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，Whatpleasurelivesinheighttheshepherdsang。
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。”