A Room with a View

Secrecy and Pension Acquaintances

Miss Bartlett implores Mr. Beebe to maintain absolute secrecy about the plans in motion, warning that even a single careless word to a talkative friend could derail everything. Mr. Beebe, accustomed to the exaggerated secretiveness of nervous older women, brushes off her warnings lightly, and shifts the conversation to the interconnected group of former Bertolini pension guests, noting that eight of them (including the Emersons) have stayed in touch, and proposing they give the Signora a testimonial, a scheme Miss Bartlett does not support.

Hill Walk and Approaching Storm

After their conversation at the pension, Mr. Beebe and Miss Bartlett walk up a hill in strained silence, as she does not favor his testimonial idea for the Signora. At the summit, they pause to watch a dramatic summer storm roll in: grey clouds tear across streaks of white sky, summer weather retreats, wind roars and trees groan over the Surrey landscape. Mr. Beebe spots Lucy practicing Mozart at Windy Corner, and noting the approaching darkness, suggests they hurry onward to the Beehive Tavern.

Arrival at the Beehive Tavern

Mr. Beebe and Miss Bartlett arrive at the Beehive Tavern at around five o’clock. Noting that the open verandah would be too cold for Miss Bartlett and the indoor sanded room would be too dull for the young Minnie, Mr. Beebe proposes splitting their group: they will pass Minnie her food through the window, a plan that incidentally gives him the opportunity to discuss Lucy’s situation with Miss Bartlett privately.

Reopening Lucy’s Greek Plan Discussion

Mr. Beebe tells Miss Bartlett he would like to reopen their earlier discussion about Lucy’s future, making clear he does not want to discuss Lucy’s past, which he believes she handled nobly, but only her forward plans. He pulls out Lucy’s letter to the Miss Alans proposing to join their Greek travels, and says he believes the plan is a bad idea.

Miss Bartlett’s Support for the Greek Trip

To Mr. Beebe’s astonishment, Miss Bartlett disagrees with his assessment of the Greek plan, stating she sees it as Lucy’s salvation. She explains that Lucy has been desperate to leave Windy Corner after painful recent experiences, and that she had tried to convince Lucy to stay with her in Tunbridge Wells for six months as an alternative, but Lucy refused. Miss Bartlett laments that their recent travel tour was a failure, as Lucy was unhappy in both Florence and Rome, and that she felt she was wasting Mrs. Honeychurch’s money on the trip. When Mr. Beebe asks why Greece specifically is necessary, Miss Bartlett insists she cannot sway Lucy on her own, as she knows she gets on Lucy’s nerves, and asks Mr. Beebe to join her in helping Lucy pursue the Greek trip.

Agreement to Assist Lucy

Miss Bartlett insists that helping Lucy go to Greece is absolutely necessary, lowering her veil to whisper intensely that Lucy must not remain at Windy Corner for a single moment longer, and that they must keep their plans secret from the household staff. She explains that she and Lucy are powerless to convince Mrs. Honeychurch to approve the trip on their own, and begs Mr. Beebe to join her effort. Mr. Beebe agrees to help, and the pair resolve to return to Windy Corner to finalize their plan. Though Mr. Beebe does not fully understand the full context of Miss Bartlett’s urgency, he is spurred to act by his vague sense that Lucy is trying to escape a negative influence, and his quiet, long-held belief in the virtue of celibacy over marriage, a belief intensified by his dislike of Lucy’s former fiancé Cecil Vyse. He frames his agreement to help as a way to support both Lucy and his own religious values.

Persuading Mrs. Honeychurch to Approve the Trip

Mr. Beebe and Miss Bartlett hurry home through the dark, stormy evening, discussing trivial topics to pass the time. When they arrive at Windy Corner, they find Mrs. Honeychurch and Freddy struggling to secure the garden flowers before the storm worsens, and Mrs. Honeychurch complains that she does not understand Lucy’s desire to go to Greece. Mr. Beebe insists the trip is necessary, and asks Mrs. Honeychurch if she objects to Lucy breaking her engagement to Vyse; she expresses immense relief at the prospect. The group moves into the dining room, where Mr. Beebe uses his tact, common sense, and influence as a respected local clergyman to persuade the initially hesitant Mrs. Honeychurch to approve the Greek trip. Mrs. Honeychurch ultimately concedes, saying she does not understand the need for Greece specifically but trusts Mr. Beebe’s judgment, and calls Lucy to share the good news.