\"WhatifIdo？Itdoesn\'tpreventmefromrealizingthetruth。I
can\'tmarryyou，andyouwillthankmeforsayingsosomeday。”
\"Youhadthatbadheadacheyesterday——Allright\"——forshehadexclaimedindignantly:\"Iseeit\'smuchmorethanheadaches。Butgivemeamoment\'stime。”Heclosedhiseyes。\"YoumustexcusemeifIsaystupidthings，butmybrainhasgonetopieces。Partofitlivesthreeminutesback，whenIwassurethatyoulovedme，andtheotherpart——Ifinditdifficult——Iamlikelytosaythewrongthing。”
Itstruckherthathewasnotbehavingsobadly，andherirritationincreased。Sheagaindesiredastruggle，notadiscussion。Tobringonthecrisis，shesaid:
\"Therearedayswhenoneseesclearly，andthisisoneofthem。
Thingsmustcometoabreaking-pointsometime，andithappenstobeto-day。Ifyouwanttoknow，quitealittlethingdecidedmetospeaktoyou——whenyouwouldn\'tplaytenniswithFreddy。”
\"Ineverdoplaytennis，\"saidCecil，painfullybewildered；\"I
nevercouldplay。Idon\'tunderstandawordyousay。”
\"Youcanplaywellenoughtomakeupafour。Ithoughtitabominablyselfishofyou。”
\"No，Ican\'t——well，nevermindthetennis。Whycouldn\'tyou——couldn\'tyouhavewarnedmeifyoufeltanythingwrong？Youtalkedofourweddingatlunch——atleast，youletmetalk。”
\"Iknewyouwouldn\'tunderstand，\"saidLucyquitecrossly。\"I
mighthaveknowntherewouldhavebeenthesedreadfulexplanations。Ofcourse，itisn\'tthetennis——thatwasonlythelaststrawtoallIhavebeenfeelingforweeks。SurelyitwasbetternottospeakuntilIfeltcertain。”Shedevelopedthisposition。\"OftenbeforeIhavewonderedifIwasfittedforyourwife——forinstance，inLondon；andareyoufittedtobemyhusband？Idon\'tthinkso。Youdon\'tlikeFreddy，normymother。
Therewasalwaysalotagainstourengagement，Cecil，butallourrelationsseemedpleased，andwemetsooften，anditwasnogoodmentioningituntil——well，untilallthingscametoapoint。Theyhaveto-day。Iseeclearly。Imustspeak。That\'sall。”
\"Icannotthinkyouwereright，\"saidCecilgently。\"Icannottellwhy，butthoughallthatyousaysoundstrue，Ifeelthatyouarenottreatingmefairly。It\'salltoohorrible。”
\"What\'sthegoodofascene？\"
\"Nogood。ButsurelyIhavearighttohearalittlemore。”
Heputdownhisglassandopenedthewindow。Fromwheresheknelt，janglingherkeys，shecouldseeaslitofdarkness，and，peeringintoit，asifitwouldtellhimthat\"littlemore，\"hislong，thoughtfulface。
\"Don\'topenthewindow；andyou\'dbetterdrawthecurtain，too；
Freddyoranyonemightbeoutside。”Heobeyed。\"Ireallythinkwehadbettergotobed，ifyoudon\'tmind。Ishallonlysaythingsthatwillmakemeunhappyafterwards。Asyousayitisalltoohorrible，anditisnogoodtalking。”
ButtoCecil，nowthathewasabouttoloseher，sheseemedeachmomentmoredesirable。Helookedather，insteadofthroughher，forthefirsttimesincetheywereengaged。FromaLeonardoshehadbecomealivingwoman，withmysteriesandforcesofherown，withqualitiesthateveneludedart。Hisbrainrecoveredfromtheshock，and，inaburstofgenuinedevotion，hecried:\"ButIloveyou，andIdidthinkyoulovedme!\"
\"Ididnot，\"shesaid。\"IthoughtIdidatfirst。Iamsorry，andoughttohaverefusedyouthislasttime，too。”
Hebegantowalkupanddowntheroom，andshegrewmoreandmorevexedathisdignifiedbehaviour。Shehadcountedonhisbeingpetty。Itwouldhavemadethingseasierforher。Byacruelironyshewasdrawingoutallthatwasfinestinhisdisposition。
\"Youdon\'tloveme，evidently。Idaresayyouarerightnotto。
ButitwouldhurtalittlelessifIknewwhy。”
\"Because\"——aphrasecametoher，andsheacceptedit——\"you\'rethesortwhocan\'tknowanyoneintimately。”
Ahorrifiedlookcameintohiseyes。
\"Idon\'tmeanexactlythat。Butyouwillquestionme，thoughI
begyounotto，andImustsaysomething。Itisthat，moreorless。Whenwewereonlyacquaintances，youletmebemyself，butnowyou\'realwaysprotectingme。”Hervoiceswelled。\"Iwon\'tbeprotected。Iwillchooseformyselfwhatisladylikeandright。
Toshieldmeisaninsult。Can\'tIbetrustedtofacethetruthbutImustgetitsecond-handthroughyou？Awoman\'splace!Youdespisemymother——Iknowyoudo——becauseshe\'sconventionalandbothersoverpuddings；but，ohgoodness!\"——sherosetoherfeet——\"conventional，Cecil，you\'rethat，foryoumayunderstandbeautifulthings，butyoudon\'tknowhowtousethem；andyouwrapyourselfupinartandbooksandmusic，andwouldtrytowrapupme。Iwon\'tbestifled，notbythemostgloriousmusic，forpeoplearemoreglorious，andyouhidethemfromme。That\'swhyIbreakoffmyengagement。Youwereallrightaslongasyoukepttothings，butwhenyoucametopeople——\"Shestopped。
Therewasapause。ThenCecilsaidwithgreatemotion:
\"Itistrue。”
\"Trueonthewhole，\"shecorrected，fullofsomevagueshame。
\"True，everyword。Itisarevelation。Itis——I。”
\"Anyhow，thosearemyreasonsfornotbeingyourwife。”
Herepeated:\"\'Thesortthatcanknownooneintimately。\'Itistrue。Ifelltopiecestheveryfirstdaywewereengaged。I
behavedlikeacadtoBeebeandtoyourbrother。YouareevengreaterthanIthought。”Shewithdrewastep。\"I\'mnotgoingtoworryyou。Youarefartoogoodtome。Ishallneverforgetyourinsight；and，dear，Ionlyblameyouforthis:youmighthavewarnedmeintheearlystages，beforeyoufeltyouwouldn\'tmarryme，andsohavegivenmeachancetoimprove。Ihaveneverknownyoutillthisevening。Ihavejustusedyouasapegformysillynotionsofwhatawomanshouldbe。Butthiseveningyouareadifferentperson:newthoughts——evenanewvoice——\"
\"Whatdoyoumeanbyanewvoice？\"sheasked，seizedwithincontrollableanger。
\"Imeanthatanewpersonseemsspeakingthroughyou，\"saidhe。
Thenshelostherbalance。Shecried:\"IfyouthinkIaminlovewithsomeoneelse，youareverymuchmistaken。”
\"OfcourseIdon\'tthinkthat。Youarenotthatkind，Lucy。”
\"Oh，yes，youdothinkit。It\'syouroldidea，theideathathaskeptEuropeback——Imeantheideathatwomenarealwaysthinkingofmen。Ifagirlbreaksoffherengagement，everyonesays:\'Oh，shehadsomeoneelseinhermind；shehopestogetsomeoneelse。\'It\'sdisgusting，brutal!Asifagirlcan\'tbreakitoffforthesakeoffreedom。”
Heansweredreverently:\"Imayhavesaidthatinthepast。I
shallneversayitagain。Youhavetaughtmebetter。”
Shebegantoredden，andpretendedtoexaminethewindowsagain。
\"Ofcourse，thereisnoquestionof\'someoneelse\'inthis，no\'jilting\'oranysuchnauseousstupidity。Ibegyourpardonmosthumblyifmywordssuggestedthattherewas。IonlymeantthattherewasaforceinyouthatIhadn\'tknownofuptillnow。”
\"Allright，Cecil，thatwilldo。Don\'tapologizetome。Itwasmymistake。”
\"Itisaquestionbetweenideals，yoursandmine——pureabstractideals，andyoursarethenobler。Iwasboundupintheoldviciousnotions，andallthetimeyouweresplendidandnew。”Hisvoicebroke。\"Imustactuallythankyouforwhatyouhavedone——
forshowingmewhatIreallyam。Solemnly，Ithankyouforshowingmeatruewoman。Willyoushakehands？\"
\"OfcourseIwill，\"saidLucy，twistingupherotherhandinthecurtains。\"Good-night，Cecil。Good-bye。That\'sallright。I\'msorryaboutit。Thankyouverymuchforyourgentleness。”
\"Letmelightyourcandle，shallI？\"
Theywentintothehall。
\"Thankyou。Good-nightagain。Godblessyou，Lucy!\"
\"Good-bye，Cecil。”
Shewatchedhimstealup-stairs，whiletheshadowsfromthreebanisterspassedoverherfacelikethebeatofwings。Onthelandinghepausedstronginhisrenunciation，andgaveheralookofmemorablebeauty。Forallhisculture，Cecilwasanasceticatheart，andnothinginhislovebecamehimliketheleavingofit。
Shecouldnevermarry。Inthetumultofhersoul，thatstoodfirm。Cecilbelievedinher；shemustsomedaybelieveinherself。Shemustbeoneofthewomenwhomshehadpraisedsoeloquently，whocareforlibertyandnotformen；shemustforgetthatGeorgelovedher，thatGeorgehadbeenthinkingthroughherandgainedherthishonourablerelease，thatGeorgehadgoneawayinto——whatwasit？——thedarkness。
Sheputoutthelamp。
Itdidnotdotothink，nor，forthematterofthattofeel。Shegaveuptryingtounderstandherself，andthevastarmiesofthebenighted，whofollowneithertheheartnorthebrain，andmarchtotheirdestinybycatch-words。Thearmiesarefullofpleasantandpiousfolk。Buttheyhaveyieldedtotheonlyenemythatmatters——theenemywithin。Theyhavesinnedagainstpassionandtruth，andvainwillbetheirstrifeaftervirtue。Astheyearspass，theyarecensured。Theirpleasantryandtheirpietyshowcracks，theirwitbecomescynicism，theirunselfishnesshypocrisy；theyfeelandproducediscomfortwherevertheygo。
TheyhavesinnedagainstErosandagainstPallasAthene，andnotbyanyheavenlyintervention，butbytheordinarycourseofnature，thoseallieddeitieswillbeavenged。
LucyenteredthisarmywhenshepretendedtoGeorgethatshedidnotlovehim，andpretendedtoCecilthatshelovednoone。Thenightreceivedher，asithadreceivedMissBartlettthirtyyearsbefore。
ChapterXVIII:LyingtoMr。Beebe，Mrs。Honeychurch，Freddy，andTheServantsWindyCornerlay，notonthesummitoftheridge，butafewhundredfeetdownthesouthernslope，atthespringingofoneofthegreatbuttressesthatsupportedthehill。Oneithersideofitwasashallowravine，filledwithfernsandpine-trees，anddowntheravineontheleftranthehighwayintotheWeald。
WheneverMr。Beebecrossedtheridgeandcaughtsightofthesenobledispositionsoftheearth，and，poisedinthemiddleofthem，WindyCorner，——helaughed。Thesituationwassoglorious，thehousesocommonplace，nottosayimpertinent。ThelateMr。
Honeychurchhadaffectedthecube，becauseitgavehimthemostaccommodationforhismoney，andtheonlyadditionmadebyhiswidowhadbeenasmallturret，shapedlikearhinoceros\'horn，whereshecouldsitinwetweatherandwatchthecartsgoingupanddowntheroad。Soimpertinent——andyetthehouse\"did，\"foritwasthehomeofpeoplewholovedtheirsurroundingshonestly。
Otherhousesintheneighborhoodhadbeenbuiltbyexpensivearchitects，overotherstheirinmateshadfidgetedsedulously，yetallthesesuggestedtheaccidental，thetemporary；whileWindyCornerseemedasinevitableasanuglinessofNature\'sowncreation。Onemightlaughatthehouse，butonenevershuddered。
Mr。BeebewasbicyclingoverthisMondayafternoonwithapieceofgossip。HehadheardfromtheMissAlans。Theseadmirableladies，sincetheycouldnotgotoCissieVilla，hadchangedtheirplans。TheyweregoingtoGreeceinstead。
\"SinceFlorencedidmypoorsistersomuchgood，\"wroteMissCatharine，\"wedonotseewhyweshouldnottryAthensthiswinter。Ofcourse，Athensisaplunge，andthedoctorhasorderedherspecialdigestivebread；but，afterall，wecantakethatwithus，anditisonlygettingfirstintoasteamerandthenintoatrain。ButisthereanEnglishChurch？\"Andtheletterwentontosay:\"IdonotexpectweshallgoanyfurtherthanAthens，butifyouknewofareallycomfortablepensionatConstantinople，weshouldbesograteful。”
Lucywouldenjoythisletter，andthesmilewithwhichMr。BeebegreetedWindyCornerwaspartlyforher。Shewouldseethefunofit，andsomeofitsbeauty，forshemustseesomebeauty。Thoughshewashopelessaboutpictures，andthoughshedressedsounevenly——oh，thatcerisefrockyesterdayatchurch!——shemustseesomebeautyinlife，orshecouldnotplaythepianoasshedid。Hehadatheorythatmusiciansareincrediblycomplex，andknowfarlessthanotherartistswhattheywantandwhattheyare；thattheypuzzlethemselvesaswellastheirfriends；thattheirpsychologyisamoderndevelopment，andhasnotyetbeenunderstood。Thistheory，hadheknownit，hadpossiblyjustbeenillustratedbyfacts。Ignorantoftheeventsofyesterdayhewasonlyridingovertogetsometea，toseehisniece，andtoobservewhetherMissHoneychurchsawanythingbeautifulinthedesireoftwooldladiestovisitAthens。
AcarriagewasdrawnupoutsideWindyCorner，andjustashecaughtsightofthehouseitstarted，bowledupthedrive，andstoppedabruptlywhenitreachedthemainroad。Thereforeitmustbethehorse，whoalwaysexpectedpeopletowalkupthehillincasetheytiredhim。Thedooropenedobediently，andtwomenemerged，whomMr。BeeberecognizedasCecilandFreddy。Theywereanoddcoupletogodriving；buthesawatrunkbesidethecoachman\'slegs。Cecil，whoworeabowler，mustbegoingaway，whileFreddy(acap)——wasseeinghimtothestation。Theywalkedrapidly，takingtheshortcuts，andreachedthesummitwhilethecarriagewasstillpursuingthewindingsoftheroad。
Theyshookhandswiththeclergyman，butdidnotspeak。
\"Soyou\'reoffforaminute，Mr。Vyse？\"heasked。
Cecilsaid，\"Yes，\"whileFreddyedgedaway。
\"IwascomingtoshowyouthisdelightfulletterfromthosefriendsofMissHoneychurch。Hequotedfromit。\"Isn\'titwonderful？Isn\'titromance？mostcertainlytheywillgotoConstantinople。Theyaretakeninasnarethatcannotfail。Theywillendbygoingroundtheworld。”
Cecillistenedcivilly，andsaidhewassurethatLucywouldbeamusedandinterested。
\"Isn\'tRomancecapricious!Inevernoticeitinyouyoungpeople；
youdonothingbutplaylawntennis，andsaythatromanceisdead，whiletheMissAlansarestrugglingwithalltheweaponsofproprietyagainsttheterriblething。\'AreallycomfortablepensionatConstantinople!\'Sotheycallitoutofdecency，butintheirheartstheywantapensionwithmagicwindowsopeningonthefoamofperilousseasinfairylandforlorn!NoordinaryviewwillcontenttheMissAlans。TheywantthePensionKeats。”
\"I\'mawfullysorrytointerrupt，Mr。Beebe，\"saidFreddy，\"buthaveyouanymatches？\"
\"Ihave，\"saidCecil，anditdidnotescapeMr。Beebe\'snoticethathespoketotheboymorekindly。
\"YouhavenevermettheseMissAlans，haveyou，Mr。Vyse？\"
\"Never。”
\"Thenyoudon\'tseethewonderofthisGreekvisit。Ihaven\'tbeentoGreecemyself，anddon\'tmeantogo，andIcan\'timagineanyofmyfriendsgoing。Itisaltogethertoobigforourlittlelot。Don\'tyouthinkso？Italyisjustaboutasmuchaswecanmanage。Italyisheroic，butGreeceisgodlikeordevilish——Iamnotsurewhich，andineithercaseabsolutelyoutofoursuburbanfocus。Allright，Freddy——Iamnotbeingclever，uponmywordI
amnot——Itooktheideafromanotherfellow；andgivemethosematcheswhenyou\'vedonewiththem。”Helitacigarette，andwentontalkingtothetwoyoungmen。\"Iwassaying，ifourpoorlittleCockneylivesmusthaveabackground，letitbeItalian。
Bigenoughinallconscience。TheceilingoftheSistineChapelforme。TherethecontrastisjustasmuchasIcanrealize。ButnottheParthenon，notthefriezeofPhidiasatanyprice；andherecomesthevictoria。”
\"You\'requiteright，\"saidCecil。\"Greeceisnotforourlittlelot\"；andhegotin。Freddyfollowed，noddingtotheclergyman，whomhetrustednottobepullingone\'sleg，really。Andbeforetheyhadgoneadozenyardshejumpedout，andcamerunningbackforVyse\'smatch-box，whichhadnotbeenreturned。Ashetookit，hesaid:\"I\'msogladyouonlytalkedaboutbooks。Cecil\'shardhit。Lucywon\'tmarryhim。Ifyou\'dgoneonabouther，asyoudidaboutthem，hemighthavebrokendown。”
\"Butwhen——\"
\"Latelastnight。Imustgo。”
\"Perhapstheywon\'twantmedownthere。”
\"No——goon。Good-bye。”
\"Thankgoodness!\"exclaimedMr。Beebetohimself，andstruckthesaddleofhisbicycleapprovingly，\"Itwastheonefoolishthingsheeverdid。Oh，whatagloriousriddance!\"And，afteralittlethought，henegotiatedtheslopeintoWindyCorner，lightofheart。Thehousewasagainasitoughttobe——cutoffforeverfromCecil\'spretentiousworld。
HewouldfindMissMinniedowninthegarden。
Inthedrawing-roomLucywastinklingataMozartSonata。Hehesitatedamoment，butwentdownthegardenasrequested。Therehefoundamournfulcompany。Itwasablusteringday，andthewindhadtakenandbrokenthedahlias。Mrs。Honeychurch，wholookedcross，wastyingthemup，whileMissBartlett，unsuitablydressed，impededherwithoffersofassistance。AtalittledistancestoodMinnieandthe\"garden-child，\"aminuteimportation，eachholdingeitherendofalongpieceofbass。
\"Oh，howdoyoudo，Mr。Beebe？Graciouswhatamesseverythingis!Lookatmyscarletpompons，andthewindblowingyourskirtsabout，andthegroundsohardthatnotapropwillstickin，andthenthecarriagehavingtogoout，whenIhadcountedonhavingPowell，who——giveeveryonetheirdue——doestieupdahliasproperly。”
EvidentlyMrs。Honeychurchwasshattered。
\"Howdoyoudo？\"saidMissBartlett，withameaningglance，asthoughconveyingthatmorethandahliashadbeenbrokenoffbytheautumngales。
\"Here，Lennie，thebass，\"criedMrs。Honeychurch。Thegarden-child，whodidnotknowwhatbasswas，stoodrootedtothepathwithhorror。Minnieslippedtoheruncleandwhisperedthateveryonewasverydisagreeableto-day，andthatitwasnotherfaultifdahlia-stringswouldtearlongwaysinsteadofacross。
\"Comeforawalkwithme，\"hetoldher。\"Youhaveworriedthemasmuchastheycanstand。Mrs。Honeychurch，Ionlycalledinaimlessly。IshalltakeheruptoteaattheBeehiveTavern，ifI
may。”
\"Oh，mustyou？Yesdo——Notthescissors，thankyou，Charlotte，whenbothmyhandsarefullalready——I\'mperfectlycertainthattheorangecactuswillgobeforeIcangettoit。”
Mr。Beebe，whowasanadeptatrelievingsituations，invitedMissBartletttoaccompanythemtothismildfestivity。
\"Yes，Charlotte，Idon\'twantyou——dogo；there\'snothingtostopaboutfor，eitherinthehouseoroutofit。”
MissBartlettsaidthatherdutylayinthedahliabed，butwhenshehadexasperatedeveryone，exceptMinnie，byarefusal，sheturnedroundandexasperatedMinniebyanacceptance。Astheywalkedupthegarden，theorangecactusfell，andMr。Beebe\'s
\"They\'reangrywithMissHoneychurchbecauseshewaslateforbreakfast，\"whisperedMinnie，\"andFloydhasgone，andMr。Vysehasgone，andFreddywon\'tplaywithme。Infact，UncleArthur，thehouseisnotATALLwhatitwasyesterday。”
\"Don\'tbeaprig，\"saidherUncleArthur。\"Goandputonyourboots。”
Hesteppedintothedrawing-room，whereLucywasstillattentivelypursuingtheSonatasofMozart。Shestoppedwhenheentered。
\"Howdoyoudo？MissBartlettandMinniearecomingwithmetoteaattheBeehive。Wouldyoucometoo？\"
\"Idon\'tthinkIwill，thankyou。”
\"No，Ididn\'tsupposeyouwouldcaretomuch。”
Lucyturnedtothepianoandstruckafewchords。
\"HowdelicatethoseSonatasare!\"saidMr。Beebe，thoughatthebottomofhisheart，hethoughtthemsillylittlethings。
LucypassedintoSchumann。
\"MissHoneychurch!\"
\"Yes。”
\"Imetthemonthehill。Yourbrothertoldme。”
\"Ohhedid？\"Shesoundedannoyed。Mr。Beebefelthurt，forhehadthoughtthatshewouldlikehimtobetold。
\"Ineedn\'tsaythatitwillgonofurther。”
\"Mother，Charlotte，Cecil，Freddy，you，\"saidLucy，playinganoteforeachpersonwhoknew，andthenplayingasixthnote。
\"Ifyou\'llletmesayso，Iamveryglad，andIamcertainthatyouhavedonetherightthing。”
\"SoIhopedotherpeoplewouldthink，buttheydon\'tseemto。”
\"IcouldseethatMissBartlettthoughtitunwise。”
\"Sodoesmother。Mothermindsdreadfully。”
\"Iamverysorryforthat，\"saidMr。Beebewithfeeling。
Mrs。Honeychurch，whohatedallchanges，didmind，butnotnearlyasmuchasherdaughterpretended，andonlyfortheminute。ItwasreallyaruseofLucy\'stojustifyherdespondency——aruseofwhichshewasnotherselfconscious，forshewasmarchinginthearmiesofdarkness。
\"AndFreddyminds。”
\"Still，FreddyneverhititoffwithVysemuch，didhe？I
gatheredthathedislikedtheengagement，andfeltitmightseparatehimfromyou。”
\"Boysaresoodd。”
MinniecouldbeheardarguingwithMissBartlettthroughthefloor。TeaattheBeehiveapparentlyinvolvedacompletechangeofapparel。Mr。BeebesawthatLucy——veryproperly——didnotwishtodiscussheraction，soafterasincereexpressionofsympathy，hesaid，\"IhavehadanabsurdletterfromMissAlan。Thatwasreallywhatbroughtmeover。Ithoughtitmightamuseyouall。”
\"Howdelightful!\"saidLucy，inadullvoice。
Forthesakeofsomethingtodo，hebegantoreadhertheletter。
Afterafewwordshereyesgrewalert，andsoonsheinterruptedhimwith\"Goingabroad？Whendotheystart？\"
\"Nextweek，Igather。”
\"DidFreddysaywhetherhewasdrivingstraightback？\"
\"No，hedidn\'t。”
\"BecauseIdohopehewon\'tgogossiping。”
Soshedidwanttotalkaboutherbrokenengagement。Alwayscomplaisant，heputtheletteraway。Butshe，atonceexclaimedinahighvoice，\"Oh，dotellmemoreabouttheMissAlans!Howperfectlysplendidofthemtogoabroad!\"
\"IwantthemtostartfromVenice，andgoinacargosteamerdowntheIllyriancoast!\"
Shelaughedheartily。\"Oh，delightful!Iwishthey\'dtakeme。”
\"HasItalyfilledyouwiththefeveroftravel？PerhapsGeorgeEmersonisright。Hesaysthat\'ItalyisonlyaneuphuismforFate。\'\"
\"Oh，notItaly，butConstantinople。IhavealwayslongedtogotoConstantinople。ConstantinopleispracticallyAsia，isn\'tit？\"
Mr。BeeberemindedherthatConstantinoplewasstillunlikely，andthattheMissAlansonlyaimedatAthens，\"withDelphi，perhaps，iftheroadsaresafe。”Butthismadenodifferencetoherenthusiasm。ShehadalwayslongedtogotoGreeceevenmore，itseemed。Hesaw，tohissurprise，thatshewasapparentlyserious。
\"Ididn\'trealizethatyouandtheMissAlanswerestillsuchfriends，afterCissieVilla。”
\"Oh，that\'snothing；IassureyouCissieVilla\'snothingtome；I
wouldgiveanythingtogowiththem。”
\"Wouldyourmotherspareyouagainsosoon？Youhavescarcelybeenhomethreemonths。”
\"SheMUSTspareme!\"criedLucy，ingrowingexcitement。\"IsimplyMUSTgoaway。Ihaveto。”Sheranherfingershystericallythroughherhair。\"Don\'tyouseethatIHAVEtogoaway？Ididn\'trealizeatthetime——andofcourseIwanttoseeConstantinoplesoparticularly。”
\"Youmeanthatsinceyouhavebrokenoffyourengagementyoufeel——\"
\"Yes，yes。Iknewyou\'dunderstand。”
Mr。Beebedidnotquiteunderstand。WhycouldnotMissHoneychurchreposeinthebosomofherfamily？Cecilhadevidentlytakenupthedignifiedline，andwasnotgoingtoannoyher。Thenitstruckhimthatherfamilyitselfmightbeannoying。Hehintedthistoher，andsheacceptedthehinteagerly。
\"Yes，ofcourse；togotoConstantinopleuntiltheyareusedtotheideaandeverythinghascalmeddown。”
\"Iamafraidithasbeenabothersomebusiness，\"hesaidgently。
\"No，notatall。Cecilwasverykindindeed；only——Ihadbettertellyouthewholetruth，sinceyouhaveheardalittle——itwasthatheissomasterful。Ifoundthathewouldn\'tletmegomyownway。HewouldimprovemeinplaceswhereIcan\'tbeimproved。
Cecilwon\'tletawomandecideforherself——infact，hedaren\'t。
WhatnonsenseIdotalk!butthatisthekindofthing。”
\"ItiswhatIgatheredfrommyownobservationofMr。Vyse；itiswhatIgatherfromallthatIhaveknownofyou。Idosympathizeandagreemostprofoundly。Iagreesomuchthatyoumustletmemakeonelittlecriticism:IsitworthwhilerushingofftoGreece？\"
\"ButImustgosomewhere!\"shecried。\"Ihavebeenworryingallthemorning，andherecomestheverything。”Shestruckherkneeswithclenchedfists，andrepeated:\"Imust!AndthetimeIshallhavewithmother，andallthemoneyshespentonmelastspring。
Youallthinkmuchtoohighlyofme。Iwishyouweren\'tsokind。”
AtthismomentMissBartlettentered，andhernervousnessincreased。\"Imustgetaway，eversofar。ImustknowmyownmindandwhereIwanttogo。”
\"Comealong；tea，tea，tea，\"saidMr。Beebe，andbustledhisguestsoutofthefront-door。Hehustledthemsoquicklythatheforgothishat。Whenhereturnedforitheheard，tohisreliefandsurprise，thetinklingofaMozartSonata。
\"Sheisplayingagain，\"hesaidtoMissBartlett。
\"Lucycanalwaysplay，\"wastheacidreply。
\"Oneisverythankfulthatshehassucharesource。Sheisevidentlymuchworried，as，ofcourse，sheoughttobe。Iknowallaboutit。Themarriagewassonearthatitmusthavebeenahardstrugglebeforeshecouldwindherselfuptospeak。”
MissBartlettgaveakindofwriggle，andhepreparedforadiscussion。HehadneverfathomedMissBartlett。AshehadputittohimselfatFlorence，\"shemightyetrevealdepthsofstrangeness，ifnotofmeaning。”Butshewassounsympatheticthatshemustbereliable。Heassumedthatmuch，andhehadnohesitationindiscussingLucywithher。Minniewasfortunatelycollectingferns。
Sheopenedthediscussionwith:\"Wehadmuchbetterletthematterdrop。”
\"Iwonder。”
\"ItisofthehighestimportancethatthereshouldbenogossipinSummerStreet。ItwouldbeDEATHtogossipaboutMr。Vyse\'sdismissalatthepresentmoment。”
Mr。Beeberaisedhiseyebrows。Deathisastrongword——surelytoostrong。Therewasnoquestionoftragedy。Hesaid:\"Ofcourse，MissHoneychurchwillmakethefactpublicinherownway，andwhenshechooses。Freddyonlytoldmebecauseheknewshewouldnotmind。”
\"Iknow，\"saidMissBartlettcivilly。\"YetFreddyoughtnottohavetoldevenyou。Onecannotbetoocareful。”
\"Quiteso。”
\"Idoimploreabsolutesecrecy。Achancewordtoachatteringfriend，and——\"
\"Exactly。”Hewasusedtothesenervousoldmaidsandtotheexaggeratedimportancethattheyattachtowords。Arectorlivesinawebofpettysecrets，andconfidencesandwarnings，andthewiserheisthelesshewillregardthem。Hewillchangethesubject，asdidMr。Beebe，sayingcheerfully:\"HaveyouheardfromanyBertolinipeoplelately？IbelieveyoukeepupwithMissLavish。Itisoddhowweofthatpension，whoseemedsuchafortuitouscollection，havebeenworkingintooneanother\'slives。Two，three，four，sixofus——no，eight；IhadforgottentheEmersons——havekeptmoreorlessintouch。WemustreallygivetheSignoraatestimonial。”
And，MissBartlettnotfavouringthescheme，theywalkedupthehillinasilencewhichwasonlybrokenbytherectornamingsomefern。Onthesummittheypaused。Theskyhadgrownwildersincehestoodtherelasthour，givingtothelandatragicgreatnessthatisrareinSurrey。Greycloudswerechargingacrosstissuesofwhite，whichstretchedandshreddedandtoreslowly，untilthroughtheirfinallayerstheregleamedahintofthedisappearingblue。Summerwasretreating。Thewindroared，thetreesgroaned，yetthenoiseseemedinsufficientforthosevastoperationsinheaven。Theweatherwasbreakingup，breaking，broken，anditisasenseofthefitratherthanofthesupernaturalthatequipssuchcriseswiththesalvosofangelicartillery。Mr。Beebe\'seyesrestedonWindyCorner，whereLucysat，practisingMozart。Nosmilecametohislips，and，changingthesubjectagain，hesaid:\"Weshan\'thaverain，butweshallhavedarkness，soletushurryon。Thedarknesslastnightwasappalling。”
TheyreachedtheBeehiveTavernataboutfiveo\'clock。Thatamiablehostelrypossessesaverandah，inwhichtheyoungandtheunwisedodearlylovetosit，whileguestsofmorematureyearsseekapleasantsandedroom，andhaveteaatatablecomfortably。
Mr。BeebesawthatMissBartlettwouldbecoldifshesatout，andthatMinniewouldbedullifshesatin，soheproposedadivisionofforces。Theywouldhandthechildherfoodthroughthewindow。
ThushewasincidentallyenabledtodiscussthefortunesofLucy。
\"Ihavebeenthinking，MissBartlett，\"hesaid，\"and，unlessyouverymuchobject，Iwouldliketoreopenthatdiscussion。”Shebowed。\"Nothingaboutthepast。Iknowlittleandcarelessaboutthat；Iamabsolutelycertainthatitistoyourcousin\'scredit。
Shehasactedloftilyandrightly，anditislikehergentlemodestytosaythatwethinktoohighlyofher。Butthefuture。
Seriously，whatdoyouthinkofthisGreekplan？\"Hepulledouttheletteragain。\"Idon\'tknowwhetheryouoverheard，butshewantstojointheMissAlansintheirmadcareer。It\'sall——I
can\'texplain——it\'swrong。”
MissBartlettreadtheletterinsilence，laiditdown，seemedtohesitate，andthenreaditagain。
\"Ican\'tseethepointofitmyself。”
Tohisastonishment，shereplied:\"ThereIcannotagreewithyou。
InitIspyLucy\'ssalvation。”
\"Really。Now，why？\"
\"ShewantedtoleaveWindyCorner。”
\"Iknow——butitseemssoodd，sounlikeher，so——Iwasgoingtosay——selfish。”
\"Itisnatural，surely——aftersuchpainfulscenes——thatsheshoulddesireachange。”
Here，apparently，wasoneofthosepointsthatthemaleintellectmisses。Mr。Beebeexclaimed:\"Soshesaysherself，andsinceanotherladyagreeswithher，ImustownthatIampartiallyconvinced。Perhapsshemusthaveachange。Ihavenosistersor——
andIdon\'tunderstandthesethings。ButwhyneedshegoasfarasGreece？\"
\"Youmaywellaskthat，\"repliedMissBartlett，whowasevidentlyinterested，andhadalmostdroppedherevasivemanner。\"WhyGreece？(Whatisit，Minniedear——jam？)WhynotTunbridgeWells？
Oh，Mr。Beebe!IhadalongandmostunsatisfactoryinterviewwithdearLucythismorning。Icannothelpher。Iwillsaynomore。PerhapsIhavealreadysaidtoomuch。Iamnottotalk。I
wantedhertospendsixmonthswithmeatTunbridgeWells，andsherefused。”
Mr。Beebepokedatacrumbwithhisknife。
\"Butmyfeelingsareofnoimportance。IknowtoowellthatIgetonLucy\'snerves。Ourtourwasafailure。ShewantedtoleaveFlorence，andwhenwegottoRomeshedidnotwanttobeinRome，andallthetimeIfeltthatIwasspendinghermother\'smoney。”
\"Letuskeeptothefuture，though，\"interruptedMr。Beebe。\"I
wantyouradvice。”
\"Verywell，\"saidCharlotte，withachokyabruptnessthatwasnewtohim，thoughfamiliartoLucy。\"IforonewillhelphertogotoGreece。Willyou？\"
Mr。Beebeconsidered。
\"Itisabsolutelynecessary，\"shecontinued，loweringherveilandwhisperingthroughitwithapassion，anintensity，thatsurprisedhim。\"Iknow——Iknow。”Thedarknesswascomingon，andhefeltthatthisoddwomanreallydidknow。\"Shemustnotstophereamoment，andwemustkeepquiettillshegoes。Itrustthattheservantsknownothing。Afterwards——butImayhavesaidtoomuchalready。Only，LucyandIarehelplessagainstMrs。
Honeychurchalone。Ifyouhelpwemaysucceed。Otherwise——\"
\"Otherwise——？\"
\"Otherwise，\"sherepeatedasifthewordheldfinality。
\"Yes，Iwillhelpher，\"saidtheclergyman，settinghisjawfirm。
\"Come，letusgobacknow，andsettlethewholethingup。”
MissBartlettburstintofloridgratitude。Thetavernsign——abeehivetrimmedevenlywithbees——creakedinthewindoutsideasshethankedhim。Mr。Beebedidnotquiteunderstandthesituation；butthen，hedidnotdesiretounderstandit，nortojumptotheconclusionof\"anotherman\"thatwouldhaveattractedagrossermind。HeonlyfeltthatMissBartlettknewofsomevagueinfluencefromwhichthegirldesiredtobedelivered，andwhichmightwellbeclothedinthefleshlyform。Itsveryvaguenessspurredhimintoknight-errantry。Hisbeliefincelibacy，soreticent，socarefullyconcealedbeneathhistoleranceandculture，nowcametothesurfaceandexpandedlikesomedelicateflower。\"Theythatmarrydowell，buttheythatrefraindobetter。”Soranhisbelief，andheneverheardthatanengagementwasbrokenoffbutwithaslightfeelingofpleasure。
InthecaseofLucy，thefeelingwasintensifiedthroughdislikeofCecil；andhewaswillingtogofurther——toplaceheroutofdangeruntilshecouldconfirmherresolutionofvirginity。Thefeelingwasverysubtleandquiteundogmatic，andheneverimpartedittoanyotherofthecharactersinthisentanglement。
Yetitexisted，anditaloneexplainshisactionsubsequently，andhisinfluenceontheactionofothers。ThecompactthathemadewithMissBartlettinthetavern，wastohelpnotonlyLucy，butreligionalso。
Theyhurriedhomethroughaworldofblackandgrey。Heconversedonindifferenttopics:theEmersons\'needofahousekeeper；
servants；Italianservants；novelsaboutItaly；novelswithapurpose；couldliteratureinfluencelife？WindyCornerglimmered。
Inthegarden，Mrs。Honeychurch，nowhelpedbyFreddy，stillwrestledwiththelivesofherflowers。
\"Itgetstoodark，\"shesaidhopelesly。\"Thiscomesofputtingoff。Wemighthaveknowntheweatherwouldbreakupsoon；andnowLucywantstogotoGreece。Idon\'tknowwhattheworld\'scomingto。”
\"Mrs。Honeychurch，\"hesaid，\"gotoGreeceshemust。Comeuptothehouseandlet\'stalkitover。Doyou，inthefirstplace，mindherbreakingwithVyse？\"
\"Mr。Beebe，I\'mthankful——simplythankful。”
\"SoamI，\"saidFreddy。
\"Good。Nowcomeuptothehouse。”
Theyconferredinthedining-roomforhalfanhour。
LucywouldneverhavecarriedtheGreekschemealone。Itwasexpensiveanddramatic——bothqualitiesthathermotherloathed。
NorwouldCharlottehavesucceeded。ThehonoursofthedayrestedwithMr。Beebe。Byhistactandcommonsense，andbyhisinfluenceasaclergyman——foraclergymanwhowasnotafoolinfluencedMrs。Honeychurchgreatly——hebenthertotheirpurpose，\"Idon\'tseewhyGreeceisnecessary，\"shesaid；\"butasyoudo，Isupposeitisallright。ItmustbesomethingIcan\'tunderstand。Lucy!Let\'stellher。Lucy!\"
\"Sheisplayingthepiano，\"Mr。Beebesaid。Heopenedthedoor，andheardthewordsofasong:
\"Looknotthouonbeauty\'scharming。”
\"Ididn\'tknowthatMissHoneychurchsang，too。”
\"Sitthoustillwhenkingsarearming，Tastenotwhenthewine-cupglistens——\"
\"It\'sasongthatCecilgaveher。Howoddgirlsare!\"
\"What\'sthat？\"calledLucy，stoppingshort。
\"Allright，dear，\"saidMrs。Honeychurchkindly。Shewentintothedrawing-room，andMr。BeebeheardherkissLucyandsay:\"I
amsorryIwassocrossaboutGreece，butitcameonthetopofthedahlias。”
Ratherahardvoicesaid:\"Thankyou，mother；thatdoesn\'tmatterabit。”
\"Andyouareright，too——Greecewillbeallright；youcangoiftheMissAlanswillhaveyou。”
\"Oh，splendid!Oh，thankyou!\"
Mr。Beebefollowed。Lucystillsatatthepianowithherhandsoverthekeys。Shewasglad，buthehadexpectedgreatergladness。
Hermotherbentoverher。Freddy，towhomshehadbeensinging，reclinedonthefloorwithhisheadagainsther，andanunlitpipebetweenhislips。Oddlyenough，thegroupwasbeautiful。Mr。Beebe，wholovedtheartofthepast，wasremindedofafavouritetheme，theSantaConversazione，inwhichpeoplewhocareforoneanotherarepaintedchattingtogetheraboutnoblethings——athemeneithersensualnorsensational，andthereforeignoredbytheartofto-day。WhyshouldLucywanteithertomarryortotravelwhenshehadsuchfriendsathome？
\"Tastenotwhenthewine-cupglistens，Speaknotwhenthepeoplelistens，\"
shecontinued。
\"Here\'sMr。Beebe。”
\"Mr。Beebeknowsmyrudeways。”
\"It\'sabeautifulsongandawiseone，\"saidhe。\"Goon。”
\"Itisn\'tverygood，\"shesaidlistlessly。\"Iforgetwhy——harmonyorsomething。”
\"Isuspecteditwasunscholarly。It\'ssobeautiful。”
\"Thetune\'srightenough，\"saidFreddy，\"butthewordsarerotten。
Whythrowupthesponge？\"
\"Howstupidlyyoutalk!\"saidhissister。TheSantaConversazionewasbrokenup。Afterall，therewasnoreasonthatLucyshouldtalkaboutGreeceorthankhimforpersuadinghermother，sohesaidgood-bye。
Freddylithisbicyclelampforhimintheporch，andwithhisusualfelicityofphrase，said:\"Thishasbeenadayandahalf。”
\"Stopthineearagainstthesinger——\"
\"Waitaminute；sheisfinishing。”
\"Fromtheredgoldkeepthyfinger；
VacantheartandhandandeyeEasyliveandquietdie。”
\"Iloveweatherlikethis，\"saidFreddy。
Mr。Beebepassedintoit。
Thetwomainfactswereclear。Shehadbehavedsplendidly，andhehadhelpedher。Hecouldnotexpecttomasterthedetailsofsobigachangeinagirl\'slife。Ifhereandtherehewasdissatisfiedorpuzzled，hemustacquiesce；shewaschoosingthebetterpart。
\"Vacantheartandhandandeye——\"
Perhapsthesongstated\"thebetterpart\"rathertoostrongly。Hehalffanciedthatthesoaringaccompaniment——whichhedidnotloseintheshoutofthegale——reallyagreedwithFreddy，andwasgentlycriticizingthewordsthatitadorned:
\"VacantheartandhandandeyeEasyliveandquietdie。”
However，forthefourthtimeWindyCornerlaypoisedbelowhim——
nowasabeaconintheroaringtidesofdarkness。
ChapterXIX:LyingtoMr。EmersonTheMissAlanswerefoundintheirbelovedtemperancehotelnearBloomsbury——aclean，airlessestablishmentmuchpatronizedbyprovincialEngland。Theyalwaysperchedtherebeforecrossingthegreatseas，andforaweekortwowouldfidgetgentlyoverclothes，guide-books，mackintoshsquares，digestivebread，andotherContinentalnecessaries。Thatthereareshopsabroad，eveninAthens，neveroccurredtothem，fortheyregardedtravelasaspeciesofwarfare，onlytobeundertakenbythosewhohavebeenfullyarmedattheHaymarketStores。MissHoneychurch，theytrusted，wouldtakecaretoequipherselfduly。Quininecouldnowbeobtainedintabloids；papersoapwasagreathelptowardsfresheningupone\'sfaceinthetrain。Lucypromised，alittledepressed。
\"But，ofcourse，youknowallaboutthesethings，andyouhaveMr。Vysetohelpyou。Agentlemanissuchastand-by。”
Mrs。Honeychurch，whohadcomeuptotownwithherdaughter，begantodrumnervouslyuponhercard-case。
\"WethinkitsogoodofMr。Vysetospareyou，\"MissCatharinecontinued。\"Itisnoteveryyoungmanwhowouldbesounselfish。
Butperhapshewillcomeoutandjoinyoulateron。”
\"OrdoeshisworkkeephiminLondon？\"saidMissTeresa，themoreacuteandlesskindlyofthetwosisters。
\"However，weshallseehimwhenheseesyouoff。Idosolongtoseehim。”
\"NoonewillseeLucyoff，\"interposedMrs。Honeychurch。\"Shedoesn\'tlikeit。”
\"No，Ihateseeings-off，\"saidLucy。
\"Really？Howfunny!Ishouldhavethoughtthatinthiscase——\"
\"Oh，Mrs。Honeychurch，youaren\'tgoing？Itissuchapleasuretohavemetyou!\"
Theyescaped，andLucysaidwithrelief:\"That\'sallright。Wejustgotthroughthattime。”
Buthermotherwasannoyed。\"Ishouldbetold，dear，thatIamunsympathetic。ButIcannotseewhyyoudidn\'ttellyourfriendsaboutCecilandbedonewithit。Thereallthetimewehadtositfencing，andalmosttellinglies，andbeseenthrough，too，I
daresay，whichismostunpleasant。”
Lucyhadplentytosayinreply。ShedescribedtheMissAlans\'
character:theyweresuchgossips，andifonetoldthem，thenewswouldbeeverywhereinnotime。
\"Butwhyshouldn\'titbeeverywhereinnotime？\"
\"BecauseIsettledwithCecilnottoannounceituntilIleftEngland。Ishalltellthemthen。It\'smuchpleasanter。Howwetitis!Let\'sturninhere。”
\"Here\"wastheBritishMuseum。Mrs。Honeychurchrefused。Iftheymusttakeshelter，letitbeinashop。Lucyfeltcontemptuous，forshewasonthetackofcaringforGreeksculpture，andhadalreadyborrowedamythicaldictionaryfromMr。Beebetogetupthenamesofthegoddessesandgods。
\"Oh，well，letitbeshop，then。Let\'sgotoMudie\'s。I\'llbuyaguide-book。”
\"Youknow，Lucy，youandCharlotteandMr。BeebealltellmeI\'msostupid，soIsupposeIam，butIshallneverunderstandthishole-and-cornerwork。You\'vegotridofCecil——wellandgood，andI\'mthankfulhe\'sgone，thoughIdidfeelangryfortheminute。
Butwhynotannounceit？Whythishushingupandtip-toeing？\"
\"It\'sonlyforafewdays。”
\"Butwhyatall？\"
Lucywassilent。Shewasdriftingawayfromhermother。Itwasquiteeasytosay，\"BecauseGeorgeEmersonhasbeenbotheringme，andifhehearsI\'vegivenupCecilmaybeginagain\"——quiteeasy，andithadtheincidentaladvantageofbeingtrue。Butshecouldnotsayit。Shedislikedconfidences，fortheymightleadtoself-knowledgeandtothatkingofterrors——Light。EversincethatlasteveningatFlorenceshehaddeemeditunwisetorevealhersoul。
Mrs。Honeychurch，too，wassilent。Shewasthinking，\"Mydaughterwon\'tanswerme；shewouldratherbewiththoseinquisitiveoldmaidsthanwithFreddyandme。Anyrag，tag，andbobtailapparentlydoesifshecanleaveherhome。”Andasinhercasethoughtsneverremainedunspokenlong，sheburstoutwith:
\"You\'retiredofWindyCorner。”
Thiswasperfectlytrue。LucyhadhopedtoreturntoWindyCornerwhensheescapedfromCecil，butshediscoveredthatherhomeexistednolonger。ItmightexistforFreddy，whostilllivedandthoughtstraight，butnotforonewhohaddeliberatelywarpedthebrain。Shedidnotacknowledgethatherbrainwaswarped，forthebrainitselfmustassistinthatacknowledgment，andshewasdisorderingtheveryinstrumentsoflife。Sheonlyfelt，\"IdonotloveGeorge；IbrokeoffmyengagementbecauseIdidnotloveGeorge；ImustgotoGreecebecauseIdonotloveGeorge；itismoreimportantthatIshouldlookupgodsinthedictionarythanthatIshouldhelpmymother；everyoneelseisbehavingverybadly。”Sheonlyfeltirritableandpetulant，andanxioustodowhatshewasnotexpectedtodo，andinthisspiritsheproceededwiththeconversation。
\"Oh，mother，whatrubbishyoutalk!OfcourseI\'mnottiredofWindyCorner。”
\"Thenwhynotsaysoatonce，insteadofconsideringhalfanhour？\"
Shelaughedfaintly，\"Halfaminutewouldbenearer。”
\"Perhapsyouwouldliketostayawayfromyourhomealtogether？\"
\"Hush，mother!Peoplewillhearyou\"；fortheyhadenteredMudie\'s。SheboughtBaedeker，andthencontinued:\"OfcourseI
wanttoliveathome；butaswearetalkingaboutit，ImayaswellsaythatIshallwanttobeawayinthefuturemorethanI
havebeen。Yousee，Icomeintomymoneynextyear。”
Tearscameintohermother\'seyes。
Drivenbynamelessbewilderment，bywhatisinolderpeopletermed\"eccentricity，\"Lucydeterminedtomakethispointclear。
\"I\'veseentheworldsolittle——IfeltsooutofthingsinItaly。
Ihaveseensolittleoflife；oneoughttocomeuptoLondonmore——notacheapticketliketo-day，buttostop。Imightevenshareaflatforalittlewithsomeothergirl。”
\"Andmesswithtypewritersandlatch-keys，\"explodedMrs。
Honeychurch。\"Andagitateandscream，andbecarriedoffkickingbythepolice。AndcallitaMission——whennoonewantsyou!AndcallitDuty——whenitmeansthatyoucan\'tstandyourownhome!
AndcallitWork——whenthousandsofmenarestarvingwiththecompetitionasitis!Andthentoprepareyourself，findtwododderingoldladies，andgoabroadwiththem。”
\"Iwantmoreindependence，\"saidLucylamely；sheknewthatshewantedsomething，andindependenceisausefulcry；wecanalwayssaythatwehavenotgotit。ShetriedtorememberheremotionsinFlorence:thosehadbeensincereandpassionate，andhadsuggestedbeautyratherthanshortskirtsandlatch-keys。Butindependencewascertainlyhercue。
\"Verywell。Takeyourindependenceandbegone。Rushupanddownandroundtheworld，andcomebackasthinasalathwiththebadfood。Despisethehousethatyourfatherbuiltandthegardenthatheplanted，andourdearview——andthenshareaflatwithanothergirl。”
Lucyscreweduphermouthandsaid:\"PerhapsIspokehastily。”
\"Oh，goodness!\"hermotherflashed。\"HowyoudoremindmeofCharlotteBartlett!\"
\"Charlotte!\"flashedLucyinherturn，piercedatlastbyavividpain。
\"Moreeverymoment。”
\"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean，mother；CharlotteandIarenottheveryleastalike。”
\"Well，Iseethelikeness。Thesameeternalworrying，thesametakingbackofwords。YouandCharlottetryingtodividetwoapplesamongthreepeoplelastnightmightbesisters。”
\"Whatrubbish!AndifyoudislikeCharlotteso，it\'sratherapityyouaskedhertostop。Iwarnedyouabouther；Ibeggedyou，imploredyounotto，butofcourseitwasnotlistenedto。”
\"Thereyougo。”
\"Ibegyourpardon？\"
\"Charlotteagain，mydear；that\'sall；herverywords。”
Lucyclenchedherteeth。\"Mypointisthatyououghtn\'ttohaveaskedCharlottetostop。Iwishyouwouldkeeptothepoint。”Andtheconversationdiedoffintoawrangle。
Sheandhermothershoppedinsilence，spokelittleinthetrain，littleagaininthecarriage，whichmetthematDorkingStation。
IthadpouredalldayandastheyascendedthroughthedeepSurreylanesshowersofwaterfellfromtheover-hangingbeech-treesandrattledonthehood。Lucycomplainedthatthehoodwasstuffy。Leaningforward，shelookedoutintothesteamingdusk，andwatchedthecarriage-lamppasslikeasearch-lightovermudandleaves，andrevealnothingbeautiful。
\"ThecrushwhenCharlottegetsinwillbeabominable，\"sheremarked。FortheyweretopickupMissBartlettatSummerStreet，whereshehadbeendroppedasthecarriagewentdown，topayacallonMr。Beebe\'soldmother。\"Weshallhavetositthreeaside，becausethetreesdrop，andyetitisn\'training。Oh，foralittleair!\"Thenshelistenedtothehorse\'shoofs——\"Hehasnottold——hehasnottold。”Thatmelodywasblurredbythesoftroad。\"CAN\'Twehavethehooddown？\"shedemanded，andhermother，withsuddentenderness，said:\"Verywell，oldlady，stopthehorse。”Andthehorsewasstopped，andLucyandPowellwrestledwiththehood，andsquirtedwaterdownMrs。Honeychurch\'sneck。
Butnowthatthehoodwasdown，shedidseesomethingthatshewouldhavemissed——therewerenolightsinthewindowsofCissieVilla，androundthegardengateshefanciedshesawapadlock。
\"Isthathousetoletagain，Powell？\"shecalled。
\"Yes，miss，\"hereplied。
\"Havetheygone？\"
\"Itistoofaroutoftownfortheyounggentleman，andhisfather\'srheumatismhascomeon，sohecan\'tstoponalone，sotheyaretryingtoletfurnished，\"wastheanswer。
\"Theyhavegone，then？\"
\"Yes，miss，theyhavegone。”
Lucysankback。ThecarriagestoppedattheRectory。ShegotouttocallforMissBartlett。SotheEmersonshadgone，andallthisbotheraboutGreecehadbeenunnecessary。Waste!Thatwordseemedtosumupthewholeoflife。Wastedplans，wastedmoney，wastedlove，andshehadwoundedhermother。Wasitpossiblethatshehadmuddledthingsaway？Quitepossible。Otherpeoplehad。Whenthemaidopenedthedoor，shewasunabletospeak，andstaredstupidlyintothehall。
