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30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!




matter of fact I don't care for eggs。 I only meant how jolly kind

she seemed。〃



Cecil frowned again。 Oh; these Honeychurches! Eggs; boilers;

hydrangeas; maidsof such were their lives compact。 〃May me and

Lucy get down from our chairs?〃 he asked; with scarcely veiled

insolence。 〃We don't want no dessert。〃







Chapter XIV : How Lucy Faced the External Situation Bravely



0f course Miss Bartlett accepted。 And; equally of course; she

felt sure that she would prove a nuisance; and begged to be given

an inferior spare roomsomething with no view; anything。 Her

love to Lucy。 And; equally of course; George Emerson could come

to tennis on the Sunday week。



Lucy faced the situation bravely; though; like most of us; she

only faced the situation that encompassed her。 She never gazed

inwards。 If at times strange images rose from the depths; she put

them down to nerves。 When Cecil brought the Emersons to Summer

Street; it had upset her nerves。 Charlotte would burnish up past

foolishness; and this might upset her nerves。 She was nervous at

night。 When she talked to Georgethey met again almost

immediately at the Rectoryhis voice moved her deeply; and she

wished to remain near him。 How dreadful if she really wished to

remain near him! Of course; the wish was due to nerves; which

love to play such perverse tricks upon us。 Once she had suffered

from 〃things that came out of nothing and meant she didn't

know what。〃 Now Cecil had explained psychology to her one wet

afternoon; and all the troubles of youth in an unknown world

could be dismissed。



It is obvious enough for the reader to conclude; 〃She loves young

Emerson。〃 A reader in Lucy's place would not find it obvious。

Life is easy to chronicle; but bewildering to practice; and we

welcome 〃nerves〃 or any other shibboleth that will cloak our

personal desire。 She loved Cecil; George made her nervous; will

the reader explain to her that the phrases should have been

reversed?



But the external situationshe will face that bravely。



The meeting at the Rectory had passed off well enough。 Standing

between Mr。 Beebe and Cecil; she had made a few temperate

allusions to Italy; and George had replied。 She was anxious to

show that she was not shy; and was glad that he did not seem shy

either。



〃A nice fellow;〃 said Mr。 Beebe afterwards 〃He will work off his

crudities in time。 I rather mistrust young men who slip into life

gracefully。〃



Lucy said; 〃He seems in better spirits。 He laughs more。〃



〃Yes;〃 replied the clergyman。 〃He is waking up。〃



That was all。 But; as the week wore on; more of her defences

fell; and she entertained an image that had physical beauty。

In spite of the clearest directions; Miss Bartlett contrived to

bungle her arrival。 She was due at the South…Eastern station at

Dorking; whither Mrs。 Honeychurch drove to meet her。 She arrived

at the London and Brighton station; and had to hire a cab up。 No

one was at home except Freddy and his friend; who had to stop

their tennis and to entertain her for a solid hour。 Cecil and

Lucy turned up at four o'clock; and these; with little Minnie

Beebe; made a somewhat lugubrious sextette upon the upper

lawn for tea。



〃I shall never forgive myself;〃 said Miss Bartlett; who kept on

rising from her seat; and had to be begged by the united company

to remain。 〃I have upset everything。 Bursting in on young people!

But I insist on paying for my cab up。 Grant that; at any rate。〃



〃Our visitors never do such dreadful things;〃 said Lucy; while

her brother; in whose memory the boiled egg had already grown

unsubstantial; exclaimed in irritable tones: 〃Just what I've been

trying to convince Cousin Charlotte of; Lucy; for the last half

hour。〃



〃I do not feel myself an ordinary visitor;〃 said Miss Bartlett;

and looked at her frayed glove



〃All right; if you'd really rather。 Five shillings; and I gave a

bob to the driver。〃



Miss Bartlett looked in her purse。 Only sovereigns and pennies。

Could any one give her change?  Freddy had half a quid and his

friend had four half…crowns。 Miss Bartlett accepted their moneys

and then said: 〃But who am I to give the sovereign to?〃



〃Let's leave it all till mother comes back;〃 suggested Lucy。



〃No; dear; your mother may take quite a long drive now that she

is not hampered with me。 We all have our little foibles; and mine

is the prompt settling of accounts。〃



Here Freddy's friend; Mr。 Floyd; made the one remark of his that

need be quoted: he offered to toss Freddy for Miss Bartlett's

quid。 A solution seemed in sight; and even Cecil; who had been

ostentatiously drinking his tea at the view; felt  the eternal

attraction of Chance; and turned round。



But this did not do; either。



〃PleasepleaseI know I am a sad spoilsport; but it would make

me wretched。 I should practically be robbing the one who lost。〃



〃Freddy owes me fifteen shillings;〃 interposed Cecil。 〃So it will

work out right if you give the pound to me。〃



〃Fifteen shillings;〃 said Miss Bartlett dubiously。 〃How is that;

Mr。 Vyse?〃



〃Because; don't you see; Freddy paid your cab。 Give me the pound;

and we shall avoid this deplorable gambling。〃



Miss Bartlett; who was poor at figures; became bewildered and

rendered up the sovereign; amidst the suppressed gurgles of the

other youths。 For a moment Cecil was happy。 He was playing at

nonsense among his peers。 Then he glanced at Lucy; in whose face

petty anxieties had marred the smiles。 In January he would rescue

his Leonardo from this stupefying twaddle。



〃But I don't see that!〃 exclaimed Minnie Beebe who had narrowly

watched the iniquitous transaction。 〃I don't see why Mr。 Vyse is to

have the quid。〃



〃Because of the fifteen shillings and the five;〃 they said

solemnly。 〃Fifteen shillings and five shillings make one pound;

you see。〃



〃But I don't see〃



They tried to stifle her with cake。



〃No; thank you。 I'm done。 I don't see whyFreddy; don't poke me。

Miss Honeychurch; your brother's hurting me。 Ow! What about Mr。

Floyd's ten shillings? Ow! No; I don't see and I never shall see

why Miss What's…her…name shouldn't pay that bob for the driver。〃'



〃I had forgotten the driver;〃 said Miss Bartlett; reddening。

〃Thank you; dear; for reminding me。 A shilling was it? Can any

one give me change for half a crown?〃



〃I'll get it;〃 said the young hostess; rising with decision。



〃Cecil; give me that sovereign。 No; give me up that sovereign。

I'll get Euphemia to change it; and we'll start the whole thing

again from the beginning。〃



〃LucyLucywhat a nuisance I am!〃 protested Miss Bartlett; and

followed her across the lawn。 Lucy tripped ahead; simulating

hilarity。 When they were out of earshot Miss Bartlett stopped her

wails and said quite briskly: 〃Have you told him about him yet?〃



〃No; I haven't;〃 replied Lucy; and then could have bitten her

tongue for understanding so quickly what her cousin meant。 〃Let

me seea sovereign's worth of silver。〃



She escaped into the kitchen。 Miss Bartlett's sudden transitions

were too uncanny。 It sometimes seemed as if she planned every

word she spoke or caused to be spoken; as if all this worry about

cabs and change had been a ruse to surprise the soul。



〃No; I haven't told Cecil or any one;〃 she remarked; when she

returned。 〃I promised you I shouldn't。 Here is your moneyall

shillings; except two half…crowns。 Would you count it? You can

settle your debt nicely now。〃



Miss Bartlett was in the drawing…room; gazing at the photograph

of St。 John ascending; which had been framed。



〃How dreadful!〃 she murmured; 〃how more than dreadful; if Mr。

Vyse should come to hear of it from some other source。〃



〃Oh; no; Charlotte;〃 said the girl; entering the battle。 〃George

Emerson is all right; and what other source is there?〃



Miss Bartlett considered。 〃For instance; the driver。 I saw him

looking through the bushes at you; remember he had a violet

between his teeth。〃



Lucy shuddered a little。 〃We shall get the silly affair on our

nerves if we aren't careful。 How could a Florentine cab…driver

ever get hold of Cecil?〃



〃We must think of every possibility。〃



〃Oh; it's all right。〃



〃Or perhaps old Mr。 Emerson knows。 In fact; he is certain to

know。〃



〃I don't care if he does。 I was grateful to you for your letter;

but even if the news does get round; I think I can trust Cecil to

laugh at it。〃



〃To contradict it?〃



〃No; to laugh at it。〃 But she knew in her heart that she could

not trust him; for he desired her untouched。



〃Very well; dear; you know best。 Perhaps gentlemen are different

to what they were when I was young。 Ladies are certainly

different。〃



〃Now; Charlotte!〃  She struck at her playfully。 〃You kind;

anxious thing。  What WOULD you have me do? First you say 'Don't

tell'; and then you say; 'Tell'。 Which is it to be? Quick!〃



Mi
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!