友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

a room with a view-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




decorative。



Mr。 Flack replied that all the columns had been ordered; adding;

〃and all the capitals differentone with dragons in the foliage;

another approaching to the Ionian style; another introducing Mrs。

Flack's initialsevery one different。〃 For he had read his

Ruskin。 He built his villas according to his desire; and not until

he had inserted an immovable aunt into one of them did Sir Harry

buy。



This futile and unprofitable transaction filled the knight with

sadness as he leant on Mrs。 Honeychurch's carriage。 He had

failed in his duties to the country…side; and the country…side

was laughing at him as well。 He had spent money; and yet Summer

Street was spoilt as much as ever。 All he could do now was to

find a desirable tenant for 〃Cissie〃some one really desirable。



〃The rent is absurdly low;〃 he told them; 〃and perhaps I am an

easy landlord。 But it is such an awkward size。 It is too large

for the peasant class and too small for any one the least like

ourselves。〃



Cecil had been hesitating whether he should despise the villas or

despise Sir Harry for despising them。 The latter impulse seemed

the more fruitful。



〃You ought to find a tenant at once;〃 he said maliciously。 〃It

would be a perfect paradise for a bank clerk。〃



〃Exactly!〃 said Sir Harry excitedly。 〃That is exactly what I

fear; Mr。 Vyse。 It will attract the wrong type of people。 The

train service has improveda fatal improvement; to my mind。 And

what are five miles from a station in these days of bicycles?〃



〃Rather a strenuous clerk it would be;〃 said Lucy。



Cecil; who had his full share of mediaeval mischievousness;

replied that the physique of the lower middle classes was

improving at a most appalling rate。 She saw that he was laughing

at their harmless neighbour; and roused herself to stop him。



〃Sir Harry!〃 she exclaimed; 〃I have an idea。 How would you like

spinsters?〃



〃My dear Lucy; it would be splendid。 Do you know any such?〃



〃Yes; I met them abroad。〃



〃Gentlewomen?〃 he asked tentatively。



〃Yes; indeed; and at the present moment homeless。 I heard from

them last weekMiss Teresa and Miss Catharine Alan。 I'm really

not joking。 They are quite the right people。 Mr。 Beebe knows

them; too。 May I tell them to write to you?〃



〃Indeed you may!〃 he cried。 〃Here we are with the difficulty

solved already。 How delightful it is!  Extra facilitiesplease

tell them they shall have extra facilities; for I shall have no

agents' fees。 Oh; the agents! The appalling people they have sent

me! One woman; when I wrotea tactful letter; you knowasking

her to explain her social position to me; replied that she would

pay the rent in advance。 As if one cares about that! And several

references I took up were most unsatisfactorypeople swindlers;

or not respectable。 And oh; the deceit! I have seen a good deal

of the seamy side this last week。 The deceit of the most

promising people。 My dear Lucy; the deceit!〃



She nodded。



〃My advice;〃 put in Mrs。 Honeychurch; 〃is to have nothing to do

with Lucy and her decayed gentlewomen at all。 I know the type。

Preserve me from people who have seen better days; and bring

heirlooms with them that make the house smell stuffy。 It's a

sad thing; but I'd far rather let to some one who is going up in

the world than to some one who has come down。〃



〃I think I follow you;〃 said Sir Harry; 〃but it is; as you say; a

very sad thing。〃



〃The Misses Alan aren't that!〃 cried Lucy。



〃Yes; they are;〃 said Cecil。 〃I haven't met them but I should say

they were a highly unsuitable addition to the neighbourhood。〃



〃Don't listen to him; Sir Harryhe's tiresome。〃



〃It's I who am tiresome;〃 he replied。 〃I oughtn't to come with my

troubles to young people。 But really I am so worried; and Lady

Otway will only say that I cannot be too careful; which is quite

true; but no real help。〃



〃Then may I write to my Misses Alan?〃



〃Please!〃



But his eye wavered when Mrs。 Honeychurch exclaimed:



〃Beware! They are certain to have canaries。 Sir Harry; beware of

canaries: they spit the seed out through the bars of the cages

and then the mice come。 Beware of women altogether。 Only let to a

man。〃



〃Really〃 he murmured gallantly; though he saw the wisdom of her

remark。



〃Men don't gossip over tea…cups。 If they get drunk; there's an

end of themthey lie down comfortably and sleep it off。 If

they're vulgar; they somehow keep it to themselves。 It doesn't

spread so。 Give me a manof course; provided he's clean。〃



Sir Harry blushed。 Neither he nor Cecil enjoyed these open

compliments to their sex。 Even the exclusion of the dirty did not

leave them much distinction。 He suggested that Mrs。 Honeychurch;

if she had time; should descend from the carriage and inspect

〃Cissie〃 for herself。 She was delighted。 Nature had intended her

to be poor and to live in such a house。 Domestic arrangements

always attracted her; especially when they were on a small

scale。



Cecil pulled Lucy back as she followed her mother。



〃Mrs。 Honeychurch;〃 he said; 〃what if we two walk home and leave

you?〃



〃Certainly!〃 was her cordial reply。



Sir Harry likewise seemed almost too glad to get rid of them。 He

beamed at them knowingly; said; 〃Aha! young people; young people!〃

and then hastened to unlock the house。



〃Hopeless vulgarian!〃 exclaimed Cecil; almost before they were

out of earshot;



〃Oh; Cecil!〃



〃I can't help it。 It would be wrong not to loathe that man。〃



〃He isn't clever; but really he is nice。〃



〃No; Lucy; he stands for all that is bad in country life。 In

London he would keep his place。 He would belong to a brainless

club; and his wife would give brainless dinner parties。 But down

here he acts the little god with his gentility; and his

patronage; and his sham aesthetics; and every oneeven your

motheris taken in。〃



〃All that you say is quite true;〃 said Lucy; though she felt

discouraged。 〃I wonder whetherwhether it matters so very much。〃



〃It matters supremely。 Sir Harry is the essence of that

garden…party。 Oh; goodness; how cross I feel! How I do hope he'll

get some vulgar tenant in that villasome woman so really vulgar

that he'll notice it。 GENTLEFOLKS! Ugh! with his bald head and

retreating chin! But let's forget him。〃



This Lucy was glad enough to do。 If Cecil disliked Sir Harry

Otway and Mr。 Beebe; what guarantee was there that the people

who really mattered to her would escape? For instance; Freddy。

Freddy was neither clever; nor subtle; nor beautiful; and what

prevented Cecil from saying; any minute; 〃It would be wrong not

to loathe Freddy〃? And what would she reply? Further than Freddy

she did not go; but he gave her anxiety enough。 She could only

assure herself that Cecil had known Freddy some time; and that

they had always got on pleasantly; except; perhaps; during the

last few days; which was an accident; perhaps。



〃Which way shall we go?〃 she asked him。



Naturesimplest of topics; she thoughtwas around them。 Summer

Street lay deep in the woods; and she had stopped where a

footpath diverged from the highroad。



〃Are there two ways?〃



〃Perhaps the road is more sensible; as we're got up smart。〃



〃I'd rather go through the wood;〃 said Cecil; With that subdued

irritation that she had noticed in him all the afternoon。 〃Why is

it; Lucy; that you always say the road? Do you know that you have

never once been with me in the fields or the wood since we were

engaged?〃



〃Haven't I? The wood; then;〃 said Lucy; startled at his

queerness; but pretty sure that he would explain later; it was

not his habit to leave her in doubt as to his meaning。



She led the way into the whispering pines; and sure enough he

did explain before they had gone a dozen yards。



〃I had got an ideaI dare say wronglythat you feel more at

home with me in a room。〃



〃A room?〃 she echoed; hopelessly bewildered。



〃Yes。 Or; at the most; in a garden; or on a road。 Never in the

real country like this。〃



〃Oh; Cecil; whatever do you mean? I have never felt anything of

the sort。 You talk as if I was a kind of poetess sort of person。〃



〃I don't know that you aren't。 I connect you with a viewa

certain type of view。 Why shouldn't you connect me with a room?〃



She reflected a moment; and then said; laughing:



〃Do you know that you're right? I do。 I must be a poetess after

all。 When I think of you it's always as in a room。 How funny!〃



To her surprise; he seemed annoyed。



〃A drawing…room; pray? With no view?〃



〃Yes; with no view; I fancy。 Why not?〃



〃I'd rather;〃 he said reproachfully; 〃that connected me with the

open air。〃



She said again; 〃Oh; Cecil; whatever do you mean?〃



As no explanation was forthcoming; she shook off the subject as

too difficult for a girl; and led him further into the wood;

pausing every now and then at some par
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!