a room with a view-第3章

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bed…room　windows　at　night；　and　of　thoroughly　emptying　the

water…bottles　in　the　morning。　She　handled　her　subjects　agreeably；

and　they　were；　perhaps；　more　worthy　of　attention　than　the　high

discourse　upon　Guelfs　and　Ghibellines　which　was　proceeding

tempestuously　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。　It　was　a　real

catastrophe；　not　a　mere　episode；　that　evening　of　hers　at　Venice；

when　she　had　found　in　her　bedroom　something　that　is　one　worse

than　a　flea；　though　one　better　than　something　else。



〃But　here　you　are　as　safe　as　in　England。　Signora　Bertolini　is　so

English。〃



〃Yet　our　rooms　smell；〃　said　poor　Lucy。　〃We　dread　going　to　bed。〃



〃Ah；　then　you　look　into　the　court。〃　She　sighed。　〃If　only　Mr。

Emerson　was　more　tactful！　We　were　so　sorry　for　you　at　dinner。〃



〃I　think　he　was　meaning　to　be　kind。〃



〃Undoubtedly　he　was；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Mr。　Beebe　has　just　been　scolding　me　for　my　suspicious　nature。　Of

course；　I　was　holding　back　on　my　cousin's　account。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　the　little　old　lady；　and　they　murmured　that　one

could　not　be　too　careful　with　a　young　girl。



Lucy　tried　to　look　demure；　but　could　not　help　feeling　a　great

fool。　No　one　was　careful　with　her　at　home；　or；　at　all　events；　she

had　not　noticed　it。



〃About　old　Mr。　EmersonI　hardly　know。　No；　he　is　not　tactful；

yet；　have　you　ever　noticed　that　there　are　people　who　do　things

which　are　most　indelicate；　and　yet　at　the　same　timebeautiful？〃



〃Beautiful？〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　puzzled　at　the　word。　〃Are　not

beauty　and　delicacy　the　same？〃



〃So　one　would　have　thought；〃　said　the　other　helplessly。　〃But

things　are　so　difficult；　I　sometimes　think。〃



She　proceeded　no　further　into　things；　for　Mr。　Beebe　reappeared；

looking　extremely　pleasant。



〃Miss　Bartlett；〃　he　cried；　〃it's　all　right　about　the　rooms。　I'm

so　glad。　Mr。　Emerson　was　talking　about　it　in　the　smoking…room；

and　knowing　what　I　did；　I　encouraged　him　to　make　the　offer　again。

He　has　let　me　come　and　ask　you。　He　would　be　so　pleased。〃



〃Oh；　Charlotte；〃　cried　Lucy　to　her　cousin；　〃we　must　have　the

rooms　now。　The　old　man　is　just　as　nice　and　kind　as　he　can　be。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　silent。



〃I　fear；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe；　after　a　pause；　〃that　I　have　been

officious。　I　must　apologize　for　my　interference。〃



Gravely　displeased；　he　turned　to　go。　Not　till　then　did　Miss

Bartlett　reply：　〃My　own　wishes；　dearest　Lucy；　are　unimportant　in

comparison　with　yours。　It　would　be　hard　indeed　if　I　stopped　you

doing　as　you　liked　at　Florence；　when　I　am　only　here　through　your

kindness。　If　you　wish　me　to　turn　these　gentlemen　out　of　their

rooms；　I　will　do　it。　Would　you　then；　Mr。　Beebe；　kindly　tell　Mr。

Emerson　that　I　accept　his　kind　offer；　and　then　conduct　him　to　me；

in　order　that　I　may　thank　him　personally？〃



She　raised　her　voice　as　she　spoke；　it　was　heard　all　over　the

drawing…room；　and　silenced　the　Guelfs　and　the　Ghibellines。　The

clergyman；　inwardly　cursing　the　female　sex；　bowed；　and　departed

with　her　message。



〃Remember；　Lucy；　I　alone　am　implicated　in　this。　I　do　not　wish　the

acceptance　to　come　from　you。　Grant　me　that；　at　all　events。〃



Mr。　Beebe　was　back；　saying　rather　nervously：



〃Mr。　Emerson　is　engaged；　but　here　is　his　son　instead。〃



The　young　man　gazed　down　on　the　three　ladies；　who　felt　seated　on

the　floor；　so　low　were　their　chairs。



〃My　father；〃　he　said；　〃is　in　his　bath；　so　you　cannot　thank　him

personally。　But　any　message　given　by　you　to　me　will　be　given　by

me　to　him　as　soon　as　he　comes　out。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　unequal　to　the　bath。　All　her　barbed　civilities

came　forth　wrong　end　first。　Young　Mr。　Emerson　scored　a　notable

triumph　to　the　delight　of　Mr。　Beebe　and　to　the　secret　delight　of

Lucy。



〃Poor　young　man！〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　as　soon　as　he　had　gone。



〃How　angry　he　is　with　his　father　about　the　rooms！　It　is　all　he

can　do　to　keep　polite。〃



〃In　half　an　hour　or　so　your　rooms　will　be　ready；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe。

Then　looking　rather　thoughtfully　at　the　two　cousins；　he　retired

to　his　own　rooms；　to　write　up　his　philosophic　diary。



〃Oh；　dear！〃　breathed　the　little　old　lady；　and　shuddered　as　if　all

the　winds　of　heaven　had　entered　the　apartment。　〃Gentlemen

sometimes　do　not　realize〃　Her　voice　faded　away；　but　Miss

Bartlett　seemed　to　understand　and　a　conversation　developed；　in

which　gentlemen　who　did　not　thoroughly　realize　played　a　principal

part。　Lucy；　not　realizing　either；　was　reduced　to　literature。

Taking　up　Baedeker's　Handbook　to　Northern　Italy；　she　committed　to

memory　the　most　important　dates　of　Florentine　History。　For　she

was　determined　to　enjoy　herself　on　the　morrow。　Thus　the　half…hour

crept　profitably　away；　and　at　last　Miss　Bartlett　rose　with　a

sigh；　and　said：



〃I　think　one　might　venture　now。　No；　Lucy；　do　not　stir。　I　will

superintend　the　move。〃



〃How　you　do　do　everything；〃　said　Lucy。



〃Naturally；　dear。　It　is　my　affair。〃



〃But　I　would　like　to　help　you。〃



〃No；　dear。〃



Charlotte's　energy！　And　her　unselfishness！　She　had　been　thus　all

her　life；　but　really；　on　this　Italian　tour；　she　was　surpassing

herself。　So　Lucy　felt；　or　strove　to　feel。　And　yetthere　was　a

rebellious　spirit　in　her　which　wondered　whether　the　acceptance

might　not　have　been　less　delicate　and　more　beautiful。　At　all

events；　she　entered　her　own　room　without　any　feeling　of　joy。



〃I　want　to　explain；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　〃why　it　is　that　I　have

taken　the　largest　room。　Naturally；　of　course；　I　should　have　given

it　to　you；　but　I　happen　to　know　that　it　belongs　to　the　young　man；

and　I　was　sure　your　mother　would　not　like　it。〃



Lucy　was　bewildered。



〃If　you　are　to　accept　a　favour　it　is　more　suitable　you　should　be

under　an　obligation　to　his　father　than　to　him。　I　am　a　woman　of

the　world；　in　my　small　way；　and　I　know　where　things　lead　to。　How…

ever；　Mr。　Beebe　is　a　guarantee　of　a　sort　that　they　will　not

presume　on　this。〃



〃Mother　wouldn't　mind　I'm　sure；〃　said　Lucy；　but　again　had　the

sense　of　larger　and　unsuspected　issues。



Miss　Bartlett　only　sighed；　and　enveloped　her　in　a　protecting

embrace　as　she　wished　her　good…night。　It　gave　Lucy　the　sensation

of　a　fog；　and　when　she　reached　her　own　room　she　opened　the　window

and　breathed　the　clean　night　air；　thinking　of　the　kind　old　man

who　had　enabled　her　to　see　the　lights　dancing　in　the　Arno　and　the

cypresses　of　San　Miniato；　and　the　foot…hills　of　the　Apennines；

black　against　the　rising　moon。



Miss　Bartlett；　in　her　room；　fastened　the　window…shutters　and

locked　the　door；　and　then　made　a　tour　of　the　apartment　to　see

where　the　cupboards　led；　and　whether　there　were　any　oubliettes　or

secret　entrances。　It　was　then　that　she　saw；　pinned　up　over　the

washstand；　a　sheet　of　paper　on　which　was　scrawled　an　enormous

note　of　interrogation。　Nothing　more。



〃What　does　it　mean？〃　she　thought；　and　she　examined　it　carefully

by　the　light　of　a　candle。　Meaningless　at　first；　it　gradually

became　menacing；　obnoxious；　portentous　with　evil。　She　was　seized

with　an　impulse　to　destroy　it；　but　fortunately　remembered　that

she　had　no　right　to　do　so；　since　it　must　be　the　property　of　young

Mr。　Emerson。　So　she　unpinned　it　carefully；　and　put　it　between　two

pieces　of　blotting…paper　to　keep　it　clean　for　him。　Then　she

completed　her　inspection　of　the　room；　sighed　heavily　according　to

her　habit；　and　went　to　bed。







Chapter　II：　In　Santa　Croce　with　No　Baedeker



It　was　pleasant　to　wake　up　in　Florence；　to　open　the　eyes　upon　a

bright　bare　room；　with　a　floor　of　red　tiles　which　look　clean

though　they　are　not；　with　a　painted　ceiling　whereon　pink　griffins

and　blue　amorini　sport　in　a　forest　of　yellow　violins　and

bassoons。　It　was　pleasant；　too；　to　fling　wide　the　windows；

pinching　the　fingers　in　unfamiliar　fastenings；　to　lean　out　into

sunshine　with　beautiful　hills　and　trees　and　marble　churches

opposite；　and　close　below；　the　Arno；　gurgling　against　the

embankment　of　the　road。



Over　the　river　men　were　at　work　with　spades　and　sieves　on　the

s