afternoon with a piece of gossip. He had heard from the Miss
Alans. These admirable ladies, since they could not go to Cissie Villa,
had changed their plans. They were going to Greece instead.

"Since Florence did my poor sister so much good," wrote Miss Catharine,
"we do not see why we should not try Athens this winter. Of course,
Athens is a plunge, and the doctor has ordered her special digestive
bread; but, after all, we can take that with us, and it is only getting
first into a steamer and then into a train. But is there an English
Church?" And the letter went on to say: "I do not expect we shall go any
further than Athens, but if you knew of a really comfortable pension at
Constantinople, we should be so grateful."

Lucy would enjoy this letter, and the smile with which Mr. Beebe greeted
Windy Corner was partly for her. She would see the fun of it, and some
of its beauty, for she must see some beauty. Though she was hopeless
about pictures, and though she dressed so unevenly--oh, that cerise
frock yesterday at church!--she must see some beauty in life, or she
could not play the piano as she did. He had a theory that musicians are
incredibly complex, and know far less than other artists what they want
and what they are; that they puzzle themselves as well as their friends;
that their psychology is a modern development, and has not yet been
understood. This theory, had he known it, had possibly just been
illustrated by facts. Ignorant of the events of yesterday he was only
riding over to get some tea, to see his niece, and to observe whether
Miss Honeychurch saw anything beautiful in the desire of two old ladies
to visit Athens.

A carriage was drawn up outside Windy Corner, and just as he caught
sight of the house it started, bowled up the drive, and stopped abruptly
when it reached the main road. Therefore it must be the horse, who
always expected people to walk up the hill in case they tired him. The
door opened obediently, and two men emerged, whom Mr. Beebe recognized
as Cecil and Freddy. They were an odd couple to go driving; but he saw
a trunk beside the coachman's legs. Cecil, who wore a bowler, must be
going away, while Freddy (a cap)--was seeing him to the station. They
walked rapidly, taking the short cuts, and reached the summit while the
carriage was still pursuing the windings of the road.

They shook hands with the clergyman, but did not speak.

"So you're off for a minute, Mr. Vyse?" he asked.