the new machiavelli-第89节

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must　practise　a　tainted　goodness。〃



These　questions　need　discussiona　magnificent　frankness　of　

discussionif　any　standards　are　again　to　establish　an　effective　

hold　upon　educated　people。　　Discretions；　as　I　have　said　already；　

will　never　hold　any　one　worth　holdinglonger　than　they　held　us。　　

Against　every　〃shalt　not〃　there　must　be　a　〃why　not〃　plainly　put；

the　〃why　not〃　largest　and　plainest；　the　law　deduced　from　its　

purpose。　　〃You　and　I；　Isabel；〃　I　said；　〃have　always　been　a　little　

disregardful　of　duty；　partly　at　least　because　the　idea　of　duty　comes　

to　us　so　ill…clad。　　Oh！　I　know　there's　an　extravagant　insubordinate　

strain　in　us；　but　that　wasn't　all。　　I　wish　humbugs　would　leave　duty　

alone。　　I　wish　all　duty　wasn't　covered　with　slime。　　That's　where　the　

real　mischief　comes　in。　　Passion　can　always　contrive　to　clothe　

itself　in　beauty；　strips　itself　splendid。　　That　carried　us。　　But　for　

all　its　mean　associations　there　is　this　duty。　。　。　。



〃Don't　we　come　rather　late　to　it？〃



〃Not　so　late　that　it　won't　be　atrociously　hard　to　do。〃



〃It's　queer　to　think　of　now；〃　said　Isabel。　　〃Who　could　believe　we　

did　all　we　have　done　honestly？　　Well；　in　a　manner　honestly。　　Who　

could　believe　we　thought　this　might　be　hidden？　　Who　could　trace　it　

all　step　by　step　from　the　time　when　we　found　that　a　certain　boldness　

in　our　talk　was　pleasing？　　We　talked　of　love。　。　。　。　　Master；　there's　

not　much　for　us　to　do　in　the　way　of　Apologia　that　any　one　will　

credit。　　And　yet　if　it　were　possible　to　tell　the　very　heart　of　our　

story。　。　。　。



〃Does　Margaret　really　want　to　go　on　with　you？〃　she　asked〃shield　

youknowing　of　。　。　。　THIS？〃



〃I'm　certain。　　I　don't　understandjust　as　I　don't　understand　

Shoesmith；　but　she　does。　　These　people　walk　on　solid　ground　which　is　

just　thin　air　to　us。　　They've　got　something　we　haven't　got。　　

Assurances？　　I　wonder。〃　。　。　。



Then　it　was；　or　later；　we　talked　of　Shoesmith；　and　what　her　life　

might　be　with　him。



〃He's　good；〃　she　said；　〃he's　kindly。　　He's　everything　but　magic。　　

He's　the　very　image　of　the　decent；　sober；　honourable　life。　　You　

can't　say　a　thing　against　him　or　Iexcept　that　somethingsomething　

in　his　imagination；　something　in　the　tone　of　his　voicefails　for　

me。　　Why　don't　I　love　him？he's　a　better　man　than　you！　　Why　don't　

you？　　IS　he　a　better　man　than　you？　　He's　usage；　he's　honour；　he's　

the　right　thing；　he's　the　breed　and　the　tradition；a　gentleman。　　

You're　your　erring；　incalculable　self。　　I　suppose　we　women　will　

trust　this　sort　and　love　your　sort　to　the　very　end　of　time。　。　。　。〃



We　lay　side　by　side　and　nibbled　at　grass　stalks　as　we　talked。　　It　

seemed　enormously　unreasonable　to　us　that　two　people　who　had　come　to　

the　pitch　of　easy　and　confident　affection　and　happiness　that　held　

between　us　should　be　obliged　to　part　and　shun　one　another；　or　murder　

half　the　substance　of　their　lives。　　We　felt　ourselves　crushed　and　

beaten　by　an　indiscriminating　machine　which　destroys　happiness　in　

the　service　of　jealousy。　　〃The　mass　of　people　don't　feel　these　

things　in　quite　the　same　manner　as　we　feel　them；〃　she　said。　　〃Is　it　

because　they're　different　in　grain；　or　educated　out　of　some　

primitive　instinct？〃



〃It's　because　we've　explored　love　a　little；　and　they　know　no　more　

than　the　gateway；〃　I　said。　　〃Lust　and　then　jealousy；　their　simple　

conceptionand　we　have　gone　past　all　that　and　wandered　hand　in　

hand。　。　。　。〃



I　remember　that　for　a　time　we　watched　two　of　that　larger　sort　of　

gull；　whose　wings　are　brownish…white；　circle　and　hover　against　the　

blue。　　And　then　we　lay　and　looked　at　a　band　of　water　mirror　clear　

far　out　to　sea；　and　wondered　why　the　breeze　that　rippled　all　the　

rest　should　leave　it　so　serene。



〃And　in　this　State　of　ours；〃　I　resumed。



〃Eh！〃　said　Isabel；　rolling　over　into　a　sitting　posture　and　looking　

out　at　the　horizon。　　〃Let's　talk　no　more　of　things　we　can　never　see。　　

Talk　to　me　of　the　work　you　are　doing　and　all　we　shall　doafter　we　

have　parted。　　We've　said　too　little　of　that。　　We've　had　our　red　

life；　and　it's　over。　　Thank　Heaven！though　we　stole　it！　　Talk　about　

your　work；　dear；　and　the　things　we'll　go　on　doingjust　as　though　we　

were　still　together。　　We'll　still　be　together　in　a　sensethrough　

all　these　things　we　have　in　common。〃



And　so　we　talked　of　politics　and　our　outlook。　　We　were　interested　to　

the　pitch　of　self…forgetfulness。　　We　weighed　persons　and　forces；　

discussed　the　probabilities　of　the　next　general　election；　the　steady　

drift　of　public　opinion　in　the　north　and　west　away　from　Liberalism　

towards　us。　　It　was　very　manifest　that　in　spite　of　Wardenham　and　the　

EXPURGATOR；　we　should　come　into　the　new　Government　strongly。　　The　

party　had　no　one　else；　all　the　young　men　were　formally　or　informally　

with　us；　Esmeer　would　have　office；　Lord　Tarvrille；　I　。　。　。　and　very　

probably　there　would　be　something　for　Shoesmith。　　〃And　for　my　own　

part；〃　I　said；　〃I　count　on　backing　on　the　Liberal　side。　　For　the　

last　two　years　we've　been　forcing　competition　in　constructive　

legislation　between　the　parties。　　The　Liberals　have　not　been　long　in　

following　up　our　Endowment　of　Motherhood　lead。　　They'll　have　to　give　

votes　and　lip　service　anyhow。　　Half　the　readers　of　the　BLUE　WEEKLY；　

they　say；　are　Liberals。　。　。　。



〃I　remember　talking　about　things　of　this　sort　with　old　Willersley；〃　

I　said；　〃ever　so　many　years　ago。　　It　was　some　place　near　Locarno；　

and　we　looked　down　the　lake　that　shone　welteringjust　as　now　we　

look　over　the　sea。　　And　then　we　dreamt　in　an　indistinct　featureless　

way　of　all　that　you　and　I　are　doing　now。〃



〃I！〃　said　Isabel；　and　laughed。



〃Well；　of　some　such　thing；〃　I　said；　and　remained　for　awhile　silent；　

thinking　of　Locarno。



I　recalled　once　more　the　largeness；　the　release　from　small　personal　

things　that　I　had　felt　in　my　youth；　statecraft　became　real　and　

wonderful　again　with　the　memory；　the　gigantic　handling　of　gigantic　

problems。　　I　began　to　talk　out　my　thoughts；　sitting　up　beside　her；　

as　I　could　never　talk　of　them　to　any　one　but　Isabel；　began　to　

recover　again　the　purpose　that　lay　under　all　my　political　ambitions　

and　adjustments　and　anticipations。　　I　saw　the　State；　splendid　and　

wide　as　I　had　seen　it　in　that　first　travel　of　mine；　but　now　it　was　

no　mere　distant　prospect　of　spires　and　pinnacles；　but　populous　with　

fine…trained；　bold…thinking；　bold…doing　people。　　It　was　as　if　I　had　

forgotten　for　a　long　time　and　now　remembered　with　amazement。



At　first；　I　told　her；　I　had　been　altogether　at　a　loss　how　I　could　do　

anything　to　battle　against　the　aimless　muddle　of　our　world；　I　had　

wanted　a　clueuntil　she　had　come　into　my　life　questioning；　

suggesting；　unconsciously　illuminating。　　〃But　I　have　done　nothing；〃　

she　protested。　　I　declared　she　had　done　everything　in　growing　to　

education　under　my　eyes；　in　reflecting　again　upon　all　the　processes　

that　had　made　myself；　so　that　instead　of　abstractions　and　blue…books　

and　bills　and　devices；　I　had　realised　the　world　of　mankind　as　a　

crowd　needing　before　all　things　fine　women　and　men。　　We'd　spoilt　

ourselves　in　learning　that；　but　anyhow　we　had　our　lesson。　　Before　

her　I　was　in　a　nineteenth…century　darkness；　dealing　with　the　nation　

as　if　it　were　a　crowd　of　selfish　men；　forgetful　of　women　and　

children　and　that　shy　wild　thing　in　the　hearts　of　men；　love；　which　

must　be　drawn　upon　as　it　has　never　been　drawn　upon　before；　if　the　

State　is　to　live。　　I　saw　now　how　it　is　possible　to　bring　the　loose　

factors　of　a　great　realm　together；　to　create　a　mind　of　literature　

and　thought　in　it；　and　the　expression　of　a　purpose　to　make　it　self…

conscious　and　fine。　　I　had　it　all　clear　before　me；　so　that　at　a　

score　of　points　I　could　presently　begin。　　The　BLUE　WEEKLY　was　a　

centre　of　force。　　Already　we　had　given　Imperialism　a　criticism；　and　

leavened　half　the　press　from　our　columns。　　Our　movement　consolidated　

and　spread。　　We　should　presently　come　into　power。　　Everything　moved　

towards　our　hands。　　We　should　be　able　to　get　at　the　schools；　the　

services；　the　universities；　the　church；　enormously　increase　the　

endowment　of　research；　and　organise　what　was　sorely　wanted；　a　

criticism　of　research；　contrive　a　closer　contact　between　the　press　

and　creative　intellectual　life；　foster　literature；　clarify；　

strengthen　the　public　consciousness；　develop　social　organisation　and　

a　sense　of　the　State。　　Men　were　coming　to　us　every　day；　brilliant　

young　peers　like　Lord　Dentonhill；　writers　like　Carnot　and　Cresswell。　　

It　filled　me　with　pride　to　win　such　men。　　〃We　stand　for　so　much　more　

than　we　seem　to　stand　for；〃　I　said。　　I　opened　my　heart　to　her；　so　

freely　that　I　hesitate　to　open　my　heart　even　to　the　reader；　telling　

of　projects　and　ambitions　I　cherished；　of　my　consciousness　of　great　

powers　and　widening　opportunities。　。　。　。



Isabel　watched　me　as　I　talked。



She　too；　I　think；　had　forgotten　these　things　for　a　while。　　For　it　is　

curious　and　I　think　a　very　significa