第3章

类别:其他 作者:E。 M。 Forster字数:18955更新时间:18/12/14 10:26:15
Ifearedyouwouldrepentyouofyourchoice。” Seriousasthechoicehadbeen,Lucydidnotrepent。Yesterdayhadbeenamuddle——queerandodd,thekindofthingonecouldnotwritedowneasilyonpaper——butshehadafeelingthatCharlotteandhershoppingwerepreferabletoGeorgeEmersonandthesummitoftheTorredelGallo。Sinceshecouldnotunravelthetangle,shemusttakecarenottore-enterit。ShecouldprotestsincerelyagainstMissBartlett\'sinsinuations。 Butthoughshehadavoidedthechiefactor,thesceneryunfortunatelyremained。Charlotte,withthecomplacencyoffate,ledherfromtherivertothePiazzaSignoria。Shecouldnothavebelievedthatstones,aLoggia,afountain,apalacetower,wouldhavesuchsignificance。Foramomentsheunderstoodthenatureofghosts。 Theexactsiteofthemurderwasoccupied,notbyaghost,butbyMissLavish,whohadthemorningnewspaperinherhand。Shehailedthembriskly。Thedreadfulcatastropheofthepreviousdayhadgivenheranideawhichshethoughtwouldworkupintoabook。 \"Oh,letmecongratulateyou!\"saidMissBartlett。\"Afteryourdespairofyesterday!Whatafortunatething!\" \"Aha!MissHoneychurch,comeyouhereIaminluck。Now,youaretotellmeabsolutelyeverythingthatyousawfromthebeginning。”Lucypokedatthegroundwithherparasol。 \"Butperhapsyouwouldrathernot?\" \"I\'msorry——ifyoucouldmanagewithoutit,IthinkIwouldrathernot。” Theelderladiesexchangedglances,notofdisapproval;itissuitablethatagirlshouldfeeldeeply。 \"ItisIwhoamsorry,\"saidMissLavish。\"literaryhacksareshamelesscreatures。Ibelievethere\'snosecretofthehumanheartintowhichwewouldn\'tpry。” Shemarchedcheerfullytothefountainandback,anddidafewcalculationsinrealism。ThenshesaidthatshehadbeeninthePiazzasinceeighto\'clockcollectingmaterial。Agooddealofitwasunsuitable,butofcourseonealwayshadtoadapt。Thetwomenhadquarrelledoverafive-francnote。Forthefive-francnotesheshouldsubstituteayounglady,whichwouldraisethetoneofthetragedy,andatthesametimefurnishanexcellentplot。 \"Whatistheheroine\'sname?\"askedMissBartlett。 \"Leonora,\"saidMissLavish;herownnamewasEleanor。 \"Idohopeshe\'snice。” Thatdesideratumwouldnotbeomitted。 \"Andwhatistheplot?\" Love,murder,abduction,revenge,wastheplot。Butitallcamewhilethefountainplashedtothesatyrsinthemorningsun。 \"Ihopeyouwillexcusemeforboringonlikethis,\"MissLavishconcluded。\"Itissotemptingtotalktoreallysympatheticpeople。Ofcourse,thisisthebarestoutline。Therewillbeadealoflocalcolouring,descriptionsofFlorenceandtheneighbourhood,andIshallalsointroducesomehumorouscharacters。Andletmegiveyouallfairwarning:IintendtobeunmercifultotheBritishtourist。” \"Oh,youwickedwoman,\"criedMissBartlett。\"IamsureyouarethinkingoftheEmersons。” MissLavishgaveaMachiavelliansmile。 \"IconfessthatinItalymysympathiesarenotwithmyowncountrymen。ItistheneglectedItalianswhoattractme,andwhoselivesIamgoingtopaintsofarasIcan。ForIrepeatandIinsist,andIhavealwaysheldmoststrongly,thatatragedysuchasyesterday\'sisnotthelesstragicbecauseithappenedinhumblelife。” TherewasafittingsilencewhenMissLavishhadconcluded。Thenthecousinswishedsuccesstoherlabours,andwalkedslowlyawayacrossthesquare。 \"Sheismyideaofareallycleverwoman,\"saidMissBartlett。 \"Thatlastremarkstruckmeassoparticularlytrue。Itshouldbeamostpatheticnovel。” Lucyassented。Atpresenthergreataimwasnottogetputintoit。Herperceptionsthismorningwerecuriouslykeen,andshebelievedthatMissLavishhadherontrialforaningenue。 \"Sheisemancipated,butonlyintheverybestsenseoftheword,\"continuedMissBartlettslowly。\"Nonebutthesuperficialwouldbeshockedather。Wehadalongtalkyesterday。Shebelievesinjusticeandtruthandhumaninterest。Shetoldmealsothatshehasahighopinionofthedestinyofwoman——Mr。 Eager!Why,hownice!Whatapleasantsurprise!\" \"Ah,notforme,\"saidthechaplainblandly,\"forIhavebeenwatchingyouandMissHoneychurchforquitealittletime。” \"WewerechattingtoMissLavish。” Hisbrowcontracted。 \"SoIsaw。Wereyouindeed?Andatevia!sonooccupato!\"Thelastremarkwasmadetoavenderofpanoramicphotographswhowasapproachingwithacourteoussmile。\"Iamabouttoventureasuggestion。WouldyouandMissHoneychurchbedisposedtojoinmeinadrivesomedaythisweek——adriveinthehills?WemightgoupbyFiesoleandbackbySettignano。Thereisapointonthatroadwherewecouldgetdownandhaveanhour\'srambleonthehillside。TheviewthenceofFlorenceismostbeautiful——farbetterthanthehackneyedviewofFiesole。ItistheviewthatAlessioBaldovinettiisfondofintroducingintohispictures。 Thatmanhadadecidedfeelingforlandscape。Decidedly。Butwholooksatitto-day? Ah,theworldistoomuchforus。” MissBartletthadnotheardofAlessioBaldovinetti,butsheknewthatMr。Eagerwasnocommonplacechaplain。HewasamemberoftheresidentialcolonywhohadmadeFlorencetheirhome。HeknewthepeoplewhoneverwalkedaboutwithBaedekers,whohadlearnttotakeasiestaafterlunch,whotookdrivesthepensiontouristshadneverheardof,andsawbyprivateinfluencegallerieswhichwereclosedtothem。Livingindelicateseclusion,someinfurnishedflats,othersinRenaissancevillasonFiesole\'sslope,theyread,wrote,studied,andexchangedideas,thusattainingtothatintimateknowledge,orratherperception,ofFlorencewhichisdeniedtoallwhocarryintheirpocketsthecouponsofCook。 Thereforeaninvitationfromthechaplainwassomethingtobeproudof。Betweenthetwosectionsofhisflockhewasoftentheonlylink,anditwashisavowedcustomtoselectthoseofhismigratorysheepwhoseemedworthy,andgivethemafewhoursinthepasturesofthepermanent。TeaataRenaissancevilla? Nothinghadbeensaidaboutityet。Butifitdidcometothat—— howLucywouldenjoyit! AfewdaysagoandLucywouldhavefeltthesame。Butthejoysoflifeweregroupingthemselvesanew。AdriveinthehillswithMr。 EagerandMissBartlett——evenifculminatinginaresidentialtea-party——wasnolongerthegreatestofthem。SheechoedtherapturesofCharlottesomewhatfaintly。OnlywhensheheardthatMr。Beebewasalsocomingdidherthanksbecomemoresincere。 \"Soweshallbeapartiecarree,\"saidthechaplain。\"Inthesedaysoftoilandtumultonehasgreatneedsofthecountryanditsmessageofpurity。Andatevia!andatepresto,presto!Ah,thetown!Beautifulasitis,itisthetown。” Theyassented。 \"Thisverysquare——soIamtold——witnessedyesterdaythemostsordidoftragedies。ToonewholovestheFlorenceofDanteandSavonarolathereissomethingportentousinsuchdesecration—— portentousandhumiliating。” \"Humiliatingindeed,\"saidMissBartlett。\"MissHoneychurchhappenedtobepassingthroughasithappened。Shecanhardlybeartospeakofit。”SheglancedatLucyproudly。 \"Andhowcamewetohaveyouhere?\"askedthechaplainpaternally。 MissBartlett\'srecentliberalismoozedawayatthequestion。 \"Donotblameher,please,Mr。Eager。Thefaultismine:Ileftherunchaperoned。” \"Soyouwereherealone,MissHoneychurch?\"Hisvoicesuggestedsympatheticreproofbutatthesametimeindicatedthatafewharrowingdetailswouldnotbeunacceptable。Hisdark,handsomefacedroopedmournfullytowardshertocatchherreply。 \"Practically。” \"Oneofourpensionacquaintanceskindlybroughtherhome,\"saidMissBartlett,adroitlyconcealingthesexofthepreserver。 \"Forheralsoitmusthavebeenaterribleexperience。Itrustthatneitherofyouwasatall——thatitwasnotinyourimmediateproximity?\" OfthemanythingsLucywasnoticingto-day,nottheleastremarkablewasthis:theghoulishfashioninwhichrespectablepeoplewillnibbleafterblood。GeorgeEmersonhadkeptthesubjectstrangelypure。 \"Hediedbythefountain,Ibelieve,\"washerreply。 \"Andyouandyourfriend——\" \"WereoverattheLoggia。” \"Thatmusthavesavedyoumuch。Youhavenot,ofcourse,seenthedisgracefulillustrationswhichthegutterPress——Thismanisapublicnuisance;heknowsthatIamaresidentperfectlywell,andyethegoesonworryingmetobuyhisvulgarviews。” SurelythevendorofphotographswasinleaguewithLucy——intheeternalleagueofItalywithyouth。HehadsuddenlyextendedhisbookbeforeMissBartlettandMr。Eager,bindingtheirhandstogetherbyalongglossyribbonofchurches,pictures,andviews。 \"Thisistoomuch!\"criedthechaplain,strikingpetulantlyatoneofFraAngelico\'sangels。Shetore。Ashrillcryrosefromthevendor。Thebookitseemed,wasmorevaluablethanonewouldhavesupposed。 \"WillinglywouldIpurchase——\"beganMissBartlett。 \"Ignorehim,\"saidMr。Eagersharply,andtheyallwalkedrapidlyawayfromthesquare。 ButanItaliancanneverbeignored,leastofallwhenhehasagrievance。HismysteriouspersecutionofMr。Eagerbecamerelentless;theairrangwithhisthreatsandlamentations。HeappealedtoLucy;wouldnotsheintercede?Hewaspoor——heshelteredafamily——thetaxonbread。Hewaited,hegibbered,hewasrecompensed,hewasdissatisfied,hedidnotleavethemuntilhehadswepttheirmindscleanofallthoughtswhetherpleasantorunpleasant。 Shoppingwasthetopicthatnowensued。Underthechaplain\'sguidancetheyselectedmanyhideouspresentsandmementoes—— floridlittlepicture-framesthatseemedfashionedingildedpastry;otherlittleframes,moresevere,thatstoodonlittleeasels,andwerecarvenoutofoak;ablottingbookofvellum; aDanteofthesamematerial;cheapmosaicbrooches,whichthemaids,nextChristmas,wouldnevertellfromreal;pins,pots,heraldicsaucers,brownart-photographs;ErosandPsycheinalabaster;St。Petertomatch——allofwhichwouldhavecostlessinLondon。 ThissuccessfulmorningleftnopleasantimpressionsonLucy。Shehadbeenalittlefrightened,bothbyMissLavishandbyMr。 Eager,sheknewnotwhy。Andastheyfrightenedher,shehad,strangelyenough,ceasedtorespectthem。ShedoubtedthatMissLavishwasagreatartist。ShedoubtedthatMr。Eagerwasasfullofspiritualityandcultureasshehadbeenledtosuppose。Theyweretriedbysomenewtest,andtheywerefoundwanting。AsforCharlotte——asforCharlotteshewasexactlythesame。Itmightbepossibletobenicetoher;itwasimpossibletoloveher。 \"Thesonofalabourer;Ihappentoknowitforafact。A mechanicofsomesorthimselfwhenhewasyoung;thenhetooktowritingfortheSocialisticPress。IcameacrosshimatBrixton。” TheyweretalkingabouttheEmersons。 \"Howwonderfullypeopleriseinthesedays!\"sighedMissBartlett,fingeringamodeloftheleaningTowerofPisa。 \"Generally,\"repliedMr。Eager,\"onehasonlysympathyfortheirsuccess。Thedesireforeducationandforsocialadvance——inthesethingsthereissomethingnotwhollyvile。TherearesomeworkingmenwhomonewouldbeverywillingtoseeouthereinFlorence——littleastheywouldmakeofit。” \"Isheajournalistnow?\"MissBartlettasked,\"Heisnot;hemadeanadvantageousmarriage。” Heutteredthisremarkwithavoicefullofmeaning,andendedwithasigh。 \"Oh,sohehasawife。” \"Dead,MissBartlett,dead。Iwonder——yesIwonderhowhehastheeffronterytolookmeintheface,todaretoclaimacquaintancewithme。HewasinmyLondonparishlongago。TheotherdayinSantaCroce,whenhewaswithMissHoneychurch,Isnubbedhim。 Lethimbewarethathedoesnotgetmorethanasnub。” \"What?\"criedLucy,flushing。 \"Exposure!\"hissedMr。Eager。 Hetriedtochangethesubject;butinscoringadramaticpointhehadinterestedhisaudiencemorethanhehadintended。MissBartlettwasfullofverynaturalcuriosity。Lucy,thoughshewishednevertoseetheEmersonsagain,wasnotdisposedtocondemnthemonasingleword。 \"Doyoumean,\"sheasked,\"thatheisanirreligiousman?Weknowthatalready。” \"Lucy,dear——\"saidMissBartlett,gentlyreprovinghercousin\'spenetration。 \"Ishouldbeastonishedifyouknewall。Theboy——aninnocentchildatthetime——Iwillexclude。Godknowswhathiseducationandhisinheritedqualitiesmayhavemadehim。” \"Perhaps,\"saidMissBartlett,\"itissomethingthatwehadbetternothear。” \"Tospeakplainly,\"saidMr。Eager,\"itis。Iwillsaynomore。” ForthefirsttimeLucy\'srebelliousthoughtssweptoutinwords——forthefirsttimeinherlife。 \"Youhavesaidverylittle。” \"Itwasmyintentiontosayverylittle,\"washisfrigidreply。 Hegazedindignantlyatthegirl,whomethimwithequalindignation。Sheturnedtowardshimfromtheshopcounter;herbreastheavedquickly。Heobservedherbrow,andthesuddenstrengthofherlips。Itwasintolerablethatsheshoulddisbelievehim。 \"Murder,ifyouwanttoknow,\"hecriedangrily。\"Thatmanmurderedhiswife!\" \"How?\"sheretorted。 \"Toallintentsandpurposeshemurderedher。ThatdayinSantaCroce——didtheysayanythingagainstme?\" \"Notaword,Mr。Eager——notasingleword。” \"Oh,Ithoughttheyhadbeenlibellingmetoyou。ButIsupposeitisonlytheirpersonalcharmsthatmakesyoudefendthem。” \"I\'mnotdefendingthem,\"saidLucy,losinghercourage,andrelapsingintotheoldchaoticmethods。\"They\'renothingtome。” \"Howcouldyouthinkshewasdefendingthem?\"saidMissBartlett,muchdiscomfitedbytheunpleasantscene。Theshopmanwaspossiblylistening。 \"Shewillfinditdifficult。ForthatmanhasmurderedhiswifeinthesightofGod。” TheadditionofGodwasstriking。Butthechaplainwasreallytryingtoqualifyarashremark。Asilencefollowedwhichmighthavebeenimpressive,butwasmerelyawkward。ThenMissBartletthastilypurchasedtheLeaningTower,andledthewayintothestreet。 \"Imustbegoing,\"saidhe,shuttinghiseyesandtakingouthiswatch。 MissBartlettthankedhimforhiskindness,andspokewithenthusiasmoftheapproachingdrive。 \"Drive?Oh,isourdrivetocomeoff?\" Lucywasrecalledtohermanners,andafteralittleexertionthecomplacencyofMr。Eagerwasrestored。 \"Botherthedrive!\"exclaimedthegirl,assoonashehaddeparted。\"ItisjustthedrivewehadarrangedwithMr。Beebewithoutanyfussatall。Whyshouldheinviteusinthatabsurdmanner?Wemightaswellinvitehim。Weareeachpayingforourselves。” MissBartlett,whohadintendedtolamentovertheEmersons,waslaunchedbythisremarkintounexpectedthoughts。 \"Ifthatisso,dear——ifthedriveweandMr。BeebearegoingwithMr。EagerisreallythesameastheonewearegoingwithMr。Beebe,thenIforeseeasadkettleoffish。” \"How?\" \"BecauseMr。BeebehasaskedEleanorLavishtocome,too。” \"Thatwillmeananothercarriage。” \"Farworse。Mr。EagerdoesnotlikeEleanor。Sheknowsitherself。Thetruthmustbetold;sheistoounconventionalforhim。” Theywerenowinthenewspaper-roomattheEnglishbank。Lucystoodbythecentraltable,heedlessofPunchandtheGraphic,tryingtoanswer,oratalleventstoformulatethequestionsriotinginherbrain。Thewell-knownworldhadbrokenup,andthereemergedFlorence,amagiccitywherepeoplethoughtanddidthemostextraordinarythings。Murder,accusationsofmurder,Aladyclingingtoonemanandbeingrudetoanother——werethesethedailyincidentsofherstreets?Wastheremoreinherfrankbeautythanmettheeye——thepower,perhaps,toevokepassions,goodandbad,andtobringthemspeedilytoafulfillment? HappyCharlotte,who,thoughgreatlytroubledoverthingsthatdidnotmatter,seemedoblivioustothingsthatdid;whocouldconjecturewithadmirabledelicacy\"wherethingsmightleadto,\" butapparentlylostsightofthegoalassheapproachedit。Nowshewascrouchinginthecornertryingtoextractacircularnotefromakindoflinennose-bagwhichhunginchasteconcealmentroundherneck。ShehadbeentoldthatthiswastheonlysafewaytocarrymoneyinItaly;itmustonlybebroachedwithinthewallsoftheEnglishbank。Asshegropedshemurmured:\"WhetheritisMr。BeebewhoforgottotellMr。Eager,orMr。Eagerwhoforgotwhenhetoldus,orwhethertheyhavedecidedtoleaveEleanoroutaltogether——whichtheycouldscarcelydo——butinanycasewemustbeprepared。Itisyoutheyreallywant;Iamonlyaskedforappearances。Youshallgowiththetwogentlemen,andI andEleanorwillfollowbehind。Aone-horsecarriagewoulddoforus。Yethowdifficultitis!\" \"Itisindeed,\"repliedthegirl,withagravitythatsoundedsympathetic。 \"Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?\"askedMissBartlett,flushedfromthestruggle,andbuttoningupherdress。 \"Idon\'tknowwhatIthink,norwhatIwant。” \"Oh,dear,Lucy!IdohopeFlorenceisn\'tboringyou。Speaktheword,and,asyouknow,Iwouldtakeyoutotheendsoftheearthto-morrow。” \"Thankyou,Charlotte,\"saidLucy,andponderedovertheoffer。 Therewerelettersforheratthebureau——onefromherbrother,fullofathleticsandbiology;onefromhermother,delightfulasonlyhermother\'sletterscouldbe。Shehadreadinitofthecrocuseswhichhadbeenboughtforyellowandwerecominguppuce,ofthenewparlour-maid,whohadwateredthefernswithessenceoflemonade,ofthesemi-detachedcottageswhichwereruiningSummerStreet,andbreakingtheheartofSirHarryOtway。 Sherecalledthefree,pleasantlifeofherhome,whereshewasallowedtodoeverything,andwherenothingeverhappenedtoher。 Theroadupthroughthepine-woods,thecleandrawing-room,theviewovertheSussexWeald——allhungbeforeherbrightanddistinct,butpatheticasthepicturesinagallerytowhich,aftermuchexperience,atravellerreturns。 \"Andthenews?\"askedMissBartlett。 \"Mrs。VyseandhersonhavegonetoRome,\"saidLucy,givingthenewsthatinterestedherleast。\"DoyouknowtheVyses?\" \"Oh,notthatwayback。WecanneverhavetoomuchofthedearPiazzaSignoria。” \"They\'renicepeople,theVyses。Soclever——myideaofwhat\'sreallyclever。Don\'tyoulongtobeinRome?\" \"Idieforit!\" ThePiazzaSignoriaistoostonytobebrilliant。Ithasnograss,noflowers,nofrescoes,noglitteringwallsofmarbleorcomfortingpatchesofruddybrick。Byanoddchance——unlesswebelieveinapresidinggeniusofplaces——thestatuesthatrelieveitsseveritysuggest,nottheinnocenceofchildhood,northegloriousbewildermentofyouth,buttheconsciousachievementsofmaturity。PerseusandJudith,HerculesandThusnelda,theyhavedoneorsufferedsomething,andthoughtheyareimmortal,immortalityhascometothemafterexperience,notbefore。Here,notonlyinthesolitudeofNature,mightaheromeetagoddess,oraheroineagod。 \"Charlotte!\"criedthegirlsuddenly。\"Here\'sanidea。WhatifwepoppedofftoRometo-morrow——straighttotheVyses\'hotel?ForIdoknowwhatIwant。I\'msickofFlorence。No,yousaidyou\'dgototheendsoftheearth!Do!Do!\" MissBartlett,withequalvivacity,replied: \"Oh,youdrollperson!Pray,whatwouldbecomeofyourdriveinthehills?\" Theypassedtogetherthroughthegauntbeautyofthesquare,laughingovertheunpracticalsuggestion。 ChapterVI:TheReverendArthurBeebe,theReverendCuthbertEager,Mr。Emerson,Mr。GeorgeEmerson,MissEleanorLavish,MissCharlotteBartlett,andMissLucyHoneychurchDriveOutinCarriagestoSeeaView;ItaliansDriveThem。 ItwasPhaethonwhodrovethemtoFiesolethatmemorableday,ayouthallirresponsibilityandfire,recklesslyurginghismaster\'shorsesupthestonyhill。Mr。Beeberecognizedhimatonce。NeithertheAgesofFaithnortheAgeofDoubthadtouchedhim;hewasPhaethoninTuscanydrivingacab。AnditwasPersephonewhomheaskedleavetopickupontheway,sayingthatshewashissister——Persephone,tallandslenderandpale,returningwiththeSpringtohermother\'scottage,andstillshadinghereyesfromtheunaccustomedlight。ToherMr。Eagerobjected,sayingthatherewasthethinedgeofthewedge,andonemustguardagainstimposition。Buttheladiesinterceded,andwhenithadbeenmadeclearthatitwasaverygreatfavour,thegoddesswasallowedtomountbesidethegod。 Phaethonatonceslippedtheleftreinoverherhead,thusenablinghimselftodrivewithhisarmroundherwaist。Shedidnotmind。Mr。Eager,whosatwithhisbacktothehorses,sawnothingoftheindecorousproceeding,andcontinuedhisconversationwithLucy。TheothertwooccupantsofthecarriagewereoldMr。EmersonandMissLavish。Foradreadfulthinghadhappened:Mr。Beebe,withoutconsultingMr。Eager,haddoubledthesizeoftheparty。AndthoughMissBartlettandMissLavishhadplannedallthemorninghowthepeopleweretosit,atthecriticalmomentwhenthecarriagescameroundtheylosttheirheads,andMissLavishgotinwithLucy,whileMissBartlett,withGeorgeEmersonandMr。Beebe,followedonbehind。 Itwashardonthepoorchaplaintohavehispartiecarreethustransformed。TeaataRenaissancevilla,ifhehadevermeditatedit,wasnowimpossible。LucyandMissBartletthadacertainstyleaboutthem,andMr。Beebe,thoughunreliable,wasamanofparts。ButashoddyladywriterandajournalistwhohadmurderedhiswifeinthesightofGod——theyshouldenternovillaathisintroduction。 Lucy,elegantlydressedinwhite,saterectandnervousamidtheseexplosiveingredients,attentivetoMr。Eager,repressivetowardsMissLavish,watchfulofoldMr。Emerson,hithertofortunatelyasleep,thankstoaheavylunchandthedrowsyatmosphereofSpring。ShelookedontheexpeditionastheworkofFate。ButforitshewouldhaveavoidedGeorgeEmersonsuccessfully。Inanopenmannerhehadshownthathewishedtocontinuetheirintimacy。Shehadrefused,notbecauseshedislikedhim,butbecauseshedidnotknowwhathadhappened,andsuspectedthathedidknow。Andthisfrightenedher。 Fortherealevent——whateveritwas——hadtakenplace,notintheLoggia,butbytheriver。Tobehavewildlyatthesightofdeathispardonable。Buttodiscussitafterwards,topassfromdiscussionintosilence,andthroughsilenceintosympathy,thatisanerror,notofastartledemotion,butofthewholefabric。 Therewasreallysomethingblameworthy(shethought)intheirjointcontemplationoftheshadowystream,inthecommonimpulsewhichhadturnedthemtothehousewithoutthepassingofalookorword。Thissenseofwickednesshadbeenslightatfirst。ShehadnearlyjoinedthepartytotheTorredelGallo。ButeachtimethatsheavoidedGeorgeitbecamemoreimperativethatsheshouldavoidhimagain。Andnowcelestialirony,workingthroughhercousinandtwoclergymen,didnotsufferhertoleaveFlorencetillshehadmadethisexpeditionwithhimthroughthehills。 MeanwhileMr。Eagerheldherincivilconverse;theirlittletiffwasover。 \"So,MissHoneychurch,youaretravelling?Asastudentofart?\" \"Oh,dearme,no——oh,no!\" \"Perhapsasastudentofhumannature,\"interposedMissLavish,\"likemyself?\" \"Oh,no。Iamhereasatourist。” \"Oh,indeed,\"saidMr。Eager。\"Areyouindeed?Ifyouwillnotthinkmerude,weresidentssometimespityyoupoortouristsnotalittle——handedaboutlikeaparcelofgoodsfromVenicetoFlorence,fromFlorencetoRome,livingherdedtogetherinpensionsorhotels,quiteunconsciousofanythingthatisoutsideBaedeker,theironeanxietytoget\'done\'or\'through\'andgoonsomewhereelse。Theresultis,theymixuptowns,rivers,palacesinoneinextricablewhirl。YouknowtheAmericangirlinPunchwhosays:\'Say,poppa,whatdidweseeatRome?\'Andthefatherreplies:\'Why,guessRomewastheplacewherewesawtheyallerdog。\'There\'stravellingforyou。Ha!ha!ha!\" \"Iquiteagree,\"saidMissLavish,whohadseveraltimestriedtointerrupthismordantwit。\"ThenarrownessandsuperficialityoftheAnglo-Saxontouristisnothinglessthanamenace。” \"Quiteso。Now,theEnglishcolonyatFlorence,MissHoneychurch——anditisofconsiderablesize,though,ofcourse,notallequally——afewareherefortrade,forexample。Butthegreaterpartarestudents。LadyHelenLaverstockisatpresentbusyoverFraAngelico。Imentionhernamebecausewearepassinghervillaontheleft。No,youcanonlyseeitifyoustand——no,donotstand;youwillfall。Sheisveryproudofthatthickhedge。 Inside,perfectseclusion。Onemighthavegonebacksixhundredyears。SomecriticsbelievethathergardenwasthesceneofTheDecameron,whichlendsitanadditionalinterest,doesitnot?\" \"Itdoesindeed!\"criedMissLavish。\"Tellme,wheredotheyplacethesceneofthatwonderfulseventhday?\" ButMr。EagerproceededtotellMissHoneychurchthatontherightlivedMr。SomeoneSomething,anAmericanofthebesttype——sorare!——andthattheSomebodyElseswerefartherdownthehill。\"Doubtlessyouknowhermonographsintheseriesof\'MediaevalByways\'?HeisworkingatGemistusPletho。SometimesasItaketeaintheirbeautifulgroundsIhear,overthewall,theelectrictramsquealingupthenewroadwithitsloadsofhot,dusty,unintelligenttouristswhoaregoingto\'do\'Fiesoleinanhourinorderthattheymaysaytheyhavebeenthere,andI think——think——Ithinkhowlittletheythinkwhatliessonearthem。” Duringthisspeechthetwofiguresontheboxweresportingwitheachotherdisgracefully。Lucyhadaspasmofenvy。Grantedthattheywishedtomisbehave,itwaspleasantforthemtobeabletodoso。Theywereprobablytheonlypeopleenjoyingtheexpedition。ThecarriagesweptwithagonizingjoltsupthroughthePiazzaofFiesoleandintotheSettignanoroad。 \"Piano!piano!\"saidMr。Eager,elegantlywavinghishandoverhishead。 \"Vabene,signore,vabene,vabene,\"croonedthedriver,andwhippedhishorsesupagain。 NowMr。EagerandMissLavishbegantotalkagainsteachotheronthesubjectofAlessioBaldovinetti。WasheacauseoftheRenaissance,orwasheoneofitsmanifestations?Theothercarriagewasleftbehind。Asthepaceincreasedtoagallopthelarge,slumberingformofMr。Emersonwasthrownagainstthechaplainwiththeregularityofamachine。 \"Piano!piano!\"saidhe,withamartyredlookatLucy。 Anextralurchmadehimturnangrilyinhisseat。Phaethon,whoforsometimehadbeenendeavouringtokissPersephone,hadjustsucceeded。 Alittlesceneensued,which,asMissBartlettsaidafterwards,wasmostunpleasant。Thehorseswerestopped,theloverswereorderedtodisentanglethemselves,theboywastolosehispourboire,thegirlwasimmediatelytogetdown。 \"Sheismysister,\"saidhe,turningroundonthemwithpiteouseyes。 Mr。Eagertookthetroubletotellhimthathewasaliar。 Phaethonhungdownhishead,notatthematteroftheaccusation,butatitsmanner。AtthispointMr。Emerson,whomtheshockofstoppinghadawoke,declaredthattheloversmustonnoaccountbeseparated,andpattedthemonthebacktosignifyhisapproval。AndMissLavish,thoughunwillingtoallyhim,feltboundtosupportthecauseofBohemianism。 \"MostcertainlyIwouldletthembe,\"shecried。\"ButIdaresayIshallreceivescantsupport。Ihavealwaysflowninthefaceoftheconventionsallmylife。ThisiswhatIcallanadventure。” \"Wemustnotsubmit,\"saidMr。Eager。\"Iknewhewastryingiton。HeistreatingusasifwewereapartyofCook\'stourists。” \"Surelyno!\"saidMissLavish,herardourvisiblydecreasing。 Theothercarriagehaddrawnupbehind,andsensibleMr。Beebecalledoutthatafterthiswarningthecouplewouldbesuretobehavethemselvesproperly。 \"Leavethemalone,\"Mr。Emersonbeggedthechaplain,ofwhomhestoodinnoawe。\"Dowefindhappinesssooftenthatweshouldturnitofftheboxwhenithappenstositthere?Tobedrivenbylovers——Akingmightenvyus,andifwepartthemit\'smorelikesacrilegethananythingIknow。” HerethevoiceofMissBartlettwasheardsayingthatacrowdhadbeguntocollect。 Mr。Eager,whosufferedfromanover-fluenttongueratherthanaresolutewill,wasdeterminedtomakehimselfheard。Headdressedthedriveragain。ItalianinthemouthofItaliansisadeep-voicedstream,withunexpectedcataractsandboulderstopreserveitfrommonotony。InMr。Eager\'smouthitresemblednothingsomuchasanacidwhistlingfountainwhichplayedeverhigherandhigher,andquickerandquicker,andmoreandmoreshrilly,tillabruptlyitwasturnedoffwithaclick。 \"Signorina!\"saidthemantoLucy,whenthedisplayhadceased。 WhyshouldheappealtoLucy? \"Signorina!\"echoedPersephoneinhergloriouscontralto。Shepointedattheothercarriage。Why? Foramomentthetwogirlslookedateachother。ThenPersephonegotdownfromthebox。 \"Victoryatlast!\"saidMr。Eager,smitinghishandstogetherasthecarriagesstartedagain。 \"Itisnotvictory,\"saidMr。Emerson。\"Itisdefeat。Youhavepartedtwopeoplewhowerehappy。” Mr。Eagershuthiseyes。HewasobligedtositnexttoMr。 Emerson,buthewouldnotspeaktohim。Theoldmanwasrefreshedbysleep,andtookupthematterwarmly。HecommandedLucytoagreewithhim;heshoutedforsupporttohisson。 \"Wehavetriedtobuywhatcannotbeboughtwithmoney。Hehasbargainedtodriveus,andheisdoingit。Wehavenorightsoverhissoul。” MissLavishfrowned。ItishardwhenapersonyouhaveclassedastypicallyBritishspeaksoutofhischaracter。 Hewasnotdrivinguswell,\"shesaid。\"Hejoltedus。” \"ThatIdeny。Itwasasrestfulassleeping。Aha!heisjoltingusnow。Canyouwonder?Hewouldliketothrowusout,andmostcertainlyheisjustified。AndifIweresuperstitiousI\'dbefrightenedofthegirl,too。Itdoesn\'tdotoinjureyoungpeople。HaveyoueverheardofLorenzodeMedici?\" MissLavishbristled。 \"MostcertainlyIhave。DoyourefertoLorenzoilMagnifico,ortoLorenzo,DukeofUrbino,ortoLorenzosurnamedLorenzinoonaccountofhisdiminutivestature?\" \"TheLordknows。Possiblyhedoesknow,forIrefertoLorenzothepoet。Hewrotealine——soIheardyesterday——whichrunslikethis:\'Don\'tgofightingagainsttheSpring。\'\" Mr。Eagercouldnotresisttheopportunityforerudition。 \"NonfateguerraalMaggio,\"hemurmured。\"\'WarnotwiththeMay\'wouldrenderacorrectmeaning。” \"Thepointis,wehavewarredwithit。Look。”HepointedtotheVald\'Arno,whichwasvisiblefarbelowthem,throughthebuddingtrees。\"FiftymilesofSpring,andwe\'vecomeuptoadmirethem。Doyousupposethere\'sanydifferencebetweenSpringinnatureandSpringinman?Buttherewego,praisingtheoneandcondemningtheotherasimproper,ashamedthatthesameworketernallythroughboth。” Nooneencouragedhimtotalk。PresentlyMr。Eagergaveasignalforthecarriagestostopandmarshalledthepartyfortheirrambleonthehill。Ahollowlikeagreatamphitheatre,fullofterracedstepsandmistyolives,nowlaybetweenthemandtheheightsofFiesole,andtheroad,stillfollowingitscurve,wasabouttosweepontoapromontorywhichstoodoutintheplain。 Itwasthispromontory,uncultivated,wet,coveredwithbushesandoccasionaltrees,whichhadcaughtthefancyofAlessioBaldovinettinearlyfivehundredyearsbefore。Hehadascendedit,thatdiligentandratherobscuremaster,possiblywithaneyetobusiness,possiblyforthejoyofascending。Standingthere,hehadseenthatviewoftheVald\'ArnoanddistantFlorence,whichheafterwardshadintroducednotveryeffectivelyintohiswork。Butwhereexactlyhadhestood?ThatwasthequestionwhichMr。Eagerhopedtosolvenow。AndMissLavish,whosenaturewasattractedbyanythingproblematical,hadbecomeequallyenthusiastic。 ButitisnoteasytocarrythepicturesofAlessioBaldovinettiinyourhead,evenifyouhaverememberedtolookatthembeforestarting。Andthehazeinthevalleyincreasedthedifficultyofthequest。 Thepartysprangaboutfromtufttotuftofgrass,theiranxietytokeeptogetherbeingonlyequalledbytheirdesiretogodifferentdirections。Finallytheysplitintogroups。LucyclungtoMissBartlettandMissLavish;theEmersonsreturnedtoholdlaboriousconversewiththedrivers;whilethetwoclergymen,whowereexpectedtohavetopicsincommon,werelefttoeachother。 Thetwoelderladiessoonthrewoffthemask。IntheaudiblewhisperthatwasnowsofamiliartoLucytheybegantodiscuss,notAlessioBaldovinetti,butthedrive。MissBartletthadaskedMr。GeorgeEmersonwhathisprofessionwas,andhehadanswered\"therailway。”Shewasverysorrythatshehadaskedhim。Shehadnoideathatitwouldbesuchadreadfulanswer,orshewouldnothaveaskedhim。Mr。Beebehadturnedtheconversationsocleverly,andshehopedthattheyoungmanwasnotverymuchhurtatheraskinghim\"Therailway!\"gaspedMissLavish。\"Oh,butIshalldie!Ofcourseitwastherailway!\"Shecouldnotcontrolhermirth。\"Heistheimageofaporter——on,ontheSouth-Eastern。” \"Eleanor,bequiet,\"pluckingathervivaciouscompanion。\"Hush! They\'llhear——theEmersons——\" \"Ican\'tstop。Letmegomywickedway。Aporter——\" \"Eleanor!\" \"I\'msureit\'sallright,\"putinLucy。\"TheEmersonswon\'thear,andtheywouldn\'tmindiftheydid。” MissLavishdidnotseempleasedatthis。 \"MissHoneychurchlistening!\"shesaidrathercrossly。\"Pouf! Wouf!Younaughtygirl!Goaway!\" \"Oh,Lucy,yououghttobewithMr。Eager,I\'msure。” \"Ican\'tfindthemnow,andIdon\'twanttoeither。” \"Mr。Eagerwillbeoffended。Itisyourparty。” \"Please,I\'dratherstopherewithyou。” \"No,Iagree,\"saidMissLavish。\"It\'slikeaschoolfeast;theboyshavegotseparatedfromthegirls。MissLucy,youaretogo。 Wewishtoconverseonhightopicsunsuitedforyourear。” Thegirlwasstubborn。AshertimeatFlorencedrewtoitscloseshewasonlyateaseamongstthosetowhomshefeltindifferent。 SuchaonewasMissLavish,andsuchforthemomentwasCharlotte。Shewishedshehadnotcalledattentiontoherself; theywerebothannoyedatherremarkandseemeddeterminedtogetridofher。 \"Howtiredonegets,\"saidMissBartlett。\"Oh,IdowishFreddyandyourmothercouldbehere。” UnselfishnesswithMissBartletthadentirelyusurpedthefunctionsofenthusiasm。Lucydidnotlookatthevieweither。 ShewouldnotenjoyanythingtillshewassafeatRome。 \"Thensityoudown,\"saidMissLavish。\"Observemyforesight。” Withmanyasmilesheproducedtwoofthosemackintoshsquaresthatprotecttheframeofthetouristfromdampgrassorcoldmarblesteps。Shesatonone;whowastositontheother? \"Lucy;withoutamoment\'sdoubt,Lucy。Thegroundwilldoforme。 ReallyIhavenothadrheumatismforyears。IfIdofeelitcomingonIshallstand。Imagineyourmother\'sfeelingsifIletyousitinthewetinyourwhitelinen。”Shesatdownheavilywherethegroundlookedparticularlymoist。\"Hereweare,allsettleddelightfully。Evenifmydressisthinneritwillnotshowsomuch,beingbrown。Sitdown,dear;youaretoounselfish; youdon\'tassertyourselfenough。”Sheclearedherthroat。\"Nowdon\'tbealarmed;thisisn\'tacold。It\'sthetiniestcough,andIhavehaditthreedays。It\'snothingtodowithsittinghereatall。” Therewasonlyonewayoftreatingthesituation。AttheendoffiveminutesLucydepartedinsearchofMr。BeebeandMr。Eager,vanquishedbythemackintoshsquare。 Sheaddressedherselftothedrivers,whoweresprawlinginthecarriages,perfumingthecushionswithcigars。Themiscreant,abonyyoungmanscorchedblackbythesun,rosetogreetherwiththecourtesyofahostandtheassuranceofarelative。 \"Dove?\"saidLucy,aftermuchanxiousthought。 Hisfacelitup。Ofcourseheknewwhere,Notsofareither。Hisarmsweptthree-fourthsofthehorizon。Heshouldjustthinkhedidknowwhere。Hepressedhisfinger-tipstohisforeheadandthenpushedthemtowardsher,asifoozingwithvisibleextractofknowledge。 Moreseemednecessary。WhatwastheItalianfor\"clergyman\"? \"Dovebuoniuomini?\"saidsheatlast。 Good?Scarcelytheadjectiveforthosenoblebeings!Heshowedherhiscigar。 \"Uno——piu——piccolo,\"washernextremark,implying\"HasthecigarbeengiventoyoubyMr。Beebe,thesmallerofthetwogoodmen?\" Shewascorrectasusual。Hetiedthehorsetoatree,kickedittomakeitstayquiet,dustedthecarriage,arrangedhishair,remouldedhishat,encouragedhismoustache,andinratherlessthanaquarterofaminutewasreadytoconducther。Italiansarebornknowingtheway。Itwouldseemthatthewholeearthlaybeforethem,notasamap,butasachess-board,whereontheycontinuallybeholdthechangingpiecesaswellasthesquares。 Anyonecanfindplaces,butthefindingofpeopleisagiftfromGod。 Heonlystoppedonce,topickhersomegreatblueviolets。Shethankedhimwithrealpleasure。Inthecompanyofthiscommonmantheworldwasbeautifulanddirect。ForthefirsttimeshefelttheinfluenceofSpring。Hisarmsweptthehorizongracefully; violets,likeotherthings,existedingreatprofusionthere; wouldsheliketoseethem?\" \"Mabuoniuomini。” Hebowed。Certainly。Goodmenfirst,violetsafterwards。Theyproceededbrisklythroughtheundergrowth,whichbecamethickerandthicker。Theywerenearingtheedgeofthepromontory,andtheviewwasstealingroundthem,butthebrownnetworkofthebushesshattereditintocountlesspieces。Hewasoccupiedinhiscigar,andinholdingbackthepliantboughs。Shewasrejoicinginherescapefromdullness。Notastep,notatwig,wasunimportanttoher。 \"Whatisthat?\" Therewasavoiceinthewood,inthedistancebehindthem。ThevoiceofMr。Eager?Heshruggedhisshoulders。AnItalian\'signoranceissometimesmoreremarkablethanhisknowledge。Shecouldnotmakehimunderstandthatperhapstheyhadmissedtheclergymen。Theviewwasformingatlast;shecoulddiscerntheriver,thegoldenplain,otherhills。 \"Eccolo!\"heexclaimed。 Atthesamemomentthegroundgaveway,andwithacryshefelloutofthewood。Lightandbeautyenvelopedher。Shehadfallenontoalittleopenterrace,whichwascoveredwithvioletsfromendtoend。 \"Courage!\"criedhercompanion,nowstandingsomesixfeetabove。 \"Courageandlove。” Shedidnotanswer。Fromherfeetthegroundslopedsharplyintoview,andvioletsrandowninrivuletsandstreamsandcataracts,irrigatingthehillsidewithblue,eddyingroundthetreestemscollectingintopoolsinthehollows,coveringthegrasswithspotsofazurefoam。Butneveragainweretheyinsuchprofusion; thisterracewasthewell-head,theprimalsourcewhencebeautygushedouttowatertheearth。 Standingatitsbrink,likeaswimmerwhoprepares,wasthegoodman。Buthewasnotthegoodmanthatshehadexpected,andhewasalone。 Georgehadturnedatthesoundofherarrival。Foramomenthecontemplatedher,asonewhohadfallenoutofheaven。Hesawradiantjoyinherface,hesawtheflowersbeatagainstherdressinbluewaves。Thebushesabovethemclosed。Hesteppedquicklyforwardandkissedher。 Beforeshecouldspeak,almostbeforeshecouldfeel,avoicecalled,\"Lucy!Lucy!Lucy!\"ThesilenceoflifehadbeenbrokenbyMissBartlettwhostoodbrownagainsttheview。 ChapterVII:TheyReturnSomecomplicatedgamehadbeenplayingupanddownthehillsidealltheafternoon。Whatitwasandexactlyhowtheplayershadsided,Lucywasslowtodiscover。Mr。Eagerhadmetthemwithaquestioningeye。Charlottehadrepulsedhimwithmuchsmalltalk。Mr。Emerson,seekinghisson,wastoldwhereaboutstofindhim。Mr。Beebe,whoworetheheatedaspectofaneutral,wasbiddentocollectthefactionsforthereturnhome。Therewasageneralsenseofgropingandbewilderment。Panhadbeenamongstthem——notthegreatgodPan,whohasbeenburiedthesetwothousandyears,butthelittlegodPan,whopresidesoversocialcontretempsandunsuccessfulpicnics。Mr。Beebehadlosteveryone,andhadconsumedinsolitudethetea-basketwhichhehadbroughtupasapleasantsurprise。MissLavishhadlostMissBartlett。LucyhadlostMr。Eager。Mr。EmersonhadlostGeorge。 MissBartletthadlostamackintoshsquare。Phaethonhadlostthegame。 Thatlastfactwasundeniable。Heclimbedontotheboxshivering,withhiscollarup,prophesyingtheswiftapproachofbadweather。\"Letusgoimmediately,\"hetoldthem。\"Thesignorinowillwalk。” \"Alltheway?Hewillbehours,\"saidMr。Beebe。 \"Apparently。Itoldhimitwasunwise。”Hewouldlooknooneintheface;perhapsdefeatwasparticularlymortifyingforhim。Healonehadplayedskilfully,usingthewholeofhisinstinct,whiletheothershadusedscrapsoftheirintelligence。Healonehaddivinedwhatthingswere,andwhathewishedthemtobe。HealonehadinterpretedthemessagethatLucyhadreceivedfivedaysbeforefromthelipsofadyingman。Persephone,whospendshalfherlifeinthegrave——shecouldinterpretitalso。NotsotheseEnglish。Theygainknowledgeslowly,andperhapstoolate。 Thethoughtsofacab-driver,howeverjust,seldomaffectthelivesofhisemployers。HewasthemostcompetentofMissBartlett\'sopponents,butinfinitelytheleastdangerous。Oncebackinthetown,heandhisinsightandhisknowledgewouldtroubleEnglishladiesnomore。Ofcourse,itwasmostunpleasant;shehadseenhisblackheadinthebushes;hemightmakeatavernstoryoutofit。Butafterall,whathavewetodowithtaverns?Realmenacebelongstothedrawing-room。Itwasofdrawing-roompeoplethatMissBartlettthoughtasshejourneyeddownwardstowardsthefadingsun。Lucysatbesideher;Mr。Eagersatopposite,tryingtocatchhereye;hewasvaguelysuspicious。 TheyspokeofAlessioBaldovinetti。 Rainanddarknesscameontogether。Thetwoladieshuddledtogetherunderaninadequateparasol。Therewasalightningflash,andMissLavishwhowasnervous,screamedfromthecarriageinfront。Atthenextflash,Lucyscreamedalso。Mr。 Eageraddressedherprofessionally: \"Courage,MissHoneychurch,courageandfaith。IfImightsayso,thereissomethingalmostblasphemousinthishorroroftheelements。Areweseriouslytosupposethatalltheseclouds,allthisimmenseelectricaldisplay,issimplycalledintoexistencetoextinguishyouorme?\" \"No——ofcourse——\" \"Evenfromthescientificstandpointthechancesagainstourbeingstruckareenormous。Thesteelknives,theonlyarticleswhichmightattractthecurrent,areintheothercarriage。And,inanycase,weareinfinitelysaferthanifwewerewalking。 Courage——courageandfaith。” Undertherug,Lucyfeltthekindlypressureofhercousin\'shand。Attimesourneedforasympatheticgestureissogreatthatwecarenotwhatexactlyitsignifiesorhowmuchwemayhavetopayforitafterwards。MissBartlett,bythistimelyexerciseofhermuscles,gainedmorethanshewouldhavegotinhoursofpreachingorcrossexamination。 Shereneweditwhenthetwocarriagesstopped,halfintoFlorence。 \"Mr。Eager!\"calledMr。Beebe。\"Wewantyourassistance。Willyouinterpretforus?\" \"George!\"criedMr。Emerson。\"AskyourdriverwhichwayGeorgewent。Theboymaylosehisway。Hemaybekilled。” \"Go,Mr。Eager,\"saidMissBartlett。don\'taskourdriver;ourdriverisnohelp。GoandsupportpoorMr。Beebe——,heisnearlydemented。” \"Hemaybekilled!\"criedtheoldman。\"Hemaybekilled!\" \"Typicalbehaviour,\"saidthechaplain,ashequittedthecarriage。\"Inthepresenceofrealitythatkindofpersoninvariablybreaksdown。” \"Whatdoesheknow?\"whisperedLucyassoonastheywerealone。 \"Charlotte,howmuchdoesMr。Eagerknow?\" \"Nothing,dearest;heknowsnothing。But——\"shepointedatthedriver-\"HEknowseverything。Dearest,hadwebetter?ShallI?\" Shetookoutherpurse。\"Itisdreadfultobeentangledwithlow-classpeople。Hesawitall。”TappingPhaethon\'sbackwithherguide-book,shesaid,\"Silenzio!\"andofferedhimafranc。 \"Vabene,\"hereplied,andacceptedit。Aswellthisendingtohisdayasany。ButLucy,amortalmaid,wasdisappointedinhim。 Therewasanexplosionuptheroad。Thestormhadstrucktheoverheadwireofthetramline,andoneofthegreatsupportshadfallen。Iftheyhadnotstoppedperhapstheymighthavebeenhurt。Theychosetoregarditasamiraculouspreservation,andthefloodsofloveandsincerity,whichfructifyeveryhouroflife,burstforthintumult。Theydescendedfromthecarriages;