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Now； as in the winter； the pine…trees hung close to her eyes。 One
connected the landing window with depression。 No definite problem
menaced her； but she sighed to herself； 〃Oh； dear； what shall I
do； what shall I do？〃 It seemed to her that every one else was
behaving very badly。 And she ought not to have mentioned Miss
Bartlett's letter。 She must be more careful； her mother was
rather inquisitive； and might have asked what it was about。 Oh；
dear； should she do？and then Freddy came bounding up…stairs；
and joined the ranks of the ill…behaved。
〃I say； those are topping people。〃
〃My dear baby； how tiresome you've been！ You have no business to take
them bathing in the Sacred it's much too public。 It was all right
for you but most awkward for every one else。 Do be more careful。 You
forget the place is growing half suburban。〃
〃I say； is anything on to…morrow week？〃
〃Not that I know of。〃
〃Then I want to ask the Emersons up to Sunday tennis。〃
〃Oh； I wouldn't do that； Freddy； I wouldn't do that with all this
muddle。〃
〃What's wrong with the court？ They won't mind a bump or two； and
I've ordered new balls。〃
〃I meant it's better not。 I really mean it。〃
He seized her by the elbows and humorously danced her up and down
the passage。 She pretended not to mind； but she could have
screamed with temper。 Cecil glanced at them as he proceeded to
his toilet and they impeded Mary with her brood of hot…water
cans。 Then Mrs。 Honeychurch opened her door and said： 〃Lucy；
what a noise you're making！ I have something to say to you。 Did
you say you had had a letter from Charlotte？〃 and Freddy ran
away。
〃Yes。 I really can't stop。 I must dress too。〃
〃How's Charlotte？〃
〃All right。〃
〃Lucy！〃
The unfortunate girl returned。
〃You've a bad habit of hurrying away in the middle of one's
sentences。 Did Charlotte mention her boiler？〃
〃Her WHAT？〃
〃Don't you remember that her boiler was to be had out in October；
and her bath cistern cleaned out； and all kinds of terrible
to…doings？〃
〃I can't remember all Charlotte's worries；〃 said Lucy bitterly。
〃I shall have enough of my own； now that you are not pleased with
Cecil。〃
Mrs。 Honeychurch might have flamed out。 She did not。 She said：
〃Come here； old ladythank you for putting away my bonnetkiss
me。〃 And； though nothing is perfect； Lucy felt for the moment
that her mother and Windy Corner and the Weald in the declining
sun were perfect。
So the grittiness went out of life。 It generally did at Windy
Corner。 At the last minute； when the social machine was clogged
hopelessly； one member or other of the family poured in a drop of
oil。 Cecil despised their methodsperhaps rightly。 At a11
events； they were not his own。
Dinner was at half…past seven。 Freddy gabbled the grace； and they
drew up their heavy chairs and fell to。 Fortunately； the men were
hungry。 Nothing untoward occurred until the pudding。 Then Freddy
said：
〃Lucy； what's Emerson like？〃
〃I saw him in Florence；〃 said Lucy； hoping that this would pass
for a reply。
〃Is he the clever sort； or is he a decent chap？〃
〃Ask Cecil； it is Cecil who brought him here。〃
〃He is the clever sort； like myself；〃 said Cecil。
Freddy looked at him doubtfully。
〃How well did you know them at the Bertolini？〃 asked Mrs。
Honeychurch。
〃Oh； very slightly。 I mean； Charlotte knew them even less than I
did。〃
〃Oh； that reminds meyou never told me what Charlotte said in
her letter。〃
〃One thing and another；〃 said Lucy； wondering whether she would
get through the meal without a lie。 〃Among other things； that an
awful friend of hers had been bicycling through Summer Street；
wondered if she'd come up and see us； and mercifully didn't。〃
〃Lucy； I do call the way you talk unkind。〃
〃She was a novelist；〃 said Lucy craftily。 The remark was a happy
one； for nothing roused Mrs。 Honeychurch so much as literature in
the hands of females。 She would abandon every topic to inveigh
against those women who （instead of minding their houses and
their children） seek notoriety by print。 Her attitude was： 〃If
books must be written； let them be written by men〃； and she de…
veloped it at great length； while Cecil yawned and Freddy played
at 〃This year； next year； now； never；〃 with his plum…stones； and
Lucy artfully fed the flames of her mother's wrath。 But soon the
conflagration died down； and the ghosts began to gather in the
darkness。 There were too many ghosts about。 The original ghost
that touch of lips on her cheekhad surely been laid long ago；
it could be nothing to her that a man had kissed her on a
mountain once。 But it had begotten a spectral familyMr。 Harris；
Miss Bartlett's letter； Mr。 Beebe's memories of violetsand one
or other of these was bound to haunt her before Cecil's very
eyes。 It was Miss Bartlett who returned now； and with appalling
vividness。
〃I have been thinking； Lucy； of that letter of Charlotte's。 How
is she？〃
〃I tore the thing up。〃
〃Didn't she say how she was？ How does she sound？ Cheerful？〃
〃Oh； yes I suppose sononot very cheerful； I suppose。〃
〃Then； depend upon it； it IS the boiler。 I know myself how water
preys upon one's mind。 I would rather anything elseeven a
misfortune with the meat。〃
Cecil laid his hand over his eyes。
〃So would I；〃 asserted Freddy； backing his mother upbacking up
the spirit of her remark rather than the substance。
〃And I have been thinking；〃 she added rather nervously； 〃surely
we could squeeze Charlotte in here next week； and give her a nice
holiday while plumbers at Tunbridge Wells finish。 I have not
seen poor Charlotte for so long。〃
It was more than her nerves could stand。 And she could not
protest violently after her mother's goodness to her upstairs。
〃Mother； no！〃 she pleaded。 〃It's impossible。 We can't have
Charlotte on the top of the other things； we're squeezed to death
as it is。 Freddy's got a friend coming Tuesday； there's Cecil；
and you've promised to take in Minnie Beebe because of the
diphtheria scare。 It simply can't be done。〃
〃Nonsense！ It can。〃
〃If Minnie sleeps in the bath。 Not otherwise。〃
〃Minnie can sleep with you。〃
〃I won't have her。〃
〃Then； if you're so selfish； Mr。 Floyd must share a room with
Freddy。〃
〃Miss Bartlett； Miss Bartlett； Miss Bartlett；〃 moaned Cecil；
again laying his hand over his eyes。
〃It's impossible；〃 repeated Lucy。 〃I don't want to make
difficulties； but it really isn't fair on the maids to fill up
the house so。〃
Alas！
〃The truth is； dear； you don't like Charlotte。〃
〃No； I don't。 And no more does Cecil。 She gets on our nerves。 You
haven't seen her lately； and don't realize how tiresome she can
be； though so good。 So please； mother； don't worry us this last
summer； but spoil us by not asking her to come。〃
〃Hear； hear！〃 said Cecil。
Mrs。 Honeychurch； with more gravity than usual； and with more
feeling than she usually permitted herself； replied： 〃This isn't
very kind of you two。 You have each other and all these woods to
walk in； so full of beautiful things； and poor Charlotte has only
the water turned off and plumbers。 You are young； dears； and
however clever young people are； and however many books they
read； they will never guess what it feels like to grow old。〃
Cecil crumbled his bread。
〃I must say Cousin Charlotte was very kind to me that year I
called on my bike；〃 put in Freddy。 〃She thanked me for coming
till I felt like such a fool； and fussed round no end to get an
egg boiled for my tea just right。〃
〃I know； dear。 She is kind to every one； and yet Lucy makes this
difficulty when we try to give her some little return。〃
But Lucy hardened her heart。 It was no good being kind to Miss
Bartlett。 She had tried herself too often and too recently。 One
might lay up treasure in heaven by the attempt； but one enriched
neither Miss Bartlett nor any one else upon earth。 She was
reduced to saying： 〃I can't help it； mother。 I don't like
Charlotte。 I admit it's horrid of me。〃
〃From your own account； you told her as much。〃
〃Well； she would leave Florence so stupidly。 She flurried〃
The ghosts were returning； they filled Italy； they were even
usurping the places she had known as a child。 The Sacred Lake
would never be the same again； and； on Sunday week； something
would even happen to Windy Corner。 How would she fight against
ghosts？ For a moment the visible world faded away； and memories
and emotions alone seemed real。
〃I suppose Miss Bartlett must come； since she boils eggs so
well；〃 said Cecil； who was in rather a happier frame of mind；
thanks to the admirable cooking。
〃I didn't mean the egg was WELL boiled；〃 corrected Freddy；
〃because in point of fact she forgot to take it off； and as a
matter of fact I don't care for eggs。 I