a room with a view-第28章

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

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

for　nothing！　Certainly　the　Miss　Alans　are　a　little　tiresome；　and

I'd　rather　have　nice　friends　of　yours。　But　you　oughtn't　to　tease

one　so。〃



〃Friends　of　mine？〃　he　laughed。　〃But；　Lucy；　the　whole　joke　is　to

come！　Come　here。〃　But　she　remained　standing　where　she　was。　〃Do

you　know　where　I　met　these　desirable　tenants？　In　the　National

Gallery；　when　I　was　up　to　see　my　mother　last　week。〃



〃What　an　odd　place　to　meet　people！〃　she　said　nervously。　〃I　don't

quite　understand。〃



〃In　the　Umbrian　Room。　Absolute　strangers。　They　were　admiring　Luca

Signorelliof　course；　quite　stupidly。　However；　we　got　talking；

and　they　refreshed　me　nota　little。　They　had　been　to　Italy。〃



〃But；　Cecil〃　proceeded　hilariously。



〃In　the　course　of　conversation　they　said　that　they　wanted　a

country　cottagethe　father　to　live　there；　the　son　to　run　down

for　week…ends。　I　thought；　'What　a　chance　of　scoring　off　Sir

Harry！'　and　I　took　their　address　and　a　London　reference；　found

they　weren't　actual　blackguardsit　was　great　sportand　wrote　to

him；　making　out〃



〃Cecil！　No；　it's　not　fair。　I've　probably　met　them　before〃



He　bore　her　down。



〃Perfectly　fair。　Anything　is　fair　that　punishes　a　snob。　That　old

man　will　do　the　neighbourhood　a　world　of　good。　Sir　Harry　is　too

disgusting　with　his　'decayed　gentlewomen。'　I　meant　to　read　him　a

lesson　some　time。　No；　Lucy；　the　classes　ought　to　mix；　and　before

long　you'll　agree　with　me。　There　ought　to　be　intermarriageall

sorts　of　things。　I　believe　in　democracy〃



〃No；　you　don't；〃　she　snapped。　〃You　don't　know　what　the　word

means。〃



He　stared　at　her；　and　felt　again　that　she　had　failed　to　be

Leonardesque。　〃No；　you　don't！〃



Her　face　was　inartisticthat　of　a　peevish　virago。



〃It　isn't　fair；　Cecil。　I　blame　youI　blame　you　very　much　indeed。

You　had　no　business　to　undo　my　work　about　the　Miss　Alans；　and

make　me　look　ridiculous。　You　call　it　scoring　off　Sir　Harry；　but

do　you　realize　that　it　is　all　at　my　expense？　I　consider　it　most

disloyal　of　you。〃



She　left　him。



〃Temper！〃　he　thought；　raising　his　eyebrows。



No；　it　was　worse　than　tempersnobbishness。　As　long　as　Lucy

thought　that　his　own　smart　friends　were　supplanting　the　Miss

Alans；　she　had　not　minded。　He　perceived　that　these　new　tenants

might　be　of　value　educationally。　He　would　tolerate　the　father　and

draw　out　the　son；　who　was　silent。　In　the　interests　of　the　Comic

Muse　and　of　Truth；　he　would　bring　them　to　Windy　Corner。







Chapter　XI：　In　Mrs。　Vyse's　Well…Appointed　Flat



The　Comic　Muse；　though　able　to　look　after　her　own　interests；　did

not　disdain　the　assistance　of　Mr。　Vyse。　His　idea　of　bringing　the

Emersons　to　Windy　Corner　struck　her　as　decidedly　good；　and　she

carried　through　the　negotiations　without　a　hitch。　Sir　Harry　Otway

signed　the　agreement；　met　Mr。　Emerson；　who　was　duly

disillusioned。　The　Miss　Alans　were　duly　offended；　and　wrote　a

dignified　letter　to　Lucy；　whom　they　held　responsible　for　the

failure。　Mr。　Beebe　planned　pleasant　moments　for　the　new…comers；

and　told　Mrs。　Honeychurch　that　Freddy　must　call　on　them　as　soon

as　they　arrived。　Indeed；　so　ample　was　the　Muse's　equipment　that

she　permitted　Mr。　Harris；　never　a　very　robust　criminal；　to　droop

his　head；　to　be　forgotten；　and　to　die。



Lucyto　descend　from　bright　heaven　to　earth；　whereon　there　are

shadows　because　there　are　hillsLucy　was　at　first　plunged　into

despair；　but　settled　after　a　little　thought　that　it　did　not

matter　the　very　least。　Now　that　she　was　engaged；　the　Emersons

would　scarcely　insult　her　and　were　welcome　into　the

neighbourhood。　And　Cecil　was　welcome　to　bring　whom　he　would　into

the　neighbourhood。　Therefore　Cecil　was　welcome　to　bring　the

Emersons　into　the　neighbourhood。　But；　as　I　say；　this　took　a

little　thinking；　andso　illogical　are　girlsthe　event　remained

rather　greater　and　rather　more　dreadful　than　it　should　have　done。

She　was　glad　that　a　visit　to　Mrs。　Vyse　now　fell　due；　the　tenants

moved　into　Cissie　Villa　while　she　was　safe　in　the　London　flat。



〃CecilCecil　darling；〃　she　whispered　the　evening　she　arrived；

and　crept　into　his　arms。



Cecil；　too；　became　demonstrative。　He　saw　that　the　needful　fire

had　been　kindled　in　Lucy。　At　last　she　longed　for　attention；　as　a

woman　should；　and　looked　up　to　him　because　he　was　a　man。



〃So　you　do　love　me；　little　thing？〃　he　murmured。



〃Oh；　Cecil；　I　do；　I　do！　I　don't　know　what　I　should　do　without

you。〃



Several　days　passed。　Then　she　had　a　letter　from　Miss　Bartlett。

A　coolness　had　sprung　up　between　the　two　cousins；　and　they　had

not　corresponded　since　they　parted　in　August。　The　coolness　dated

from　what　Charlotte　would　call　〃the　flight　to　Rome；〃　and　in　Rome

it　had　increased　amazingly。　For　the　companion　who　is　merely

uncongenial　in　the　mediaeval　world　becomes　exasperating　in　the

classical。　Charlotte；　unselfish　in　the　Forum；　would　have　tried　a

sweeter　temper　than　Lucy's；　and　once；　in　the　Baths　of　Caracalla；

they　had　doubted　whether　they　could　continue　their　tour。　Lucy　had

said　she　would　join　the　VysesMrs。　Vyse　was　an　acquaintance　of

her　mother；　so　there　was　no　impropriety　in　the　plan　and　Miss

Bartlett　had　replied　that　she　was　quite　used　to　being　abandoned

suddenly。　Finally　nothing　happened；　but　the　coolness　remained；

and；　for　Lucy；　was　even　increased　when　she　opened　the　letter　and

read　as　follows。　It　had　been　forwarded　from　Windy　Corner。





〃Tunbridge　Wells；



September。



〃Dearest　Lucia；



〃I　have　news　of　you　at　last！　Miss　Lavish　has　been　bicycling　in

your　parts；　but　was　not　sure　whether　a　call　would　be　welcome。

Puncturing　her　tire　near　Summer　Street；　and　it　being　mended　while

she　sat　very　woebegone　in　that　pretty　churchyard；　she　saw　to　her

astonishment；　a　door　open　opposite　and　the　younger　Emerson　man

come　out。　He　said　his　father　had　just　taken　the　house。　He　SAID　he

did　not　know　that　you　lived　in　the　neighbourhood　（？）。　He　never

suggested　giving　Eleanor　a　cup　of　tea。　Dear　Lucy；　I　am　much

worried；　and　I　advise　you　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　his　past

behaviour　to　your　mother；　Freddy；　and　Mr。　Vyse；　who　will　forbid

him　to　enter　the　house；　etc。　That　was　a　great　misfortune；　and　I

dare　say　you　have　told　them　already。　Mr。　Vyse　is　so　sensitive。　I

remember　how　I　used　to　get　on　his　nerves　at　Rome。　I　am　very　sorry

about　it　all；　and　should　not　feel　easy　unless　I　warned　you。



〃Believe　me；



〃Your　anxious　and　loving　cousin；



Charlotte。〃





Lucy　was　much　annoyed；　and　replied　as　follows：





〃Beauchamp　Mansions；　S。W。



〃Dear　Charlotte；



〃Many　thanks　for　your　warning。　When　Mr。　Emerson　forgot　himself　on

the　mountain；　you　made　me　promise　not　to　tell　mother；　because　you

said　she　would　blame　you　for　not　being　always　with　me。　I　have

kept　that　promise；　and　cannot　possibly　tell　her　now。　I　have　said

both　to　her　and　Cecil　that　I　met　the　Emersons　at　Florence；　and

that　they　are　respectable　peoplewhich　I　do　thinkand　the

reason　that　he　offered　Miss　Lavish　no　tea　was　probably　that　he

had　none　himself。　She　should　have　tried　at　the　Rectory。　I　cannot

begin　making　a　fuss　at　this　stage。　You　must　see　that　it　would　be

too　absurd。　If　the　Emersons　heard　I　had　complained　of　them；　they

would　think　themselves　of　importance；　which　is　exactly　what　they

are　not。　I　like　the　old　father；　and　look　forward　to　seeing　him

again。　As　for　the　son；　I　am　sorry　for　him　when　we　meet；　rather

than　for　myself。　They　are　known　to　Cecil；　who　is　very　well　and

spoke　of　you　the　other　day。　We　expect　to　be　married　in　January。



〃Miss　Lavish　cannot　have　told　you　much　about　me；　for　I　am　not　at

Windy　Corner　at　all；　but　here。　Please　do　not　put　'Private'

outside　your　envelope　again。　No　one　opens　my　letters。



〃Yours　affectionately；



〃L。　M。　Honeychurch。〃





Secrecy　has　this　disadvantage：　we　lose　the　sense　of　proportion；

we　cannot　tell　whether　our　secret　is　importan