A Room With A View - Forster E.M..pdf - Cove Systems

"A good fellow, Lavish, but I wish she'd start a
pipe."
"Oh, Mr. Beebe," said Miss Alan, divided
between awe and mirth. "Indeed, though it is
dreadful for her to smoke, it is not quite as
dreadful as you suppose. She took to it,
practically in despair, after her life's work was
carried away in a landslip. Surely that makes it
more excusable."
"What was that?" asked Lucy.
Mr. Beebe sat back complacently, and Miss
Alan began as follows: "It was a novel--and I
am afraid, from what I can gather, not a very
nice novel. It is so sad when people who have
abilities misuse them, and I must say they
nearly always do. Anyhow, she left it almost
finished in the Grotto of the Calvary at the
Capuccini Hotel at Amalfi while she went for a
little ink. She said: 'Can I have a little ink,
please?' But you know what Italians are, and
meanwhile the Grotto fell roaring on to the