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。