a room with a view-第23节

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too　difficult　for　a　girl；　and　led　him　further　into　the　wood；

pausing　every　now　and　then　at　some　particularly　beautiful　or

familiar　combination　of　the　trees。　She　had　known　the　wood　between

Summer　Street　and　Windy　Corner　ever　since　she　could　walk　alone；

she　had　played　at　losing　Freddy　in　it；　when　Freddy　was　a

purple…faced　baby；　and　though　she　had　been　to　Italy；　it　had　lost

none　of　its　charm。



Presently　they　came　to　a　little　clearing　among　the　pinesanother

tiny　green　alp；　solitary　this　time；　and　holding　in　its　bosom　a

shallow　pool。



She　exclamed；　〃The　Sacred　Lake！〃



〃Why　do　you　call　it　that？〃



〃I　can't　remember　why。　I　suppose　it　comes　out　of　some　book。　It's

only　a　puddle　now；　but　you　see　that　stream　going　through　it？

Well；　a　good　deal　of　water　comes　down　after　heavy　rains；　and

can't　get　away　at　once；　and　the　pool　becomes　quite　large　and

beautiful。　Then　Freddy　used　to　bathe　there。　He　is　very　fond　of

it。〃



〃And　you？〃



He　meant；　〃Are　you　fond　of　it？〃　But　she　answered　dreamily；　〃I

bathed　here；　too；　till　I　was　found　out。　Then　there　was　a　row。〃



At　another　time　he　might　have　been　shocked；　for　he　had　depths　of

prudishness　within　him。　But　now？　with　his　momentary　cult　of　the

fresh　air；　he　was　delighted　at　her　admirable　simplicity。　He

looked　at　her　as　she　stood　by　the　pool's　edge。　She　was　got　up

smart；　as　she　phrased　it；　and　she　reminded　him　of　some　brilliant

flower　that　has　no　leaves　of　its　own；　but　blooms　abruptly　out　of

a　world　of　green。



〃Who　found　you　out？〃



〃Charlotte；〃　she　murmured。　〃She　was　stopping　with　us。　Charlotte

Charlotte。〃



〃Poor　girl！〃



She　smiled　gravely。　A　certain　scheme；　from　which　hitherto　he　had

shrank；　now　appeared　practical。



〃Lucy！〃



〃Yes；　I　suppose　we　ought　to　be　going；〃　was　her　reply。



〃Lucy；　I　want　to　ask　something　of　you　that　I　have　never　asked

before。〃



At　the　serious　note　in　his　voice　she　stepped　frankly　and　kindly

towards　him。



〃What；　Cecil？〃



〃Hitherto　nevernot　even　that　day　on　the　lawn　when　you　agreed　to

marry　me〃



He　became　self…conscious　and　kept　glancing　round　to　see　if　they

were　observed。　His　courage　had　gone。



〃Yes？〃



〃Up　to　now　I　have　never　kissed　you。〃



She　was　as　scarlet　as　if　he　had　put　the　thing　most　indelicately。



〃Nomore　you　have；〃　she　stammered。



〃Then　I　ask　youmay　I　now？〃



〃Of　course；　you　may；　Cecil。　You　might　before。　I　can't　run　at　you；

you　know。〃



At　that　supreme　moment　he　was　conscious　of　nothing　but

absurdities。　Her　reply　was　inadequate。　She　gave　such　a

business…like　lift　to　her　veil。　As　he　approached　her　he　found

time　to　wish　that　he　could　recoil。　As　he　touched　her；　his　gold

pince…nez　became　dislodged　and　was　flattened　between　them。



Such　was　the　embrace。　He　considered；　with　truth；　that　it　had　been

a　failure。　Passion　should　believe　itself　irresistible。　It　should

forget　civility　and　consideration　and　all　the　other　curses　of　a

refined　nature。　Above　all；　it　should　never　ask　for　leave　where

there　is　a　right　of　way。　Why　could　he　not　do　as　any　labourer　or

navvynay；　as　any　young　man　behind　the　counter　would　have

done？　He　recast　the　scene。　Lucy　was　standing　flowerlike　by　the

water；　he　rushed　up　and　took　her　in　his　arms；　she　rebuked　him；

permitted　him　and　revered　him　ever　after　for　his　manliness。　For

he　believed　that　women　revere　men　for　their　manliness。



They　left　the　pool　in　silence；　after　this　one　salutation。　He

waited　for　her　to　make　some　remark　which　should　show　him　her

inmost　thoughts。　At　last　she　spoke；　and　with　fitting　gravity。



〃Emerson　was　the　name；　not　Harris。〃



〃What　name？〃



〃The　old　man's。〃



〃What　old　man？〃



〃That　old　man　I　told　you　about。　The　one　Mr。　Eager　was　so　unkind

to。〃



He　could　not　know　that　this　was　the　most　intimate　conversation

they　had　ever　had。







Chapter　X：　Cecil　as　a　Humourist



The　society　out　of　which　Cecil　proposed　to　rescue　Lucy　was

perhaps　no　very　splendid　affair；　yet　it　was　more　splendid　than

her　antecedents　entitled　her　to。　Her　father；　a　prosperous　local

solicitor；　had　built　Windy　Corner；　as　a　speculation　at　the　time

the　district　was　opening　up；　and；　falling　in　love　with　his　own

creation；　had　ended　by　living　there　himself。　Soon　after　his

marriage　the　social　atmosphere　began　to　alter。　Other　houses　were

built　on　the　brow　of　that　steep　southern　slope　and　others；　again；

among　the　pine…trees　behind；　and　northward　on　the　chalk　barrier

of　the　downs。　Most　of　these　houses　were　larger　than　Windy　Corner；

and　were　filled　by　people　who　came；　not　from　the　district；　but

from　London；　and　who　mistook　the　Honeychurches　for　the　remnants

of　an　indigenous　aristocracy。　He　was　inclined　to　be　frightened；

but　his　wife　accepted　the　situation　without　either　pride　or

humility。　〃I　cannot　think　what　people　are　doing；〃　she　would　say；

〃but　it　is　extremely　fortunate　for　the　children。〃　She　called

everywhere；　her　calls　were　returned　with　enthusiasm；　and　by　the

time　people　found　out　that　she　was　not　exactly　of　their　milieu；

they　liked　her；　and　it　did　not　seem　to　matter。　When　Mr。

Honeychurch　died；　he　had　the　satisfactionwhich　few　honest

solicitors　despiseof　leaving　his　family　rooted　in　the　best

society　obtainable。



The　best　obtainable。　Certainly　many　of　the　immigrants　were　rather

dull；　and　Lucy　realized　this　more　vividly　since　her　return　from

Italy。　Hitherto　she　had　accepted　their　ideals　without　questioning

their　kindly　affluence；　their　inexplosive　religion；　their

dislike　of　paper…bags；　orange…peel；　and　broken　bottles。　A　Radical

out　and　out；　she　learnt　to　speak　with　horror　of　Suburbia。　Life；

so　far　as　she　troubled　to　conceive　it；　was　a　circle　of　rich；

pleasant　people；　with　identical　interests　and　identical　foes。

In　this　circle；　one　thought；　married；　and　died。　Outside　it　were

poverty　and　vulgarity　for　ever　trying　to　enter；　just　as　the

London　fog　tries　to　enter　the　pine…woods　pouring　through　the　gaps

in　the　northern　hills。　But；　in　Italy；　where　any　one　who　chooses

may　warm　himself　in　equality；　as　in　the　sun；　this　conception　of

life　vanished。　Her　senses　expanded；　she　felt　that　there　was　no

one　whom　she　might　not　get　to　like；　that　social　barriers　were

irremovable；　doubtless；　but　not　particularly　high。　You　jump　over

them　just　as　you　jump　into　a　peasant's　olive…yard　in　the

Apennines；　and　he　is　glad　to　see　you。　She　returned　with　new　eyes。



So　did　Cecil；　but　Italy　had　quickened　Cecil；　not　to　tolerance；

but　to　irritation。　He　saw　that　the　local　society　was　narrow；　but；

instead　of　saying；　〃Does　that　very　much　matter？〃　he　rebelled；　and

tried　to　substitute　for　it　the　society　he　called　broad。　He　did

not　realize　that　Lucy　had　consecrated　her　environment　by　the

thousand　little　civilities　that　create　a　tenderness　in　time；　and

that　though　her　eyes　saw　its　defects；　her　heart　refused　to

despise　it　entirely。　Nor　did　he　realize　a　more　important　point

that　if　she　was　too　great　for　this　society；　she　was　too　great　for

all　society；　and　had　reached　the　stage　where　personal　intercourse

would　alone　satisfy　her。　A　rebel　she　was；　but　not　of　the　kind　he

understooda　rebel　who　desired；　not　a　wider　dwelling…room；　but

equality　beside　the　man　she　loved。　For　Italy　was　offering　her　the

most　priceless　of　all　possessionsher　own　soul。



Playing　bumble…puppy　with　Minnie　Beebe；　niece　to　the　rector；　and

aged　thirteenan　ancient　and　most　honourable　game；　which

consists　in　striking　tennis…balls　high　into　the　air；　so　that　they

fall　over　the　net　and　immoderately　bounce；　some　hit　Mrs。

Honeychurch；　others　are　lost。　The　sentence　is　confused；　but　the

better　illustrates　Lucy's　state　of　mind；　for　she　was　trying　to

talk　to　Mr。　Beebe　at　the　same　time。



〃Oh；　it　has　been　such　a　nuisancefirst　he；　then　theyno　one

knowing　what　they　wanted；　and　every　one　so　tiresome。〃



〃But　they　really　are　coming　now；〃　said　Mr。　Beebe。　〃I　wrote　to

Miss　Teresa　a　few　days　agoshe　was　wondering　how　often　the

butcher　called；　and　my　reply　of　once　a　month　must　have　impressed

her　favourably。　They　are　coming。　I　heard　from　them　this　morning。



〃I　shall　hate　those　Miss　Alans！〃　Mrs。　Honeychurch　cried。　〃Just

because　they're　old　and　silly　one's　expected　to　say　'How　sweet！'

I　hate　their　'if'…ing　and　'but'…ing　and　'and'…ing。　And　poor　Lucy

serve　her　rightworn　to　a　shadow。〃



Mr。　Beebe　watched　the　shadow　springing　and　shouting　over　the

tennis…court。　Cecil　was　absentone　did　not　play　bumble…puppy

when　he　was　there。



〃Well；　if　they　are　coming　No；　Minnie；　not　Saturn。〃　Saturn　was　a

tennis…ball　whose　skin　was　partially　unsewn。　When　in　motion　his

orb　was　encircled　by　a　ring。　〃If　they　are　coming；　Sir　Harry　will

let　them　move　in　before　the　twenty…ninth；　and　he　will　cross　out

the　clause　about　whitewashing　the　ceilings；　because　it　made　them

nervous；　and　put　in　the　fair　wear　and　tear　one。That　doesn't

count。　I　told　you　not　Saturn。〃



〃Saturn's　all　right　for　bumble…puppy；〃　cried　Freddy；　joining

them。　〃Minnie；　don't　yo