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〃I have heard；〃 she said。 〃Freddy has told us。 Naughty Cecil！ I
suppose I must forgive you。 Just think of all the trouble I took
for nothing！ Certainly the Miss Alans are a little tiresome； and
I'd rather have nice friends of yours。 But you oughtn't to tease
one so。〃
〃Friends of mine？〃 he laughed。 〃But； Lucy； the whole joke is to
come！ Come here。〃 But she remained standing where she was。 〃Do
you know where I met these desirable tenants？ In the National
Gallery； when I was up to see my mother last week。〃
〃What an odd place to meet people！〃 she said nervously。 〃I don't
quite understand。〃
〃In the Umbrian Room。 Absolute strangers。 They were admiring Luca
Signorelliof course； quite stupidly。 However； we got talking；
and they refreshed me nota little。 They had been to Italy。〃
〃But； Cecil〃 proceeded hilariously。
〃In the course of conversation they said that they wanted a
country cottagethe father to live there； the son to run down
for week…ends。 I thought； 'What a chance of scoring off Sir
Harry！' and I took their address and a London reference； found
they weren't actual blackguardsit was great sportand wrote to
him； making out〃
〃Cecil！ No； it's not fair。 I've probably met them before〃
He bore her down。
〃Perfectly fair。 Anything is fair that punishes a snob。 That old
man will do the neighbourhood a world of good。 Sir Harry is too
disgusting with his 'decayed gentlewomen。' I meant to read him a
lesson some time。 No； Lucy； the classes ought to mix； and before
long you'll agree with me。 There ought to be intermarriageall
sorts of things。 I believe in democracy〃
〃No； you don't；〃 she snapped。 〃You don't know what the word
means。〃
He stared at her； and felt again that she had failed to be
Leonardesque。 〃No； you don't！〃
Her face was inartisticthat of a peevish virago。
〃It isn't fair； Cecil。 I blame youI blame you very much indeed。
You had no business to undo my work about the Miss Alans； and
make me look ridiculous。 You call it scoring off Sir Harry； but
do you realize that it is all at my expense？ I consider it most
disloyal of you。〃
She left him。
〃Temper！〃 he thought； raising his eyebrows。
No； it was worse than tempersnobbishness。 As long as Lucy
thought that his own smart friends were supplanting the Miss
Alans； she had not minded。 He perceived that these new tenants
might be of value educationally。 He would tolerate the father and
draw out the son； who was silent。 In the interests of the Comic
Muse and of Truth； he would bring them to Windy Corner。
Chapter XI： In Mrs。 Vyse's Well…Appointed Flat
The Comic Muse； though able to look after her own interests； did
not disdain the assistance of Mr。 Vyse。 His idea of bringing the
Emersons to Windy Corner struck her as decidedly good； and she
carried through the negotiations without a hitch。 Sir Harry Otway
signed the agreement； met Mr。 Emerson； who was duly
disillusioned。 The Miss Alans were duly offended； and wrote a
dignified letter to Lucy； whom they held responsible for the
failure。 Mr。 Beebe planned pleasant moments for the new…comers；
and told Mrs。 Honeychurch that Freddy must call on them as soon
as they arrived。 Indeed； so ample was the Muse's equipment that
she permitted Mr。 Harris； never a very robust criminal； to droop
his head； to be forgotten； and to die。
Lucyto descend from bright heaven to earth； whereon there are
shadows because there are hillsLucy was at first plunged into
despair； but settled after a little thought that it did not
matter the very least。 Now that she was engaged； the Emersons
would scarcely insult her and were welcome into the
neighbourhood。 And Cecil was welcome to bring whom he would into
the neighbourhood。 Therefore Cecil was welcome to bring the
Emersons into the neighbourhood。 But； as I say； this took a
little thinking； andso illogical are girlsthe event remained
rather greater and rather more dreadful than it should have done。
She was glad that a visit to Mrs。 Vyse now fell due； the tenants
moved into Cissie Villa while she was safe in the London flat。
〃CecilCecil darling；〃 she whispered the evening she arrived；
and crept into his arms。
Cecil； too； became demonstrative。 He saw that the needful fire
had been kindled in Lucy。 At last she longed for attention； as a
woman should； and looked up to him because he was a man。
〃So you do love me； little thing？〃 he murmured。
〃Oh； Cecil； I do； I do！ I don't know what I should do without
you。〃
Several days passed。 Then she had a letter from Miss Bartlett。
A coolness had sprung up between the two cousins； and they had
not corresponded since they parted in August。 The coolness dated
from what Charlotte would call 〃the flight to Rome；〃 and in Rome
it had increased amazingly。 For the companion who is merely
uncongenial in the mediaeval world becomes exasperating in the
classical。 Charlotte； unselfish in the Forum； would have tried a
sweeter temper than Lucy's； and once； in the Baths of Caracalla；
they had doubted whether they could continue their tour。 Lucy had
said she would join the VysesMrs。 Vyse was an acquaintance of
her mother； so there was no impropriety in the plan and Miss
Bartlett had replied that she was quite used to being abandoned
suddenly。 Finally nothing happened； but the coolness remained；
and； for Lucy； was even increased when she opened the letter and
read as follows。 It had been forwarded from Windy Corner。
〃Tunbridge Wells；
September。
〃Dearest Lucia；
〃I have news of you at last！ Miss Lavish has been bicycling in
your parts； but was not sure whether a call would be welcome。
Puncturing her tire near Summer Street； and it being mended while
she sat very woebegone in that pretty churchyard； she saw to her
astonishment； a door open opposite and the younger Emerson man
come out。 He said his father had just taken the house。 He SAID he
did not know that you lived in the neighbourhood （？）。 He never
suggested giving Eleanor a cup of tea。 Dear Lucy； I am much
worried； and I advise you to make a clean breast of his past
behaviour to your mother； Freddy； and Mr。 Vyse； who will forbid
him to enter the house； etc。 That was a great misfortune； and I
dare say you have told them already。 Mr。 Vyse is so sensitive。 I
remember how I used to get on his nerves at Rome。 I am very sorry
about it all； and should not feel easy unless I warned you。
〃Believe me；
〃Your anxious and loving cousin；
Charlotte。〃
Lucy was much annoyed； and replied as follows：
〃Beauchamp Mansions； S。W。
〃Dear Charlotte；
〃Many thanks for your warning。 When Mr。 Emerson forgot himself on
the mountain； you made me promise not to tell mother； because you
said she would blame you for not being always with me。 I have
kept that promise； and cannot possibly tell her now。 I have said
both to her and Cecil that I met the Emersons at Florence； and
that they are respectable peoplewhich I do thinkand the
reason that he offered Miss Lavish no tea was probably that he
had none himself。 She should have tried at the Rectory。 I cannot
begin making a fuss at this stage。 You must see that it would be
too absurd。 If the Emersons heard I had complained of them； they
would think themselves of importance； which is exactly what they
are not。 I like the old father； and look forward to seeing him
again。 As for the son； I am sorry for him when we meet； rather
than for myself。 They are known to Cecil； who is very well and
spoke of you the other day。 We expect to be married in January。
〃Miss Lavish cannot have told you much about me； for I am not at
Windy Corner at all； but here。 Please do not put 'Private'
outside your envelope again。 No one opens my letters。
〃Yours affectionately；
〃L。 M。 Honeychurch。〃
Secrecy has this disadvantage： we lose the sense of proportion；
we cannot tell whether our secret is important or not。 Were Lucy
and her cousin closeted with a great thing which would destroy
Cecil's life if he discovered it； or with a little thing which he
would laugh at？ Miss Bartlett suggested the former。 Perhaps she
was right。 It had become a great thing now。 Left to herself； Lucy
would have told her mother and her lover ingenuously； and it
would have remained a little thing。 〃Emerson； not Harris〃； it was
only that a few weeks ago。 She tried to tell Cecil even now when
they were laughing about some beautiful lady who had smitten his
heart at school。 But her body behaved so ridiculously that she
stopped。
She and her secret stayed ten days longer in the deserted
Metropolis visiting the scenes they were to know so well later
on。 It did her no harm； Cecil thought； to learn the framework of
society； while society itself was absent on the golf…links or the
moors。 The weather was cool； and it did her no harm。 In spite of
the season； Mrs。 Vyse managed to scrape togethe