a room with a view-第31章

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flooded　margin。



The　bank　broke　away；　and　he　fell　into　the　pool　before　he　had

weighed　the　question　properly。



〃Hee…poofI've　swallowed　a　pollywog；　Mr。　Beebe；　water's

wonderful；　water's　simply　ripping。〃



〃Water's　not　so　bad；〃　said　George；　reappearing　from　his　plunge；

and　sputtering　at　the　sun。



〃Water's　wonderful。　Mr。　Beebe；　do。〃



〃Apooshoo；　kouf。〃



Mr。　Beebe；　who　was　hot；　and　who　always　acquiesced　where　possible；

looked　around　him。　He　could　detect　no　parishioners　except　the

pine…trees；　rising　up　steeply　on　all　sides；　and　gesturing　to　each

other　against　the　blue。　How　glorious　it　was！　The　world　of

motor…cars　and　rural　Deans　receded　inimitably。　Water；　sky；

evergreens；　a　windthese　things　not　even　the　seasons　can　touch；

and　surely　they　lie　beyond　the　intrusion　of　man？



〃I　may　as　well　wash　too〃；　and　soon　his　garments　made　a　third

little　pile　on　the　sward；　and　he　too　asserted　the　wonder　of　the

water。



It　was　ordinary　water；　nor　was　there　very　much　of　it；　and；　as

Freddy　said；　it　reminded　one　of　swimming　in　a　salad。　The　three

gentlemen　rotated　in　the　pool　breast　high；　after　the　fashion　of

the　nymphs　in　Gotterdammerung。　But　either　because　the　rains　had

given　a　freshness　or　because　the　sun　was　shedding　a　most　glorious

heat；　or　because　two　of　the　gentlemen　were　young　in　years　and　the

third　young　in　spiritfor　some　reason　or　other　a　change　came

over　them；　and　they　forgot　Italy　and　Botany　and　Fate。　They　began

to　play。　Mr。　Beebe　and　Freddy　splashed　each　other。　A　little

deferentially；　they　splashed　George。　He　was　quiet：　they　feared

they　had　offended　him。　Then　all　the　forces　of　youth　burst　out。　He

smiled；　flung　himself　at　them；　splashed　them；　ducked　them；　kicked

them；　muddied　them；　and　drove　them　out　of　the　pool。



〃Race　you　round　it；　then；〃　cried　Freddy；　and　they　raced　in　the

sunshine；　and　George　took　a　short　cut　and　dirtied　his　shins；　and

had　to　bathe　a　second　time。　Then　Mr。　Beebe　consented　to　runa

memorable　sight。



They　ran　to　get　dry；　they　bathed　to　get　cool；　they　played　at

being　Indians　in　the　willow…herbs　and　in　the　bracken；　they　bathed

to　get　clean。　And　all　the　time　three　little　bundles　lay

discreetly　on　the　sward；　proclaiming：



〃No。　We　are　what　matters。　Without　us　shall　no　enterprise　begin。

To　us　shall　all　flesh　turn　in　the　end。〃



〃A　try！　A　try！〃　yelled　Freddy；　snatching　up　George's　bundle　and

placing　it　beside　an　imaginary　goal…post。



〃Socker　rules；〃　George　retorted；　scattering　Freddy's　bundle

with　a　kick。



〃Goal！〃



〃Goal！〃



〃Pass！〃



〃Take　care　my　watch！〃　cried　Mr。　Beebe。



Clothes　flew　in　all　directions。



〃Take　care　my　hat！　No；　that's　enough；　Freddy。　Dress　now。　No；　I

say！〃



But　the　two　young　men　were　delirious。　Away　they　twinkled　into　the

trees；　Freddy　with　a　clerical　waistcoat　under　his　arm；　George

with　a　wide…awake　hat　on　his　dripping　hair。



〃That'll　do！〃　shouted　Mr。　Beebe；　remembering　that　after　all　he

was　in　his　own　parish。　Then　his　voice　changed　as　if　every

pine…tree　was　a　Rural　Dean。　〃Hi！　Steady　on！　I　see　people　coming

you　fellows！〃



Yells；　and　widening　circles　over　the　dappled　earth。



〃Hi！　hi！　LADIES！〃



Neither　George　nor　Freddy　was　truly　refined。　Still；　they　did　not

hear　Mr。　Beebe's　last　warning　or　they　would　have　avoided　Mrs。

Honeychurch；　Cecil；　and　Lucy；　who　were　walking　down　to　call　on

old　Mrs。　Butterworth。　Freddy　dropped　the　waistcoat　at　their　feet；

and　dashed　into　some　bracken。　George　whooped　in　their　faces；

turned　and　scudded　away　down　the　path　to　the　pond；　still

clad　in　Mr。　Beebe's　hat。



〃Gracious　alive！〃　cried　Mrs。　Honeychurch。　〃Whoever　were　those

unfortunate　people？　Oh；　dears；　look　away！　And　poor　Mr。　Beebe；

too！　Whatever　has　happened？〃



〃Come　this　way　immediately；〃　commanded　Cecil；　who　always　felt

that　he　must　lead　women；　though　knew　not　whither；　and　protect

them；　though　he　knew　not　against　what。　He　led　them　now　towards

the　bracken　where　Freddy　sat　concealed。



〃Oh；　poor　Mr。　Beebe！　Was　that　his　waistcoat　we　left　in　the　path？

Cecil；　Mr。　Beebe's　waistcoat〃



No　business　of　ours；　said　Cecil；　glancing　at　Lucy；　who　was　all

parasol　and　evidently　〃minded。〃



〃I　fancy　Mr。　Beebe　jumped　back　into　the　pond。〃



〃This　way；　please；　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　this　way。〃



They　followed　him　up　the　bank　attempting　the　tense　yet　nonchalant

expression　that　is　suitable　for　ladies　on　such　occasions。



〃Well；　I　can't　help　it；〃　said　a　voice　close　ahead；　and　Freddy

reared　a　freckled　face　and　a　pair　of　snowy　shoulders　out　of　the

fronds。　〃I　can't　be　trodden　on；　can　I？〃



〃Good　gracious　me；　dear；　so　it's　you！　What　miserable　management！

Why　not　have　a　comfortable　bath　at　home；　with　hot　and　cold　laid

on？〃



〃Look　here；　mother；　a　fellow　must　wash；　and　a　fellow's　got　to

dry；　and　if　another　fellow〃



〃Dear；　no　doubt　you're　right　as　usual；　but　you　are　in　no　position

to　argue。　Come；　Lucy。〃　They　turned。　〃Oh；　lookdon't　look！　Oh；

poor　Mr。　Beebe！　How　unfortunate　again〃



For　Mr。　Beebe　was　just　crawling　out　of　the　pond；　On　whose　surface

garments　of　an　intimate　nature　did　float；　while　George；　the

world…weary　George；　shouted　to　Freddy　that　he　had　hooked　a　fish。



〃And　me；　I've　swallowed　one；〃　answered　he　of　the　bracken。　〃I've

swallowed　a　pollywog。　It　wriggleth　in　my　tummy。　I　shall　die

Emerson　you　beast；　you've　got　on　my　bags。〃



〃Hush；　dears；〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　who　found　it　impossible　to

remain　shocked。　〃And　do　be　sure　you　dry　yourselves　thoroughly

first。　All　these　colds　come　of　not　drying　thoroughly。〃



〃Mother；　do　come　away；〃　said　Lucy。　〃Oh　for　goodness'　sake；　do

come。〃



〃Hullo！〃　cried　George；　so　that　again　the　ladies　stopped。



He　regarded　himself　as　dressed。　Barefoot；　bare…chested；　radiant

and　personable　against　the　shadowy　woods；　he　called：



〃Hullo；　Miss　Honeychurch！　Hullo！〃



〃Bow；　Lucy；　better　bow。　Whoever　is　it？　I　shall　bow。〃



Miss　Honeychurch　bowed。



That　evening　and　all　that　night　the　water　ran　away。　On　the　morrow

the　pool　had　shrunk　to　its　old　size　and　lost　its　glory。　It　had

been　a　call　to　the　blood　and　to　the　relaxed　will；　a　passing

benediction　whose　influence　did　not　pass；　a　holiness；　a　spell；　a

momentary　chalice　for　youth。







Chapter　XIII：　How　Miss　Bartlett's　Boiler　Was　So　Tiresome



How　often　had　Lucy　rehearsed　this　bow；　this　interview！　But　she

had　always　rehearsed　them　indoors；　and　with　certain　accessories；

which　surely　we　have　a　right　to　assume。　Who　could　foretell　that

she　and　George　would　meet　in　the　rout　of　a　civilization；　amidst

an　army　of　coats　and　collars　and　boots　that　lay　wounded　over　the

sunlit　earth？　She　had　imagined　a　young　Mr。　Emerson；　who　might　be

shy　or　morbid　or　indifferent　or　furtively　impudent。　She　was

prepared　for　all　of　these。　But　she　had　never　imagined　one　who

would　be　happy　and　greet　her　with　the　shout　of　the　morning　star。



Indoors　herself；　partaking　of　tea　with　old　Mrs。　Butterworth；　she

reflected　that　it　is　impossible　to　foretell　the　future　with　any

degree　of　accuracy；　that　it　is　impossible　to　rehearse　life。　A

fault　in　the　scenery；　a　face　in　the　audience；　an　irruption　of　the

audience　on　to　the　stage；　and　all　our　carefully　planned　gestures

mean　nothing；　or　mean　too　much。　〃I　will　bow；〃　she　had　thought。　〃I

will　not　shake　hands　with　him。　That　will　be　just　the　proper

thing。〃　She　had　bowedbut　to　whom？　To　gods；　to　heroes；　to　the

nonsense　of　school…girls！　She　had　bowed　across　the　rubbish　that

cumbers　the　world。



So　ran　her　thoughts；　while　her　faculties　were　busy　with　Cecil。　It

was　another　of　those　dreadful　engagement　calls。　Mrs。　Butterworth

had　wanted　to　see　him；　and　he　did　not　want　to　be　seen。　He　did　not

want　to　hear　about　hydrangeas；　why　they　change　their　colour　at

the　seaside。　He　did　not　want　to　join　the　C。　O。　S。　When　cross　he

was　always　elaborate；　and　made　long；　clever　answers　where　〃Yes〃

or　〃No〃　would　have　done。　Lucy　soothed　him　and　tinkered　at　the

conversation　in　a　way　that　pro