the research magnificent-第12章

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　a　groove；　you'llyou'll　hunt。　You'll　go　to　Scotland　for　the　grouse。〃　For　the　moment　Prothero　had　no　further　suggestions。　Benham　waited　for　a　second　or　so　before　he　broached　his　own　idea。　〃Why；　first　of　all；　at　any　rate；　Billy；　shouldn't　one　use　one's　money　to　make　the　best　of　oneself？　　To　learn　things　that　men　without　money　and　leisure　find　it　difficult　to　learn？　　By　an　accident；　however　unjust　it　is；　one　is　in　the　position　of　a　leader　and　a　privileged　person。　　Why　not　do　one's　best　to　give　value　as　that？〃　〃Benham；　that's　the　thin　end　of　aristocracy！〃　〃Why　not？〃　〃I　hate　aristocracy。　　For　you　it　means　doing　what　you　like。　　While　you　are　energetic　you　will　kick　about　and　then　you　will　come　back　to　this。〃　〃That's　one's　own　look…out；〃　said　Benham；　after　reflection。　〃No；　it's　bound　to　happen。〃　Benham　retreated　a　little　from　the　immediate　question。　〃Well；　we　can't　suddenly　at　a　blow　change　the　world。　　If　it　isn't　to　be　plutocracy　to…day　it　has　to　be　aristocracy。〃　Prothero　frowned　over　this；　and　then　he　made　a　sweeping　proposition。　〃YOU　CANNOT　HAVE　ARISTOCRACY；〃　he　said；　〃BECAUSE；　YOU　SEEALL　MEN　ARE　RIDICULOUS。　　Democracy　has　to　fight　its　way　out　from　under　plutocracy。　　There　is　nothing　else　to　be　done。〃　〃But　a　man　in　my　position？〃　〃It's　a　ridiculous　position。　　You　may　try　to　escape　being　ridiculous。　　You　won't　succeed。〃　It　seemed　to　Benham　for　a　moment　as　though　Prothero　had　got　to　the　bottom　of　the　question；　and　then　he　perceived　that　he　had　only　got　to　the　bottom　of　himself。　　Benham　was　pacing　the　floor。　He　turned　at　the　open　window；　held　out　a　long　forefinger；　and　uttered　his　countervailing　faith。　〃Even　if　he　is　ridiculous；　Prothero；　a　man　may　still　be　an　aristocrat。　　A　man　may　anyhow　be　as　much　of　an　aristocrat　as　he　can　be。〃　Prothero　reflected。　　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃it　sounds　all　right；　but　it's　wrong。　　I　hate　all　these　advantages　and　differences　and　distinctions。　　A　man's　a　man。　　What　you　say　sounds　well；　but　it's　the　beginning　of　pretension；　of　pride〃　He　stopped　short。　〃Better；　pride　than　dishonour；〃　said　Benham；　〃better　the　pretentious　life　than　the　sordid　life。　　What　else　is　there？〃　〃A　life　isn't　necessarily　sordid　because　it　isn't　pretentious；〃　said　Prothero；　his　voice　betraying　a　defensive　disposition。　〃But　a　life　with　a　large　income　MUST　be　sordid　unless　it　makes　some　sort　of　attempt　to　be　fine。　。　。　。〃

9

By　transitions　that　were　as　natural　as　they　were　complicated　and　untraceable　Prothero　found　his　visit　to　Chexington　developing　into　a　tangle　of　discussions　that　all　ultimately　resolved　themselves　into　an　antagonism　of　the　democratic　and　the　aristocratic　idea。　　And　his　part　was；　he　found；　to　be　the　exponent　of　the　democratic　idea。　　The　next　day　he　came　down　early；　his　talk　with　Benham　still　running　through　his　head；　and　after　a　turn　or　so　in　the　garden　he　was　attracted　to　the　front　door　by　a　sound　of　voices；　and　found　Lady　Marayne　had　been　up　still　earlier　and　was　dismounting　from　a　large　effective　black　horse。　　This　extorted　an　unwilling　admiration　from　him。　　She　greeted　him　very　pleasantly　and　made　a　kind　of　introduction　of　her　steed。　　There　had　been　trouble　at　a　gate；　he　was　a　young　horse　and　fidgeted　at　gates；　the　dispute　was　still　bright　in　her。　　Benham　she　declared　was　still　in　bed。　　〃Wait　till　I　have　a　mount　for　him。〃　　She　reappeared　fitfully　in　the　breakfast…room；　and　then　he　was　left　to　Benham　until　just　before　lunch。　　They　read　and　afterwards；　as　the　summer　day　grew　hot；　they　swam　in　the　nude　pond。　She　joined　them　in　the　water；　splashing　about　in　a　costume　of　some　elaboration　and　being　very　careful　not　to　wet　her　hair。　　Then　she　came　and　sat　with　them　on　the　seat　under　the　big　cedar　and　talked　with　them　in　a　wrap　that　was　pretty　rather　than　prudish　and　entirely　unmotherly。　　And　she　began　a　fresh　attack　upon　him　by　asking　him　if　he　wasn't　a　Socialist　and　whether　he　didn't　want　to　pull　down　Chexington　and　grow　potatoes　all　over　the　park。　This　struck　Prothero　as　an　inadequate　statement　of　the　Socialist　project　and　he　made　an　unsuccessful　attempt　to　get　it　amended。　The　engagement　thus　opened　was　renewed　with　great　energy　at　lunch。　Sir　Godfrey　had　returned　to　London　and　the　inmost　aspect　of　his　fellow…creatures；　but　the　party　of　three　was　supplemented　by　a　vague　young　lady　from　the　village　and　an　alert　agent　from　the　neighbouring　Tentington　estate　who　had　intentions　about　a　cottage。　　Lady　Marayne　insisted　upon　regarding　Socialism　as　a　proposal　to　reinaugurate　the　first　French　Revolution；　as　an　inversion　of　society　so　that　it　would　be　bottom　upward；　as　an　attack　upon　rule；　order；　direction。　　〃And　what　good　are　all　these　proposals？　　If　you　had　the　poor　dear　king　beheaded；　you'd　only　get　a　Napoleon。　　If　you　divided　all　the　property　up　between　everybody；　you'd　have　rich　and　poor　again　in　a　year。〃　Billy　perceived　no　way　of　explaining　away　this　version　of　his　Socialism　that　would　not　involve　uncivil　contradictionsand　nobody　ever　contradicted　Lady　Marayne。　〃But；　Lady　Marayne；　don't　you　think　there　is　a　lot　of　disorder　and　injustice　in　the　world？〃　he　protested。　〃There　would　be　ever　so　much　more　if　your　Socialists　had　their　way。〃　〃But　still；　don't　you　think　。　。　。〃　It　is　unnecessary　even　to　recapitulate　these　universal　controversies　of　our　time。　　The　lunch…table　and　the　dinner…table　and　the　general　talk　of　the　house　drifted　more　and　more　definitely　at　its　own　level　in　the　same　direction　as　the　private　talk　of　Prothero　and　Benham；　towards　the　antagonism　of　the　privileged　few　and　the　many；　of　the　trained　and　traditioned　against　the　natural　and　undisciplined；　of　aristocracy　against　democracy。　　At　the　week…end　Sir　Godfrey　returned　to　bring　fresh　elements。　　He　said　that　democracy　was　unscientific。　〃To　deny　aristocracy　is　to　deny　the　existence　of　the　fittest。　　It　is　on　the　existence　of　the　fittest　that　progress　depends。〃　〃But　do　our　social　conditions　exalt　the　fittest？〃　asked　Prothero。　〃That　is　another　question；〃　said　Benham。　〃Exactly；〃　said　Sir　Godfrey。　　〃That　is　another　question。　　But　speaking　with　some　special　knowledge；　I　should　say　that　on　the　whole　the　people　who　are　on　the　top　of　things　OUGHT　to　be　on　the　top　of　things。　　I　agree　with　Aristotle　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　natural　inferior。〃　〃So　far　as　I　can　understand　Mr。　Prothero；〃　said　Lady　Marayne；　〃he　thinks　that　all　the　inferiors　are　the　superiors　and　all　the　superiors　inferior。　　It's　quite　simple。　。　。　。〃　It　made　Prothero　none　the　less　indignant　with　this；　that　there　was　indeed　a　grain　of　truth　in　it。　　He　hated　superiors；　he　felt　for　inferiors。

10

At　last　came　the　hour　of　tipping。　　An　embarrassed　and　miserable　Prothero　went　slinking　about　the　house　distributing　unexpected　gold。　It　was　stupid；　it　was　damnable；　he　had　had　to　borrow　the　money　from　his　mother。　。　。　。　Lady　Marayne　felt　he　had　escaped　her。　　The　controversy　that　should　have　split　these　two　young　men　apart　had　given　them　a　new　interest　in　each　other。　　When　afterwards　she　sounded　her　son；　very　delicately；　to　see　if　indeed　he　was　aware　of　the　clumsiness；　the　social　ignorance　and　uneasiness；　the　complete　unsuitability　of　his　friend；　she　could　get　no　more　from　him　than　that　exasperating　phrase；　〃He　has　ideas！〃　What　are　ideas？　　England　may　yet　be　ruined　by　ideas。　He　ought　never　to　have　gone　to　Trinity；　that　monster　packet　of　everything。　　He　ought　to　have　gone　to　some　little　GOOD　college；　good　all　through。　　She　ought　to　have　asked　some　one　who　KNEW。

11

One　glowing　afternoon　in　October；　as　these　two　young　men　came　over　Magdalen　Bridge　after　a　long　disputatious　and　rather　tiring　walk　to　Draytonthey　had　been　talking　of　Eugenics　and　the　〃family〃Benham　was　almost　knocked　down　by　an　American　trotter　driven　by　Lord　Breeze。　　〃Whup　there！〃　said　Lord　Breeze　in　a　voice　deliberately　brutal；　and　Benham；　roused　from　that　abstraction　which　is　partly　fatigue；　had　to　jump　aside　and　stumbled　against　the　parapet　as　the　gaunt　pacer　went　pounding　by。　Lord　Breeze　grinned　the　sort　of　grin　a　man　remembers。　　And　passed。　〃Damnation！〃　said　Benham　with　a　face　that　had　become　suddenly　very　white。　Then　presently。　　〃Any　fool　can　do　that　who　cares　to　go　to　the　trouble。〃　〃That；〃　said　Prothero；　taking　up　their　unquenchable　issue；　〃that　is　the　feeling　of　democracy。〃　〃I　walk　because　I　choose　to；〃　said　Benham。　The　thing　rankled。　〃This　equestrianism；〃　he　began；　〃is　a　matter　of　time　and　moneytime　even　more　than　money。　　I　want　to　read。　　I　want　to　deal　with　ideas。　。　。　。　〃Any　fool　can　drive。　。　。　。〃　〃Exactly；〃　said　Prothero。　〃As　for　riding；　it　means　no　more　than　the　elaborate　study　and　cultivation　of　your　horse。　　You　have　to　know　him。　　All　horses　are　individuals。　　A　made　horse　perhaps　goes　its　round　like　an　omnibus；　but　for　the　rest。　。　。　。〃　Prothero　made　a　noise　of　sympathetic　assent。　〃In　a　country　where　equestrianism　is　assertion　I　suppose　one　must　be　equestrian。　。　。　。〃　That　night　some　malignant　spirit　kept　Benham　awake；　and　great　American　trotters　with　vast　wide…striding　feet　and　long　yellow　teeth；　uncontrollable；　hard…mouthed　American　trotters；　pounded　over　his　angry　soul。　〃Prothero；〃　he　said　in　hall　next　day；　〃we　are　going　to　drive　to…　morrow。〃　Next　day；　so　soon　as　they　had　lunched；　he　led　the　way　towards　Maltby's；　in　Crosshampton　Lane。　　Something　in　his　bearing　put　a　question　into　Prothero's　mind。　　〃Benham；〃　he　asked；　〃have　you　ever　driven　before？〃　〃NEVER；〃　said　Benham。　〃Well？〃　〃I'm　going　to　now。〃　Something　between　pleasure　and　alarm　came　into　Prothero's　eyes。　　He　quickened　his　pace　so　as　to　get　alongside　his　friend　and　scrutinize　his　pale　determination。　　〃Why　are　you　doing　this？〃　he　asked。　〃I　want　to　do　it。〃　〃Benham；　is　itEQUESTRIAN？〃　Benham　made　no　audible　reply。　　They　proceeded　resolutely　in　silence。　An　air　of　expectation　prevailed　in　Maltby's　yard。　　In　the　shafts　of　a　high；　bleak…looking　vehicle　with　vast　side　wheels；　a　throne…like　vehicle　that　impressed　Billy　Prothero　as　being　a　gig；　a　very　large　angular　black　horse　was　being　harnessed。　〃This　is　mine；〃　said　Benham　compactly。　〃This　is　yours；　sir；〃　said　an　ostler。　〃He　looksQUIET。〃　〃You'll　find　him　fresh　enough；　sir。〃　Benham　made　a　complicated　ascent　to　the　driver's　seat　and　was　handed　the　reins。　　〃Come　on；〃　he　said；　and　Prothero　followed　to　a　less　exalted　seat　at　Benham's　side。　　They　seemed　to　be　at　a　very　great　height　indeed。　　The　horse　was　then　led　out　into　Crosshampton　Lane；　faced　towards　Trinity　Street　and　discharged。　　〃Check；〃　said　Benham；　and　touched　the　steed　with　his　whip。　　They　started　quite　well；　and　the　ostlers　went　back　into　the　yard；　visibly　unanxious。　　It　struck　Prothero　that　perhaps　driving　was　less　difficult　than　he　had　supposed。　They　went　along　Crosshampton　Lane；　that　high…walled　gulley；　with　dignity；　with　only　a　slight　suggestion　of　the　inaccuracy　that　was　presently　to　become　apparent；　until　they　met　a　little　old　bearded　don　on　a　bicycle。　　Then　some　misunderstanding　arose　between　Benham　and　the　horse；　and　the　little　bearded　don　was　driven　into　the　narrow　pavement　and　had　to　get　off　hastily。　　He　made　no　comment；　but　his　face　became　like　a　gargoyle。　　〃Sorry；〃　said　Benham；　and　gave　his　mind　to　the　corner。　　There　was　some　difficulty　about　whether　they　were　to　turn　to　the　right　or　the　left；　but　at　last　Benham；　it　seemed；　carried　his　point；　and　they　went　along　the　narrow　street；　past　the　grey　splendours　of　King's；　and　rather　in　the　middle　of　the　way。　Prothero　considered　the　beast　in　front　of　him