a room with a view- 第30部分

in　its　innumerable　folds　some　town　or　village　that　would　do　for

Florence。　Ah；　how　beautiful　the　Weald　looked！



But　now　Cecil　claimed　her。　He　chanced　to　be　in　a　lucid　critical

mood；　and　would　not　sympathize　with　exaltation。　He　had　been

rather　a　nuisance　all　through　the　tennis；　for　the　novel　that　he

was　reading　was　so　bad　that　he　was　obliged　to　read　it　aloud　to

others。　He　would　stroll　round　the　precincts　of　the　court　and　call

out：　〃I　say；　listen　to　this；　Lucy。　Three　split　infinitives。〃



〃Dreadful！〃　said　Lucy；　and　missed　her　stroke。　When　they　had

finished　their　set；　he　still　went　on　reading；　there　was　some

murder　scene；　and　really　every　one　must　listen　to　it。　Freddy　and

Mr。　Floyd　were　obliged　to　hunt　for　a　lost　ball　in　the　laurels；

but　the　other　two　acquiesced。



〃The　scene　is　laid　in　Florence。〃



〃What　fun；　Cecil！　Read　away。　Come；　Mr。　Emerson；　sit　down　after

all　your　energy。〃　She　had　〃forgiven〃　George；　as　she　put　it；　and

she　made　a　point　of　being　pleasant　to　him。



He　jumped　over　the　net　and　sat　down　at　her　feet　asking：　〃Youand

are　you　tired？〃



〃Of　course　I'm　not！〃



〃Do　you　mind　being　beaten？〃



She　was　going　to　answer；　〃No；〃　when　it　struck　her　that　she　did

mind；　so　she　answered；　〃Yes。〃　She　added　merrily；　〃I　don't　see

you're　such　a　splendid　player；　though。　The　light　was　behind　you；

and　it　was　in　my　eyes。〃



〃I　never　said　I　was。〃



〃Why；　you　did！〃



〃You　didn't　attend。〃



〃You　saidoh；　don't　go　in　for　accuracy　at　this　house。　We　all

exaggerate；　and　we　get　very　angry　with　people　who　don't。〃



〃'The　scene　is　laid　in　Florence；'〃　repeated　Cecil；　with　an　upward

note。



Lucy　recollected　herself。



〃'Sunset。　Leonora　was　speeding'〃



Lucy　interrupted。　〃Leonora？　Is　Leonora　the　heroine？　Who's　the

book　by？〃



〃Joseph　Emery　Prank。　'Sunset。　Leonora　speeding　across　the　square。

Pray　the　saints　she　might　not　arrive　too　late。　Sunsetthe　sunset

of　Italy。　Under　Orcagna's　Loggiathe　Loggia　de'　Lanzi；　as　we

sometimes　call　it　now'〃



Lucy　burst　into　laughter。　〃'Joseph　Emery　Prank'　indeed！　Why　it's

Miss　Lavish！　It's　Miss　Lavish's　novel；　and　she's　publishing　it

under　somebody　else's　name。〃



〃Who　may　Miss　Lavish　be？〃



〃Oh；　a　dreadful　personMr。　Emerson；　you　remember　Miss　Lavish？〃



Excited　by　her　pleasant　afternoon；　she　clapped　her　hands。



George　looked　up。　〃Of　course　I　do。　I　saw　her　the　day　I　arrived　at

Summer　Street。　It　was　she　who　told　me　that　you　lived　here。〃



〃Weren't　you　pleased？〃　She　meant　〃to　see　Miss　Lavish；〃　but　when

he　bent　down　to　the　grass　without　replying；　it　struck　her　that

she　could　mean　something　else。　She　watched　his　head；　which　was

almost　resting　against　her　knee；　and　she　thought　that　the　ears

were　reddening。　〃No　wonder　the　novel's　bad；〃　she　added。　〃I　never

liked　Miss　Lavish。　But　I　suppose　one　ought　to　read　it　as　one's

met　her。〃



〃All　modern　books　are　bad；〃　said　Cecil；　who　was　annoyed　at　her

inattention；　and　vented　his　annoyance　on　literature。　〃Every　one

writes　for　money　in　these　days。〃



〃Oh；　Cecil！〃



〃It　is　so。　I　will　inflict　Joseph　Emery　Prank　on　you　no　longer。〃



Cecil；　this　afternoon　seemed　such　a　twittering　sparrow。　The　ups

and　downs　in　his　voice　were　noticeable；　but　they　did　not　affect

her。　She　had　dwelt　amongst　melody　and　movement；　and　her　nerves

refused　to　answer　to　the　clang　of　his。　Leaving　him　to　be　annoyed；

she　gazed　at　the　black　head　again。　She　did　not　want　to　stroke　it；

but　she　saw　herself　wanting　to　stroke　it；　the　sensation　was

curious。



〃How　do　you　like　this　view　of　ours；　Mr。　Emerson？〃



〃I　never　notice　much　difference　in　views。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃



〃Because　they're　all　alike。　Because　all　that　matters　in　them　is

distance　and　air。〃



〃H'm！〃　said　Cecil；　uncertain　whether　the　remark　was　striking　or

not。



〃My　father〃he　looked　up　at　her　（and　he　was　a　little　flushed）

〃says　that　there　is　only　one　perfect　viewthe　view　of　the　sky

straight　over　our　heads；　and　that　all　these　views　on　earth　are

but　bungled　copies　of　it。〃



〃I　expect　your　father　has　been　reading　Dante；〃　said　Cecil；

fingering　the　novel；　which　alone　permitted　him　to　lead　the

conversation。



〃He　told　us　another　day　that　views　are　really　crowdscrowds　of

trees　and　houses　and　hillsand　are　bound　to　resemble　each　other；

like　human　crowdsand　that　the　power　they　have　over　us　is

sometimes　supernatural；　for　the　same　reason。〃



Lucy's　lips　parted。



〃For　a　crowd　is　more　than　the　people　who　make　it　up。　Something

gets　added　to　itno　one　knows　howjust　as　something　has　got

added　to　those　hills。〃



He　pointed　with　his　racquet　to　the　South　Downs。



〃What　a　splendid　idea！〃　she　murmured。　〃I　shall　enjoy　hearing　your

father　talk　again。　I'm　so　sorry　he's　not　so　well。〃



〃No；　he　isn't　well。〃



〃There's　an　absurd　account　of　a　view　in　this　book；〃　said　Cecil。

〃Also　that　men　fall　into　two　classesthose　who　forget　views　and

those　who　remember　them；　even　in　small　rooms。〃



〃Mr。　Emerson；　have　you　any　brothers　or　sisters？〃



〃None。　Why？〃



〃You　spoke　of　'us。'〃



〃My　mother；　I　was　meaning。〃



Cecil　closed　the　novel　with　a　bang。



〃Oh；　Cecilhow　you　made　me　jump！〃



〃I　will　inflict　Joseph　Emery　Prank　on　you　no　longer。〃



〃I　can　just　remember　us　all　three　going　into　the　country　for　the

day　and　seeing　as　far　as　Hindhead。　It　is　the　first　thing　that　I

remember。〃



Cecil　got　up；　the　man　was　ill…bredhe　hadn't　put　on　his　coat

after　tennishe　didn't　do。　He　would　have　strolled　away　if　Lucy

had　not　stopped　him。



〃Cecil；　do　read　the　thing　about　the　view。〃



〃Not　while　Mr。　Emerson　is　here　to　entertain　us。〃



〃Noread　away。　I　think　nothing's　funnier　than　to　hear　silly

things　read　out　loud。　If　Mr。　Emerson　thinks　us　frivolous；　he　can

go。〃



This　struck　Cecil　as　subtle；　and　pleased　him。　It　put　their

visitor　in　the　position　of　a　prig。　Somewhat　mollified；　he　sat

down　again。



〃Mr。　Emerson；　go　and　find　tennis　balls。〃　She　opened　the　book。

Cecil　must　have　his　reading　and　anything　else　that　he　liked。　But

her　attention　wandered　to　George's　mother；　whoaccording　to　Mr。

Eagerhad　been　murdered　in　the　sight　of　God　according　to　her

sonhad　seen　as　far　as　Hindhead。



〃Am　I　really　to　go？〃　asked　George。



〃No；　of　course　not　really；〃　she　answered。



〃Chapter　two；〃　said　Cecil；　yawning。　〃Find　me　chapter　two；　if　it

isn't　bothering　you。〃



Chapter　two　was　found；　and　she　glanced　at　its　opening　sentences。



She　thought　she　had　gone　mad。



〃Herehand　me　the　book。〃



She　heard　her　voice　saying：　〃It　isn't　worth　readingit's　too

silly　to　readI　never　saw　such　rubbishit　oughtn't　to　be

allowed　to　be　printed。〃



He　took　the　book　from　her。



〃'Leonora；'〃　he　read；　〃'sat　pensive　and　alone。　Before　her　lay　the

rich　champaign　of　Tuscany；　dotted　over　with　many　a　smiling

village。　The　season　was　spring。'〃



Miss　Lavish　knew；　somehow；　and　had　printed　the　past　in　draggled

prose；　for　Cecil　to　read　and　for　George　to　hear。



〃'A　golden　haze；'〃　he　read。　He　read：　〃'Afar　off　the　towers　of

Florence；　while　the　bank　on　which　she　sat　was　carpeted　with

violets。　All　unobserved　Antonio　stole　up　behind　her'〃



Lest　Cecil　should　see　her　face　she　turned　to　George　and　saw　his

face。



He　read：　〃'There　came　from　his　lips　no　wordy　protestation　such　as

formal　lovers　use。　No　eloquence　was　his；　nor　did　he　suffer　from

the　lack　of　it。　He　simply　enfolded　her　in　his　manly　arms。'〃



〃This　isn't　the　passage　I　wanted；〃　he　informed　them。　〃there　is

another　much　funnier；　further　on。〃　He　turned　over　the　leaves。



〃Should　we　go　in　to　tea？〃　said　Lucy；　whose　voice　remained　steady。



She　led　the　way　up　the　garden；　Cecil　following　her；　George　last。

She　thought　a　disaster　was　averted。　But　when　they　entered　the

shrubbery　it　came。　The　book；　as　if　it　had　not　worked　mischief

enough；　had　been　forgotten；　and　Cecil　must　go　back　for　it；　and

George；　who　loved　passionately；　must　blunder　against　her　in　the

narrow　path。



〃No〃　she　gasped；　and；　for　the　second　time；　was　kissed　by　him。



As　if　no　more　was　possible；　he　slipped　back；　Cecil　rejoined　her；

they　reached　the　upper　lawn　alone。







Chapter　XVI：　Lying　to　George



But　Lucy　had　developed　since　the　spring。　That　is　to　say；　she　was

now　better　able　to　stifle　the　emotions　of　which　the　conventions

and　the　world　disapprove。　Though　the　danger　was　greater；　she　was

not　shaken　by　deep　sobs。　She　said　to　Cecil；　〃I　am　not　coming　in

to　teatell　motherI　must　write　some　letters；〃　and　went　up　to

her　room。　Then　she　prepared　for　action。　Love　felt　and

returned；　love　which　our　bodies　exact　and　our　hearts　have

transfigured；　love　which　is　the　most　real　thing　that　we　shall

ever　meet；　reappeared　now　as　the　world's　enemy；　and　she　must

stifle　it。



She　sent　for　Miss　Bartlett。



The　contest　lay　not　between　love　and　duty。　Perhaps　there　never　is

such　a　contest。　It　lay　between　the　real　and　the　pretended；　and

Lucy's　first　aim　was　to　defeat　herself。　As　her　brain　clouded

over；　as　the　memory　of　the　views　grew　dim　and　the　words　of　the

book　died　away；　she　returned　to　her　old　shibboleth　of　nerves。　She

〃conquered　her　breakdown。〃　Tampering　with　the　truth；　she　forgot

that　the　truth　had　ever　been。　Remembering　that　she　was　engaged　to

Cecil；　she　compelled　herself　to　confused　remembrances　of　George；

he　was　nothing　to　her；　he　never　had　been　anything；　he　had　behaved

abominably；　she　had　never　encouraged　him。　The　armour　of　falsehood

is　subtly　wrought　out　of　darkness；　and　hides　a　man　not　only　from

others；　but　from　his　own　soul。　In　a　few　moments　Lucy　was　equipped

for　battle。



〃Something　too　awful　has　happened；〃　she　began；　as　soon　as　her

cousin　arrived。　〃Do　you　know　anything　about　Miss　Lavish's　novel？〃



Miss　Bartlett　looked　surprised；　and　said　that　she　had　not　read

the　book；　nor　known　that　it　was　published；　Eleanor　was　a　reticent

woman　at　heart。



〃There　is　a　scene　in　it。　The　hero　and　heroine　make　lov