a room with a view-第25章

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promising　people。　My　dear　Lucy；　the　deceit！〃



She　nodded。



〃My　advice；〃　put　in　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　〃is　to　have　nothing　to　do

with　Lucy　and　her　decayed　gentlewomen　at　all。　I　know　the　type。

Preserve　me　from　people　who　have　seen　better　days；　and　bring

heirlooms　with　them　that　make　the　house　smell　stuffy。　It's　a

sad　thing；　but　I'd　far　rather　let　to　some　one　who　is　going　up　in

the　world　than　to　some　one　who　has　come　down。〃



〃I　think　I　follow　you；〃　said　Sir　Harry；　〃but　it　is；　as　you　say；　a

very　sad　thing。〃



〃The　Misses　Alan　aren't　that！〃　cried　Lucy。



〃Yes；　they　are；〃　said　Cecil。　〃I　haven't　met　them　but　I　should　say

they　were　a　highly　unsuitable　addition　to　the　neighbourhood。〃



〃Don't　listen　to　him；　Sir　Harryhe's　tiresome。〃



〃It's　I　who　am　tiresome；〃　he　replied。　〃I　oughtn't　to　come　with　my

troubles　to　young　people。　But　really　I　am　so　worried；　and　Lady

Otway　will　only　say　that　I　cannot　be　too　careful；　which　is　quite

true；　but　no　real　help。〃



〃Then　may　I　write　to　my　Misses　Alan？〃



〃Please！〃



But　his　eye　wavered　when　Mrs。　Honeychurch　exclaimed：



〃Beware！　They　are　certain　to　have　canaries。　Sir　Harry；　beware　of

canaries：　they　spit　the　seed　out　through　the　bars　of　the　cages

and　then　the　mice　come。　Beware　of　women　altogether。　Only　let　to　a

man。〃



〃Really〃　he　murmured　gallantly；　though　he　saw　the　wisdom　of　her

remark。



〃Men　don't　gossip　over　tea…cups。　If　they　get　drunk；　there's　an

end　of　themthey　lie　down　comfortably　and　sleep　it　off。　If

they're　vulgar；　they　somehow　keep　it　to　themselves。　It　doesn't

spread　so。　Give　me　a　manof　course；　provided　he's　clean。〃



Sir　Harry　blushed。　Neither　he　nor　Cecil　enjoyed　these　open

compliments　to　their　sex。　Even　the　exclusion　of　the　dirty　did　not

leave　them　much　distinction。　He　suggested　that　Mrs。　Honeychurch；

if　she　had　time；　should　descend　from　the　carriage　and　inspect

〃Cissie〃　for　herself。　She　was　delighted。　Nature　had　intended　her

to　be　poor　and　to　live　in　such　a　house。　Domestic　arrangements

always　attracted　her；　especially　when　they　were　on　a　small

scale。



Cecil　pulled　Lucy　back　as　she　followed　her　mother。



〃Mrs。　Honeychurch；〃　he　said；　〃what　if　we　two　walk　home　and　leave

you？〃



〃Certainly！〃　was　her　cordial　reply。



Sir　Harry　likewise　seemed　almost　too　glad　to　get　rid　of　them。　He

beamed　at　them　knowingly；　said；　〃Aha！　young　people；　young　people！〃

and　then　hastened　to　unlock　the　house。



〃Hopeless　vulgarian！〃　exclaimed　Cecil；　almost　before　they　were

out　of　earshot；



〃Oh；　Cecil！〃



〃I　can't　help　it。　It　would　be　wrong　not　to　loathe　that　man。〃



〃He　isn't　clever；　but　really　he　is　nice。〃



〃No；　Lucy；　he　stands　for　all　that　is　bad　in　country　life。　In

London　he　would　keep　his　place。　He　would　belong　to　a　brainless

club；　and　his　wife　would　give　brainless　dinner　parties。　But　down

here　he　acts　the　little　god　with　his　gentility；　and　his

patronage；　and　his　sham　aesthetics；　and　every　oneeven　your

motheris　taken　in。〃



〃All　that　you　say　is　quite　true；〃　said　Lucy；　though　she　felt

discouraged。　〃I　wonder　whetherwhether　it　matters　so　very　much。〃



〃It　matters　supremely。　Sir　Harry　is　the　essence　of　that

garden…party。　Oh；　goodness；　how　cross　I　feel！　How　I　do　hope　he'll

get　some　vulgar　tenant　in　that　villasome　woman　so　really　vulgar

that　he'll　notice　it。　GENTLEFOLKS！　Ugh！　with　his　bald　head　and

retreating　chin！　But　let's　forget　him。〃



This　Lucy　was　glad　enough　to　do。　If　Cecil　disliked　Sir　Harry

Otway　and　Mr。　Beebe；　what　guarantee　was　there　that　the　people

who　really　mattered　to　her　would　escape？　For　instance；　Freddy。

Freddy　was　neither　clever；　nor　subtle；　nor　beautiful；　and　what

prevented　Cecil　from　saying；　any　minute；　〃It　would　be　wrong　not

to　loathe　Freddy〃？　And　what　would　she　reply？　Further　than　Freddy

she　did　not　go；　but　he　gave　her　anxiety　enough。　She　could　only

assure　herself　that　Cecil　had　known　Freddy　some　time；　and　that

they　had　always　got　on　pleasantly；　except；　perhaps；　during　the

last　few　days；　which　was　an　accident；　perhaps。



〃Which　way　shall　we　go？〃　she　asked　him。



Naturesimplest　of　topics；　she　thoughtwas　around　them。　Summer

Street　lay　deep　in　the　woods；　and　she　had　stopped　where　a

footpath　diverged　from　the　highroad。



〃Are　there　two　ways？〃



〃Perhaps　the　road　is　more　sensible；　as　we're　got　up　smart。〃



〃I'd　rather　go　through　the　wood；〃　said　Cecil；　With　that　subdued

irritation　that　she　had　noticed　in　him　all　the　afternoon。　〃Why　is

it；　Lucy；　that　you　always　say　the　road？　Do　you　know　that　you　have

never　once　been　with　me　in　the　fields　or　the　wood　since　we　were

engaged？〃



〃Haven't　I？　The　wood；　then；〃　said　Lucy；　startled　at　his

queerness；　but　pretty　sure　that　he　would　explain　later；　it　was

not　his　habit　to　leave　her　in　doubt　as　to　his　meaning。



She　led　the　way　into　the　whispering　pines；　and　sure　enough　he

did　explain　before　they　had　gone　a　dozen　yards。



〃I　had　got　an　ideaI　dare　say　wronglythat　you　feel　more　at

home　with　me　in　a　room。〃



〃A　room？〃　she　echoed；　hopelessly　bewildered。



〃Yes。　Or；　at　the　most；　in　a　garden；　or　on　a　road。　Never　in　the

real　country　like　this。〃



〃Oh；　Cecil；　whatever　do　you　mean？　I　have　never　felt　anything　of

the　sort。　You　talk　as　if　I　was　a　kind　of　poetess　sort　of　person。〃



〃I　don't　know　that　you　aren't。　I　connect　you　with　a　viewa

certain　type　of　view。　Why　shouldn't　you　connect　me　with　a　room？〃



She　reflected　a　moment；　and　then　said；　laughing：



〃Do　you　know　that　you're　right？　I　do。　I　must　be　a　poetess　after

all。　When　I　think　of　you　it's　always　as　in　a　room。　How　funny！〃



To　her　surprise；　he　seemed　annoyed。



〃A　drawing…room；　pray？　With　no　view？〃



〃Yes；　with　no　view；　I　fancy。　Why　not？〃



〃I'd　rather；〃　he　said　reproachfully；　〃that　connected　me　with　the

open　air。〃



She　said　again；　〃Oh；　Cecil；　whatever　do　you　mean？〃



As　no　explanation　was　forthcoming；　she　shook　off　the　subject　as

too　difficult　for　a　girl；　and　led　him　further　into　the　wood；

pausing　every　now　and　then　at　some　particularly　beautiful　or

familiar　combination　of　the　trees。　She　had　known　the　wood　between

Summer　Street　and　Windy　Corner　ever　since　she　could　walk　alone；

she　had　played　at　losing　Freddy　in　it；　when　Freddy　was　a

purple…faced　baby；　and　though　she　had　been　to　Italy；　it　had　lost

none　of　its　charm。



Presently　they　came　to　a　little　clearing　among　the　pinesanother

tiny　green　alp；　solitary　this　time；　and　holding　in　its　bosom　a

shallow　pool。



She　exclamed；　〃The　Sacred　Lake！〃



〃Why　do　you　call　it　that？〃



〃I　can't　remember　why。　I　suppose　it　comes　out　of　some　book。　It's

only　a　puddle　now；　but　you　see　that　stream　going　through　it？

Well；　a　good　deal　of　water　comes　down　after　heavy　rains；　and

can't　get　away　at　once；　and　the　pool　becomes　quite　large　and

beautiful。　Then　Freddy　used　to　bathe　there。　He　is　very　fond　of

it。〃



〃And　you？〃



He　meant；　〃Are　you　fond　of　it？〃　But　she　answered　dreamily；　〃I

bathed　here；　too；　till　I　was　found　out。　Then　there　was　a　row。〃



At　another　time　he　might　have　been　shocked；　for　he　had　depths　of

prudishness　within　him。　But　now？　with　his　momentary　cult　of　the

fresh　air；　he　was　delighted　at　her　admirable　simplicity。　He

looked　at　her　as　she　stood　by　the　pool's　edge。　She　was　got　up

smart；　as　she　phrased　it；　and　she　reminded　him　of　some　brilliant

flower　that　has　no　leaves　of　its　own；　but　blooms　abruptly　out　of

a　world　of　green。



〃Who　found　you　out？〃



〃Charlotte；〃　she　murmured。　〃She　was　stopping　with　us。　Charlotte

Charlotte。〃



〃Poor　girl！〃



She　smiled　gravely。　A　certain　scheme；　from　which　hitherto　he　had

shrank；　now　appeared　practical。



〃Lucy！〃



〃Yes；　I　suppose　we　ought　to　be　going；〃　was　her　reply。



〃Lucy；　I　want　to　ask　something　of　you　that　I　have　never　asked

before。〃



At　the　serious　note　in　his　voice　she　stepped　frankly　and　kindly

towards　him。



〃What；　Cecil？〃



〃Hitherto　nevernot　even　that　day　on　the　lawn　when　you　agr