the patrician-第30节

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an　outcry　in　the　local；　and　perhaps　the　National　Press；　had　secretly
rather　spurred　him　on　to　the　resolve　than　deterred　him　from　it。　　He
felt　as　if　he　were　being　dictated　to　in　advance；　and　he　did　not　like
dictation。　　To　have　to　deprive　these　poor　people　of　their　immediate
living　was；　he　knew；　a　good　deal　more　irksome　to　him　than　to　those
who　would　certainly　make　a　fuss　about　it；　his　conscience　was　clear；
and　he　could　discount　that　future　outcry　as　mere　Party　spite。　　He　had
very　honestly　tried　to　examine　the　thing　all　round；　and　had　reasoned
thus：　If　I　keep　this　quarry　open；　I　am　really　admitting　the　principle
of　pauperization；　since　I　naturally　look　to　each　of　my　estates　to
support　its　own　house；　grounds；　shooting；　and　to　contribute　towards
the　support　of　this　house；　and　my　family；　and　racing　stable；　and　all
the　people　employed　about　them　both。

To　allow　any　business　to　be　run　on　my　estates　which　does　not
contribute　to　the　general　upkeep；　is　to　protect　and　really　pauperize
a　portion　of　my　tenants　at　the　expense　of　the　rest；　it　must　therefore
be　false　economics　and　a　secret　sort　of　socialism。　　Further；　if
logically　followed　out；　it　might　end　in　my　ruin；　and　to　allow　that；
though　I　might　not　personally　object；　would　be　to　imply　that　I　do　not
believe　that　I　am　by　virtue　of　my　traditions　and　training；　the　best
machinery　through　which　the　State　can　work　to　secure　the　welfare　of
the　people。。。。

When　he　had　reached　that　point　in　his　consideration　of　the　question；
his　mind；　or　rather　perhaps；　his　essential　self；　had　not　unnaturally
risen　up　and　said：　　Which　is　absurd！

Impersonality　was　in　fashion；　and　as　a　rule　he　believed　in　thinking
impersonally。　　There　was　a　point；　however；　where　the　possibility　of
doing　so　ceased；　without　treachery　to　oneself；　one's　order；　and　the
country。　　And　to　the　argument　which　he　was　quite　shrewd　enough　to　put
to　himself；　sooner　than　have　it　put　by　anyone　else；　that　it　was
disproportionate　for　a　single　man　by　a　stroke　of　the　pen　to　be　able
to　dispose　of　the　livelihood　of　hundreds　whose　senses　and　feelings
were　similar　to　his　ownhe　had　answered：　〃If　I　didn't；　some
plutocrat　or　company　wouldor；　worse　still；　the　State！〃　　Cooperative
enterprise　being；　in　his　opinion；　foreign　to　the　spirit　of　the
country；　there　was；　so　far　as　he　could　see；　no　other　alternative。
Facts　were　facts　and　not　to　be　got　over！

Notwithstanding　all　this；　the　necessity　for　the　decision　made　him
sorry；　for　if　he　had　no　great　sense　of　proportion；　he　was　at　least
humane。

He　was　still　smoking　his　pipe　and　staring　at　a　sheet　of　paper　covered
with　small　figures　when　his　wife　entered。　　Though　she　had　come　to　ask
his　advice　on　a　very　different　subject；　she　saw　at　once　that　he　was
vexed；　and　said：

〃　What's　the　matter；　Geoff？〃

Lord　Valleys　rose；　went　to　the　hearth；　deliberately　tapped　out　his
pipe；　then　held　out　to　her　the　sheet　of　paper。

〃That　quarry！　　Nothing　for　itmust　go！〃

Lady　Valleys'　face　changed。

〃Oh；　no！　　It　will　mean　such　dreadful　distress。〃

Lord　Valleys　stared　at　his　nails。　　〃It's　putting　a　drag　on　the　whole
estate；〃　he　said。

〃I　know；　but　how　could　we　face　the　peopleI　should　never　be　able　to
go　down　there。　　And　most　of　them　have　such　enormous　families。〃

Since　Lord　Valleys　continued　to　bend　on　his　nails　that　slow；　thought…
forming　stare；　she　went　on　earnestly：

〃Rather　than　that　I'd　make　sacrifices。　　I'd　sooner　Pendridny　were　let
than　throw　all　those　people　out　of　work。　　I　suppose　it　would　let。〃

〃Let？　　Best　woodcock　shooting　in　the　world。〃

Lady　Valleys；　pursuing　her　thoughts；　went　on：

〃In　time　we　might　get　the　people　drafted　into　other　things。　　Have　you
consulted　Miltoun？〃

〃No；〃　said　Lord　Valleys　shortly；　〃and　don't　mean　tohe's　too
unpractical。〃

〃He　always　seems　to　know　what　he　wants　very　well。〃

〃I　tell　you；〃　repeated　Lord　Valleys；　〃Miltoun's　no　good　in　a　matter
of　this　sorthe　and　his　ideas　throw　back　to　the　Middle　Ages。〃

Lady　Valleys　went　closer；　and　took　him　by　the　lapels　of　his　collar。

〃Geoff…really；　to　please　me；　some　other　way！〃

Lord　Valleys　frowned；　staring　at　her　for　some　time；　and　at　last
answered：

〃To　please　youI'll　leave　it　over　another　year。〃

〃You　think　that's　better　than　letting？〃

〃I　don't　like　the　thought　of　some　outsider　there。　　Time　enough　to
come　to　that　if　we　must。　　Take　it　as　my　Christmas　present。〃

Lady　Valleys；　rather　flushed；　bent　forward　and　kissed　his　ear。

It　was　at　this　moment　that　little　Ann　had　entered。

When　she　was　gone；　and　they　had　exchanged　that　dubious　look；　Lady
Valleys　said：

〃I　came　about　Babs。　　I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　her　since　we　came
up。　　She's　not　putting　her　heart　into　things。〃

Lord　Valleys　answered　almost　sulkily：

〃It's　the　heat　probablyor　Claud　Harbinger。〃　　In　spite　of　his　easy…
going　parentalism；　he　disliked　the　thought　of　losing　the　child　whom
he　so　affectionately　admired。

〃Ah！〃　said　Lady　Valleys　slowly；〃　I'm　not　so　sure。〃

〃How　do　you　mean？〃

〃There's　something　queer　about　her。　　I'm　by　no　means　certain　she
hasn't　got　some　sort　of　feeling　for　that　Mr。　Courtier。〃

〃What！〃　said　Lord　Valleys；　growing　most　unphilosophically　red。

〃Exactly！〃

〃Confound　it；　Gertrude；　Miltoun's　business　was　quite　enough　for　one
year。〃

〃For　twenty；〃　murmured　Lady　Valleys。　　〃I'm　watching　her。　　He's　going
to　Persia；　they　say。〃

〃And　leaving　his　bones　there；　I　hope；〃　muttered　Lord　Valleys。
〃Really；　it's　too　much。　　I　should　think　you're　all　wrong；　though。〃

Lady　Valleys　raised　her　eyebrows。　　Men　were　very　queer　about　such
things！　　Very　queer　and　worse　than　helpless！

〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃I　must　go　to　my　meeting。　　I'll　take　her；　and　see
if　I　can　get　at　something；〃　and　she　went　away。

It　was　the　inaugural　meeting　of　the　Society　for　the　Promotion　of　the
Birth　Rate；　over　which　she　had　promised　to　preside。　　The　scheme　was
one　in　which　she　had　been　prominent　from　the　start；　appealing　as　it
did　to　her　large　and　full…blooded　nature。　　Many　movements；　to　which
she　found　it　impossible　to　refuse　her　name；　had　in　themselves　but
small　attraction；　and　it　was　a　real　comfort　to　feel　something
approaching　enthusiasm　for　one　branch　of　her　public　work。　　Not　that
there　was　any　academic　consistency　about　her　in　the　matter；　for　in
private　life　amongst　her　friends　she　was　not　narrowly　dogmatic　on　the
duty　of　wives　to　multiply　exceedingly。　　She　thought　imperially　on　the
subject；　without　bigotry。　　Large；　healthy　families；　in　all　cases　save
individual　ones！　　The　prime　idea　at　the　back　of　her　mind　was
National　Expansion！　　Her　motto；　and　she　intended　if　possible　to　make
it　the　motto　of　the　League；　was：　'De　l'audace；　et　encore　de
l'audace！'　　It　was　a　question　of　the　full　realization　of　the　nation。
She　had　a　true；　and　in　a　sense　touching　belief　in　'the　flag；'　apart
from　what　it　might　cover。　　It　was　her　idealism。　　〃You　may　talk；〃　she
would　say；　〃as　much　as　you　like　about　directing　national　life　in
accordance　with　social　justice！　　What　does　the　nation　care　about
social　justice？　　The　thing　is　much　bigger　than　that。　　It's　a　matter
of　sentiment。　　We　must　expand！〃

On　the　way　to　the　meeting；　occupied　with　her　speech；　she　made　no
attempt　to　draw　Barbara　into　conversation。　　That　must　wait。　　The
child；　though　languid；　and　pale；　was　looking　so　beautiful　that　it　was
a　pleasure　to　have　her　support　in　such　a　movement。

In　a　little　dark　room　behind　the　hall　the　Committee　were　already
assembled；　and　they　went　at　once　on　to　the　platform。




CHAPTER　II

Unmoved　by　the　stares　of　the　audience；　Barbara　sat　absorbed　in　moody
thoughts。

Into　the　three　weeks　since　Miltoun's　election　there　had　been　crowded
such　a　multitude　of　functions　that　she　had　found；　as　it　were；　no
time；　no　energy　to　know　where　she　stood　with　herself。　　Since　that
morning　in　the　stable；　when　he　had　watched　her　with　the　horse　Hal；
Harbinger　had　seemed　to　live　only　to　be　close　to　her。　　And　the
consciousness　of　his　passion　gave　her　a　tingling　sense　of　pleasure。
She　had　been　riding　and　dancing　with　him；　and　sometimes　this　had　been
almost　blissful。　　But　there　were　times　too；　when　she　feltthough
always　with　a　certain　contempt　of　herself；　as　when　she　sat　on　that
sunwarmed　stone　below　the　tora　queer　dissatisfaction；　a　longing　for
something　outside　a　world　where　she　had　to　invent　her　own　starvations
and　simplicities；　to　make…believe　in　earnestness。

She　had　seen　Courtier　three　times。　　Once　he　had　come　to　dine；　in
response　to　an　invitation　from　Lady　Valleys　worded　in　that　charming；
almost　wistful　style；　which　she　had　taught　herself　to　use　to　those
below　her　in　social　rank；　especially　if　they　were　intelligent；　once
to　the　Valleys　House　garden　party；　and　next　day；　having　told　him　what
time　she　would　be　riding；　she　had　found　him　in　the　Row；　not　mounted；
but　standing　by　the　rail　just　where　she　must　pass；　with　that　look　on
his　face　of　mingled　deference　and　ironic　self…containment；　of　which
he　was　a　master。　　It　appeared　that　he　was　leaving　England；　and　to　her
questions　why；　and　where；　he　had　only　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　Up　on
this　dusty　platform；　in　the　hot　bare　hall；　facing　all　those　people；
listening　to　speeches　whose　sense　she　was　too　languid　and　preoccupied
to　take　in；　the　whole　medley　of　thoughts