a room with a view-第37章

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

play；〃　said　Cecil；　while　Miss　Bartlett；　under　the　impression　that

she　was　snubbing　George；　added：　〃I　agree　with　you；　Mr。　Vyse。　You

had　much　better　not　play。　Much　better　not。〃



Minnie；　rushing　in　where　Cecil　feared　to　tread；　announced　that

she　would　play。　〃I　shall　miss　every　ball　anyway；　so　what　does　it

matter？〃　But　Sunday　intervened　and　stamped　heavily　upon　the

kindly　suggestion。



〃Then　it　will　have　to　be　Lucy；〃　said　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　〃you　must

fall　back　on　Lucy。　There　is　no　other　way　out　of　it。　Lucy；　go　and

change　your　frock。〃



Lucy's　Sabbath　was　generally　of　this　amphibious　nature。　She　kept

it　without　hypocrisy　in　the　morning；　and　broke　it　without

reluctance　in　the　afternoon。　As　she　changed　her　frock；　she

wondered　whether　Cecil　was　sneering　at　her；　really　she　must

overhaul　herself　and　settle　everything　up　before　she　married　him。



Mr。　Floyd　was　her　partner。　She　liked　music；　but　how　much　better

tennis　seemed。　How　much　better　to　run　about　in　comfortable

clothes　than　to　sit　at　the　piano　and　feel　girt　under　the　arms。

Once　more　music　appeared　to　her　the　employment　of　a　child。　George

served；　and　surprised　her　by　his　anxiety　to　win。　She　remembered

how　he　had　sighed　among　the　tombs　at　Santa　Croce　because　things

wouldn't　fit；　how　after　the　death　of　that　obscure　Italian　he　had

leant　over　the　parapet　by　the　Arno　and　said　to　her：　〃I　shall　want

to　live；　I　tell　you；〃　He　wanted　to　live　now；　to　win　at　tennis；　to

stand　for　all　he　was　worth　in　the　sunthe　sun　which　had　begun　to

decline　and　was　shining　in　her　eyes；　and　he　did　win。



Ah；　how　beautiful　the　Weald　looked！　The　hills　stood　out　above　its

radiance；　as　Fiesole　stands　above　the　Tuscan　Plain；　and　the　South

Downs；　if　one　chose；　were　the　mountains　of　Carrara。　She　might　be

forgetting　her　Italy；　but　she　was　noticing　more　things　in　her

England。　One　could　play　a　new　game　with　the　view；　and　try　to　find

in　its　innumerable　folds　some　town　or　village　that　would　do　for

Florence。　Ah；　how　beautiful　the　Weald　looked！



But　now　Cecil　claimed　her。　He　chanced　to　be　in　a　lucid　critical

mood；　and　would　not　sympathize　with　exaltation。　He　had　been

rather　a　nuisance　all　through　the　tennis；　for　the　novel　that　he

was　reading　was　so　bad　that　he　was　obliged　to　read　it　aloud　to

others。　He　would　stroll　round　the　precincts　of　the　court　and　call

out：　〃I　say；　listen　to　this；　Lucy。　Three　split　infinitives。〃



〃Dreadful！〃　said　Lucy；　and　missed　her　stroke。　When　they　had

finished　their　set；　he　still　went　on　reading；　there　was　some

murder　scene；　and　really　every　one　must　listen　to　it。　Freddy　and

Mr。　Floyd　were　obliged　to　hunt　for　a　lost　ball　in　the　laurels；

but　the　other　two　acquiesced。



〃The　scene　is　laid　in　Florence。〃



〃What　fun；　Cecil！　Read　away。　Come；　Mr。　Emerson；　sit　down　after

all　your　energy。〃　She　had　〃forgiven〃　George；　as　she　put　it；　and

she　made　a　point　of　being　pleasant　to　him。



He　jumped　over　the　net　and　sat　down　at　her　feet　asking：　〃Youand

are　you　tired？〃



〃Of　course　I'm　not！〃



〃Do　you　mind　being　beaten？〃



She　was　going　to　answer；　〃No；〃　when　it　struck　her　that　she　did

mind；　so　she　answered；　〃Yes。〃　She　added　merrily；　〃I　don't　see

you're　such　a　splendid　player；　though。　The　light　was　behind　you；

and　it　was　in　my　eyes。〃



〃I　never　said　I　was。〃



〃Why；　you　did！〃



〃You　didn't　attend。〃



〃You　saidoh；　don't　go　in　for　accuracy　at　this　house。　We　all

exaggerate；　and　we　get　very　angry　with　people　who　don't。〃



〃'The　scene　is　laid　in　Florence；'〃　repeated　Cecil；　with　an　upward

note。



Lucy　recollected　herself。



〃'Sunset。　Leonora　was　speeding'〃



Lucy　interrupted。　〃Leonora？　Is　Leonora　the　heroine？　Who's　the

book　by？〃



〃Joseph　Emery　Prank。　'Sunset。　Leonora　speeding　across　the　square。

Pray　the　saints　she　might　not　arrive　too　late。　Sunsetthe　sunset

of　Italy。　Under　Orcagna's　Loggiathe　Loggia　de'　Lanzi；　as　we

sometimes　call　it　now'〃



Lucy　burst　into　laughter。　〃'Joseph　Emery　Prank'　indeed！　Why　it's

Miss　Lavish！　It's　Miss　Lavish's　novel；　and　she's　publishing　it

under　somebody　else's　name。〃



〃Who　may　Miss　Lavish　be？〃



〃Oh；　a　dreadful　personMr。　Emerson；　you　remember　Miss　Lavish？〃



Excited　by　her　pleasant　afternoon；　she　clapped　her　hands。



George　looked　up。　〃Of　course　I　do。　I　saw　her　the　day　I　arrived　at

Summer　Street。　It　was　she　who　told　me　that　you　lived　here。〃



〃Weren't　you　pleased？〃　She　meant　〃to　see　Miss　Lavish；〃　but　when

he　bent　down　to　the　grass　without　replying；　it　struck　her　that

she　could　mean　something　else。　She　watched　his　head；　which　was

almost　resting　against　her　knee；　and　she　thought　that　the　ears

were　reddening。　〃No　wonder　the　novel's　bad；〃　she　added。　〃I　never

liked　Miss　Lavish。　But　I　suppose　one　ought　to　read　it　as　one's

met　her。〃



〃All　modern　books　are　bad；〃　said　Cecil；　who　was　annoyed　at　her

inattention；　and　vented　his　annoyance　on　literature。　〃Every　one

writes　for　money　in　these　days。〃



〃Oh；　Cecil！〃



〃It　is　so。　I　will　inflict　Joseph　Emery　Prank　on　you　no　longer。〃



Cecil；　this　afternoon　seemed　such　a　twittering　sparrow。　The　ups

and　downs　in　his　voice　were　noticeable；　but　they　did　not　affect

her。　She　had　dwelt　amongst　melody　and　movement；　and　her　nerves

refused　to　answer　to　the　clang　of　his。　Leaving　him　to　be　annoyed；

she　gazed　at　the　black　head　again。　She　did　not　want　to　stroke　it；

but　she　saw　herself　wanting　to　stroke　it；　the　sensation　was

curious。



〃How　do　you　like　this　view　of　ours；　Mr。　Emerson？〃



〃I　never　notice　much　difference　in　views。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃



〃Because　they're　all　alike。　Because　all　that　matters　in　them　is

distance　and　air。〃



〃H'm！〃　said　Cecil；　uncertain　whether　the　remark　was　striking　or

not。



〃My　father〃he　looked　up　at　her　（and　he　was　a　little　flushed）

〃says　that　there　is　only　one　perfect　viewthe　view　of　the　sky

straight　over　our　heads；　and　that　all　these　views　on　earth　are

but　bungled　copies　of　it。〃



〃I　expect　your　father　has　been　reading　Dante；〃　said　Cecil；

fingering　the　novel；　which　alone　permitted　him　to　lead　the

conversation。



〃He　told　us　another　day　that　views　are　really　crowdscrowds　of

trees　and　houses　and　hillsand　are　bound　to　resemble　each　other；

like　human　crowdsand　that　the　power　they　have　over　us　is

sometimes　supernatural；　for　the　same　reason。〃



Lucy's　lips　parted。



〃For　a　crowd　is　more　than　the　people　who　make　it　up。　Something

gets　added　to　itno　one　knows　howjust　as　something　has　got

added　to　those　hills。〃



He　pointed　with　his　racquet　to　the　South　Downs。



〃What　a　splendid　idea！〃　she　murmured。　〃I　shall　enjoy　hearing　your

father　talk　again。　I'm　so　sorry　he's　not　so　well。〃



〃No；　he　isn't　well。〃



〃There's　an　absurd　account　of　a　view　in　this　book；〃　said　Cecil。

〃Also　that　men　fall　into　two　classesthose　who　forget　views　and

those　who　remember　them；　even　in　small　rooms。〃



〃Mr。　Emerson；　have　you　any　brothers　or　sisters？〃



〃None。　Why？〃



〃You　spoke　of　'us。'〃



〃My　mother；　I　was　meaning。〃



Cecil　closed　the　novel　with　a　bang。



〃Oh；　Cecilhow　you　made　me　jump！〃



〃I　will　inflict　Joseph　Emery　Prank　on　you　no　longer。〃



〃I　can　just　remember　us　all　three　going　into　the　country　for　the

day　and　seeing　as　far　as　Hindhead。　It　is　the　first　thing　that　I

remember。〃



Cecil　got　up；　the　man　was　ill…bredhe　hadn't　put　on　his　coat

after　tennishe　didn't　do。　He　would　have　strolled　away　if　Lucy

had　not　stopped　him。



〃Cecil；　do　read　the　thing　about　the　view。〃



〃Not　while　Mr。　Emerson　is　here　to　entertain　us。〃



〃Noread　away。　I　think　nothing's　funnier　than　to　hear　silly

things　read　out　loud。　If　Mr。　Emerson　thinks　us　frivolous；　he　can

go。〃



This　struck　Cecil　as　subtle；　and　pleased　him。　It　put　their

visitor　in　the　position　of　a　prig。　Somewhat　mollified；　he　sat

down　again。



〃Mr。　Emerson；　go　and　find　tennis　balls。〃　She　opened　the　book。

Cecil　must　have　his　readin