a room with a view-第12章

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book。



〃Oh；　let　me　congratulate　you！〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。　〃After　your

despair　of　yesterday！　What　a　fortunate　thing！〃



〃Aha！　Miss　Honeychurch；　come　you　here　I　am　in　luck。　Now；　you　are

to　tell　me　absolutely　everything　that　you　saw　from　the

beginning。〃　Lucy　poked　at　the　ground　with　her　parasol。



〃But　perhaps　you　would　rather　not？〃



〃I'm　sorryif　you　could　manage　without　it；　I　think　I　would

rather　not。〃



The　elder　ladies　exchanged　glances；　not　of　disapproval；　it　is

suitable　that　a　girl　should　feel　deeply。



〃It　is　I　who　am　sorry；〃　said　Miss　Lavish。　〃literary　hacks　are

shameless　creatures。　I　believe　there's　no　secret　of　the　human

heart　into　which　we　wouldn't　pry。〃



She　marched　cheerfully　to　the　fountain　and　back；　and　did　a　few

calculations　in　realism。　Then　she　said　that　she　had　been　in　the

Piazza　since　eight　o'clock　collecting　material。　A　good　deal　of　it

was　unsuitable；　but　of　course　one　always　had　to　adapt。　The　two

men　had　quarrelled　over　a　five…franc　note。　For　the　five…franc

note　she　should　substitute　a　young　lady；　which　would　raise　the

tone　of　the　tragedy；　and　at　the　same　time　furnish　an　excellent

plot。



〃What　is　the　heroine's　name？〃　asked　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Leonora；〃　said　Miss　Lavish；　her　own　name　was　Eleanor。



〃I　do　hope　she's　nice。〃



That　desideratum　would　not　be　omitted。



〃And　what　is　the　plot？〃



Love；　murder；　abduction；　revenge；　was　the　plot。　But　it　all　came

while　the　fountain　plashed　to　the　satyrs　in　the　morning　sun。



〃I　hope　you　will　excuse　me　for　boring　on　like　this；〃　Miss　Lavish

concluded。　〃It　is　so　tempting　to　talk　to　really　sympathetic

people。　Of　course；　this　is　the　barest　outline。　There　will　be　a

deal　of　local　colouring；　descriptions　of　Florence　and　the

neighbourhood；　and　I　shall　also　introduce　some　humorous

characters。　And　let　me　give　you　all　fair　warning：　I　intend　to　be

unmerciful　to　the　British　tourist。〃



〃Oh；　you　wicked　woman；〃　cried　Miss　Bartlett。　〃I　am　sure　you　are

thinking　of　the　Emersons。〃



Miss　Lavish　gave　a　Machiavellian　smile。



〃I　confess　that　in　Italy　my　sympathies　are　not　with　my　own

countrymen。　It　is　the　neglected　Italians　who　attract　me；　and

whose　lives　I　am　going　to　paint　so　far　as　I　can。　For　I　repeat　and

I　insist；　and　I　have　always　held　most　strongly；　that　a　tragedy

such　as　yesterday's　is　not　the　less　tragic　because　it　happened　in

humble　life。〃



There　was　a　fitting　silence　when　Miss　Lavish　had　concluded。　Then

the　cousins　wished　success　to　her　labours；　and　walked　slowly　away

across　the　square。



〃She　is　my　idea　of　a　really　clever　woman；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。

〃That　last　remark　struck　me　as　so　particularly　true。　It　should　be

a　most　pathetic　novel。〃



Lucy　assented。　At　present　her　great　aim　was　not　to　get　put　into

it。　Her　perceptions　this　morning　were　curiously　keen；　and　she

believed　that　Miss　Lavish　had　her　on　trial　for　an　ingenue。



〃She　is　emancipated；　but　only　in　the　very　best　sense　of　the

word；〃　continued　Miss　Bartlett　slowly。　〃None　but　the　superficial

would　be　shocked　at　her。　We　had　a　long　talk　yesterday。　She

believes　in　justice　and　truth　and　human　interest。　She　told　me

also　that　she　has　a　high　opinion　of　the　destiny　of　womanMr。

Eager！　Why；　how　nice！　What　a　pleasant　surprise！〃



〃Ah；　not　for　me；〃　said　the　chaplain　blandly；　〃for　I　have　been

watching　you　and　Miss　Honeychurch　for　quite　a　little　time。〃



〃We　were　chatting　to　Miss　Lavish。〃



His　brow　contracted。



〃So　I　saw。　Were　you　indeed？　Andate　via！　sono　occupato！〃　The

last　remark　was　made　to　a　vender　of　panoramic　photographs　who　was

approaching　with　a　courteous　smile。　〃I　am　about　to　venture　a

suggestion。　Would　you　and　Miss　Honeychurch　be　disposed　to　join　me

in　a　drive　some　day　this　weeka　drive　in　the　hills？　We　might　go

up　by　Fiesole　and　back　by　Settignano。　There　is　a　point　on

that　road　where　we　could　get　down　and　have　an　hour's　ramble　on

the　hillside。　The　view　thence　of　Florence　is　most　beautifulfar

better　than　the　hackneyed　view　of　Fiesole。　It　is　the　view　that

Alessio　Baldovinetti　is　fond　of　introducing　into　his　pictures。

That　man　had　a　decided　feeling　for　landscape。　Decidedly。　But　who

looks　at　it　to…day？　Ah；　the　world　is　too　much　for　us。〃



Miss　Bartlett　had　not　heard　of　Alessio　Baldovinetti；　but　she　knew

that　Mr。　Eager　was　no　commonplace　chaplain。　He　was　a　member　of

the　residential　colony　who　had　made　Florence　their　home。　He　knew

the　people　who　never　walked　about　with　Baedekers；　who　had　learnt

to　take　a　siesta　after　lunch；　who　took　drives　the　pension

tourists　had　never　heard　of；　and　saw　by　private　influence

galleries　which　were　closed　to　them。　Living　in　delicate

seclusion；　some　in　furnished　flats；　others　in　Renaissance　villas

on　Fiesole's　slope；　they　read；　wrote；　studied；　and　exchanged

ideas；　thus　attaining　to　that　intimate　knowledge；　or　rather

perception；　of　Florence　which　is　denied　to　all　who　carry　in　their

pockets　the　coupons　of　Cook。



Therefore　an　invitation　from　the　chaplain　was　something　to　be

proud　of。　Between　the　two　sections　of　his　flock　he　was　often　the

only　link；　and　it　was　his　avowed　custom　to　select　those　of　his

migratory　sheep　who　seemed　worthy；　and　give　them　a　few　hours　in

the　pastures　of　the　permanent。　Tea　at　a　Renaissance　villa？

Nothing　had　been　said　about　it　yet。　But　if　it　did　come　to　that

how　Lucy　would　enjoy　it！



A　few　days　ago　and　Lucy　would　have　felt　the　same。　But　the　joys　of

life　were　grouping　themselves　anew。　A　drive　in　the　hills　with　Mr。

Eager　and　Miss　Bartletteven　if　culminating　in　a　residential

tea…partywas　no　longer　the　greatest　of　them。　She　echoed　the

raptures　of　Charlotte　somewhat　faintly。　Only　when　she　heard　that

Mr。　Beebe　was　also　coming　did　her　thanks　become　more　sincere。



〃So　we　shall　be　a　partie　carree；〃　said　the　chaplain。　〃In　these

days　of　toil　and　tumult　one　has　great　needs　of　the　country　and

its　message　of　purity。　Andate　via！　andate　presto；　presto！　Ah；

the　town！　Beautiful　as　it　is；　it　is　the　town。〃



They　assented。



〃This　very　squareso　I　am　toldwitnessed　yesterday　the　most

sordid　of　tragedies。　To　one　who　loves　the　Florence　of　Dante　and

Savonarola　there　is　something　portentous　in　such　desecration

portentous　and　humiliating。〃



〃Humiliating　indeed；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。　〃Miss　Honeychurch

happened　to　be　passing　through　as　it　happened。　She　can　hardly

bear　to　speak　of　it。〃　She　glanced　at　Lucy　proudly。



〃And　how　came　we　to　have　you　here？〃　asked　the　chaplain

paternally。



Miss　Bartlett's　recent　liberalism　oozed　away　at　the　question。

〃Do　not　blame　her；　please；　Mr。　Eager。　The　fault　is　mine：　I　left

her　unchaperoned。〃



〃So　you　were　here　alone；　Miss　Honeychurch？〃　His　voice　suggested

sympathetic　reproof　but　at　the　same　time　indicated　that　a　few

harrowing　details　would　not　be　unacceptable。　His　dark；　handsome

face　drooped　mournfully　towards　her　to　catch　her　reply。



〃Practically。〃



〃One　of　our　pension　acquaintances　kindly　brought　her　home；〃　said

Miss　Bartlett；　adroitly　concealing　the　sex　of　the　preserver。



〃For　her　also　it　must　have　been　a　terrible　experience。　I　trust

that　neither　of　you　was　at　allthat　it　was　not　in　your　immediate

proximity？〃



Of　the　many　things　Lucy　was　noticing　to…day；　not　the　least

remarkable　was　this：　the　ghoulish　fashion　in　which　respectable

people　will　nibble　after　blood。　George　Emerson　had　kept　the

subject　strangely　pure。



〃He　died　by　the　fountain；　I　believe；〃　was　her　reply。



〃And　you　and　your　friend〃



〃Were　over　at　the　Loggia。〃



〃That　must　have　saved　you　much。　You　have　not；　of　course；　seen　the

disgraceful　illustrations　which　the　gutter　Press　This　man　is

a　public　nuisance；　he　knows　that　I　am　a　resident　perfectly　well；

and　yet　he　goes　on　worrying　me　to　buy　his　vulgar　views。〃



Surely　the　vendor　of　photographs　was　in　league　with　Lucyin　the

eternal　league　of　Italy　with　youth。　He　had　suddenly　extended　his

book　before　Miss　Bartlett　and　Mr。　Eager；　binding　their　hands

together　by　a　l