a room with a view-第33章

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

against　those　women　who　（instead　of　minding　their　houses　and

their　children）　seek　notoriety　by　print。　Her　attitude　was：　〃If

books　must　be　written；　let　them　be　written　by　men〃；　and　she　de…

veloped　it　at　great　length；　while　Cecil　yawned　and　Freddy　played

at　〃This　year；　next　year；　now；　never；〃　with　his　plum…stones；　and

Lucy　artfully　fed　the　flames　of　her　mother's　wrath。　But　soon　the

conflagration　died　down；　and　the　ghosts　began　to　gather　in　the

darkness。　There　were　too　many　ghosts　about。　The　original　ghost

that　touch　of　lips　on　her　cheekhad　surely　been　laid　long　ago；

it　could　be　nothing　to　her　that　a　man　had　kissed　her　on　a

mountain　once。　But　it　had　begotten　a　spectral　familyMr。　Harris；

Miss　Bartlett's　letter；　Mr。　Beebe's　memories　of　violetsand　one

or　other　of　these　was　bound　to　haunt　her　before　Cecil's　very

eyes。　It　was　Miss　Bartlett　who　returned　now；　and　with　appalling

vividness。



〃I　have　been　thinking；　Lucy；　of　that　letter　of　Charlotte's。　How

is　she？〃



〃I　tore　the　thing　up。〃



〃Didn't　she　say　how　she　was？　How　does　she　sound？　Cheerful？〃



〃Oh；　yes　I　suppose　sononot　very　cheerful；　I　suppose。〃



〃Then；　depend　upon　it；　it　IS　the　boiler。　I　know　myself　how　water

preys　upon　one's　mind。　I　would　rather　anything　elseeven　a

misfortune　with　the　meat。〃



Cecil　laid　his　hand　over　his　eyes。



〃So　would　I；〃　asserted　Freddy；　backing　his　mother　upbacking　up

the　spirit　of　her　remark　rather　than　the　substance。



〃And　I　have　been　thinking；〃　she　added　rather　nervously；　〃surely

we　could　squeeze　Charlotte　in　here　next　week；　and　give　her　a　nice

holiday　while　plumbers　at　Tunbridge　Wells　finish。　I　have　not

seen　poor　Charlotte　for　so　long。〃



It　was　more　than　her　nerves　could　stand。　And　she　could　not

protest　violently　after　her　mother's　goodness　to　her　upstairs。



〃Mother；　no！〃　she　pleaded。　〃It's　impossible。　We　can't　have

Charlotte　on　the　top　of　the　other　things；　we're　squeezed　to　death

as　it　is。　Freddy's　got　a　friend　coming　Tuesday；　there's　Cecil；

and　you've　promised　to　take　in　Minnie　Beebe　because　of　the

diphtheria　scare。　It　simply　can't　be　done。〃



〃Nonsense！　It　can。〃



〃If　Minnie　sleeps　in　the　bath。　Not　otherwise。〃



〃Minnie　can　sleep　with　you。〃



〃I　won't　have　her。〃



〃Then；　if　you're　so　selfish；　Mr。　Floyd　must　share　a　room　with

Freddy。〃



〃Miss　Bartlett；　Miss　Bartlett；　Miss　Bartlett；〃　moaned　Cecil；

again　laying　his　hand　over　his　eyes。



〃It's　impossible；〃　repeated　Lucy。　〃I　don't　want　to　make

difficulties；　but　it　really　isn't　fair　on　the　maids　to　fill　up

the　house　so。〃



Alas！



〃The　truth　is；　dear；　you　don't　like　Charlotte。〃



〃No；　I　don't。　And　no　more　does　Cecil。　She　gets　on　our　nerves。　You

haven't　seen　her　lately；　and　don't　realize　how　tiresome　she　can

be；　though　so　good。　So　please；　mother；　don't　worry　us　this　last

summer；　but　spoil　us　by　not　asking　her　to　come。〃



〃Hear；　hear！〃　said　Cecil。



Mrs。　Honeychurch；　with　more　gravity　than　usual；　and　with　more

feeling　than　she　usually　permitted　herself；　replied：　〃This　isn't

very　kind　of　you　two。　You　have　each　other　and　all　these　woods　to

walk　in；　so　full　of　beautiful　things；　and　poor　Charlotte　has　only

the　water　turned　off　and　plumbers。　You　are　young；　dears；　and

however　clever　young　people　are；　and　however　many　books　they

read；　they　will　never　guess　what　it　feels　like　to　grow　old。〃



Cecil　crumbled　his　bread。



〃I　must　say　Cousin　Charlotte　was　very　kind　to　me　that　year　I

called　on　my　bike；〃　put　in　Freddy。　〃She　thanked　me　for　coming

till　I　felt　like　such　a　fool；　and　fussed　round　no　end　to　get　an

egg　boiled　for　my　tea　just　right。〃



〃I　know；　dear。　She　is　kind　to　every　one；　and　yet　Lucy　makes　this

difficulty　when　we　try　to　give　her　some　little　return。〃



But　Lucy　hardened　her　heart。　It　was　no　good　being　kind　to　Miss

Bartlett。　She　had　tried　herself　too　often　and　too　recently。　One

might　lay　up　treasure　in　heaven　by　the　attempt；　but　one　enriched

neither　Miss　Bartlett　nor　any　one　else　upon　earth。　She　was

reduced　to　saying：　〃I　can't　help　it；　mother。　I　don't　like

Charlotte。　I　admit　it's　horrid　of　me。〃



〃From　your　own　account；　you　told　her　as　much。〃



〃Well；　she　would　leave　Florence　so　stupidly。　She　flurried〃



The　ghosts　were　returning；　they　filled　Italy；　they　were　even

usurping　the　places　she　had　known　as　a　child。　The　Sacred　Lake

would　never　be　the　same　again；　and；　on　Sunday　week；　something

would　even　happen　to　Windy　Corner。　How　would　she　fight　against

ghosts？　For　a　moment　the　visible　world　faded　away；　and　memories

and　emotions　alone　seemed　real。



〃I　suppose　Miss　Bartlett　must　come；　since　she　boils　eggs　so

well；〃　said　Cecil；　who　was　in　rather　a　happier　frame　of　mind；

thanks　to　the　admirable　cooking。



〃I　didn't　mean　the　egg　was　WELL　boiled；〃　corrected　Freddy；

〃because　in　point　of　fact　she　forgot　to　take　it　off；　and　as　a

matter　of　fact　I　don't　care　for　eggs。　I　only　meant　how　jolly　kind

she　seemed。〃



Cecil　frowned　again。　Oh；　these　Honeychurches！　Eggs；　boilers；

hydrangeas；　maidsof　such　were　their　lives　compact。　〃May　me　and

Lucy　get　down　from　our　chairs？〃　he　asked；　with　scarcely　veiled

insolence。　〃We　don't　want　no　dessert。〃







Chapter　XIV　：　How　Lucy　Faced　the　External　Situation　Bravely



0f　course　Miss　Bartlett　accepted。　And；　equally　of　course；　she

felt　sure　that　she　would　prove　a　nuisance；　and　begged　to　be　given

an　inferior　spare　roomsomething　with　no　view；　anything。　Her

love　to　Lucy。　And；　equally　of　course；　George　Emerson　could　come

to　tennis　on　the　Sunday　week。



Lucy　faced　the　situation　bravely；　though；　like　most　of　us；　she

only　faced　the　situation　that　encompassed　her。　She　never　gazed

inwards。　If　at　times　strange　images　rose　from　the　depths；　she　put

them　down　to　nerves。　When　Cecil　brought　the　Emersons　to　Summer

Street；　it　had　upset　her　nerves。　Charlotte　would　burnish　up　past

foolishness；　and　this　might　upset　her　nerves。　She　was　nervous　at

night。　When　she　talked　to　Georgethey　met　again　almost

immediately　at　the　Rectoryhis　voice　moved　her　deeply；　and　she

wished　to　remain　near　him。　How　dreadful　if　she　really　wished　to

remain　near　him！　Of　course；　the　wish　was　due　to　nerves；　which

love　to　play　such　perverse　tricks　upon　us。　Once　she　had　suffered

from　〃things　that　came　out　of　nothing　and　meant　she　didn't

know　what。〃　Now　Cecil　had　explained　psychology　to　her　one　wet

afternoon；　and　all　the　troubles　of　youth　in　an　unknown　world

could　be　dismissed。



It　is　obvious　enough　for　the　reader　to　conclude；　〃She　loves　young

Emerson。〃　A　reader　in　Lucy's　place　would　not　find　it　obvious。

Life　is　easy　to　chronicle；　but　bewildering　to　practice；　and　we

welcome　〃nerves〃　or　any　other　shibboleth　that　will　cloak　our

personal　desire。　She　loved　Cecil；　George　made　her　nervous；　will

the　reader　explain　to　her　that　the　phrases　should　have　been

reversed？



But　the　external　situationshe　will　face　that　bravely。



The　meeting　at　the　Rectory　had　passed　off　well　enough。　Standing

between　Mr。　Beebe　and　Cecil；　she　had　made　a　few　temperate

allusions　to　Italy；　and　George　had　replied。　She　was　anxious　to

show　that　she　was　not　shy；　and　was　glad　that　he　did　not　seem　shy

either。



〃A　nice　fellow；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe　afterwards　〃He　will　work　off　his

crudities　in　time。　I　rather　mistrust　young　men　who　slip　into　life

gracefully。〃



Lucy　said；　〃He　seems　in　better　spirits。　He　laughs　more。〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　clergyman。　〃He　is　waking　up。〃



That　was　all。　But；　as　the　week　wore　on；　more　of　her　defences

fell；　and　she　entertained　an　image　that　had　physical　beauty。

In　spite　of　the　clearest　directions；　Miss　Bartlett　contrived　to

bungle　her　arrival。　She　was　due　at　the　South…Eastern　station　at

Dorking；　whither　Mrs。　Honeychurch　drove　to　meet　her。　She　arrived

at　the　London　and　Brighton　station；　and　had　to　hire　a　cab　up。　No

one　was　at　home　except　Freddy　and　his　friend；　who　had　to　stop

their　tennis　and　to　entertain　h