a room with a view-第32章

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

conversation　in　a　way　that　promised　well　for　their　married　peace。

No　one　is　perfect；　and　surely　it　is　wiser　to　discover　the

imperfections　before　wedlock。　Miss　Bartlett；　indeed；　though　not

in　word；　had　taught　the　girl　that　this　our　life　contains　nothing

satisfactory。　Lucy；　though　she　disliked　the　teacher；　regarded　the

teaching　as　profound；　and　applied　it　to　her　lover。



〃Lucy；〃　said　her　mother；　when　they　got　home；　〃is　anything　the

matter　with　Cecil？〃



The　question　was　ominous；　up　till　now　Mrs。　Honeychurch　had

behaved　with　charity　and　restraint。



〃No；　I　don't　think　so；　mother；　Cecil's　all　right。〃



〃Perhaps　he's　tired。〃



Lucy　compromised：　perhaps　Cecil　was　a　little　tired。



〃Because　otherwise〃she　pulled　out　her　bonnet…pins　with　gathering

displeasure〃because　otherwise　I　cannot　account　for　him。〃



〃I　do　think　Mrs。　Butterworth　is　rather　tiresome；　if　you　mean

that。〃



〃Cecil　has　told　you　to　think　so。　You　were　devoted　to　her　as　a

little　girl；　and　nothing　will　describe　her　goodness　to　you

through　the　typhoid　fever。　Noit　is　just　the　same　thing

everywhere。〃



〃Let　me　just　put　your　bonnet　away；　may　I？〃



〃Surely　he　could　answer　her　civilly　for　one　half…hour？〃



〃Cecil　has　a　very　high　standard　for　people；〃　faltered　Lucy；

seeing　trouble　ahead。　〃It's　part　of　his　idealsit　is　really　that

that　makes　him　sometimes　seem〃



〃Oh；　rubbish！　If　high　ideals　make　a　young　man　rude；　the　sooner　he

gets　rid　of　them　the　better；〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　handing　her

the　bonnet。



〃Now；　mother！　I've　seen　you　cross　with　Mrs。　Butterworth　yourself！〃



〃Not　in　that　way。　At　times　I　could　wring　her　neck。　But　not　in

that　way。　No。　It　is　the　same　with　Cecil　all　over。〃



〃By…the…byI　never　told　you。　I　had　a　letter　from　Charlotte　while

I　was　away　in　London。〃



This　attempt　to　divert　the　conversation　was　too　puerile；　and　Mrs。

Honeychurch　resented　it。



〃Since　Cecil　came　back　from　London；　nothing　appears　to　please

him。　Whenever　I　speak　he　winces；I　see　him；　Lucy；　it　is　useless

to　contradict　me。　No　doubt　I　am　neither　artistic　nor　literary　nor

intellectual　nor　musical；　but　I　cannot　help　the　drawing…room

furniture；　your　father　bought　it　and　we　must　put　up　with　it；　will

Cecil　kindly　remember。〃



〃II　see　what　you　mean；　and　certainly　Cecil　oughtn't　to。　But　he

does　not　mean　to　be　uncivilhe　once　explainedit　is　the　things

that　upset　himhe　is　easily　upset　by　ugly　thingshe　is　not

uncivil　to　PEOPLE。〃



〃Is　it　a　thing　or　a　person　when　Freddy　sings？〃



〃You　can't　expect　a　really　musical　person　to　enjoy　comic　songs　as

we　do。〃



〃Then　why　didn't　he　leave　the　room？　Why　sit　wriggling　and

sneering　and　spoiling　everyone's　pleasure？〃



〃We　mustn't　be　unjust　to　people；〃　faltered　Lucy。　Something　had

enfeebled　her；　and　the　case　for　Cecil；　which　she　had　mastered　so

perfectly　in　London；　would　not　come　forth　in　an　effective　form。

The　two　civilizations　had　clashedCecil　hinted　that　they　might

and　she　was　dazzled　and　bewildered；　as　though　the　radiance　that

lies　behind　all　civilization　had　blinded　her　eyes。　Good　taste　and

bad　taste　were　only　catchwords；　garments　of　diverse　cut；　and

music　itself　dissolved　to　a　whisper　through　pine…trees；　where　the

song　is　not　distinguishable　from　the　comic　song。



She　remained　in　much　embarrassment；　while　Mrs。　Honeychurch

changed　her　frock　for　dinner；　and　every　now　and　then　she　said　a

word；　and　made　things　no　better。　There　was　no　concealing　the

fact；　Cecil　had　meant　to　be　supercilious；　and　he　had　succeeded。

And　Lucyshe　knew　not　whywished　that　the　trouble　could　have

come　at　any　other　time。



〃Go　and　dress；　dear；　you'll　be　late。〃



〃All　right；　mother〃



〃Don't　say　'All　right'　and　stop。　Go。〃



She　obeyed；　but　loitered　disconsolately　at　the　landing　window。　It

faced　north；　so　there　was　little　view；　and　no　view　of　the　sky。

Now；　as　in　the　winter；　the　pine…trees　hung　close　to　her　eyes。　One

connected　the　landing　window　with　depression。　No　definite　problem

menaced　her；　but　she　sighed　to　herself；　〃Oh；　dear；　what　shall　I

do；　what　shall　I　do？〃　It　seemed　to　her　that　every　one　else　was

behaving　very　badly。　And　she　ought　not　to　have　mentioned　Miss

Bartlett's　letter。　She　must　be　more　careful；　her　mother　was

rather　inquisitive；　and　might　have　asked　what　it　was　about。　Oh；

dear；　should　she　do？and　then　Freddy　came　bounding　up…stairs；

and　joined　the　ranks　of　the　ill…behaved。



〃I　say；　those　are　topping　people。〃



〃My　dear　baby；　how　tiresome　you've　been！　You　have　no　business　to　take

them　bathing　in　the　Sacred　it's　much　too　public。　It　was　all　right

for　you　but　most　awkward　for　every　one　else。　Do　be　more　careful。　You

forget　the　place　is　growing　half　suburban。〃



〃I　say；　is　anything　on　to…morrow　week？〃



〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃



〃Then　I　want　to　ask　the　Emersons　up　to　Sunday　tennis。〃



〃Oh；　I　wouldn't　do　that；　Freddy；　I　wouldn't　do　that　with　all　this

muddle。〃



〃What's　wrong　with　the　court？　They　won't　mind　a　bump　or　two；　and

I've　ordered　new　balls。〃



〃I　meant　it's　better　not。　I　really　mean　it。〃



He　seized　her　by　the　elbows　and　humorously　danced　her　up　and　down

the　passage。　She　pretended　not　to　mind；　but　she　could　have

screamed　with　temper。　Cecil　glanced　at　them　as　he　proceeded　to

his　toilet　and　they　impeded　Mary　with　her　brood　of　hot…water

cans。　Then　Mrs。　Honeychurch　opened　her　door　and　said：　〃Lucy；

what　a　noise　you're　making！　I　have　something　to　say　to　you。　Did

you　say　you　had　had　a　letter　from　Charlotte？〃　and　Freddy　ran

away。



〃Yes。　I　really　can't　stop。　I　must　dress　too。〃



〃How's　Charlotte？〃



〃All　right。〃



〃Lucy！〃



The　unfortunate　girl　returned。



〃You've　a　bad　habit　of　hurrying　away　in　the　middle　of　one's

sentences。　Did　Charlotte　mention　her　boiler？〃



〃Her　WHAT？〃



〃Don't　you　remember　that　her　boiler　was　to　be　had　out　in　October；

and　her　bath　cistern　cleaned　out；　and　all　kinds　of　terrible

to…doings？〃



〃I　can't　remember　all　Charlotte's　worries；〃　said　Lucy　bitterly。

〃I　shall　have　enough　of　my　own；　now　that　you　are　not　pleased　with

Cecil。〃



Mrs。　Honeychurch　might　have　flamed　out。　She　did　not。　She　said：

〃Come　here；　old　ladythank　you　for　putting　away　my　bonnetkiss

me。〃　And；　though　nothing　is　perfect；　Lucy　felt　for　the　moment

that　her　mother　and　Windy　Corner　and　the　Weald　in　the　declining

sun　were　perfect。



So　the　grittiness　went　out　of　life。　It　generally　did　at　Windy

Corner。　At　the　last　minute；　when　the　social　machine　was　clogged

hopelessly；　one　member　or　other　of　the　family　poured　in　a　drop　of

oil。　Cecil　despised　their　methodsperhaps　rightly。　At　a11

events；　they　were　not　his　own。



Dinner　was　at　half…past　seven。　Freddy　gabbled　the　grace；　and　they

drew　up　their　heavy　chairs　and　fell　to。　Fortunately；　the　men　were

hungry。　Nothing　untoward　occurred　until　the　pudding。　Then　Freddy

said：



〃Lucy；　what's　Emerson　like？〃



〃I　saw　him　in　Florence；〃　said　Lucy；　hoping　that　this　would　pass

for　a　reply。



〃Is　he　the　clever　sort；　or　is　he　a　decent　chap？〃



〃Ask　Cecil；　it　is　Cecil　who　brought　him　here。〃



〃He　is　the　clever　sort；　like　myself；〃　said　Cecil。



Freddy　looked　at　him　doubtfully。



〃How　well　did　you　know　them　at　the　Bertolini？〃　asked　Mrs。

Honeychurch。



〃Oh；　very　slightly。　I　mean；　Charlotte　knew　them　even　less　than　I

did。〃



〃Oh；　that　reminds　meyou　never　told　me　what　Charlotte　said　in

her　letter。〃



〃One　thing　and　another；〃　said　Lucy；　wondering　whether　she　would

get　through　the　meal　without　a　lie。　〃Among　other　things；　that　an

awful　friend　of　hers　had　been　bicycling　through　Summer　Street；

wondered　if　she'd　come　up　and　see　us；　and　mercifully　didn't。〃



〃Lucy；　I　do　call　the　way　you　talk　unkind。〃



〃She　was　a　novelist；〃　said　Lucy　craftily。　The　remark　was　a　happy

one；　for　nothing　roused　Mrs。　Honeychurch　so　much　as　literature　in

the　hands　of　females。　She　would　abandon　every　topic　to　invei