a room with a view-第29章

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we　cannot　tell　whether　our　secret　is　important　or　not。　Were　Lucy

and　her　cousin　closeted　with　a　great　thing　which　would　destroy

Cecil's　life　if　he　discovered　it；　or　with　a　little　thing　which　he

would　laugh　at？　Miss　Bartlett　suggested　the　former。　Perhaps　she

was　right。　It　had　become　a　great　thing　now。　Left　to　herself；　Lucy

would　have　told　her　mother　and　her　lover　ingenuously；　and　it

would　have　remained　a　little　thing。　〃Emerson；　not　Harris〃；　it　was

only　that　a　few　weeks　ago。　She　tried　to　tell　Cecil　even　now　when

they　were　laughing　about　some　beautiful　lady　who　had　smitten　his

heart　at　school。　But　her　body　behaved　so　ridiculously　that　she

stopped。



She　and　her　secret　stayed　ten　days　longer　in　the　deserted

Metropolis　visiting　the　scenes　they　were　to　know　so　well　later

on。　It　did　her　no　harm；　Cecil　thought；　to　learn　the　framework　of

society；　while　society　itself　was　absent　on　the　golf…links　or　the

moors。　The　weather　was　cool；　and　it　did　her　no　harm。　In　spite　of

the　season；　Mrs。　Vyse　managed　to　scrape　together　a　dinner…party

consisting　entirely　of　the　grandchildren　of　famous　people。　The

food　was　poor；　but　the　talk　had　a　witty　weariness　that　impressed

the　girl。　One　was　tired　of　everything；　it　seemed。　One　launched

into　enthusiasms　only　to　collapse　gracefully；　and　pick　oneself　up

amid　sympathetic　laughter。　In　this　atmosphere　the　Pension

Bertolini　and　Windy　Corner　appeared　equally　crude；　and　Lucy　saw

that　her　London　career　would　estrange　her　a　little　from　all　that

she　had　loved　in　the　past。



The　grandchildren　asked　her　to　play　the　piano。



She　played　Schumann。　〃Now　some　Beethoven〃　called　Cecil；　when　the

querulous　beauty　of　the　music　had　died。　She　shook　her　head　and

played　Schumann　again。　The　melody　rose；　unprofitably　magical。　It

broke；　it　was　resumed　broken；　not　marching　once　from　the　cradle

to　the　grave。　The　sadness　of　the　incompletethe　sadness　that　is

often　Life；　but　should　never　be　Artthrobbed　in　its　disjected

phrases；　and　made　the　nerves　of　the　audience　throb。　Not　thus　had

she　played　on　the　little　draped　piano　at　the　Bertolini；　and　〃Too

much　Schumann〃　was　not　the　remark　that　Mr。　Beebe　had　passed　to

himself　when　she　returned。



When　the　guests　were　gone；　and　Lucy　had　gone　to　bed；　Mrs。　Vyse

paced　up　and　down　the　drawing…room；　discussing　her　little　party

with　her　son。　Mrs。　Vyse　was　a　nice　woman；　but　her　personality；

like　many　another's；　had　been　swamped　by　London；　for　it　needs　a

strong　head　to　live　among　many　people。　The　too　vast　orb　of　her

fate　had　crushed　her；　and　she　had　seen　too　many　seasons；　too　many

cities；　too　many　men；　for　her　abilities；　and　even　with　Cecil　she

was　mechanical；　and　behaved　as　if　he　was　not　one　son；　but；　so　to

speak；　a　filial　crowd。



〃Make　Lucy　one　of　us；〃　she　said；　looking　round　intelligently　at

the　end　of　each　sentence；　and　straining　her　lips　apart　until　she

spoke　again。　〃Lucy　is　becoming　wonderfulwonderful。〃



〃Her　music　always　was　wonderful。〃



〃Yes；　but　she　is　purging　off　the　Honeychurch　taint；　most

excellent　Honeychurches；　but　you　know　what　I　mean。　She　is　not

always　quoting　servants；　or　asking　one　how　the　pudding　is　made。〃



〃Italy　has　done　it。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　she　murmured；　thinking　of　the　museum　that　represented

Italy　to　her。　〃It　is　just　possible。　Cecil；　mind　you　marry　her

next　January。　She　is　one　of　us　already。〃



〃But　her　music！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃The　style　of　her！　How　she　kept　to

Schumann　when；　like　an　idiot；　I　wanted　Beethoven。　Schumann　was

right　for　this　evening。　Schumann　was　the　thing。　Do　you　know；

mother；　I　shall　have　our　children　educated　just　like　Lucy。　Bring

them　up　among　honest　country　folks　for　freshness；　send　them　to

Italy　for　subtlety；　and　thennot　till　thenlet　them　come　to

London。　I　don't　believe　in　these　London　educations〃　He　broke

off；　remembering　that　he　had　had　one　himself；　and　concluded；　〃At

all　events；　not　for　women。〃



〃Make　her　one　of　us；〃　repeated　Mrs。　Vyse；　and　processed　to　bed。



As　she　was　dozing　off；　a　crythe　cry　of　nightmarerang　from

Lucy's　room。　Lucy　could　ring　for　the　maid　if　she　liked　but　Mrs。

Vyse　thought　it　kind　to　go　herself。　She　found　the　girl　sitting

upright　with　her　hand　on　her　cheek。



〃I　am　so　sorry；　Mrs。　Vyseit　is　these　dreams。〃



〃Bad　dreams？〃



〃Just　dreams。〃



The　elder　lady　smiled　and　kissed　her；　saying　very　distinctly：

〃You　should　have　heard　us　talking　about　you；　dear。　He　admires　you

more　than　ever。　Dream　of　that。〃



Lucy　returned　the　kiss；　still　covering　one　cheek　with　her　hand。

Mrs。　Vyse　recessed　to　bed。　Cecil；　whom　the　cry　had　not　awoke；

snored。　Darkness　enveloped　the　flat。







Chapter　XII：　Twelfth　Chapter



It　was　a　Saturday　afternoon；　gay　and　brilliant　after　abundant

rains；　and　the　spirit　of　youth　dwelt　in　it；　though　the　season　was

now　autumn。　All　that　was　gracious　triumphed。　As　the　motorcars

passed　through　Summer　Street　they　raised　only　a　little　dust；　and

their　stench　was　soon　dispersed　by　the　wind　and　replaced　by　the

scent　of　the　wet　birches　or　of　the　pines。　Mr。　Beebe；　at　leisure

for　life's　amenities；　leant　over　his　Rectory　gate。　Freddy　leant

by　him；　smoking　a　pendant　pipe。



〃Suppose　we　go　and　hinder　those　new　people　opposite　for　a

little。〃



〃M'm。〃



〃They　might　amuse　you。〃



Freddy；　whom　his　fellow…creatures　never　amused；　suggested　that

the　new　people　might　be　feeling　a　bit　busy；　and　so　on；　since　they

had　only　just　moved　in。



〃I　suggested　we　should　hinder　them；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe。　〃They　are

worth　it。〃　Unlatching　the　gate；　he　sauntered　over　the　triangular

green　to　Cissie　Villa。　〃Hullo！〃　he　cried；　shouting　in　at　the　open

door；　through　which　much　squalor　was　visible。



A　grave　voice　replied；　〃Hullo！〃



〃I've　brought　some　one　to　see　you。〃



〃I'll　be　down　in　a　minute。〃



The　passage　was　blocked　by　a　wardrobe；　which　the　removal　men　had

failed　to　carry　up　the　stairs。　Mr。　Beebe　edged　round　it　with

difficulty。　The　sitting…room　itself　was　blocked　with　books。



〃Are　these　people　great　readers？〃　Freddy　whispered。　〃Are　they

that　sort？〃



〃I　fancy　they　know　how　to　reada　rare　accomplishment。　What　have

they　got？　Byron。　Exactly。　A　Shropshire　Lad。　Never　heard　of　it。

The　Way　of　All　Flesh。　Never　heard　of　it。　Gibbon。　Hullo！　dear

George　reads　German。　UmumSchopenhauer；　Nietzsche；　and　so　we

go　on。　Well；　I　suppose　your　generation　knows　its　own　business；

Honeychurch。〃



〃Mr。　Beebe；　look　at　that；〃　said　Freddy　in　awestruck　tones。



On　the　cornice　of　the　wardrobe；　the　hand　of　an　amateur　had

painted　this　inscription：　〃Mistrust　all　enterprises　that　require

new　clothes。〃



〃I　know。　Isn't　it　jolly？　I　like　that。　I'm　certain　that's　the　old

man's　doing。〃



〃How　very　odd　of　him！〃



〃Surely　you　agree？〃



But　Freddy　was　his　mother's　son　and　felt　that　one　ought　not　to　go

on　spoiling　the　furniture。



〃Pictures！〃　the　clergyman　continued；　scrambling　about　the　room。

〃Giottothey　got　that　at　Florence；　I'll　be　bound。〃



〃The　same　as　Lucy's　got。〃



〃Oh；　by…the…by；　did　Miss　Honeychurch　enjoy　London？〃



〃She　came　back　yesterday。〃



〃I　suppose　she　had　a　good　time？〃



〃Yes；　very；〃　said　Freddy；　taking　up　a　book。　〃She　and　Cecil　are

thicker　than　ever。〃



〃That's　good　hearing。〃



〃I　wish　I　wasn't　such　a　fool；　Mr。　Beebe。〃



Mr。　Beebe　ignored　the　remark。



〃Lucy　used　to　be　nearly　as　stupid　as　I　am；　but　it'll　be　very

different　now；　mother　thinks。　She　will　read　all　kinds　of　books。〃



〃So　will　you。〃



〃Only　medical　books。　Not　books　that　you　can　talk　about

afterwards。　Cecil　is　teaching　Lucy　Italian；　and　he　says　her

playing　is　wonderful。　There　are　all　kinds　of　things　in　it　that　we

have　never　noticed。　Cecil　says〃



〃What　on　earth　are　those　people　doing　upstairs？　Emersonwe　think

we'll　come　another　time。〃



George　ran　down…stairs　and　pushed　them　into　the　room　without

speaking。



〃Let　me　introduce　Mr。　Honeychurch；　a　neighbour。〃



Then　Freddy　hurled　one　of　the　thunderbolts　of　youth。　Perhaps