a room with a view-第23章

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

become　true　believers；　in　case　any　true　believer　should　be

present。



So　it　was　that　after　the　gropings　and　the　misgivings　of　the

afternoon　they　pulled　themselves　together　and　settled　down　to　a

very　pleasant　tea…party。　If　they　were　hypocrites　they　did　not

know　it；　and　their　hypocrisy　had　every　chance　of　setting　and　of

becoming　true。　Anne；　putting　down　each　plate　as　if　it　were　a

wedding　present；　stimulated　them　greatly。　They　could　not　lag

behind　that　smile　of　hers　which　she　gave　them　ere　she　kicked　the

drawing…room　door。　Mr。　Beebe　chirruped。　Freddy　was　at　his

wittiest；　referring　to　Cecil　as　the　〃Fiasco〃family　honoured　pun

on　fiance。　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　amusing　and　portly；　promised　well　as

a　mother…in…law。　As　for　Lucy　and　Cecil；　for　whom　the　temple　had

been　built；　they　also　joined　in　the　merry　ritual；　but　waited；　as

earnest　worshippers　should；　for　the　disclosure　of　some　holier

shrine　of　joy。







Chapter　IX：　Lucy　As　a　Work　of　Art



A　few　days　after　the　engagement　was　announced　Mrs。　Honeychurch

made　Lucy　and　her　Fiasco　come　to　a　little　garden…party　in　the

neighbourhood；　for　naturally　she　wanted　to　show　people　that　her

daughter　was　marrying　a　presentable　man。



Cecil　was　more　than　presentable；　he　looked　distinguished；　and　it

was　very　pleasant　to　see　his　slim　figure　keeping　step　with　Lucy；

and　his　long；　fair　face　responding　when　Lucy　spoke　to　him。　People

congratulated　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　which　is；　I　believe；　a　social

blunder；　but　it　pleased　her；　and　she　introduced　Cecil　rather

indiscriminately　to　some　stuffy　dowagers。



At　tea　a　misfortune　took　place：　a　cup　of　coffee　was　upset　over

Lucy's　figured　silk；　and　though　Lucy　feigned　indifference；　her

mother　feigned　nothing　of　the　sort　but　dragged　her　indoors　to

have　the　frock　treated　by　a　sympathetic　maid。　They　were　gone　some

time；　and　Cecil　was　left　with　the　dowagers。　When　they　returned　he

was　not　as　pleasant　as　he　had　been。



〃Do　you　go　to　much　of　this　sort　of　thing？〃　he　asked　when　they

were　driving　home。



〃Oh；　now　and　then；〃　said　Lucy；　who　had　rather　enjoyed　herself。



〃Is　it　typical　of　country　society？〃



〃I　suppose　so。　Mother；　would　it　be？〃



〃Plenty　of　society；〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　who　was　trying　to

remember　the　hang　of　one　of　the　dresses。



Seeing　that　her　thoughts　were　elsewhere；　Cecil　bent　towards　Lucy

and　said：



〃To　me　it　seemed　perfectly　appalling；　disastrous；　portentous。〃



〃I　am　so　sorry　that　you　were　stranded。〃



〃Not　that；　but　the　congratulations。　It　is　so　disgusting；　the　way

an　engagement　is　regarded　as　public　propertya　kind　of　waste

place　where　every　outsider　may　shoot　his　vulgar　sentiment。　All

those　old　women　smirking！〃



〃One　has　to　go　through　it；　I　suppose。　They　won't　notice　us　so

much　next　time。〃



〃But　my　point　is　that　their　whole　attitude　is　wrong。　An

engagementhorrid　word　in　the　first　placeis　a　private　matter；

and　should　be　treated　as　such。〃



Yet　the　smirking　old　women；　however　wrong　individually；　were

racially　correct。　The　spirit　of　the　generations　had　smiled

through　them；　rejoicing　in　the　engagement　of　Cecil　and　Lucy

because　it　promised　the　continuance　of　life　on　earth。　To　Cecil

and　Lucy　it　promised　something　quite　differentpersonal　love。

Hence　Cecil's　irritation　and　Lucy's　belief　that　his　irritation

was　just。



〃How　tiresome！〃　she　said。　〃Couldn't　you　have　escaped　to　tennis？〃



〃I　don't　play　tennisat　least；　not　in　public。　The　neighbourhood

is　deprived　of　the　romance　of　me　being　athletic。　Such　romance　as

I　have　is　that　of　the　Inglese　Italianato。〃



〃Inglese　Italianato？〃



〃E　un　diavolo　incarnato！　You　know　the　proverb？〃



She　did　not。　Nor　did　it　seem　applicable　to　a　young　man　who　had

spent　a　quiet　winter　in　Rome　with　his　mother。　But　Cecil；　since

his　engagement；　had　taken　to　affect　a　cosmopolitan　naughtiness

which　he　was　far　from　possessing。



〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃I　cannot　help　it　if　they　do　disapprove　of　me。

There　are　certain　irremovable　barriers　between　myself　and　them；

and　I　must　accept　them。〃



〃We　all　have　our　limitations；　I　suppose；〃　said　wise　Lucy。



〃Sometimes　they　are　forced　on　us；　though；〃　said　Cecil；　who　saw

from　her　remark　that　she　did　not　quite　understand　his　position。



〃How？〃



〃It　makes　a　difference　doesn't　it；　whether　we　fully　fence

ourselves　in；　or　whether　we　are　fenced　out　by　the　barriers　of

others？〃



She　thought　a　moment；　and　agreed　that　it　did　make　a　difference。



〃Difference？〃　cried　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　suddenly　alert。　〃I　don't

see　any　difference。　Fences　are　fences；　especially　when　they　are

in　the　same　place。〃



〃We　were　speaking　of　motives；〃　said　Cecil；　on　whom　the

interruption　jarred。



〃My　dear　Cecil；　look　here。〃　She　spread　out　her　knees　and　perched

her　card…case　on　her　lap。　〃This　is　me。　That's　Windy　Corner。　The

rest　of　the　pattern　is　the　other　people。　Motives　are　all　very

well；　but　the　fence　comes　here。〃



〃We　weren't　talking　of　real　fences；〃　said　Lucy；　laughing。



〃Oh；　I　see；　dearpoetry。〃



She　leant　placidly　back。　Cecil　wondered　why　Lucy　had　been　amused。



〃I　tell　you　who　has　no　'fences；'　as　you　call　them；〃　she　said；

〃and　that's　Mr。　Beebe。〃



〃A　parson　fenceless　would　mean　a　parson　defenceless。〃



Lucy　was　slow　to　follow　what　people　said；　but　quick　enough　to

detect　what　they　meant。　She　missed　Cecil's　epigram；　but　grasped

the　feeling　that　prompted　it。



〃Don't　you　like　Mr。　Beebe？〃　she　asked　thoughtfully。



〃I　never　said　so！〃　he　cried。　〃I　consider　him　far　above　the

average。　I　only　denied〃　And　he　swept　off　on　the　subject　of

fences　again；　and　was　brilliant。



〃Now；　a　clergyman　that　I　do　hate；〃　said　she　wanting　to　say

something　sympathetic；　〃a　clergyman　that　does　have　fences；　and

the　most　dreadful　ones；　is　Mr。　Eager；　the　English　chaplain　at

Florence。　He　was　truly　insincerenot　merely　the　manner

unfortunate。　He　was　a　snob；　and　so　conceited；　and　he　did　say　such

unkind　things。〃



〃What　sort　of　things？〃



〃There　was　an　old　man　at　the　Bertolini　whom　he　said　had　murdered

his　wife。〃



〃Perhaps　he　had。〃



〃No！〃



〃Why　'no'？〃



〃He　was　such　a　nice　old　man；　I'm　sure。〃



Cecil　laughed　at　her　feminine　inconsequence。



〃Well；　I　did　try　to　sift　the　thing。　Mr。　Eager　would　never　come

to　the　point。　He　prefers　it　vaguesaid　the　old　man　had

'practically'　murdered　his　wifehad　murdered　her　in　the　sight　of

God。〃



〃Hush；　dear！〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch　absently。　〃But　isn't　it

intolerable　that　a　person　whom　we're　told　to　imitate　should　go

round　spreading　slander？　It　was；　I　believe；　chiefly　owing　to　him

that　the　old　man　was　dropped。　People　pretended　he　was　vulgar；　but

he　certainly　wasn't　that。〃



〃Poor　old　man！　What　was　his　name？〃



〃Harris；〃　said　Lucy　glibly。



〃Let's　hope　that　Mrs。　Harris　there　warn't　no　sich　person；〃　said

her　mother。



Cecil　nodded　intelligently。



〃Isn't　Mr。　Eager　a　parson　of　the　cultured　type？〃　he　asked。



〃I　don't　know。　I　hate　him。　I've　heard　him　lecture　on　Giotto。　I

hate　him。　Nothing　can　hide　a　petty　nature。　I　HATE　him。〃



〃My　goodness　gracious　me；　child！〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch。　〃You'll

blow　my　head　off！　Whatever　is　there　to　shout　over？　I　forbid　you

and　Cecil　to　hate　any　more　clergymen。〃



He　smiled。　There　was　indeed　something　rather　incongruous　in

Lucy's　moral　outburst　over　Mr。　Eager。　It　was　as　if　one　should　see

the　Leonardo　on　the　ceiling　of　the　Sistine。　He　longed　to　hint　to

her　that　not　here　lay　her　vocation；　that　a　woman's　power　and

charm　reside　in　mystery；　not　in　muscular　rant。　But　possibly　rant

is　a　sign　of　vitality：　it　mars　the　beautiful　creature；　but　shows

that　she　is　alive。　After　a　moment；　he　contemplated　her　flushed

face　and　excited　gestures　with　a　certain　approval。　He　forebore　to

repress　the　sources　of　youth。



Naturesimplest　of　topics；　he　thoughtlay　around　them。　He

praised　the　pine…woods；　the　deep　lasts　of　bracken；　the　crimson