A Room with a View

Lucy Seeks the Clergymen and Speaks to the Driver

Lucy addresses herself to the drivers, who sprawl in the carriages perfuming the cushions with cigars. The “miscreant,” a bony young man scorched black by the sun, rises to greet her with the courtesy of a host and the assurance of a relative. After much anxious thought, she simply asks “Dove?” His face lights up; of course he knows where, and not so far either. With grand sweeps of the arm and fingertips pressed to his forehead as if oozing with visible extract of knowledge, he gives her directions, ending the chapter on a note of Italian warmth and ease against which Lucy’s English companions have measured themselves unfavorably throughout the day.

第六章

Chapter VI follows Lucy as she leaves the carriage to find the clergyman, accompanied through the wood by an Italian coachman. Their walk leads her to a violet-covered terrace where she unexpectedly encounters George Emerson, who kisses her before the moment is interrupted by Miss Bartlett’s voice calling her name.

Asking for the Clergyman

Lucy attempts to ask the Italian coachman for directions to the clergyman, struggling with the language. Her phrase “Dove buoni uomini?” is imperfect, and the man responds by showing her his cigar, given to him by Mr. Beebe, identifying him as the smaller of the two good men.

Preparing for the Walk

The Italian readies himself with remarkable speed, tying the horse to a tree, dusting the carriage, arranging his hair, remoulding his hat, and encouraging his moustache, all in under a quarter of a minute. The narrator reflects that Italians are born knowing the way and that finding people is a gift from God.