PART	O
ONE	O
Chapter	O
I	O
:	O
The	O
Bertolini	O
“	O
The	O
Signora	O
had	O
no	O
business	O
to	O
do	O
it	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
“	O
no	O
business	O
at	O
all	O
.	O

She	O
promised	EVENT
us	O
south	O
rooms	O
with	O
a	O
view	O
close	O
together	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
which	O
here	O
are	O
north	O
rooms	O
,	O
looking	O
into	O
a	O
courtyard	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
long	O
way	O
apart	O
.	O

Oh	O
,	O
Lucy	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
And	O
a	O
Cockney	O
,	O
besides	O
!	O
”	O

said	EVENT
Lucy	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
further	O
saddened	EVENT
by	O
the	O
Signora	O
’s	O
unexpected	O
accent	O
.	O

“	O
It	O
might	O
be	O
London	O
.	O
”	O

She	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
the	O
two	O
rows	O
of	O
English	O
people	O
who	O
were	O
sitting	O
at	O
the	O
table	O
;	O
at	O
the	O
row	O
of	O
white	O
bottles	O
of	O
water	O
and	O
red	O
bottles	O
of	O
wine	O
that	O
ran	O
between	O
the	O
English	O
people	O
;	O
at	O
the	O
portraits	O
of	O
the	O
late	O
Queen	O
and	O
the	O
late	O
Poet	O
Laureate	O
that	O
hung	O
behind	O
the	O
English	O
people	O
,	O
heavily	O
framed	O
;	O
at	O
the	O
notice	O
of	O
the	O
English	O
church	O
(	O
Rev.	O
Cuthbert	O
Eager	O
,	O
M.	O
A.	O
Oxon	O
.	O
)	O

,	O
that	O
was	O
the	O
only	O
other	O
decoration	O
of	O
the	O
wall	O
.	O

“	O
Charlotte	O
,	O
do	O
n’t	O
you	O
feel	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
that	O
we	O
might	O
be	O
in	O
London	O
?	O

I	O
can	O
hardly	O
believe	O
that	O
all	O
kinds	O
of	O
other	O
things	O
are	O
just	O
outside	O
.	O

I	O
suppose	O
it	O
is	O
one	O
’s	O
being	O
so	O
tired	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
This	O
meat	O
has	O
surely	O
been	O
used	O
for	O
soup	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
laying	EVENT
down	O
her	O
fork	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
want	O
so	O
to	O
see	O
the	O
Arno	O
.	O

The	O
rooms	O
the	O
Signora	O
promised	EVENT
us	O
in	O
her	O
letter	O
would	O
have	O
looked	O
over	O
the	O
Arno	O
.	O

The	O
Signora	O
had	O
no	O
business	O
to	O
do	EVENT
it	O
at	O
all	O
.	O

Oh	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
shame	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
Any	O
nook	O
does	O
for	O
me	O
,	O
”	O
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
continued	EVENT
;	O
“	O
but	O
it	O
does	O
seem	O
hard	O
that	O
you	O
should	O
n’t	O
have	O
a	O
view	O
.	O
”	O

Lucy	O
felt	O
that	O
she	O
had	O
been	O
selfish	O
.	O

“	O
Charlotte	O
,	O
you	O
must	O
n’t	O
spoil	O
me	O
:	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
you	O
must	O
look	O
over	O
the	O
Arno	O
,	O
too	O
.	O

I	O
meant	EVENT
that	O
.	O

The	O
first	O
vacant	O
room	O
in	O
the	O
front	O
--	O
”	O
“	O
You	O
must	O
have	O
it	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
part	O
of	O
whose	O
travelling	O
expenses	O
were	O
paid	EVENT
by	O
Lucy	O
’s	O
mother	O
--	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
generosity	EVENT
to	O
which	O
she	O
made	O
many	O
a	O
tactful	O
allusion	O
.	O

“	O
No	O
,	O
no	O
.	O

You	O
must	O
have	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
insist	EVENT
on	O
it	O
.	O

Your	O
mother	O
would	O
never	O
forgive	O
me	O
,	O
Lucy	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
She	O
would	O
never	O
forgive	O
me	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
ladies	O
’	O
voices	O
grew	O
animated	EVENT
,	O
and	O
--	O
if	O
the	O
sad	O
truth	O
be	O
owned	O
--	O
a	O
little	O
peevish	EVENT
.	O

They	O
were	O
tired	O
,	O
and	O
under	O
the	O
guise	EVENT
of	O
unselfishness	O
they	O
wrangled	EVENT
.	O

Some	O
of	O
their	O
neighbours	O
interchanged	O
glances	EVENT
,	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
them	O
--	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
ill-bred	O
people	O
whom	O
one	O
does	O
meet	O
abroad	O
--	O
leant	EVENT
forward	O
over	O
the	O
table	O
and	O
actually	O
intruded	O
into	O
their	O
argument	O
.	O

He	O
said	EVENT
:	O
“	O
I	O
have	O
a	O
view	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
a	O
view	O
.	O
”	O

Miss	O
Bartlett	O
was	O
startled	EVENT
.	O

Generally	O
at	O
a	O
pension	O
people	O
looked	O
them	O
over	O
for	O
a	O
day	O
or	O
two	O
before	O
speaking	O
,	O
and	O
often	O
did	O
not	O
find	O
out	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
“	O
do	O
”	O
till	O
they	O
had	O
gone	O
.	O

She	O
knew	O
that	O
the	O
intruder	O
was	O
ill-bred	O
,	O
even	O
before	O
she	O
glanced	EVENT
at	O
him	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
an	O
old	O
man	O
,	O
of	O
heavy	O
build	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
fair	O
,	O
shaven	O
face	O
and	O
large	O
eyes	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
something	O
childish	O
in	O
those	O
eyes	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
the	O
childishness	O
of	O
senility	O
.	O

What	O
exactly	O
it	O
was	O
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
did	O
not	O
stop	O
to	O
consider	O
,	O
for	O
her	O
glance	EVENT
passed	O
on	O
to	O
his	O
clothes	O
.	O

These	O
did	O
not	O
attract	O
her	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
probably	O
trying	O
to	O
become	O
acquainted	O
with	O
them	O
before	O
they	O
got	O
into	O
the	O
swim	O
.	O

So	O
she	O
assumed	O
a	O
dazed	O
expression	EVENT
when	O
he	O
spoke	EVENT
to	O
her	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
said	EVENT
:	O
“	O
A	O
view	O
?	O

Oh	O
,	O
a	O
view	O
!	O

How	O
delightful	O
a	O
view	O
is	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
This	O
is	O
my	O
son	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
old	O
man	O
;	O
“	O
his	O
name	O
’s	O
George	O
.	O

He	O
has	O
a	O
view	O
too	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Ah	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
repressing	EVENT
Lucy	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
about	O
to	O
speak	O
.	O

“	O
What	O
I	O
mean	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
continued	EVENT
,	O
“	O
is	O
that	O
you	O
can	O
have	O
our	O
rooms	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
’ll	O
have	O
yours	O
.	O

We	O
’ll	O
change	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
better	O
class	O
of	O
tourist	O
was	O
shocked	EVENT
at	O
this	O
,	O
and	O
sympathized	EVENT
with	O
the	O
new-comers	O
.	O

Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
in	O
reply	EVENT
,	O
opened	EVENT
her	O
mouth	O
as	O
little	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
and	O
said	EVENT
“	O
Thank	O
you	O
very	O
much	O
indeed	O
;	O
that	O
is	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
question	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Why	O
?	O
”	O

said	EVENT
the	O
old	O
man	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
fists	O
on	O
the	O
table	O
.	O

“	O
Because	O
it	O
is	O
quite	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
question	O
,	O
thank	O
you	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
You	O
see	O
,	O
we	O
do	O
n’t	O
like	O
to	O
take	O
--	O
”	O
began	EVENT
Lucy	O
.	O

Her	O
cousin	O
again	O
repressed	EVENT
her	O
.	O

“	O
But	O
why	O
?	O
”	O

he	O
persisted	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Women	O
like	O
looking	O
at	O
a	O
view	O
;	O
men	O
do	O
n’t	O
.	O
”	O

And	O
he	O
thumped	EVENT
with	O
his	O
fists	O
like	O
a	O
naughty	O
child	O
,	O
and	O
turned	EVENT
to	O
his	O
son	O
,	O
saying	EVENT
,	O
“	O
George	O
,	O
persuade	O
them	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
It	O
’s	O
so	O
obvious	O
they	O
should	O
have	O
the	O
rooms	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
son	O
.	O

“	O
There	O
’s	O
nothing	O
else	O
to	O
say	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
did	O
not	O
look	O
at	O
the	O
ladies	O
as	O
he	O
spoke	EVENT
,	O
but	O
his	O
voice	O
was	O
perplexed	O
and	O
sorrowful	O
.	O

Lucy	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
was	O
perplexed	O
;	O
but	O
she	O
saw	EVENT
that	O
they	O
were	O
in	O
for	O
what	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
“	O
quite	O
a	O
scene	O
,	O
”	O
and	O
she	O
had	O
an	O
odd	O
feeling	EVENT
that	O
whenever	O
these	O
ill-bred	O
tourists	O
spoke	O
the	O
contest	O
widened	O
and	O
deepened	O
till	O
it	O
dealt	O
,	O
not	O
with	O
rooms	O
and	O
views	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
--	O
well	O
,	O
with	O
something	O
quite	O
different	O
,	O
whose	O
existence	O
she	O
had	O
not	O
realized	O
before	O
.	O

Now	O
the	O
old	O
man	O
attacked	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
almost	O
violently	O
:	O
Why	O
should	O
she	O
not	O
change	O
?	O

What	O
possible	O
objection	O
had	O
she	O
?	O

They	O
would	O
clear	O
out	O
in	O
half	O
an	O
hour	O
.	O

Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
though	O
skilled	O
in	O
the	O
delicacies	O
of	O
conversation	O
,	O
was	O
powerless	O
in	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
brutality	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
impossible	O
to	O
snub	O
any	O
one	O
so	O
gross	O
.	O

Her	O
face	O
reddened	EVENT
with	O
displeasure	EVENT
.	O

She	O
looked	EVENT
around	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
to	O
say	O
,	O
“	O
Are	O
you	O
all	O
like	O
this	O
?	O
”	O

And	O
two	O
little	O
old	O
ladies	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
sitting	O
further	O
up	O
the	O
table	O
,	O
with	O
shawls	O
hanging	O
over	O
the	O
backs	O
of	O
the	O
chairs	O
,	O
looked	EVENT
back	O
,	O
clearly	O
indicating	O
“	O
We	O
are	O
not	O
;	O
we	O
are	O
genteel	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Eat	O
your	O
dinner	O
,	O
dear	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
said	EVENT
to	O
Lucy	O
,	O
and	O
began	O
to	O
toy	EVENT
again	O
with	O
the	O
meat	O
that	O
she	O
had	O
once	O
censured	EVENT
.	O

Lucy	O
mumbled	EVENT
that	O
those	O
seemed	O
very	O
odd	O
people	O
opposite	O
.	O

“	O
Eat	O
your	O
dinner	O
,	O
dear	O
.	O

This	O
pension	O
is	O
a	O
failure	O
.	O

To-morrow	O
we	O
will	O
make	O
a	O
change	O
.	O
”	O

Hardly	O
had	O
she	O
announced	EVENT
this	O
fell	O
decision	EVENT
when	O
she	O
reversed	EVENT
it	O
.	O

The	O
curtains	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
room	O
parted	EVENT
,	O
and	O
revealed	EVENT
a	O
clergyman	O
,	O
stout	O
but	O
attractive	O
,	O
who	O
hurried	EVENT
forward	O
to	O
take	O
his	O
place	O
at	O
the	O
table	O
,	O
cheerfully	O
apologizing	EVENT
for	O
his	O
lateness	EVENT
.	O

Lucy	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
not	O
yet	O
acquired	O
decency	O
,	O
at	O
once	O
rose	O
to	O
her	O
feet	O
,	O
exclaiming	EVENT
:	O
“	O
Oh	O
,	O
oh	O
!	O

Why	O
,	O
it	O
’s	O
Mr.	O
Beebe	O
!	O

Oh	O
,	O
how	O
perfectly	O
lovely	O
!	O

Oh	O
,	O
Charlotte	O
,	O
we	O
must	O
stop	O
now	O
,	O
however	O
bad	O
the	O
rooms	O
are	O
.	O

Oh	O
!	O
”	O

Miss	O
Bartlett	O
said	EVENT
,	O
with	O
more	O
restraint	O
:	O
“	O
How	O
do	O
you	O
do	O
,	O
Mr.	O
Beebe	O
?	O

I	O
expect	EVENT
that	O
you	O
have	O
forgotten	O
us	O
:	O
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
and	O
Miss	O
Honeychurch	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
at	O
Tunbridge	O
Wells	O
when	O
you	O
helped	EVENT
the	O
Vicar	O
of	O
St.	O
Peter	O
’s	O
that	O
very	O
cold	O
Easter	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
clergyman	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
the	O
air	O
of	O
one	O
on	O
a	O
holiday	O
,	O
did	O
not	O
remember	O
the	O
ladies	O
quite	O
as	O
clearly	O
as	O
they	O
remembered	EVENT
him	O
.	O

But	O
he	O
came	O
forward	EVENT
pleasantly	O
enough	O
and	O
accepted	EVENT
the	O
chair	O
into	O
which	O
he	O
was	O
beckoned	EVENT
by	O
Lucy	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
AM	O
so	O
glad	EVENT
to	O
see	EVENT
you	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
girl	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
in	O
a	O
state	O
of	O
spiritual	O
starvation	O
,	O
and	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
glad	O
to	O
see	O
the	O
waiter	O
if	O
her	O
cousin	O
had	O
permitted	O
it	O
.	O

“	O
Just	O
fancy	O
how	O
small	O
the	O
world	O
is	O
.	O

Summer	O
Street	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
makes	O
it	O
so	O
specially	O
funny	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Miss	O
Honeychurch	O
lives	O
in	O
the	O
parish	O
of	O
Summer	O
Street	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
filling	EVENT
up	O
the	O
gap	O
,	O
“	O
and	O
she	O
happened	O
to	O
tell	EVENT
me	O
in	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
conversation	EVENT
that	O
you	O
have	O
just	O
accepted	EVENT
the	O
living	O
--	O
”	O
“	O
Yes	O
,	O
I	O
heard	EVENT
from	O
mother	O
so	O
last	O
week	O
.	O

She	O
did	O
n’t	O
know	O
that	O
I	O
knew	O
you	O
at	O
Tunbridge	O
Wells	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
wrote	EVENT
back	O
at	O
once	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
said	EVENT
:	O
‘	O
Mr.	O
Beebe	O
is	O
--	O
’”	O
“	O
Quite	O
right	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
clergyman	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
move	O
into	O
the	O
Rectory	O
at	O
Summer	O
Street	O
next	O
June	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
lucky	O
to	O
be	O
appointed	EVENT
to	O
such	O
a	O
charming	O
neighbourhood	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Oh	O
,	O
how	O
glad	O
I	O
am	O
!	O

The	O
name	O
of	O
our	O
house	O
is	O
Windy	O
Corner	O
.	O
”	O

Mr.	O
Beebe	O
bowed	EVENT
.	O

“	O
There	O
is	O
mother	O
and	O
me	O
generally	O
,	O
and	O
my	O
brother	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
’s	O
not	O
often	O
we	O
get	O
him	O
to	O
ch	O
----	O
The	O
church	O
is	O
rather	O
far	O
off	O
,	O
I	O
mean	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Lucy	O
,	O
dearest	O
,	O
let	O
Mr.	O
Beebe	O
eat	O
his	O
dinner	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
am	O
eating	EVENT
it	O
,	O
thank	O
you	O
,	O
and	O
enjoying	EVENT
it	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
preferred	EVENT
to	O
talk	O
to	O
Lucy	O
,	O
whose	O
playing	EVENT
he	O
remembered	EVENT
,	O
rather	O
than	O
to	O
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
,	O
who	O
probably	O
remembered	O
his	O
sermons	O
.	O

He	O
asked	EVENT
the	O
girl	O
whether	O
she	O
knew	O
Florence	O
well	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
informed	EVENT
at	O
some	O
length	O
that	O
she	O
had	O
never	O
been	O
there	O
before	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
delightful	O
to	O
advise	O
a	O
newcomer	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
was	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
.	O

“	O
Do	O
n’t	O
neglect	O
the	O
country	O
round	O
,	O
”	O
his	O
advice	EVENT
concluded	O
.	O

“	O
The	O
first	O
fine	O
afternoon	O
drive	O
up	O
to	O
Fiesole	O
,	O
and	O
round	O
by	O
Settignano	O
,	O
or	O
something	O
of	O
that	O
sort	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
No	O
!	O
”	O

cried	EVENT
a	O
voice	O
from	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
table	O
.	O

“	O
Mr.	O
Beebe	O
,	O
you	O
are	O
wrong	O
.	O

The	O
first	O
fine	O
afternoon	O
your	O
ladies	O
must	O
go	O
to	O
Prato	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
That	O
lady	O
looks	O
so	O
clever	O
,	O
”	O
whispered	EVENT
Miss	O
Bartlett	O
to	O
her	O
cousin	O
.	O

“	O
We	O
are	O
in	O
luck	O
.	O
”	O

And	O
,	O
indeed	O
,	O
a	O
perfect	O
torrent	O
of	O
information	O
burst	EVENT
on	O
them	O
.	O

People	O
told	EVENT
them	O
what	O
to	O
see	O
,	O
when	O
to	O
see	O
it	O
,	O
how	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
electric	O
trams	O
,	O
how	O
to	O
get	O
rid	O
of	O
the	O
beggars	O
,	O
how	O
much	O
to	O
give	O
for	O
a	O
vellum	O
blotter	O
,	O
how	O
much	O
the	O
place	O
would	O
grow	O
upon	O
them	O
.	O

The	O
Pension	O
Bertolini	O
had	O
decided	EVENT
,	O
almost	O
enthusiastically	O
,	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
do	O
.	O

Whichever	O
way	O
they	O
looked	EVENT
,	O
kind	O
ladies	O
smiled	EVENT
and	O
shouted	EVENT
at	O
them	O
.	O

And	O
above	O
all	O
rose	O
the	O
voice	O
of	O
the	O
clever	O
lady	O
,	O
crying	EVENT
:	O
“	O
Prato	O
!	O

They	O
must	O
go	O
to	O
Prato	O
.	O

That	O
place	O
is	O
too	O
sweetly	O
squalid	O
for	O
words	O
.	O

I	O
love	O
it	O
;	O
I	O
revel	O
in	O
shaking	O
off	O
the	O
trammels	O
of	O
respectability	O
,	O
as	O
you	O
know	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
young	O
man	O
named	O
George	O
glanced	EVENT
at	O
the	O
clever	O
lady	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
returned	EVENT
moodily	O
to	O
his	O
plate	O
.	O

Obviously	O
he	O
and	O
his	O
father	O
did	O
not	O
do	O
.	O

Lucy	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
her	O
success	EVENT
,	O
found	EVENT
time	O
to	O
wish	EVENT
they	O
did	O
.	O

It	O
gave	O
her	O
no	O
extra	O
pleasure	O
that	O
any	O
one	O
should	O
be	O
left	O
in	O
the	O
cold	O
;	O
and	O
when	O
she	O
rose	EVENT
to	O
go	O
,	O
she	O
turned	EVENT
back	O
and	O
gave	EVENT
the	O
two	O
outsiders	O
a	O
nervous	O
little	O
bow	EVENT
.	O