the new machiavelli-第70节

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beginning　or　end。　　It　was　afternoon；　in　the　pause　between　tea　and　

the　dressing　bell；　and　we　were　in　Margaret's　big　silver…adorned；　

chintz…bright　room；　looking　out　on　the　trim　Italian　garden。　。　。　。　　

Yes；　the　beginning　of　it　has　escaped　me　altogether；　but　I　remember　

it　as　an　odd　exceptional　little　wrangle。



At　first　we　seem　to　have　split　upon　the　moral　quality　of　the　

aristocracy；　and　I　had　an　odd　sense　that　in　some　way　too　feminine　

for　me　to　understand　our　hostess　had　aggrieved　her。　　She　said；　I　

know；　that　Champneys　distressed　her；　made　her　〃eager　for　work　and　

reality　again。〃



〃But　aren't　these　people　real？〃



〃They're　so　superficial；　so　extravagant！〃



I　said　I　was　not　shocked　by　their　unreality。　　They　seemed　the　least　

affected　people　I　had　ever　met。　　〃And　are　they　really　so　

extravagant？〃　I　asked；　and　put　it　to　her　that　her　dresses　cost　quite　

as　much　as　any　other　woman's　in　the　house。



〃It's　not　only　their　dresses；〃　Margaret　parried。　　〃It's　the　scale　

and　spirit　of　things。〃



I　questioned　that。　　〃They're　cynical；〃　said　Margaret；　staring　before　

her　out　of　the　window。



I　challenged　her；　and　she　quoted　the　Brabants；　about　whom　there　had　

been　an　ancient　scandal。　　She'd　heard　of　it　from　Altiora；　and　it　was　

also　Altiora　who'd　given　her　a　horror　of　Lord　Carnaby；　who　was　also　

with　us。　　〃You　know　his　reputation；〃　said　Margaret。　　〃That　Normandy　

girl。　　Every　one　knows　about　it。　　I　shiver　when　I　look　at　him。　　He　

seemsoh！　like　something　not　of　OUR　civilisation。　　He　WILL　come　and　

say　little　things　to　me。〃



〃Offensive　things？〃



〃No；　politenesses　and　things。　　Of　course　his　manners　arequite　

right。　　That　only　makes　it　worse；　I　think。　　It　shows　he　might　have　

helpedall　that　happened。　　I　do　all　I　can　to　make　him　see　I　don't　

like　him。　　But　none　of　the　others　make　the　slightest　objection　to　

him。〃



〃Perhaps　these　people　imagine　something　might　be　said　for　him。〃



〃That's　just　it；〃　said　Margaret。



〃Charity；〃　I　suggested。



〃I　don't　like　that　sort　of　toleration。〃



I　was　oddly　annoyed。　　〃Like　eating　with　publicans　and　sinners；〃　I　

said。　　〃No！　。　。　。



But　scandals；　and　the　contempt　for　rigid　standards　their　condonation　

displayed；　weren't　more　than　the　sharp　edge　of　the　trouble。　　〃It's　

their　whole　position；　their　selfish　predominance；　their　class　

conspiracy　against　the　mass　of　people；〃　said　Margaret。　　〃When　I　sit　

at　dinner　in　that　splendid　room；　with　its　glitter　and　white　

reflections　and　candlelight；　and　its　flowers　and　its　wonderful　

service　and　its　candelabra　of　solid　gold；　I　seem　to　feel　the　slums　

and　the　mines　and　the　over…crowded　cottages　stuffed　away　under　the　

table。〃



I　reminded　Margaret　that　she　was　not　altogether　innocent　of　unearned　

increment。



〃But　aren't　we　doing　our　best　to　give　it　back？〃　she　said。



I　was　moved　to　question　her。　　〃Do　you　really　think；〃　I　asked；　〃that　

the　Tories　and　peers　and　rich　people　are　to　blame　for　social　

injustice　as　we　have　it　to…day？　　Do　you　really　see　politics　as　a　

struggle　of　light　on　the　Liberal　side　against　darkness　on　the　Tory？〃



〃They　MUST　know；〃　said　Margaret。



I　found　myself　questioning　that。　　I　see　now　that　to　Margaret　it　must　

have　seemed　the　perversest　carping　against　manifest　things；　but　at　

the　time　I　was　concentrated　simply　upon　the　elucidation　of　her　view　

and　my　own；　I　wanted　to　get　at　her　conception　in　the　sharpest；　

hardest　lines　that　were　possible。　　It　was　perfectly　clear　that　she　

saw　Toryism　as　the　diabolical　element　in　affairs。　　The　thing　showed　

in　its　hopeless　untruth　all　the　clearer　for　the　fine；　clean　emotion　

with　which　she　gave　it　out　to　me。　　My　sleeping　peer　in　the　library　

at　Stamford　Court　and　Evesham　talking　luminously　behind　the　

Hartstein　flowers　embodied　the　devil；　and　my　replete　citizen　sucking　

at　his　cigar　in　the　National　Liberal　Club；　Willie　Crampton　

discussing　the　care　and　management　of　the　stomach　over　a　specially　

hygienic　lemonade；　and　Dr。　Tumpany　in　his　aggressive　frock…coat　

pegging　out　a　sort　of　copyright　in　Socialism；　were　the　centre　and　

wings　of　the　angelic　side。　　It　was　nonsense。　　But　how　was　I　to　put　

the　truth　to　her？



〃I　don't　see　things　at　all　as　you　do；〃　I　said。　　〃I　don't　see　things　

in　the　same　way。〃



〃Think　of　the　poor；〃　said　Margaret；　going　off　at　a　tangent。



〃Think　of　every　one；〃　I　said。　　〃We　Liberals　have　done　more　mischief　

through　well…intentioned　benevolence　than　all　the　selfishness　in　the　

world　could　have　done。　　We　built　up　the　liquor　interest。〃



〃WE！〃　cried　Margaret。　　〃How　can　you　say　that？　　It's　against　us。〃



〃Naturally。　　But　we　made　it　a　monopoly　in　our　clumsy　efforts　to　

prevent　people　drinking　what　they　liked；　because　it　interfered　with　

industrial　regularity〃



〃Oh！〃　cried　Margaret；　stung；　and　I　could　see　she　thought　I　was　

talking　mere　wickedness。



〃That's　it；〃　I　said。



〃But　would　you　have　people　drink　whatever　they　pleased？〃



〃Certainly。　　What　right　have　I　to　dictate　to　other　men　and　women？〃



〃But　think　of　the　children！〃



〃Ah！　there　you　have　the　folly　of　modern　Liberalism；　its　half…

cunning；　half…silly　way　of　getting　at　everything　in　a　roundabout　

fashion。　　If　neglecting　children　is　an　offence；　and　it　IS　an　

offence；　then　deal　with　it　as　such；　but　don't　go　badgering　and　

restricting　people　who　sell　something　that　may　possibly　in　some　

cases　lead　to　a　neglect　of　children。　　If　drunkenness　is　an　offence；　

punish　it；　but　don't　punish　a　man　for　selling　honest　drink　that　

perhaps　after　all　won't　make　any　one　drunk　at　all。　　Don't　intensify　

the　viciousness　of　the　public…house　by　assuming　the　place　isn't　fit　

for　women　and　children。　　That's　either　spite　or　folly。　　Make　the　

public…house　FIT　for　women　and　children。　　Make　it　a　real　public…

house。　　If　we　Liberals　go　on　as　we　are　going；　we　shall　presently　

want　to　stop　the　sale　of　ink　and　paper　because　those　things　tempt　

men　to　forgery。　　We　do　already　threaten　the　privacy　of　the　post　

because　of　betting　tout's　letters。　　The　drift　of　all　that　kind　of　

thing　is　narrow；　unimaginative；　mischievous；　stupid。　。　。　。〃



I　stopped　short　and　walked　to　the　window　and　surveyed　a　pretty　

fountain；　facsimile　of　one　in　Verona；　amidst　trim…cut　borderings　of　

yew。　　Beyond；　and　seen　between　the　stems　of　ilex　trees；　was　a　great　

blaze　of　yellow　flowers。　。　。　。



〃But　prevention；〃　I　heard　Margaret　behind　me；　〃is　the　essence　of　our　

work。〃



I　turned。　　〃There's　no　prevention　but　education。　　There's　no　

antiseptics　in　life　but　love　and　fine　thinking。　　Make　people　fine；　

make　fine　people。　　Don't　be　afraid。　　These　Tory　leaders　are　better　

people　individually　than　the　average；　why　cast　them　for　the　villains　

of　the　piece？　　The　real　villain　in　the　piecein　the　whole　human　

dramais　the　muddle…headedness；　and　it　matters　very　little　if　it's　

virtuous…minded　or　wicked。　　I　want　to　get　at　muddle…headedness。　　If　

I　could　do　that　I　could　let　all　that　you　call　wickedness　in　the　

world　run　about　and　do　what　it　jolly　well　pleased。　　It　would　matter　

about　as　much　as　a　slightly　neglected　dogin　an　otherwise　well…

managed　home。〃



My　thoughts　had　run　away　with　me。



〃I　can't　understand　you；〃　said　Margaret；　in　the　profoundest　

distress。　　〃I　can't　understand　how　it　is　you　are　coming　to　see　

things　like　this。〃







10





The　moods　of　a　thinking　man　in　politics　are　curiously　evasive　and　

difficult　to　describe。　　Neither　the　public　nor　the　historian　will　

permit　the　statesman　moods。　　He　has　from　the　first　to　assume　he　has　

an　Aim；　a　definite　Aim；　and　to　pretend　to　an　absolute　consistency　

with　that。　　Those　subtle　questionings　about　the　very　fundamentals　of　

life　which　plague　us　all　so　relentlessly　nowadays　are　supposed　to　be　

silenced。　　He　lifts　his　chin　and　pursues　his　Aim　explicitly　in　the　

sight　of　all　men。　　Those　who　have　no　real　political　experience　can　

scarcely　imagine　the　immense　mental　and　moral　strain　there　is　

between　one's　everyday　acts　and　utterances　on　the　one　hand　and　the　

〃thinking…out〃　process　on　the　other。　　It　is　perplexingly　difficult　

to　keep　in　your　mind；　fixed　and　firm；　a　scheme　essentially　complex；　

to　keep　balancing　a　swaying　possibility　while　at　the　same　time　under　

jealous；　hostile；　and　stupid　observation　you　tread　your　part　in　the　

platitudinous；　quarrelsome；　ill…presented　march　of　affairs。　。　。　。



The　most　impossible　of　all　autobiographies　is　an　intellectual　

autobiography。　　I　have　thrown　together　in　the　crudest　way　the　

elements　of　the　problem　I　struggled　with；　but　I　can　give　no　record　

of　the　subtle　details；　I　can　tell　nothing　of　the　long　vacillations　

between　Protean　values；　the　talks　and　re…talks；　the　meditations；　the　

bleak　lucidities　of　sleepless　nights。　。　。　。



And　yet　these　things　I　have　struggled　with　must　be　thought　out；　and；　

to　begin　with；　they　must　be　thought　out　in　this　muddled；　

experimenting　way。　　To　go　into　a　study　to　think　about　statecraft　i