a room with a view-第4章

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opposite；　and　close　below；　the　Arno；　gurgling　against　the

embankment　of　the　road。



Over　the　river　men　were　at　work　with　spades　and　sieves　on　the

sandy　foreshore；　and　on　the　river　was　a　boat；　also　diligently

employed　for　some　mysterious　end。　An　electric　tram　came　rushing

underneath　the　window。　No　one　was　inside　it；　except　one　tourist；

but　its　platforms　were　overflowing　with　Italians；　who　preferred

to　stand。　Children　tried　to　hang　on　behind；　and　the　conductor；

with　no　malice；　spat　in　their　faces　to　make　them　let　go。　Then

soldiers　appearedgood…looking；　undersized　menwearing　each　a

knapsack　covered　with　mangy　fur；　and　a　great…coat　which　had　been

cut　for　some　larger　soldier。　Beside　them　walked　officers；　looking

foolish　and　fierce；　and　before　them　went　little　boys；　turning

somersaults　in　time　with　the　band。　The　tramcar　became　entangled

in　their　ranks；　and　moved　on　painfully；　like　a　caterpillar　in　a

swarm　of　ants。　One　of　the　little　boys　fell　down；　and　some　white

bullocks　came　out　of　an　archway。　Indeed；　if　it　had　not　been　for

the　good　advice　of　an　old　man　who　was　selling　button…hooks；　the

road　might　never　have　got　clear。



Over　such　trivialities　as　these　many　a　valuable　hour　may　slip

away；　and　the　traveller　who　has　gone　to　Italy　to　study　the

tactile　values　of　Giotto；　or　the　corruption　of　the　Papacy；　may

return　remembering　nothing　but　the　blue　sky　and　the　men　and　women

who　live　under　it。　So　it　was　as　well　that　Miss　Bartlett　should

tap　and　come　in；　and　having　commented　on　Lucy's　leaving　the　door

unlocked；　and　on　her　leaning　out　of　the　window　before　she　was

fully　dressed；　should　urge　her　to　hasten　herself；　or　the　best　of

the　day　would　be　gone。　By　the　time　Lucy　was　ready　her　cousin　had

done　her　breakfast；　and　was　listening　to　the　clever　lady　among

the　crumbs。



A　conversation　then　ensued；　on　not　unfamiliar　lines。　Miss

Bartlett　was；　after　all；　a　wee　bit　tired；　and　thought　they　had

better　spend　the　morning　settling　in；　unless　Lucy　would　at　all

like　to　go　out？　Lucy　would　rather　like　to　go　out；　as　it　was　her

first　day　in　Florence；　but；　of　course；　she　could　go　alone。　Miss

Bartlett　could　not　allow　this。　Of　course　she　would　accompany　Lucy

everywhere。　Oh；　certainly　not；　Lucy　would　stop　with　her　cousin。

Oh；　no！　that　would　never　do。　Oh；　yes！



At　this　point　the　clever　lady　broke　in。



〃If　it　is　Mrs。　Grundy　who　is　troubling　you；　I　do　assure　you　that

you　can　neglect　the　good　person。　Being　English；　Miss　Honeychurch

will　be　perfectly　safe。　Italians　understand。　A　dear　friend　of

mine；　Contessa　Baroncelli；　has　two　daughters；　and　when　she　cannot

send　a　maid　to　school　with　them；　she　lets　them　go　in　sailor…hats

instead。　Every　one　takes　them　for　English；　you　see；　especially　if

their　hair　is　strained　tightly　behind。〃



Miss　Bartlett　was　unconvinced　by　the　safety　of　Contessa

Baroncelli's　daughters。　She　was　determined　to　take　Lucy　herself；

her　head　not　being　so　very　bad。　The　clever　lady　then　said　that

she　was　going　to　spend　a　long　morning　in　Santa　Croce；　and　if　Lucy

would　come　too；　she　would　be　delighted。



〃I　will　take　you　by　a　dear　dirty　back　way；　Miss　Honeychurch；　and

if　you　bring　me　luck；　we　shall　have　an　adventure。〃



Lucy　said　that　this　was　most　kind；　and　at　once　opened　the

Baedeker；　to　see　where　Santa　Croce　was。



〃Tut；　tut！　Miss　Lucy！　I　hope　we　shall　soon　emancipate　you　from

Baedeker。　He　does　but　touch　the　surface　of　things。　As　to　the　true

Italyhe　does　not　even　dream　of　it。　The　true　Italy　is　only　to　be

found　by　patient　observation。〃



This　sounded　very　interesting；　and　Lucy　hurried　over　her

breakfast；　and　started　with　her　new　friend　in　high　spirits。　Italy

was　coming　at　last。　The　Cockney　Signora　and　her　works　had

vanished　like　a　bad　dream。



Miss　Lavishfor　that　was　the　clever　lady's　nameturned　to　the

right　along　the　sunny　Lung'　Arno。　How　delightfully　warm！　But　a

wind　down　the　side　streets　cut　like　a　knife；　didn't　it？　Ponte

alle　Grazieparticularly　interesting；　mentioned　by　Dante。　San

Miniatobeautiful　as　well　as　interesting；　the　crucifix　that

kissed　a　murdererMiss　Honeychurch　would　remember　the　story。　The

men　on　the　river　were　fishing。　（Untrue；　but　then；　so　is　most

information。）　Then　Miss　Lavish　darted　under　the　archway　of　the

white　bullocks；　and　she　stopped；　and　she　cried：



〃A　smell！　a　true　Florentine　smell！　Every　city；　let　me　teach　you；

has　its　own　smell。〃



〃Is　it　a　very　nice　smell？〃　said　Lucy；　who　had　inherited　from　her

mother　a　distaste　to　dirt。



〃One　doesn't　come　to　Italy　for　niceness；〃　was　the　retort；　〃one

comes　for　life。　Buon　giorno！　Buon　giorno！〃　bowing　right　and

left。　〃Look　at　that　adorable　wine…cart！　How　the　driver　stares　at

us；　dear；　simple　soul！〃



So　Miss　Lavish　proceeded　through　the　streets　of　the　city　of

Florence；　short；　fidgety；　and　playful　as　a　kitten；　though　without

a　kitten's　grace。　It　was　a　treat　for　the　girl　to　be　with　any　one

so　clever　and　so　cheerful；　and　a　blue　military　cloak；　such　as　an

Italian　officer　wears；　only　increased　the　sense　of　festivity。



〃Buon　giorno！　Take　the　word　of　an　old　woman；　Miss　Lucy：　you　will

never　repent　of　a　little　civility　to　your　inferiors。　That　is　the

true　democracy。　Though　I　am　a　real　Radical　as　well。　There；　now

you're　shocked。〃



〃Indeed；　I'm　not！〃　exclaimed　Lucy。　〃We　are　Radicals；　too；　out　and

out。　My　father　always　voted　for　Mr。　Gladstone；　until　he　was　so

dreadful　about　Ireland。〃



〃I　see；　I　see。　And　now　you　have　gone　over　to　the　enemy。〃



〃Oh；　please！　If　my　father　was　alive；　I　am　sure　he　would　vote

Radical　again　now　that　Ireland　is　all　right。　And　as　it　is；　the

glass　over　our　front　door　was　broken　last　election；　and　Freddy　is

sure　it　was　the　Tories；　but　mother　says　nonsense；　a　tramp。〃



〃Shameful！　A　manufacturing　district；　I　suppose？〃



〃Noin　the　Surrey　hills。　About　five　miles　from　Dorking；　looking

over　the　Weald。〃



Miss　Lavish　seemed　interested；　and　slackened　her　trot。



〃What　a　delightful　part；　I　know　it　so　well。　It　is　full　of　the

very　nicest　people。　Do　you　know　Sir　Harry　Otwaya　Radical　if

ever　there　was？〃



〃Very　well　indeed。〃



〃And　old　Mrs。　Butterworth　the　philanthropist？〃　〃Why；　she　rents　a

field　of　us！　How　funny！〃



Miss　Lavish　looked　at　the　narrow　ribbon　of　sky；　and　murmured：

〃Oh；　you　have　property　in　Surrey？〃



〃Hardly　any；〃　said　Lucy；　fearful　of　being　thought　a　snob。　〃Only

thirty　acresjust　the　garden；　all　downhill；　and　some　fields。〃



Miss　Lavish　was　not　disgusted；　and　said　it　was　just　the　size　of

her　aunt's　Suffolk　estate。　Italy　receded。　They　tried　to　remember

the　last　name　of　Lady　Louisa　some　one；　who　had　taken　a　house　near

Summer　Street　the　other　year；　but　she　had　not　liked　it；　which　was

odd　of　her。　And　just　as　Miss　Lavish　had　got　the　name；　she　broke

off　and　exclaimed：



〃Bless　us！　Bless　us　and　save　us！　We've　lost　the　way。〃



Certainly　they　had　seemed　a　long　time　in　reaching　Santa　Croce；

the　tower　of　which　had　been　plainly　visible　from　the　landing

window。　But　Miss　Lavish　had　said　so　much　about　knowing　her

Florence　by　heart；　that　Lucy　had　followed　her　with　no　misgivings。



〃Lost！　lost！　My　dear　Miss　Lucy；　during　our　political　diatribes　we

have　taken　a　wrong　turning。　How　those　horrid　Conservatives　would

jeer　at　us！　What　are　we　to　do？　Two　lone　females　in　an　unknown

town。　Now；　this　is　what　I　call　an　adventure。〃



Lucy；　who　wanted　to　see　Santa　Croce；　suggested；　as　a　possible

solution；　that　they　should　ask　the　way　there。



〃Oh；　but　that　is　the　word　of　a　craven！　And　no；　you　are　not；　not；

NOT　to　look　at　your　Baedeker。　Give　it　to　me；　I　shan't　let　you

carry　it。　We　will　simply　drift。〃



Accordingly　they　drifted　through　a　series　of　those　grey…brown

streets；　neither　commodious　nor　picturesque；　in　which　the　eastern

quarter　of　the　city　abounds。　Lucy　soon　lost　interest　in　the

discontent　of　Lady　Louisa；　and　became　discontented　herself。　For

one　ravishing　moment　Italy　appeared。　She　stood　in　the　Square　of

the　Annunziata　and　saw　in　the　living　terra