a room with a view-第36章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃So　George　says。　He　says　that　the　Miss　Alans　must　go　to　the　wall。

Yet　it　does　seem　so　unkind。〃



〃There　is　only　a　certain　amount　of　kindness　in　the　world；〃　said

George；　watching　the　sunlight　flash　on　the　panels　of　the　passing

carriages。



〃Yes！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Honeychurch。　〃That's　exactly　what　I　say。

Why　all　this　twiddling　and　twaddling　over　two　Miss　Alans？〃



〃There　is　a　certain　amount　of　kindness；　just　as　there　is　a

certain　amount　of　light；〃　he　continued　in　measured　tones。　〃We

cast　a　shadow　on　something　wherever　we　stand；　and　it　is　no　good

moving　from　place　to　place　to　save　things；　because　the　shadow

always　follows。　Choose　a　place　where　you　won't　do　harmyes；

choose　a　place　where　you　won't　do　very　much　harm；　and　stand　in　it

for　all　you　are　worth；　facing　the　sunshine。〃



〃Oh；　Mr。　Emerson；　I　see　you're　clever！〃



〃Eh？〃



〃I　see　you're　going　to　be　clever。　I　hope　you　didn't　go　behaving

like　that　to　poor　Freddy。〃



George's　eyes　laughed；　and　Lucy　suspected　that　he　and　her　mother

would　get　on　rather　well。



〃No；　I　didn't；〃　he　said。　〃He　behaved　that　way　to　me。　It　is　his

philosophy。　Only　he　starts　life　with　it；　and　I　have　tried　the

Note　of　Interrogation　first。〃



〃What　DO　you　mean？　No；　never　mind　what　you　mean。　Don't　explain。

He　looks　forward　to　seeing　you　this　afternoon。　Do　you　play

tennis？　Do　you　mind　tennis　on　Sunday？〃



〃George　mind　tennis　on　Sunday！　George；　after　his　education；

distinguish　between　Sunday〃



〃Very　well；　George　doesn't　mind　tennis　on　Sunday。　No　more　do　I。

That's　settled。　Mr。　Emerson；　if　you　could　come　with　your　son　we

should　be　so　pleased。〃



He　thanked　her；　but　the　walk　sounded　rather　far；　he　could　only

potter　about　in　these　days。



She　turned　to　George：　〃And　then　he　wants　to　give　up　his　house　to

the　Miss　Alans。〃



〃I　know；〃　said　George；　and　put　his　arm　round　his　father's　neck。

The　kindness　that　Mr。　Beebe　and　Lucy　had　always　known　to　exist　in

him　came　out　suddenly；　like　sunlight　touching　a　vast　landscapea

touch　of　the　morning　sun？　She　remembered　that　in　all　his

perversities　he　had　never　spoken　against　affection。



Miss　Bartlett　approached。



〃You　know　our　cousin；　Miss　Bartlett；〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch

pleasantly。　〃You　met　her　with　my　daughter　in　Florence。〃



〃Yes；　indeed！〃　said　the　old　man；　and　made　as　if　he　would　come　out

of　the　garden　to　meet　the　lady。　Miss　Bartlett　promptly　got　into

the　victoria。　Thus　entrenched；　she　emitted　a　formal　bow。　It　was

the　pension　Bertolini　again；　the　dining…table　with　the　decanters

of　water　and　wine。　It　was　the　old；　old　battle　of　the　room　with

the　view。



George　did　not　respond　to　the　bow。　Like　any　boy；　he　blushed　and

was　ashamed；　he　knew　that　the　chaperon　remembered。　He　said：　〃I

I'll　come　up　to　tennis　if　I　can　manage　it；〃　and　went　into　the

house。　Perhaps　anything　that　he　did　would　have　pleased　Lucy；　but

his　awkwardness　went　straight　to　her　heart；　men　were　not　gods

after　all；　but　as　human　and　as　clumsy　as　girls；　even　men　might

suffer　from　unexplained　desires；　and　need　help。　To　one　of　her

upbringing；　and　of　her　destination；　the　weakness　of　men　was　a

truth　unfamiliar；　but　she　had　surmised　it　at　Florence；　when

George　threw　her　photographs　into　the　River　Arno。



〃George；　don't　go；〃　cried　his　father；　who　thought　it　a　great

treat　for　people　if　his　son　would　talk　to　them。　〃George　has　been

in　such　good　spirits　today；　and　I　am　sure　he　will　end　by　coming

up　this　afternoon。〃



Lucy　caught　her　cousin's　eye。　Something　in　its　mute　appeal　made

her　reckless。　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　raising　her　voice；　〃I　do　hope　he

will。〃　Then　she　went　to　the　carriage　and　murmured；　〃The　old　man

hasn't　been　told；　I　knew　it　was　all　right。〃　Mrs。　Honeychurch

followed　her；　and　they　drove　away。



Satisfactory　that　Mr。　Emerson　had　not　been　told　of　the　Florence

escapade；　yet　Lucy's　spirits　should　not　have　leapt　up　as　if　she

had　sighted　the　ramparts　of　heaven。　Satisfactory；　yet　surely　she

greeted　it　with　disproportionate　joy。　All　the　way　home　the

horses'　hoofs　sang　a　tune　to　her：　〃He　has　not　told；　he　has　not

told。〃　Her　brain　expanded　the　melody：　〃He　has　not　told　his

fatherto　whom　he　tells　all　things。　It　was　not　an　exploit。　He

did　not　laugh　at　me　when　I　had　gone。〃　She　raised　her　hand　to　her

cheek。　〃He　does　not　love　me。　No。　How　terrible　if　he　did！　But　he

has　not　told。　He　will　not　tell。〃



She　longed　to　shout　the　words：　〃It　is　all　right。　It's　a　secret

between　us　two　for　ever。　Cecil　will　never　hear。〃　She　was　even

glad　that　Miss　Bartlett　had　made　her　promise　secrecy；　that　last

dark　evening　at　Florence；　when　they　had　knelt　packing　in　his

room。　The　secret；　big　or　little；　was　guarded。



Only　three　English　people　knew　of　it　in　the　world。　Thus　she

interpreted　her　joy。　She　greeted　Cecil　with　unusual　radiance；

because　she　felt　so　safe。　As　he　helped　her　out　of　the　carriage；

she　said：



〃The　Emersons　have　been　so　nice。　George　Emerson　has　improved

enormously。〃



〃How　are　my　proteges？〃　asked　Cecil；　who　took　no　real　interest　in

them；　and　had　long　since　forgotten　his　resolution　to　bring　them

to　Windy　Corner　for　educational　purposes。



〃Proteges！〃　she　exclaimed　with　some　warmth。　For　the　only

relationship　which　Cecil　conceived　was　feudal：　that　of　protector

and　protected。　He　had　no　glimpse　of　the　comradeship　after　which

the　girl's　soul　yearned。



〃You　shall　see　for　yourself　how　your　proteges　are。　George　Emerson

is　coming　up　this　afternoon。　He　is　a　most　interesting　man　to　talk

to。　Only　don't〃　She　nearly　said；　〃Don't　protect　him。〃　But　the

bell　was　ringing　for　lunch；　and；　as　often　happened；　Cecil　had

paid　no　great　attention　to　her　remarks。　Charm；　not　argument；　was

to　be　her　forte。



Lunch　was　a　cheerful　meal。　Generally　Lucy　was　depressed　at　meals。

Some　one　had　to　be　soothedeither　Cecil　or　Miss　Bartlett　or　a

Being　not　visible　to　the　mortal　eyea　Being　who　whispered　to　her

soul：　〃It　will　not　last；　this　cheerfulness。　In　January　you　must

go　to　London　to　entertain　the　grandchildren　of　celebrated　men。〃

But　to…day　she　felt　she　had　received　a　guarantee。　Her　mother

would　always　sit　there；　her　brother　here。　The　sun；　though　it　had

moved　a　little　since　the　morning；　would　never　be　hidden　behind

the　western　hills。　After　luncheon　they　asked　her　to　play。　She　had

seen　Gluck's　Armide　that　year；　and　played　from　memory　the　music

of　the　enchanted　gardenthe　music　to　which　Renaud　approaches；

beneath　the　light　of　an　eternal　dawn；　the　music　that　never　gains；

never　wanes；　but　ripples　for　ever　like　the　tideless　seas　of

fairyland。　Such　music　is　not　for　the　piano；　and　her　audience

began　to　get　restive；　and　Cecil；　sharing　the　discontent；　called

out：　〃Now　play　us　the　other　gardenthe　one　in　Parsifal。〃



She　closed　the　instrument。



〃Not　very　dutiful；〃　said　her　mother's　voice。



Fearing　that　she　had　offended　Cecil；　she　turned　quickly　round。

There　George　was。　He　had　crept　in　without　interrupting　her。



〃Oh；　I　had　no　idea！〃　she　exclaimed；　getting　very　red；　and　then；

without　a　word　of　greeting；　she　reopened　the　piano。　Cecil　should

have　the　Parsifal；　and　anything　else　that　he　liked。



〃Our　performer　has　changed　her　mind；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　perhaps

implying；　she　will　play　the　music　to　Mr。　Emerson。　Lucy　did　not

know　what　to　do　nor　even　what　she　wanted　to　do。　She　played　a　few

bars　of　the　Flower　Maidens'　song　very　badly　and　then　she　stopped。



〃I　vote　tennis；〃　said　Freddy；　disgusted　at　the　scrappy

entertainment。



〃Yes；　so　do　I。〃　Once　more　she　closed　the　unfortunate　piano。　〃I

vote　you　have　a　men's　four。〃



〃All　right。〃



〃Not　for　me；　thank　you；〃　said　Cecil。　〃I　will　not　spoil　the　set。〃

He　never　realized　that　it　may　be　an　act　of　kindness　in　a　bad

player　to　make　up　a　fourth。



〃Oh；　come　along　Cecil。　I'm　bad；　Floyd's　rotten；　and　so　I　dare

say's　Emerson。〃



George　corrected　him：　〃I　am　not　bad。〃



One　looked　down　one's　nose　at　this。　〃Then　certainly　I　won't

play；〃　said　Cecil；　while　Miss　Bartlett；　under　the　impr