a room with a view-第22章

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Albert；　determined　to　shift　the　subject。



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



〃I　have　no　profession；〃　said　Cecil。　〃It　is　another　example　of　my

decadence。　My　attitude　quite　an　indefensible　oneis　that　so　long

as　I　am　no　trouble　to　any　one　I　have　a　right　to　do　as　I　like。

I　know　I　ought　to　be　getting　money　out　of　people；　or　devoting

myself　to　things　I　don't　care　a　straw　about；　but　somehow；　I've

not　been　able　to　begin。〃



〃You　are　very　fortunate；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe。　〃It　is　a　wonderful

opportunity；　the　possession　of　leisure。〃



His　voice　was　rather　parochial；　but　he　did　not　quite　see　his　way

to　answering　naturally。　He　felt；　as　all　who　have　regular

occupation　must　feel；　that　others　should　have　it　also。



〃I　am　glad　that　you　approve。　I　daren't　face　the　healthy　person

for　example；　Freddy　Honeychurch。〃



〃Oh；　Freddy's　a　good　sort；　isn't　he？〃



〃Admirable。　The　sort　who　has　made　England　what　she　is。〃



Cecil　wondered　at　himself。　Why；　on　this　day　of　all　others；　was　he

so　hopelessly　contrary？　He　tried　to　get　right　by　inquiring

effusively　after　Mr。　Beebe's　mother；　an　old　lady　for　whom　he　had

no　particular　regard。　Then　he　flattered　the　clergyman；　praised

his　liberal…mindedness；　his　enlightened　attitude　towards

philosophy　and　science。



〃Where　are　the　others？〃　said　Mr。　Beebe　at　last；　〃I　insist　on

extracting　tea　before　evening　service。〃



〃I　suppose　Anne　never　told　them　you　were　here。　In　this　house　one

is　so　coached　in　the　servants　the　day　one　arrives。　The　fault　of

Anne　is　that　she　begs　your　pardon　when　she　hears　you　perfectly；

and　kicks　the　chair…legs　with　her　feet。　The　faults　of　Mary

I　forget　the　faults　of　Mary；　but　they　are　very　grave。　Shall　we

look　in　the　garden？〃



〃I　know　the　faults　of　Mary。　She　leaves　the　dust…pans　standing　on

the　stairs。〃



〃The　fault　of　Euphemia　is　that　she　will　not；　simply　will　not；

chop　the　suet　sufficiently　small。〃



They　both　laughed；　and　things　began　to　go　better。



〃The　faults　of　Freddy〃　Cecil　continued。



〃Ah；　he　has　too　many。　No　one　but　his　mother　can　remember　the

faults　of　Freddy。　Try　the　faults　of　Miss　Honeychurch；　they　are

not　innumerable。〃



〃She　has　none；〃　said　the　young　man；　with　grave　sincerity。



〃I　quite　agree。　At　present　she　has　none。〃



〃At　present？〃



〃I'm　not　cynical。　I'm　only　thinking　of　my　pet　theory　about　Miss

Honeychurch。　Does　it　seem　reasonable　that　she　should　play　so

wonderfully；　and　live　so　quietly？　I　suspect　that　one　day　she　will

be　wonderful　in　both。　The　water…tight　compartments　in　her　will

break　down；　and　music　and　life　will　mingle。　Then　we　shall　have

her　heroically　good；　heroically　badtoo　heroic；　perhaps；　to　be

good　or　bad。〃



Cecil　found　his　companion　interesting。



〃And　at　present　you　think　her　not　wonderful　as　far　as　life　goes？〃



〃Well；　I　must　say　I've　only　seen　her　at　Tunbridge　Wells；　where

she　was　not　wonderful；　and　at　Florence。　Since　I　came　to　Summer

Street　she　has　been　away。　You　saw　her；　didn't　you；　at　Rome　and　in

the　Alps。　Oh；　I　forgot；　of　course；　you　knew　her　before。　No；　she

wasn't　wonderful　in　Florence　either；　but　I　kept　on　expecting　that

she　would　be。〃



〃In　what　way？〃



Conversation　had　become　agreeable　to　them；　and　they　were　pacing

up　and　down　the　terrace。



〃I　could　as　easily　tell　you　what　tune　she'll　play　next。　There　was

simply　the　sense　that　she　had　found　wings；　and　meant　to　use　them。

I　can　show　you　a　beautiful　picture　in　my　Italian　diary：　Miss

Honeychurch　as　a　kite；　Miss　Bartlett　holding　the　string。　Picture

number　two：　the　string　breaks。〃



The　sketch　was　in　his　diary；　but　it　had　been　made　afterwards；

when　he　viewed　things　artistically。　At　the　time　he　had　given

surreptitious　tugs　to　the　string　himself。



〃But　the　string　never　broke？〃



〃No。　I　mightn't　have　seen　Miss　Honeychurch　rise；　but　I　should

certainly　have　heard　Miss　Bartlett　fall。〃



〃It　has　broken　now；〃　said　the　young　man　in　low；　vibrating　tones。



Immediately　he　realized　that　of　all　the　conceited；　ludicrous；

contemptible　ways　of　announcing　an　engagement　this　was　the　worst。

He　cursed　his　love　of　metaphor；　had　he　suggested　that　he　was　a

star　and　that　Lucy　was　soaring　up　to　reach　him？



〃Broken？　What　do　you　mean？〃



〃I　meant；〃　said　Cecil　stiffly；　〃that　she　is　going　to　marry　me。〃



The　clergyman　was　conscious　of　some　bitter　disappointment　which

he　could　not　keep　out　of　his　voice。



〃I　am　sorry；　I　must　apologize。　I　had　no　idea　you　were　intimate

with　her；　or　I　should　never　have　talked　in　this　flippant；

superficial　way。　Mr。　Vyse；　you　ought　to　have　stopped　me。〃　And

down　the　garden　he　saw　Lucy　herself；　yes；　he　was　disappointed。



Cecil；　who　naturally　preferred　congratulations　to　apologies；　drew

down　his　mouth　at　the　corners。　Was　this　the　reception　his　action

would　get　from　the　world？　Of　course；　he　despised　the　world　as　a

whole；　every　thoughtful　man　should；　it　is　almost　a　test　of

refinement。　But　he　was　sensitive　to　the　successive　particles　of

it　which　he　encountered。



Occasionally　he　could　be　quite　crude。



〃I　am　sorry　I　have　given　you　a　shock；〃　he　said　dryly。　〃I　fear

that　Lucy's　choice　does　not　meet　with　your　approval。〃



〃Not　that。　But　you　ought　to　have　stopped　me。　I　know　Miss

Honeychurch　only　a　little　as　time　goes。　Perhaps　I　oughtn't　to

have　discussed　her　so　freely　with　any　one；　certainly　not　with

you。〃



〃You　are　conscious　of　having　said　something　indiscreet？〃



Mr。　Beebe　pulled　himself　together。　Really；　Mr。　Vyse　had　the　art

of　placing　one　in　the　most　tiresome　positions。　He　was　driven　to

use　the　prerogatives　of　his　profession。



〃No；　I　have　said　nothing　indiscreet。　I　foresaw　at　Florence　that

her　quiet；　uneventful　childhood　must　end；　and　it　has　ended。　I

realized　dimly　enough　that　she　might　take　some　momentous　step。

She　has　taken　it。　She　has　learntyou　will　let　me　talk　freely；　as

I　have　begun　freelyshe　has　learnt　what　it　is　to　love：　the

greatest　lesson；　some　people　will　tell　you；　that　our　earthly　life

provides。〃　It　was　now　time　for　him　to　wave　his　hat　at　the

approaching　trio。　He　did　not　omit　to　do　so。　〃She　has　learnt

through　you；〃　and　if　his　voice　was　still　clerical；　it　was　now

also　sincere；　〃let　it　be　your　care　that　her　knowledge　is

profitable　to　her。〃



〃Grazie　tante！〃　said　Cecil；　who　did　not　like　parsons。



〃Have　you　heard？〃　shouted　Mrs。　Honeychurch　as　she　toiled　up　the

sloping　garden。　〃Oh；　Mr。　Beebe；　have　you　heard　the　news？〃



Freddy；　now　full　of　geniality；　whistled　the　wedding　march。　Youth

seldom　criticizes　the　accomplished　fact。



〃Indeed　I　have！〃　he　cried。　He　looked　at　Lucy。　In　her　presence　he

could　not　act　the　parson　any　longerat　all　events　not　without

apology。　〃Mrs。　Honeychurch；　I'm　going　to　do　what　I　am　always

supposed　to　do；　but　generally　I'm　too　shy。　I　want　to　invoke　every

kind　of　blessing　on　them；　grave　and　gay；　great　and　small。

I　want　them　all　their　lives　to　be　supremely　good　and　supremely

happy　as　husband　and　wife；　as　father　and　mother。　And　now　I　want

my　tea。〃



〃You　only　asked　for　it　just　in　time；〃　the　lady　retorted。　〃How

dare　you　be　serious　at　Windy　Corner？〃



He　took　his　tone　from　her。　There　was　no　more　heavy　beneficence；

no　more　attempts　to　dignify　the　situation　with　poetry　or　the

Scriptures。　None　of　them　dared　or　was　able　to　be　serious　any

more。



An　engagement　is　so　potent　a　thing　that　sooner　or　later　it

reduces　all　who　speak　of　it　to　this　state　of　cheerful　awe。　Away

from　it；　in　the　solitude　of　their　rooms；　Mr。　Beebe；　and　even

Freddy；　might　again　be　critical。　But　in　its　presence　and　in　the

presence　of　each　other　they　were　sincerely　hilarious。　It　has　a

strange　power；　for　it　compels　not　only　the　lips；　but　the　very

heart。　The　chief　parallel　to　compare　one　great　thing　with

anotheris　the　power　over　us　of　a　temple　of　some　alien　creed。

Standing　outside；　we　deride　or　oppose　it；　or　at　the　most　feel

sentimental。　Inside；　though　the　saints　and　gods　are　not　ours；　we

become　true　believer