。　Emerson〃



He　turned　towards　her　frowning；　as　if　she　had　disturbed　him　in

some　abstract　quest。



〃I　want　to　ask　you　something　before　we　go　in。〃



They　were　close　to　their　pension。　She　stopped　and　leant　her

elbows　against　the　parapet　of　the　embankment。　He　did　likewise。

There　is　at　times　a　magic　in　identity　of　position；　it　is　one　of

the　things　that　have　suggested　to　us　eternal　comradeship。　She

moved　her　elbows　before　saying：



〃I　have　behaved　ridiculously。〃



He　was　following　his　own　thoughts。



〃I　was　never　so　much　ashamed　of　myself　in　my　life；　I　cannot　think

what　came　over　me。〃



〃I　nearly　fainted　myself；〃　he　said；　but　she　felt　that　her

attitude　repelled　him。



〃Well；　I　owe　you　a　thousand　apologies。〃



〃Oh；　all　right。〃



〃Andthis　is　the　real　pointyou　know　how　silly　people　are

gossipingladies　especially；　I　am　afraidyou　understand　what　I

mean？〃



〃I'm　afraid　I　don't。〃



〃I　mean；　would　you　not　mention　it　to　any　one；　my　foolish

behaviour？〃



〃Your　behaviour？　Oh；　yes；　all　rightall　right。〃



〃Thank　you　so　much。　And　would　you〃



She　could　not　carry　her　request　any　further。　The　river　was

rushing　below　them；　almost　black　in　the　advancing　night。　He　had

thrown　her　photographs　into　it；　and　then　he　had　told　her　the

reason。　It　struck　her　that　it　was　hopeless　to　look　for　chivalry

in　such　a　man。　He　would　do　her　no　harm　by　idle　gossip；　he　was

trustworthy；　intelligent；　and　even　kind；　he　might　even　have　a

high　opinion　of　her。　But　he　lacked　chivalry；　his　thoughts；　like

his　behaviour；　would　not　be　modified　by　awe。　It　was　useless　to

say　to　him；　〃And　would　you〃　and　hope　that　he　would　complete　the

sentence　for　himself；　averting　his　eyes　from　her　nakedness　like

the　knight　in　that　beautiful　picture。　She　had　been　in　his　arms；

and　he　remembered　it；　just　as　he　remembered　the　blood　on　the

photographs　that　she　had　bought　in　Alinari's　shop。　It　was　not

exactly　that　a　man　had　died；　something　had　happened　to　the

living：　they　had　come　to　a　situation　where　character　tells；　and

where　childhood　enters　upon　the　branching　paths　of　Youth。



〃Well；　thank　you　so　much；〃　she　repeated；　〃How　quickly　these

accidents　do　happen；　and　then　one　returns　to　the　old　life！〃



〃I　don't。〃



Anxiety　moved　her　to　question　him。



His　answer　was　puzzling：　〃I　shall　probably　want　to　live。〃



〃But　why；　Mr。　Emerson？　What　do　you　mean？〃



〃I　shall　want　to　live；　I　say。〃



Leaning　her　elbows　on　the　parapet；　she　contemplated　the　River

Arno；　whose　roar　was　suggesting　some　unexpected　melody　to　her

ears。







Chapter　V：　Possibilities　of　a　Pleasant　Outing



It　was　a　family　saying　that　〃you　never　knew　which　way　Charlotte

Bartlett　would　turn。〃　She　was　perfectly　pleasant　and　sensible

over　Lucy's　adventure；　found　the　abridged　account　of　it　quite

adequate；　and　paid　suitable　tribute　to　the　courtesy　of　Mr。　George

Emerson。　She　and　Miss　Lavish　had　had　an　adventure　also。　They　had

been　stopped　at　the　Dazio　coming　back；　and　the　young　officials

there；　who　seemed　impudent　and　desoeuvre；　had　tried　to　search

their　reticules　for　provisions。　It　might　have　been　most

unpleasant。　Fortunately　Miss　Lavish　was　a　match　for　any　one。



For　good　or　for　evil；　Lucy　was　left　to　face　her　problem　alone。

None　of　her　friends　had　seen　her；　either　in　the　Piazza　or；　later

on；　by　the　embankment。　Mr。　Beebe；　indeed；　noticing　her　startled

eyes　at　dinner…time；　had　again　passed　to　himself　the　remark　of

〃Too　much　Beethoven。〃　But　he　only　supposed　that　she　was　ready　for

an　adventure；　not　that　she　had　encountered　it。　This　solitude

oppressed　her；　she　was　accustomed　to　have　her　thoughts　confirmed

by　others　or；　at　all　events；　contradicted；　it　was　too　dreadful

not　to　know　whether　she　was　thinking　right　or　wrong。



At　breakfast　next　morning　she　took　decisive　action。　There　were

two　plans　between　which　she　had　to　choose。　Mr。　Beebe　was　walking

up　to　the　Torre　del　Gallo　with　the　Emersons　and　some　American

ladies。　Would　Miss　Bartlett　and　Miss　Honeychurch　join　the　party？

Charlotte　declined　for　herself；　she　had　been　there　in　the　rain

the　previous　afternoon。　But　she　thought　it　an　admirable　idea　for

Lucy；　who　hated　shopping；　changing　money；　fetching　letters；　and

other　irksome　dutiesall　of　which　Miss　Bartlett　must　accomplish

this　morning　and　could　easily　accomplish　alone。



〃No；　Charlotte！〃　cried　the　girl；　with　real　warmth。　〃It's　very

kind　of　Mr。　Beebe；　but　I　am　certainly　coming　with　you。　I　had　much

rather。〃



〃Very　well；　dear；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　with　a　faint　flush　of

pleasure　that　called　forth　a　deep　flush　of　shame　on　the　cheeks　of

Lucy。　How　abominably　she　behaved　to　Charlotte；　now　as　always！　But

now　she　should　alter。　All　morning　she　would　be　really　nice　to

her。



She　slipped　her　arm　into　her　cousin's；　and　they　started　off　along

the　Lung'　Arno。　The　river　was　a　lion　that　morning　in　strength；

voice；　and　colour。　Miss　Bartlett　insisted　on　leaning　over　the

parapet　to　look　at　it。　She　then　made　her　usual　remark；　which　was

〃How　I　do　wish　Freddy　and　your　mother　could　see　this；　too！〃



Lucy　fidgeted；　it　was　tiresome　of　Charlotte　to　have　stopped

exactly　where　she　did。



〃Look；　Lucia！　Oh；　you　are　watching　for　the　Torre　del　Gallo　party。

I　feared　you　would　repent　you　of　your　choice。〃



Serious　as　the　choice　had　been；　Lucy　did　not　repent。　Yesterday

had　been　a　muddlequeer　and　odd；　the　kind　of　thing　one　could　not

write　down　easily　on　paperbut　she　had　a　feeling　that　Charlotte

and　her　shopping　were　preferable　to　George　Emerson　and　the　summit

of　the　Torre　del　Gallo。　Since　she　could　not　unravel　the　tangle；

she　must　take　care　not　to　re…enter　it。　She　could　protest

sincerely　against　Miss　Bartlett's　insinuations。



But　though　she　had　avoided　the　chief　actor；　the　scenery

unfortunately　remained。　Charlotte；　with　the　complacency　of　fate；

led　her　from　the　river　to　the　Piazza　Signoria。　She　could　not　have

believed　that　stones；　a　Loggia；　a　fountain；　a　palace　tower；

would　have　such　significance。　For　a　moment　she　understood　the

nature　of　ghosts。



The　exact　site　of　the　murder　was　occupied；　not　by　a　ghost；　but　by

Miss　Lavish；　who　had　the　morning　newspaper　in　her　hand。　She

hailed　them　briskly。　The　dreadful　catastrophe　of　the　previous　day

had　given　her　an　idea　which　she　thought　would　work　up　into　a

book。



〃Oh；　let　me　congratulate　you！〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。　〃After　your

despair　of　yesterday！　What　a　fortunate　thing！〃



〃Aha！　Miss　Honeychurch；　come　you　here　I　am　in　luck。　Now；　you　are

to　tell　me　absolutely　everything　that　you　saw　from　the

beginning。〃　Lucy　poked　at　the　ground　with　her　parasol。



〃But　perhaps　you　would　rather　not？〃



〃I'm　sorryif　you　could　manage　without　it；　I　think　I　would

rather　not。〃



The　elder　ladies　exchanged　glances；　not　of　disapproval；　it　is

suitable　that　a　girl　should　feel　deeply。



〃It　is　I　who　am　sorry；〃　said　Miss　Lavish。　〃literary　hacks　are

shameless　creatures。　I　believe　there's　no　secret　of　the　human

heart　into　which　we　wouldn't　pry。〃



She　marched　cheerfully　to　the　fountain　and　back；　and　did　a　few

calculations　in　realism。　Then　she　said　that　she　had　been　in　the

Piazza　since　eight　o'clock　collecting　material。　A　good　deal　of　it

was　unsuitable；　but　of　course　one　always　had　to　adapt。　The　two

men　had　quarrelled　over　a　five…franc　note。　For　the　five…franc

note　she　should　substitute　a　young　lady；　which　would　raise　the

tone　of　the　tragedy；　and　at　the　same　time　furnish　an　excellent

plot。



〃What　is　the　heroine's　name？〃　asked　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Leonora；〃　said　Miss　Lavish；　her　own　name　was　Eleanor。



〃I　do　hope　she's　nice。〃



That　desideratum　would　not　be　omitted。



〃And　what　is　the　plot？〃



Love；　murder；　abduction；　revenge；　was　the　plot。　But　it　all　came

while　the　fountain　plashed　to　the　satyrs　in　the　morning　sun。



〃I　hope　you　will　excuse　me　for　boring　on　like　this；〃　Miss　Lavish

concluded。　〃It　is　so　tempting　to　talk　to　really　sympathetic

people。　Of　course；　this　is　the　barest　outline。　There　will　be　a

deal　of　local　colouring；　descriptions　of　Florence　and　the

neighbourhood；　and　I　shall　also　introduce　some　humorous

characters。　And　let　me　give　you　all　fair　warning：　I　intend　to　be

unmerciful　to　the　British　tourist。〃



〃Oh；　you　wicked　woman；〃　cried　Miss　Bartlett。　〃I　am　sure　you　are

thinking　of　the　Emersons。〃



Miss　Lavish　gave　a　Mach