the new machiavelli-第40节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



directions　the　history　and　the　administrative　treatment　of　the　

public　service　was　clarified　for　all　time。　。　。　。



They　worked　regularly　every　morning　from　nine　to　twelve；　they　

lunched　lightly　but　severely；　in　the　afternoon　they　〃took　exercise〃　

or　Bailey　attended　meetings　of　the　London　School　Board；　on　which　he　

served；　he　said；　for　the　purposes　of　studyhe　also　became　a　railway　

director　for　the　same　end。　　In　the　late　afternoon　Altiora　was　at　

home　to　various　callers；　and　in　the　evening　came　dinner　or　a　

reception　or　both。



Her　dinners　and　gatherings　were　a　very　important　feature　in　their　

scheme。　　She　got　together　all　sorts　of　interesting　people　in　or　

about　the　public　service；　she　mixed　the　obscurely　efficient　with　the　

ill…instructed　famous　and　the　rudderless　rich；　got　together　in　one　

room　more　of　the　factors　in　our　strange　jumble　of　a　public　life　than　

had　ever　met　easily　before。　　She　fed　them　with　a　shameless　austerity　

that　kept　the　conversation　brilliant；　on　a　soup；　a　plain　fish；　and　

mutton　or　boiled　fowl　and　milk　pudding；　with　nothing　to　drink　but　

whisky　and　soda；　and　hot　and　cold　water；　and　milk　and　lemonade。　　

Everybody　was　soon　very　glad　indeed　to　come　to　that。　　She　boasted　

how　little　her　housekeeping　cost　her；　and　sought　constantly　for　

fresh　economies　that　would　enable　her；　she　said；　to　sustain　an　

additional　private　secretary。　　Secretaries　were　the　Baileys'　one　

extravagance；　they　loved　to　think　of　searches　going　on　in　the　

British　Museum；　and　letters　being　cleared　up　and　precis　made　

overhead；　while　they　sat　in　the　little　study　and　worked　together；　

Bailey　with　a　clockwork　industry；　and　Altiora　in　splendid　flashes　

between　intervals　of　cigarettes　and　meditation。　　〃All　efficient　

public　careers；〃　said　Altiora；　〃consist　in　the　proper　direction　of　

secretaries。〃



〃If　everything　goes　well　I　shall　have　another　secretary　next　year；〃　

Altiora　told　me。　　〃I　wish　I　could　refuse　people　dinner　napkins。　　

Imagine　what　it　means　in　washing！　　I　dare　most　things。　。　。　。　　But　as　

it　is；　they　stand　a　lot　of　hardship　here。〃



〃There's　something　of　the　miser　in　both　these　people；〃　said　Esmeer；　

and　the　thing　was　perfectly　true。　　For；　after　all；　the　miser　is　

nothing　more　than　a　man　who　either　through　want　of　imagination　or　

want　of　suggestion　misapplies　to　a　base　use　a　natural　power　of　

concentration　upon　one　end。　　The　concentration　itself　is　neither　

good　nor　evil；　but　a　power　that　can　be　used　in　either　way。　　And　the　

Baileys　gathered　and　reinvested　usuriously　not　money；　but　knowledge　

of　the　utmost　value　in　human　affairs。　　They　produced　an　effect　of　

having　found　themselvescompletely。　　One　envied　them　at　times　

extraordinarily。　　I　was　attracted；　I　was　dazzledand　at　the　same　

time　there　was　something　about　Bailey's　big　wrinkled　forehead；　his　

lisping　broad　mouth；　the　gestures　of　his　hands　and　an　uncivil　

preoccupation　I　could　not　endure。　。　。　。







3





Their　effect　upon　me　was　from　the　outset　very　considerable。



Both　of　them　found　occasion　on　that　first　visit　of　mine　to　talk　to　

me　about　my　published　writings　and　particularly　about　my　then　just　

published　book　THE　NEW　RULER；　which　had　interested　them　very　much。　　

It　fell　in　indeed　so　closely　with　their　own　way　of　thinking　that　I　

doubt　if　they　ever　understood　how　independently　I　had　arrived　at　my　

conclusions。　　It　was　their　weakness　to　claim　excessively。　　That　

irritation；　however；　came　later。　　We　discovered　each　other　

immensely；　for　a　time　it　produced　a　tremendous　sense　of　kindred　and　

cooperation。



Altiora；　I　remember；　maintained　that　there　existed　a　great　army　of　

such　constructive…minded　people　as　ourselvesas　yet　undiscovered　by　

one　another。



〃It's　like　boring　a　tunnel　through　a　mountain；〃　said　Oscar；　〃and　

presently　hearing　the　tapping　of　the　workers　from　the　other　end。〃



〃If　you　didn't　know　of　them　beforehand；〃　I　said；　〃it　might　be　a　

rather　badly　joined　tunnel。〃



〃Exactly；〃　said　Altiora　with　a　high　note；　〃and　that's　why　we　all　

want　to　find　out　each　other。　。　。　。〃



They　didn't　talk　like　that　on　our　first　encounter；　but　they　urged　me　

to　lunch　with　them　next　day；　and　then　it　was　we　went　into　things。　　A　

woman　Factory　Inspector　and　the　Educational　Minister　for　New　

Banksland　and　his　wife　were　also　there；　but　I　don't　remember　they　

made　any　contribution　to　the　conversation。　　The　Baileys　saw　to　that。　　

They　kept　on　at　me　in　an　urgent　litigious　way。



〃We　have　read　your　book；〃　each　beganas　though　it　had　been　a　joint　

function。　　〃And　we　consider〃



〃Yes；〃　I　protested；　〃I　think〃



　That　was　a　secondary　matter。



〃They　did　not　consider；〃　said　Altiora；　raising　her　voice　and　going　

right　over　me；　that　I　had　allowed　sufficiently　for　the　inevitable　

development　of　an　official　administrative　class　in　the　modern　

state。〃



〃Nor　of　its　importance；〃　echoed　Oscar。



That；　they　explained　in　a　sort　of　chorus；　was　the　cardinal　idea　of　

their　lives；　what　they　were　up　to；　what　they　stood　for。　　〃We　want　to　

suggest　to　you；〃　they　saidand　I　found　this　was　a　stock　opening　of　

theirs〃that　from　the　mere　necessities　of　convenience　elected　

bodies　MUST　avail　themselves　more　and　more　of　the　services　of　expert　

officials。　　We　have　that　very　much　in　mind。　　The　more　complicated　

and　technical　affairs　become；　the　less　confidence　will　the　elected　

official　have　in　himself。　　We　want　to　suggest　that　these　expert　

officials　must　necessarily　develop　into　a　new　class　and　a　very　

powerful　class　in　the　community。　　We　want　to　organise　that。　　It　may　

be　THE　power　of　the　future。　　They　will　necessarily　have　to　have　very　

much　of　a　common　training。　　We　consider　ourselves　as　amateur　unpaid　

precursors　of　such　a　class。〃　。　。　。



The　vision　they　displayed　for　my　consideration　as　the　aim　of　public…

spirited　endeavour；　seemed　like　a　harder；　narrower；　more　specialised　

version　of　the　idea　of　a　trained　and　disciplined　state　that　

Willersley　and　I　had　worked　out　in　the　Alps。　　They　wanted　things　

more　organised；　more　correlated　with　government　and　a　collective　

purpose；　just　as　we　did；　but　they　saw　it　not　in　terms　of　a　growing　

collective　understanding；　but　in　terms　of　functionaries；　legislative　

change；　and　methods　of　administration。　。　。　。



It　wasn't　clear　at　first　how　we　differed。　　The　Baileys　were　very　

anxious　to　win　me　to　co…operation；　and　I　was　quite　prepared　at　first　

to　identify　their　distinctive　expressions　with　phrases　of　my　own；　

and　so　we　came　very　readily　into　an　alliance　that　was　to　last　some　

years；　and　break　at　last　very　painfully。　　Altiora　manifestly　liked　

me；　I　was　soon　discussing　with　her　the　perplexity　I　found　in　placing　

myself　efficiently　in　the　world；　the　problem　of　how　to　take　hold　of　

things　that　occupied　my　thoughts；　and　she　was　sketching　out　careers　

for　my　consideration；　very　much　as　an　architect　on　his　first　visit　

sketches　houses；　considers　requirements；　and　puts　before　you　this　

example　and　that　of　the　more　or　less　similar　thing　already　done。　。　。　。







4





It　is　easy　to　see　how　much　in　common　there　was　between　the　Baileys　

and　me；　and　how　natural　it　was　that　I　should　become　a　constant　

visitor　at　their　house　and　an　ally　of　theirs　in　many　enterprises。　　

It　is　not　nearly　so　easy　to　define　the　profound　antagonism　of　spirit　

that　also　held　between　us。　　There　was　a　difference　in　texture；　a　

difference　in　quality。　　How　can　I　express　it？　　The　shapes　of　our　

thoughts　were　the　same；　but　the　substance　quite　different。　　It　was　

as　if　they　had　made　in　china　or　cast　iron　what　I　had　made　in　

transparent　living　matter。　　（The　comparison　is　manifestly　from　my　

point　of　view。）　　Certain　things　never　seemed　to　show　through　their　

ideas　that　were　visible；　refracted　perhaps　and　distorted；　but　

visible　always　through　mine。



I　thought　for　a　time　the　essential　difference　lay　in　our　relation　to　

beauty。　　With　me　beauty　is　quite　primary　in　life；　I　like　truth；　

order　and　goodness；　wholly　because　they　are　beautiful　or　lead　

straight　to　beautiful　consequences。　　The　Baileys　either　hadn't　got　

that　or　they　didn't　see　it。　　They　seemed　at　times　to　prefer　things　

harsh　and　ugly。　　That　puzzled　me　extremely。　　The　esthetic　quality　of　

many　of　their　proposals；　the　〃manners〃　of　their　work；　so　to　speak；　

were　at　times　as　dreadful　aswell；　War　Office　barrack　architecture。　　

A　caricature　by　its　exaggerated　statements　will　sometimes　serve　to　

point　a　truth　by　antagonising　falsity　and　falsity。　　I　remember　

talking　to　a　prominent　museum　official　in　need　of　more　public　funds　

for　the　work　he　had　in　hand。　　I　mentioned　the　possibility　of　

enlisting　Bailey's　influence。



〃Oh；　we　don't　want　Philistines　like　that　infernal　Bottle…Imp　running　

us；〃　he　said　hastily；　and　would　hear　of　no　concerted　action　for　the　

end　he　had　in　view。　　〃I'd　rather　not　have　the　extension。



〃You　see；〃　he　went　on　to　explain；　〃Bailey's　wanting　in　the　

essentials。〃



〃What　essent