a room with a view-第38章

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down　again。



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

Cecil　must　have　his　reading　and　anything　else　that　he　liked。　But

her　attention　wandered　to　George's　mother；　whoaccording　to　Mr。

Eagerhad　been　murdered　in　the　sight　of　God　according　to　her

sonhad　seen　as　far　as　Hindhead。



〃Am　I　really　to　go？〃　asked　George。



〃No；　of　course　not　really；〃　she　answered。



〃Chapter　two；〃　said　Cecil；　yawning。　〃Find　me　chapter　two；　if　it

isn't　bothering　you。〃



Chapter　two　was　found；　and　she　glanced　at　its　opening　sentences。



She　thought　she　had　gone　mad。



〃Herehand　me　the　book。〃



She　heard　her　voice　saying：　〃It　isn't　worth　readingit's　too

silly　to　readI　never　saw　such　rubbishit　oughtn't　to　be

allowed　to　be　printed。〃



He　took　the　book　from　her。



〃'Leonora；'〃　he　read；　〃'sat　pensive　and　alone。　Before　her　lay　the

rich　champaign　of　Tuscany；　dotted　over　with　many　a　smiling

village。　The　season　was　spring。'〃



Miss　Lavish　knew；　somehow；　and　had　printed　the　past　in　draggled

prose；　for　Cecil　to　read　and　for　George　to　hear。



〃'A　golden　haze；'〃　he　read。　He　read：　〃'Afar　off　the　towers　of

Florence；　while　the　bank　on　which　she　sat　was　carpeted　with

violets。　All　unobserved　Antonio　stole　up　behind　her'〃



Lest　Cecil　should　see　her　face　she　turned　to　George　and　saw　his

face。



He　read：　〃'There　came　from　his　lips　no　wordy　protestation　such　as

formal　lovers　use。　No　eloquence　was　his；　nor　did　he　suffer　from

the　lack　of　it。　He　simply　enfolded　her　in　his　manly　arms。'〃



〃This　isn't　the　passage　I　wanted；〃　he　informed　them。　〃there　is

another　much　funnier；　further　on。〃　He　turned　over　the　leaves。



〃Should　we　go　in　to　tea？〃　said　Lucy；　whose　voice　remained　steady。



She　led　the　way　up　the　garden；　Cecil　following　her；　George　last。

She　thought　a　disaster　was　averted。　But　when　they　entered　the

shrubbery　it　came。　The　book；　as　if　it　had　not　worked　mischief

enough；　had　been　forgotten；　and　Cecil　must　go　back　for　it；　and

George；　who　loved　passionately；　must　blunder　against　her　in　the

narrow　path。



〃No〃　she　gasped；　and；　for　the　second　time；　was　kissed　by　him。



As　if　no　more　was　possible；　he　slipped　back；　Cecil　rejoined　her；

they　reached　the　upper　lawn　alone。







Chapter　XVI：　Lying　to　George



But　Lucy　had　developed　since　the　spring。　That　is　to　say；　she　was

now　better　able　to　stifle　the　emotions　of　which　the　conventions

and　the　world　disapprove。　Though　the　danger　was　greater；　she　was

not　shaken　by　deep　sobs。　She　said　to　Cecil；　〃I　am　not　coming　in

to　teatell　motherI　must　write　some　letters；〃　and　went　up　to

her　room。　Then　she　prepared　for　action。　Love　felt　and

returned；　love　which　our　bodies　exact　and　our　hearts　have

transfigured；　love　which　is　the　most　real　thing　that　we　shall

ever　meet；　reappeared　now　as　the　world's　enemy；　and　she　must

stifle　it。



She　sent　for　Miss　Bartlett。



The　contest　lay　not　between　love　and　duty。　Perhaps　there　never　is

such　a　contest。　It　lay　between　the　real　and　the　pretended；　and

Lucy's　first　aim　was　to　defeat　herself。　As　her　brain　clouded

over；　as　the　memory　of　the　views　grew　dim　and　the　words　of　the

book　died　away；　she　returned　to　her　old　shibboleth　of　nerves。　She

〃conquered　her　breakdown。〃　Tampering　with　the　truth；　she　forgot

that　the　truth　had　ever　been。　Remembering　that　she　was　engaged　to

Cecil；　she　compelled　herself　to　confused　remembrances　of　George；

he　was　nothing　to　her；　he　never　had　been　anything；　he　had　behaved

abominably；　she　had　never　encouraged　him。　The　armour　of　falsehood

is　subtly　wrought　out　of　darkness；　and　hides　a　man　not　only　from

others；　but　from　his　own　soul。　In　a　few　moments　Lucy　was　equipped

for　battle。



〃Something　too　awful　has　happened；〃　she　began；　as　soon　as　her

cousin　arrived。　〃Do　you　know　anything　about　Miss　Lavish's　novel？〃



Miss　Bartlett　looked　surprised；　and　said　that　she　had　not　read

the　book；　nor　known　that　it　was　published；　Eleanor　was　a　reticent

woman　at　heart。



〃There　is　a　scene　in　it。　The　hero　and　heroine　make　love。　Do　you

know　about　that？〃



〃Dear？〃



〃Do　you　know　about　it；　please？〃　she　repeated。　〃They　are　on　a

hillside；　and　Florence　is　in　the　distance。〃



〃My　good　Lucia；　I　am　all　at　sea。　I　know　nothing　about　it

whatever。〃



〃There　are　violets。　I　cannot　believe　it　is　a　coincidence。

Charlotte；　Charlotte；　how　could　you　have　told　her？　I　have　thought

before　speaking；　it　must　be　you。〃



〃Told　her　what？〃　she　asked；　with　growing　agitation。



〃About　that　dreadful　afternoon　in　February。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　genuinely　moved。　〃Oh；　Lucy；　dearest　girlshe

hasn't　put　that　in　her　book？〃



Lucy　nodded。



〃Not　so　that　one　could　recognize　it。　Yes。〃



〃Then　nevernevernever　more　shall　Eleanor　Lavish　be　a　friend

of　mine。〃



〃So　you　did　tell？〃



〃I　did　just　happenwhen　I　had　tea　with　her　at　Romein　the

course　of　conversation〃



〃But　Charlottewhat　about　the　promise　you　gave　me　when　we　were

packing？　Why　did　you　tell　Miss　Lavish；　when　you　wouldn't　even　let

me　tell　mother？〃



〃I　will　never　forgive　Eleanor。　She　has　betrayed　my　confidence。〃



〃Why　did　you　tell　her；　though？　This　is　a　most　serious　thing。〃



Why　does　any　one　tell　anything？　The　question　is　eternal；　and　it

was　not　surprising　that　Miss　Bartlett　should　only　sigh　faintly　in

response。　She　had　done　wrongshe　admitted　it；　she　only　hoped

that　she　had　not　done　harm；　she　had　told　Eleanor　in　the　strictest

confidence。



Lucy　stamped　with　irritation。



〃Cecil　happened　to　read　out　the　passage　aloud　to　me　and　to　Mr。

Emerson；　it　upset　Mr。　Emerson　and　he　insulted　me　again。　Behind

Cecil's　back。　Ugh！　Is　it　possible　that　men　are　such　brutes？

Behind　Cecil's　back　as　we　were　walking　up　the　garden。〃



Miss　Bartlett　burst　into　self…accusations　and　regrets。



〃What　is　to　be　done　now？　Can　you　tell　me？〃



〃Oh；　LucyI　shall　never　forgive　myself；　never　to　my　dying　day。

Fancy　if　your　prospects〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Lucy；　wincing　at　the　word。　〃I　see　now　why　you

wanted　me　to　tell　Cecil；　and　what　you　meant　by　'some　other

source。'　You　knew　that　you　had　told　Miss　Lavish；　and　that　she　was

not　reliable。



It　was　Miss　Bartlett's　turn　to　wince。　〃However；〃　said　the　girl；

despising　her　cousin's　shiftiness；　〃What's　done's　done。　You　have

put　me　in　a　most　awkward　position。　How　am　I　to　get　out　of　it？〃



Miss　Bartlett　could　not　think。　The　days　of　her　energy　were　over。

She　was　a　visitor；　not　a　chaperon；　and　a　discredited　visitor　at

that。　She　stood　with　clasped　hands　while　the　girl　worked　herself

into　the　necessary　rage。



〃He　mustthat　man　must　have　such　a　setting　down　that　he　won't

forget。　And　who's　to　give　it　him？　I　can't　tell　mother　nowowing

to　you。　Nor　Cecil；　Charlotte；　owing　to　you。　I　am　caught　up　every

way。　I　think　I　shall　go　mad。　I　have　no　one　to　help　me。　That's　why

I've　sent　for　you。　What's　wanted　is　a　man　with　a　whip。〃



Miss　Bartlett　agreed：　one　wanted　a　man　with　a　whip。



〃Yesbut　it's　no　good　agreeing。　What's　to　be　DONE。　We　women　go

maundering　on。　What　DOES　a　girl　do　when　she　comes　across　a　cad？〃



〃I　always　said　he　was　a　cad；　dear。　Give　me　credit　for　that；　at

all　events。　From　the　very　first　momentwhen　he　said　his　father

was　having　a　bath。〃



〃Oh；　bother　the　credit　and　who's　been　right　or　wrong！　We've　both

made　a　muddle　of　it。　George　Emerson　is　still　down　the　garden

there；　and　is　he　to　be　left　unpunished；　or　isn't　he？　I　want　to

know。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　absolutely　helpless。　Her　own　exposure　had

unnerved　her；　and　thoughts　were　colliding　painfully　in　her　brain。

She　moved　feebly　to　the　window；　and　tried　to　detect　the　cad's

white　flannels　among　the　laurels。



〃You　were　ready　enough　at　the　Bertolini　when　you　rushed　me　off　to

Rome。　Can't　you　speak　again　to　him　now？〃



〃Willingly　would　I　move　heaven　and　earth〃



〃I　want　something　more　definite；〃　said　Lucy　contemptuously。　〃Will

you　speak　to　him？　It　is　the　least　you　can　do；　surely；　considering

it　all　happened