a room with a view-第19章

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easier；　the　world　be　happier；　if　she　could　give　and　receive　some

human　love。　The　impulse　had　come　before　to…day；　but　never　so

strongly。　She　knelt　down　by　her　cousin's　side　and　took　her　in　her

arms。



Miss　Bartlett　returned　the　embrace　with　tenderness　and　warmth。

But　she　was　not　a　stupid　woman；　and　she　knew　perfectly　well　that

Lucy　did　not　love　her；　but　needed　her　to　love。　For　it　was　in

ominous　tones　that　she　said；　after　a　long　pause：



〃Dearest　Lucy；　how　will　you　ever　forgive　me？〃



Lucy　was　on　her　guard　at　once；　knowing　by　bitter　experience　what

forgiving　Miss　Bartlett　meant。　Her　emotion　relaxed；　she　modified

her　embrace　a　little；　and　she　said：



〃Charlotte　dear；　what　do　you　mean？　As　if　I　have　anything　to

forgive！〃



〃You　have　a　great　deal；　and　I　have　a　very　great　deal　to　forgive

myself；　too。　I　know　well　how　much　I　vex　you　at　every　turn。〃



〃But　no〃



Miss　Bartlett　assumed　her　favourite　role；　that　of　the　prematurely

aged　martyr。



〃Ah；　but　yes！　I　feel　that　our　tour　together　is　hardly　the　success

I　had　hoped。　I　might　have　known　it　would　not　do。　You　want　some

one　　younger　and　stronger　and　more　in　sympathy　with　you。　I　am　too

uninteresting　and　old…fashionedonly　fit　to　pack　and　unpack　your

things。〃



〃Please〃



〃My　only　consolation　was　that　you　found　people　more　to　your

taste；　and　were　often　able　to　leave　me　at　home。　I　had　my　own　poor

ideas　of　what　a　lady　ought　to　do；　but　I　hope　I　did　not　inflict

them　on　you　more　than　was　necessary。　You　had　your　own　way　about

these　rooms；　at　all　events。〃



〃You　mustn't　say　these　things；〃　said　Lucy　softly。



She　still　clung　to　the　hope　that　she　and　Charlotte　loved　each

other；　heart　and　soul。　They　continued　to　pack　in　silence。



〃I　have　been　a　failure；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　as　she　struggled

with　the　straps　of　Lucy's　trunk　instead　of　strapping　her　own。

〃Failed　to　make　you　happy；　failed　in　my　duty　to　your　mother。　She

has　been　so　generous　to　me；　I　shall　never　face　her　again　after

this　disaster。〃



〃But　mother　will　understand。　It　is　not　your　fault；　this　trouble；

and　it　isn't　a　disaster　either。〃



〃It　is　my　fault；　it　is　a　disaster。　She　will　never　forgive　me；　and

rightly。　Fur　instance；　what　right　had　I　to　make　friends　with　Miss

Lavish？〃



〃Every　right。〃



〃When　I　was　here　for　your　sake？　If　I　have　vexed　you　it　is　equally

true　that　I　have　neglected　you。　Your　mother　will　see　this　as

clearly　as　I　do；　when　you　tell　her。〃



Lucy；　from　a　cowardly　wish　to　improve　the　situation；　said：



〃Why　need　mother　hear　of　it？〃



〃But　you　tell　her　everything？〃



〃I　suppose　I　do　generally。〃



〃I　dare　not　break　your　confidence。　There　is　something　sacred　in

it。　Unless　you　feel　that　it　is　a　thing　you　could　not　tell　her。〃



The　girl　would　not　be　degraded　to　this。



〃Naturally　I　should　have　told　her。　But　in　case　she　should　blame

you　in　any　way；　I　promise　I　will　not；　I　am　very　willing　not　to。　I

will　never　speak　of　it　either　to　her　or　to　any　one。〃



Her　promise　brought　the　long…drawn　interview　to　a　sudden　close。

Miss　Bartlett　pecked　her　smartly　on　both　cheeks；　wished　her

good…night；　and　sent　her　to　her　own　room。



For　a　moment　the　original　trouble　was　in　the　background。　George

would　seem　to　have　behaved　like　a　cad　throughout；　perhaps　that

was　the　view　which　one　would　take　eventually。　At　present　she

neither　acquitted　nor　condemned　him；　she　did　not　pass　judgment。

At　the　moment　when　she　was　about　to　judge　him　her　cousin's　voice

had　intervened；　and；　ever　since；　it　was　Miss　Bartlett　who　had

dominated；　Miss　Bartlett　who；　even　now；　could　be　heard　sighing

into　a　crack　in　the　partition　wall；　Miss　Bartlett；　who　had　really

been　neither　pliable　nor　humble　nor　inconsistent。　She　had　worked

like　a　great　artist；　for　a　timeindeed；　for　yearsshe　had　been

meaningless；　but　at　the　end　there　was　presented　to　the　girl　the

complete　picture　of　a　cheerless；　loveless　world　in　which　the

young　rush　to　destruction　until　they　learn　bettera　shamefaced

world　of　precautions　and　barriers　which　may　avert　evil；　but　which

do　not　seem　to　bring　good；　if　we　may　judge　from　those　who　have

used　them　most。



Lucy　was　suffering　from　the　most　grievous　wrong　which　this　world

has　yet　discovered：　diplomatic　advantage　had　been　taken　of　her

sincerity；　of　her　craving　for　sympathy　and　love。　Such　a　wrong　is

not　easily　forgotten。　Never　again　did　she　expose　herself　without

due　consideration　and　precaution　against　rebuff。　And　such　a　wrong

may　react　disastrously　upon　the　soul。



The　door…bell　rang；　and　she　started　to　the　shutters。　Before　she

reached　them　she　hesitated；　turned；　and　blew　out　the　candle。　Thus

it　was　that；　though　she　saw　some　one　standing　in　the　wet　below；

he；　though　he　looked　up；　did　not　see　her。



To　reach　his　room　he　had　to　go　by　hers。　She　was　still　dressed。　It

struck　her　that　she　might　slip　into　the　passage　and　just　say　that

she　would　be　gone　before　he　was　up；　and　that　their　extraordinary

intercourse　was　over。



Whether　she　would　have　dared　to　do　this　was　never　proved。　At　the

critical　moment　Miss　Bartlett　opened　her　own　door；　and　her　voice

said：



〃I　wish　one　word　with　you　in　the　drawing…room；　Mr。　Emerson；

please。〃



Soon　their　footsteps　returned；　and　Miss　Bartlett　said：

〃Good…night；　Mr。　Emerson。〃



His　heavy；　tired　breathing　was　the　only　reply；　the　chaperon　had

done　her　work。



Lucy　cried　aloud：　〃It　isn't　true。　It　can't　all　be　true。　I　want

not　to　be　muddled。　I　want　to　grow　older　quickly。〃



Miss　Bartlett　tapped　on　the　wall。



〃Go　to　bed　at　once；　dear。　You　need　all　the　rest　you　can　get。〃



In　the　morning　they　left　for　Rome。









Part　Two





Chapter　VIII：　Medieval



The　drawing…room　curtains　at　Windy　Corner　had　been　pulled　to

meet；　for　the　carpet　was　new　and　deserved　protection

from　the　August　sun。　They　were　heavy　curtains；　reaching　almost　to

the　ground；　and　the　light　that　filtered　through　them　was　subdued

and　varied。　A　poetnone　was　presentmight　have　quoted；　〃Life

like　a　dome　of　many　coloured　glass；〃　or　might　have　compared　the

curtains　to　sluice…gates；　lowered　against　the　intolerable　tides

of　heaven。　Without　was　poured　a　sea　of　radiance；　within；　the

glory；　though　visible；　was　tempered　to　the　capacities　of　man。



Two　pleasant　people　sat　in　the　room。　Onea　boy　of　nineteenwas

studying　a　small　manual　of　anatomy；　and　peering　occasionally　at　a

bone　which　lay　upon　the　piano。　From　time　to　time　he　bounced　in

his　chair　and　puffed　and　groaned；　for　the　day　was　hot　and　the

print　small；　and　the　human　frame　fearfully　made；　and　his　mother；

who　was　writing　a　letter；　did　continually　read　out　to　him　what

she　had　written。　And　continually　did　she　rise　from　her　seat　and

part　the　curtains　so　that　a　rivulet　of　light　fell　across　the

carpet；　and　make　the　remark　that　they　were　still　there。



〃Where　aren't　they？〃　said　the　boy；　who　was　Freddy；　Lucy's

brother。　〃I　tell　you　I'm　getting　fairly　sick。〃



〃For　goodness'　sake　go　out　of　my　drawing…room；　then？〃　cried　Mrs。

Honeychurch；　who　hoped　to　cure　her　children　of　slang　by　taking　it

literally。



Freddy　did　not　move　or　reply。



〃I　think　things　are　coming　to　a　head；〃　she　observed；　rather

wanting　her　son's　opinion　on　the　situation　if　she　could　obtain　it

without　undue　supplication。



〃Time　they　did。〃



〃I　am　glad　that　Cecil　is　asking　her　this　once　more。〃



〃It's　his　third　go；　isn't　it？〃



〃Freddy　I　do　call　the　way　you　talk　unkind。〃



〃I　didn't　mean　to　be　unkind。〃　Then　he　added：　〃But　I　do　think　Lucy

might　have　got　this　off　her　chest　in　Italy。　I　don't　know　how

girls　manage　things；　but　she　can't　have　said　'No'　properly

before；　or　she　wouldn't　have　to　say　it　again　now。　Over　the　whole

thingI　can't　explainI　do　feel　so　uncomfortable。〃



〃Do　you　indeed；　dear？　How　interesting！〃



〃I　feelnever　mind。〃



He　returned　to　his　work。



〃Just　listen　to　what　I　have　written　to　Mrs。　Vyse。　I　said：　'Dear

Mrs。　Vyse。'〃



〃Yes；　mother；　you　told　m