a room with a view- 第40部分

interesting。　George；　who　disliked　any　darkness；　said：　〃It's　clear

that　she　knew。　Then；　why　did　she　risk　the　meeting？　She　knew　he

was　there；　and　yet　she　went　to　church。〃



They　tried　to　piece　the　thing　together。



As　they　talked；　an　incredible　solution　came　into　Lucy's　mind。　She

rejected　it；　and　said：　〃How　like　Charlotte　to　undo　her　work　by　a

feeble　muddle　at　the　last　moment。〃　But　something　in　the　dying

evening；　in　the　roar　of　the　river；　in　their　very　embrace　warned

them　that　her　words　fell　short　of　life；　and　George　whispered：　〃Or

did　she　mean　it？〃



〃Mean　what？〃



〃Signorino；　domani　faremo　uno　giro〃



Lucy　bent　forward　and　said　with　gentleness：　〃Lascia；　prego；

lascia。　Siamo　sposati。〃



〃Scusi　tanto；　signora；〃　he　replied　in　tones　as　gentle　and

whipped　up　his　horse。



〃Buona　serae　grazie。〃



〃Niente。〃



The　cabman　drove　away　singing。



〃Mean　what；　George？〃



He　whispered：　〃Is　it　this？　Is　this　possible？　I'll　put　a　marvel　to

you。　That　your　cousin　has　always　hoped。　That　from　the　very　first

moment　we　met；　she　hoped；　far　down　in　her　mind；　that　we　should　be

like　thisof　course；　very　far　down。　That　she　fought　us　on　the

surface；　and　yet　she　hoped。　I　can't　explain　her　any　other　way。

Can　you？　Look　how　she　kept　me　alive　in　you　all　the　summer；　how

she　gave　you　no　peace；　how　month　after　month　she　became　more

eccentric　and　unreliable。　The　sight　of　us　haunted　heror　she

couldn't　have　described　us　as　she　did　to　her　friend。　There　are

detailsit　burnt。　I　read　the　book　afterwards。　She　is　not　frozen；

Lucy；　she　is　not　withered　up　all　through。　She　tore　us　apart

twice；　but　in　the　rectory　that　evening　she　was　given　one　more

chance　to　make　us　happy。　We　can　never　make　friends　with　her　or

thank　her。　But　I　do　believe　that；　far　down　in　her　heart；　far

below　all　speech　and　behaviour；　she　is　glad。〃



〃It　is　impossible；〃　murmured　Lucy；　and　then；　remembering　the

experiences　of　her　own　heart；　she　said：　〃Noit　is　just

possible。〃



Youth　enwrapped　them；　the　song　of　Phaethon　announced　passion

requited；　love　attained。　But　they　were　conscious　of　a　love　more

mysterious　than　this。　The　song　died　away；　they　heard　the　river；

bearing　down　the　snows　of　winter　into　the　Mediterranean。











End