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will be wasted。 You have gone too far to retreat。 I have no time
for the tenderness； and the comradeship； and the poetry； and the
things that really matter； and for which you marry。 I know that；
with George； you will find them； and that you love him。 Then be
his wife。 He is already part of you。 Though you fly to Greece；
and never see him again； or forget his very name； George will
work in your thoughts till you die。 It isn't possible to love and
to part。 You will wish that it was。 You can transmute love；
ignore it； muddle it； but you can never pull it out of you。 I
know by experience that the poets are right： love is eternal。〃
Lucy began to cry with anger； and though her anger passed away
soon； her tears remained。
〃I only wish poets would say this； too： love is of the body； not
the body； but of the body。 Ah！ the misery that would be saved if
we confessed that！ Ah！ for a little directness to liberate the
soul！ Your soul； dear Lucy！ I hate the word now； because of all
the cant with which superstition has wrapped it round。 But we
have souls。 I cannot say how they came nor whither they go； but
we have them； and I see you ruining yours。 I cannot bear it。 It
is again the darkness creeping in； it is hell。〃 Then he checked
himself。 〃What nonsense I have talkedhow abstract and remote！
And I have made you cry！ Dear girl； forgive my prosiness； marry
my boy。 When I think what life is； and how seldom love is
answered by loveMarry him； it is one of the moments for which
the world was made。〃
She could not understand him； the words were indeed remote。 Yet
as he spoke the darkness was withdrawn； veil after veil； and she
saw to the bottom of her soul。
〃Then； Lucy〃
〃You've frightened me；〃 she moaned。 〃CecilMr。 Beebethe
ticket's boughteverything。〃 She fell sobbing into the chair。
〃I'm caught in the tangle。 I must suffer and grow old away from
him。 I cannot break the whole of life for his sake。 They trusted
me。〃
A carriage drew up at the front…door。
〃Give George my loveonce only。 Tell him 'muddle。'〃 Then she
arranged her veil； while the tears poured over her cheeks inside。
〃Lucy〃
〃Nothey are in the halloh； please not； Mr。 Emersonthey trust
me〃
〃But why should they； when you have deceived them？〃
Mr。 Beebe opened the door； saying： 〃Here's my mother。〃
〃You're not worthy of their trust。〃
〃What's that？〃 said Mr。 Beebe sharply。
〃I was saying； why should you trust her when she deceived you？〃
〃One minute； mother。〃 He came in and shut the door。
〃I don't follow you； Mr。 Emerson。 To whom do you refer？ Trust
whom？〃
〃I mean she has pretended to you that she did not love George。
They have loved one another all along。〃
Mr。 Beebe looked at the sobbing girl。 He was very quiet； and his
white face； with its ruddy whiskers； seemed suddenly inhuman。 A
long black column； he stood and awaited her reply。
〃I shall never marry him；〃 quavered Lucy。
A look of contempt came over him； and he said； 〃Why not？〃
〃Mr。 BeebeI have misled youI have misled myself〃
〃Oh； rubbish； Miss Honeychurch！〃
〃It is not rubbish！〃 said the old man hotly。 〃It's the part of
people that you don't understand。〃
Mr。 Beebe laid his hand on the old man's shoulder pleasantly。
〃Lucy！ Lucy！〃 called voices from the carriage。
〃Mr。 Beebe； could you help me？〃
He looked amazed at the request； and said in a low； stern voice：
〃I am more grieved than I can possibly express。 It is lamentable；
lamentableincredible。〃
〃What's wrong with the boy？〃 fired up the other again。
〃Nothing； Mr。 Emerson； except that he no longer interests me。
Marry George； Miss Honeychurch。 He will do admirably。〃
He walked out and left them。 They heard him guiding his mother
up…stairs。
〃Lucy！〃 the voices called。
She turned to Mr。 Emerson in despair。 But his face revived her。 It
was the face of a saint who understood。
〃Now it is all dark。 Now Beauty and Passion seem never to have
existed。 I know。 But remember the mountains over Florence and the
view。 Ah； dear； if I were George； and gave you one kiss； it would
make you brave。 You have to go cold into a battle that needs
warmth； out into the muddle that you have made yourself； and your
mother and all your friends will despise you； oh； my darling； and
rightly； if it is ever right to despise。 George still dark； all
the tussle and the misery without a word from him。 Am I
justified？〃 Into his own eyes tears came。 〃Yes； for we fight for
more than Love or Pleasure； there is Truth。 Truth counts； Truth
does count。〃
〃You kiss me；〃 said the girl。 〃You kiss me。 I will try。〃
He gave her a sense of deities reconciled； a feeling that； in
gaining the man she loved； she would gain something for the whole
world。 Throughout the squalor of her homeward driveshe spoke at
oncehis salutation remained。 He had robbed the body of its
taint； the world's taunts of their sting； he had shown her the
holiness of direct desire。 She 〃never exactly understood；〃 she
would say in after years； 〃how he managed to strengthen her。 It
was as if he had made her see the whole of everything at once。〃
Chapter XX： The End of the Middle Ages
The Miss Alans did go to Greece； but they went by themselves。
They alone of this little company will double Malea and plough
the waters of the Saronic gulf。 They alone will visit Athens and
Delphi； and either shrine of intellectual songthat upon the
Acropolis； encircled by blue seas； that under Parnassus； where
the eagles build and the bronze charioteer drives undismayed
towards infinity。 Trembling； anxious； cumbered with much
digestive bread； they did proceed to Constantinople； they did go
round the world。 The rest of us must be contented with a fair；
but a less arduous； goal。 Italiam petimus： we return to the
Pension Bertolini。
George said it was his old room。
〃No； it isn't；〃 said Lucy； 〃because it is the room I had； and I
had your father's room。 I forget why； Charlotte made me； for some
reason。〃
He knelt on the tiled floor； and laid his face in her lap。
〃George； you baby； get up。〃
〃Why shouldn't I be a baby？〃 murmured George。
Unable to answer this question； she put down his sock； which she
was trying to mend； and gazed out through the window。 It was
evening and again the spring。
〃Oh； bother Charlotte；〃 she said thoughtfully。 〃What can such
people be made of？〃
〃Same stuff as parsons are made of。〃
〃Nonsense！〃
〃Quite right。 It is nonsense。〃
〃Now you get up off the cold floor； or you'll be starting
rheumatism next； and you stop laughing and being so silly。〃
〃Why shouldn't I laugh？〃 he asked； pinning her with his elbows；
and advancing his face to hers。 〃What's there to cry at？ Kiss me
here。〃 He indicated the spot where a kiss would be welcome。
He was a boy after all。 When it came to the point； it was she who
remembered the past； she into whose soul the iron had entered；
she who knew whose room this had been last year。 It endeared him
to her strangely that he should be sometimes wrong。
〃Any letters？〃 he asked。
〃Just a line from Freddy。〃
〃Now kiss me here； then here。〃
Then； threatened again with rheumatism； he strolled to the
window； opened it （as the English will）； and leant out。 There was
the parapet； there the river； there to the left the beginnings of
the hills。 The cab…driver； who at once saluted him with the hiss
of a serpent； might be that very Phaethon who had set this
happiness in motion twelve months ago。 A passion of gratitude
all feelings grow to passions in the Southcame over the
husband； and he blessed the people and the things who had taken
so much trouble about a young fool。 He had helped himself； it is
true； but how stupidly！
All the fighting that mattered had been done by othersby Italy；
by his father； by his wife。
〃Lucy； you come and look at the cypresses； and the church；
whatever its name is； still shows。〃
〃San Miniato。 I'll just finish your sock。〃
〃Signorino； domani faremo uno giro；〃 called the cabman； with
engaging certainty。
George told him that he was mistaken； they had no money to throw
away on driving。
And the people who had not meant to helpthe Miss Lavishes； the
Cecils； the Miss Bartletts！ Ever prone to magnify Fate； George
counted up the forces that had swept him into this contentment。
〃Anything good in Freddy's letter？〃
〃Not yet。〃
His own content was absolute； but hers held bitterness： the
Honeychurches had not forgiven them； they were disgusted at her
past hypocrisy； she had alienated Windy Corner； perhaps for ever。
〃What does he say？〃
〃Silly boy！ He thinks he's being dignified。 He knew we should go
off in the springhe has known it for six monthsthat if mother
wouldn't give her consent we should take the thing into our own
hands。 They had fair warni