A Room with a View

Lucy’s Resolve to Pursue George

Lucy confesses she is caught in a tangle and cannot break her whole life for George’s sake. Mr. Beebe returns and learns from Mr. Emerson that Lucy has been pretending not to love George. He urges her to marry George, saying he will “do admirably.” When Lucy calls for help, Mr. Beebe expresses deep disappointment, calling the situation “lamentable, lamentable—incredible.” Lucy turns to Mr. Emerson, who gives her a kiss—his benediction giving her courage. He explains that in gaining George, she would gain something for the whole world. Lucy accepts: “You kiss me. I will try.” His blessing remains with her throughout the squalor of her homeward journey, robbing the body of its taint and showing her the holiness of direct desire.

第二十章

The Miss Alans journeyed to Greece alone, visiting Athens and Delphi before proceeding to Constantinople and traveling around the world, while the narrative returns to the Pension Bertolini.

The Miss Alans’ Travels and the Return to the Pension

The Miss Alans alone of the company traveled to Greece, visiting the shrines at the Acropolis and under Parnassus, proceeding to Constantinople and around the world. The narrator declares a return to the Pension Bertolini as a less arduous but satisfying destination.

George and Lucy’s Domestic Bliss

George and Lucy settle in what Lucy insists is her room from the previous year. She tends to mending his sock while they share tender, playful banter. George kneels at her feet and asks for kisses, displaying boyish affection. When he looks out the window, he sees the cypresses, the river, and San Miniato church. A cabdriver calling outside recalls Phaethon, who set their happiness in motion twelve months prior. George feels passionate gratitude toward those who helped them arrive at this contentment.