a room with a view-第31节

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anxious　thing。　　What　WOULD　you　have　me　do？　First　you　say　'Don't

tell'；　and　then　you　say；　'Tell'。　Which　is　it　to　be？　Quick！〃



Miss　Bartlett　sighed　〃I　am　no　match　for　you　in　conversation；

dearest。　I　blush　when　I　think　how　I　interfered　at　Florence；　and

you　so　well　able　to　look　after　yourself；　and　so　much　cleverer　in

all　ways　than　I　am。　You　will　never　forgive　me。〃



〃Shall　we　go　out；　then。　They　will　smash　all　the　china　if　we

don't。〃



For　the　air　rang　with　the　shrieks　of　Minnie；　who　was　being

scalped　with　a　teaspoon。



〃Dear；　one　momentwe　may　not　have　this　chance　for　a　chat　again。

Have　you　seen　the　young　one　yet？〃



〃Yes；　I　have。〃



〃What　happened？〃



〃We　met　at　the　Rectory。〃



〃What　line　is　he　taking　up？〃



〃No　line。　He　talked　about　Italy；　like　any　other　person。　It　is

really　all　right。　What　advantage　would　he　get　from　being　a　cad；

to　put　it　bluntly？　I　do　wish　I　could　make　you　see　it　my　way。　He

really　won't　be　any　nuisance；　Charlotte。〃



〃Once　a　cad；　always　a　cad。　That　is　my　poor　opinion。〃



Lucy　paused。　〃Cecil　said　one　dayand　I　thought　it　so

profoundthat　there　are　two　kinds　of　cadsthe　conscious　and　the

subconscious。〃　She　paused　again；　to　be　sure　of　doing　justice　to

Cecil's　profundity。　Through　the　window　she　saw　Cecil　himself；

turning　over　the　pages　of　a　novel。　It　was　a　new　one　from　Smith's

library。　Her　mother　must　have　returned　from　the　station。



〃Once　a　cad；　always　a　cad；〃　droned　Miss　Bartlett。



〃What　I　mean　by　subconscious　is　that　Emerson　lost　his　head。　I

fell　into　all　those　violets；　and　he　was　silly　and　surprised。　I

don't　think　we　ought　to　blame　him　very　much。　It　makes　such　a

difference　when　you　see　a　person　with　beautiful　things　behind　him

unexpectedly。　It　really　does；　it　makes　an　enormous　difference；

and　he　lost　his　head：　he　doesn't　admire　me；　or　any　of　that

nonsense；　one　straw。　Freddy　rather　likes　him；　and　has　asked　him

up　here　on　Sunday；　so　you　can　judge　for　yourself。　He　has

improved；　he　doesn't　always　look　as　if　he's　going　to　burst　into

tears。　He　is　a　clerk　in　the　General　Manager's　office　at　one　of

the　big　railwaysnot　a　porter！　and　runs　down　to　his　father　for

week…ends。　Papa　was　to　do　with　journalism；　but　is　rheumatic　and

has　retired。　There！　Now　for　the　garden。〃　She　took　hold　of　her

guest　by　the　arm。　〃Suppose　we　don't　talk　about　this　silly　Italian

business　any　more。　We　want　you　to　have　a　nice　restful　visit　at

Windy　Corner；　with　no　worriting。〃



Lucy　thought　this　rather　a　good　speech。　The　reader　may　have

detected　an　unfortunate　slip　in　it。　Whether　Miss　Bartlett

detected　the　slip　one　cannot　say；　for　it　is　impossible　to

penetrate　into　the　minds　of　elderly　people。　She　might　have　spoken

further；　but　they　were　interrupted　by　the　entrance　of　her

hostess。　Explanations　took　place；　and　in　the　midst　of　them　Lucy

escaped；　the　images　throbbing　a　little　more　vividly　in　her　brain。







Chapter　XV：　The　Disaster　Within



The　Sunday　after　Miss　Bartlett's　arrival　was　a　glorious　day；　like

most　of　the　days　of　that　year。　In　the　Weald；　autumn　approached；

breaking　up　the　green　monotony　of　summer；　touching　the　parks　with

the　grey　bloom　of　mist；　the　beech…trees　with　russet；　the

oak…trees　with　gold。　Up　on　the　heights；　battalions　of　black　pines

witnessed　the　change；　themselves　unchangeable。　Either　country　was

spanned　by　a　cloudless　sky；　and　in　either　arose　the　tinkle　of

church　bells。



The　garden　of　Windy　Corners　was　deserted　except　for　a　red　book；

which　lay　sunning　itself　upon　the　gravel　path。　From　the　house

came　incoherent　sounds；　as　of　females　preparing　for　worship。　〃The

men　say　they　won't　go〃　〃Well；　I　don't　blame　them〃　Minnie

says；　need　she　go？〃　〃Tell　her；　no　nonsense〃　〃Anne！　Mary！

Hook　me　behind！〃　〃Dearest　Lucia；　may　I　trespass　upon　you　for　a

pin？〃　For　Miss　Bartlett　had　announced　that　she　at　all　events　was

one　for　church。



The　sun　rose　higher　on　its　journey；　guided；　not　by　Phaethon；　but

by　Apollo；　competent；　unswerving；　divine。　Its　rays　fell　on　the

ladies　whenever　they　advanced　towards　the　bedroom　windows；　on

Mr。　Beebe　down　at　Summer　Street　as　he　smiled　over　a　letter　from

Miss　Catharine　Alan；　on　George　Emerson　cleaning　his　father's

boots；　and　lastly；　to　complete　the　catalogue　of　memorable

things；　on　the　red　book　mentioned　previously。　The　ladies　move；

Mr。　Beebe　moves；　George　moves；　and　movement　may　engender　shadow。

But　this　book　lies　motionless；　to　be　caressed　all　the　morning　by

the　sun　and　to　raise　its　covers　slightly；　as　though　acknowledging

the　caress。



Presently　Lucy　steps　out　of　the　drawing…room　window。　Her　new

cerise　dress　has　been　a　failure；　and　makes　her　look　tawdry　and

wan。　At　her　throat　is　a　garnet　brooch；　on　her　finger　a　ring　set

with　rubiesan　engagement　ring。　Her　eyes　are　bent　to　the　Weald。

She　frowns　a　littlenot　in　anger；　but　as　a　brave　child　frowns

when　he　is　trying　not　to　cry。　In　all　that　expanse　no　human　eye　is

looking　at　her；　and　she　may　frown　unrebuked　and　measure　the

spaces　that　yet　survive　between　Apollo　and　the　western　hills。



〃Lucy！　Lucy！　What's　that　book？　Who's　been　taking　a　book　out　of

the　shelf　and　leaving　it　about　to　spoil？〃



〃It's　only　the　library　book　that　Cecil's　been　reading。〃



〃But　pick　it　up；　and　don't　stand　idling　there　like　a　flamingo。〃



Lucy　picked　up　the　book　and　glanced　at　the　title　listlessly；

Under　a　Loggia。　She　no　longer　read　novels　herself；　devoting　all

her　spare　time　to　solid　literature　in　the　hope　of　catching　Cecil

up。　It　was　dreadful　how　little　she　knew；　and　even　when　she

thought　she　knew　a　thing；　like　the　Italian　painters；　she　found

she　had　forgotten　it。　Only　this　morning　she　had　confused

Francesco　Francia　with　Piero　della　Francesca；　and　Cecil　had

said；　〃What！　you　aren't　forgetting　your　Italy　already？〃　And　this

too　had　lent　anxiety　to　her　eyes　when　she　saluted　the　dear　view

and　the　dear　garden　in　the　foreground；　and　above　them；　scarcely

conceivable　elsewhere；　the　dear　sun。



〃Lucyhave　you　a　sixpence　for　Minnie　and　a　shilling　for

yourself？〃



She　hastened　in　to　her　mother；　who　was　rapidly　working　herself

into　a　Sunday　fluster。



〃It's　a　special　collectionI　forget　what　for。　I　do　beg；　no

vulgar　clinking　in　the　plate　with　halfpennies；　see　that　Minnie

has　a　nice　bright　sixpence。　Where　is　the　child？　Minnie！　That

book's　all　warped。　（Gracious；　how　plain　you　look！）　Put　it　under

the　Atlas　to　press。　Minnie！〃



〃Oh；　Mrs。　Honeychurch〃　from　the　upper　regions。



〃Minnie；　don't　be　late。　Here　comes　the　horse〃　it　was　always　the

horse；　never　the　carriage。　〃Where's　Charlotte？　Run　up　and　hurry

her。　Why　is　she　so　long？　She　had　nothing　to　do。　She　never　brings

anything　but　blouses。　Poor　Charlotte　How　I　do　detest　blouses！

Minnie！〃



Paganism　is　infectiousmore　infectious　than　diphtheria　or　piety

and　the　Rector's　niece　was　taken　to　church　protesting。　As

usual；　she　didn't　see　why。　Why　shouldn't　she　sit　in　the　sun　with

the　young　men？　The　young　men；　who　had　now　appeared；　mocked　her

with　ungenerous　words。　Mrs。　Honeychurch　defended　orthodoxy；　and

in　the　midst　of　the　confusion　Miss　Bartlett；　dressed　in　the　very

height　of　the　fashion；　came　strolling　down　the　stairs。



〃Dear　Marian；　I　am　very　sorry；　but　I　have　no　small　change

nothing　but　sovereigns　and　half　crowns。　Could　any　one　give　me〃



〃Yes；　easily。　Jump　in。　Gracious　me；　how　smart　you　look！　What　a

lovely　frock！　You　put　us　all　to　shame。〃



〃If　I　did　not　wear　my　best　rags　and　tatters　now；　when　should　I

wear　them？〃　said　Miss　Bartlett　reproachfully。　She　got　into　the

victoria　and　placed　herself　with　her　back　to　the　horse。　The

necessary　roar　ensued；　and　then　they　drove　off。



〃Good…bye！　Be　good！〃　called　out　Cecil。



Lucy　bit　her　lip；　for　the　tone　was　sneering。　On　the　subject　of

〃church　and　so　on〃　they　had　had　rather　an　unsatisfactory

conversation。　He　had　said　that　people　ought　to　overhaul

themselves；　and　she　did　not　want　to　overhaul　herself；　she　did　not

know　it　was　done。　Honest　orthodoxy　Cecil　respected；　but　he　always

assumed　that　honesty　is　the　result　of　a　spiritual　crisis；　he

could　not　imagine　it　as　a　natural　birthright；　that　might　grow

heavenward　like　flowers。　All　that　he　said　on　this　subject　pained

her；　though　he　exuded　tolerance　from　every　pore；　somehow　the

Emersons　were　different。



She　saw　the　Emersons　after　church。　There　was　a　line　of　carriages

down　the　road；　and　the　Honeychurch　vehicle　happened　to　be

opposite　Cissie　Villa。　To　save　time；　they　walked　over　the　green

to　it；　and　found　father　and　son　smoking　in　the　garden。



〃Introduce　me；〃　said　her　mother。　〃Unless　the　young　man　considers

that　he　knows　me　already。〃



He　probably　did；　but　Lucy　ignored　the　Sacred　Lake　and　introduced

them　formally。　Old　Mr。　Emerson　claimed　her　with　much　warmth；　and

said　how　glad　he　was　that　she　was　going　to　be　married。　She　said

yes；　she　was　glad　too；　and　then；　as　Miss　Bartlett　and　Minnie　were

lingering　behind　with　Mr。　Beebe；　she　turned　the　conversation　to　a

less　disturbing　to