a room with a view-第21章

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towards　her　young　acquaintance。



〃Oh；　Cecil！〃　she　exclaimed〃oh；　Cecil；　do　tell　me！〃



〃I　promessi　sposi；〃　said　he。



They　stared　at　him　anxiously。



〃She　has　accepted　me；〃　he　said；　and　the　sound　of　the　thing　in

English　made　him　flush　and　smile　with　pleasure；　and　look　more

human。



〃I　am　so　glad；〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　while　Freddy　proffered　a

hand　that　was　yellow　with　chemicals。　They　wished　that　they　also

knew　Italian；　for　our　phrases　of　approval　and　of　amazement　are　so

connected　with　little　occasions　that　we　fear　to　use　them　on　great

ones。　We　are　obliged　to　become　vaguely　poetic；　or　to　take　refuge

in　Scriptural　reminiscences。



〃Welcome　as　one　of　the　family！〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　waving　her

hand　at　the　furniture。　〃This　is　indeed　a　joyous　day！　I　feel　sure

that　you　will　make　our　dear　Lucy　happy。〃



〃I　hope　so；〃　replied　the　young　man；　shifting　his　eyes　to　the

ceiling。



〃We　mothers〃　simpered　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　and　then　realized　that

she　was　affected；　sentimental；　bombasticall　the　things　she

hated　most。　Why　could　she　not　be　Freddy；　who　stood　stiff　in　the

middle　of　the　room；　looking　very　cross　and　almost　handsome？



〃I　say；　Lucy！〃　called　Cecil；　for　conversation　seemed　to　flag。



Lucy　rose　from　the　seat。　She　moved　across　the　lawn　and　smiled　in

at　them；　just　as　if　she　was　going　to　ask　them　to　play　tennis。

Then　she　saw　her　brother's　face。　Her　lips　parted；　and　she　took

him　in　her　arms。　He　said；　〃Steady　on！〃



〃Not　a　kiss　for　me？〃　asked　her　mother。



Lucy　kissed　her　also。



〃Would　you　take　them　into　the　garden　and　tell　Mrs。　Honeychurch

all　about　it？〃　Cecil　suggested。　〃And　I'd　stop　here　and　tell　my

mother。〃



〃We　go　with　Lucy？〃　said　Freddy；　as　if　taking　orders。



〃Yes；　you　go　with　Lucy。〃



They　passed　into　the　sunlight。　Cecil　watched　them　cross　the

terrace；　and　descend　out　of　sight　by　the　steps。　They　would

descendhe　knew　their　wayspast　the　shrubbery；　and　past　the

tennis…lawn　and　the　dahlia…bed；　until　they　reached　the　kitchen

garden；　and　there；　in　the　presence　of　the　potatoes　and　the　peas；

the　great　event　would　be　discussed。



Smiling　indulgently；　he　lit　a　cigarette；　and　rehearsed　the　events

that　had　led　to　such　a　happy　conclusion。



He　had　known　Lucy　for　several　years；　but　only　as　a　commonplace

girl　who　happened　to　be　musical。　He　could　still　remember　his

depression　that　afternoon　at　Rome；　when　she　and　her　terrible

cousin　fell　on　him　out　of　the　blue；　and　demanded　to　be　taken　to

St。　Peter's。　That　day　she　had　seemed　a　typical　touristshrill；

crude；　and　gaunt　with　travel。　But　Italy　worked　some　marvel　in

her。　It　gave　her　light；　andwhich　he　held　more　preciousit　gave

her　shadow。　Soon　he　detected　in　her　a　wonderful　reticence。　She

was　like　a　woman　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci's；　whom　we　love　not　so　much

for　herself　as　for　the　things　that　she　will　not　tell　us；　The

things　are　assuredly　not　of　this　life；　no　woman　of　Leonardo's

could　have　anything　so　vulgar　as　a　〃story。〃　She　did　develop　most

wonderfully　day　by　day。



So　it　happened　that　from　patronizing　civility　he　had　slowly

passed　if　not　to　passion；　at　least　to　a　profound　uneasiness。

Already　at　Rome　he　had　hinted　to　her　that　they　might　be　suitable

for　each　other。　It　had　touched　him　greatly　that　she　had　not

broken　away　at　the　suggestion。　Her　refusal　had　been　clear　and

gentle；　after　itas　the　horrid　phrase　wentshe　had　been　exactly

the　same　to　him　as　before。　Three　months　later；　on　the　margin　of

Italy；　among　the　flower…clad　Alps；　he　had　asked　her　again　in

bald；　traditional　language。　She　reminded　him　of　a　Leonardo　more

than　ever；　her　sunburnt　features　were　shadowed　by　fantastic　rock；

at　his　words　she　had　turned　and　stood　between　him　and　the　light

with　immeasurable　plains　behind　her。　He　walked　home　with　her

unashamed；　feeling　not　at　all　like　a　rejected　suitor。　The　things

that　really　mattered　were　unshaken。



So　now　he　had　asked　her　once　more；　and；　clear　and　gentle　as　ever；

she　had　accepted　him；　giving　no　coy　reasons　for　her　delay；　but

simply　saying　that　she　loved　him　and　would　do　her　best　to　make

him　happy。　His　mother；　too；　would　be　pleased；　she　had　counselled

the　step；　he　must　write　her　a　long　account。



Glancing　at　his　hand；　in　case　any　of　Freddy's　chemicals　had　come

off　on　it；　he　moved　to　the　writing　table。　There　he　saw　〃Dear　Mrs。

Vyse；〃　followed　by　many　erasures。　He　recoiled　without　reading　any

more；　and　after　a　little　hesitation　sat　down　elsewhere；　and

pencilled　a　note　on　his　knee。



Then　he　lit　another　cigarette；　which　did　not　seem　quite　as　divine

as　the　first；　and　considered　what　might　be　done　to　make　Windy

Corner　drawing…room　more　distinctive。　With　that　outlook　it　should

have　been　a　successful　room；　but　the　trail　of　Tottenham　Court

Road　was　upon　it；　he　could　almost　visualize　the　motor…vans　of

Messrs。　Shoolbred　and　Messrs。　Maple　arriving　at　the　door　and

depositing　this　chair；　those　varnished　book…cases；　that

writing…table。　The　table　recalled　Mrs。　Honeychurch's　letter。　He

did　not　want　to　read　that　letterhis　temptations　never　lay　in

that　direction；　but　he　worried　about　it　none　the　less。　It　was　his

own　fault　that　she　was　discussing　him　with　his　mother；　he　had

wanted　her　support　in　his　third　attempt　to　win　Lucy；　he　wanted　to

feel　that　others；　no　matter　who　they　were；　agreed　with　him；　and

so　he　had　asked　their　permission。　Mrs。　Honeychurch　had　been

civil；　but　obtuse　in　essentials；　while　as　for　Freddy〃He　is　only

a　boy；〃　he　reflected。　〃I　represent　all　that　he　despises。　Why

should　he　want　me　for　a　brother…in…law？〃



The　Honeychurches　were　a　worthy　family；　but　he　began　to　realize

that　Lucy　was　of　another　clay；　and　perhapshe　did　not　put　it

very　definitelyhe　ought　to　introduce　her　into　more　congenial

circles　as　soon　as　possible。



〃Mr。　Beebe！〃　said　the　maid；　and　the　new　rector　of　Summer　Street

was　shown　in；　he　had　at　once　started　on　friendly　relations；　owing

to　Lucy's　praise　of　him　in　her　letters　from　Florence。



Cecil　greeted　him　rather　critically。



〃I've　come　for　tea；　Mr。　Vyse。　Do　you　suppose　that　I　shall　get

it？〃



〃I　should　say　so。　Food　is　the　thing　one　does　get　hereDon't　sit

in　that　chair；　young　Honeychurch　has　left　a　bone　in　it。〃



〃Pfui！〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Cecil。　〃I　know。　I　can't　think　why　Mrs。　Honeychurch

allows　it。〃



For　Cecil　considered　the　bone　and　the　Maples'　furniture

separately；　he　did　not　realize　that；　taken　together；　they　kindled

the　room　into　the　life　that　he　desired。



〃I've　come　for　tea　and　for　gossip。　Isn't　this　news？〃



〃News？　I　don't　understand　you；〃　said　Cecil。　〃News？〃



Mr。　Beebe；　whose　news　was　of　a　very　different　nature；　prattled

forward。



〃I　met　Sir　Harry　Otway　as　I　came　up；　I　have　every　reason　to　hope

that　I　am　first　in　the　field。　He　has　bought　Cissie　and　Albert

from　Mr。　Flack！〃



〃Has　he　indeed？〃　said　Cecil；　trying　to　recover　himself。　Into　what

a　grotesque　mistake　had　he　fallen！　Was　it　likely　that　a　clergyman

and　a　gentleman　would　refer　to　his　engagement　in　a　manner　so

flippant？　But　his　stiffness　remained；　and；　though　he　asked　who

Cissie　and　Albert　might　be；　he　still　thought　Mr。　Beebe　rather　a

bounder。



〃Unpardonable　question！　To　have　stopped　a　week　at　Windy　Corner

and　not　to　have　met　Cissie　and　Albert；　the　semi…detached　villas

that　have　been　run　up　opposite　the　church！　I'll　set　Mrs。

Honeychurch　after　you。〃



〃I'm　shockingly　stupid　over　local　affairs；〃　said　the　young　man

languidly。　〃I　can't　even　remember　the　difference　between　a　Parish

Council　and　a　Local　Government　Board。　Perhaps　there　is　no

difference；　or　perhaps　those　aren't　the　right　names。　I　only　go

into　the　country　to　see　my　friends　and　to　enjoy　the　scenery。　It

is　very　remiss　of　me。　Italy　and　London　are　the　only　places　where

I　don't　feel　to　exist　on　sufferance。〃



Mr。　Beebe；　distressed　at　this　heavy　reception　of　Cissie　and

Albert；　determined　to　shift　the　subject。



〃Let　me　see；　Mr。　VyseI　forgetwhat　is　your　profession？〃



〃I　have　no　professi