A Room with a View

hereon pink griffins and blue amorini sport in a forest of yellow violins and bassoons. It was pleasant, too, to fling wide the windows, pinching the fingers in unfamilia

on behind, and the conductor, with no malice, spat in their faces to make them let go. Then soldiers appeared-good-looking, undersized men-wearing each a knapsack covered with mangy fur, and a great-coat which had been cut for some larger soldier. Beside them walked officers, looking foolish and fierce, and before them went little boys, turning s

the blue sky and the men and women who live under it. So it was as well that Miss Bartlett should tap and come in, and having commented on Lucy's leaving the door unlocked, and on her leaning out of the window bef

unless Lucy would at all like to go out? Lucy would rather like to go out, as it was her first day in Florence, but, of course, she could go alone. Miss Bartle

the clever l

ectly safe. Italians understand. A dear friend of mine, Contessa Baroncelli, has two daughters, and when she cannot send a maid to school with

ed to take Lucy herself, her head not being so very bad. The clever lady then said that she was

way, Miss Honeychurch, and if you brin

d, and at once opened the Baedek

e does but touch the surface of things. As to the true Italy-he does not e

nd started with her new friend in high spirits. Italy was coming at l

Ponte alle Grazie-particularly interesting, mentioned by Dante. San Miniato-beautiful as well as interesting; the crucifix that kissed a murderer-Miss Honeychurch would remember the

smell! Every city, let me te

d Lucy, who had inherited from

or life. Buon giorno! Buon giorno!" bowing right and left. "Look at th

tten, though without a kitten's grace. It was a treat for the girl to be with any one so clever and so ch

r repent of a little civility to your inferiors. That is the true dem

, too, out and out. My father always voted for Mr.

now you have gone

t Ireland is all right. And as it is, the glass over our front door was broken last

ufacturing distr

bout five miles from Dorki

interested, and s

is full of the very nicest people. Do you kno

well i

utterworth the

s a field of u

ribbon of sky, and murmured: "O

thought a snob. "Only thirty acres-just

ed to remember the last name of Lady Louisa someone, who had taken a house near Summer Street the other year, but

us and save us! W

had been plainly visible from the landing window. But Miss Lavish had said so much

wrong turning. How those horrid Conservatives would jeer at us! What are we to

, suggested, as a possible solution

e not, not, NOT to look at your Baedeker. Give it to

ne ravishing moment Italy appeared. She stood in the Square of the Annunziata and saw in the living terra-cotta those divine babies whom no cheap reproduction can ever stale. There they stood, with their shining limbs bursting from the garments of chari

ed so typical. It tasted partly of the paper in which it was wrapped, partly of hair oil, partly of the great unknown. But it gave them strength to drift into another Piazza, lar

speak to them. I do detest conventional intercourse. Nasty! t

ast night. They have given us the

ike a pair of cows. It's very naughty of me, but I would like to set an exa

uld you

s, would get full marks. In this exalted mood they reached the steps of the great church, a

-colour box! I must

apping in the wind; nor did she slacken speed till she caught up an

ed her, partly because she had taken her Baedeker. How could she find her way home? How could she find her way about in Santa Croce? Her first morning was ruined, and she might never be in Florence again. A few minutes ago she had been all high spirits, talking as a woman of culture, and half persuading herself that she was full of originality. Now she entered the church depressed and humiliated, not even able to remember whether it was built by the Franciscans or the Dominicans. Of course, it must be a wonderful

o cold was Santa Croce. She beheld the horrible fate that overtook three Papists-two he-babies and a she-baby-who began their career by sousing each other with the Holy Water, and then proceeded to the Machiavelli memorial, dripping but hallowed. Advancing towards it very slowly and from immense distances, they touched the stone with their fingers, with their handkerchiefs, with their heads, and then retreated. What could th

also. "Hard in life, hard in death. Go out into the sunshine, little boy, and k

these dreadful people who picked him up, dusted him, r

e's a mess: a baby hurt, cold, and frightened

an Italian lady, who ought to have been saying her prayers, came to the rescue. By some mysterious virtue, which mothers alone possess,

he relics in the world. I am not of your creed, but I do believe in those

ed for

talian lady, and ret

understands Englis

to be gracious to them, beautiful rather than delicate, and, if possible, to e

on's reply. "But what are you doing here? Are you

, who was to explain everything; and just by the door-it is too bad!-she s

't you?" sai

urself?" said the son, addressing

h has even take

's THAT you minded. It's worth minding, th

nscious of some new idea, and was

'd better join us." Was this where the idea

to join on to you. I really came to help with the child, and to thank you for so kindly giv

ple say. You are pretending to be touchy; but you are not really. Stop being so tiresome, and tel

other times to keep it. Lucy could not get cross. Mr. Emerson was an old man, and surely a girl might humour him. On the other hand, his son was a you

Giottos that I want to see, if you

to the Peruzzi Chapel. There was a hint of the teacher about him. S

of them rose the voice of a lecturer, directing them how to worship

Renaissance had appeared. Observe how Giotto in these frescoes-now, unhappily, ruined by restoration-is untroubled by the snares of anatomy and perspective. C

indeed! That simply means the workmen weren't paid properly. And as for the frescoes, I see no truth in them. Lo

might. The audience shifted uneasily, and so did Lucy. She was sure that she ought not to be with these men; bu

appen, or didn't

e rep

p to heaven by myself than be pushed by cherubs; and if I got ther

r boy, will lie at peace in the earth that bore us, and

ve, not the saint, whoever he is, going up. It

chapel is somewhat small for two part

oks as well as guide-books in their hands. They filed out of the chapel in silence. Amongst th

on. "There's plenty of

disappeared w

ard in the next chapel, descr

e that clergyman is

pel and returned, saying "Per

Eager. Why did he go? Did we talk too loud? How vexatious. I shall go

come back,"

d in a lunette, could hear the lecture again interrupted, the anxious, aggressive voice of the old man, the curt, inj

nearly everyone," he informed

ry," said she, s

he is kind to people because he loves them; and th

h in her heart she sympathized; "I th

ac

g into tenderness. She saw him once again at Rome, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, carrying a burden of acorns. Healthy and muscular, he yet gave her the feeling of greyness, of tragedy that might only find solution in the night. T

ed?" asked his

ure of I don't know how many

others...vision of the brotherhood of man..." Scraps of the

he continued to Lucy. "Have

ly. Do you know which is the tom

ike a barn, has harvested many beautiful things inside its walls. There were also beggars to avoid and guides to dodge round the pillars, and an old lady with her dog, and here and there a priest modest

fresco?" he said uneasil

what they say about his tactile values. Though I

s. And my baby's worth the whole of Paradise

elt that thi

repeated. "H

ar!" sa

e has been brought up-free from all the superstition and ignorance that lead men to hate one anot

ell as a very irreligious one. She also felt that her mother might not like he

Italy, and behaves-like that; like the little child who ought to have bee

o suggestion. S

ht help me. He has known so few women, and you have the time. You stop here several weeks, I suppose? But let yourself go. You are inclined to get muddled, if I may judge from last night. Let yourself go. Pull out fr

inary speech Luc

is that's wrong wit

Lucy fearfully, expect

uble; things

t th

universe. It is qui

son, whatever

at she scarcely realized he

from eve a

twelve-w

of life

ther: h

return to them; that all life is perhaps a knot, a tangle, a blemish in the eternal smoothness. But why should t

eychurch

e that by the side of the everlasting Why there

g man melancholy because the universe wouldn't fit, bec

employment. Has he no particular hobby? Why, I myself have worries, but I can generally forget them at the piano; and

t. Indeed, he no longer alarmed her at all; she regarded him as a kind thing, but quite silly. Her feelings were as inflated spiritually as they had been an hour ago esthetic

Bart

y collapsing and again seeing the whole of

the

little Miss Alans must h

ploded Mr. Emer

ass, for it was just wha

g a splendid time. Pray don't waste time mourning over me. There's enough sorrow in the world, isn't there, without trying to invent it. Good-

ned her