a room with a view-第45章

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Her　mother　bent　over　her。　Freddy；　to　whom　she　had　been　singing；

reclined　on　the　floor　with　his　head　against　her；　and　an　unlit　pipe

between　his　lips。　Oddly　enough；　the　group　was　beautiful。　Mr。　Beebe；

who　loved　the　art　of　the　past；　was　reminded　of　a　favourite　theme；

the　Santa　Conversazione；　in　which　people　who　care　for　one　another

are　painted　chatting　together　about　noble　thingsa　theme　neither

sensual　nor　sensational；　and　therefore　ignored　by　the　art　of

to…day。　Why　should　Lucy　want　either　to　marry　or　to　travel　when　she

had　such　friends　at　home？



　　〃Taste　not　when　the　wine…cup　glistens；

　　　Speak　not　when　the　people　listens；〃



she　continued。



〃Here's　Mr。　Beebe。〃



〃Mr。　Beebe　knows　my　rude　ways。〃



〃It's　a　beautiful　song　and　a　wise　one；〃　said　he。　〃Go　on。〃



〃It　isn't　very　good；〃　she　said　listlessly。　〃I　forget　whyharmony

or　something。〃



〃I　suspected　it　was　unscholarly。　It's　so　beautiful。〃



〃The　tune's　right　enough；〃　said　Freddy；　〃but　the　words　are　rotten。

Why　throw　up　the　sponge？〃



〃How　stupidly　you　talk！〃　said　his　sister。　The　Santa　Conversazione

was　broken　up。　After　all；　there　was　no　reason　that　Lucy　should

talk　about　Greece　or　thank　him　for　persuading　her　mother；　so　he

said　good…bye。



Freddy　lit　his　bicycle　lamp　for　him　in　the　porch；　and　with　his

usual　felicity　of　phrase；　said：　〃This　has　been　a　day　and　a　half。〃



　　　　〃Stop　thine　ear　against　the　singer〃



〃Wait　a　minute；　she　is　finishing。〃



　　　〃From　the　red　gold　keep　thy　finger；

　　　　Vacant　heart　and　hand　and　eye

　　　　Easy　live　and　quiet　die。〃



〃I　love　weather　like　this；〃　said　Freddy。



Mr。　Beebe　passed　into　it。



The　two　main　facts　were　clear。　She　had　behaved　splendidly；　and　he

had　helped　her。　He　could　not　expect　to　master　the　details　of　so

big　a　change　in　a　girl's　life。　If　here　and　there　he　was

dissatisfied　or　puzzled；　he　must　acquiesce；　she　was　choosing　the

better　part。



　　　〃Vacant　heart　and　hand　and　eye〃



Perhaps　the　song　stated　〃the　better　part〃　rather　too　strongly。　He

half　fancied　that　the　soaring　accompanimentwhich　he　did　not　lose

in　the　shout　of　the　galereally　agreed　with　Freddy；　and　was

gently　criticizing　the　words　that　it　adorned：



　　〃Vacant　heart　and　hand　and　eye

　　　Easy　live　and　quiet　die。〃



However；　for　the　fourth　time　Windy　Corner　lay　poised　below　him

now　as　a　beacon　in　the　roaring　tides　of　darkness。







Chapter　XIX：　Lying　to　Mr。　Emerson



The　Miss　Alans　were　found　in　their　beloved　temperance　hotel　near

Bloomsburya　clean；　airless　establishment　much　patronized　by

provincial　England。　They　always　perched　there　before　crossing　the

great　seas；　and　for　a　week　or　two　would　fidget　gently　over

clothes；　guide…books；　mackintosh　squares；　digestive　bread；　and

other　Continental　necessaries。　That　there　are　shops　abroad；　even

in　Athens；　never　occurred　to　them；　for　they　regarded　travel　as　a

species　of　warfare；　only　to　be　undertaken　by　those　who　have　been

fully　armed　at　the　Haymarket　Stores。　Miss　Honeychurch；　they

trusted；　would　take　care　to　equip　herself　duly。　Quinine　could　now

be　obtained　in　tabloids；　paper　soap　was　a　great　help　towards

freshening　up　one's　face　in　the　train。　Lucy　promised；　a　little

depressed。



〃But；　of　course；　you　know　all　about　these　things；　and　you　have

Mr。　Vyse　to　help　you。　A　gentleman　is　such　a　stand…by。〃



Mrs。　Honeychurch；　who　had　come　up　to　town　with　her　daughter；

began　to　drum　nervously　upon　her　card…case。



〃We　think　it　so　good　of　Mr。　Vyse　to　spare　you；〃　Miss　Catharine

continued。　〃It　is　not　every　young　man　who　would　be　so　unselfish。

But　perhaps　he　will　come　out　and　join　you　later　on。〃



〃Or　does　his　work　keep　him　in　London？〃　said　Miss　Teresa；　the　more

acute　and　less　kindly　of　the　two　sisters。



〃However；　we　shall　see　him　when　he　sees　you　off。　I　do　so　long　to

see　him。〃



〃No　one　will　see　Lucy　off；〃　interposed　Mrs。　Honeychurch。　〃She

doesn't　like　it。〃



〃No；　I　hate　seeings…off；〃　said　Lucy。



〃Really？　How　funny！　I　should　have　thought　that　in　this　case〃



〃Oh；　Mrs。　Honeychurch；　you　aren't　going？　It　is　such　a　pleasure　to

have　met　you！〃



They　escaped；　and　Lucy　said　with　relief：　〃That's　all　right。　We

just　got　through　that　time。〃



But　her　mother　was　annoyed。　〃I　should　be　told；　dear；　that　I　am

unsympathetic。　But　I　cannot　see　why　you　didn't　tell　your　friends

about　Cecil　and　be　done　with　it。　There　all　the　time　we　had　to　sit

fencing；　and　almost　telling　lies；　and　be　seen　through；　too；　I

dare　say；　which　is　most　unpleasant。〃



Lucy　had　plenty　to　say　in　reply。　She　described　the　Miss　Alans'

character：　they　were　such　gossips；　and　if　one　told　them；　the　news

would　be　everywhere　in　no　time。



〃But　why　shouldn't　it　be　everywhere　in　no　time？〃



〃Because　I　settled　with　Cecil　not　to　announce　it　until　I　left

England。　I　shall　tell　them　then。　It's　much　pleasanter。　How　wet　it

is！　Let's　turn　in　here。〃



〃Here〃　was　the　British　Museum。　Mrs。　Honeychurch　refused。　If　they

must　take　shelter；　let　it　be　in　a　shop。　Lucy　felt　contemptuous；

for　she　was　on　the　tack　of　caring　for　Greek　sculpture；　and　had

already　borrowed　a　mythical　dictionary　from　Mr。　Beebe　to　get　up

the　names　of　the　goddesses　and　gods。



〃Oh；　well；　let　it　be　shop；　then。　Let's　go　to　Mudie's。　I'll　buy　a

guide…book。〃



〃You　know；　Lucy；　you　and　Charlotte　and　Mr。　Beebe　all　tell　me　I'm

so　stupid；　so　I　suppose　I　am；　but　I　shall　never　understand　this

hole…and…corner　work。　You've　got　rid　of　Cecilwell　and　good；　and

I'm　thankful　he's　gone；　though　I　did　feel　angry　for　the　minute。

But　why　not　announce　it？　Why　this　hushing　up　and　tip…toeing？〃



〃It's　only　for　a　few　days。〃



〃But　why　at　all？〃



Lucy　was　silent。　She　was　drifting　away　from　her　mother。　It　was

quite　easy　to　say；　〃Because　George　Emerson　has　been　bothering　me；

and　if　he　hears　I've　given　up　Cecil　may　begin　again〃quite　easy；

and　it　had　the　incidental　advantage　of　being　true。　But　she　could

not　say　it。　She　disliked　confidences；　for　they　might　lead　to

self…knowledge　and　to　that　king　of　terrorsLight。　Ever　since

that　last　evening　at　Florence　she　had　deemed　it　unwise　to　reveal

her　soul。



Mrs。　Honeychurch；　too；　was　silent。　She　was　thinking；　〃My　daughter

won't　answer　me；　she　would　rather　be　with　those　inquisitive　old

maids　than　with　Freddy　and　me。　Any　rag；　tag；　and　bobtail

apparently　does　if　she　can　leave　her　home。〃　And　as　in　her　case

thoughts　never　remained　unspoken　long；　she　burst　out　with：

〃You're　tired　of　Windy　Corner。〃



This　was　perfectly　true。　Lucy　had　hoped　to　return　to　Windy　Corner

when　she　escaped　from　Cecil；　but　she　discovered　that　her　home

existed　no　longer。　It　might　exist　for　Freddy；　who　still　lived　and

thought　straight；　but　not　for　one　who　had　deliberately　warped　the

brain。　She　did　not　acknowledge　that　her　brain　was　warped；　for　the

brain　itself　must　assist　in　that　acknowledgment；　and　she　was

disordering　the　very　instruments　of　life。　She　only　felt；　〃I　do

not　love　George；　I　broke　off　my　engagement　because　I　did　not　love

George；　I　must　go　to　Greece　because　I　do　not　love　George；　it　is

more　important　that　I　should　look　up　gods　in　the　dictionary　than

that　I　should　help　my　mother；　every　one　else　is　behaving　very

badly。〃　She　only　felt　irritable　and　petulant；　and　anxious　to　do

what　she　was　not　expected　to　do；　and　in　this　spirit　she　proceeded

with　the　conversation。



〃Oh；　mother；　what　rubbish　you　talk！　Of　course　I'm　not　tired　of

Windy　Corner。〃



〃Then　why　not　say　so　at　once；　instead　of　considering　half　an

hour？〃



She　laughed　faintly；　〃Half　a　minute　would　be　nearer。〃



〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　stay　away　from　your　home　altogether？〃



〃Hush；　mother！　People　will　hear　you〃；　for　they　had　entered

Mudie's。　She　bought　Baedeker；　and　then　continued：　〃Of　course　I

want　to　live　at　home；　but　as　we　are　talking　about　it；　I　may　as

well　say　that　I　shall　want　to　be　away　in　the　future　more　than　I

have　been。　You　see；　I　come　into　my　money　next　year。〃



Tears　came　into　her　m