a room with a view-第24节
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count。 I told you not Saturn。〃
〃Saturn's all right for bumble…puppy；〃 cried Freddy； joining
them。 〃Minnie； don't you listen to her。〃
〃Saturn doesn't bounce。〃
〃Saturn bounces enough。〃
〃No； he doesn't。〃
〃Well； he bounces better than the Beautiful White Devil。〃
〃Hush； dear；〃 said Mrs。 Honeychurch。
〃But look at Lucycomplaining of Saturn； and all the time's got
the Beautiful White Devil in her hand； ready to plug it in。
That's right； Minnie； go for herget her over the shins with the
racquetget her over the shins！〃
Lucy fell； the Beautiful White Devil rolled from her hand。
Mr。 Beebe picked it up； and said： 〃The name of this ball is
Vittoria Corombona； please。〃 But his correction passed
unheeded。
Freddy possessed to a high degree the power of lashing little
girls to fury； and in half a minute he had transformed Minnie
from a well…mannered child into a howling wilderness。 Up in the
house Cecil heard them； and； though he was full of entertaining
news； he did not come down to impart it； in case he got hurt。 He
was not a coward and bore necessary pain as well as any man。 But
he hated the physical violence of the young。 How right it was！
Sure enough it ended in a cry。
〃I wish the Miss Alans could see this；〃 observed Mr。 Beebe； just
as Lucy； who was nursing the injured Minnie； was in turn lifted
off her feet by her brother。
〃Who are the Miss Alans？〃 Freddy panted。
〃They have taken Cissie Villa。〃
〃That wasn't the name〃
Here his foot slipped； and they all fell most agreeably on to the
grass。 An interval elapses。
〃Wasn't what name？〃 asked Lucy； with her brother's head in her
lap。
〃Alan wasn't the name of the people Sir Harry's let to。〃
〃Nonsense； Freddy！ You know nothing about it。〃
〃Nonsense yourself！ I've this minute seen him。 He said to me：
'Ahem！ Honeychurch；'〃Freddy was an indifferent mimic〃'ahem！
ahem！ I have at last procured really dee…sire…rebel tenants。' I
said； 'ooray； old boy！' and slapped him on the back。〃
〃Exactly。 The Miss Alans？〃
〃Rather not。 More like Anderson。〃
〃Oh； good gracious； there isn't going to be another muddle！〃 Mrs。
Honeychurch exclaimed。 〃Do you notice； Lucy； I'm always right？ I
said don't interfere with Cissie Villa。 I'm always right。 I'm
quite uneasy at being always right so often。〃
〃It's only another muddle of Freddy's。 Freddy doesn't even know
the name of the people he pretends have taken it instead。〃
〃Yes； I do。 I've got it。 Emerson。〃
〃What name？〃
〃Emerson。 I'll bet you anything you like。〃
〃What a weathercock Sir Harry is；〃 said Lucy quietly。 〃I wish I
had never bothered over it at all。〃
Then she lay on her back and gazed at the cloudless sky。 Mr。
Beebe； whose opinion of her rose daily； whispered to his niece
that THAT was the proper way to behave if any little thing went
wrong。
Meanwhile the name of the new tenants had diverted Mrs。
Honeychurch from the contemplation of her own abilities。
〃Emerson； Freddy？ Do you know what Emersons they are？〃
〃I don't know whether they're any Emersons；〃 retorted Freddy； who
was democratic。 Like his sister and like most young people； he
was naturally attracted by the idea of equality； and the
undeniable fact that there are different kinds of Emersons
annoyed him beyond measure。
〃I trust they are the right sort of person。 All right； Lucy〃she
was sitting up again〃I see you looking down your nose and
thinking your mother's a snob。 But there is a right sort and a
wrong sort； and it's affectation to pretend there isn't。〃
〃Emerson's a common enough name；〃 Lucy remarked。
She was gazing sideways。 Seated on a promontory herself； she
could see the pine…clad promontories descending one beyond
another into the Weald。 The further one descended the garden； the
more glorious was this lateral view。
〃I was merely going to remark； Freddy； that I trusted they were
no relations of Emerson the philosopher； a most trying man。 Pray；
does that satisfy you？〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 he grumbled。 〃And you will be satisfied； too； for
they're friends of Cecil； soelaborate irony〃you and the other
country families will be able to call in perfect safety。〃
〃CECIL？〃 exclaimed Lucy。
〃Don't be rude； dear；〃 said his mother placidly。 〃Lucy； don't
screech。 It's a new bad habit you're getting into。〃
〃But has Cecil〃
〃Friends of Cecil's；〃 he repeated； 〃'and so really dee…sire…
rebel。 Ahem！ Honeychurch； I have just telegraphed to them。'〃
She got up from the grass。
It was hard on Lucy。 Mr。 Beebe sympathized with her very much。
While she believed that her snub about the Miss Alans came from
Sir Harry Otway； she had borne it like a good girl。 She might
well 〃screech〃 when she heard that it came partly from her lover。
Mr。 Vyse was a teasesomething worse than a tease： he took a
malicious pleasure in thwarting people。 The clergyman； knowing
this； looked at Miss Honeychurch with more than his usual
kindness。
When she exclaimed； 〃But Cecil's Emersonsthey can't possibly be
the same onesthere is that〃 he did not consider that the
exclamation was strange； but saw in it an opportunity of
diverting the conversation while she recovered her composure。 He
diverted it as follows：
〃The Emersons who were at Florence； do you mean？ No； I don't
suppose it will prove to be them。 It is probably a long cry from
them to friends of Mr。 Vyse's。 Oh； Mrs。 Honeychurch； the oddest
people！ The queerest people！ For our part we liked them； didn't
we？〃 He appealed to Lucy。 〃There was a great scene over some
violets。 They picked violets and filled all the vases in the room
of these very Miss Alans who have failed to come to Cissie Villa。
Poor little ladies！ So shocked and so pleased。 It used to be one
of Miss Catharine's great stories。 'My dear sister loves
flowers；' it began。 They found the whole room a mass of blue
vases and jugsand the story ends with 'So ungentlemanly and
yet so beautiful。' It is all very difficult。 Yes； I always connect
those Florentine Emersons with violets。〃
〃Fiasco's done you this time；〃 remarked Freddy； not seeing that
his sister's face was very red。 She could not recover herself。
Mr。 Beebe saw it； and continued to divert the conversation。
〃These particular Emersons consisted of a father and a sonthe
son a goodly； if not a good young man； not a fool； I fancy； but
very immaturepessimism； et cetera。 Our special joy was the
fathersuch a sentimental darling； and people declared he had
murdered his wife。〃
In his normal state Mr。 Beebe would never have repeated such
gossip； but he was trying to shelter Lucy in her little trouble。
He repeated any rubbish that came into his head。
〃Murdered his wife？〃 said Mrs。 Honeychurch。 〃Lucy； don't desert
usgo on playing bumble…puppy。 Really； the Pension Bertolini
must have been the oddest place。 That's the second murderer I've
heard of as being there。 Whatever was Charlotte doing to stop？
By…the…by； we really must ask Charlotte here some time。〃
Mr。 Beebe could recall no second murderer。 He suggested that his
hostess was mistaken。 At the hint of opposition she warmed。 She
was perfectly sure that there had been a second tourist of whom
the same story had been told。 The name escaped her。 What was the
name？ Oh； what was the name？ She clasped her knees for the name。
Something in Thackeray。 She struck her matronly forehead。
Lucy asked her brother whether Cecil was in。
〃Oh； don't go！〃 he cried； and tried to catch her by the ankles。
〃I must go；〃 she said gravely。 〃Don't be silly。 You always overdo
it when you play。〃
As she left them her mother's shout of 〃Harris！〃 shivered the
tranquil air； and reminded her that she had told a lie and had
never put it right。 Such a senseless lie； too； yet it shattered
her nerves and made her connect these Emersons； friends of
Cecil's； with a pair of nondescript tourists。 Hitherto truth had
come to her naturally。 She saw that for the future she must be
more vigilant； and beabsolutely truthful？ Well； at all events；
she must not tell lies。 She hurried up the garden； still flushed
with shame。 A word from Cecil would soothe her； she was sure。
〃Cecil！〃
〃Hullo！〃 he called； and leant out of the smoking…room window。 He
seemed in high spirits。 〃I was hoping you'd come。 I heard you all
bear…gardening； but there's better fun up here。 I； even I； have
won a great victory for the Comic Muse。 George Meredith's right
the cause of Comedy and the cause of Truth are really the same；
and I； even I； have found tenants for the distressful Cissie
Villa。 Don't be angry！ Don't be angry！ You'll forgive me when you
hear it all。〃
He looked very attractive when his face was bright； and he
dispelled her ridiculous forebodings at once。
〃I have heard；〃 she said。 〃Freddy has told us。 Naughty Cecil！ I
suppose I must forgive you。 Just thi
