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He　has　let　me　come　and　ask　you。　He　would　be　so　pleased。〃



〃Oh；　Charlotte；〃　cried　Lucy　to　her　cousin；　〃we　must　have　the

rooms　now。　The　old　man　is　just　as　nice　and　kind　as　he　can　be。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　silent。



〃I　fear；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe；　after　a　pause；　〃that　I　have　been

officious。　I　must　apologize　for　my　interference。〃



Gravely　displeased；　he　turned　to　go。　Not　till　then　did　Miss

Bartlett　reply：　〃My　own　wishes；　dearest　Lucy；　are　unimportant　in

comparison　with　yours。　It　would　be　hard　indeed　if　I　stopped　you

doing　as　you　liked　at　Florence；　when　I　am　only　here　through　your

kindness。　If　you　wish　me　to　turn　these　gentlemen　out　of　their

rooms；　I　will　do　it。　Would　you　then；　Mr。　Beebe；　kindly　tell　Mr。

Emerson　that　I　accept　his　kind　offer；　and　then　conduct　him　to　me；

in　order　that　I　may　thank　him　personally？〃



She　raised　her　voice　as　she　spoke；　it　was　heard　all　over　the

drawing…room；　and　silenced　the　Guelfs　and　the　Ghibellines。　The

clergyman；　inwardly　cursing　the　female　sex；　bowed；　and　departed

with　her　message。



〃Remember；　Lucy；　I　alone　am　implicated　in　this。　I　do　not　wish　the

acceptance　to　come　from　you。　Grant　me　that；　at　all　events。〃



Mr。　Beebe　was　back；　saying　rather　nervously：



〃Mr。　Emerson　is　engaged；　but　here　is　his　son　instead。〃



The　young　man　gazed　down　on　the　three　ladies；　who　felt　seated　on

the　floor；　so　low　were　their　chairs。



〃My　father；〃　he　said；　〃is　in　his　bath；　so　you　cannot　thank　him

personally。　But　any　message　given　by　you　to　me　will　be　given　by

me　to　him　as　soon　as　he　comes　out。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　unequal　to　the　bath。　All　her　barbed　civilities

came　forth　wrong　end　first。　Young　Mr。　Emerson　scored　a　notable

triumph　to　the　delight　of　Mr。　Beebe　and　to　the　secret　delight　of

Lucy。



〃Poor　young　man！〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　as　soon　as　he　had　gone。



〃How　angry　he　is　with　his　father　about　the　rooms！　It　is　all　he

can　do　to　keep　polite。〃



〃In　half　an　hour　or　so　your　rooms　will　be　ready；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe。

Then　looking　rather　thoughtfully　at　the　two　cousins；　he　retired

to　his　own　rooms；　to　write　up　his　philosophic　diary。



〃Oh；　dear！〃　breathed　the　little　old　lady；　and　shuddered　as　if　all

the　winds　of　heaven　had　entered　the　apartment。　〃Gentlemen

sometimes　do　not　realize〃　Her　voice　faded　away；　but　Miss

Bartlett　seemed　to　understand　and　a　conversation　developed；　in

which　gentlemen　who　did　not　thoroughly　realize　played　a　principal

part。　Lucy；　not　realizing　either；　was　reduced　to　literature。

Taking　up　Baedeker's　Handbook　to　Northern　Italy；　she　committed　to

memory　the　most　important　dates　of　Florentine　History。　For　she

was　determined　to　enjoy　herself　on　the　morrow。　Thus　the　half…hour

crept　profitably　away；　and　at　last　Miss　Bartlett　rose　with　a

sigh；　and　said：



〃I　think　one　might　venture　now。　No；　Lucy；　do　not　stir。　I　will

superintend　the　move。〃



〃How　you　do　do　everything；〃　said　Lucy。



〃Naturally；　dear。　It　is　my　affair。〃



〃But　I　would　like　to　help　you。〃



〃No；　dear。〃



Charlotte's　energy！　And　her　unselfishness！　She　had　been　thus　all

her　life；　but　really；　on　this　Italian　tour；　she　was　surpassing

herself。　So　Lucy　felt；　or　strove　to　feel。　And　yetthere　was　a

rebellious　spirit　in　her　which　wondered　whether　the　acceptance

might　not　have　been　less　delicate　and　more　beautiful。　At　all

events；　she　entered　her　own　room　without　any　feeling　of　joy。



〃I　want　to　explain；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　〃why　it　is　that　I　have

taken　the　largest　room。　Naturally；　of　course；　I　should　have　given

it　to　you；　but　I　happen　to　know　that　it　belongs　to　the　young　man；

and　I　was　sure　your　mother　would　not　like　it。〃



Lucy　was　bewildered。



〃If　you　are　to　accept　a　favour　it　is　more　suitable　you　should　be

under　an　obligation　to　his　father　than　to　him。　I　am　a　woman　of

the　world；　in　my　small　way；　and　I　know　where　things　lead　to。　How…

ever；　Mr。　Beebe　is　a　guarantee　of　a　sort　that　they　will　not

presume　on　this。〃



〃Mother　wouldn't　mind　I'm　sure；〃　said　Lucy；　but　again　had　the

sense　of　larger　and　unsuspected　issues。



Miss　Bartlett　only　sighed；　and　enveloped　her　in　a　protecting

embrace　as　she　wished　her　good…night。　It　gave　Lucy　the　sensation

of　a　fog；　and　when　she　reached　her　own　room　she　opened　the　window

and　breathed　the　clean　night　air；　thinking　of　the　kind　old　man

who　had　enabled　her　to　see　the　lights　dancing　in　the　Arno　and　the

cypresses　of　San　Miniato；　and　the　foot…hills　of　the　Apennines；

black　against　the　rising　moon。



Miss　Bartlett；　in　her　room；　fastened　the　window…shutters　and

locked　the　door；　and　then　made　a　tour　of　the　apartment　to　see

where　the　cupboards　led；　and　whether　there　were　any　oubliettes　or

secret　entrances。　It　was　then　that　she　saw；　pinned　up　over　the

washstand；　a　sheet　of　paper　on　which　was　scrawled　an　enormous

note　of　interrogation。　Nothing　more。



〃What　does　it　mean？〃　she　thought；　and　she　examined　it　carefully

by　the　light　of　a　candle。　Meaningless　at　first；　it　gradually

became　menacing；　obnoxious；　portentous　with　evil。　She　was　seized

with　an　impulse　to　destroy　it；　but　fortunately　remembered　that

she　had　no　right　to　do　so；　since　it　must　be　the　property　of　young

Mr。　Emerson。　So　she　unpinned　it　carefully；　and　put　it　between　two

pieces　of　blotting…paper　to　keep　it　clean　for　him。　Then　she

completed　her　inspection　of　the　room；　sighed　heavily　according　to

her　habit；　and　went　to　bed。







Chapter　II：　In　Santa　Croce　with　No　Baedeker



It　was　pleasant　to　wake　up　in　Florence；　to　open　the　eyes　upon　a

bright　bare　room；　with　a　floor　of　red　tiles　which　look　clean

though　they　are　not；　with　a　painted　ceiling　whereon　pink　griffins

and　blue　amorini　sport　in　a　forest　of　yellow　violins　and

bassoons。　It　was　pleasant；　too；　to　fling　wide　the　windows；

pinching　the　fingers　in　unfamiliar　fastenings；　to　lean　out　into

sunshine　with　beautiful　hills　and　trees　and　marble　churches

opposite；　and　close　below；　the　Arno；　gurgling　against　the

embankment　of　the　road。



Over　the　river　men　were　at　work　with　spades　and　sieves　on　the

sandy　foreshore；　and　on　the　river　was　a　boat；　also　diligently

employed　for　some　mysterious　end。　An　electric　tram　came　rushing

underneath　the　window。　No　one　was　inside　it；　except　one　tourist；

but　its　platforms　were　overflowing　with　Italians；　who　preferred

to　stand。　Children　tried　to　hang　on　behind；　and　the　conductor；

with　no　malice；　spat　in　their　faces　to　make　them　let　go。　Then

soldiers　appearedgood…looking；　undersized　menwearing　each　a

knapsack　covered　with　mangy　fur；　and　a　great…coat　which　had　been

cut　for　some　larger　soldier。　Beside　them　walked　officers；　looking

foolish　and　fierce；　and　before　them　went　little　boys；　turning

somersaults　in　time　with　the　band。　The　tramcar　became　entangled

in　their　ranks；　and　moved　on　painfully；　like　a　caterpillar　in　a

swarm　of　ants。　One　of　the　little　boys　fell　down；　and　some　white

bullocks　came　out　of　an　archway。　Indeed；　if　it　had　not　been　for

the　good　advice　of　an　old　man　who　was　selling　button…hooks；　the

road　might　never　have　got　clear。



Over　such　trivialities　as　these　many　a　valuable　hour　may　slip

away；　and　the　traveller　who　has　gone　to　Italy　to　study　the

tactile　values　of　Giotto；　or　the　corruption　of　the　Papacy；　may

return　remembering　nothing　but　the　blue　sky　and　the　men　and　women

who　live　under　it。　So　it　was　as　well　that　Miss　Bartlett　should

tap　and　come　in；　and　having　commented　on　Lucy's　leaving　the　door

unlocked；　and　on　her　leaning　out　of　the　window　before　she　was

fully　dressed；　should　urge　her　to　hasten　herself；　or　the　best　of

the　day　would　be　gone。　By　the　time　Lucy　was　ready　her　cousin　had

done　her　breakfast；　and　was　listening　to　the　clever　lady　among

the　crumbs。



A　conversation　then　ensued；　on　not　unfamiliar　lines。　Miss

Bartlett　was；　after　all；　a　wee　bit　tired；　and　thought　they　had

better　spend　the　morning　settling　in；　unless　Lucy　would　at　all

like　to　go　out？　Lucy　would　rather　like　to　go　out；　as　it　was　her

first　day　in　Florence；　but；　of　course；　she　could　go　alone。　Miss

Bartlett　could　not　allow　this。　Of　course　she　would　accompany　Lucy

everywhere。　Oh；　certainly　not；　Lucy　would　stop　with　her　cousin。

Oh；　no！　that　would　never　do。　Oh；　yes！



At　this　point　the　clever　lady　broke　in。



〃If　it　is　Mrs。　Grundy　who　is　troubling　you；　I　do　assure　you　that

you　can　neglect　the　good　person。　Being　English；　Miss　Honeychurch

will　be　perfectly　safe。　Italians　understand。　A　dear　friend　of

mine；　Contessa　Baroncelli；　has　two　daughters；　and　when　she　cannot

send　a　maid　to　school　with　them；　she　lets　them　go　in　sailor…hats

instead。　Every　one　takes　them　for　English；　you　see；　especially　if

their　hair　is　strained　tightly　behind。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　unconvinced　by　the　safety　of　Contessa

Baroncelli's　daughters。　She　was　determined　to　take　Lucy　herself；

her　head　not　being　so　very　bad。　The　clever　lady　then　said　that

she　was　going　to　spend　a　long　morning　in　Santa　Croce；　and　if　Lucy

would　come　too；　she　would　be　delighted。



〃I　will　take