a room with a view-第49章

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George　said　it　was　his　old　room。



〃No；　it　isn't；〃　said　Lucy；　〃because　it　is　the　room　I　had；　and　I

had　your　father's　room。　I　forget　why；　Charlotte　made　me；　for　some

reason。〃



He　knelt　on　the　tiled　floor；　and　laid　his　face　in　her　lap。



〃George；　you　baby；　get　up。〃



〃Why　shouldn't　I　be　a　baby？〃　murmured　George。



Unable　to　answer　this　question；　she　put　down　his　sock；　which　she

was　trying　to　mend；　and　gazed　out　through　the　window。　It　was

evening　and　again　the　spring。



〃Oh；　bother　Charlotte；〃　she　said　thoughtfully。　〃What　can　such

people　be　made　of？〃



〃Same　stuff　as　parsons　are　made　of。〃



〃Nonsense！〃



〃Quite　right。　It　is　nonsense。〃



〃Now　you　get　up　off　the　cold　floor；　or　you'll　be　starting

rheumatism　next；　and　you　stop　laughing　and　being　so　silly。〃



〃Why　shouldn't　I　laugh？〃　he　asked；　pinning　her　with　his　elbows；

and　advancing　his　face　to　hers。　〃What's　there　to　cry　at？　Kiss　me

here。〃　He　indicated　the　spot　where　a　kiss　would　be　welcome。



He　was　a　boy　after　all。　When　it　came　to　the　point；　it　was　she　who

remembered　the　past；　she　into　whose　soul　the　iron　had　entered；

she　who　knew　whose　room　this　had　been　last　year。　It　endeared　him

to　her　strangely　that　he　should　be　sometimes　wrong。



〃Any　letters？〃　he　asked。



〃Just　a　line　from　Freddy。〃



〃Now　kiss　me　here；　then　here。〃



Then；　threatened　again　with　rheumatism；　he　strolled　to　the

window；　opened　it　（as　the　English　will）；　and　leant　out。　There　was

the　parapet；　there　the　river；　there　to　the　left　the　beginnings　of

the　hills。　The　cab…driver；　who　at　once　saluted　him　with　the　hiss

of　a　serpent；　might　be　that　very　Phaethon　who　had　set　this

happiness　in　motion　twelve　months　ago。　A　passion　of　gratitude

all　feelings　grow　to　passions　in　the　Southcame　over　the

husband；　and　he　blessed　the　people　and　the　things　who　had　taken

so　much　trouble　about　a　young　fool。　He　had　helped　himself；　it　is

true；　but　how　stupidly！



All　the　fighting　that　mattered　had　been　done　by　othersby　Italy；

by　his　father；　by　his　wife。



〃Lucy；　you　come　and　look　at　the　cypresses；　and　the　church；

whatever　its　name　is；　still　shows。〃



〃San　Miniato。　I'll　just　finish　your　sock。〃



〃Signorino；　domani　faremo　uno　giro；〃　called　the　cabman；　with

engaging　certainty。



George　told　him　that　he　was　mistaken；　they　had　no　money　to　throw

away　on　driving。



And　the　people　who　had　not　meant　to　helpthe　Miss　Lavishes；　the

Cecils；　the　Miss　Bartletts！　Ever　prone　to　magnify　Fate；　George

counted　up　the　forces　that　had　swept　him　into　this　contentment。



〃Anything　good　in　Freddy's　letter？〃



〃Not　yet。〃



His　own　content　was　absolute；　but　hers　held　bitterness：　the

Honeychurches　had　not　forgiven　them；　they　were　disgusted　at　her

past　hypocrisy；　she　had　alienated　Windy　Corner；　perhaps　for　ever。



〃What　does　he　say？〃



〃Silly　boy！　He　thinks　he's　being　dignified。　He　knew　we　should　go

off　in　the　springhe　has　known　it　for　six　monthsthat　if　mother

wouldn't　give　her　consent　we　should　take　the　thing　into　our　own

hands。　They　had　fair　warning；　and　now　he　calls　it　an　elopement。

Ridiculous　boy〃



〃Signorino；　domani　faremo　uno　giro〃



〃But　it　will　all　come　right　in　the　end。　He　has　to　build　us　both

up　from　the　beginning　again。　I　wish；　though；　that　Cecil　had　not

turned　so　cynical　about　women。　He　has；　for　the　second　time；　quite

altered。　Why　will　men　have　theories　about　women？　I　haven't　any

about　men。　I　wish；　too；　that　Mr。　Beebe〃



〃You　may　well　wish　that。〃



〃He　will　never　forgive　usI　mean；　he　will　never　be　interested　in

us　again。　I　wish　that　he　did　not　influence　them　so　much　at　Windy

Corner。　I　wish　he　hadn't　But　if　we　act　the　truth；　the　people

who　really　love　us　are　sure　to　come　back　to　us　in　the　long　run。〃



〃Perhaps。〃　Then　he　said　more　gently：　〃Well；　I　acted　the　truth

the　only　thing　I　did　doand　you　came　back　to　me。　So　possibly　you

know。〃　He　turned　back　into　the　room。　〃Nonsense　with　that　sock。〃

He　carried　her　to　the　window；　so　that　she；　too；　saw　all　the　view。

They　sank　upon　their　knees；　invisible　from　the　road；　they　hoped；

and　began　to　whisper　one　another's　names。　Ah！　it　was　worth　while；

it　was　the　great　joy　that　they　had　expected；　and　countless　little

joys　of　which　they　had　never　dreamt。　They　were　silent。



〃Signorino；　domani　faremo〃



〃Oh；　bother　that　man！〃



But　Lucy　remembered　the　vendor　of　photographs　and　said；　〃No；

don't　be　rude　to　him。〃　Then　with　a　catching　of　her　breath；　she

murmured：　〃Mr。　Eager　and　Charlotte；　dreadful　frozen　Charlotte。

How　cruel　she　would　be　to　a　man　like　that！〃



〃Look　at　the　lights　going　over　the　bridge。〃



〃But　this　room　reminds　me　of　Charlotte。　How　horrible　to　grow　old

in　Charlotte's　way！　To　think　that　evening　at　the　rectory　that　she

shouldn't　have　heard　your　father　was　in　the　house。　For　she　would

have　stopped　me　going　in；　and　he　was　the　only　person　alive　who

could　have　made　me　see　sense。　You　couldn't　have　made　me。　When　I

am　very　happy〃she　kissed　him〃I　remember　on　how　little　it　all

hangs。　If　Charlotte　had　only　known；　she　would　have　stopped　me

going　in；　and　I　should　have　gone　to　silly　Greece；　and　become

different　for　ever。〃



〃But　she　did　know；〃　said　George；　〃she　did　see　my　father；　surely。

He　said　so。〃



〃Oh；　no；　she　didn't　see　him。　She　was　upstairs　with　old　Mrs。

Beebe；　don't　you　remember；　and　then　went　straight　to　the　church。

She　said　so。〃



George　was　obstinate　again。　〃My　father；〃　said　he；　〃saw　her；　and　I

prefer　his　word。　He　was　dozing　by　the　study　fire；　and　he　opened

his　eyes；　and　there　was　Miss　Bartlett。　A　few　minutes　before　you

came　in。　She　was　turning　to　go　as　he　woke　up。　He　didn't　speak　to

her。〃



Then　they　spoke　of　other　thingsthe　desultory　talk　of　those　who

have　been　fighting　to　reach　one　another；　and　whose　reward　is　to

rest　quietly　in　each　other's　arms。　It　was　long　ere　they　returned

to　Miss　Bartlett；　but　when　they　did　her　behaviour　seemed　more

interesting。　George；　who　disliked　any　darkness；　said：　〃It's　clear

that　she　knew。　Then；　why　did　she　risk　the　meeting？　She　knew　he

was　there；　and　yet　she　went　to　church。〃



They　tried　to　piece　the　thing　together。



As　they　talked；　an　incredible　solution　came　into　Lucy's　mind。　She

rejected　it；　and　said：　〃How　like　Charlotte　to　undo　her　work　by　a

feeble　muddle　at　the　last　moment。〃　But　something　in　the　dying

evening；　in　the　roar　of　the　river；　in　their　very　embrace　warned

them　that　her　words　fell　short　of　life；　and　George　whispered：　〃Or

did　she　mean　it？〃



〃Mean　what？〃



〃Signorino；　domani　faremo　uno　giro〃



Lucy　bent　forward　and　said　with　gentleness：　〃Lascia；　prego；

lascia。　Siamo　sposati。〃



〃Scusi　tanto；　signora；〃　he　replied　in　tones　as　gentle　and

whipped　up　his　horse。



〃Buona　serae　grazie。〃



〃Niente。〃



The　cabman　drove　away　singing。



〃Mean　what；　George？〃



He　whispered：　〃Is　it　this？　Is　this　possible？　I'll　put　a　marvel　to

you。　That　your　cousin　has　always　hoped。　That　from　the　very　first

moment　we　met；　she　hoped；　far　down　in　her　mind；　that　we　should　be

like　thisof　course；　very　far　down。　That　she　fought　us　on　the

surface；　and　yet　she　hoped。　I　can't　explain　her　any　other　way。

Can　you？　Look　how　she　kept　me　alive　in　you　all　the　summer；　how

she　gave　you　no　peace；　how　month　after　month　she　became　more

eccentric　and　unreliable。　The　sight　of　us　haunted　heror　she

couldn't　have　described　us　as　she　did　to　her　friend。　There　are

detailsit　burnt。　I　read　the　book　afterwards。　She　is　not　frozen；

Lucy；　she　is　not　withered　up　all　through。　She　tore　us　apart

twice；　but　in　the　rectory　that　evening　she　was　given　one　more

chance　to　make　us　happy。　We　can　never　make　friends　with　her　or

thank　her。　But　I　do　believe　that；　far　down　in　her　heart；　far

below　all　speech　and　behaviour；　she　is　glad。〃



〃It　is　impossible；〃　murmured　Lucy；　and　then；　remembering　the

experiences　of　her　own　heart；　she　said：　〃Noit　is　just

possible。〃



Youth　enwrapped　them；　the　song　of　Phaethon　announced　passion

r