a room with a view-第7部分

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was；　from　rather　profound　reasons；　somewhat　chilly　in　his

attitude　towards　the　other　sex；　and　preferred　to　be　interested

rather　than　enthralled。



Lucy；　for　the　third　time；　said　that　poor　Charlotte　would　be

sopped。　The　Arno　was　rising　in　flood；　washing　away　the　traces　of

the　little　carts　upon　the　foreshore。　But　in　the　south…west　there

had　appeared　a　dull　haze　of　yellow；　which　might　mean　better

weather　if　it　did　not　mean　worse。　She　opened　the　window　to

inspect；　and　a　cold　blast　entered　the　room；　drawing　a　plaintive

cry　from　Miss　Catharine　Alan；　who　entered　at　the　same　moment　by

the　door。



〃Oh；　dear　Miss　Honeychurch；　you　will　catch　a　chill！　And　Mr。　Beebe

here　besides。　Who　would　suppose　this　is　Italy？　There　is　my　sister

actually　nursing　the　hot…water　can；　no　comforts　or　proper

provisions。〃



She　sidled　towards　them　and　sat　down；　self…conscious　as　she

always　was　on　entering　a　room　which　contained　one　man；　or　a　man

and　one　woman。



〃I　could　hear　your　beautiful　playing；　Miss　Honeychurch；　though　I

was　in　my　room　with　the　door　shut。　Doors　shut；　indeed；　most

necessary。　No　one　has　the　least　idea　of　privacy　in　this　country。

And　one　person　catches　it　from　another。〃



Lucy　answered　suitably。　Mr。　Beebe　was　not　able　to　tell　the　ladies

of　his　adventure　at　Modena；　where　the　chambermaid　burst　in　upon

him　in　his　bath；　exclaiming　cheerfully；　〃Fa　niente；　sono

vecchia。〃　He　contented　himself　with　saying：　〃I　quite　agree　with

you；　Miss　Alan。　The　Italians　are　a　most　unpleasant　people。　They

pry　everywhere；　they　see　everything；　and　they　know　what　we　want

before　we　know　it　ourselves。　We　are　at　their　mercy。　They　read　our

thoughts；　they　foretell　our　desires。　From　the　cab…driver　down

toto　Giotto；　they　turn　us　inside　out；　and　I　resent　it。　Yet　in

their　heart　of　hearts　they　arehow　superficial！　They　have　no

conception　of　the　intellectual　life。　How　right　is　Signora

Bertolini；　who　exclaimed　to　me　the　other　day：　'Ho；　Mr。　Beebe；　if

you　knew　what　I　suffer　over　the　children's　edjucaishion。　HI

won't　'ave　my　little　Victorier　taught　by　a　hignorant　Italian

what　can't　explain　nothink！'〃



Miss　Alan　did　not　follow；　but　gathered　that　she　was　being　mocked

in　an　agreeable　way。　Her　sister　was　a　little　disappointed　in　Mr。

Beebe；　having　expected　better　things　from　a　clergyman　whose　head

was　bald　and　who　wore　a　pair　of　russet　whiskers。　Indeed；　who

would　have　supposed　that　tolerance；　sympathy；　and　a　sense　of

humour　would　inhabit　that　militant　form？



In　the　midst　of　her　satisfaction　she　continued　to　sidle；　and　at

last　the　cause　was　disclosed。　From　the　chair　beneath　her　she

extracted　a　gun…metal　cigarette…case；　on　which　were　powdered　in

turquoise　the　initials　〃E。　L。〃



〃That　belongs　to　Lavish。〃　said　the　clergyman。　〃A　good　fellow；

Lavish；　but　I　wish　she'd　start　a　pipe。〃



〃Oh；　Mr。　Beebe；〃　said　Miss　Alan；　divided　between　awe　and　mirth。

〃Indeed；　though　it　is　dreadful　for　her　to　smoke；　it　is　not　quite

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　understan