太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > a room with a view >

第31节

a room with a view-第31节

小说: a room with a view 字数: 每页4000字

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!




anxious thing。  What WOULD you have me do? First you say 'Don't

tell'; and then you say; 'Tell'。 Which is it to be? Quick!〃



Miss Bartlett sighed 〃I am no match for you in conversation;

dearest。 I blush when I think how I interfered at Florence; and

you so well able to look after yourself; and so much cleverer in

all ways than I am。 You will never forgive me。〃



〃Shall we go out; then。 They will smash all the china if we

don't。〃



For the air rang with the shrieks of Minnie; who was being

scalped with a teaspoon。



〃Dear; one momentwe may not have this chance for a chat again。

Have you seen the young one yet?〃



〃Yes; I have。〃



〃What happened?〃



〃We met at the Rectory。〃



〃What line is he taking up?〃



〃No line。 He talked about Italy; like any other person。 It is

really all right。 What advantage would he get from being a cad;

to put it bluntly? I do wish I could make you see it my way。 He

really won't be any nuisance; Charlotte。〃



〃Once a cad; always a cad。 That is my poor opinion。〃



Lucy paused。 〃Cecil said one dayand I thought it so

profoundthat there are two kinds of cadsthe conscious and the

subconscious。〃 She paused again; to be sure of doing justice to

Cecil's profundity。 Through the window she saw Cecil himself;

turning over the pages of a novel。 It was a new one from Smith's

library。 Her mother must have returned from the station。



〃Once a cad; always a cad;〃 droned Miss Bartlett。



〃What I mean by subconscious is that Emerson lost his head。 I

fell into all those violets; and he was silly and surprised。 I

don't think we ought to blame him very much。 It makes such a

difference when you see a person with beautiful things behind him

unexpectedly。 It really does; it makes an enormous difference;

and he lost his head: he doesn't admire me; or any of that

nonsense; one straw。 Freddy rather likes him; and has asked him

up here on Sunday; so you can judge for yourself。 He has

improved; he doesn't always look as if he's going to burst into

tears。 He is a clerk in the General Manager's office at one of

the big railwaysnot a porter! and runs down to his father for

week…ends。 Papa was to do with journalism; but is rheumatic and

has retired。 There! Now for the garden。〃 She took hold of her

guest by the arm。 〃Suppose we don't talk about this silly Italian

business any more。 We want you to have a nice restful visit at

Windy Corner; with no worriting。〃



Lucy thought this rather a good speech。 The reader may have

detected an unfortunate slip in it。 Whether Miss Bartlett

detected the slip one cannot say; for it is impossible to

penetrate into the minds of elderly people。 She might have spoken

further; but they were interrupted by the entrance of her

hostess。 Explanations took place; and in the midst of them Lucy

escaped; the images throbbing a little more vividly in her brain。







Chapter XV: The Disaster Within



The Sunday after Miss Bartlett's arrival was a glorious day; like

most of the days of that year。 In the Weald; autumn approached;

breaking up the green monotony of summer; touching the parks with

the grey bloom of mist; the beech…trees with russet; the

oak…trees with gold。 Up on the heights; battalions of black pines

witnessed the change; themselves unchangeable。 Either country was

spanned by a cloudless sky; and in either arose the tinkle of

church bells。



The garden of Windy Corners was deserted except for a red book;

which lay sunning itself upon the gravel path。 From the house

came incoherent sounds; as of females preparing for worship。 〃The

men say they won't go〃 〃Well; I don't blame them〃 Minnie

says; need she go?〃 〃Tell her; no nonsense〃 〃Anne! Mary!

Hook me behind!〃 〃Dearest Lucia; may I trespass upon you for a

pin?〃 For Miss Bartlett had announced that she at all events was

one for church。



The sun rose higher on its journey; guided; not by Phaethon; but

by Apollo; competent; unswerving; divine。 Its rays fell on the

ladies whenever they advanced towards the bedroom windows; on

Mr。 Beebe down at Summer Street as he smiled over a letter from

Miss Catharine Alan; on George Emerson cleaning his father's

boots; and lastly; to complete the catalogue of memorable

things; on the red book mentioned previously。 The ladies move;

Mr。 Beebe moves; George moves; and movement may engender shadow。

But this book lies motionless; to be caressed all the morning by

the sun and to raise its covers slightly; as though acknowledging

the caress。



Presently Lucy steps out of the drawing…room window。 Her new

cerise dress has been a failure; and makes her look tawdry and

wan。 At her throat is a garnet brooch; on her finger a ring set

with rubiesan engagement ring。 Her eyes are bent to the Weald。

She frowns a littlenot in anger; but as a brave child frowns

when he is trying not to cry。 In all that expanse no human eye is

looking at her; and she may frown unrebuked and measure the

spaces that yet survive between Apollo and the western hills。



〃Lucy! Lucy! What's that book? Who's been taking a book out of

the shelf and leaving it about to spoil?〃



〃It's only the library book that Cecil's been reading。〃



〃But pick it up; and don't stand idling there like a flamingo。〃



Lucy picked up the book and glanced at the title listlessly;

Under a Loggia。 She no longer read novels herself; devoting all

her spare time to solid literature in the hope of catching Cecil

up。 It was dreadful how little she knew; and even when she

thought she knew a thing; like the Italian painters; she found

she had forgotten it。 Only this morning she had confused

Francesco Francia with Piero della Francesca; and Cecil had

said; 〃What! you aren't forgetting your Italy already?〃 And this

too had lent anxiety to her eyes when she saluted the dear view

and the dear garden in the foreground; and above them; scarcely

conceivable elsewhere; the dear sun。



〃Lucyhave you a sixpence for Minnie and a shilling for

yourself?〃



She hastened in to her mother; who was rapidly working herself

into a Sunday fluster。



〃It's a special collectionI forget what for。 I do beg; no

vulgar clinking in the plate with halfpennies; see that Minnie

has a nice bright sixpence。 Where is the child? Minnie! That

book's all warped。 (Gracious; how plain you look!) Put it under

the Atlas to press。 Minnie!〃



〃Oh; Mrs。 Honeychurch〃 from the upper regions。



〃Minnie; don't be late。 Here comes the horse〃 it was always the

horse; never the carriage。 〃Where's Charlotte? Run up and hurry

her。 Why is she so long? She had nothing to do。 She never brings

anything but blouses。 Poor Charlotte How I do detest blouses!

Minnie!〃



Paganism is infectiousmore infectious than diphtheria or piety

and the Rector's niece was taken to church protesting。 As

usual; she didn't see why。 Why shouldn't she sit in the sun with

the young men? The young men; who had now appeared; mocked her

with ungenerous words。 Mrs。 Honeychurch defended orthodoxy; and

in the midst of the confusion Miss Bartlett; dressed in the very

height of the fashion; came strolling down the stairs。



〃Dear Marian; I am very sorry; but I have no small change

nothing but sovereigns and half crowns。 Could any one give me〃



〃Yes; easily。 Jump in。 Gracious me; how smart you look! What a

lovely frock! You put us all to shame。〃



〃If I did not wear my best rags and tatters now; when should I

wear them?〃 said Miss Bartlett reproachfully。 She got into the

victoria and placed herself with her back to the horse。 The

necessary roar ensued; and then they drove off。



〃Good…bye! Be good!〃 called out Cecil。



Lucy bit her lip; for the tone was sneering。 On the subject of

〃church and so on〃 they had had rather an unsatisfactory

conversation。 He had said that people ought to overhaul

themselves; and she did not want to overhaul herself; she did not

know it was done。 Honest orthodoxy Cecil respected; but he always

assumed that honesty is the result of a spiritual crisis; he

could not imagine it as a natural birthright; that might grow

heavenward like flowers。 All that he said on this subject pained

her; though he exuded tolerance from every pore; somehow the

Emersons were different。



She saw the Emersons after church。 There was a line of carriages

down the road; and the Honeychurch vehicle happened to be

opposite Cissie Villa。 To save time; they walked over the green

to it; and found father and son smoking in the garden。



〃Introduce me;〃 said her mother。 〃Unless the young man considers

that he knows me already。〃



He probably did; but Lucy ignored the Sacred Lake and introduced

them formally。 Old Mr。 Emerson claimed her with much warmth; and

said how glad he was that she was going to be married。 She said

yes; she was glad too; and then; as Miss Bartlett and Minnie were

lingering behind with Mr。 Beebe; she turned the conversation to a

less disturbing to

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 0

你可能喜欢的