a room with a view-第15章

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

who　says：　'Say；　poppa；　what　did　we　see　at　Rome？'　And　the　father

replies：　'Why；　guess　Rome　was　the　place　where　we　saw　the　yaller

dog。'　There's　travelling　for　you。　Ha！　ha！　ha！〃



〃I　quite　agree；〃　said　Miss　Lavish；　who　had　several　times　tried　to

interrupt　his　mordant　wit。　〃The　narrowness　and　superficiality　of

the　Anglo…Saxon　tourist　is　nothing　less　than　a　menace。〃



〃Quite　so。　Now；　the　English　colony　at　Florence；　Miss　Honeychurch

and　it　is　of　considerable　size；　though；　of　course；　not　all

equallya　few　are　here　for　trade；　for　example。　But　the　greater

part　are　students。　Lady　Helen　Laverstock　is　at　present　busy　over

Fra　Angelico。　I　mention　her　name　because　we　are　passing　her　villa

on　the　left。　No；　you　can　only　see　it　if　you　standno；　do　not

stand；　you　will　fall。　She　is　very　proud　of　that　thick　hedge。

Inside；　perfect　seclusion。　One　might　have　gone　back　six　hundred

years。　Some　critics　believe　that　her　garden　was　the　scene　of　The

Decameron；　which　lends　it　an　additional　interest；　does　it　not？〃



〃It　does　indeed！〃　cried　Miss　Lavish。　〃Tell　me；　where　do　they

place　the　scene　of　that　wonderful　seventh　day？〃



But　Mr。　Eager　proceeded　to　tell　Miss　Honeychurch　that　on　the

right　lived　Mr。　Someone　Something；　an　American　of　the　best　type

so　rare！and　that　the　Somebody　Elses　were　farther　down　the

hill。　〃Doubtless　you　know　her　monographs　in　the　series　of

'Mediaeval　Byways'？　He　is　working　at　Gemistus　Pletho。　Sometimes

as　I　take　tea　in　their　beautiful　grounds　I　hear；　over　the　wall；

the　electric　tram　squealing　up　the　new　road　with　its　loads　of　hot；

dusty；　unintelligent　tourists　who　are　going　to　'do'　Fiesole　in　an

hour　in　order　that　they　may　say　they　have　been　there；　and　I

thinkthinkI　think　how　little　they　think　what　lies　so　near

them。〃



During　this　speech　the　two　figures　on　the　box　were　sporting　with

each　other　disgracefully。　Lucy　had　a　spasm　of　envy。　Granted　that

they　wished　to　misbehave；　it　was　pleasant　for　them　to　be　able　to

do　so。　They　were　probably　the　only　people　enjoying　the

expedition。　The　carriage　swept　with　agonizing　jolts　up　through

the　Piazza　of　Fiesole　and　into　the　Settignano　road。



〃Piano！　piano！〃　said　Mr。　Eager；　elegantly　waving　his　hand　over

his　head。



〃Va　bene；　signore；　va　bene；　va　bene；〃　crooned　the　driver；　and

whipped　his　horses　up　again。



Now　Mr。　Eager　and　Miss　Lavish　began　to　talk　against　each　other　on

the　subject　of　Alessio　Baldovinetti。　Was　he　a　cause　of　the

Renaissance；　or　was　he　one　of　its　manifestations？　The　other

carriage　was　left　behind。　As　the　pace　increased　to　a　gallop　the

large；　slumbering　form　of　Mr。　Emerson　was　thrown　against　the

chaplain　with　the　regularity　of　a　machine。



〃Piano！　piano！〃　said　he；　with　a　martyred　look　at　Lucy。



An　extra　lurch　made　him　turn　angrily　in　his　seat。　Phaethon；　who

for　some　time　had　been　endeavouring　to　kiss　Persephone；　had　just

succeeded。



A　little　scene　ensued；　which；　as　Miss　Bartlett　said　afterwards；

was　most　unpleasant。　The　horses　were　stopped；　the　lovers　were

ordered　to　disentangle　themselves；　the　boy　was　to　lose　his

pourboire；　the　girl　was　immediately　to　get　down。



〃She　is　my　sister；〃　said　he；　turning　round　on　them　with　piteous

eyes。



Mr。　Eager　took　the　trouble　to　tell　him　that　he　was　a　liar。



Phaethon　hung　down　his　head；　not　at　the　matter　of　the　accusation；

but　at　its　manner。　At　this　point　Mr。　Emerson；　whom　the　shock　of

stopping　had　awoke；　declared　that　the　lovers　must　on　no　account

be　separated；　and　patted　them　on　the　back　to　signify　his

approval。　And　Miss　Lavish；　though　unwilling　to　ally　him；　felt

bound　to　support　the　cause　of　Bohemianism。



〃Most　certainly　I　would　let　them　be；〃　she　cried。　〃But　I　dare　say

I　shall　receive　scant　support。　I　have　always　flown　in　the　face　of

the　conventions　all　my　life。　This　is　what　I　call　an　adventure。〃



〃We　must　not　submit；〃　said　Mr。　Eager。　〃I　knew　he　was　trying　it

on。　He　is　treating　us　as　if　we　were　a　party　of　Cook's　tourists。〃



〃Surely　no！〃　said　Miss　Lavish；　her　ardour　visibly　decreasing。



The　other　carriage　had　drawn　up　behind；　and　sensible　Mr。　Beebe

called　out　that　after　this　warning　the　couple　would　be　sure　to

behave　themselves　properly。



〃Leave　them　alone；〃　Mr。　Emerson　begged　the　chaplain；　of　whom　he

stood　in　no　awe。　〃Do　we　find　happiness　so　often　that　we　should

turn　it　off　the　box　when　it　happens　to　sit　there？　To　be　driven　by

lovers　A　king　might　envy　us；　and　if　we　part　them　it's　more

like　sacrilege　than　anything　I　know。〃



Here　the　voice　of　Miss　Bartlett　was　heard　saying　that　a　crowd

had　begun　to　collect。



Mr。　Eager；　who　suffered　from　an　over…fluent　tongue　rather　than　a

resolute　will；　was　determined　to　make　himself　heard。　He　addressed

the　driver　again。　Italian　in　the　mouth　of　Italians　is　a

deep…voiced　stream；　with　unexpected　cataracts　and　boulders　to

preserve　it　from　monotony。　In　Mr。　Eager's　mouth　it　resembled

nothing　so　much　as　an　acid　whistling　fountain　which　played　ever

higher　and　higher；　and　quicker　and　quicker；　and　more　and　more

shrilly；　till　abruptly　it　was　turned　off　with　a　click。



〃Signorina！〃　said　the　man　to　Lucy；　when　the　display　had　ceased。

Why　should　he　appeal　to　Lucy？



〃Signorina！〃　echoed　Persephone　in　her　glorious　contralto。　She

pointed　at　the　other　carriage。　Why？



For　a　moment　the　two　girls　looked　at　each　other。　Then　Persephone

got　down　from　the　box。



〃Victory　at　last！〃　said　Mr。　Eager；　smiting　his　hands　together　as

the　carriages　started　again。



〃It　is　not　victory；〃　said　Mr。　Emerson。　〃It　is　defeat。　You　have

parted　two　people　who　were　happy。〃



Mr。　Eager　shut　his　eyes。　He　was　obliged　to　sit　next　to　Mr。

Emerson；　but　he　would　not　speak　to　him。　The　old　man　was　refreshed

by　sleep；　and　took　up　the　matter　warmly。　He　commanded　Lucy　to

agree　with　him；　he　shouted　for　support　to　his　son。



〃We　have　tried　to　buy　what　cannot　be　bought　with　money。　He　has

bargained　to　drive　us；　and　he　is　doing　it。　We　have　no　rights　over

his　soul。〃



Miss　Lavish　frowned。　It　is　hard　when　a　person　you　have　classed　as

typically　British　speaks　out　of　his　character。



He　was　not　driving　us　well；〃　she　said。　〃He　jolted　us。〃



〃That　I　deny。　It　was　as　restful　as　sleeping。　Aha！　he　is　jolting

us　now。　Can　you　wonder？　He　would　like　to　throw　us　out；　and　most

certainly　he　is　justified。　And　if　I　were　superstitious　I'd　be

frightened　of　the　girl；　too。　It　doesn't　do　to　injure　young

people。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　Lorenzo　de　Medici？〃



Miss　Lavish　bristled。



〃Most　certainly　I　have。　Do　you　refer　to　Lorenzo　il　Magnifico；　or

to　Lorenzo；　Duke　of　Urbino；　or　to　Lorenzo　surnamed　Lorenzino　on

account　of　his　diminutive　stature？〃



〃The　Lord　knows。　Possibly　he　does　know；　for　I　refer　to　Lorenzo

the　poet。　He　wrote　a　lineso　I　heard　yesterdaywhich　runs　like

this：　'Don't　go　fighting　against　the　Spring。'〃



Mr。　Eager　could　not　resist　the　opportunity　for　erudition。



〃Non　fate　guerra　al　Maggio；〃　he　murmured。　〃'War　not　with　the

May'　would　render　a　correct　meaning。〃



〃The　point　is；　we　have　warred　with　it。　Look。〃　He　pointed　to　the

Val　d'Arno；　which　was　visible　far　below　them；　through　the

budding　trees。　〃Fifty　miles　of　Spring；　and　we've　come　up　to

admire　them。　Do　you　suppose　there's　any　difference　between　Spring

in　nature　and　Spring　in　man？　But　there　we　go；　praising　the　one

and　condemning　the　other　as　improper；　ashamed　that　the　same

work　eternally　through　both。〃



No　one　encouraged　him　to　talk。　Presently　Mr。　Eager　gave　a　signal

for　the　carriages　to　stop　and　marshalled　the　party　for　their

ramble　on　the　hill。　A　hollow　like　a　great　amphitheatre；　full　of

terraced　steps　and　misty　olives；　now　lay　between　them　and　the

heights　of　Fiesole；　and　the　road；　still　following　its　curve；　was

about　to　sweep　on　to　a　promontory　which　stood　out　in　the　plain。

It　was　this　promontory；　uncultivated；　wet；　covered　with　bushes

and　occasional　trees；　which　had　caught　the　fancy　of　Alessio