第8章

"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。