a room with a view-第14章

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round　her　neck。　She　had　been　told　that　this　was　the　only　safe　way

to　carry　money　in　Italy；　it　must　only　be　broached　within　the

walls　of　the　English　bank。　As　she　groped　she　murmured：　〃Whether

it　is　Mr。　Beebe　who　forgot　to　tell　Mr。　Eager；　or　Mr。　Eager　who

forgot　when　he　told　us；　or　whether　they　have　decided　to　leave

Eleanor　out　altogetherwhich　they　could　scarcely　dobut　in　any

case　we　must　be　prepared。　It　is　you　they　really　want；　I　am　only

asked　for　appearances。　You　shall　go　with　the　two　gentlemen；　and　I

and　Eleanor　will　follow　behind。　A　one…horse　carriage　would　do　for

us。　Yet　how　difficult　it　is！〃



〃It　is　indeed；〃　replied　the　girl；　with　a　gravity　that　sounded

sympathetic。



〃What　do　you　think　about　it？〃　asked　Miss　Bartlett；　flushed　from

the　struggle；　and　buttoning　up　her　dress。



〃I　don't　know　what　I　think；　nor　what　I　want。〃



〃Oh；　dear；　Lucy！　I　do　hope　Florence　isn't　boring　you。　Speak　the

word；　and；　as　you　know；　I　would　take　you　to　the　ends　of　the　earth

to…morrow。〃



〃Thank　you；　Charlotte；〃　said　Lucy；　and　pondered　over　the　offer。



There　were　letters　for　her　at　the　bureauone　from　her　brother；

full　of　athletics　and　biology；　one　from　her　mother；　delightful　as

only　her　mother's　letters　could　be。　She　had　read　in　it　of　the

crocuses　which　had　been　bought　for　yellow　and　were　coming　up

puce；　of　the　new　parlour…maid；　who　had　watered　the　ferns　with

essence　of　lemonade；　of　the　semi…detached　cottages　which　were

ruining　Summer　Street；　and　breaking　the　heart　of　Sir　Harry　Otway。

She　recalled　the　free；　pleasant　life　of　her　home；　where　she　was

allowed　to　do　everything；　and　where　nothing　ever　happened　to　her。

The　road　up　through　the　pine…woods；　the　clean　drawing…room；　the

view　over　the　Sussex　Wealdall　hung　before　her　bright　and

distinct；　but　pathetic　as　the　pictures　in　a　gallery　to　which；

after　much　experience；　a　traveller　returns。



〃And　the　news？〃　asked　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Mrs。　Vyse　and　her　son　have　gone　to　Rome；〃　said　Lucy；　giving

the　news　that　interested　her　least。　〃Do　you　know　the　Vyses？〃



〃Oh；　not　that　way　back。　We　can　never　have　too　much　of　the　dear

Piazza　Signoria。〃



〃They're　nice　people；　the　Vyses。　So　clevermy　idea　of　what's

really　clever。　Don't　you　long　to　be　in　Rome？〃



〃I　die　for　it！〃



The　Piazza　Signoria　is　too　stony　to　be　brilliant。　It　has　no

grass；　no　flowers；　no　frescoes；　no　glittering　walls　of　marble　or

comforting　patches　of　ruddy　brick。　By　an　odd　chanceunless　we

believe　in　a　presiding　genius　of　placesthe　statues　that　relieve

its　severity　suggest；　not　the　innocence　of　childhood；　nor　the

glorious　bewilderment　of　youth；　but　the　conscious　achievements　of

maturity。　Perseus　and　Judith；　Hercules　and　Thusnelda；　they　have

done　or　suffered　something；　and　though　they　are　immortal；

immortality　has　come　to　them　after　experience；　not　before。　Here；

not　only　in　the　solitude　of　Nature；　might　a　hero　meet　a　goddess；

or　a　heroine　a　god。



〃Charlotte！〃　cried　the　girl　suddenly。　〃Here's　an　idea。　What　if　we

popped　off　to　Rome　to…morrowstraight　to　the　Vyses'　hotel？　For

I　do　know　what　I　want。　I'm　sick　of　Florence。　No；　you　said　you'd

go　to　the　ends　of　the　earth！　Do！　Do！〃



Miss　Bartlett；　with　equal　vivacity；　replied：



〃Oh；　you　droll　person！　Pray；　what　would　become　of　your　drive　in

the　hills？〃



They　passed　together　through　the　gaunt　beauty　of　the　square；

laughing　over　the　unpractical　suggestion。







Chapter　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。



It　was　Phaethon　who　drove　them　to　Fiesole　that　memorable　day；　a

youth　all　irresponsibility　and　fire；　recklessly　urging　his

master's　horses　up　the　stony　hill。　Mr。　Beebe　recognized　him　at

once。　Neither　the　Ages　of　Faith　nor　the　Age　of　Doubt　had

touched　him；　he　was　Phaethon　in　Tuscany　driving　a　cab。　And　it　was

Persephone　whom　he　asked　leave　to　pick　up　on　the　way；　saying

that　she　was　his　sisterPersephone；　tall　and　slender　and　pale；

returning　with　the　Spring　to　her　mother's　cottage；　and　still

shading　her　eyes　from　the　unaccustomed　light。　To　her　Mr。　Eager

objected；　saying　that　here　was　the　thin　edge　of　the　wedge；　and

one　must　guard　against　imposition。　But　the　ladies　interceded；　and

when　it　had　been　made　clear　that　it　was　a　very　great　favour；　the

goddess　was　allowed　to　mount　beside　the　god。



Phaethon　at　once　slipped　the　left　rein　over　her　head；　thus

enabling　himself　to　drive　with　his　arm　round　her　waist。　She　did

not　mind。　Mr。　Eager；　who　sat　with　his　back　to　the　horses；　saw

nothing　of　the　indecorous　proceeding；　and　continued　his

conversation　with　Lucy。　The　other　two　occupants　of　the　carriage

were　old　Mr。　Emerson　and　Miss　Lavish。　For　a　dreadful　thing　had

happened：　Mr。　Beebe；　without　consulting　Mr。　Eager；　had　doubled

the　size　of　the　party。　And　though　Miss　Bartlett　and　Miss　Lavish

had　planned　all　the　morning　how　the　people　were　to　sit；　at　the

critical　moment　when　the　carriages　came　round　they　lost　their

heads；　and　Miss　Lavish　got　in　with　Lucy；　while　Miss　Bartlett；

with　George　Emerson　and　Mr。　Beebe；　followed　on　behind。



It　was　hard　on　the　poor　chaplain　to　have　his　partie　carree　thus

transformed。　Tea　at　a　Renaissance　villa；　if　he　had　ever　meditated

it；　was　now　impossible。　Lucy　and　Miss　Bartlett　had　a　certain

style　about　them；　and　Mr。　Beebe；　though　unreliable；　was　a　man　of

parts。　But　a　shoddy　lady　writer　and　a　journalist　who　had　murdered

his　wife　in　the　sight　of　Godthey　should　enter　no　villa　at　his

introduction。



Lucy；　elegantly　dressed　in　white；　sat　erect　and　nervous　amid

these　explosive　ingredients；　attentive　to　Mr。　Eager；　repressive

towards　Miss　Lavish；　watchful　of　old　Mr。　Emerson；　hitherto

fortunately　asleep；　thanks　to　a　heavy　lunch　and　the　drowsy

atmosphere　of　Spring。　She　looked　on　the　expedition　as　the　work　of

Fate。　But　for　it　she　would　have　avoided　George　Emerson

successfully。　In　an　open　manner　he　had　shown　that　he　wished　to

continue　their　intimacy。　She　had　refused；　not　because　she

disliked　him；　but　because　she　did　not　know　what　had　happened；　and

suspected　that　he　did　know。　And　this　frightened　her。



For　the　real　eventwhatever　it　washad　taken　place；　not　in　the

Loggia；　but　by　the　river。　To　behave　wildly　at　the　sight　of　death

is　pardonable。　But　to　discuss　it　afterwards；　to　pass　from

discussion　into　silence；　and　through　silence　into　sympathy；　that

is　an　error；　not　of　a　startled　emotion；　but　of　the　whole　fabric。

There　was　really　something　blameworthy　（she　thought）　in　their

joint　contemplation　of　the　shadowy　stream；　in　the　common　impulse

which　had　turned　them　to　the　house　without　the　passing　of　a　look

or　word。　This　sense　of　wickedness　had　been　slight　at　first。　She

had　nearly　joined　the　party　to　the　Torre　del　Gallo。　But　each　time

that　she　avoided　George　it　became　more　imperative　that　she　should

avoid　him　again。　And　now　celestial　irony；　working　through　her

cousin　and　two　clergymen；　did　not　suffer　her　to　leave　Florence

till　she　had　made　this　expedition　with　him　through　the　hills。



Meanwhile　Mr。　Eager　held　her　in　civil　converse；　their　little　tiff

was　over。



〃So；　Miss　Honeychurch；　you　are　travelling？　As　a　student　of　art？〃



〃Oh；　dear　me；　nooh；　no！〃



〃Perhaps　as　a　student　of　human　nature；〃　interposed　Miss　Lavish；

〃like　myself？〃



〃Oh；　no。　I　am　here　as　a　tourist。〃



〃Oh；　indeed；〃　said　Mr。　Eager。　〃Are　you　indeed？　If　you　will　not

think　me　rude；　we　residents　sometimes　pity　you　poor　tourists

not　a　littlehanded　about　like　a　parcel　of　goods　from　Venice　to

Florence；　from　Florence　to　Rome；　living　herded　together　in

pensions　or　hotels；　quite　unconscious　of　anything　that　is　outside

Baedeker；　their　one　anxiety　to　get　'done'　or　'through'　and　go　on

somewhere　else。　The　result　is；　they　mix　up　towns；　rivers；　palaces

in　one　inextricable　whirl。　You　know　the　American　girl　in　Punch

who　says：　'Say；　poppa；　wh