an unsocial socialist-第36节

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Gertrude　looked　up；　as　if　she　thought　this　scarcely　ladylike。

〃Yes；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃We　are　the　best　friends　in　the　worldas
good　as　possible；　at　any　rate。　He　wanted　me　to　subscribe　to　a
fund　for　relieving　the　poor　at　the　east　end　of　London　by
assisting　them　to　emigrate。〃

〃I　presume　you　subscribed　liberally；〃　said　Erskine。　〃It　was　an
opportunity　of　doing　some　practical　good。〃

〃I　did　not；〃　said　Trefusis；　grinning　at　the　sarcasm。　〃This
Transcanadian　Railway　Company；　having　got　a　great　deal　of　spare
land　from　the　Canadian　government　for　nothing；　thought　it　would
be　a　good　idea　to　settle　British　workmen　on　it　and　screw　rent　out
of　them。　Plenty　of　British　workmen；　supplanted　in　their
employment　by　machinery；　or　cheap　foreign　labor；　or　one　thing　or
another；　were　quite　willing　to　go；　but　as　they　couldn't　afford　to
pay　their　passages　to　Canada；　the　Company　appealed　to　the
benevolent　to　pay　for　them　by　subscription；　as　the　change　would
improve　their　miserable　condition。　I　did　not　see　why　I　should　pay
to　provide　a　rich　company　with　tenant　farmers；　and　I　told
Jansenius　so。　He　remarked　that　when　money　and　not　talk　was
required；　the　workmen　of　England　soon　found　out　who　were　their
real　friends。〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　these　questions；〃　said　Sir　Charles；　with　an
air　of　conclusiveness；　〃but　I　see　no　objection　to　emigration〃　The
fact　is；〃　said　Trefusis；　〃the　idea　of　emigration　is　a　dangerous
one　for　us。　Familiarize　the　workman　with　it；　and　some　day　he　may
come　to　see　what　a　capital　thing　it　would　be　to　pack　off　me；　and
you；　with　the　peerage；　and　the　whole　tribe　of　unprofitable
proprietors　such　as　we　are；　to　St。　Helena；　making　us　a　handsome
present　of　the　island　by　way　of　indemnity！　We　are　such　a
restless；　unhappy　lot；　that　I　doubt　whether　it　would　not　prove　a
good　thing　for　us　too。　The　workmen　would　lose　nothing　but　the
contemplation　of　our　elegant　persons；　exquisite　manners；　and
refined　tastes。　They　might　provide　against　that　loss　by　picking
out　a　few　of　us　to　keep　for　ornament's　sake。　No　nation　with　a
sense　of　beauty　would　banish　Lady　Brandon；　or　Miss　Lindsay；　or
Miss　Wylie。〃

〃Such　nonsense！〃　said　Jane。

〃You　would　hardly　believe　how　much　I　have　spent　in　sending
workmen　out　of　the　country　against　my　own　view　of　the　country's
interest；〃　continued　Trefusis；　addressing　Erskine。　〃When　I　make　a
convert　among　the　working　classes；　the　first　thing　he　does　is　to
make　a　speech　somewhere　declaring　his　new　convictions。　His
employer　immediately　discharges　him'gives　him　the　sack'　is　the
technical　phrase。　The　sack　is　the　sword　of　the　capitalist；　and
hunger　keeps　it　sharp　for　him。　His　shield　is　the　law；　made　for
the　purpose　by　his　own　class。　Thus　equipped；　he　gives　the　worst
of　it　to　my　poor　convert；　who　comes　ruined　to　me　for　assistance。
As　I　cannot　afford　to　pension　him　for　life；　I　get　rid　of　him　by
assisting　him　to　emigrate。　Sometimes　he　prospers　and　repays　me；
sometimes　I　hear　no　more　of　him；　sometimes　he　comes　back　with　his
habits　unsettled。　One　man　whom　I　sent　to　America　made　his
fortune；　but　he　was　not　a　social　democrat；　he　was　a　clerk　who　had
embezzled；　and　who　applied　to　me　for　assistance　under　the
impression　that　I　considered　it　rather　meritorious　to　rob　the
till　of　a　capitalist。〃

〃He　was　a　practical　Socialist；　in　fact；〃　said　Erskine。

〃On　the　contrary；　he　was　a　somewhat　too　grasping　Individualist。
Howbeit；　I　enabled　him　to　make　good　his　defalcationin　the　city
they　consider　a　defalcation　made　good　when　the　money　is
replacedand　to　go　to　New　York。　I　recommended　him　not　to　go
there；　but　he　knew　better　than　I；　for　he　made　a　fortune　by
speculating　with　money　that　existed　only　in　the　imagination　of
those　with　whom　he　dealt。　He　never　repaid　me；　he　is　probably　far
too　good　a　man　of　business　to　pay　money　that　cannot　be　extracted
from　him　by　an　appeal　to　the　law　or　to　his　commercial　credit。　Mr。
Erskine；〃　added　Trefusis；　lowering　his　voice；　and　turning　to　the
poet；　〃you　are　wrong　to　take　part　with　hucksters　and
money…hunters　against　your　own　nature；　even　though　the　attack
upon　them　is　led　by　a　man　who　prefers　photography　to　etching。〃

〃But　I　assure　youYou　quite　mistake　me；〃　said　Erskine；　taken
aback。　〃I〃

He　stopped；looked　to　Sir　Charles　for　support；　and　then　said
airily：　〃I　don't　doubt　that　you　are　quite　right。　I　hate　business
and　men　of　business；　and　as　to　social　questions；　I　have　only　one
article　of　belief；　which　is；　that　the　sole　refiner　of　human
nature　is　fine　art。〃

〃Whereas　I　believe　that　the　sole　refiner　of　art　is　human　nature。
Art　rises　when　men　rise；　and　grovels　when　men　grovel。　What　is
your　opinion？〃

〃I　agree　with　you　in　many　ways；〃　replied　Sir　Charles　nervously；
for　a　lack　of　interest　in　his　fellow…creatures；　and　an　excess　of
interest　in　himself；　had　prevented　him　from　obtaining　that　power
of　dealing　with　social　questions　which；　he　felt；　a　baronet　ought
to　possess；　and　he　was　consequently　afraid　to　differ　from　anyone
who　alluded　to　them　with　confidence。　〃If　you　take　an　interest　in
art；　I　believe　I　can　show　you　a　few　things　worth　seeing。〃

〃Thank　you。　In　return　I　will　some　day　show　you　a　remarkable
collection　of　photographs　I　possess；　many　of　them　taken　by　me。　I
venture　to　think　they　will　teach　you　something。〃

〃No　doubt；〃　said　Sir　Charles。　〃Shall　we　return　to　the　gallery？　I
have　a　few　treasures　there　that　photography　is　not　likely　to
surpass　for　some　time　yet。〃

〃Let's　go　through　the　conservatory；〃　said　Jane。　〃Don't　you　like
flowers；　Mr。　SmiI　never　can　remember　your　proper　name。〃

〃Extremely；〃　said　Trefusis。

They　rose　and　went　out　into　a　long　hothouse。　Here　Lady　Brandon；
finding　Erskine　at　her　side；　and　Sir　Charles　before　her　with
Gertrude；　looked　round　for　Trefusis；　with　whom　she　intended　to
enjoy　a　trifling　flirtation　under　cover　of　showing　him　the
flowers。　He　was　out　of　sight；　but　she　heard　his　footsteps　in　the
passage　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　greenhouse。　Agatha　was　also
invisible。　Jane；　not　daring　to　rearrange　their　procession　lest
her　design　should　become　obvious；　had　to　walk　on　with　Erskine。

Agatha　had　turned　unintentionally　into　the　opposite　alley　to　that
which　the　others　had　chosen。　When　she　saw　what　she　had　done；　and
found　herself　virtually　alone　with　Trefusis；　who　had　followed
her；　she　blamed　him　for　it；　and　was　about　to　retrace　her　steps
when　he　said　coolly：

〃Were　you　shocked　when　you　heard　of　Henrietta's　sudden　death？〃

Agatha　struggled　with　herself　for　a　moment；　and　then　said　in　a
suppressed　voice：　〃How　dare　you　speak　to　me？〃

〃Why　not？〃　said　he；　astonished。

〃I　am　not　going　to　enter　into　a　discussion　with　you。　You　know
what　I　mean　very　well。〃

〃You　mean　that　you　are　offended　with　me；　that　is　plain　enough。
But　when　I　part　with　a　young　lady　on　good　terms；　and　after　a
lapse　of　years；　during　which　we　neither　meet　nor　correspond；　she
asks　me　how　I　dare　speak　to　her；　I　am　naturally　startled。〃

〃We　did　not　part　on　good　terms。〃

Trefusis　stretched　his　eyebrows；　as　if　to　stretch　his　memory。　〃If
not；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　forgotten　it；　on　my　honor。　When　did　we
part；　and　what　happened？　It　cannot　have　been　anything　very
serious；　or　I　should　remember　it。〃

His　forgetfulness　wounded　Agatha。　〃No　doubt　you　are　well
accustomed　to〃　She　checked　herself；　and　made　a　successful
snatch　at　her　normal　manner　with　gentlemen。　〃I　scarcely　remember
what　it　was；　now　that　I　begin　to　think。　Some　trifle；　I　suppose。
Do　you　like　orchids？〃

〃They　have　nothing　to　do　with　our　affairs　at　present。　You　are　not
in　earnest　about　the　orchids；　and　you　are　trying　to　run　away　from
a　mistake　instead　of　clearing　it　up。　That　is　a　short…sighted
policy；　always。〃

Agatha　grew　alarmed；　for　she　felt　his　old　influence　over　her
returning。　〃I　do　not　wish　to　speak　of　it；〃　she　said　firmly。

Her　firmness　was　lost　on　him。　〃I　do　not　even　know　what　it　means
yet；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　want　to　know；　for　I　believe　there　is　some
misunderstanding　between　us；　and　it　is　the　trick　of　your　sex　to
perpetuate　misunderstandings　by　forbidding　all　allusions　to　them。
Perhaps；　leaving　Lyvern　so　hastily；　I　forgot　to　fulfil　some
promise；　or　to　say　farewell；　or　something　of　that　sort。　But　do
you　know　how　suddenly　I　was　called　away？　I　got　a　telegram　to　say
that　Henrietta　was　dying；　and　I　had　only　time　to　change　my
clothesyou　remember　my　disguiseand　catch　the　express。　And；
after　all；　she　was　dead　when　I　arrived。〃

〃I　know　that；〃　said　Agatha　uneasily。　〃Please　say　no　more　about
it。〃

〃Not　if　it　distresses　you。　Just　let　me　hope　that　you　did　not
suppose　I　blamed　you　for　your　share　in　the　matter　or　that　I　told
the　Janseniuses　of　it。　I　did　not。　Yes；　I　like　orchids。　A　plant
that　can　subsist　on　a　scrap　of　board　is　an　instance　of　natural
econ〃

〃YOU　blame　ME！〃　cried　Agatha。　〃_I_　never　told　the　Janseniuses。
What　would　they　have　thought　of　you　if　I　had？〃

〃Far　worse　of　you　than　of　me；　however　unjustly。　You　were　the
immediate　cause　of　the　tragedy；　I　only　the　remote　one。　Jansenius
is　not　far…seeing　when　his　feelings　are　touched。　Few　men　are。〃

〃I　don't　understand　you　in　the　least。　What　tragedy　do　you　mean？〃

〃Henrietta's　death。　I　call　it　a　tragedy　conventionally。
Seriously；　of　course；　it　was　commonplace　enough。〃

Agatha　stopped　and　faced　him。　〃