the new machiavelli-第55节

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become　confusedly　strenuous。　　There　was　always　a　slight　and　

ineffectual　struggle　at　the　end　on　the　part　of　Margaret　to　

anticipate　Altiora's　overpowering　tendency　to　a　rally　and　the　

establishment　of　some　entirely　unjustifiable　conclusion　by　a　COUP…

DE…MAIN。　　When；　however；　Altiora　was　absent；　the　quieter　influence　

of　the　Cramptons　prevailed；　temperance　and　information　for　its　own　

sake　prevailed　excessively　over　dinner　and　the　play　of　thought。　。　。　。　　

Good　Lord！　what　bores　the　Cramptons　were！　　I　wonder　I　endured　

them　as　I　did。　　They　had　all　of　them　the　trick　of　lying　in　wait　

conversationally；　they　had　no　sense　of　the　self…exposures；　the　

gallant　experiments　in　statement　that　are　necessary　for　good　

conversation。　　They　would　watch　one　talking　with　an　expression　

exactly　like　peeping　through　bushes。　　Then　they　would；　as　it　were；　

dash　out；　dissent　succinctly；　contradict　some　secondary　fact；　and　

back　to　cover。　　They　gave　one　twilight　nerves。　　Their　wives　were　

easier　but　still　difficult　at　a　stretch；　they　talked　a　good　deal　

about　children　and　servants；　but　with　an　air　caught　from　Altiora　of　

making　observations　upon　sociological　types。　　Lewis　gossiped　about　

the　House　in　an　entirely　finite　manner。　　He　never　raised　a　

discussion；　nobody　ever　raised　a　discussion。　　He　would　ask　what　we　

thought　of　Evesham's　question　that　afternoon；　and　Edward　would　say　

it　was　good；　and　Mrs。　Willie；　who　had　been　behind　the　grille；　would　

think　it　was　very　good；　and　then　Willie；　parting　the　branches；　would　

say　rather　conclusively　that　he　didn't　think　it　was　very　much　good；　

and　I　would　deny　hearing　the　question　in　order　to　evade　a　profitless　

statement　of　views　in　that　vacuum；　and　then　we　would　cast　about　in　

our　minds　for　some　other　topic　of　equal　interest。　。　。　。



On　this　occasion　Altiora　was　absent；　and　to　qualify　our　Young　

Liberal　bleakness　we　had　Mrs。　Millingham；　with　her　white　hair　and　

her　fresh　mind　and　complexion；　and　Esmeer。　　Willie　Crampton　was　with　

us；　but　not　his　wife；　who　was　having　her　third　baby　on　principle；　

his　brother　Edward　was　present；　and　the　Lewises；　and　of　course　the　

Bunting　Harblows。　　There　was　also　some　other　lady。　　I　remember　her　

as　pale　blue；　but　for　the　life　of　me　I　cannot　remember　her　name。



Quite　early　there　was　a　little　breeze　between　Edward　Crampton　and　

Esmeer；　who　had　ventured　an　opinion　about　the　partition　of　Poland。　　

Edward　was　at　work　then　upon　the　seventh　volume　of　his　monumental　

Life　of　Kosciusko；　and　a　little　impatient　with　views　perhaps　not　

altogether　false　but　betraying　a　lamentable　ignorance　of　accessible　

literature。　　At　any　rate；　his　correction　of　Esmeer　was　magisterial。　　

After　that　there　was　a　distinct　and　not　altogether　delightful　pause；　

and　then　some　one；　it　may　have　been　the　pale…blue　lady；　asked　Mrs。　

Lewis　whether　her　aunt　Lady　Carmixter　had　returned　from　her　rest…

and…sun…cure　in　Italy。　　That　led　to　a　rather　anxiously　sustained　

talk　about　regimen；　and　Willie　told　us　how　he　had　profited　by　the　

no…breakfast　system。　　It　had　increased　his　power　of　work　enormously。　　

He　could　get　through　ten　hours　a　day　now　without　inconvenience。



〃What　do　you　do？〃　said　Esmeer　abruptly。



〃Oh！　no　end　of　work。　　There's　all　the　estate　and　looking　after　

things。〃



〃But　publicly？〃



〃I　asked　three　questions　yesterday。　　And　for　one　of　them　I　had　to　

consult　nine　books！〃



We　were　drifting；　I　could　see；　towards　Doctor　Haig's　system　of　

dietary；　and　whether　the　exclusion　or　inclusion　of　fish　and　chicken　

were　most　conducive　to　high　efficiency；　when　Britten；　who　had　

refused　lemonade　and　claret　and　demanded　Burgundy；　broke　out；　and　

was　discovered　to　be　demanding　in　his　throat　just　what　we　Young　

Liberals　thought　we　were　up　to？



〃I　want；〃　said　Britten；　repeating　his　challenge　a　little　louder；　〃to　

hear　just　exactly　what　you　think　you　are　doing　in　Parliament？〃



Lewis　laughed　nervously；　and　thought　we　were　〃Seeking　the　Good　of　

the　Community。〃



〃HOW？〃



〃Beneficient　Legislation；〃　said　Lewis。



〃Beneficient　in　what　direction？〃　insisted　Britten。　　〃I　want　to　know　

where　you　think　you　are　going。〃



〃Amelioration　of　Social　Conditions；〃　said　Lewis。



〃That's　only　a　phrase！〃



〃You　wouldn't　have　me　sketch　bills　at　dinner？〃



〃I'd　like　you　to　indicate　directions；〃　said　Britten；　and　waited。



〃Upward　and　On；〃　said　Lewis　with　conscious　neatness；　and　turned　to　

ask　Mrs。　Bunting　Harblow　about　her　little　boy's　French。



For　a　time　talk　frothed　over　Britten's　head；　but　the　natural　

mischief　in　Mrs。　Millingham　had　been　stirred；　and　she　was　presently　

echoing　his　demand　in　lisping；　quasi…confidential　undertones。　　〃What　

ARE　we　Liberals　doing？〃　　Then　Esmeer　fell　in　with　the　

revolutionaries。



To　begin　with；　I　was　a　little　shocked　by　this　clamour　for　

fundamentalsand　a　little　disconcerted。　　I　had　the　experience　that　

I　suppose　comes　to　every　one　at　times　of　discovering　oneself　

together　with　two　different　sets　of　people　with　whom　one　has　

maintained　two　different　sets　of　attitudes。　　It　had　always　been；　I　

perceived；　an　instinctive　suppression　in　our　circle　that　we　

shouldn't　be　more　than　vague　about　our　political　ideals。　　It　had　

almost　become　part　of　my　morality　to　respect　this　convention。　　It　

was　understood　we　were　all　working　hard；　and　keeping　ourselves　fit；　

tremendously　fit；　under　Altiora's　inspiration；　Pro　Bono　Publico。　　

Bunting　Harblow　had　his　under…secretaryship；　and　Lewis　was　on　the　

verge　of　the　Cabinet；　and　these　things　we　considered　to　be　in　the　

nature　of　confirmations。　。　。　。　　It　added　to　tbe　discomfort　of　the　

situation　that　these　plunging　enquiries　were　being　made　in　the　

presence　of　our　wives。



The　rebel　section　of　our　party　forced　the　talk。



Edward　Crampton　was　presently　declaringI　forget　in　what　relation：　

〃The　country　is　with　us。〃



My　long…controlled　hatred　of　the　Cramptons'　stereotyped　phrases　

about　the　Country　and　the　House　got　the　better　of　me。　　I　showed　my　

cloven　hoof　to　my　friends　for　the　first　time。



〃We　don't　respect　the　Country　as　we　used　to　do；〃　I　said。　　〃We　

haven't　the　same　belief　we　used　to　have　in　the　will　of　the　people。　　

It's　no　good；　Crampton；　trying　to　keep　that　up。　　We　Liberals　know　as　

a　matter　of　factnowadays　every　one　knowsthat　the　monster　that　

brought　us　into　power　has；　among　other　deficiencies；　no　head。　　We've　

got　to　give　it　oneif　possible　with　brains　and　a　will。　　That　lies　

in　the　future。　　For　the　present　if　the　country　is　with　us；　it　means　

merely　that　we　happen　to　have　hold　of　its　tether。〃



Lewis　was　shocked。　　A　〃mandate〃　from　the　Country　was　sacred　to　his　

system　of　pretences。



Britten　wasn't　subdued　by　his　first　rebuff；　presently　he　was　at　us　

again。　　There　were　several　attempts　to　check　his　outbreak　of　

interrogation；　I　remember　the　Cramptons　asked　questions　about　the　

welfare　of　various　cousins　of　Lewis　who　were　unknown　to　the　rest　of　

us；　and　Margaret　tried　to　engage　Britten　in　a　sympathetic　discussion　

of　the　Arts　and　Crafts　exhibition。　　But　Britten　and　Esmeer　were　

persistent；　Mrs。　Millingham　was　mischievous；　and　in　the　end　our　

rising　hopes　of　Young　Liberalism　took　to　their　thickets　for　good；　

while　we　talked　all　over　them　of　the　prevalent　vacuity　of　political　

intentions。　　Margaret　was　perplexed　by　me。　　It　is　only　now　I　

perceive　just　how　perplexing　I　must　have　been。　　〃Of　course；　she　said　

with　that　faint　stress　of　apprehension　in　her　eyes；　one　must　have　

aims。〃　　And；　〃it　isn't　always　easy　to　put　everything　into　phrases。〃　　

〃Don't　be　long；〃　said　Mrs。　Edward　Crampton　to　her　hsuband　as　the　

wives　trooped　out。　　And　afterwards　when　we　went　upstairs　I　had　an　

indefinable　persuasion　that　the　ladies　had　been　criticising　

Britten's　share　in　our　talk　in　an　altogether　unfavourable　spirit。　　

Mrs。　Edward　evidently　thought　him　aggressive　and　impertinent；　and　

Margaret　with　a　quiet　firmness　that　brooked　no　resistance；　took　him　

at　once　into　a　corner　and　showed　him　Italian　photographs　by　Coburn。　　

We　dispersed　early。



I　walked　with　Britten　along　the　Chelsea　back　streets　towards　

Battersea　Bridgehe　lodged　on　the　south　side。



〃Mrs。　Millingham's　a　dear；〃　he　began。



〃She's　a　dear。〃



〃I　liked　her　demand　for　a　hansom　because　a　four…wheeler　was　too　

safe。〃



〃She　was　worked　up；〃　I　said。　　〃She's　a　woman　of　faultless　character；　

but　her　instincts；　as　Altiora　would　say；　are　anarchisticwhen　she　

gives　them　a　chance。〃



〃So　she　takes　it　out　in　hansom　cabs。〃



〃Hansom　cabs。〃



〃She's　wise；〃　said　Britten。　。　。　。



〃I　hope；　Remington；〃　he　went　on　after　a　pause；　〃I　didn't　rag　your　

other　guests　too　much。　　I've　a　sort　of　feeling　at　moments

Remington；　those　chaps　are　so　infernally　notnot　bloody。　　It's　part　

of　a　man's　duty　sometimes　at　least　to　eat　red　beef　and　get　drunk。　　

How　is　he　to　understand　government　if　he　doesn't？　　It　scares　me　to　

think　of　your　lotby　a　sort　of　misapprehensionbeing　in　po