a room with a view-第29节

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Now；　as　in　the　winter；　the　pine…trees　hung　close　to　her　eyes。　One

connected　the　landing　window　with　depression。　No　definite　problem

menaced　her；　but　she　sighed　to　herself；　〃Oh；　dear；　what　shall　I

do；　what　shall　I　do？〃　It　seemed　to　her　that　every　one　else　was

behaving　very　badly。　And　she　ought　not　to　have　mentioned　Miss

Bartlett's　letter。　She　must　be　more　careful；　her　mother　was

rather　inquisitive；　and　might　have　asked　what　it　was　about。　Oh；

dear；　should　she　do？and　then　Freddy　came　bounding　up…stairs；

and　joined　the　ranks　of　the　ill…behaved。



〃I　say；　those　are　topping　people。〃



〃My　dear　baby；　how　tiresome　you've　been！　You　have　no　business　to　take

them　bathing　in　the　Sacred　it's　much　too　public。　It　was　all　right

for　you　but　most　awkward　for　every　one　else。　Do　be　more　careful。　You

forget　the　place　is　growing　half　suburban。〃



〃I　say；　is　anything　on　to…morrow　week？〃



〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃



〃Then　I　want　to　ask　the　Emersons　up　to　Sunday　tennis。〃



〃Oh；　I　wouldn't　do　that；　Freddy；　I　wouldn't　do　that　with　all　this

muddle。〃



〃What's　wrong　with　the　court？　They　won't　mind　a　bump　or　two；　and

I've　ordered　new　balls。〃



〃I　meant　it's　better　not。　I　really　mean　it。〃



He　seized　her　by　the　elbows　and　humorously　danced　her　up　and　down

the　passage。　She　pretended　not　to　mind；　but　she　could　have

screamed　with　temper。　Cecil　glanced　at　them　as　he　proceeded　to

his　toilet　and　they　impeded　Mary　with　her　brood　of　hot…water

cans。　Then　Mrs。　Honeychurch　opened　her　door　and　said：　〃Lucy；

what　a　noise　you're　making！　I　have　something　to　say　to　you。　Did

you　say　you　had　had　a　letter　from　Charlotte？〃　and　Freddy　ran

away。



〃Yes。　I　really　can't　stop。　I　must　dress　too。〃



〃How's　Charlotte？〃



〃All　right。〃



〃Lucy！〃



The　unfortunate　girl　returned。



〃You've　a　bad　habit　of　hurrying　away　in　the　middle　of　one's

sentences。　Did　Charlotte　mention　her　boiler？〃



〃Her　WHAT？〃



〃Don't　you　remember　that　her　boiler　was　to　be　had　out　in　October；

and　her　bath　cistern　cleaned　out；　and　all　kinds　of　terrible

to…doings？〃



〃I　can't　remember　all　Charlotte's　worries；〃　said　Lucy　bitterly。

〃I　shall　have　enough　of　my　own；　now　that　you　are　not　pleased　with

Cecil。〃



Mrs。　Honeychurch　might　have　flamed　out。　She　did　not。　She　said：

〃Come　here；　old　ladythank　you　for　putting　away　my　bonnetkiss

me。〃　And；　though　nothing　is　perfect；　Lucy　felt　for　the　moment

that　her　mother　and　Windy　Corner　and　the　Weald　in　the　declining

sun　were　perfect。



So　the　grittiness　went　out　of　life。　It　generally　did　at　Windy

Corner。　At　the　last　minute；　when　the　social　machine　was　clogged

hopelessly；　one　member　or　other　of　the　family　poured　in　a　drop　of

oil。　Cecil　despised　their　methodsperhaps　rightly。　At　a11

events；　they　were　not　his　own。



Dinner　was　at　half…past　seven。　Freddy　gabbled　the　grace；　and　they

drew　up　their　heavy　chairs　and　fell　to。　Fortunately；　the　men　were

hungry。　Nothing　untoward　occurred　until　the　pudding。　Then　Freddy

said：



〃Lucy；　what's　Emerson　like？〃



〃I　saw　him　in　Florence；〃　said　Lucy；　hoping　that　this　would　pass

for　a　reply。



〃Is　he　the　clever　sort；　or　is　he　a　decent　chap？〃



〃Ask　Cecil；　it　is　Cecil　who　brought　him　here。〃



〃He　is　the　clever　sort；　like　myself；〃　said　Cecil。



Freddy　looked　at　him　doubtfully。



〃How　well　did　you　know　them　at　the　Bertolini？〃　asked　Mrs。

Honeychurch。



〃Oh；　very　slightly。　I　mean；　Charlotte　knew　them　even　less　than　I

did。〃



〃Oh；　that　reminds　meyou　never　told　me　what　Charlotte　said　in

her　letter。〃



〃One　thing　and　another；〃　said　Lucy；　wondering　whether　she　would

get　through　the　meal　without　a　lie。　〃Among　other　things；　that　an

awful　friend　of　hers　had　been　bicycling　through　Summer　Street；

wondered　if　she'd　come　up　and　see　us；　and　mercifully　didn't。〃



〃Lucy；　I　do　call　the　way　you　talk　unkind。〃



〃She　was　a　novelist；〃　said　Lucy　craftily。　The　remark　was　a　happy

one；　for　nothing　roused　Mrs。　Honeychurch　so　much　as　literature　in

the　hands　of　females。　She　would　abandon　every　topic　to　inveigh

against　those　women　who　（instead　of　minding　their　houses　and

their　children）　seek　notoriety　by　print。　Her　attitude　was：　〃If

books　must　be　written；　let　them　be　written　by　men〃；　and　she　de…

veloped　it　at　great　length；　while　Cecil　yawned　and　Freddy　played

at　〃This　year；　next　year；　now；　never；〃　with　his　plum…stones；　and

Lucy　artfully　fed　the　flames　of　her　mother's　wrath。　But　soon　the

conflagration　died　down；　and　the　ghosts　began　to　gather　in　the

darkness。　There　were　too　many　ghosts　about。　The　original　ghost

that　touch　of　lips　on　her　cheekhad　surely　been　laid　long　ago；

it　could　be　nothing　to　her　that　a　man　had　kissed　her　on　a

mountain　once。　But　it　had　begotten　a　spectral　familyMr。　Harris；

Miss　Bartlett's　letter；　Mr。　Beebe's　memories　of　violetsand　one

or　other　of　these　was　bound　to　haunt　her　before　Cecil's　very

eyes。　It　was　Miss　Bartlett　who　returned　now；　and　with　appalling

vividness。



〃I　have　been　thinking；　Lucy；　of　that　letter　of　Charlotte's。　How

is　she？〃



〃I　tore　the　thing　up。〃



〃Didn't　she　say　how　she　was？　How　does　she　sound？　Cheerful？〃



〃Oh；　yes　I　suppose　sononot　very　cheerful；　I　suppose。〃



〃Then；　depend　upon　it；　it　IS　the　boiler。　I　know　myself　how　water

preys　upon　one's　mind。　I　would　rather　anything　elseeven　a

misfortune　with　the　meat。〃



Cecil　laid　his　hand　over　his　eyes。



〃So　would　I；〃　asserted　Freddy；　backing　his　mother　upbacking　up

the　spirit　of　her　remark　rather　than　the　substance。



〃And　I　have　been　thinking；〃　she　added　rather　nervously；　〃surely

we　could　squeeze　Charlotte　in　here　next　week；　and　give　her　a　nice

holiday　while　plumbers　at　Tunbridge　Wells　finish。　I　have　not

seen　poor　Charlotte　for　so　long。〃



It　was　more　than　her　nerves　could　stand。　And　she　could　not

protest　violently　after　her　mother's　goodness　to　her　upstairs。



〃Mother；　no！〃　she　pleaded。　〃It's　impossible。　We　can't　have

Charlotte　on　the　top　of　the　other　things；　we're　squeezed　to　death

as　it　is。　Freddy's　got　a　friend　coming　Tuesday；　there's　Cecil；

and　you've　promised　to　take　in　Minnie　Beebe　because　of　the

diphtheria　scare。　It　simply　can't　be　done。〃



〃Nonsense！　It　can。〃



〃If　Minnie　sleeps　in　the　bath。　Not　otherwise。〃



〃Minnie　can　sleep　with　you。〃



〃I　won't　have　her。〃



〃Then；　if　you're　so　selfish；　Mr。　Floyd　must　share　a　room　with

Freddy。〃



〃Miss　Bartlett；　Miss　Bartlett；　Miss　Bartlett；〃　moaned　Cecil；

again　laying　his　hand　over　his　eyes。



〃It's　impossible；〃　repeated　Lucy。　〃I　don't　want　to　make

difficulties；　but　it　really　isn't　fair　on　the　maids　to　fill　up

the　house　so。〃



Alas！



〃The　truth　is；　dear；　you　don't　like　Charlotte。〃



〃No；　I　don't。　And　no　more　does　Cecil。　She　gets　on　our　nerves。　You

haven't　seen　her　lately；　and　don't　realize　how　tiresome　she　can

be；　though　so　good。　So　please；　mother；　don't　worry　us　this　last

summer；　but　spoil　us　by　not　asking　her　to　come。〃



〃Hear；　hear！〃　said　Cecil。



Mrs。　Honeychurch；　with　more　gravity　than　usual；　and　with　more

feeling　than　she　usually　permitted　herself；　replied：　〃This　isn't

very　kind　of　you　two。　You　have　each　other　and　all　these　woods　to

walk　in；　so　full　of　beautiful　things；　and　poor　Charlotte　has　only

the　water　turned　off　and　plumbers。　You　are　young；　dears；　and

however　clever　young　people　are；　and　however　many　books　they

read；　they　will　never　guess　what　it　feels　like　to　grow　old。〃



Cecil　crumbled　his　bread。



〃I　must　say　Cousin　Charlotte　was　very　kind　to　me　that　year　I

called　on　my　bike；〃　put　in　Freddy。　〃She　thanked　me　for　coming

till　I　felt　like　such　a　fool；　and　fussed　round　no　end　to　get　an

egg　boiled　for　my　tea　just　right。〃



〃I　know；　dear。　She　is　kind　to　every　one；　and　yet　Lucy　makes　this

difficulty　when　we　try　to　give　her　some　little　return。〃



But　Lucy　hardened　her　heart。　It　was　no　good　being　kind　to　Miss

Bartlett。　She　had　tried　herself　too　often　and　too　recently。　One

might　lay　up　treasure　in　heaven　by　the　attempt；　but　one　enriched

neither　Miss　Bartlett　nor　any　one　else　upon　earth。　She　was

reduced　to　saying：　〃I　can't　help　it；　mother。　I　don't　like

Charlotte。　I　admit　it's　horrid　of　me。〃



〃From　your　own　account；　you　told　her　as　much。〃



〃Well；　she　would　leave　Florence　so　stupidly。　She　flurried〃



The　ghosts　were　returning；　they　filled　Italy；　they　were　even

usurping　the　places　she　had　known　as　a　child。　The　Sacred　Lake

would　never　be　the　same　again；　and；　on　Sunday　week；　something

would　even　happen　to　Windy　Corner。　How　would　she　fight　against

ghosts？　For　a　moment　the　visible　world　faded　away；　and　memories

and　emotions　alone　seemed　real。



〃I　suppose　Miss　Bartlett　must　come；　since　she　boils　eggs　so

well；〃　said　Cecil；　who　was　in　rather　a　happier　frame　of　mind；

thanks　to　the　admirable　cooking。



〃I　didn't　mean　the　egg　was　WELL　boiled；〃　corrected　Freddy；

〃because　in　point　of　fact　she　forgot　to　take　it　off；　and　as　a

matter　of　fact　I　don't　care　for　eggs。　I