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第37节

a room with a view-第37节

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and truth; and vain will be their strife after virtue。 As the

years pass; they are censured。 Their pleasantry and their piety

show cracks; their wit becomes cynicism; their unselfishness

hypocrisy; they feel and produce discomfort wherever they go。

They have sinned against Eros and against Pallas Athene; and not

by any heavenly intervention; but by the ordinary course of

nature; those allied deities will be avenged。



Lucy entered this army when she pretended to George that she did

not love him; and pretended to Cecil that she loved no one。 The

night received her; as it had received Miss Bartlett thirty years

before。







Chapter XVIII: Lying to Mr。 Beebe; Mrs。 Honeychurch; Freddy; and

The Servants



Windy Corner lay; not on the summit of the ridge; but a few

hundred feet down the southern slope; at the springing of one of

the great buttresses that supported the hill。 On either side of

it was a shallow ravine; filled with ferns and pine…trees; and

down the ravine on the left ran the highway into the Weald。



Whenever Mr。 Beebe crossed the ridge and caught sight of these

noble dispositions of the earth; and; poised in the middle of

them; Windy Corner;he laughed。 The situation was so glorious;

the house so commonplace; not to say impertinent。 The late Mr。

Honeychurch had affected the cube; because it gave him the most

accommodation for his money; and the only addition made by his

widow had been a small turret; shaped like a rhinoceros' horn;

where she could sit in wet weather and watch the carts going up

and down the road。 So impertinentand yet the house 〃did;〃 for

it was the home of people who loved their surroundings honestly。

Other houses in the neighborhood had been built by expensive

architects; over others their inmates had fidgeted sedulously;

yet all these suggested the accidental; the temporary; while

Windy Corner seemed as inevitable as an ugliness of Nature's own

creation。 One might laugh at the house; but one never shuddered。

Mr。 Beebe was bicycling over this Monday afternoon with a piece

of gossip。 He had heard from the Miss Alans。 These admirable

ladies; since they could not go to Cissie Villa; had changed

their plans。 They were going to Greece instead。



〃Since Florence did my poor sister so much good;〃 wrote Miss

Catharine; 〃we do not see why we should not try Athens this

winter。 Of course; Athens is a plunge; and the doctor has ordered

her special digestive bread; but; after all; we can take that

with us; and it is only getting first into a steamer and then

into a train。 But is there an English Church?〃 And the letter

went on to say: 〃I do not expect we shall go any further than

Athens; but if you knew of a really comfortable pension at

Constantinople; we should be so grateful。〃



Lucy would enjoy this letter; and the smile with which Mr。 Beebe

greeted Windy Corner was partly for her。 She would see the fun of

it; and some of its beauty; for she must see some beauty。 Though

she was hopeless about pictures; and though she dressed so

unevenlyoh; that cerise frock yesterday at church!she must

see some beauty in life; or she could not play the piano as she

did。 He had a theory that musicians are incredibly complex; and

know far less than other artists what they want and what they

are; that they puzzle themselves as well as their friends; that

their psychology is a modern development; and has not yet been

understood。 This theory; had he known it; had possibly just been

illustrated by facts。 Ignorant of the events of yesterday he was

only riding over to get some tea; to see his niece; and to

observe whether Miss Honeychurch saw anything beautiful in the

desire of two old ladies to visit Athens。



A carriage was drawn up outside Windy Corner; and just as he

caught sight of the house it started; bowled up the drive; and

stopped abruptly when it reached the main road。 Therefore it must

be the horse; who always expected people to walk up the hill in

case they tired him。 The door opened obediently; and two men

emerged; whom Mr。 Beebe recognized as Cecil and Freddy。 They were

an odd couple to go driving; but he saw a trunk beside the

coachman's legs。 Cecil; who wore a bowler; must be going away;

while Freddy (a cap)was seeing him to the station。 They walked

rapidly; taking the short cuts; and reached the summit while the

carriage was still pursuing the windings of the road。



They shook hands with the clergyman; but did not speak。



〃So you're off for a minute; Mr。 Vyse?〃 he asked。



Cecil said; 〃Yes;〃 while Freddy edged away。



〃I was coming to show you this delightful letter from those

friends of Miss Honeychurch。 He quoted from it。 〃Isn't it

wonderful? Isn't it romance? most certainly they will go to

Constantinople。 They are taken in a snare that cannot fail。 They

will end by going round the world。〃



Cecil listened civilly; and said he was sure that Lucy would be

amused and interested。



〃Isn't Romance capricious! I never notice it in you young people;

you do nothing but play lawn tennis; and say that romance is

dead; while the Miss Alans are struggling with all the weapons of

propriety against the terrible thing。 'A really comfortable

pension at Constantinople!' So they call it out of decency; but

in their hearts they want a pension with magic windows opening on

the foam of perilous seas in fairyland forlorn! No ordinary view

will content the Miss Alans。 They want the Pension Keats。〃



〃I'm awfully sorry to interrupt; Mr。 Beebe;〃 said Freddy; 〃but

have you any matches?〃



〃I have;〃 said Cecil; and it did not escape Mr。 Beebe's notice

that he spoke to the boy more kindly。



〃You have never met these Miss Alans; have you; Mr。 Vyse?〃



〃Never。〃



〃Then you don't see the wonder of this Greek visit。 I haven't

been to Greece myself; and don't mean to go; and I can't imagine

any of my friends going。 It is altogether too big for our little

lot。 Don't you think so? Italy is just about as much as we can

manage。 Italy is heroic; but Greece is godlike or devilishI am

not sure which; and in either case absolutely out of our suburban

focus。 All right; FreddyI am not being clever; upon my word I

am notI took the idea from another fellow; and give me those

matches when you've done with them。〃 He lit a cigarette; and went

on talking to the two young men。 〃I was saying; if our poor

little Cockney lives must have a background; let it be Italian。

Big enough in all conscience。 The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

for me。 There the contrast is just as much as I can realize。 But

not the Parthenon; not the frieze of Phidias at any price; and

here comes the victoria。〃



〃You're quite right;〃 said Cecil。 〃Greece is not for our little

lot〃; and he got in。 Freddy followed; nodding to the clergyman;

whom he trusted not to be pulling one's leg; really。 And before

they had gone a dozen yards he jumped out; and came running back

for Vyse's match…box; which had not been returned。 As he took it;

he said: 〃I'm so glad you only talked about books。 Cecil's hard

hit。 Lucy won't marry him。 If you'd gone on about her; as you did

about them; he might have broken down。〃



〃But when〃



〃Late last night。 I must go。〃



〃Perhaps they won't want me down there。〃



〃Nogo on。 Good…bye。〃



〃Thank goodness!〃 exclaimed Mr。 Beebe to himself; and struck the

saddle of his bicycle approvingly; 〃It was the one foolish thing

she ever did。 Oh; what a glorious riddance!〃 And; after a little

thought; he negotiated the slope into Windy Corner; light of

heart。 The house was again as it ought to becut off forever

from Cecil's pretentious world。



He would find Miss Minnie down in the garden。



In the drawing…room Lucy was tinkling at a Mozart Sonata。 He

hesitated a moment; but went down the garden as requested。 There

he found a mournful company。 It was a blustering day; and the

wind had taken and broken the dahlias。 Mrs。 Honeychurch; who

looked cross; was tying them up; while Miss Bartlett; unsuitably

dressed; impeded her with offers of assistance。 At a little

distance stood Minnie and the 〃garden…child;〃 a minute

importation; each holding either end of a long piece of bass。



〃Oh; how do you do; Mr。 Beebe? Gracious what a mess everything

is! Look at my scarlet pompons; and the wind blowing your skirts

about; and the ground so hard that not a prop will stick in; and

then the carriage having to go out; when I had counted on having

Powell; whogive every one their duedoes tie up dahlias

properly。〃



Evidently Mrs。 Honeychurch was shattered。



〃How do you do?〃 said Miss Bartlett; with a meaning glance; as

though conveying that more than dahlias had been broken off by

the autumn gales。



〃Here; Lennie; the bass;〃 cried Mrs。 Honeychurch。 The

garden…child; who did not know what bass was; stood rooted to the

path with horror。 Minnie slipped to her uncle and whispered that

every one was very disag

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