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第46章

a room with a view-第46章

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



Tears came into her mother's eyes。



Driven by nameless bewilderment; by what is in older people

termed 〃eccentricity;〃 Lucy determined to make this point clear。

〃I've seen the world so littleI felt so out of things in Italy。

I have seen so little of life; one ought to come up to London

morenot a cheap ticket like to…day; but to stop。 I might even

share a flat for a little with some other girl。〃



〃And mess with typewriters and latch…keys;〃 exploded Mrs。

Honeychurch。 〃And agitate and scream; and be carried off kicking

by the police。 And call it a Missionwhen no one wants you! And

call it Dutywhen it means that you can't stand your own home!

And call it Workwhen thousands of men are starving with the

competition as it is! And then to prepare yourself; find two

doddering old ladies; and go abroad with them。〃



〃I want more independence;〃 said Lucy lamely; she knew that she

wanted something; and independence is a useful cry; we can always

say that we have not got it。 She tried to remember her emotions

in Florence: those had been sincere and passionate; and had

suggested beauty rather than short skirts and latch…keys。 But

independence was certainly her cue。



〃Very well。 Take your independence and be gone。 Rush up and down

and round the world; and come back as thin as a lath with the bad

food。 Despise the house that your father built and the garden

that he planted; and our dear viewand then share a flat with

another girl。〃



Lucy screwed up her mouth and said: 〃Perhaps I spoke hastily。〃



〃Oh; goodness!〃 her mother flashed。 〃How you do remind me of

Charlotte Bartlett!〃



〃Charlotte!〃 flashed Lucy in her turn; pierced at last by a vivid

pain。



〃More every moment。〃



〃I don't know what you mean; mother; Charlotte and I are not the

very least alike。〃



〃Well; I see the likeness。 The same eternal worrying; the same

taking back of words。 You and Charlotte trying to divide two

apples among three people last night might be sisters。〃



〃What rubbish! And if you dislike Charlotte so; it's rather a

pity you asked her to stop。 I warned you about her; I begged you;

implored you not to; but of course it was not listened to。〃



〃There you go。〃



〃I beg your pardon?〃



〃Charlotte again; my dear; that's all; her very words。〃



Lucy clenched her teeth。 〃My point is that you oughtn't to have

asked Charlotte to stop。 I wish you would keep to the point。〃 And

the conversation died off into a wrangle。



She and her mother shopped in silence; spoke little in the train;

little again in the carriage; which met them at Dorking Station。

It had poured all day and as they ascended through the deep

Surrey lanes showers of water fell from the over…hanging

beech…trees and rattled on the hood。 Lucy complained that the

hood was stuffy。 Leaning forward; she looked out into the

steaming dusk; and watched the carriage…lamp pass like a

search…light over mud and leaves; and reveal nothing beautiful。

〃The crush when Charlotte gets in will be abominable;〃 she

remarked。 For they were to pick up Miss Bartlett at Summer

Street; where she had been dropped as the carriage went down; to

pay a call on Mr。 Beebe's old mother。 〃We shall have to sit three

a side; because the trees drop; and yet it isn't raining。 Oh; for

a little air!〃 Then she listened to the horse's hoofs〃He has

not toldhe has not told。〃 That melody was blurred by the soft

road。 〃CAN'T we have the hood down?〃 she demanded; and her mother;

with sudden tenderness; said: 〃Very well; old lady; stop the

horse。〃 And the horse was stopped; and Lucy and Powell wrestled

with the hood; and squirted water down Mrs。 Honeychurch's neck。

But now that the hood was down; she did see something that she

would have missedthere were no lights in the windows of Cissie

Villa; and round the garden gate she fancied she saw a padlock。



〃Is that house to let again; Powell?〃 she called。



〃Yes; miss;〃 he replied。



〃Have they gone?〃



〃It is too far out of town for the young gentleman; and his

father's rheumatism has come on; so he can't stop on alone; so

they are trying to let furnished;〃 was the answer。



〃They have gone; then?〃



〃Yes; miss; they have gone。〃



Lucy sank back。 The carriage stopped at the Rectory。 She got out

to call for Miss Bartlett。 So the Emersons had gone; and all this

bother about Greece had been unnecessary。 Waste! That word seemed

to sum up the whole of life。 Wasted plans; wasted money; wasted

love; and she had wounded her mother。 Was it possible that she

had muddled things away? Quite possible。 Other people had。 When

the maid opened the door; she was unable to speak; and stared

stupidly into the hall。



Miss Bartlett at once came forward; and after a long preamble

asked a great favour: might she go to church? Mr。 Beebe and his

mother had already gone; but she had refused to start until she

obtained her hostess's full sanction; for it would mean keeping

the horse waiting a good ten minutes more。



〃Certainly;〃 said the hostess wearily。 〃I forgot it was Friday。

Let's all go。 Powell can go round to the stables。〃



〃Lucy dearest〃



〃No church for me; thank you。〃



A sigh; and they departed。 The church was invisible; but up in

the darkness to the left there was a hint of colour。 This was a

stained window; through which some feeble light was shining; and

when the door opened Lucy heard Mr。 Beebe's voice running through

the litany to a minute congregation。 Even their church; built

upon the slope of the hill so artfully; with its beautiful raised

transept and its spire of silvery shingleeven their church had

lost its charm; and the thing one never talked aboutreligion

was fading like all the other things。



She followed the maid into the Rectory。



Would she object to sitting in Mr。 Beebe's study? There was only

that one fire。



She would not object。



Some one was there already; for Lucy heard the words: 〃A lady to

wait; sir。〃



Old Mr。 Emerson was sitting by the fire; with his foot upon a

gout…stool。



〃Oh; Miss Honeychurch; that you should come!〃 he quavered; and

Lucy saw an alteration in him since last Sunday。



Not a word would come to her lips。 George she had faced; and

could have faced again; but she had forgotten how to treat his

father。



〃Miss Honeychurch; dear; we are so sorry! George is so sorry! He

thought he had a right to try。 I cannot blame my boy; and yet I

wish he had told me first。 He ought not to have tried。 I knew

nothing about it at all。〃



If only she could remember how to behave!



He held up his hand。 〃But you must not scold him。〃



Lucy turned her back; and began to look at Mr。 Beebe's books。



〃I taught him;〃 he quavered; 〃to trust in love。 I said: 'When

love comes; that is reality。' I said: 'Passion does not blind。

No。 Passion is sanity; and the woman you love; she is the only

person you will ever really understand。'〃 He sighed: 〃True;

everlastingly true; though my day is over; and though there is

the result。 Poor boy! He is so sorry! He said he knew it was

madness when you brought your cousin in; that whatever you felt

you did not mean。 Yet〃his voice gathered strength: he spoke

out to make certain〃Miss Honeychurch; do you remember Italy?〃



Lucy selected a booka volume of Old Testament commentaries。

Holding it up to her eyes; she said: 〃I have no wish to discuss

Italy or any subject connected with your son。〃



〃But you do remember it?〃



〃He has misbehaved himself from the first。〃



〃I only was told that he loved you last Sunday。 I never could

judge behaviour。 IIsuppose he has。〃



Feeling a little steadier; she put the book back and turned round

to him。 His face was drooping and swollen; but his eyes; though

they were sunken deep; gleamed with a child's courage。



〃Why; he has behaved abominably;〃 she said。 〃I am glad he is

sorry。 D

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