an unsocial socialist-第46节

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in　England　and　therefore　presumablythough　by　no　means
necessarilyEnglishmen。　This　would　open　the　eyes　of　the　nation
at　last　to　the　fact　that　England　is　not　their　property。　Once　let
them　understand　that　and　they　would　soon　make　it　so。　When　England
is　made　the　property　of　its　inhabitants　collectively；　England
becomes　socialistic。　Artificial　inequality　will　vanish　then
before　real　freedom　of　contract；　freedom　of　competition；　or
unhampered　emulation；　will　keep　us　moving　ahead；　and　Free　Trade
will　fulfil　its　promises　at　last。〃

〃And　the　idlers　and　loafers；〃　said　Erskine。　〃What　of　them？〃

〃You　and　I；　in　fact；〃　said　Trefusis；　〃die　of　starvation；　I
suppose；　unless　we　choose　to　work；　or　unless　they　give　us　a
little　out…door　relief　in　consideration　of　our　bad　bringing…up。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　they　will　plunder　us？〃　said　Sir　Charles。

〃I　mean　that　they　will　make　us　stop　plundering　them。　If　they
hesitate　to　strip　us　naked；　or　to　cut　our　throats　if　we　offer
them　the　smallest　resistance；　they　will　show　us　more　mercy　than
we　ever　showed　them。　Consider　what　we　have　done　to　get　our　rents
in　Ireland　and　Scotland；　and　our　dividends　in　Egypt；　if　you　have
already　forgotten　my　photographs　and　their　lesson　in　our
atrocities　at　home。　Why；　man；　we　murder　the　great　mass　of　these
toilers　with　overwork　and　hardship；　their　average　lifetime　is　not
half　as　long　as　ours。　Human　nature　is　the　same　in　them　as　in　us。
If　we　resist　them；　and　succeed　in　restoring　order；　as　we　call　it；
we　will　punish　them　mercilessly　for　their　insubordination；　as　we
did　in　Paris　in　1871；　where；　by…the…bye；　we　taught　them　the　folly
of　giving　their　enemies　quarter。　If　they　beat　us；　we　shall　catch
it；　and　serve　us　right。　Far　better　turn　honest　at　once　and　avert
bloodshed。　Eh；　Erskine？〃

Erskine　was　considering　what　reply　he　should　make；　when　Trefusis
disconcerted　him　by　ringing　a　bell。　Presently　the　elderly　woman
appeared；　pushing　before　her　an　oblong　table　mounted　on　wheels；
like　a　barrow。

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Trefusis；　and　dismissed　her。　〃Here　is　some　good
wine；　some　good　water；　some　good　fruit；　and　some　good　bread。　I
know　that　you　cling　to　wine　as　to　a　good　familiar　creature。　As
for　me；　I　make　no　distinction　between　it　and　other　vegetable
poisons。　I　abstain　from　them　all。　Water　for　serenity；　wine　for
excitement。　I；　having　boiling　springs　of　excitement　within
myself；　am　never　at　a　loss　for　it；　and　have　only　to　seek
serenity。　However；〃　（here　he　drew　a　cork）；　〃a　generous　goblet　of
this　will　make　you　feel　like　gods　for　half　an　hour　at　least。
Shall　we　drink　to　your　conversion　to　Socialism？〃

Sir　Charles　shook　his　head。

〃Come；　Mr。　Donovan　Brown；　the　great　artist；　is　a　Socialist；　and
why　should　not　you　be　one？〃

〃Donovan　Brown！〃　exclaimed　Sir　Charles　with　interest。　〃Is　it
possible？　Do　you　know　him　personally？〃

〃Here　are　several　letters　from　him。　You　may　read　them；　the　mere
autograph　of　such　a　man　is　interesting。〃

Sir　Charles　took　the　letters　and　read　them　earnestly；　Erskine
reading　over　his　shoulder。

〃I　most　cordially　agree　with　everything　he　says　here；〃　said　Sir
Charles。　〃It　is　quite　true；　quite　true。〃

〃Of　course　you　agree　with　us。　Donovan　Brown's　eminence　as　an
artist　has　gained　me　one　recruit；　and　yours　as　a　baronet　will
gain　me　some　more。〃

〃But〃

〃But　what？〃　said　Trefusis；　deftly　opening　one　of　the　albums　at　a
photograph　of　a　loathsome　room。

〃You　are　against　that；　are　you　not？　Donovan　Brown　is　against　it；
and　I　am　against　it。　You　may　disagree　with　us　in　everything　else；
but　there　you　are　at　one　with　us。　Is　it　not　so？〃

〃But　that　may　be　the　result　of　drunkenness；　improvidence；　or〃

〃My　father's　income　was　fifty　times　as　great　as　that　of　Donovan
Brown。　Do　you　believe　that　Donovan　Brown　is　fifty　times　as
drunken　and　improvident　as　my　father　was？〃

〃Certainly　not。　I　do　not　deny　that　there　is　much　in　what　you
urge。　Still；　you　ask　me　to　take　a　rather　important　step。〃

〃Not　a　bit　of　it。　I　don't　ask　you　to　subscribe　to；　join；　or　in
any　way　pledge　yourself　to　any　society　or　conspiracy　whatsoever。
I　only　want　your　name　for　private　mention　to　cowards　who　think
Socialism　right；　but　will　not　say　so　because　they　do　not　think　it
respectable。　They　will　not　be　ashamed　of　their　convictions　when
they　learn　that　a　baronet　shares　them。　Socialism　offers　you
something　already；　you　see；　a　good　use　for　your　hitherto　useless
title。〃

Sir　Charles　colored　a　little；　conscious　that　the　example　of　his
favorite　painter　had　influenced　him　more　than　his　own　conviction
or　the　arguments　of　Trefusis。

〃What　do　you　think；　Chester？〃　he　said。　〃Will　you　join？〃

〃Erskine　is　already　committed　to　the　cause　of　liberty　by　his
published　writings；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃Three　of　the　pamphlets　on
that　shelf　contain　quotations　from　'The　Patriot　Martyrs。'〃

Erskine　blushed；　flattered　by　being　quoted；　an　attention　that　had
been　shown　him　only　once　before；　and　then　by　a　reviewer　with　the
object　of　proving　that　the　Patriot　Martyrs　were　slovenly　in　their
grammar。

〃Come！〃　said　Trefusis。　〃Shall　I　write　to　Donovan　Brown　that　his
letters　have　gained　the　cordial　assent　and　sympathy　of　Sir
Charles　Brandon？〃

〃Certainly；　certainly。　That　is；　if　my　unknown　name　would　be　of
the　least　interest　to　him。〃

〃Good；〃　said　Trefusis；　filling　his　glass　with　water。　〃Erskine；
let　us　drink　to　our　brother　Social　Democrat。〃

Erskine　laughed　loudly；　but　not　heartily。　〃What　an　ass　you　are；
Brandon！〃　he　said。　〃You；　with　a　large　landed　estate；　and　bags　of
gold　invested　in　railways；　calling　yourself　a　Social　Democrat！
Are　you　going　to　sell　out　and　distributeto　sell　all　that　thou
hast　and　give　to　the　poor？〃

〃Not　a　penny；〃　replied　Trefusis　for　him　promptly。　〃A　man　cannot
be　a　Christian　in　this　country。　I　have　tried　it　and　found　it
impossible　both　in　law　and　in　fact。　I　am　a　capitalist　and　a
landholder。　I　have　railway　shares；　mining　shares；　building
shares；　bank　shares；　and　stock　of　most　kinds；　and　a　great　trouble
they　are　to　me。　But　these　shares　do　not　represent　wealth　actually
in　existence；　they　are　a　mortgage　on　the　labor　of　unborn
generations　of　laborers；　who　must　work　to　keep　me　and　mine　in
idleness　and　luxury。　If　I　sold　them；　would　the　mortgage　be
cancelled　and　the　unborn　generations　released　from　its　thrall？
No。　It　would　only　pass　into　the　hands　of　some　other　capitalist；
and　the　working　class　would　be　no　better　off　for　my
self…sacrifice。　Sir　Charles　cannot　obey　the　command　of　Christ；　I
defy　him　to　do　it。　Let　him　give　his　land　for　a　public　park；　only
the　richer　classes　will　have　leisure　to　enjoy　it。　Plant　it　at　the
very　doors　of　the　poor；　so　that　they　may　at　last　breathe　its　air；
and　it　will　raise　the　value　of　the　neighboring　houses　and　drive
the　poor　away。　Let　him　endow　a　school　for　the　poor；　like　Eton　or
Christ's　Hospital；　and　the　rich　will　take　it　for　their　own
children　as　they　do　in　the　two　instances　I　have　named。　Sir
Charles　does　not　want　to　minister　to　poverty；　but　to　abolish　it。
No　matter　how　much　you　give　to　the　poor；　everything　except　a　bare
subsistence　wage　will　be　taken　from　them　again　by　force。　All　talk
of　practicing　Christianity；　or　even　bare　justice；　is　at　present
mere　waste　of　words。　How　can　you　justly　reward　the　laborer　when
you　cannot　ascertain　the　value　of　what　he　makes；　owing　to　the
prevalent　custom　of　stealing　it？　I　know　this　by　experience。　I
wanted　to　pay　a　just　price　for　my　wife's　tomb；　but　I　could　not
find　out　its　value；　and　never　shall。　The　principle　on　which　we
farm　out　our　national　industry　to　private　marauders；　who
recompense　themselves　by　black…mail；　so　corrupts　and　paralyzes　us
that　we　cannot　be　honest　even　when　we　want　to。　And　the　reason　we
bear　it　so　calmly　is　that　very　few　of　us　really　want　to。〃

〃I　must　study　this　question　of　value；〃　said　Sir　Charles
dubiously；　refilling　his　goblet。　〃Can　you　recommend　me　a　good
book　on　the　subject？〃

〃Any　good　treatise　on　political　economy　will　do；〃　said　Trefusis。
〃In　economics　all　roads　lead　to　Socialism；　although　in　nine　cases
out　of　ten；　so　far；　the　economist　doesn't　recognize　his
destination；　and　incurs　the　malediction　pronounced　by　Jeremiah　on
those　who　justify　the　wicked　for　reward。　I　will　look　you　out　a
book　or　two。　And　if　you　will　call　on　Donovan　Brown　the　next　time
you　are　in　London；　he　will　be　delighted；　I　know。　He　meets　with
very　few　who　are　capable　of　sympathizing　with　him　from　both　his
points　of　viewsocial　and　artistic。〃

Sir　Charles　brightened　on　being　reminded　of　Donovan　Brown。　〃I
shall　esteem　an　introduction　to　him　a　great　honor；〃　he　said。　〃I
had　no　idea　that　he　was　a　friend　of　yours。〃

〃I　was　a　very　practical　young　Socialist　when　I　first　met　him；〃
said　Trefusis。　〃When　Brown　was　an　unknown　and　wretchedly　poor
man；　my　mother；　at　the　petition　of　a　friend　of　his；　charitably
bought　one　of　his　pictures　for　thirty　pounds；　which　he　was　very
glad　to　get。　Years　afterwards；　when　my　mother　was　dead；　and　Brown
famous；　I　was　offered　eight　hundred　pounds　for　this　picture；
which　was；　by…the…bye；　a　very　bad　one　in　my　opinion。　Now；　after
making　the　usual　unjust　allowance　for　interest　on　thirty　pounds
for　twelve　years　or　so　that　had　elapsed；　the　sale　of　the　picture
would　have　brought　me　in　a　profit　of　over　seven　hundred　and　fift