a room with a view-第34章

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

their　tennis　and　to　entertain　her　for　a　solid　hour。　Cecil　and

Lucy　turned　up　at　four　o'clock；　and　these；　with　little　Minnie

Beebe；　made　a　somewhat　lugubrious　sextette　upon　the　upper

lawn　for　tea。



〃I　shall　never　forgive　myself；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　who　kept　on

rising　from　her　seat；　and　had　to　be　begged　by　the　united　company

to　remain。　〃I　have　upset　everything。　Bursting　in　on　young　people！

But　I　insist　on　paying　for　my　cab　up。　Grant　that；　at　any　rate。〃



〃Our　visitors　never　do　such　dreadful　things；〃　said　Lucy；　while

her　brother；　in　whose　memory　the　boiled　egg　had　already　grown

unsubstantial；　exclaimed　in　irritable　tones：　〃Just　what　I've　been

trying　to　convince　Cousin　Charlotte　of；　Lucy；　for　the　last　half

hour。〃



〃I　do　not　feel　myself　an　ordinary　visitor；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；

and　looked　at　her　frayed　glove



〃All　right；　if　you'd　really　rather。　Five　shillings；　and　I　gave　a

bob　to　the　driver。〃



Miss　Bartlett　looked　in　her　purse。　Only　sovereigns　and　pennies。

Could　any　one　give　her　change？　　Freddy　had　half　a　quid　and　his

friend　had　four　half…crowns。　Miss　Bartlett　accepted　their　moneys

and　then　said：　〃But　who　am　I　to　give　the　sovereign　to？〃



〃Let's　leave　it　all　till　mother　comes　back；〃　suggested　Lucy。



〃No；　dear；　your　mother　may　take　quite　a　long　drive　now　that　she

is　not　hampered　with　me。　We　all　have　our　little　foibles；　and　mine

is　the　prompt　settling　of　accounts。〃



Here　Freddy's　friend；　Mr。　Floyd；　made　the　one　remark　of　his　that

need　be　quoted：　he　offered　to　toss　Freddy　for　Miss　Bartlett's

quid。　A　solution　seemed　in　sight；　and　even　Cecil；　who　had　been

ostentatiously　drinking　his　tea　at　the　view；　felt　　the　eternal

attraction　of　Chance；　and　turned　round。



But　this　did　not　do；　either。



〃PleasepleaseI　know　I　am　a　sad　spoilsport；　but　it　would　make

me　wretched。　I　should　practically　be　robbing　the　one　who　lost。〃



〃Freddy　owes　me　fifteen　shillings；〃　interposed　Cecil。　〃So　it　will

work　out　right　if　you　give　the　pound　to　me。〃



〃Fifteen　shillings；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett　dubiously。　〃How　is　that；

Mr。　Vyse？〃



〃Because；　don't　you　see；　Freddy　paid　your　cab。　Give　me　the　pound；

and　we　shall　avoid　this　deplorable　gambling。〃



Miss　Bartlett；　who　was　poor　at　figures；　became　bewildered　and

rendered　up　the　sovereign；　amidst　the　suppressed　gurgles　of　the

other　youths。　For　a　moment　Cecil　was　happy。　He　was　playing　at

nonsense　among　his　peers。　Then　he　glanced　at　Lucy；　in　whose　face

petty　anxieties　had　marred　the　smiles。　In　January　he　would　rescue

his　Leonardo　from　this　stupefying　twaddle。



〃But　I　don't　see　that！〃　exclaimed　Minnie　Beebe　who　had　narrowly

watched　the　iniquitous　transaction。　〃I　don't　see　why　Mr。　Vyse　is　to

have　the　quid。〃



〃Because　of　the　fifteen　shillings　and　the　five；〃　they　said

solemnly。　〃Fifteen　shillings　and　five　shillings　make　one　pound；

you　see。〃



〃But　I　don't　see〃



They　tried　to　stifle　her　with　cake。



〃No；　thank　you。　I'm　done。　I　don't　see　whyFreddy；　don't　poke　me。

Miss　Honeychurch；　your　brother's　hurting　me。　Ow！　What　about　Mr。

Floyd's　ten　shillings？　Ow！　No；　I　don't　see　and　I　never　shall　see

why　Miss　What's…her…name　shouldn't　pay　that　bob　for　the　driver。〃'



〃I　had　forgotten　the　driver；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　reddening。

〃Thank　you；　dear；　for　reminding　me。　A　shilling　was　it？　Can　any

one　give　me　change　for　half　a　crown？〃



〃I'll　get　it；〃　said　the　young　hostess；　rising　with　decision。



〃Cecil；　give　me　that　sovereign。　No；　give　me　up　that　sovereign。

I'll　get　Euphemia　to　change　it；　and　we'll　start　the　whole　thing

again　from　the　beginning。〃



〃LucyLucywhat　a　nuisance　I　am！〃　protested　Miss　Bartlett；　and

followed　her　across　the　lawn。　Lucy　tripped　ahead；　simulating

hilarity。　When　they　were　out　of　earshot　Miss　Bartlett　stopped　her

wails　and　said　quite　briskly：　〃Have　you　told　him　about　him　yet？〃



〃No；　I　haven't；〃　replied　Lucy；　and　then　could　have　bitten　her

tongue　for　understanding　so　quickly　what　her　cousin　meant。　〃Let

me　seea　sovereign's　worth　of　silver。〃



She　escaped　into　the　kitchen。　Miss　Bartlett's　sudden　transitions

were　too　uncanny。　It　sometimes　seemed　as　if　she　planned　every

word　she　spoke　or　caused　to　be　spoken；　as　if　all　this　worry　about

cabs　and　change　had　been　a　ruse　to　surprise　the　soul。



〃No；　I　haven't　told　Cecil　or　any　one；〃　she　remarked；　when　she

returned。　〃I　promised　you　I　shouldn't。　Here　is　your　moneyall

shillings；　except　two　half…crowns。　Would　you　count　it？　You　can

settle　your　debt　nicely　now。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　in　the　drawing…room；　gazing　at　the　photograph

of　St。　John　ascending；　which　had　been　framed。



〃How　dreadful！〃　she　murmured；　〃how　more　than　dreadful；　if　Mr。

Vyse　should　come　to　hear　of　it　from　some　other　source。〃



〃Oh；　no；　Charlotte；〃　said　the　girl；　entering　the　battle。　〃George

Emerson　is　all　right；　and　what　other　source　is　there？〃



Miss　Bartlett　considered。　〃For　instance；　the　driver。　I　saw　him

looking　through　the　bushes　at　you；　remember　he　had　a　violet

between　his　teeth。〃



Lucy　shuddered　a　little。　〃We　shall　get　the　silly　affair　on　our

nerves　if　we　aren't　careful。　How　could　a　Florentine　cab…driver

ever　get　hold　of　Cecil？〃



〃We　must　think　of　every　possibility。〃



〃Oh；　it's　all　right。〃



〃Or　perhaps　old　Mr。　Emerson　knows。　In　fact；　he　is　certain　to

know。〃



〃I　don't　care　if　he　does。　I　was　grateful　to　you　for　your　letter；

but　even　if　the　news　does　get　round；　I　think　I　can　trust　Cecil　to

laugh　at　it。〃



〃To　contradict　it？〃



〃No；　to　laugh　at　it。〃　But　she　knew　in　her　heart　that　she　could

not　trust　him；　for　he　desired　her　untouched。



〃Very　well；　dear；　you　know　best。　Perhaps　gentlemen　are　different

to　what　they　were　when　I　was　young。　Ladies　are　certainly

different。〃



〃Now；　Charlotte！〃　　She　struck　at　her　playfully。　〃You　kind；

anxious　thing。　　What　WOULD　you　have　me　do？　First　you　say　'Don't

tell'；　and　then　you　say；　'Tell'。　Which　is　it　to　be？　Quick！〃



Miss　Bartlett　sighed　〃I　am　no　match　for　you　in　conversation；

dearest。　I　blush　when　I　think　how　I　interfered　at　Florence；　and

you　so　well　able　to　look　after　yourself；　and　so　much　cleverer　in

all　ways　than　I　am。　You　will　never　forgive　me。〃



〃Shall　we　go　out；　then。　They　will　smash　all　the　china　if　we

don't。〃



For　the　air　rang　with　the　shrieks　of　Minnie；　who　was　being

scalped　with　a　teaspoon。



〃Dear；　one　momentwe　may　not　have　this　chance　for　a　chat　again。

Have　you　seen　the　young　one　yet？〃



〃Yes；　I　have。〃



〃What　happened？〃



〃We　met　at　the　Rectory。〃



〃What　line　is　he　taking　up？〃



〃No　line。　He　talked　about　Italy；　like　any　other　person。　It　is

really　all　right。　What　advantage　would　he　get　from　being　a　cad；

to　put　it　bluntly？　I　do　wish　I　could　make　you　see　it　my　way。　He

really　won't　be　any　nuisance；　Charlotte。〃



〃Once　a　cad；　always　a　cad。　That　is　my　poor　opinion。〃



Lucy　paused。　〃Cecil　said　one　dayand　I　thought　it　so

profoundthat　there　are　two　kinds　of　cadsthe　conscious　and　the

subconscious。〃　She　paused　again；　to　be　sure　of　doing　justice　to

Cecil's　profundity。　Through　the　window　she　saw　Cecil　himself；

turning　over　the　pages　of　a　novel。　It　was　a　new　one　from　Smith's

library。　Her　mother　must　have　returned　from　the　station。



〃Once　a　cad；　always　a　cad；〃　droned　Miss　Bartlett。



〃What　I　mean　by　subconscious　is　that　Emerson　lost　his　head。　I

fell　into　all　those　violets；　and　he　was　silly　and　surprised。　I

don't　think　we　ought　to　blame　him　very　much。　It　makes　such　a

difference　when　you　see　a　person　with　beautiful　things　behind　him

unexpectedly。　It　really　does；　it　makes　an　enormous　difference；

and　he　lost　his　head：　he　doesn't　admire　me；　or　any　of　that

nonsense；　one　straw。　Freddy　rather　likes　him；　and　has　asked　him

up　here　on　Sunday；　so　you　can　judge　for　yourself。　He　has

improved；　he　doesn't　always　look　as　if　he's　going　to　burst　into

tears。　He　is　a　clerk　in　the　General　Manager's　office　at　one　of

the