a room with a view-第6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！



great　inconvenience。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　old　man　gently；　〃I　think　that　you　are

repeating　what　you　have　heard　older　people　say。　You　are

pretending　to　be　touchy；　but　you　are　not　really。　Stop　being　so

tiresome；　and　tell　me　instead　what　part　of　the　church　you　want　to

see。　To　take　you　to　it　will　be　a　real　pleasure。〃



Now；　this　was　abominably　impertinent；　and　she　ought　to　have　been

furious。　But　it　is　sometimes　as　difficult　to　lose　one's　temper　as

it　is　difficult　at　other　times　to　keep　it。　Lucy　could　not　get

cross。　Mr。　Emerson　was　an　old　man；　and　surely　a　girl　might　humour

him。　On　the　other　hand；　his　son　was　a　young　man；　and　she　felt

that　a　girl　ought　to　be　offended　with　him；　or　at　all　events　be

offended　before　him。　It　was　at　him　that　she　gazed　before

replying。



〃I　am　not　touchy；　I　hope。　It　is　the　Giottos　that　I　want　to　see；

if　you　will　kindly　tell　me　which　they　are。〃



The　son　nodded。　With　a　look　of　sombre　satisfaction；　he　led　the

way　to　the　Peruzzi　Chapel。　There　was　a　hint　of　the　teacher　about

him。　She　felt　like　a　child　in　school　who　had　answered　a　question

rightly。



The　chapel　was　already　filled　with　an　earnest　congregation；　and

out　of　them　rose　the　voice　of　a　lecturer；　directing　them　how　to

worship　Giotto；　not　by　tactful　valuations；　but　by　the　standards

of　the　spirit。



〃Remember；〃　he　was　saying；　〃the　facts　about　this　church　of　Santa

Croce；　how　it　was　built　by　faith　in　the　full　fervour　of

medievalism；　before　any　taint　of　the　Renaissance　had　appeared。

Observe　how　Giotto　in　these　frescoesnow；　unhappily；　ruined　by

restorationis　untroubled　by　the　snares　of　anatomy　and

perspective。　Could　anything　be　more　majestic；　more　pathetic；

beautiful；　true？　How　little；　we　feel；　avails　knowledge　and

technical　cleverness　against　a　man　who　truly　feels！〃



〃No！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Emerson；　in　much　too　loud　a　voice　for　church。

〃Remember　nothing　of　the　sort！　Built　by　faith　indeed！　That　simply

means　the　workmen　weren't　paid　properly。　And　as　for　the　frescoes；

I　see　no　truth　in　them。　Look　at　that　fat　man　in　blue！　He　must

weigh　as　much　as　I　do；　and　he　is　shooting　into　the　sky　like　an

air　balloon。〃



He　was　referring　to　the　fresco　of　the　〃Ascension　of　St。　John。〃

Inside；　the　lecturer's　voice　faltered；　as　well　it　might。　The

audience　shifted　uneasily；　and　so　did　Lucy。　She　was　sure　that　she

ought　not　to　be　with　these　men；　but　they　had　cast　a　spell　over

her。　They　were　so　serious　and　so　strange　that　she　could　not

remember　how　to　behave。



〃Now；　did　this　happen；　or　didn't　it？　Yes　or　no？〃



George　replied：



〃It　happened　like　this；　if　it　happened　at　all。　I　would　rather　go

up　to　heaven　by　myself　than　be　pushed　by　cherubs；　and　if　I　got

there　I　should　like　my　friends　to　lean　out　of　it；　just　as　they　do

here。〃



〃You　will　never　go　up；〃　said　his　father。　〃You　and　I；　dear　boy；

will　lie　at　peace　in　the　earth　that　bore　us；　and　our　names　will

disappear　as　surely　as　our　work　survives。〃



〃Some　of　the　people　can　only　see　the　empty　grave；　not　the　saint；

whoever　he　is；　going　up。　It　did　happen　like　that；　if　it　happened

at　all。〃



〃Pardon　me；〃　said　a　frigid　voice。　〃The　chapel　is　somewhat　small

for　two　parties。　We　will　incommode　you　no　longer。〃



The　lecturer　was　a　clergyman；　and　his　audience　must　be　also　his

flock；　for　they　held　prayer…books　as　well　as　guide…books　in　their

hands。　They　filed　out　of　the　chapel　in　silence。　Amongst　them　were

the　two　little　old　ladies　of　the　Pension　BertoliniMiss　Teresa

and　Miss　Catherine　Alan。



〃Stop！〃　cried　Mr。　Emerson。　〃There's　plenty　of　room　for　us　all。

Stop！〃



The　procession　disappeared　without　a　word。



Soon　the　lecturer　could　be　heard　in　the　next　chapel；　describing

the　life　of　St。　Francis。



〃George；　I　do　believe　that　clergyman　is　the　Brixton　curate。〃



George　went　into　the　next　chapel　and　returned；　saying　〃Perhaps　he

is。　I　don't　remember。〃



〃Then　I　had　better　speak　to　him　and　remind　him　who　I　am。　It's

that　Mr。　Eager。　Why　did　he　go？　Did　we　talk　too　loud？　How

vexatious。　I　shall　go　and　say　we　are　sorry。　Hadn't　I　better？　Then

perhaps　he　will　come　back。〃



〃He　will　not　come　back；〃　said　George。



But　Mr。　Emerson；　contrite　and　unhappy；　hurried　away　to　apologize

to　the　Rev。　Cuthbert　Eager。　Lucy；　apparently　absorbed　in　a

lunette；　could　hear　the　lecture　again　interrupted；　the　anxious；

aggressive　voice　of　the　old　man；　the　curt；　injured　replies　of　his

opponent。　The　son；　who　took　every　little　contretemps　as　if　it

were　a　tragedy；　was　listening　also。



〃My　father　has　that　effect　on　nearly　every　one；〃　he　informed　her。

〃He　will　try　to　be　kind。〃



〃I　hope　we　all　try；〃　said　she；　smiling　nervously。



〃Because　we　think　it　improves　our　characters。　But　he　is　kind　to

people　because　he　loves　them；　and　they　find　him　out；　and　are

offended；　or　frightened。〃



〃How　silly　of　them！〃　said　Lucy；　though　in　her　heart　she

sympathized；　〃I　think　that　a　kind　action　done　tactfully〃



〃Tact！〃



He　threw　up　his　head　in　disdain。　Apparently　she　had　given　the

wrong　answer。　She　watched　the　singular　creature　pace　up　and　down

the　chapel。　For　a　young　man　his　face　was　rugged；　anduntil　the

shadows　fell　upon　ithard。　Enshadowed；　it　sprang　into

tenderness。　She　saw　him　once　again　at　Rome；　on　the　ceiling　of　the

Sistine　Chapel；　carrying　a　burden　of　acorns。　Healthy　and

muscular；　he　yet　gave　her　the　feeling　of　greyness；　of　tragedy

that　might　only　find　solution　in　the　night。　The　feeling　soon

passed；　it　was　unlike　her　to　have　entertained　anything　so　subtle。

Born　of　silence　and　of　unknown　emotion；　it　passed　when　Mr。

Emerson　returned；　and　she　could　re…enter　the　world　of　rapid　talk；

which　was　alone　familiar　to　her。



〃Were　you　snubbed？〃　asked　his　son　tranquilly。



〃But　we　have　spoilt　the　pleasure　of　I　don't　know　how　many　people。

They　won't　come　back。〃



〃。。。full　of　innate　sympathy。。。quickness　to　perceive　good　in

others。。。vision　of　the　brotherhood　of　man。。。〃　Scraps　of　the

lecture　on　St。　Francis　came　floating　round　the　partition　wall。



〃Don't　let　us　spoil　yours；〃　he　continued　to　Lucy。　〃Have　you

looked　at　those　saints？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Lucy。　〃They　are　lovely。　Do　you　know　which　is　the

tombstone　that　is　praised　in　Ruskin？〃



He　did　not　know；　and　suggested　that　they　should　try　to　guess　it。

George；　rather　to　her　relief；　refused　to　move；　and　she　and　the

old　man　wandered　not　unpleasantly　about　Santa　Croce；　which；

though　it　is　like　a　barn；　has　harvested　many　beautiful　things

inside　its　walls。　There　were　also　beggars　to　avoid。　and　guides　to

dodge　round　the　pillars；　and　an　old　lady　with　her　dog；　and　here

and　there　a　priest　modestly　edging　to　his　Mass　through　the　groups

of　tourists。　But　Mr。　Emerson　was　only　half　interested。　He　watched

the　lecturer；　whose　success　he　believed　he　had　impaired；　and　then

he　anxiously　watched　his　son。



〃Why　will　he　look　at　that　fresco？〃　he　said　uneasily。　〃I　saw

nothing　in　it。〃



〃I　like　Giotto；〃　she　replied。　〃It　is　so　wonderful　what　they　say

about　his　tactile　values。　Though　I　like　things　like　the　Della

Robbia　babies　better。〃



〃So　you　ought。　A　baby　is　worth　a　dozen　saints。　And　my　baby's

worth　the　whole　of　Paradise；　and　as　far　as　I　can　see　he　lives　in

Hell。〃



Lucy　again　felt　that　this　did　not　do。



〃In　Hell；〃　he　repeated。　〃He's　unhappy。〃



〃Oh；　dear！〃　said　Lucy。



〃How　can　he　be　unhappy　when　he　is　strong　and　alive？　What　more　is

one　to　give　him？　And　think　how　he　has　been　brought　upfree　from

all　the　superstition　and　ignorance　that　lead　men　to　hate　one

another　in　the　name　of　God。　With　such　an　education　as　that；　I

thought　he　was　bound　to　grow　up　happy。〃



She　was　no　theologian；　but　she　felt　that　here　was　a　very　foolish

old　man；　as　well　as　a　very　irreligious　one。　She　also　felt　that

her　mother　might　not　like　her　talking　to　that　kind　of　person；　and

that　Charlotte　would　object　most　strongly。



〃What　are　we　to　do　with　him？〃　he　asked。　〃He　comes　out　for　his

holiday　to　Italy；　and　behaveslike　that；