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第15节

a room with a view-第15节

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God。



He only stopped once; to pick her some great blue violets。 She

thanked him with real pleasure。 In the company of this common man

the world was beautiful and direct。 For the first time she felt

the influence of Spring。 His arm swept the horizon gracefully;

violets; like other things; existed in great profusion there;

would she like to see them?〃



〃Ma buoni uomini。〃



He bowed。 Certainly。 Good men first; violets afterwards。 They

proceeded briskly through the undergrowth; which became thicker

and thicker。 They were nearing the edge of the promontory; and

the view was stealing round them; but the brown network of the

bushes shattered it into countless pieces。 He was occupied in his

cigar; and in holding back the pliant boughs。 She was rejoicing

in her escape from dullness。 Not a step; not a twig; was

unimportant to her。



〃What is that?〃



There was a voice in the wood; in the distance behind them。 The

voice of Mr。 Eager? He shrugged his shoulders。 An Italian's

ignorance is sometimes more remarkable than his knowledge。 She

could not make him understand that perhaps they had missed the

clergymen。 The view was forming at last; she could discern the

river; the golden plain; other hills。



〃Eccolo!〃 he exclaimed。



At the same moment the ground gave way; and with a cry she fell

out of the wood。 Light and beauty enveloped her。 She had fallen

on to a little open terrace; which was covered with violets

from end to end。



〃Courage!〃 cried her companion; now standing some six feet above。

〃Courage and love。〃



She did not answer。 From her feet the ground sloped sharply into

view; and violets ran down in rivulets and streams and cataracts;

irrigating the hillside with blue; eddying round the tree stems

collecting into pools in the hollows; covering the grass with

spots of azure foam。 But never again were they in such profusion;

this terrace was the well…head; the primal source whence beauty

gushed out to water the earth。



Standing at its brink; like a swimmer who prepares; was the good

man。 But he was not the good man that she had expected; and he

was alone。



George had turned at the sound of her arrival。 For a moment he

contemplated her; as one who had fallen out of heaven。 He saw

radiant joy in her face; he saw the flowers beat against her

dress in blue waves。 The bushes above them closed。 He stepped

quickly forward and kissed her。



Before she could speak; almost before she could feel; a voice

called; 〃Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!〃 The silence of life had been broken

by Miss Bartlett who stood brown against the view。







Chapter VII: They Return



Some complicated game had been playing up and down the hillside

all the afternoon。 What it was and exactly how the players

had sided; Lucy was slow to discover。 Mr。 Eager had met them with

a questioning eye。 Charlotte had repulsed him with much small

talk。 Mr。 Emerson; seeking his son; was told whereabouts to find

him。 Mr。 Beebe; who wore the heated aspect of a neutral; was

bidden to collect the factions for the return home。 There was a

general sense of groping and bewilderment。 Pan had been amongst

themnot the great god Pan; who has been buried these two

thousand years; but the little god Pan; who presides over social

contretemps and unsuccessful picnics。 Mr。 Beebe had lost every

one; and had consumed in solitude the tea…basket which he had

brought up as a pleasant surprise。 Miss Lavish had lost Miss

Bartlett。 Lucy had lost Mr。 Eager。 Mr。 Emerson had lost George。

Miss Bartlett had lost a mackintosh square。 Phaethon had lost the

game。



That last fact was undeniable。 He climbed on to the box

shivering; with his collar up; prophesying the swift approach of

bad weather。 〃Let us go immediately;〃 he told them。 〃The

signorino will walk。〃



〃All the way? He will be hours;〃 said Mr。 Beebe。



〃Apparently。 I told him it was unwise。〃 He would look no one in

the face; perhaps defeat was particularly mortifying for him。 He

alone had played skilfully; using the whole of his instinct;

while the others had used scraps of their intelligence。 He alone

had divined what things were; and what he wished them to be。 He

alone had interpreted the message that Lucy had received five

days before from the lips of a dying man。 Persephone; who spends

half her life in the graveshe could interpret it also。 Not so

these English。 They gain knowledge slowly; and perhaps too late。



The thoughts of a cab…driver; however just; seldom affect the

lives of his employers。 He was the most competent of Miss

Bartlett's opponents; but infinitely the least dangerous。 Once

back in the town; he and his insight and his knowledge would

trouble English ladies no more。 Of course; it was most

unpleasant; she had seen his black head in the bushes; he might

make a tavern story out of it。 But after all; what have we to do

with taverns? Real menace belongs to the drawing…room。 It was of

drawing…room people that Miss Bartlett thought as she journeyed

downwards towards the fading sun。 Lucy sat beside her; Mr。 Eager

sat opposite; trying to catch her eye; he was vaguely suspicious。

They spoke of Alessio Baldovinetti。



Rain and darkness came on together。 The two ladies huddled

together under an inadequate parasol。 There was a lightning

flash; and Miss Lavish who was nervous; screamed from the

carriage in front。 At the next flash; Lucy screamed also。 Mr。

Eager addressed her professionally:



〃Courage; Miss Honeychurch; courage and faith。 If I might say so;

there is something almost blasphemous in this horror of the

elements。 Are we seriously to suppose that all these clouds; all

this immense electrical display; is simply called into existence

to extinguish you or me?〃



〃Noof course〃



〃Even from the scientific standpoint the chances against our

being struck are enormous。 The steel knives; the only articles

which might attract the current; are in the other carriage。 And;

in any case; we are infinitely safer than if we were walking。

Couragecourage and faith。〃



Under the rug; Lucy felt the kindly pressure of her cousin's

hand。 At times our need for a sympathetic gesture is so great

that we care not what exactly it signifies or how much we may

have to pay for it afterwards。 Miss Bartlett; by this timely

exercise of her muscles; gained more than she would have got in

hours of preaching or cross examination。



She renewed it when the two carriages stopped; half into

Florence。



〃Mr。 Eager!〃 called Mr。 Beebe。 〃We want your assistance。 Will you

interpret for us?〃



〃George!〃 cried Mr。 Emerson。 〃Ask your driver which way George

went。 The boy may lose his way。 He may be killed。〃



〃Go; Mr。 Eager;〃 said Miss Bartlett。 don't ask our driver; our

driver is no help。 Go and support poor Mr。 Beebe; he is nearly

demented。〃



〃He may be killed!〃 cried the old man。 〃He may be killed!〃



〃Typical behaviour;〃 said the chaplain; as he quitted the

carriage。 〃In the presence of reality that kind of person

invariably breaks down。〃



〃What does he know?〃 whispered Lucy as soon as they were alone。

〃Charlotte; how much does Mr。 Eager know?〃



〃Nothing; dearest; he knows nothing。 But〃 she pointed at the

driver…〃HE knows everything。 Dearest; had we better? Shall I?〃

She took out her purse。 〃It is dreadful to be entangled with

low…class people。 He saw it all。〃 Tapping Phaethon's back with her

guide…book; she said; 〃Silenzio!〃 and offered him a franc。



〃Va bene;〃 he replied; and accepted it。 As well this ending to

his day as any。 But Lucy; a mortal maid; was disappointed in him。



There was an explosion up the road。 The storm had struck the

overhead wire of the tramline; and one of the great supports had

fallen。 If they had not stopped perhaps they might have been

hurt。 They chose to regard it as a miraculous preservation; and

the floods of love and sincerity; which fructify every hour of

life; burst forth in tumult。 They descended from the carriages;

they embraced each other。 It was as joyful to be forgiven past

unworthinesses as to forgive them。 For a moment they realized

vast possibilities of good。



The older people recovered quickly。 In the very height of their

emotion they knew it to be unmanly or unladylike。 Miss Lavish

calculated that; even if they had continued; they would not have

been caught in the accident。 Mr。 Eager mumbled a temperate

prayer。 But the drivers; through miles of dark squalid road;

poured out their souls to the dryads and the saints; and Lucy

poured out hers to her cousin。



〃Charlotte; dear Charlotte; kiss me。 Kiss me again。 Only you can

understand me。 You warned me to be careful。 And II thought I

was developing。〃



〃Do not cry; dearest。 Take your time。〃



〃I have been obstinate and sillyworse than you know; far worse。

Once by the riverOh; but he isn't killedhe wouldn't be

killed; would he?〃



The thought disturbed her rep

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