a room with a view-第43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！





〃I　could　see　that　Miss　Bartlett　thought　it　unwise。〃



〃So　does　mother。　Mother　minds　dreadfully。〃



〃I　am　very　sorry　for　that；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe　with　feeling。



Mrs。　Honeychurch；　who　hated　all　changes；　did　mind；　but　not　nearly

as　much　as　her　daughter　pretended；　and　only　for　the　minute。　It

was　really　a　ruse　of　Lucy's　to　justify　her　despondencya　ruse　of

which　she　was　not　herself　conscious；　for　she　was　marching　in　the

armies　of　darkness。



〃And　Freddy　minds。〃



〃Still；　Freddy　never　hit　it　off　with　Vyse　much；　did　he？　I

gathered　that　he　disliked　the　engagement；　and　felt　it　might

separate　him　from　you。〃



〃Boys　are　so　odd。〃



Minnie　could　be　heard　arguing　with　Miss　Bartlett　through　the

floor。　Tea　at　the　Beehive　apparently　involved　a　complete　change

of　apparel。　Mr。　Beebe　saw　that　Lucyvery　properlydid　not　wish

to　discuss　her　action；　so　after　a　sincere　expression　of　sympathy；

he　said；　〃I　have　had　an　absurd　letter　from　Miss　Alan。　That　was

really　what　brought　me　over。　I　thought　it　might　amuse　you　all。〃



〃How　delightful！〃　said　Lucy；　in　a　dull　voice。



For　the　sake　of　something　to　do；　he　began　to　read　her　the　letter。

After　a　few　words　her　eyes　grew　alert；　and　soon　she　interrupted

him　with　〃Going　abroad？　When　do　they　start？〃



〃Next　week；　I　gather。〃



〃Did　Freddy　say　whether　he　was　driving　straight　back？〃



〃No；　he　didn't。〃



〃Because　I　do　hope　he　won't　go　gossiping。〃



So　she　did　want　to　talk　about　her　broken　engagement。　Always

complaisant；　he　put　the　letter　away。　But　she；　at　once　exclaimed

in　a　high　voice；　〃Oh；　do　tell　me　more　about　the　Miss　Alans！　How

perfectly　splendid　of　them　to　go　abroad！〃



〃I　want　them　to　start　from　Venice；　and　go　in　a　cargo　steamer　down

the　Illyrian　coast！〃



She　laughed　heartily。　〃Oh；　delightful！　I　wish　they'd　take　me。〃



〃Has　Italy　filled　you　with　the　fever　of　travel？　Perhaps　George

Emerson　is　right。　He　says　that　'Italy　is　only　an　euphuism　for

Fate。'〃



〃Oh；　not　Italy；　but　Constantinople。　I　have　always　longed　to　go　to

Constantinople。　Constantinople　is　practically　Asia；　isn't　it？〃



Mr。　Beebe　reminded　her　that　Constantinople　was　still　unlikely；

and　that　the　Miss　Alans　only　aimed　at　Athens；　〃with　Delphi；

perhaps；　if　the　roads　are　safe。〃　But　this　made　no　difference　to

her　enthusiasm。　She　had　always　longed　to　go　to　Greece　even　more；

it　seemed。　He　saw；　to　his　surprise；　that　she　was　apparently

serious。



〃I　didn't　realize　that　you　and　the　Miss　Alans　were　still　such

friends；　after　Cissie　Villa。〃



〃Oh；　that's　nothing；　I　assure　you　Cissie　Villa's　nothing　to　me；　I

would　give　anything　to　go　with　them。〃



〃Would　your　mother　spare　you　again　so　soon？　You　have　scarcely

been　home　three　months。〃



〃She　MUST　spare　me！〃　cried　Lucy；　in　growing　excitement。　〃I　simply

MUST　go　away。　I　have　to。〃　She　ran　her　fingers　hysterically

through　her　hair。　〃Don't　you　see　that　I　HAVE　to　go　away？　I　didn't

realize　at　the　timeand　of　course　I　want　to　see　Constantinople

so　particularly。〃



〃You　mean　that　since　you　have　broken　off　your　engagement　you

feel〃



〃Yes；　yes。　I　knew　you'd　understand。〃



Mr。　Beebe　did　not　quite　understand。　Why　could　not　Miss

Honeychurch　repose　in　the　bosom　of　her　family？　Cecil　had　evidently

taken　up　the　dignified　line；　and　was　not　going　to　annoy　her。　Then

it　struck　him　that　her　family　itself　might　be　annoying。　He　hinted

this　to　her；　and　she　accepted　the　hint　eagerly。



〃Yes；　of　course；　to　go　to　Constantinople　until　they　are　used　to

the　idea　and　everything　has　calmed　down。〃



〃I　am　afraid　it　has　been　a　bothersome　business；〃　he　said　gently。



〃No；　not　at　all。　Cecil　was　very　kind　indeed；　onlyI　had　better

tell　you　the　whole　truth；　since　you　have　heard　a　littleit　was

that　he　is　so　masterful。　I　found　that　he　wouldn't　let　me　go　my

own　way。　He　would　improve　me　in　places　where　I　can't　be　improved。

Cecil　won't　let　a　woman　decide　for　herselfin　fact；　he　daren't。

What　nonsense　I　do　talk！　but　that　is　the　kind　of　thing。〃



〃It　is　what　I　gathered　from　my　own　observation　of　Mr。　Vyse；　it　is

what　I　gather　from　all　that　I　have　known　of　you。　I　do　sympathize

and　agree　most　profoundly。　I　agree　so　much　that　you　must　let　me

make　one　little　criticism：　Is　it　worth　while　rushing　off　to

Greece？〃



〃But　I　must　go　somewhere！〃　she　cried。　〃I　have　been　worrying　all

the　morning；　and　here　comes　the　very　thing。〃　She　struck　her　knees

with　clenched　fists；　and　repeated：　〃I　must！　And　the　time　I　shall

have　with　mother；　and　all　the　money　she　spent　on　me　last　spring。

You　all　think　much　too　highly　of　me。　I　wish　you　weren't　so　kind。〃

At　this　moment　Miss　Bartlett　entered；　and　her　nervousness

increased。　〃I　must　get　away；　ever　so　far。　I　must　know　my　own　mind

and　where　I　want　to　go。〃



〃Come　along；　tea；　tea；　tea；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe；　and　bustled　his

guests　out　of　the　front…door。　He　hustled　them　so　quickly　that　he

forgot　his　hat。　When　he　returned　for　it　he　heard；　to　his　relief

and　surprise；　the　tinkling　of　a　Mozart　Sonata。



〃She　is　playing　again；〃　he　said　to　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Lucy　can　always　play；〃　was　the　acid　reply。



〃One　is　very　thankful　that　she　has　such　a　resource。　She　is

evidently　much　worried；　as；　of　course；　she　ought　to　be。　I　know

all　about　it。　The　marriage　was　so　near　that　it　must　have　been　a

hard　struggle　before　she　could　wind　herself　up　to　speak。〃



Miss　Bartlett　gave　a　kind　of　wriggle；　and　he　prepared　for　a

discussion。　He　had　never　fathomed　Miss　Bartlett。　As　he　had　put　it

to　himself　at　Florence；　〃she　might　yet　reveal　depths　of

strangeness；　if　not　of　meaning。〃　But　she　was　so　unsympathetic

that　she　must　be　reliable。　He　assumed　that　much；　and　he　had　no

hesitation　in　discussing　Lucy　with　her。　Minnie　was　fortunately

collecting　ferns。



She　opened　the　discussion　with：　〃We　had　much　better　let　the

matter　drop。〃



〃I　wonder。〃



〃It　is　of　the　highest　importance　that　there　should　be　no　gossip

in　Summer　Street。　It　would　be　DEATH　to　gossip　about　Mr。　Vyse's

dismissal　at　the　present　moment。〃



Mr。　Beebe　raised　his　eyebrows。　Death　is　a　strong　wordsurely　too

strong。　There　was　no　question　of　tragedy。　He　said：　〃Of　course；

Miss　Honeychurch　will　make　the　fact　public　in　her　own　way；　and

when　she　chooses。　Freddy　only　told　me　because　he　knew　she　would

not　mind。〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett　civilly。　〃Yet　Freddy　ought　not　to

have　told　even　you。　One　cannot　be　too　careful。〃



〃Quite　so。〃



〃I　do　implore　absolute　secrecy。　A　chance　word　to　a　chattering

friend；　and〃



〃Exactly。〃　He　was　used　to　these　nervous　old　maids　and　to　the

exaggerated　importance　that　they　attach　to　words。　A　rector　lives

in　a　web　of　petty　secrets；　and　confidences　and　warnings；　and　the

wiser　he　is　the　less　he　will　regard　them。　He　will　change　the

subject；　as　did　Mr。　Beebe；　saying　cheerfully：　〃Have　you　heard

from　any　Bertolini　people　lately？　I　believe　you　keep　up　with　Miss

Lavish。　It　is　odd　how　we　of　that　pension；　who　seemed　such　a

fortuitous　collection；　have　been　working　into　one　another's

lives。　Two；　three；　four；　six　of　usno；　eight；　I　had　forgotten

the　Emersonshave　kept　more　or　less　in　touch。　We　must　really

give　the　Signora　a　testimonial。〃



And；　Miss　Bartlett　not　favouring　the　scheme；　they　walked　up　the

hill　in　a　silence　which　was　only　broken　by　the　rector　naming　some

fern。　On　the　summit　they　paused。　The　sky　had　grown　wilder　since

he　stood　there　last　hour；　giving　to　the　land　a　tragic　greatness

that　is　rare　in　Surrey。　Grey　clouds　were　charging　across　tissues

of　white；　which　stretched　and　shredded　and　tore　slowly；　until

through　their　final　layers　there　gleamed　a　hint　of　the

disappearing　blue。　Summer　was　retreating。　The　wind　roared；　the

trees　groaned；　yet　the　noise　seemed　insufficient　for　those　vast

operations　in　heaven。　The　weather　was　breaking　up；　breaking；

broken；　and　it　is　a　sense　of　the　fit　rather　than　of　the

supernatural　that　equips　such　crises　with　the　salvos　of　angelic

artillery。　Mr。　Beebe's　eyes　rested　on　Windy　Corner