a room with a view-第24章

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Naturesimplest　of　topics；　he　thoughtlay　around　them。　He

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

leaves　that　spotted　the　hurt…bushes；　the　serviceable　beauty　of

the　turnpike　road。　The　outdoor　world　was　not　very　familiar　to

him；　and　occasionally　he　went　wrong　in　a　question　of　fact。　Mrs。

Honeychurch's　mouth　twitched　when　he　spoke　of　the　perpetual　green

of　the　larch。



〃I　count　myself　a　lucky　person；〃　he　concluded；　〃When　I'm　in

London　I　feel　I　could　never　live　out　of　it。　When　I'm　in　the

country　I　feel　the　same　about　the　country。　After　all；　I　do

believe　that　birds　and　trees　and　the　sky　are　the　most　wonderful

things　in　life；　and　that　the　people　who　live　amongst　them　must　be

the　best。　It's　true　that　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　they　don't　seem

to　notice　anything。　The　country　gentleman　and　the　country

labourer　are　each　in　their　way　the　most　depressing　of　companions。

Yet　they　may　have　a　tacit　sympathy　with　the　workings　of　Nature

which　is　denied　to　us　of　the　town。　Do　you　feel　that；　Mrs。

Honeychurch？〃



Mrs。　Honeychurch　started　and　smiled。　She　had　not　been　attending。

Cecil；　who　was　rather　crushed　on　the　front　seat　of　the　victoria；

felt　irritable；　and　determined　not　to　say　anything　interesting

again。



Lucy　had　not　attended　either。　Her　brow　was　wrinkled；　and　she

still　looked　furiously　crossthe　result；　he　concluded；　of　too

much　moral　gymnastics。　It　was　sad　to　see　her　thus　blind　to　the

beauties　of　an　August　wood。



〃'Come　down；　O　maid；　from　yonder　mountain　height；'〃　he　quoted；

and　touched　her　knee　with　his　own。



She　flushed　again　and　said：　〃What　height？〃



〃'Come　down；　O　maid；　from　yonder　mountain　height；

What　pleasure　lives　in　height　（the　shepherd　sang）。

In　height　and　in　the　splendour　of　the　hills？'



Let　us　take　Mrs。　Honeychurch's　advice　and　hate　clergymen　no

more。　What's　this　place？〃



〃Summer　Street；　of　course；〃　said　Lucy；　and　roused　herself。



The　woods　had　opened　to　leave　space　for　a　sloping　triangular

meadow。　Pretty　cottages　lined　it　on　two　sides；　and　the　upper　and

third　side　was　occupied　by　a　new　stone　church；　expensively

simple；　a　charming　shingled　spire。　Mr。　Beebe's　house　was　near　the

church。　In　height　it　scarcely　exceeded　the　cottages。　Some　great

mansions　were　at　hand；　but　they　were　hidden　in　the　trees。　The

scene　suggested　a　Swiss　Alp　rather　than　the　shrine　and　centre　of

a　leisured　world；　and　was　marred　only　by　two　ugly　little　villas

the　villas　that　had　competed　with　Cecil's　engagement；　having　been

acquired　by　Sir　Harry　Otway　the　very　afternoon　that　Lucy　had　been

acquired　by　Cecil。



〃Cissie〃　was　the　name　of　one　of　these　villas；　〃Albert〃　of　the

other。　These　titles　were　not　only　picked　out　in　shaded　Gothic　on

the　garden　gates；　but　appeared　a　second　time　on　the　porches；

where　they　followed　the　semicircular　curve　of　the　entrance　arch

in　block　capitals。　〃Albert〃　was　inhabited。　His　tortured　garden

was　bright　with　geraniums　and　lobelias　and　polished　shells。　His

little　windows　were　chastely　swathed　in　Nottingham　lace。　〃Cissie〃

was　to　let。　Three　notice…boards；　belonging　to　Dorking　agents；

lolled　on　her　fence　and　announced　the　not　surprising　fact。　Her

paths　were　already　weedy；　her　pocket…handkerchief　of　a　lawn　was

yellow　with　dandelions。



〃The　place　is　ruined！〃　said　the　ladies　mechanically。　〃Summer

Street　will　never　be　the　same　again。〃



As　the　carriage　passed；　〃Cissie's〃　door　opened；　and　a　gentleman

came　out　of　her。



〃Stop！〃　cried　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　touching　the　coachman　with　her

parasol。　〃Here's　Sir　Harry。　Now　we　shall　know。　Sir　Harry；　pull

those　things　down　at　once！〃



Sir　Harry　Otwaywho　need　not　be　describedcame　to　the　carriage

and　said　〃Mrs。　Honeychurch；　I　meant　to。　I　can't；　I　really　can't

turn　out　Miss　Flack。〃



〃Am　I　not　always　right？　She　ought　to　have　gone　before　the

contract　was　signed。　Does　she　still　live　rent　free；　as　she　did　in

her　nephew's　time？〃



〃But　what　can　I　do？〃　He　lowered　his　voice。　〃An　old　lady；　so　very

vulgar；　and　almost　bedridden。〃



〃Turn　her　out；〃　said　Cecil　bravely。



Sir　Harry　sighed；　and　looked　at　the　villas　mournfully。　He　had　had

full　warning　of　Mr。　Flack's　intentions；　and　might　have　bought　the

plot　before　building　commenced：　but　he　was　apathetic　and

dilatory。　He　had　known　Summer　Street　for　so　many　years　that　he

could　not　imagine　it　being　spoilt。　Not　till　Mrs。　Flack　had　laid

the　foundation　stone；　and　the　apparition　of　red　and　cream　brick

began　to　rise　did　he　take　alarm。　He　called　on　Mr。　Flack；　the

local　builder；a　most　reasonable　and　respectful　manwho　agreed

that　tiles　would　have　made　more　artistic　roof；　but　pointed　out

that　slates　were　cheaper。　He　ventured　to　differ；　however；　about

the　Corinthian　columns　which　were　to　cling　like　leeches　to　the

frames　of　the　bow　windows；　saying　that；　for　his　part；　he　liked　to

relieve　the　facade　by　a　bit　of　decoration。　Sir　Harry　hinted　that

a　column；　if　possible；　should　be　structural　as　well　as

decorative。



Mr。　Flack　replied　that　all　the　columns　had　been　ordered；　adding；

〃and　all　the　capitals　differentone　with　dragons　in　the　foliage；

another　approaching　to　the　Ionian　style；　another　introducing　Mrs。

Flack's　initialsevery　one　different。〃　For　he　had　read　his

Ruskin。　He　built　his　villas　according　to　his　desire；　and　not　until

he　had　inserted　an　immovable　aunt　into　one　of　them　did　Sir　Harry

buy。



This　futile　and　unprofitable　transaction　filled　the　knight　with

sadness　as　he　leant　on　Mrs。　Honeychurch's　carriage。　He　had

failed　in　his　duties　to　the　country…side；　and　the　country…side

was　laughing　at　him　as　well。　He　had　spent　money；　and　yet　Summer

Street　was　spoilt　as　much　as　ever。　All　he　could　do　now　was　to

find　a　desirable　tenant　for　〃Cissie〃some　one　really　desirable。



〃The　rent　is　absurdly　low；〃　he　told　them；　〃and　perhaps　I　am　an

easy　landlord。　But　it　is　such　an　awkward　size。　It　is　too　large

for　the　peasant　class　and　too　small　for　any　one　the　least　like

ourselves。〃



Cecil　had　been　hesitating　whether　he　should　despise　the　villas　or

despise　Sir　Harry　for　despising　them。　The　latter　impulse　seemed

the　more　fruitful。



〃You　ought　to　find　a　tenant　at　once；〃　he　said　maliciously。　〃It

would　be　a　perfect　paradise　for　a　bank　clerk。〃



〃Exactly！〃　said　Sir　Harry　excitedly。　〃That　is　exactly　what　I

fear；　Mr。　Vyse。　It　will　attract　the　wrong　type　of　people。　The

train　service　has　improveda　fatal　improvement；　to　my　mind。　And

what　are　five　miles　from　a　station　in　these　days　of　bicycles？〃



〃Rather　a　strenuous　clerk　it　would　be；〃　said　Lucy。



Cecil；　who　had　his　full　share　of　mediaeval　mischievousness；

replied　that　the　physique　of　the　lower　middle　classes　was

improving　at　a　most　appalling　rate。　She　saw　that　he　was　laughing

at　their　harmless　neighbour；　and　roused　herself　to　stop　him。



〃Sir　Harry！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I　have　an　idea。　How　would　you　like

spinsters？〃



〃My　dear　Lucy；　it　would　be　splendid。　Do　you　know　any　such？〃



〃Yes；　I　met　them　abroad。〃



〃Gentlewomen？〃　he　asked　tentatively。



〃Yes；　indeed；　and　at　the　present　moment　homeless。　I　heard　from

them　last　weekMiss　Teresa　and　Miss　Catharine　Alan。　I'm　really

not　joking。　They　are　quite　the　right　people。　Mr。　Beebe　knows

them；　too。　May　I　tell　them　to　write　to　you？〃



〃Indeed　you　may！〃　he　cried。　〃Here　we　are　with　the　difficulty

solved　already。　How　delightful　it　is！　　Extra　facilitiesplease

tell　them　they　shall　have　extra　facilities；　for　I　shall　have　no

agents'　fees。　Oh；　the　agents！　The　appalling　people　they　have　sent

me！　One　woman；　when　I　wrotea　tactful　letter；　you　knowasking

her　to　explain　her　social　position　to　me；　replied　that　she　would

pay　the　rent　in　advance。　As　if　one　cares　about　that！　And　several

references　I　took　up　were　most　unsatisfactorypeople　swindlers；

or　not　respectable。　And　oh；　the　deceit！　I　have　seen　a　good　deal

of　the　seamy　side　this　last　week。　The　deceit　of　the　most

promising　people。　My　dear　Lucy；　the　deceit！〃



She　nodded。



〃My　advice；〃　put　in