the new machiavelli-第50节

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One　goes　on　from　phase　to　phase　in　these　things。



〃After　all；〃　I　told　myself；　〃if　one　wants　to　get　to　Westminster　one　

must　follow　the　road　that　leads　there；〃　but　I　found　the　road　

nevertheless　rather　unexpectedly　distasteful。　　〃When　one　gets　

there；〃　I　said；　〃then　it　is　one　begins。〃



But　I　would　lie　awake　at　nights　with　that　sore　throat　and　headache　

and　fatigue　which　come　from　speaking　in　ill…ventilated　rooms；　and　

wondering　how　far　it　was　possible　to　educate　a　whole　people　to　great　

political　ideals。　　Why　should　political　work　always　rot　down　to　

personalities　and　personal　appeals　in　this　way？　　Life　is；　I　suppose；　

to　begin　with　and　end　with　a　matter　of　personalities；　from　

personalities　all　our　broader　interests　arise　and　to　personalities　

they　return。　　All　our　social　and　political　effort；　all　of　it；　is　

like　trying　to　make　a　crowd　of　people　fall　into　formation。　　The　

broader　lines　appear；　but　then　come　a　rush　and　excitement　and　

irrelevancy；　and　forthwith　the　incipient　order　has　vanished　and　the　

marshals　must　begin　the　work　over　again！



My　memory　of　all　that　time　is　essentially　confusion。　　There　was　a　

frightful　lot　of　tiresome　locomotion　in　it；　for　the　Kinghamstead　

Division　is　extensive；　abounding　in　ill…graded　and　badly　metalled　

cross…roads　and　vicious　little　hills；　and　singularly　unpleasing　to　

the　eye　in　a　muddy　winter。　　It　is　sufficiently　near　to　London　to　

have　undergone　the　same　process　of　ill…regulated　expansion　that　made　

Bromstead　the　place　it　is。　　Several　of　its　overgrown　villages　have　

developed　strings　of　factories　and　sidings　along　the　railway　lines；　

and　there　is　an　abundance　of　petty　villas。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　

place　at　which　one　could　take　hold　of　more　than　this　or　that　element　

of　the　population。　　Now　we　met　in　a　meeting…house；　now　in　a　Masonic　

Hall　or　Drill　Hall；　I　also　did　a　certain　amount　of　open…air　speaking　

in　the　dinner　hour　outside　gas…works　and　groups　of　factories。　　Some　

special　sort　of　people　was；　as　it　were；　secreted　in　response　to　each　

special　appeal。　　One　said　things　carefully　adjusted　to　the　

distinctive　limitations　of　each　gathering。　　Jokes　of　an　incredible　

silliness　and　shallowness　drifted　about　us。　　Our　advisers　made　us　

declare　that　if　we　were　elected　we　would　live　in　the　district；　and　

one　hasty　agent　had　bills　printed；　〃If　Mr。　Remington　is　elected　he　

will　live　here。〃　　The　enemy　obtained　a　number　of　these　bills　and　

stuck　them　on　outhouses；　pigstyes；　dog…kennels；　you　cannot　imagine　

how　irksome　the　repetition　of　that　jest　became。　　The　vast　drifting　

indifference　in　between　my　meetings　impressed　me　more　and　more。　　I　

realised　the　vagueness　of　my　own　plans　as　I　had　never　done　before　I　

brought　them　to　the　test　of　this　experience。　　I　was　perplexed　by　the　

riddle　of　just　how　far　I　was；　in　any　sense　of　the　word；　taking　hold　

at　all；　how　far　I　wasn't　myself　flowing　into　an　accepted　groove。



Margaret　was　troubled　by　no　such　doubts。　　She　was　clear　I　had　to　go　

into　Parliament　on　the　side　of　Liberalism　and　the　light；　as　against　

the　late　Government　and　darkness。　　Essential　to　the　memory　of　my　

first　contest；　is　the　memory　of　her　clear　bright　face；　very　resolute　

and　grave；　helping　me　consciously；　steadfastly；　with　all　her　

strength。　　Her　quiet　confidence；　while　I　was　so　dissatisfied；　worked　

curiously　towards　the　alienation　of　my　sympathies。　　I　felt　she　had　

no　business　to　be　so　sure　of　me。　　I　had　moments　of　vivid　resentment　

at　being　thus　marched　towards　Parliament。



I　seemed　now　always　to　be　discovering　alien　forces　of　character　in　

her。　　Her　way　of　taking　life　diverged　from　me　more　and　more。　　She　

sounded　amazing；　independent　notes。　　She　bought　some　particularly　

costly　furs　for　the　campaign　that　roused　enthusiasm　whenever　she　

appeared。　　She　also　made　me　a　birthday　present　in　November　of　a　

heavily　fur…trimmed　coat　and　this　she　would　make　me　remove　as　I　went　

on　to　the　platform；　and　hold　over　her　arm　until　I　was　ready　to　

resume　it。　　It　was　fearfully　heavy　for　her　and　she　liked　it　to　be　

heavy　for　her。　　That　act　of　servitude　was　in　essence　a　towering　

self…assertion。　　I　would　glance　sideways　while　some　chairman　

floundered　through　his　introduction　and　see　the　clear　blue　eye　with　

which　she　regarded　the　audience；　which　existed　so　far　as　she　was　

concerned　merely　to　return　me　to　Parliament。　　It　was　a　friendly　eye；　

provided　they　were　not　silly　or　troublesome。　　But　it　kindled　a　

little　at　the　hint　of　a　hostile　question。　　After　we　had　come　so　far　

and　taken　so　much　trouble！



She　constituted　herself　the　dragoman　of　our　political　travels。　　In　

hotels　she　was　serenely　resolute　for　the　quietest　and　the　best；　she　

rejected　all　their　proposals　for　meals　and　substituted　a　severely　

nourishing　dietary　of　her　own；　and　even　in　private　houses　she　

astonished　me　by　her　tranquil　insistence　upon　special　comforts　and　

sustenance。　　I　can　see　her　face　now　as　it　would　confront　a　hostess；　

a　little　intent；　but　sweetly　resolute　and　assured。



Since　our　marriage　she　had　read　a　number　of　political　memoirs；　and　

she　had　been　particularly　impressed　by　the　career　of　Mrs。　Gladstone。　　

I　don't　think　it　occurred　to　her　to　compare　and　contrast　my　quality　

with　that　of　Mrs。　Gladstone's　husband。　　I　suspect　her　of　a　

deliberate　intention　of　achieving　parallel　results　by　parallel　

methods。　　I　was　to　be　Gladstonised。　　Gladstone　it　appeared　used　to　

lubricate　his　speeches　with　a　mixtureif　my　memory　serves　me　right

of　egg　beaten　up　in　sherry；　and　Margaret　was　very　anxious　I　should　

take　a　leaf　from　that　celebrated　book。　　She　wanted；　I　know；　to　hold　

the　glass　in　her　hand　while　I　was　speaking。



But　here　I　was　firm。　　〃No；〃　I　said；　very　decisively；　〃simply　I　won't　

stand　that。　　It's　a　matter　of　conscience。　　I　shouldn't　feel

democratic。　　I'll　take　my　chance　of　the　common　water　in　the　carafe　

on　the　chairman's　table。〃



〃I　DO　wish　you　wouldn't；〃　she　said；　distressed。



It　was　absurd　to　feel　irritated；　it　was　so　admirable　of　her；　a　

little　childish；　infinitely　womanly　and　devoted　and　fineand　I　see　

now　how　pathetic。　　But　I　could　not　afford　to　succumb　to　her。　　I　

wanted　to　follow　my　own　leading；　to　see　things　clearly；　and　this　

reassuring　pose　of　a　high　destiny；　of　an　almost　terribly　efficient　

pursuit　of　a　fixed　end　when　as　a　matter　of　fact　I　had　a　very　

doubtful　end　and　an　aim　as　yet　by　no　means　fixed；　was　all　too　

seductive　for　dalliance。　。　。　。







4





And　into　all　these　things　with　the　manner　of　a　trifling　and　casual　

incident　comes　the　figure　of　Isabel　Rivers。　　My　first　impressions　of　

her　were　of　a　rather　ugly　and　ungainly；　extraordinarily　interesting　

schoolgirl　with　a　beautiful　quick　flush　under　her　warm　brown　skin；　

who　said　and　did　amusing　and　surprising　things。　　When　first　I　saw　

her　she　was　riding　a　very　old　bicycle　downhill　with　her　feet　on　the　

fork　of　the　frameit　seemed　to　me　to　the　public　danger；　but　

afterwards　I　came　to　understand　the　quality　of　her　nerve　betterand　


on　the　third　occasion　she　was　for　her　own　private　satisfaction　

climbing　a　tree。　　On　the　intervening　occasion　we　had　what　seems　now　

to　have　been　a　long　sustained　conversation　about　the　political　

situation　and　the　books　and　papers　I　had　written。



I　wonder　if　it　was。



What　a　delightful　mixture　of　child　and　grave　woman　she　was　at　that　

time；　and　how　little　I　reckoned　on　the　part　she　would　play　in　my　

life！　　And　since　she　has　played　that　part；　how　impossible　it　is　to　

tell　now　of　those　early　days！　　Since　I　wrote　that　opening　paragraph　

to　this　section　my　idle　pen　has　been；　as　it　were；　playing　by　itself　

and　sketching　faces　on　the　blotting　padone　impish　wizened　visage　

is　oddly　like　little　Baileyand　I　have　been　thinking　cheek　on　fist　

amidst　a　limitless　wealth　of　memories。　　She　sits　below　me　on　the　low　

wall　under　the　olive　trees　with　our　little　child　in　her　arms。　　She　

is　now　the　central　fact　in　my　life。　　It　still　seems　a　little　

incredible　that　that　should　be　so。　　She　has　destroyed　me　as　a　

politician；　brought　me　to　this　belated　rebeginning　of　life。　　When　I　

sit　down　and　try　to　make　her　a　girl　again；　I　feel　like　the　Arabian　

fisherman　who　tried　to　put　the　genius　back　into　the　pot　from　which　

it　had　spread　gigantic　across　the　skies。　。　。　。



I　have　a　very　clear　vision　of　her　rush　downhill　past　our　labouring　

ascendant　carmy　colours　fluttered　from　handle…bar　and　shoulder…

knotand　her　waving　hand　and　the　sharp　note　of　her　voice。　　She　

cried　out　something；　I　don't　know　what；　some　greeting。



〃What　a　pretty　girl！〃　said　Margaret。



Parvill；　the　cheap　photographer；　that　industrious　organiser　for　whom　

by　way　of　repayment　I　got　those　magic　letters；　that　knighthood　of　

the　underlings；　〃J。　P。〃　was　in　the　car　with　us　and　explained　her　to　

us。　　〃One　of　the　best　workers　you　have；〃　he　said。　。　。　。



And　then　after　a　toilsome　troubled　morning　we　came；　rather　cross　

from　the　strain　of　sustained　amiability；　t