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Street she has been away。 You saw her； didn't you； at Rome and in
the Alps。 Oh； I forgot； of course； you knew her before。 No； she
wasn't wonderful in Florence either； but I kept on expecting that
she would be。〃
〃In what way？〃
Conversation had become agreeable to them； and they were pacing
up and down the terrace。
〃I could as easily tell you what tune she'll play next。 There was
simply the sense that she had found wings； and meant to use them。
I can show you a beautiful picture in my Italian diary： Miss
Honeychurch as a kite； Miss Bartlett holding the string。 Picture
number two： the string breaks。〃
The sketch was in his diary； but it had been made afterwards；
when he viewed things artistically。 At the time he had given
surreptitious tugs to the string himself。
〃But the string never broke？〃
〃No。 I mightn't have seen Miss Honeychurch rise； but I should
certainly have heard Miss Bartlett fall。〃
〃It has broken now；〃 said the young man in low； vibrating tones。
Immediately he realized that of all the conceited； ludicrous；
contemptible ways of announcing an engagement this was the worst。
He cursed his love of metaphor； had he suggested that he was a
star and that Lucy was soaring up to reach him？
〃Broken？ What do you mean？〃
〃I meant；〃 said Cecil stiffly； 〃that she is going to marry me。〃
The clergyman was conscious of some bitter disappointment which
he could not keep out of his voice。
〃I am sorry； I must apologize。 I had no idea you were intimate
with her； or I should never have talked in this flippant；
superficial way。 Mr。 Vyse； you ought to have stopped me。〃 And
down the garden he saw Lucy herself； yes； he was disappointed。
Cecil； who naturally preferred congratulations to apologies； drew
down his mouth at the corners。 Was this the reception his action
would get from the world？ Of course； he despised the world as a
whole； every thoughtful man should； it is almost a test of
refinement。 But he was sensitive to the successive particles of
it which he encountered。
Occasionally he could be quite crude。
〃I am sorry I have given you a shock；〃 he said dryly。 〃I fear
that Lucy's choice does not meet with your approval。〃
〃Not that。 But you ought to have stopped me。 I know Miss
Honeychurch only a little as time goes。 Perhaps I oughtn't to
have discussed her so freely with any one； certainly not with
you。〃
〃You are conscious of having said something indiscreet？〃
Mr。 Beebe pulled himself together。 Really； Mr。 Vyse had the art
of placing one in the most tiresome positions。 He was driven to
use the prerogatives of his profession。
〃No； I have said nothing indiscreet。 I foresaw at Florence that
her quiet； uneventful childhood must end； and it has ended。 I
realized dimly enough that she might take some momentous step。
She has taken it。 She has learntyou will let me talk freely； as
I have begun freelyshe has learnt what it is to love： the
greatest lesson； some people will tell you； that our earthly life
provides。〃 It was now time for him to wave his hat at the
approaching trio。 He did not omit to do so。 〃She has learnt
through you；〃 and if his voice was still clerical； it was now
also sincere； 〃let it be your care that her knowledge is
profitable to her。〃
〃Grazie tante！〃 said Cecil； who did not like parsons。
〃Have you heard？〃 shouted Mrs。 Honeychurch as she toiled up the
sloping garden。 〃Oh； Mr。 Beebe； have you heard the news？〃
Freddy； now full of geniality； whistled the wedding march。 Youth
seldom criticizes the accomplished fact。
〃Indeed I have！〃 he cried。 He looked at Lucy。 In her presence he
could not act the parson any longerat all events not without
apology。 〃Mrs。 Honeychurch； I'm going to do what I am always
supposed to do； but generally I'm too shy。 I want to invoke every
kind of blessing on them； grave and gay； great and small。
I want them all their lives to be supremely good and supremely
happy as husband and wife； as father and mother。 And now I want
my tea。〃
〃You only asked for it just in time；〃 the lady retorted。 〃How
dare you be serious at Windy Corner？〃
He took his tone from her。 There was no more heavy beneficence；
no more attempts to dignify the situation with poetry or the
Scriptures。 None of them dared or was able to be serious any
more。
An engagement is so potent a thing that sooner or later it
reduces all who speak of it to this state of cheerful awe。 Away
from it； in the solitude of their rooms； Mr。 Beebe； and even
Freddy； might again be critical。 But in its presence and in the
presence of each other they were sincerely hilarious。 It has a
strange power； for it compels not only the lips； but the very
heart。 The chief parallel to compare one great thing with
anotheris the power over us of a temple of some alien creed。
Standing outside； we deride or oppose it； or at the most feel
sentimental。 Inside； though the saints and gods are not ours； we
become true believers； in case any true believer should be
present。
So it was that after the gropings and the misgivings of the
afternoon they pulled themselves together and settled down to a
very pleasant tea…party。 If they were hypocrites they did not
know it； and their hypocrisy had every chance of setting and of
becoming true。 Anne； putting down each plate as if it were a
wedding present； stimulated them greatly。 They could not lag
behind that smile of hers which she gave them ere she kicked the
drawing…room door。 Mr。 Beebe chirruped。 Freddy was at his
wittiest； referring to Cecil as the 〃Fiasco〃family honoured pun
on fiance。 Mrs。 Honeychurch； amusing and portly； promised well as
a mother…in…law。 As for Lucy and Cecil； for whom the temple had
been built； they also joined in the merry ritual； but waited； as
earnest worshippers should； for the disclosure of some holier
shrine of joy。
Chapter IX： Lucy As a Work of Art
A few days after the engagement was announced Mrs。 Honeychurch
made Lucy and her Fiasco come to a little garden…party in the
neighbourhood； for naturally she wanted to show people that her
daughter was marrying a presentable man。
Cecil was more than presentable； he looked distinguished； and it
was very pleasant to see his slim figure keeping step with Lucy；
and his long； fair face responding when Lucy spoke to him。 People
congratulated Mrs。 Honeychurch； which is； I believe； a social
blunder； but it pleased her； and she introduced Cecil rather
indiscriminately to some stuffy dowagers。
At tea a misfortune took place： a cup of coffee was upset over
Lucy's figured silk； and though Lucy feigned indifference； her
mother feigned nothing of the sort but dragged her indoors to
have the frock treated by a sympathetic maid。 They were gone some
time； and Cecil was left with the dowagers。 When they returned he
was not as pleasant as he had been。
〃Do you go to much of this sort of thing？〃 he asked when they
were driving home。
〃Oh； now and then；〃 said Lucy； who had rather enjoyed herself。
〃Is it typical of country society？〃
〃I suppose so。 Mother； would it be？〃
〃Plenty of society；〃 said Mrs。 Honeychurch； who was trying to
remember the hang of one of the dresses。
Seeing that her thoughts were elsewhere； Cecil bent towards Lucy
and said：
〃To me it seemed perfectly appalling； disastrous； portentous。〃
〃I am so sorry that you were stranded。〃
〃Not that； but the congratulations。 It is so disgusting； the way
an engagement is regarded as public propertya kind of waste
place where every outsider may shoot his vulgar sentiment。 All
those old women smirking！〃
〃One has to go through it； I suppose。 They won't notice us so
much next time。〃
〃But my point is that their whole attitude is wrong。 An
engagementhorrid word in the first placeis a private matter；
and should be treated as such。〃
Yet the smirking old women； however wrong individually； were
racially correct。 The spirit of the generations had smiled
through them； rejoicing in the engagement of Cecil and Lucy
because it promised the continuance of life on earth。 To Cecil
and Lucy it promised something quite differentpersonal love。
Hence Cecil's irritation and Lucy's belief that his irritation
was just。
〃How tiresome！〃 she said。 〃Couldn't you have escaped to tennis？〃
〃I don't play tennisat least； not in public。 The neighbourhood
is deprived of the romance of me being athletic。 Such romance as
I have is that of the Inglese Italianato。〃
〃Inglese Italianato？〃
〃E un diavolo incarnato！ You know the proverb？〃
She did not。 Nor did it seem applicable to a young man who had
spent a quiet winter in Rome with his mother。 But Cecil； since
his engagement； had taken to affect a cosmopolitan naughtiness
which he was far from possessing。
〃Well；〃 said he； 〃I cannot help it if they do disapprove of me。
There are cer