第5章

Yetthesmirkingoldwomen，howeverwrongindividually，wereraciallycorrect。Thespiritofthegenerationshadsmiledthroughthem，rejoicingintheengagementofCecilandLucybecauseitpromisedthecontinuanceoflifeonearth。ToCecilandLucyitpromisedsomethingquitedifferent——personallove。

HenceCecil\'sirritationandLucy\'sbeliefthathisirritationwasjust。

"Howtiresome!"shesaid。"Couldn\'tyouhaveescapedtotennis？"

"Idon\'tplaytennis——atleast，notinpublic。Theneighbourhoodisdeprivedoftheromanceofmebeingathletic。SuchromanceasIhaveisthatoftheIngleseItalianato。”

"IngleseItalianato？"

"Eundiavoloincarnato!Youknowtheproverb？"

Shedidnot。NordiditseemapplicabletoayoungmanwhohadspentaquietwinterinRomewithhismother。ButCecil，sincehisengagement，hadtakentoaffectacosmopolitannaughtinesswhichhewasfarfrompossessing。

"Well，"saidhe，"Icannothelpitiftheydodisapproveofme。

Therearecertainirremovablebarriersbetweenmyselfandthem，andImustacceptthem。”

"Weallhaveourlimitations，Isuppose，"saidwiseLucy。

"Sometimestheyareforcedonus，though，"saidCecil，whosawfromherremarkthatshedidnotquiteunderstandhisposition。

"How？"

"Itmakesadifferencedoesn\'tit，whetherwefullyfenceourselvesin，orwhetherwearefencedoutbythebarriersofothers？"

Shethoughtamoment，andagreedthatitdidmakeadifference。

"Difference？"criedMrs。Honeychurch，suddenlyalert。"Idon\'tseeanydifference。Fencesarefences，especiallywhentheyareinthesameplace。”

"Wewerespeakingofmotives，"saidCecil，onwhomtheinterruptionjarred。

"MydearCecil，lookhere。”Shespreadoutherkneesandperchedhercard-caseonherlap。"Thisisme。That\'sWindyCorner。Therestofthepatternistheotherpeople。Motivesareallverywell，butthefencecomeshere。”

"Weweren\'ttalkingofrealfences，"saidLucy，laughing。

"Oh，Isee，dear——poetry。”

Sheleantplacidlyback。CecilwonderedwhyLucyhadbeenamused。

"Itellyouwhohasno\'fences，\'asyoucallthem，"shesaid，"andthat\'sMr。Beebe。”

"Aparsonfencelesswouldmeanaparsondefenceless。”

Lucywasslowtofollowwhatpeoplesaid，butquickenoughtodetectwhattheymeant。ShemissedCecil\'sepigram，butgraspedthefeelingthatpromptedit。

"Don\'tyoulikeMr。Beebe？"sheaskedthoughtfully。

"Ineversaidso!"hecried。"Iconsiderhimfarabovetheaverage。Ionlydenied——"Andhesweptoffonthesubjectoffencesagain，andwasbrilliant。

"Now，aclergymanthatIdohate，"saidshewantingtosaysomethingsympathetic，"aclergymanthatdoeshavefences，andthemostdreadfulones，isMr。Eager，theEnglishchaplainatFlorence。Hewastrulyinsincere——notmerelythemannerunfortunate。Hewasasnob，andsoconceited，andhedidsaysuchunkindthings。”

"Whatsortofthings？"

"TherewasanoldmanattheBertoliniwhomhesaidhadmurderedhiswife。”

"Perhapshehad。”

"No!"

"Why\'no\'？"

"Hewassuchaniceoldman，I\'msure。”

Cecillaughedatherfeminineinconsequence。

"Well，Ididtrytosiftthething。Mr。Eagerwouldnevercometothepoint。Heprefersitvague——saidtheoldmanhad\'practically\'murderedhiswife——hadmurderedherinthesightofGod。”

"Hush，dear!"saidMrs。Honeychurchabsently。"Butisn\'titintolerablethatapersonwhomwe\'retoldtoimitateshouldgoroundspreadingslander？Itwas，Ibelieve，chieflyowingtohimthattheoldmanwasdropped。Peoplepretendedhewasvulgar，buthecertainlywasn\'tthat。”

"Pooroldman!Whatwashisname？"

"Harris，"saidLucyglibly。

"Let\'shopethatMrs。Harristherewarn\'tnosichperson，"saidhermother。

Cecilnoddedintelligently。

"Isn\'tMr。Eageraparsonoftheculturedtype？"heasked。

"Idon\'tknow。Ihatehim。I\'veheardhimlectureonGiotto。I

hatehim。Nothingcanhideapettynature。IHATEhim。”

"Mygoodnessgraciousme，child!"saidMrs。Honeychurch。"You\'llblowmyheadoff!Whateveristheretoshoutover？IforbidyouandCeciltohateanymoreclergymen。”

Hesmiled。TherewasindeedsomethingratherincongruousinLucy\'smoraloutburstoverMr。Eager。ItwasasifoneshouldseetheLeonardoontheceilingoftheSistine。Helongedtohinttoherthatnotherelayhervocation；thatawoman\'spowerandcharmresideinmystery，notinmuscularrant。Butpossiblyrantisasignofvitality:itmarsthebeautifulcreature，butshowsthatsheisalive。Afteramoment，hecontemplatedherflushedfaceandexcitedgestureswithacertainapproval。Heforeboretorepressthesourcesofyouth。

Nature——simplestoftopics，hethought——layaroundthem。Hepraisedthepine-woods，thedeeplastsofbracken，thecrimsonleavesthatspottedthehurt-bushes，theserviceablebeautyoftheturnpikeroad。Theoutdoorworldwasnotveryfamiliartohim，andoccasionallyhewentwronginaquestionoffact。Mrs。

Honeychurch\'smouthtwitchedwhenhespokeoftheperpetualgreenofthelarch。

"Icountmyselfaluckyperson，"heconcluded，"WhenI\'minLondonIfeelIcouldneverliveoutofit。WhenI\'minthecountryIfeelthesameaboutthecountry。Afterall，Idobelievethatbirdsandtreesandtheskyarethemostwonderfulthingsinlife，andthatthepeoplewholiveamongstthemmustbethebest。It\'struethatinninecasesoutoftentheydon\'tseemtonoticeanything。Thecountrygentlemanandthecountrylabourerareeachintheirwaythemostdepressingofcompanions。

YettheymayhaveatacitsympathywiththeworkingsofNaturewhichisdeniedtousofthetown。Doyoufeelthat，Mrs。

Honeychurch？"

Mrs。Honeychurchstartedandsmiled。Shehadnotbeenattending。

Cecil，whowasrathercrushedonthefrontseatofthevictoria，feltirritable，anddeterminednottosayanythinginterestingagain。

Lucyhadnotattendedeither。Herbrowwaswrinkled，andshestilllookedfuriouslycross——theresult，heconcluded，oftoomuchmoralgymnastics。ItwassadtoseeherthusblindtothebeautiesofanAugustwood。

"\'Comedown，Omaid，fromyondermountainheight，\'"hequoted，andtouchedherkneewithhisown。

Sheflushedagainandsaid:"Whatheight？"

"\'Comedown，Omaid，fromyondermountainheight，Whatpleasurelivesinheight(theshepherdsang)。

Inheightandinthesplendourofthehills？\'

LetustakeMrs。Honeychurch\'sadviceandhateclergymennomore。What\'sthisplace？"

"SummerStreet，ofcourse，"saidLucy，androusedherself。

Thewoodshadopenedtoleavespaceforaslopingtriangularmeadow。Prettycottageslineditontwosides，andtheupperandthirdsidewasoccupiedbyanewstonechurch，expensivelysimple，acharmingshingledspire。Mr。Beebe\'shousewasnearthechurch。Inheightitscarcelyexceededthecottages。Somegreatmansionswereathand，buttheywerehiddeninthetrees。ThescenesuggestedaSwissAlpratherthantheshrineandcentreofaleisuredworld，andwasmarredonlybytwouglylittlevillas——

thevillasthathadcompetedwithCecil\'sengagement，havingbeenacquiredbySirHarryOtwaytheveryafternoonthatLucyhadbeenacquiredbyCecil。

"Cissie"wasthenameofoneofthesevillas，"Albert"oftheother。ThesetitleswerenotonlypickedoutinshadedGothiconthegardengates，butappearedasecondtimeontheporches，wheretheyfollowedthesemicircularcurveoftheentrancearchinblockcapitals。"Albert"wasinhabited。Historturedgardenwasbrightwithgeraniumsandlobeliasandpolishedshells。HislittlewindowswerechastelyswathedinNottinghamlace。"Cissie"

wastolet。Threenotice-boards，belongingtoDorkingagents，lolledonherfenceandannouncedthenotsurprisingfact。Herpathswerealreadyweedy；herpocket-handkerchiefofalawnwasyellowwithdandelions。

"Theplaceisruined!"saidtheladiesmechanically。"SummerStreetwillneverbethesameagain。”

Asthecarriagepassed，"Cissie\'s"dooropened，andagentlemancameoutofher。

"Stop!"criedMrs。Honeychurch，touchingthecoachmanwithherparasol。"Here\'sSirHarry。Nowweshallknow。SirHarry，pullthosethingsdownatonce!"

SirHarryOtway——whoneednotbedescribed——cametothecarriageandsaid"Mrs。Honeychurch，Imeantto。Ican\'t，Ireallycan\'tturnoutMissFlack。”

"AmInotalwaysright？Sheoughttohavegonebeforethecontractwassigned。Doesshestillliverentfree，asshedidinhernephew\'stime？"

"ButwhatcanIdo？"Heloweredhisvoice。"Anoldlady，soveryvulgar，andalmostbedridden。”

"Turnherout，"saidCecilbravely。

SirHarrysighed，andlookedatthevillasmournfully。HehadhadfullwarningofMr。Flack\'sintentions，andmighthaveboughttheplotbeforebuildingcommenced:buthewasapatheticanddilatory。HehadknownSummerStreetforsomanyyearsthathecouldnotimagineitbeingspoilt。NottillMrs。Flackhadlaidthefoundationstone，andtheapparitionofredandcreambrickbegantorisedidhetakealarm。HecalledonMr。Flack，thelocalbuilder，——amostreasonableandrespectfulman——whoagreedthattileswouldhavemademoreartisticroof，butpointedoutthatslateswerecheaper。Heventuredtodiffer，however，abouttheCorinthiancolumnswhichweretoclinglikeleechestotheframesofthebowwindows，sayingthat，forhispart，helikedtorelievethefacadebyabitofdecoration。SirHarryhintedthatacolumn，ifpossible，shouldbestructuralaswellasdecorative。

Mr。Flackrepliedthatallthecolumnshadbeenordered，adding，"andallthecapitalsdifferent——onewithdragonsinthefoliage，anotherapproachingtotheIonianstyle，anotherintroducingMrs。

Flack\'sinitials——everyonedifferent。”ForhehadreadhisRuskin。Hebuilthisvillasaccordingtohisdesire；andnotuntilhehadinsertedanimmovableauntintooneofthemdidSirHarrybuy。

ThisfutileandunprofitabletransactionfilledtheknightwithsadnessasheleantonMrs。Honeychurch\'scarriage。Hehadfailedinhisdutiestothecountry-side，andthecountry-sidewaslaughingathimaswell。Hehadspentmoney，andyetSummerStreetwasspoiltasmuchasever。Allhecoulddonowwastofindadesirabletenantfor"Cissie"——someonereallydesirable。

"Therentisabsurdlylow，"hetoldthem，"andperhapsIamaneasylandlord。Butitissuchanawkwardsize。Itistoolargeforthepeasantclassandtoosmallforanyonetheleastlikeourselves。”

CecilhadbeenhesitatingwhetherheshoulddespisethevillasordespiseSirHarryfordespisingthem。Thelatterimpulseseemedthemorefruitful。

"Yououghttofindatenantatonce，"hesaidmaliciously。"Itwouldbeaperfectparadiseforabankclerk。”

"Exactly!"saidSirHarryexcitedly。"ThatisexactlywhatI

fear，Mr。Vyse。Itwillattractthewrongtypeofpeople。Thetrainservicehasimproved——afatalimprovement，tomymind。Andwhatarefivemilesfromastationinthesedaysofbicycles？"

"Ratherastrenuousclerkitwouldbe，"saidLucy。

Cecil，whohadhisfullshareofmediaevalmischievousness，repliedthatthephysiqueofthelowermiddleclasseswasimprovingatamostappallingrate。Shesawthathewaslaughingattheirharmlessneighbour，androusedherselftostophim。

"SirHarry!"sheexclaimed，"Ihaveanidea。Howwouldyoulikespinsters？"

"MydearLucy，itwouldbesplendid。Doyouknowanysuch？"

"Yes；Imetthemabroad。”

"Gentlewomen？"heaskedtentatively。

"Yes，indeed，andatthepresentmomenthomeless。Iheardfromthemlastweek——MissTeresaandMissCatharineAlan。I\'mreallynotjoking。Theyarequitetherightpeople。Mr。Beebeknowsthem，too。MayItellthemtowritetoyou？"

"Indeedyoumay!"hecried。"Herewearewiththedifficultysolvedalready。Howdelightfulitis!Extrafacilities——pleasetellthemtheyshallhaveextrafacilities，forIshallhavenoagents\'fees。Oh，theagents!Theappallingpeopletheyhavesentme!Onewoman，whenIwrote——atactfulletter，youknow——askinghertoexplainhersocialpositiontome，repliedthatshewouldpaytherentinadvance。Asifonecaresaboutthat!AndseveralreferencesItookupweremostunsatisfactory——peopleswindlers，ornotrespectable。Andoh，thedeceit!Ihaveseenagooddealoftheseamysidethislastweek。Thedeceitofthemostpromisingpeople。MydearLucy，thedeceit!"

Shenodded。

"Myadvice，"putinMrs。Honeychurch，"istohavenothingtodowithLucyandherdecayedgentlewomenatall。Iknowthetype。

Preservemefrompeoplewhohaveseenbetterdays，andbringheirloomswiththemthatmakethehousesmellstuffy。It\'sasadthing，butI\'dfarratherlettosomeonewhoisgoingupintheworldthantosomeonewhohascomedown。”

"IthinkIfollowyou，"saidSirHarry；"butitis，asyousay，averysadthing。”

"TheMissesAlanaren\'tthat!"criedLucy。

"Yes，theyare，"saidCecil。"Ihaven\'tmetthembutIshouldsaytheywereahighlyunsuitableadditiontotheneighbourhood。”

"Don\'tlistentohim，SirHarry——he\'stiresome。”

"It\'sIwhoamtiresome，"hereplied。"Ioughtn\'ttocomewithmytroublestoyoungpeople。ButreallyIamsoworried，andLadyOtwaywillonlysaythatIcannotbetoocareful，whichisquitetrue，butnorealhelp。”

"ThenmayIwritetomyMissesAlan？"

"Please!"

ButhiseyewaveredwhenMrs。Honeychurchexclaimed:

"Beware!Theyarecertaintohavecanaries。SirHarry，bewareofcanaries:theyspittheseedoutthroughthebarsofthecagesandthenthemicecome。Bewareofwomenaltogether。Onlylettoaman。”

"Really——"hemurmuredgallantly，thoughhesawthewisdomofherremark。

"Mendon\'tgossipovertea-cups。Iftheygetdrunk，there\'sanendofthem——theyliedowncomfortablyandsleepitoff。Ifthey\'revulgar，theysomehowkeepittothemselves。Itdoesn\'tspreadso。Givemeaman——ofcourse，providedhe\'sclean。”

SirHarryblushed。NeitherhenorCecilenjoyedtheseopencomplimentstotheirsex。Eventheexclusionofthedirtydidnotleavethemmuchdistinction。HesuggestedthatMrs。Honeychurch，ifshehadtime，shoulddescendfromthecarriageandinspect"Cissie"forherself。Shewasdelighted。Naturehadintendedhertobepoorandtoliveinsuchahouse。Domesticarrangementsalwaysattractedher，especiallywhentheywereonasmallscale。

CecilpulledLucybackasshefollowedhermother。

"Mrs。Honeychurch，"hesaid，"whatifwetwowalkhomeandleaveyou？"

"Certainly!"washercordialreply。

SirHarrylikewiseseemedalmosttoogladtogetridofthem。Hebeamedatthemknowingly，said，"Aha!youngpeople，youngpeople!"

andthenhastenedtounlockthehouse。

"Hopelessvulgarian!"exclaimedCecil，almostbeforetheywereoutofearshot，"Oh，Cecil!"

"Ican\'thelpit。Itwouldbewrongnottoloathethatman。”

"Heisn\'tclever，butreallyheisnice。”

"No，Lucy，hestandsforallthatisbadincountrylife。InLondonhewouldkeephisplace。Hewouldbelongtoabrainlessclub，andhiswifewouldgivebrainlessdinnerparties。Butdownhereheactsthelittlegodwithhisgentility，andhispatronage，andhisshamaesthetics，andeveryone——evenyourmother——istakenin。”

"Allthatyousayisquitetrue，"saidLucy，thoughshefeltdiscouraged。"Iwonderwhether——whetheritmatterssoverymuch。”

"Itmatterssupremely。SirHarryistheessenceofthatgarden-party。Oh，goodness，howcrossIfeel!HowIdohopehe\'llgetsomevulgartenantinthatvilla——somewomansoreallyvulgarthathe\'llnoticeit。GENTLEFOLKS!Ugh!withhisbaldheadandretreatingchin!Butlet\'sforgethim。”

ThisLucywasgladenoughtodo。IfCecildislikedSirHarryOtwayandMr。Beebe，whatguaranteewastherethatthepeoplewhoreallymatteredtoherwouldescape？Forinstance，Freddy。

Freddywasneitherclever，norsubtle，norbeautiful，andwhatpreventedCecilfromsaying，anyminute，"ItwouldbewrongnottoloatheFreddy"？Andwhatwouldshereply？FurtherthanFreddyshedidnotgo，buthegaveheranxietyenough。ShecouldonlyassureherselfthatCecilhadknownFreddysometime，andthattheyhadalwaysgotonpleasantly，except，perhaps，duringthelastfewdays，whichwasanaccident，perhaps。

"Whichwayshallwego？"sheaskedhim。

Nature——simplestoftopics，shethought——wasaroundthem。SummerStreetlaydeepinthewoods，andshehadstoppedwhereafootpathdivergedfromthehighroad。

"Aretheretwoways？"

"Perhapstheroadismoresensible，aswe\'regotupsmart。”

"I\'drathergothroughthewood，"saidCecil，Withthatsubduedirritationthatshehadnoticedinhimalltheafternoon。"Whyisit，Lucy，thatyoualwayssaytheroad？Doyouknowthatyouhaveneveroncebeenwithmeinthefieldsorthewoodsincewewereengaged？"

"Haven\'tI？Thewood，then，"saidLucy，startledathisqueerness，butprettysurethathewouldexplainlater；itwasnothishabittoleaveherindoubtastohismeaning。

Sheledthewayintothewhisperingpines，andsureenoughhedidexplainbeforetheyhadgoneadozenyards。

"Ihadgotanidea——Idaresaywrongly——thatyoufeelmoreathomewithmeinaroom。”

"Aroom？"sheechoed，hopelesslybewildered。

"Yes。Or，atthemost，inagarden，oronaroad。Neverintherealcountrylikethis。”

"Oh，Cecil，whateverdoyoumean？Ihaveneverfeltanythingofthesort。YoutalkasifIwasakindofpoetesssortofperson。”

"Idon\'tknowthatyouaren\'t。Iconnectyouwithaview——acertaintypeofview。Whyshouldn\'tyouconnectmewitharoom？"

Shereflectedamoment，andthensaid，laughing:

"Doyouknowthatyou\'reright？Ido。Imustbeapoetessafterall。WhenIthinkofyouit\'salwaysasinaroom。Howfunny!"

Tohersurprise，heseemedannoyed。

"Adrawing-room，pray？Withnoview？"

"Yes，withnoview，Ifancy。Whynot？"

"I\'drather，"hesaidreproachfully，"thatconnectedmewiththeopenair。”

Shesaidagain，"Oh，Cecil，whateverdoyoumean？"

Asnoexplanationwasforthcoming，sheshookoffthesubjectastoodifficultforagirl，andledhimfurtherintothewood，pausingeverynowandthenatsomeparticularlybeautifulorfamiliarcombinationofthetrees。ShehadknownthewoodbetweenSummerStreetandWindyCornereversinceshecouldwalkalone；

shehadplayedatlosingFreddyinit，whenFreddywasapurple-facedbaby；andthoughshehadbeentoItaly，ithadlostnoneofitscharm。

Presentlytheycametoalittleclearingamongthepines——anothertinygreenalp，solitarythistime，andholdinginitsbosomashallowpool。

Sheexclamed，"TheSacredLake!"

"Whydoyoucallitthat？"

"Ican\'trememberwhy。Isupposeitcomesoutofsomebook。It\'sonlyapuddlenow，butyouseethatstreamgoingthroughit？

Well，agooddealofwatercomesdownafterheavyrains，andcan\'tgetawayatonce，andthepoolbecomesquitelargeandbeautiful。ThenFreddyusedtobathethere。Heisveryfondofit。”

"Andyou？"

Hemeant，"Areyoufondofit？"Butsheanswereddreamily，"I

bathedhere，too，tillIwasfoundout。Thentherewasarow。”

Atanothertimehemighthavebeenshocked，forhehaddepthsofprudishnesswithinhim。Butnow？withhismomentarycultofthefreshair，hewasdelightedatheradmirablesimplicity。Helookedatherasshestoodbythepool\'sedge。Shewasgotupsmart，asshephrasedit，andsheremindedhimofsomebrilliantflowerthathasnoleavesofitsown，butbloomsabruptlyoutofaworldofgreen。

"Whofoundyouout？"

"Charlotte，"shemurmured。"Shewasstoppingwithus。Charlotte——

Charlotte。”

"Poorgirl!"

Shesmiledgravely。Acertainscheme，fromwhichhithertohehadshrank，nowappearedpractical。

"Lucy!"

"Yes，Isupposeweoughttobegoing，"washerreply。

"Lucy，IwanttoasksomethingofyouthatIhaveneveraskedbefore。”

Attheseriousnoteinhisvoiceshesteppedfranklyandkindlytowardshim。

"What，Cecil？"

"Hithertonever——noteventhatdayonthelawnwhenyouagreedtomarryme——"

Hebecameself-consciousandkeptglancingroundtoseeiftheywereobserved。Hiscouragehadgone。

"Yes？"

"UptonowIhaveneverkissedyou。”

Shewasasscarletasifhehadputthethingmostindelicately。

"No——moreyouhave，"shestammered。

"ThenIaskyou——mayInow？"

"Ofcourse，youmay，Cecil。Youmightbefore。Ican\'trunatyou，youknow。”

Atthatsuprememomenthewasconsciousofnothingbutabsurdities。Herreplywasinadequate。Shegavesuchabusiness-likelifttoherveil。Asheapproachedherhefoundtimetowishthathecouldrecoil。Ashetouchedher，hisgoldpince-nezbecamedislodgedandwasflattenedbetweenthem。

Suchwastheembrace。Heconsidered，withtruth，thatithadbeenafailure。Passionshouldbelieveitselfirresistible。Itshouldforgetcivilityandconsiderationandalltheothercursesofarefinednature。Aboveall，itshouldneveraskforleavewherethereisarightofway。Whycouldhenotdoasanylabourerornavvy——nay，asanyyoungmanbehindthecounterwouldhavedone？Herecastthescene。Lucywasstandingflowerlikebythewater，herushedupandtookherinhisarms；sherebukedhim，permittedhimandreveredhimeverafterforhismanliness。Forhebelievedthatwomenreveremenfortheirmanliness。

Theyleftthepoolinsilence，afterthisonesalutation。Hewaitedforhertomakesomeremarkwhichshouldshowhimherinmostthoughts。Atlastshespoke，andwithfittinggravity。

"Emersonwasthename，notHarris。”

"Whatname？"

"Theoldman\'s。”

"Whatoldman？"

"ThatoldmanItoldyouabout。TheoneMr。Eagerwassounkindto。”

Hecouldnotknowthatthiswasthemostintimateconversationtheyhadeverhad。

ChapterX:CecilasaHumouristThesocietyoutofwhichCecilproposedtorescueLucywasperhapsnoverysplendidaffair，yetitwasmoresplendidthanherantecedentsentitledherto。Herfather，aprosperouslocalsolicitor，hadbuiltWindyCorner，asaspeculationatthetimethedistrictwasopeningup，and，fallinginlovewithhisowncreation，hadendedbylivingtherehimself。Soonafterhismarriagethesocialatmospherebegantoalter。Otherhouseswerebuiltonthebrowofthatsteepsouthernslopeandothers，again，amongthepine-treesbehind，andnorthwardonthechalkbarrierofthedowns。MostofthesehouseswerelargerthanWindyCorner，andwerefilledbypeoplewhocame，notfromthedistrict，butfromLondon，andwhomistooktheHoneychurchesfortheremnantsofanindigenousaristocracy。Hewasinclinedtobefrightened，buthiswifeacceptedthesituationwithouteitherprideorhumility。"Icannotthinkwhatpeoplearedoing，"shewouldsay，"butitisextremelyfortunateforthechildren。”Shecalledeverywhere；hercallswerereturnedwithenthusiasm，andbythetimepeoplefoundoutthatshewasnotexactlyoftheirmilieu，theylikedher，anditdidnotseemtomatter。WhenMr。

Honeychurchdied，hehadthesatisfaction——whichfewhonestsolicitorsdespise——ofleavinghisfamilyrootedinthebestsocietyobtainable。

Thebestobtainable。Certainlymanyoftheimmigrantswereratherdull，andLucyrealizedthismorevividlysinceherreturnfromItaly。Hithertoshehadacceptedtheiridealswithoutquestioning——theirkindlyaffluence，theirinexplosivereligion，theirdislikeofpaper-bags，orange-peel，andbrokenbottles。ARadicaloutandout，shelearnttospeakwithhorrorofSuburbia。Life，sofarasshetroubledtoconceiveit，wasacircleofrich，pleasantpeople，withidenticalinterestsandidenticalfoes。

Inthiscircle，onethought，married，anddied。Outsideitwerepovertyandvulgarityforevertryingtoenter，justastheLondonfogtriestoenterthepine-woodspouringthroughthegapsinthenorthernhills。But，inItaly，whereanyonewhochoosesmaywarmhimselfinequality，asinthesun，thisconceptionoflifevanished。Hersensesexpanded；shefeltthattherewasnoonewhomshemightnotgettolike，thatsocialbarrierswereirremovable，doubtless，butnotparticularlyhigh。Youjumpoverthemjustasyoujumpintoapeasant\'solive-yardintheApennines，andheisgladtoseeyou。Shereturnedwithneweyes。

SodidCecil；butItalyhadquickenedCecil，nottotolerance，buttoirritation。Hesawthatthelocalsocietywasnarrow，but，insteadofsaying，"Doesthatverymuchmatter？"herebelled，andtriedtosubstituteforitthesocietyhecalledbroad。HedidnotrealizethatLucyhadconsecratedherenvironmentbythethousandlittlecivilitiesthatcreateatendernessintime，andthatthoughhereyessawitsdefects，herheartrefusedtodespiseitentirely。Nordidherealizeamoreimportantpoint——

thatifshewastoogreatforthissociety，shewastoogreatforallsociety，andhadreachedthestagewherepersonalintercoursewouldalonesatisfyher。Arebelshewas，butnotofthekindheunderstood——arebelwhodesired，notawiderdwelling-room，butequalitybesidethemansheloved。ForItalywasofferingherthemostpricelessofallpossessions——herownsoul。

Playingbumble-puppywithMinnieBeebe，niecetotherector，andagedthirteen——anancientandmosthonourablegame，whichconsistsinstrikingtennis-ballshighintotheair，sothattheyfalloverthenetandimmoderatelybounce；somehitMrs。

Honeychurch；othersarelost。Thesentenceisconfused，butthebetterillustratesLucy\'sstateofmind，forshewastryingtotalktoMr。Beebeatthesametime。

"Oh，ithasbeensuchanuisance——firsthe，thenthey——nooneknowingwhattheywanted，andeveryonesotiresome。”

"Buttheyreallyarecomingnow，"saidMr。Beebe。"IwrotetoMissTeresaafewdaysago——shewaswonderinghowoftenthebutchercalled，andmyreplyofonceamonthmusthaveimpressedherfavourably。Theyarecoming。Iheardfromthemthismorning。

"IshallhatethoseMissAlans!"Mrs。Honeychurchcried。"Justbecausethey\'reoldandsillyone\'sexpectedtosay\'Howsweet!\'

Ihatetheir\'if\'-ingand\'but\'-ingand\'and\'-ing。AndpoorLucy——serveherright——worntoashadow。”

Mr。Beebewatchedtheshadowspringingandshoutingoverthetennis-court。Cecilwasabsent——onedidnotplaybumble-puppywhenhewasthere。

"Well，iftheyarecoming——No，Minnie，notSaturn。”Saturnwasatennis-ballwhoseskinwaspartiallyunsewn。Wheninmotionhisorbwasencircledbyaring。"Iftheyarecoming，SirHarrywillletthemmoveinbeforethetwenty-ninth，andhewillcrossouttheclauseaboutwhitewashingtheceilings，becauseitmadethemnervous，andputinthefairwearandtearone——Thatdoesn\'tcount。ItoldyounotSaturn。”

"Saturn\'sallrightforbumble-puppy，"criedFreddy，joiningthem。"Minnie，don\'tyoulistentoher。”

"Saturndoesn\'tbounce。”

"Saturnbouncesenough。”

"No，hedoesn\'t。”

"Well；hebouncesbetterthantheBeautifulWhiteDevil。”

"Hush，dear，"saidMrs。Honeychurch。

"ButlookatLucy——complainingofSaturn，andallthetime\'sgottheBeautifulWhiteDevilinherhand，readytoplugitin。

That\'sright，Minnie，goforher——getherovertheshinswiththeracquet——getherovertheshins!"

Lucyfell，theBeautifulWhiteDevilrolledfromherhand。

Mr。Beebepickeditup，andsaid:"ThenameofthisballisVittoriaCorombona，please。”Buthiscorrectionpassedunheeded。

Freddypossessedtoahighdegreethepoweroflashinglittlegirlstofury，andinhalfaminutehehadtransformedMinniefromawell-manneredchildintoahowlingwilderness。UpinthehouseCecilheardthem，and，thoughhewasfullofentertainingnews，hedidnotcomedowntoimpartit，incasehegothurt。Hewasnotacowardandborenecessarypainaswellasanyman。Buthehatedthephysicalviolenceoftheyoung。Howrightitwas!

Sureenoughitendedinacry。

"IwishtheMissAlanscouldseethis，"observedMr。Beebe，justasLucy，whowasnursingtheinjuredMinnie，wasinturnliftedoffherfeetbyherbrother。

"WhoaretheMissAlans？"Freddypanted。

"TheyhavetakenCissieVilla。”

"Thatwasn\'tthename——"

Herehisfootslipped，andtheyallfellmostagreeablyontothegrass。Anintervalelapses。

"Wasn\'twhatname？"askedLucy，withherbrother\'sheadinherlap。

"Alanwasn\'tthenameofthepeopleSirHarry\'sletto。”

"Nonsense，Freddy!Youknownothingaboutit。”

"Nonsenseyourself!I\'vethisminuteseenhim。Hesaidtome:

\'Ahem!Honeychurch，\'"——Freddywasanindifferentmimic——"\'ahem!

ahem!Ihaveatlastprocuredreallydee-sire-rebeltenants。\'I

said，\'ooray，oldboy!\'andslappedhimontheback。”

"Exactly。TheMissAlans？"

"Rathernot。MorelikeAnderson。”

"Oh，goodgracious，thereisn\'tgoingtobeanothermuddle!"Mrs。

Honeychurchexclaimed。"Doyounotice，Lucy，I\'malwaysright？I

saiddon\'tinterferewithCissieVilla。I\'malwaysright。I\'mquiteuneasyatbeingalwaysrightsooften。”

"It\'sonlyanothermuddleofFreddy\'s。Freddydoesn\'tevenknowthenameofthepeoplehepretendshavetakenitinstead。”

"Yes，Ido。I\'vegotit。Emerson。”

"Whatname？"

"Emerson。I\'llbetyouanythingyoulike。”

"WhataweathercockSirHarryis，"saidLucyquietly。"IwishI

hadneverbotheredoveritatall。”

Thenshelayonherbackandgazedatthecloudlesssky。Mr。

Beebe，whoseopinionofherrosedaily，whisperedtohisniecethatTHATwastheproperwaytobehaveifanylittlethingwentwrong。

MeanwhilethenameofthenewtenantshaddivertedMrs。

Honeychurchfromthecontemplationofherownabilities。

"Emerson，Freddy？DoyouknowwhatEmersonstheyare？"

"Idon\'tknowwhetherthey\'reanyEmersons，"retortedFreddy，whowasdemocratic。Likehissisterandlikemostyoungpeople，hewasnaturallyattractedbytheideaofequality，andtheundeniablefactthattherearedifferentkindsofEmersonsannoyedhimbeyondmeasure。

"Itrusttheyaretherightsortofperson。Allright，Lucy"——shewassittingupagain——"Iseeyoulookingdownyournoseandthinkingyourmother\'sasnob。Butthereisarightsortandawrongsort，andit\'saffectationtopretendthereisn\'t。”

"Emerson\'sacommonenoughname，"Lucyremarked。

Shewasgazingsideways。Seatedonapromontoryherself，shecouldseethepine-cladpromontoriesdescendingonebeyondanotherintotheWeald。Thefurtheronedescendedthegarden，themoregloriouswasthislateralview。

"Iwasmerelygoingtoremark，Freddy，thatItrustedtheywerenorelationsofEmersonthephilosopher，amosttryingman。Pray，doesthatsatisfyyou？"

"Oh，yes，"hegrumbled。"Andyouwillbesatisfied，too，forthey\'refriendsofCecil；so——elaborateirony——"youandtheothercountryfamilieswillbeabletocallinperfectsafety。”

"CECIL？"exclaimedLucy。

"Don\'tberude，dear，"saidhismotherplacidly。"Lucy，don\'tscreech。It\'sanewbadhabityou\'regettinginto。”

"ButhasCecil——"

"FriendsofCecil\'s，"herepeated，"\'andsoreallydee-sire-

rebel。Ahem!Honeychurch，Ihavejusttelegraphedtothem。\'"

Shegotupfromthegrass。

ItwashardonLucy。Mr。Beebesympathizedwithherverymuch。

WhileshebelievedthathersnubabouttheMissAlanscamefromSirHarryOtway，shehadborneitlikeagoodgirl。Shemightwell"screech"whensheheardthatitcamepartlyfromherlover。

Mr。Vysewasatease——somethingworsethanatease:hetookamaliciouspleasureinthwartingpeople。Theclergyman，knowingthis，lookedatMissHoneychurchwithmorethanhisusualkindness。

Whensheexclaimed，"ButCecil\'sEmersons——theycan\'tpossiblybethesameones——thereisthat——"hedidnotconsiderthattheexclamationwasstrange，butsawinitanopportunityofdivertingtheconversationwhilesherecoveredhercomposure。Hediverteditasfollows:

"TheEmersonswhowereatFlorence，doyoumean？No，Idon\'tsupposeitwillprovetobethem。ItisprobablyalongcryfromthemtofriendsofMr。Vyse\'s。Oh，Mrs。Honeychurch，theoddestpeople!Thequeerestpeople!Forourpartwelikedthem，didn\'twe？"HeappealedtoLucy。"Therewasagreatsceneoversomeviolets。TheypickedvioletsandfilledallthevasesintheroomoftheseveryMissAlanswhohavefailedtocometoCissieVilla。

Poorlittleladies!Soshockedandsopleased。ItusedtobeoneofMissCatharine\'sgreatstories。\'Mydearsisterlovesflowers，\'itbegan。Theyfoundthewholeroomamassofblue——vasesandjugs——andthestoryendswith\'Soungentlemanlyandyetsobeautiful。\'Itisallverydifficult。Yes，IalwaysconnectthoseFlorentineEmersonswithviolets。”

"Fiasco\'sdoneyouthistime，"remarkedFreddy，notseeingthathissister\'sfacewasveryred。Shecouldnotrecoverherself。

Mr。Beebesawit，andcontinuedtodiverttheconversation。

"TheseparticularEmersonsconsistedofafatherandason——thesonagoodly，ifnotagoodyoungman；notafool，Ifancy，butveryimmature——pessimism，etcetera。Ourspecialjoywasthefather——suchasentimentaldarling，andpeopledeclaredhehadmurderedhiswife。”

InhisnormalstateMr。Beebewouldneverhaverepeatedsuchgossip，buthewastryingtoshelterLucyinherlittletrouble。

Herepeatedanyrubbishthatcameintohishead。

"Murderedhiswife？"saidMrs。Honeychurch。"Lucy，don\'tdesertus——goonplayingbumble-puppy。Really，thePensionBertolinimusthavebeentheoddestplace。That\'sthesecondmurdererI\'veheardofasbeingthere。WhateverwasCharlottedoingtostop？

By-the-by，wereallymustaskCharlotteheresometime。”

Mr。Beebecouldrecallnosecondmurderer。Hesuggestedthathishostesswasmistaken。Atthehintofoppositionshewarmed。Shewasperfectlysurethattherehadbeenasecondtouristofwhomthesamestoryhadbeentold。Thenameescapedher。Whatwasthename？Oh，whatwasthename？Sheclaspedherkneesforthename。

SomethinginThackeray。Shestruckhermatronlyforehead。

LucyaskedherbrotherwhetherCecilwasin。

"Oh，don\'tgo!"hecried，andtriedtocatchherbytheankles。

"Imustgo，"shesaidgravely。"Don\'tbesilly。Youalwaysoverdoitwhenyouplay。”

Assheleftthemhermother\'sshoutof"Harris!"shiveredthetranquilair，andremindedherthatshehadtoldalieandhadneverputitright。Suchasenselesslie，too，yetitshatteredhernervesandmadeherconnecttheseEmersons，friendsofCecil\'s，withapairofnondescripttourists。Hithertotruthhadcometohernaturally。Shesawthatforthefutureshemustbemorevigilant，andbe——absolutelytruthful？Well，atallevents，shemustnottelllies。Shehurriedupthegarden，stillflushedwithshame。AwordfromCecilwouldsootheher，shewassure。

"Cecil!"

"Hullo!"hecalled，andleantoutofthesmoking-roomwindow。Heseemedinhighspirits。"Iwashopingyou\'dcome。Iheardyouallbear-gardening，butthere\'sbetterfunuphere。I，evenI，havewonagreatvictoryfortheComicMuse。GeorgeMeredith\'sright——

thecauseofComedyandthecauseofTrutharereallythesame；

andI，evenI，havefoundtenantsforthedistressfulCissieVilla。Don\'tbeangry!Don\'tbeangry!You\'llforgivemewhenyouhearitall。”

Helookedveryattractivewhenhisfacewasbright，andhedispelledherridiculousforebodingsatonce。

"Ihaveheard，"shesaid。"Freddyhastoldus。NaughtyCecil!I

supposeImustforgiveyou。JustthinkofallthetroubleItookfornothing!CertainlytheMissAlansarealittletiresome，andI\'dratherhavenicefriendsofyours。Butyououghtn\'ttoteaseoneso。”

"Friendsofmine？"helaughed。"But，Lucy，thewholejokeistocome!Comehere。”Butsheremainedstandingwhereshewas。"DoyouknowwhereImetthesedesirabletenants？IntheNationalGallery，whenIwasuptoseemymotherlastweek。”

"Whatanoddplacetomeetpeople!"shesaidnervously。"Idon\'tquiteunderstand。”

"IntheUmbrianRoom。Absolutestrangers。TheywereadmiringLucaSignorelli——ofcourse，quitestupidly。However，wegottalking，andtheyrefreshedmenot——alittle。TheyhadbeentoItaly。”

"But，Cecil——"proceededhilariously。

"Inthecourseofconversationtheysaidthattheywantedacountrycottage——thefathertolivethere，thesontorundownforweek-ends。Ithought，\'WhatachanceofscoringoffSirHarry!\'andItooktheiraddressandaLondonreference，foundtheyweren\'tactualblackguards——itwasgreatsport——andwrotetohim，makingout——"

"Cecil!No，it\'snotfair。I\'veprobablymetthembefore——"

Heboreherdown。

"Perfectlyfair。Anythingisfairthatpunishesasnob。Thatoldmanwilldotheneighbourhoodaworldofgood。SirHarryistoodisgustingwithhis\'decayedgentlewomen。\'Imeanttoreadhimalessonsometime。No，Lucy，theclassesoughttomix，andbeforelongyou\'llagreewithme。Thereoughttobeintermarriage——allsortsofthings。Ibelieveindemocracy——"

"No，youdon\'t，"shesnapped。"Youdon\'tknowwhatthewordmeans。”

Hestaredather，andfeltagainthatshehadfailedtobeLeonardesque。"No，youdon\'t!"

Herfacewasinartistic——thatofapeevishvirago。

"Itisn\'tfair，Cecil。Iblameyou——Iblameyouverymuchindeed。

YouhadnobusinesstoundomyworkabouttheMissAlans，andmakemelookridiculous。YoucallitscoringoffSirHarry，butdoyourealizethatitisallatmyexpense？Iconsideritmostdisloyalofyou。”

Shelefthim。

"Temper!"hethought，raisinghiseyebrows。

No，itwasworsethantemper——snobbishness。AslongasLucythoughtthathisownsmartfriendsweresupplantingtheMissAlans，shehadnotminded。Heperceivedthatthesenewtenantsmightbeofvalueeducationally。Hewouldtoleratethefatheranddrawouttheson，whowassilent。IntheinterestsoftheComicMuseandofTruth，hewouldbringthemtoWindyCorner。

ChapterXI:InMrs。Vyse\'sWell-AppointedFlatTheComicMuse，thoughabletolookafterherowninterests，didnotdisdaintheassistanceofMr。Vyse。HisideaofbringingtheEmersonstoWindyCornerstruckherasdecidedlygood，andshecarriedthroughthenegotiationswithoutahitch。SirHarryOtwaysignedtheagreement，metMr。Emerson，whowasdulydisillusioned。TheMissAlansweredulyoffended，andwroteadignifiedlettertoLucy，whomtheyheldresponsibleforthefailure。Mr。Beebeplannedpleasantmomentsforthenew-comers，andtoldMrs。HoneychurchthatFreddymustcallonthemassoonastheyarrived。Indeed，soamplewastheMuse\'sequipmentthatshepermittedMr。Harris，neveraveryrobustcriminal，todroophishead，tobeforgotten，andtodie。

Lucy——todescendfrombrightheaventoearth，whereonthereareshadowsbecausetherearehills——Lucywasatfirstplungedintodespair，butsettledafteralittlethoughtthatitdidnotmattertheveryleast。Nowthatshewasengaged，theEmersonswouldscarcelyinsultherandwerewelcomeintotheneighbourhood。AndCecilwaswelcometobringwhomhewouldintotheneighbourhood。ThereforeCecilwaswelcometobringtheEmersonsintotheneighbourhood。But，asIsay，thistookalittlethinking，and——soillogicalaregirls——theeventremainedrathergreaterandrathermoredreadfulthanitshouldhavedone。

ShewasgladthatavisittoMrs。Vysenowfelldue；thetenantsmovedintoCissieVillawhileshewassafeintheLondonflat。

"Cecil——Cecildarling，"shewhisperedtheeveningshearrived，andcreptintohisarms。

Cecil，too，becamedemonstrative。HesawthattheneedfulfirehadbeenkindledinLucy。Atlastshelongedforattention，asawomanshould，andlookeduptohimbecausehewasaman。

"Soyoudoloveme，littlething？"hemurmured。

"Oh，Cecil，Ido，Ido!Idon\'tknowwhatIshoulddowithoutyou。”

Severaldayspassed。ThenshehadaletterfromMissBartlett。

Acoolnesshadsprungupbetweenthetwocousins，andtheyhadnotcorrespondedsincetheypartedinAugust。ThecoolnessdatedfromwhatCharlottewouldcall"theflighttoRome，"andinRomeithadincreasedamazingly。Forthecompanionwhoismerelyuncongenialinthemediaevalworldbecomesexasperatingintheclassical。Charlotte，unselfishintheForum，wouldhavetriedasweetertemperthanLucy\'s，andonce，intheBathsofCaracalla，theyhaddoubtedwhethertheycouldcontinuetheirtour。LucyhadsaidshewouldjointheVyses——Mrs。Vysewasanacquaintanceofhermother，sotherewasnoimproprietyintheplanandMissBartletthadrepliedthatshewasquiteusedtobeingabandonedsuddenly。Finallynothinghappened；butthecoolnessremained，and，forLucy，wasevenincreasedwhensheopenedtheletterandreadasfollows。IthadbeenforwardedfromWindyCorner。

"TunbridgeWells，September。

"DearestLucia，"Ihavenewsofyouatlast!MissLavishhasbeenbicyclinginyourparts，butwasnotsurewhetheracallwouldbewelcome。

PuncturinghertirenearSummerStreet，anditbeingmendedwhileshesatverywoebegoneinthatprettychurchyard，shesawtoherastonishment，adooropenoppositeandtheyoungerEmersonmancomeout。Hesaidhisfatherhadjusttakenthehouse。HeSAIDhedidnotknowthatyoulivedintheneighbourhood(？)。HeneversuggestedgivingEleanoracupoftea。DearLucy，Iammuchworried，andIadviseyoutomakeacleanbreastofhispastbehaviourtoyourmother，Freddy，andMr。Vyse，whowillforbidhimtoenterthehouse，etc。Thatwasagreatmisfortune，andI

daresayyouhavetoldthemalready。Mr。Vyseissosensitive。I

rememberhowIusedtogetonhisnervesatRome。Iamverysorryaboutitall，andshouldnotfeeleasyunlessIwarnedyou。

"Believeme，"Youranxiousandlovingcousin，Charlotte。”

Lucywasmuchannoyed，andrepliedasfollows:

"BeauchampMansions，S。W。

"DearCharlotte，"Manythanksforyourwarning。WhenMr。Emersonforgothimselfonthemountain，youmademepromisenottotellmother，becauseyousaidshewouldblameyoufornotbeingalwayswithme。Ihavekeptthatpromise，andcannotpossiblytellhernow。IhavesaidbothtoherandCecilthatImettheEmersonsatFlorence，andthattheyarerespectablepeople——whichIdothink——andthereasonthatheofferedMissLavishnoteawasprobablythathehadnonehimself。SheshouldhavetriedattheRectory。Icannotbeginmakingafussatthisstage。Youmustseethatitwouldbetooabsurd。IftheEmersonsheardIhadcomplainedofthem，theywouldthinkthemselvesofimportance，whichisexactlywhattheyarenot。Iliketheoldfather，andlookforwardtoseeinghimagain。Asfortheson，Iamsorryforhimwhenwemeet，ratherthanformyself。TheyareknowntoCecil，whoisverywellandspokeofyoutheotherday。WeexpecttobemarriedinJanuary。

"MissLavishcannothavetoldyoumuchaboutme，forIamnotatWindyCorneratall，buthere。Pleasedonotput\'Private\'

outsideyourenvelopeagain。Nooneopensmyletters。

"Yoursaffectionately，"L。M。Honeychurch。”