A Room with a View

The Church Departure

The household chaos continues with Mrs. Honeychurch desperately calling for everyone to hurry as the horse arrives. She expresses annoyance at Charlotte’s tardiness and her habit of bringing only blouses. The Rector’s niece is taken to church protesting, mocking young men who suggest she sit in the sun instead. Miss Bartlett descends the stairs dressed in the height of fashion, admitting she has no small change—only sovereigns and half crowns. Mrs. Honeychurch admiringly exclaims over her lovely frock. Miss Bartlett quotes reproachfully about wearing her “best rags and tatters,” then takes her seat in the victoria facing backward. The carriage departs with Cecil calling out sarcastically, “Be good!” Lucy bites her lip at his sneering tone, having had an unsatisfactory conversation with him about “church and so on.” Cecil believes people ought to overhaul themselves spiritually, but Lucy does not want to undergo such self-examination, though she fears she may need to before marrying him.

The Emersons After Church

After the church service, the Honeychurch carriage stops opposite Cissie Villa where Mr. Emerson and George are smoking in the garden. Mrs. Honeychurch asks Lucy to introduce her. Lucy formally introduces her mother to the Emersons, deliberately omitting reference to the Sacred Lake incident in Italy. Old Mr. Emerson warmly claims Lucy and expresses gladness about her upcoming marriage. When Lucy asks about their new house, Mr. Emerson mentions with offense that they have turned out the Miss Alans, who were expecting artistic tenants—a misunderstanding about the Emersons’ “type.” George seems inclined to pursue the matter further. Lucy lightly advises them to stay put, knowing she must avoid censuring Cecil, who is responsible for the episode though never mentioned. Mr. Emerson worries about giving up the house to the Miss Alans, but George quotes his father’s philosophy: “There is only a certain amount of kindness in the world,” comparing it to light—we cast shadows wherever we stand and cannot escape by moving. Mrs. Honeychurch declares she agrees with this sentiment. George mentions Mr. Floyd and invites the Emersons to tennis that afternoon, though Mr. Emerson apologetically says the walk is too far for him. George puts his arm around his father’s neck in a moment of affection that Lucy notices. Miss Bartlett approaches, and Mrs. Honeychurch introduces her; Miss Bartlett gets into the carriage and emits a formal bow from her protected position. George does not respond to the bow but blushes with shame, knowing the chaperone remembers Florence. He awkwardly promises to come to tennis if he can. Lucy catches Miss Bartlett’s eye and, reckless, raises her voice to say she hopes George will come.

The Secret Preserved

Lucy feels joyful relief that Mr. Emerson has not been told about the Florence escapade. The secret is known only to three English people in the world—Lucy, George, and Miss Bartlett, who made Lucy promise secrecy during their packing in George’s room. Lucy greets Cecil with unusual radiance upon returning home, feeling safe. She tells Cecil that George Emerson has “improved enormously” and mentions he is coming to tennis. When Cecil refers to the Emersons as his “protégés,” Lucy exclaims with warmth, recognizing that Cecil conceives relationships only in feudal terms as protector and protected. She longs to shout that the secret is safe forever and that Cecil will never hear. Cecil has paid no great attention to her remarks, and Lucy decides charm rather than argument must be her forte with him. At lunch, she feels she has received a guarantee that her mother and brother will always be there, and the sun will never be hidden.

Afternoon Music and Tennis

After lunch, Lucy plays Gluck’s “Armide” from memory—the music of the enchanted garden with its eternal dawn. Her audience grows restive, and Cecil asks for “the other garden—the one in Parsifal.” She closes the piano, but George has entered silently. She exclaims in surprise, gets very red, and reopens the piano to play Parsifal for Cecil. Miss Bartlett suggests the music is for Mr. Emerson, leaving Lucy uncertain. She plays a few bars badly and stops. Freddy proposes tennis, and Cecil refuses to play, claiming he will not “spoil the set.” Miss Bartlett agrees with his snub of George. Minnie offers to play despite her poor skills, but Sunday tennis is questionable. Mrs. Honeychurch declares Lucy must play as fallback. Lucy changes her dress and reflects on how much better tennis seems than piano—running in comfortable clothes rather than feeling “girt under the arms.” During the tennis match, George serves with anxious determination to win. Lucy remembers his sighing in Florence at Santa Croce and his declaration by the Arno: “I shall want to live.” He wins the set, and Lucy admiringly notes how beautiful the Weald looks—comparable to Fiesole above Tuscany and the South Downs like Carrara’s mountains. She notices more in England now even while forgetting Italy. Cecil, in a critical mood, disrupts the tennis by reading aloud from a bad novel by “Joseph Emery Prank,” pointing out split infinitives. Lucy misses her stroke from distraction. After their set, Cecil continues reading a murder scene, insisting others listen. George jumps over the net and sits at Lucy’s feet asking if she is tired. Their playful banter reveals tension—she says she minds being beaten, then notes the light was against her. George corrects that he never claimed to be a splendid player. Lucy jokes that people at this house exaggerate and get angry at those who don’t. Cecil reads that “the scene is laid in Florence,” and Lucy bursts into laughter recognizing Miss Lavish’s novel published under a pseudonym. George confirms he saw Miss Lavish the day he arrived at Summer Street. Cecil declares all modern books are bad, written for money. Lucy watches George’s dark head nearly resting against her knee, feeling a curious sensation of wanting to stroke it. George shares his father’s philosophical views about views—that all views resemble each other like crowds, and their power over us can be supernatural because something gets added to them, just as something has been added to those hills.