a room with a view-第27章

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news；　he　did　not　come　down　to　impart　it；　in　case　he　got　hurt。　He

was　not　a　coward　and　bore　necessary　pain　as　well　as　any　man。　But

he　hated　the　physical　violence　of　the　young。　How　right　it　was！

Sure　enough　it　ended　in　a　cry。



〃I　wish　the　Miss　Alans　could　see　this；〃　observed　Mr。　Beebe；　just

as　Lucy；　who　was　nursing　the　injured　Minnie；　was　in　turn　lifted

off　her　feet　by　her　brother。



〃Who　are　the　Miss　Alans？〃　Freddy　panted。



〃They　have　taken　Cissie　Villa。〃



〃That　wasn't　the　name〃



Here　his　foot　slipped；　and　they　all　fell　most　agreeably　on　to　the

grass。　An　interval　elapses。



〃Wasn't　what　name？〃　asked　Lucy；　with　her　brother's　head　in　her

lap。



〃Alan　wasn't　the　name　of　the　people　Sir　Harry's　let　to。〃



〃Nonsense；　Freddy！　You　know　nothing　about　it。〃



〃Nonsense　yourself！　I've　this　minute　seen　him。　He　said　to　me：

'Ahem！　Honeychurch；'〃Freddy　was　an　indifferent　mimic〃'ahem！

ahem！　I　have　at　last　procured　really　dee…sire…rebel　tenants。'　I

said；　'ooray；　old　boy！'　and　slapped　him　on　the　back。〃



〃Exactly。　The　Miss　Alans？〃



〃Rather　not。　More　like　Anderson。〃



〃Oh；　good　gracious；　there　isn't　going　to　be　another　muddle！〃　Mrs。

Honeychurch　exclaimed。　〃Do　you　notice；　Lucy；　I'm　always　right？　I

said　don't　interfere　with　Cissie　Villa。　I'm　always　right。　I'm

quite　uneasy　at　being　always　right　so　often。〃



〃It's　only　another　muddle　of　Freddy's。　Freddy　doesn't　even　know

the　name　of　the　people　he　pretends　have　taken　it　instead。〃



〃Yes；　I　do。　I've　got　it。　Emerson。〃



〃What　name？〃



〃Emerson。　I'll　bet　you　anything　you　like。〃



〃What　a　weathercock　Sir　Harry　is；〃　said　Lucy　quietly。　〃I　wish　I

had　never　bothered　over　it　at　all。〃



Then　she　lay　on　her　back　and　gazed　at　the　cloudless　sky。　Mr。

Beebe；　whose　opinion　of　her　rose　daily；　whispered　to　his　niece

that　THAT　was　the　proper　way　to　behave　if　any　little　thing　went

wrong。



Meanwhile　the　name　of　the　new　tenants　had　diverted　Mrs。

Honeychurch　from　the　contemplation　of　her　own　abilities。



〃Emerson；　Freddy？　Do　you　know　what　Emersons　they　are？〃



〃I　don't　know　whether　they're　any　Emersons；〃　retorted　Freddy；　who

was　democratic。　Like　his　sister　and　like　most　young　people；　he

was　naturally　attracted　by　the　idea　of　equality；　and　the

undeniable　fact　that　there　are　different　kinds　of　Emersons

annoyed　him　beyond　measure。



〃I　trust　they　are　the　right　sort　of　person。　All　right；　Lucy〃she

was　sitting　up　again〃I　see　you　looking　down　your　nose　and

thinking　your　mother's　a　snob。　But　there　is　a　right　sort　and　a

wrong　sort；　and　it's　affectation　to　pretend　there　isn't。〃



〃Emerson's　a　common　enough　name；〃　Lucy　remarked。



She　was　gazing　sideways。　Seated　on　a　promontory　herself；　she

could　see　the　pine…clad　promontories　descending　one　beyond

another　into　the　Weald。　The　further　one　descended　the　garden；　the

more　glorious　was　this　lateral　view。



〃I　was　merely　going　to　remark；　Freddy；　that　I　trusted　they　were

no　relations　of　Emerson　the　philosopher；　a　most　trying　man。　Pray；

does　that　satisfy　you？〃



〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　grumbled。　〃And　you　will　be　satisfied；　too；　for

they're　friends　of　Cecil；　soelaborate　irony〃you　and　the　other

country　families　will　be　able　to　call　in　perfect　safety。〃



〃CECIL？〃　exclaimed　Lucy。



〃Don't　be　rude；　dear；〃　said　his　mother　placidly。　〃Lucy；　don't

screech。　It's　a　new　bad　habit　you're　getting　into。〃



〃But　has　Cecil〃



〃Friends　of　Cecil's；〃　he　repeated；　〃'and　so　really　dee…sire…

rebel。　Ahem！　Honeychurch；　I　have　just　telegraphed　to　them。'〃



She　got　up　from　the　grass。



It　was　hard　on　Lucy。　Mr。　Beebe　sympathized　with　her　very　much。

While　she　believed　that　her　snub　about　the　Miss　Alans　came　from

Sir　Harry　Otway；　she　had　borne　it　like　a　good　girl。　She　might

well　〃screech〃　when　she　heard　that　it　came　partly　from　her　lover。

Mr。　Vyse　was　a　teasesomething　worse　than　a　tease：　he　took　a

malicious　pleasure　in　thwarting　people。　The　clergyman；　knowing

this；　looked　at　Miss　Honeychurch　with　more　than　his　usual

kindness。



When　she　exclaimed；　〃But　Cecil's　Emersonsthey　can't　possibly　be

the　same　onesthere　is　that〃　he　did　not　consider　that　the

exclamation　was　strange；　but　saw　in　it　an　opportunity　of

diverting　the　conversation　while　she　recovered　her　composure。　He

diverted　it　as　follows：



〃The　Emersons　who　were　at　Florence；　do　you　mean？　No；　I　don't

suppose　it　will　prove　to　be　them。　It　is　probably　a　long　cry　from

them　to　friends　of　Mr。　Vyse's。　Oh；　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　the　oddest

people！　The　queerest　people！　For　our　part　we　liked　them；　didn't

we？〃　He　appealed　to　Lucy。　〃There　was　a　great　scene　over　some

violets。　They　picked　violets　and　filled　all　the　vases　in　the　room

of　these　very　Miss　Alans　who　have　failed　to　come　to　Cissie　Villa。

Poor　little　ladies！　So　shocked　and　so　pleased。　It　used　to　be　one

of　Miss　Catharine's　great　stories。　'My　dear　sister　loves

flowers；'　it　began。　They　found　the　whole　room　a　mass　of　blue

vases　and　jugsand　the　story　ends　with　'So　ungentlemanly　and

yet　so　beautiful。'　It　is　all　very　difficult。　Yes；　I　always　connect

those　Florentine　Emersons　with　violets。〃



〃Fiasco's　done　you　this　time；〃　remarked　Freddy；　not　seeing　that

his　sister's　face　was　very　red。　She　could　not　recover　herself。

Mr。　Beebe　saw　it；　and　continued　to　divert　the　conversation。



〃These　particular　Emersons　consisted　of　a　father　and　a　sonthe

son　a　goodly；　if　not　a　good　young　man；　not　a　fool；　I　fancy；　but

very　immaturepessimism；　et　cetera。　Our　special　joy　was　the

fathersuch　a　sentimental　darling；　and　people　declared　he　had

murdered　his　wife。〃



In　his　normal　state　Mr。　Beebe　would　never　have　repeated　such

gossip；　but　he　was　trying　to　shelter　Lucy　in　her　little　trouble。

He　repeated　any　rubbish　that　came　into　his　head。



〃Murdered　his　wife？〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch。　〃Lucy；　don't　desert

usgo　on　playing　bumble…puppy。　Really；　the　Pension　Bertolini

must　have　been　the　oddest　place。　That's　the　second　murderer　I've

heard　of　as　being　there。　Whatever　was　Charlotte　doing　to　stop？

By…the…by；　we　really　must　ask　Charlotte　here　some　time。〃



Mr。　Beebe　could　recall　no　second　murderer。　He　suggested　that　his

hostess　was　mistaken。　At　the　hint　of　opposition　she　warmed。　She

was　perfectly　sure　that　there　had　been　a　second　tourist　of　whom

the　same　story　had　been　told。　The　name　escaped　her。　What　was　the

name？　Oh；　what　was　the　name？　She　clasped　her　knees　for　the　name。

Something　in　Thackeray。　She　struck　her　matronly　forehead。



Lucy　asked　her　brother　whether　Cecil　was　in。



〃Oh；　don't　go！〃　he　cried；　and　tried　to　catch　her　by　the　ankles。



〃I　must　go；〃　she　said　gravely。　〃Don't　be　silly。　You　always　overdo

it　when　you　play。〃



As　she　left　them　her　mother's　shout　of　〃Harris！〃　shivered　the

tranquil　air；　and　reminded　her　that　she　had　told　a　lie　and　had

never　put　it　right。　Such　a　senseless　lie；　too；　yet　it　shattered

her　nerves　and　made　her　connect　these　Emersons；　friends　of

Cecil's；　with　a　pair　of　nondescript　tourists。　Hitherto　truth　had

come　to　her　naturally。　She　saw　that　for　the　future　she　must　be

more　vigilant；　and　beabsolutely　truthful？　Well；　at　all　events；

she　must　not　tell　lies。　She　hurried　up　the　garden；　still　flushed

with　shame。　A　word　from　Cecil　would　soothe　her；　she　was　sure。



〃Cecil！〃



〃Hullo！〃　he　called；　and　leant　out　of　the　smoking…room　window。　He

seemed　in　high　spirits。　〃I　was　hoping　you'd　come。　I　heard　you　all

bear…gardening；　but　there's　better　fun　up　here。　I；　even　I；　have

won　a　great　victory　for　the　Comic　Muse。　George　Meredith's　right

the　cause　of　Comedy　and　the　cause　of　Truth　are　really　the　same；

and　I；　even　I；　have　found　tenants　for　the　distressful　Cissie

Villa。　Don't　be　angry！　Don't　be　angry！　You'll　forgive　me　when　you

hear　it　all。〃



He　looked　very　attractive　when　his　face　was　bright；　and　he

dispelled　her　ridiculous　forebodings　at　once。



〃I　have　heard；〃　she　said。　〃Freddy　has　told　us。　Naughty　Cecil！　I

suppose　I　must　forgive　you。　Just　think　of　all　the　trouble　I　too