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第8节

a room with a view-第8节

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as dreadful as you suppose。 She took to it; practically in

despair; after her life's work was carried away in a landslip。

Surely that makes it more excusable。〃



〃What was that?〃 asked Lucy。



Mr。 Beebe sat back complacently; and Miss Alan began as follows:

〃It was a noveland I am afraid; from what I can gather; not a

very nice novel。 It is so sad when people who have abilities

misuse them; and I must say they nearly always do。 Anyhow; she

left it almost finished in the Grotto of the Calvary at the

Capuccini Hotel at Amalfi while she went for a little ink。 She

said: 'Can I have a little ink; please?' But you know what

Italians are; and meanwhile the Grotto fell roaring on to the

beach; and the saddest thing of all is that she cannot remember

what she has written。 The poor thing was very ill after it; and

so got tempted into cigarettes。 It is a great secret; but I am

glad to say that she is writing another novel。 She told Teresa

and Miss Pole the other day that she had got up all the local

colourthis novel is to be about modern Italy; the other was

historicalbut that she could not start till she had an idea。

First she tried Perugia for an inspiration; then she came here

this must on no account get round。 And so cheerful through it

all! I cannot help thinking that there is something to admire in

every one; even if you do not approve of them。〃



Miss Alan was always thus being charitable against her better

judgment。 A delicate pathos perfumed her disconnected remarks;

giving them unexpected beauty; just as in the decaying autumn

woods there sometimes rise odours reminiscent of spring。 She felt

she had made almost too many allowances; and apologized hurriedly

for her toleration。



〃All the same; she is a little tooI hardly like to say

unwomanly; but she behaved most strangely when the Emersons

arrived。〃



Mr。 Beebe smiled as Miss Alan plunged into an anecdote which he

knew she would be unable to finish in the presence of a

gentleman。



〃I don't know; Miss Honeychurch; if you have noticed that Miss

Pole; the lady who has so much yellow hair; takes lemonade。 That

old Mr。 Emerson; who puts things very strangely〃



Her jaw dropped。 She was silent。 Mr。 Beebe; whose social

resources were endless; went out to order some tea; and she

continued to Lucy in a hasty whisper:



〃Stomach。 He warned Miss Pole of her stomach…acidity; he called

itand he may have meant to be kind。 I must say I forgot myself

and laughed; it was so sudden。 As Teresa truly said; it was no

laughing matter。 But the point is that Miss Lavish was positively

ATTRACTED by his mentioning S。; and said she liked plain

speaking; and meeting different grades of thought。 She thought

they were commercial travellers'drummers' was the word she

usedand all through dinner she tried to prove that England; our

great and beloved country; rests on nothing but commerce。 Teresa

was very much annoyed; and left the table before the cheese;

saying as she did so: 'There; Miss Lavish; is one who can confute

you better than I;' and pointed to that beautiful picture of Lord

Tennyson。 Then Miss Lavish said: 'Tut! The early Victorians。'

Just imagine! 'Tut! The early Victorians。' My sister had gone;

and I felt bound to speak。 I said: 'Miss Lavish; I am an early

Victorian; at least; that is to say; I will hear no breath of

censure against our dear Queen。' It was horrible speaking。 I

reminded her how the Queen had been to Ireland when she did not

want to go; and I must say she was dumbfounded; and made no

reply。 But; unluckily; Mr。 Emerson overheard this part; and

called in his deep voice: 'Quite so; quite so! I honour the woman

for her Irish visit。' The woman! I tell things so badly; but you

see what a tangle we were in by this time; all on account of S。

having been mentioned in the first place。 But that was not all。

After dinner Miss Lavish actually came up and said: 'Miss Alan; I

am going into the smoking…room to talk to those two nice men。

Come; too。' Needless to say; I refused such an unsuitable

invitation; and she had the impertinence to tell me that it would

broaden my ideas; and said that she had four brothers; all

University men; except one who was in the army; who always made a

point of talking to commercial travellers。〃



〃Let me finish the story;〃 said Mr。 Beebe; who had returned。



〃Miss Lavish tried Miss Pole; myself; every one; and finally

said: 'I shall go alone。' She went。 At the end of five minutes

she returned unobtrusively with a green baize board; and began

playing patience。〃



〃Whatever happened?〃 cried Lucy。



〃No one knows。 No one will ever know。 Miss Lavish will never dare

to tell; and Mr。 Emerson does not think it worth telling。〃



〃Mr。 Beebeold Mr。 Emerson; is he nice or not nice? I do so want

to know。〃



Mr。 Beebe laughed and suggested that she should settle the

question for herself。



〃No; but it is so difficult。 Sometimes he is so silly; and then I

do not mind him。 Miss Alan; what do you think? Is he nice?〃



The little old lady shook her head; and sighed disapprovingly。

Mr。 Beebe; whom the conversation amused; stirred her up by

saying:



〃I consider that you are bound to class him as nice; Miss Alan;

after that business of the violets。〃



〃Violets? Oh; dear! Who told you about the violets? How do things

get round? A pension is a bad place for gossips。 No; I cannot

forget how they behaved at Mr。 Eager's lecture at Santa Croce。

Oh; poor Miss Honeychurch! It really was too bad。 No; I have quite

changed。 I do NOT like the Emersons。 They are not nice。〃



Mr。 Beebe smiled nonchalantly。 He had made a gentle effort to

introduce the Emersons into Bertolini society; and the effort had

failed。 He was almost the only person who remained friendly to

them。 Miss Lavish; who represented intellect; was avowedly

hostile; and now the Miss Alans; who stood for good breeding;

were following her。 Miss Bartlett; smarting under an obligation;

would scarcely be civil。 The case of Lucy was different。 She had

given him a hazy account of her adventures in Santa Croce; and he

gathered that the two men had made a curious and possibly

concerted attempt to annex her; to show her the world from their

own strange standpoint; to interest her in their private sorrows

and joys。 This was impertinent; he did not wish their cause to be

championed by a young girl: he would rather it should fail。 After

all; he knew nothing about them; and pension joys; pension

sorrows; are flimsy things; whereas Lucy would be his

parishioner。



Lucy; with one eye upon the weather; finally said that she

thought the Emersons were nice; not that she saw anything of them

now。 Even their seats at dinner had been moved。



〃But aren't they always waylaying you to go out with them; dear?〃

said the little lady inquisitively。



〃Only once。 Charlotte didn't like it; and said somethingquite

politely; of course。〃



〃Most right of her。 They don't understand our ways。 They must

find their level。〃



Mr。 Beebe rather felt that they had gone under。 They had given up

their attemptif it was oneto conquer society; and now the

father was almost as silent as the son。 He wondered whether he

would not plan a pleasant day for these folk before they left

some expedition; perhaps; with Lucy well chaperoned to be nice to

them。 It was one of Mr。 Beebe's chief pleasures to provide people

with happy memories。



Evening approached while they chatted; the air became brighter;

the colours on the trees and hills were purified; and the Arno

lost its muddy solidity and began to twinkle。 There were a few

streaks of bluish…green among the clouds; a few patches of watery

light upon the earth; and then the dripping facade of San Miniato

shone brilliantly in the declining sun。



〃Too late to go out;〃 said Miss Alan in a voice of relief。 〃All

the galleries are shut。〃



〃I think I shall go out;〃 said Lucy。 〃I want to go round the town

in the circular tramon the platform by the driver。〃



Her two companions looked grave。 Mr。 Beebe; who felt responsible

for her in the absence of Miss Bartlett; ventured to say:



〃I wish we could。 Unluckily I have letters。 If you do want to go

out alone; won't you be better on your feet?〃



〃Italians; dear; you know;〃 said Miss Alan。



〃Perhaps I shall meet some one who reads me through and

through!〃



But they still looked disapproval; and she so far conceded to Mr。

Beebe as to say that she would only go for a little walk; and

keep to the street frequented by tourists。



〃She oughtn't really to go at all;〃 said Mr。 Beebe; as they

watched her from the window; 〃and she knows it。 I put it down to

too much Beethoven。〃







Chapter IV: Fourth Chapter



Mr。 Beebe was right。 Lucy never knew her desires so clearly as

after music。 She had not really appreciated the clergyman's wit;

nor the suggestive twitterings of Miss Alan。 Conversa

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