a room with a view-第1章

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A　Room　With　A　View



by　E。　M。　Forster










CONTENTS：



PART　ONE



I。　　　　　The　Bertolini



II。　　　　In　Santa　Croce　with　No　Baedeker



III。　　　Music；　Violets；　and　the　Letter　〃S〃



IV。　　　　Fourth　Chapter



V。　　　　　Possibilities　of　a　Pleasant　Outing



VI。　　　　The　Reverend　Arthur　Beebe；　the　Reverend　Cuthbert　Eager；

　　　　　　　Mr。　Emerson；　Mr。　George　Emerson；　Miss　Eleanor　Lavish；

　　　　　　　Miss　Charlotte　Bartlett；　and　Miss　Lucy　Honeychurch　Drive

　　　　　　　Out　in　Carriages　to　See　a　View；　Italians　Drive　Them



VII。　　　They　Return



PART　TWO



VIII。　　Medieval



IX。　　　　Lucy　as　a　Work　of　Art



X。　　　　　Cecil　as　a　Humourist



XI。　　　　In　Mrs。　Vyse's　Well…Appointed　Flat



XII。　　　Twelfth　Chapter



XIII。　　How　Miss　Bartlett's　Boiler　Was　So　Tiresome



XIV。　　　How　Lucy　Faced　the　External　Situation　Bravely



XV。　　　　The　Disaster　Within



XVI。　　　Lying　to　George



XVII。　　Lying　to　Cecil



XVIII。　Lying　to　Mr。　Beebe；　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　Freddy；　and　the　Servants



XIX。　　　Lying　to　Mr。　Emerson



XX。　　　　The　End　of　the　Middle　Ages







Chapter　I：　The　Bertolini



The　Signora　had　no　business　to　do　it；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　〃no

business　at　all。　She　promised　us　south　rooms　with　a　view　close

together；　instead　of　which　here　are　north　rooms；　looking　into　a

courtyard；　and　a　long　way　apart。　Oh；　Lucy！〃



〃And　a　Cockney；　besides！〃　said　Lucy；　who　had　been　further

saddened　by　the　Signora's　unexpected　accent。　〃It　might　be

London。〃　She　looked　at　the　two　rows　of　English　people　who　were

sitting　at　the　table；　at　the　row　of　white　bottles　of　water　and

red　bottles　of　wine　that　ran　between　the　English　people；　at　the

portraits　of　the　late　Queen　and　the　late　Poet　Laureate　that　hung

behind　the　English　people；　heavily　framed；　at　the　notice　of　the

English　church　（Rev。　Cuthbert　Eager；　M。　A。　Oxon。）；　that　was　the

only　other　decoration　of　the　wall。　〃Charlotte；　don't　you　feel；

too；　that　we　might　be　in　London？　I　can　hardly　believe　that　all

kinds　of　other　things　are　just　outside。　I　suppose　it　is　one's

being　so　tired。〃



〃This　meat　has　surely　been　used　for　soup；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；

laying　down　her　fork。



〃I　want　so　to　see　the　Arno。　The　rooms　the　Signora　promised　us　in

her　letter　would　have　looked　over　the　Arno。　The　Signora　had　no

business　to　do　it　at　all。　Oh；　it　is　a　shame！〃



〃Any　nook　does　for　me；〃　Miss　Bartlett　continued；　〃but　it　does

seem　hard　that　you　shouldn't　have　a　view。〃



Lucy　felt　that　she　had　been　selfish。　〃Charlotte；　you　mustn't

spoil　me：　of　course；　you　must　look　over　the　Arno；　too。　I　meant

that。　The　first　vacant　room　in　the　front〃



〃You　must　have　it；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　part　of　whose

travelling　expenses　were　paid　by　Lucy's　mothera　piece　of

generosity　to　which　she　made　many　a　tactful　allusion。



〃No；　no。　You　must　have　it。〃



〃I　insist　on　it。　Your　mother　would　never　forgive　me；　Lucy。〃



〃She　would　never　forgive　me。〃



The　ladies'　voices　grew　animated；　andif　the　sad　truth　be

owneda　little　peevish。　They　were　tired；　and　under　the　guise　of

unselfishness　they　wrangled。　Some　of　their　neighbours

interchanged　glances；　and　one　of　themone　of　the　ill…bred　people

whom　one　does　meet　abroadleant　forward　over　the　table　and

actually　intruded　into　their　argument。　He　said：



〃I　have　a　view；　I　have　a　view。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　startled。　Generally　at　a　pension　people

looked　them　over　for　a　day　or　two　before　speaking；　and　often　did

not　find　out　that　they　would　〃do〃　till　they　had　gone。　She　knew

that　the　intruder　was　ill…bred；　even　before　she　glanced　at　him。

He　was　an　old　man；　of　heavy　build；　with　a　fair；　shaven　face　and

large　eyes。　There　was　something　childish　in　those　eyes；　though　it

was　not　the　childishness　of　senility。　What　exactly　it　was

Miss　Bartlett　did　not　stop　to　consider；　for　her　glance

passed　on　to　his　clothes。　These　did　not　attract　her。　He　was

probably　trying　to　become　acquainted　with　them　before　they　got

into　the　swim。　So　she　assumed　a　dazed　expression　when　he　spoke　to

her；　and　then　said：　〃A　view？　Oh；　a　view！　How　delightful　a　view

is！〃



〃This　is　my　son；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃his　name's　George。　He　has　a

view　too。〃



〃Ah；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　repressing　Lucy；　who　was　about　to

speak。



〃What　I　mean；〃　he　continued；　〃is　that　you　can　have　our　rooms；　and

we'll　have　yours。　We'll　change。〃



The　better　class　of　tourist　was　shocked　at　this；　and　sympathized

with　the　new…comers。　Miss　Bartlett；　in　reply；　opened　her　mouth　as

little　as　possible；　and　said　〃Thank　you　very　much　indeed；　that　is

out　of　the　question。〃



〃Why？〃　said　the　old　man；　with　both　fists　on　the　table。



〃Because　it　is　quite　out　of　the　question；　thank　you。〃



〃You　see；　we　don't　like　to　take〃　began　Lucy。　Her　cousin　again

repressed　her。



〃But　why？〃　he　persisted。　〃Women　like　looking　at　a　view；　men

don't。〃　And　he　thumped　with　his　fists　like　a　naughty　child；

and　turned　to　his　son；　saying；　〃George；　persuade　them！〃



〃It's　so　obvious　they　should　have　the　rooms；〃　said　the　son。

〃There's　nothing　else　to　say。〃



He　did　not　look　at　the　ladies　as　he　spoke；　but　his　voice　was

perplexed　and　sorrowful。　Lucy；　too；　was　perplexed；　but　she　saw

that　they　were　in　for　what　is　known　as　〃quite　a　scene；〃　and　she

had　an　odd　feeling　that　whenever　these　ill…bred　tourists　spoke

the　contest　widened　and　deepened　till　it　dealt；　not　with　rooms

and　views；　but　withwell；　with　something　quite　different；　whose

existence　she　had　not　realized　before。　Now　the　old　man　attacked

Miss　Bartlett　almost　violently：　Why　should　she　not　change？　What

possible　objection　had　she？　They　would　clear　out　in　half　an　hour。



Miss　Bartlett；　though　skilled　in　the　delicacies　of　conversation；

was　powerless　in　the　presence　of　brutality。　It　was　impossible　to

snub　any　one　so　gross。　Her　face　reddened　with　displeasure。　She

looked　around　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Are　you　all　like　this？〃　And　two

little　old　ladies；　who　were　sitting　further　up　the　table；　with

shawls　hanging　over　the　backs　of　the　chairs；　looked　back；　clearly

indicating　〃We　are　not；　we　are　genteel。〃



〃Eat　your　dinner；　dear；〃　she　said　to　Lucy；　and　began　to　toy　again

with　the　meat　that　she　had　once　censured。



Lucy　mumbled　that　those　seemed　very　odd　people　opposite。



〃Eat　your　dinner；　dear。　This　pension　is　a　failure。　To…morrow　we

will　make　a　change。〃



Hardly　had　she　announced　this　fell　decision　when　she　reversed　it。

The　curtains　at　the　end　of　the　room　parted；　and　revealed　a

clergyman；　stout　but　attractive；　who　hurried　forward　to　take　his

place　at　the　table；　cheerfully　apologizing　for　his　lateness。

Lucy；　who　had　not　yet　acquired　decency；　at　once　rose　to　her　feet；

exclaiming：　〃Oh；　oh！　Why；　it's　Mr。　Beebe！　Oh；　how　perfectly

lovely！　Oh；　Charlotte；　we　must　stop　now；　however　bad　the　rooms

are。　Oh！〃



Miss　Bartlett　said；　with　more　restraint：



〃How　do　you　do；　Mr。　Beebe？　I　expect　that　you　have　forgotten

us：　Miss　Bartlett　and　Miss　Honeychurch；　who　were　at　Tunbridge

Wells　when　you　helped　the　Vicar　of　St。　Peter's　that　very　cold

Easter。〃



The　clergyman；　who　had　the　air　of　one　on　a　holiday；　did　not

remember　the　ladies　quite　as　clearly　as　they　remembered　him。　But

he　came　forward　pleasantly　enough　and　accepted　the　chair　into

which　he　was　beckoned　by　Lucy。



〃I　AM　so　glad　to　see　you；〃　said　the　girl；　who　was　in　a　state　of

spiritual　starvation；　and　would　have　been　glad　to　see　the　waiter

if　her　cousin　had　permitted　it。　〃Just　fancy　how　small　the　world

is。　Summer　Street；　too；　makes　it　so　specially　funny。〃



〃Miss　Honeychurch　lives　in　the　parish　of　Summer　Street；〃　said

Miss　Bartlett；　filling　up　the　gap；　〃and　she　happened　to　tell　me

in　the　course　of　conversation　that　you　have　just　accepted　the

living〃



〃Yes；　I　heard　from　mother　so　last　week。　She　didn't　know　that　I

knew　you　at　Tunbridge　Wells；　but　I　wrote　back　at　once；　and　I

said：　'Mr。　Beebe　is'〃



〃Quite　right；〃　said　the　clergyman。　〃I　move　into　the　Rectory　at

Summer