a room with a view-第43节

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will　be　wasted。　You　have　gone　too　far　to　retreat。　I　have　no　time

for　the　tenderness；　and　the　comradeship；　and　the　poetry；　and　the

things　that　really　matter；　and　for　which　you　marry。　I　know　that；

with　George；　you　will　find　them；　and　that　you　love　him。　Then　be

his　wife。　He　is　already　part　of　you。　Though　you　fly　to　Greece；

and　never　see　him　again；　or　forget　his　very　name；　George　will

work　in　your　thoughts　till　you　die。　It　isn't　possible　to　love　and

to　part。　You　will　wish　that　it　was。　You　can　transmute　love；

ignore　it；　muddle　it；　but　you　can　never　pull　it　out　of　you。　I

know　by　experience　that　the　poets　are　right：　love　is　eternal。〃



Lucy　began　to　cry　with　anger；　and　though　her　anger　passed　away

soon；　her　tears　remained。



〃I　only　wish　poets　would　say　this；　too：　love　is　of　the　body；　not

the　body；　but　of　the　body。　Ah！　the　misery　that　would　be　saved　if

we　confessed　that！　Ah！　for　a　little　directness　to　liberate　the

soul！　Your　soul；　dear　Lucy！　I　hate　the　word　now；　because　of　all

the　cant　with　which　superstition　has　wrapped　it　round。　But　we

have　souls。　I　cannot　say　how　they　came　nor　whither　they　go；　but

we　have　them；　and　I　see　you　ruining　yours。　I　cannot　bear　it。　It

is　again　the　darkness　creeping　in；　it　is　hell。〃　Then　he　checked

himself。　〃What　nonsense　I　have　talkedhow　abstract　and　remote！

And　I　have　made　you　cry！　Dear　girl；　forgive　my　prosiness；　marry

my　boy。　When　I　think　what　life　is；　and　how　seldom　love　is

answered　by　loveMarry　him；　it　is　one　of　the　moments　for　which

the　world　was　made。〃



She　could　not　understand　him；　the　words　were　indeed　remote。　Yet

as　he　spoke　the　darkness　was　withdrawn；　veil　after　veil；　and　she

saw　to　the　bottom　of　her　soul。



〃Then；　Lucy〃



〃You've　frightened　me；〃　she　moaned。　〃CecilMr。　Beebethe

ticket's　boughteverything。〃　She　fell　sobbing　into　the　chair。

〃I'm　caught　in　the　tangle。　I　must　suffer　and　grow　old　away　from

him。　I　cannot　break　the　whole　of　life　for　his　sake。　They　trusted

me。〃



A　carriage　drew　up　at　the　front…door。



〃Give　George　my　loveonce　only。　Tell　him　'muddle。'〃　Then　she

arranged　her　veil；　while　the　tears　poured　over　her　cheeks　inside。



〃Lucy〃



〃Nothey　are　in　the　halloh；　please　not；　Mr。　Emersonthey　trust

me〃



〃But　why　should　they；　when　you　have　deceived　them？〃



Mr。　Beebe　opened　the　door；　saying：　〃Here's　my　mother。〃



〃You're　not　worthy　of　their　trust。〃



〃What's　that？〃　said　Mr。　Beebe　sharply。



〃I　was　saying；　why　should　you　trust　her　when　she　deceived　you？〃



〃One　minute；　mother。〃　He　came　in　and　shut　the　door。



〃I　don't　follow　you；　Mr。　Emerson。　To　whom　do　you　refer？　Trust

whom？〃



〃I　mean　she　has　pretended　to　you　that　she　did　not　love　George。

They　have　loved　one　another　all　along。〃



Mr。　Beebe　looked　at　the　sobbing　girl。　He　was　very　quiet；　and　his

white　face；　with　its　ruddy　whiskers；　seemed　suddenly　inhuman。　A

long　black　column；　he　stood　and　awaited　her　reply。



〃I　shall　never　marry　him；〃　quavered　Lucy。



A　look　of　contempt　came　over　him；　and　he　said；　〃Why　not？〃



〃Mr。　BeebeI　have　misled　youI　have　misled　myself〃



〃Oh；　rubbish；　Miss　Honeychurch！〃



〃It　is　not　rubbish！〃　said　the　old　man　hotly。　〃It's　the　part　of

people　that　you　don't　understand。〃



Mr。　Beebe　laid　his　hand　on　the　old　man's　shoulder　pleasantly。



〃Lucy！　Lucy！〃　called　voices　from　the　carriage。



〃Mr。　Beebe；　could　you　help　me？〃



He　looked　amazed　at　the　request；　and　said　in　a　low；　stern　voice：

〃I　am　more　grieved　than　I　can　possibly　express。　It　is　lamentable；

lamentableincredible。〃



〃What's　wrong　with　the　boy？〃　fired　up　the　other　again。



〃Nothing；　Mr。　Emerson；　except　that　he　no　longer　interests　me。

Marry　George；　Miss　Honeychurch。　He　will　do　admirably。〃



He　walked　out　and　left　them。　They　heard　him　guiding　his　mother

up…stairs。



〃Lucy！〃　the　voices　called。



She　turned　to　Mr。　Emerson　in　despair。　But　his　face　revived　her。　It

was　the　face　of　a　saint　who　understood。



〃Now　it　is　all　dark。　Now　Beauty　and　Passion　seem　never　to　have

existed。　I　know。　But　remember　the　mountains　over　Florence　and　the

view。　Ah；　dear；　if　I　were　George；　and　gave　you　one　kiss；　it　would

make　you　brave。　You　have　to　go　cold　into　a　battle　that　needs

warmth；　out　into　the　muddle　that　you　have　made　yourself；　and　your

mother　and　all　your　friends　will　despise　you；　oh；　my　darling；　and

rightly；　if　it　is　ever　right　to　despise。　George　still　dark；　all

the　tussle　and　the　misery　without　a　word　from　him。　Am　I

justified？〃　Into　his　own　eyes　tears　came。　〃Yes；　for　we　fight　for

more　than　Love　or　Pleasure；　there　is　Truth。　Truth　counts；　Truth

does　count。〃



〃You　kiss　me；〃　said　the　girl。　〃You　kiss　me。　I　will　try。〃



He　gave　her　a　sense　of　deities　reconciled；　a　feeling　that；　in

gaining　the　man　she　loved；　she　would　gain　something　for　the　whole

world。　Throughout　the　squalor　of　her　homeward　driveshe　spoke　at

oncehis　salutation　remained。　He　had　robbed　the　body　of　its

taint；　the　world's　taunts　of　their　sting；　he　had　shown　her　the

holiness　of　direct　desire。　She　〃never　exactly　understood；〃　she

would　say　in　after　years；　〃how　he　managed　to　strengthen　her。　It

was　as　if　he　had　made　her　see　the　whole　of　everything　at　once。〃







Chapter　XX：　The　End　of　the　Middle　Ages



The　Miss　Alans　did　go　to　Greece；　but　they　went　by　themselves。

They　alone　of　this　little　company　will　double　Malea　and　plough

the　waters　of　the　Saronic　gulf。　They　alone　will　visit　Athens　and

Delphi；　and　either　shrine　of　intellectual　songthat　upon　the

Acropolis；　encircled　by　blue　seas；　that　under　Parnassus；　where

the　eagles　build　and　the　bronze　charioteer　drives　undismayed

towards　infinity。　Trembling；　anxious；　cumbered　with　much

digestive　bread；　they　did　proceed　to　Constantinople；　they　did　go

round　the　world。　The　rest　of　us　must　be　contented　with　a　fair；

but　a　less　arduous；　goal。　Italiam　petimus：　we　return　to　the

Pension　Bertolini。



George　said　it　was　his　old　room。



〃No；　it　isn't；〃　said　Lucy；　〃because　it　is　the　room　I　had；　and　I

had　your　father's　room。　I　forget　why；　Charlotte　made　me；　for　some

reason。〃



He　knelt　on　the　tiled　floor；　and　laid　his　face　in　her　lap。



〃George；　you　baby；　get　up。〃



〃Why　shouldn't　I　be　a　baby？〃　murmured　George。



Unable　to　answer　this　question；　she　put　down　his　sock；　which　she

was　trying　to　mend；　and　gazed　out　through　the　window。　It　was

evening　and　again　the　spring。



〃Oh；　bother　Charlotte；〃　she　said　thoughtfully。　〃What　can　such

people　be　made　of？〃



〃Same　stuff　as　parsons　are　made　of。〃



〃Nonsense！〃



〃Quite　right。　It　is　nonsense。〃



〃Now　you　get　up　off　the　cold　floor；　or　you'll　be　starting

rheumatism　next；　and　you　stop　laughing　and　being　so　silly。〃



〃Why　shouldn't　I　laugh？〃　he　asked；　pinning　her　with　his　elbows；

and　advancing　his　face　to　hers。　〃What's　there　to　cry　at？　Kiss　me

here。〃　He　indicated　the　spot　where　a　kiss　would　be　welcome。



He　was　a　boy　after　all。　When　it　came　to　the　point；　it　was　she　who

remembered　the　past；　she　into　whose　soul　the　iron　had　entered；

she　who　knew　whose　room　this　had　been　last　year。　It　endeared　him

to　her　strangely　that　he　should　be　sometimes　wrong。



〃Any　letters？〃　he　asked。



〃Just　a　line　from　Freddy。〃



〃Now　kiss　me　here；　then　here。〃



Then；　threatened　again　with　rheumatism；　he　strolled　to　the

window；　opened　it　（as　the　English　will）；　and　leant　out。　There　was

the　parapet；　there　the　river；　there　to　the　left　the　beginnings　of

the　hills。　The　cab…driver；　who　at　once　saluted　him　with　the　hiss

of　a　serpent；　might　be　that　very　Phaethon　who　had　set　this

happiness　in　motion　twelve　months　ago。　A　passion　of　gratitude

all　feelings　grow　to　passions　in　the　Southcame　over　the

husband；　and　he　blessed　the　people　and　the　things　who　had　taken

so　much　trouble　about　a　young　fool。　He　had　helped　himself；　it　is

true；　but　how　stupidly！



All　the　fighting　that　mattered　had　been　done　by　othersby　Italy；

by　his　father；　by　his　wife。



〃Lucy；　you　come　and　look　at　the　cypresses；　and　the　church；

whatever　its　name　is；　still　shows。〃



〃San　Miniato。　I'll　just　finish　your　sock。〃



〃Signorino；　domani　faremo　uno　giro；〃　called　the　cabman；　with

engaging　certainty。



George　told　him　that　he　was　mistaken；　they　had　no　money　to　throw

away　on　driving。



And　the　people　who　had　not　meant　to　helpthe　Miss　Lavishes；　the

Cecils；　the　Miss　Bartletts！　Ever　prone　to　magnify　Fate；　George

counted　up　the　forces　that　had　swept　him　into　this　contentment。



〃Anything　good　in　Freddy's　letter？〃



〃Not　yet。〃



His　own　content　was　absolute；　but　hers　held　bitterness：　the

Honeychurches　had　not　forgiven　them；　they　were　disgusted　at　her

past　hypocrisy；　she　had　alienated　Windy　Corner；　perhaps　for　ever。



〃What　does　he　say？〃



〃Silly　boy！　He　thinks　he's　being　dignified。　He　knew　we　should　go

off　in　the　springhe　has　known　it　for　six　monthsthat　if　mother

wouldn't　give　her　consent　we　should　take　the　thing　into　our　own

hands。　They　had　fair　warni