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the new machiavelli-第84节

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Imperialist flood; like a starfish rolling up a beach。



My feminist views had earnt the mistrust of the party; and I do not 

think I should have got the chance of Handitch or indeed any chance 

at all of Parliament for a long time; if it had not been that the 

seat with its long record of Liberal victories and its Liberal 

majority of 3642 at the last election; offered a hopeless contest。  

The Liberal dissensions and the belated but by no means contemptible 

Socialist candidate were providential interpositions。  I think; 

however; the conduct of Gane; Crupp; and Tarvrille in coming down to 

fight for me; did count tremendously in my favour。  〃We aren't going 

to win; perhaps;〃 said Crupp; 〃but we are going to talk。〃  And until 

the very eve of victory; we treated Handitch not so much as a 

battlefield as a hoarding。  And so it was the Endowment of 

Motherhood as a practical form of Eugenics got into English 

politics。



Plutus; our agent; was scared out of his wits when the thing began。



〃They're ascribing all sorts of queer ideas to you about the 

Family;〃 he said。



〃I think the Family exists for the good of the children;〃 I said; 

〃is that queer?〃



〃Not when you explain itbut they won't let you explain it。  And 

about marriage?〃



〃I'm all right about marriagetrust me。〃



〃Of course; if YOU had children;〃 said Plutus; rather 

inconsiderately。 。 。 。



They opened fire upon me in a little electioneering rag call the 

HANDITCH SENTINEL; with a string of garbled quotations and 

misrepresentations that gave me an admirable text for a speech。  I 

spoke for an hour and ten minutes with a more and more crumpled copy 

of the SENTINEL in my hand; and I made the fullest and completest 

exposition of the idea of endowing motherhood that I think had ever 

been made up to that time in England。  Its effect on the press was 

extraordinary。  The Liberal papers gave me quite unprecedented space 

under the impression that I had only to be given rope to hang 

myself; the Conservatives cut me down or tried to justify me; the 

whole country was talking。  I had had a pamphlet in type upon the 

subject; and I revised this carefully and put it on the book…stalls 

within three days。  It sold enormously and brought me bushels of 

letters。  We issued over three thousand in Handitch alone。  At 

meeting after meeting I was heckled upon nothing else。  Long before 

polling day Plutus was converted。



〃It's catching on like old age pensions;〃 he said。  〃We've dished 

the Liberals!  To think that such a project should come from our 

side!〃



But it was only with the declaration of the poll that my battle was 

won。  No one expected more than a snatch victory; and I was in by 

over fifteen hundred。  At one bound Cossington's papers passed from 

apologetics varied by repudiation to triumphant praise。  〃A 

renascent England; breeding men;〃 said the leader in his chief daily 

on the morning after the polling; and claimed that the Conservatives 

had been ever the pioneers in sanely bold constructive projects。



I came up to London with a weary but rejoicing Margaret by the night 

train。







CHAPTER THE SECOND



THE IMPOSSIBLE POSITION







1





To any one who did not know of that glowing secret between Isabel 

and myself; I might well have appeared at that time the most 

successful and enviable of men。  I had recovered rapidly from an 

uncongenial start in political life; I had become a considerable 

force through the BLUE WEEKLY; and was shaping an increasingly 

influential body of opinion; I had re…entered Parliament with quite 

dramatic distinction; and in spite of a certain faltering on the 

part of the orthodox Conservatives towards the bolder elements in 

our propaganda; I had loyal and unenvious associates who were making 

me a power in the party。  People were coming to our group; 

understandings were developing。  It was clear we should play a 

prominent part in the next general election; and that; given a 

Conservative victory; I should be assured of office。  The world 

opened out to me brightly and invitingly。  Great schemes took shape 

in my mind; always more concrete; always more practicable; the years 

ahead seemed falling into order; shining with the credible promise 

of immense achievement。



And at the heart of it all; unseen and unsuspected; was the secret 

of my relations with Isabellike a seed that germinates and 

thrusts; thrusts relentlessly。



From the onset of the Handitch contest onward; my meetings with her 

had been more and more pervaded by the discussion of our situation。  

It had innumerable aspects。  It was very present to us that we 

wanted to be together as much as possiblewe were beginning to long 

very much for actual living together in the same house; so that one 

could come as it were carelesslyunawaresupon the other; busy 

perhaps about some trivial thing。  We wanted to feel each other in 

the daily atmosphere。  Preceding our imperatively sterile passion; 

you must remember; outside it; altogether greater than it so far as 

our individual lives were concerned; there had grown and still grew 

an enormous affection and intellectual sympathy between us。  We 

brought all our impressions and all our ideas to each other; to see 

them in each other's light。  It is hard to convey that quality of 

intellectual unison to any one who has not experienced it。  I 

thought more and more in terms of conversation with Isabel; her 

possible comments upon things would flash into my mind; oh!with 

the very sound of her voice。



I remember; too; the odd effect of seeing her in the distance going 

about Handitch; like any stranger canvasser; the queer emotion of 

her approach along the street; the greeting as she passed。  The 

morning of the polling she vanished from the constituency。  I saw 

her for an instant in the passage behind our Committee rooms。



〃Going?〃 said I。



She nodded。



〃Stay it out。  I want you to see the fun。  I rememberthe other 

time。〃



She didn't answer for a moment or so; and stood with face averted。



〃It's Margaret's show;〃 she said abruptly。  〃If I see her smiling 

there like a queen by your side!  She didlast time。  I 

remember。〃  She caught at a sob and dashed her hand across her face 

impatiently。  〃Jealous fool; mean and petty; jealous fool! 。 。 。  

Good luck; old man; to you!  You're going to win。  But I don't want 

to see the end of it all the same。 。 。 。〃



〃Good…bye!〃 said I; clasping her hand as some supporter appeared in 

the passage。 。 。 。



I came back to London victorious; and a little flushed and coarse 

with victory; and so soon as I could break away I went to Isabel's 

flat and found her white and worn; with the stain of secret weeping 

about her eyes。  I came into the room to her and shut the door。



〃You said I'd win;〃 I said; and held out my arms。



She hugged me closely for a moment。



〃My dear;〃 I whispered; 〃it's nothingwithout younothing!〃



We didn't speak for some seconds。  Then she slipped from my hold。  

〃Look!〃 she said; smiling like winter sunshine。  〃I've had in all 

the morning papersthe pile of them; and youresounding。〃



〃It's more than I dared hope。〃



〃Or I。〃



She stood for a moment still smiling bravely; and then she was 

sobbing in my arms。  〃The bigger you arethe more you show;〃 she 

said〃 the more we are parted。  I know; I know〃



I held her close to me; making no answer。



Presently she became still。  〃Oh; well;〃 she said; and wiped her 

eyes and sat down on the little sofa by the fire; and I sat down 

beside her。



〃I didn't know all there was in love;〃 she said; staring at the 

coals; 〃when we went love…making。〃



I put my arm behind her and took a handful of her dear soft hair in 

my hand and kissed it。



〃You've done a great thing this time;〃 she said。  〃Handitch will 

make you。〃



〃It opens big chances;〃 I said。  〃But why are you weeping; dear 

one?〃



〃Envy;〃 she said; 〃and love。〃



〃You're not lonely?〃



〃I've plenty to doand lots of people。〃



〃Well?〃



〃I want you。〃



〃You've got me。〃



She put her arm about me and kissed me。  〃I want you;〃 she said; 

〃just as if I had nothing of you。  You don't understandhow a woman 

wants a man。  I thought once if I just gave myself to you it would 

be enough。  It was nothingit was just a step across the threshold。  

My dear; every moment you are away I ache for youache!  I want to 

be about when it isn't love…making or talk。  I want to be doing 

things for you; and watching you when you're not thinking of me。  

All those safe; careless; intimate things。  And something else〃 

She stopped。  〃Dear; I don't want to bother you。  I just want you to 

know I love you。 。 。 。〃



She caught my head in her hands and kissed it; then stood up 

abruptly。



I looked up at her; a little perplex

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