the new machiavelli-第26章

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to　my　uncle's　house　and　lavish　abundance　of　money　and　more　or　less　

furtive　flirtations　and　the　tinkle　of　Moskowski　and　Chaminade。　　It　

was；　I　say；　diagrammatic。　　One　saw　the　expropriator　and　the　

expropriatedas　if　Marx　had　arranged　the　picture。　　It　was　as　

jumbled　and　far　more　dingy　and　disastrous　than　any　of　the　confusions　

of　building　and　development　that　had　surrounded　my　youth　at　

Bromstead　and　Penge；　but　it　had　a　novel　quality　of　being　explicable。　　

I　found　great　virtue　in　the　word　〃exploitation。〃



There　stuck　in　my　mind　as　if　it　was　symbolical　of　the　whole　thing　

the　twisted　figure　of　a　man；　whose　face　had　been　horribly　scaldedI　

can't　describe　how；　except　that　one　eye　was　just　expressionless　

whiteand　he　ground　at　an　organ　bearing　a　card　which　told　in　weak　

and　bitterly　satirical　phrasing　that　he　had　been　scalded　by　the　hot　

water　from　the　tuyeres　of　the　blast　furnace　of　Lord　Pandram's　works。　　

He　had　been　scalded　and　quite　inadequately　compensated　and　

dismissed。　　And　Lord　Pandram　was　worth　half　a　million。



That　upturned　sightless　white　eye　of　his　took　possession　of　my　

imagination。　　I　don't　think　that　even　then　I　was　swayed　by　any　crude　

melodramatic　conception　of　injustice。　　I　was　quite　prepared　to　

believe　the　card　wasn't　a　punctiliously　accurate　statement　of　fact；　

and　that　a　case　could　be　made　out　for　Lord　Pandram。　　Still　there　in　

the　muddy　gutter；　painfully　and　dreadfully；　was　the　man；　and　he　was　

smashed　and　scalded　and　wretched；　and　he　ground　his　dismal　

hurdygurdy　with　a　weary　arm；　calling　upon　Heaven　and　the　passer…by　

for　help；　for　help　and　some　sort　of　rightingone　could　not　imagine　

quite　what。　　There　he　was　as　a　fact；　as　a　by…product　of　the　system　

that　heaped　my　cousins　with　trinkets　and　provided　the　comic　novels　

and　the　abundant　cigars　and　spacious　billiard…room　of　my　uncle's　

house。　　I　couldn't　disconnect　him　and　them。



My　uncle　on　his　part　did　nothing　to　conceal　the　state　of　war　that　

existed　between　himself　and　his　workers；　and　the　mingled　contempt　

and　animosity　he　felt　from　them。







3





Prosperity　had　overtaken　my　uncle。　　So　quite　naturally　he　believed　

that　every　man　who　was　not　as　prosperous　as　he　was　had　only　himself　

to　blame。　　He　was　rich　and　he　had　left　school　and　gone　into　his　

father's　business　at　fifteen；　and　that　seemed　to　him　the　proper　age　

at　which　everyone's　education　should　terminate。　　He　was　very　anxious　

to　dissuade　me　from　going　up　to　Cambridge；　and　we　argued　

intermittently　through　all　my　visit。



I　had　remembered　him　as　a　big　and　buoyant　man；　striding　

destructively　about　the　nursery　floor　of　my　childhood；　and　saluting　

my　existence　by　slaps；　loud　laughter；　and　questions　about　half　

herrings　and　half　eggs　subtly　framed　to　puzzle　and　confuse　my　mind。　　

I　didn't　see　him　for　some　years　until　my　father's　death；　and　then　he　

seemed　rather　smaller；　though　still　a　fair　size；　yellow　instead　of　

red　and　much　less　radiantly　aggressive。　　This　altered　effect　was　due　

not　so　much　to　my　own　changed　perspectives；　I　fancy；　as　to　the　facts　

that　he　was　suffering　for　continuous　cigar　smoking；　and　being　taken　

in　hand　by　his　adolescent　daughters　who　had　just　returned　from　

school。



During　my　first　visit　there　was　a　perpetual　series　ofthe　only　word　

is　rows；　between　them　and　him。　　Up　to　the　age　of　fifteen　or　

thereabouts；　he　had　maintamed　his　ascendancy　over　them　by　simple　

old…fashioned　physical　chastisement。　　Then　after　an　interlude　of　a　

year　it　had　dawned　upon　them　that　power　had　mysteriously　departed　

from　him。　　He　had　tried　stopping　their　pocket　money；　but　they　found　

their　mother　financially　amenable；　besides　which　it　was　fundamental　

to　my　uncle's　attitude　that　he　should　give　them　money　freely。　　Not　

to　do　so　would　seem　like　admitting　a　difficulty　in　making　it。　　So　

that　after　he　had　stopped　their　allowances　for　the　fourth　time　Sybil　

and　Gertrude　were　prepared　to　face　beggary　without　a　qualm。　　It　had　

been　his　pride　to　give　them　the　largest　allowance　of　any　girls　at　

the　school；　not　even　excepting　the　granddaughter　of　Fladden　the　

Borax　King；　and　his　soul　recoiled　from　this　discipline　as　it　had　

never　recoiled　from　the　ruder　method　of　the　earlier　phase。　　Both　

girls　had　developed　to　a　high　pitch　in　their　mutual　recriminations　a　

gift　for　damaging　retort；　and　he　found　it　an　altogether　deadlier　

thing　than　the　power　of　the　raised　voice　that　had　always　cowed　my　

aunt。　　Whenever　he　became　heated　with　them；　they　frowned　as　if　

involuntarily；　drew　in　their　breath　sharply；　said：　〃Daddy；　you　

really　must　not　say　〃　and　corrected　his　pronunciation。　　Then；　at　a　

great　advantage；　they　resumed　the　discussion。　。　。　。



My　uncle's　views　about　Cambridge；　however；　were　perfectly　clear　and　

definite。　　It　was　waste　of　time　and　money。　　It　was　all　damned　

foolery。　　Did　they　make　a　man　a　better　business　man？　　Not　a　bit　of　

it。　　He　gave　instances。　　It　spoilt　a　man　for　business　by　giving　him　

〃false　ideas。〃　　Some　men　said　that　at　college　a　man　formed　useful　

friendships。　　What　use　were　friendships　to　a　business　man？　　He　might　

get　to　know　lords；　but；　as　my　uncle　pointed　out；　a　lord's　

requirements　in　his　line　of　faience　were　little　greater　than　a　

common　　man's。　　If　college　introduced　him　to　hotel　proprietors　there　

might　be　something　in　it。　　Perhaps　it　helped　a　man　into　Parliament；　

Parliament　still　being　a　confused　retrogressive　corner　in　the　world　

where　lawyers　and　suchlike　sheltered　themselves　from　the　onslaughts　

of　common…sense　behind　a　fog　of　Latin　and　Greek　and　twaddle　and　

tosh；　but　I　wasn't　the　sort　to　go　into　Parliament；　unless　I　meant　to　

be　a　lawyer。　　Did　I　mean　to　be　a　lawyer？　　It　cost　no　end　of　money；　

and　was　full　of　uncertainties；　and　there　were　no　judges　nor　great　

solicitors　among　my　relations。　　〃Young　chaps　think　they　get　on　by　

themselves；〃　said　my　uncle。　　It　isn't　so。　　Not　unless　they　take　

their　coats　off。　　I　took　mine　off　before　I　was　your　age　by　nigh　a　

year。〃



We　were　at　cross　purposes　from　the　outset；　because　I　did　not　think　

men　lived　to　make　money；　and　I　was　obtuse　to　the　hints　he　was　

throwing　out　at　the　possibilities　of　his　own　potbank；　not　willfully　

obtuse；　but　just　failing　to　penetrate　his　meaning。　　Whatever　City　

Merchants　had　or　had　not　done　for　me；　Flack；　Topham　and　old　Gates　

had　certainly　barred　my　mistaking　the　profitable　production　and　sale　

of　lavatory　basins　and　bathroom　fittings　for　the　highest　good。　　It　

was　only　upon　reflection　that　it　dawned　upon　me　that　the　splendid　

chance　for　a　young　fellow　with　my　uncle；　〃me；　having　no　son　of　my　

own；〃　was　anything　but　an　illustration　for　comparison　with　my　own　

chosen　career。



I　still　remember　very　distinctly　my　uncle's　talk；he　loved　to　speak　

〃reet　Staffordshire〃his　rather　flabby　face　with　the　mottled　

complexion　that　told　of　crude　ill…regulated　appetites；　his　clumsy　

gestureshe　kept　emphasising　his　points　by　prodding　at　me　with　his　

fingerthe　ill…worn；　costly；　grey　tweed　clothes；　the　watch　chain　of　

plain　solid　gold；　and　soft　felt　hat　thrust　back　from　his　head。　　He　

tackled　me　first　in　the　garden　after　lunch；　and　then　tried　to　raise　

me　to　enthusiasm　by　taking　me　to　his　potbank　and　showing　me　its　

organisation；　from　the　dusty　grinding　mills　in　which　whitened　men　

worked　and　coughed；　through　the　highly　ventilated　glazing　room　in　

which　strangely　masked　girls　looked　ashamed　of　themselves；〃They'll　

risk　death；　the　fools；　to　show　their　faces　to　a　man；〃　said　my　uncle；　

quite　audiblyto　the　firing　kilns　and　the　glazing　kilns；　and　so　

round　the　whole　place　to　the　railway　siding　and　the　gratifying　

spectacle　of　three　trucks　laden　with　executed　orders。



Then　we　went　up　a　creaking　outside　staircase　to　his　little　office；　

and　he　showed　off　before　me　for　a　while；　with　one　or　two　

subordinates　and　the　telephone。



〃None　of　your　Gas；〃　he　said；　〃all　this。　　It's　Real　every　bit　of　it。　　

Hard　cash　and　hard　glaze。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said；　with　memories　of　a　carelessly　read　pamphlet　in　my　

mind；　and　without　any　satirical　intention；　〃I　suppose　you　MUST　use　

lead　in　your　glazes？〃



Whereupon　I　found　I　had　tapped　the　ruling　grievance　of　my　uncle's　

life。　　He　hated　leadless　glazes　more　than　he　hated　anything；　except　

the　benevolent　people　who　had　organised　the　agitation　for　their　use。　　

〃Leadless　glazes　ain't　only　fit　for　buns；〃　he　said。　　〃Let　me　tell　

you；　my　boy〃



He　began　in　a　voice　of　bland　persuasiveness　that　presently　warmed　to　

anger；　to　explain　the　whole　matter。　　I　hadn't　the　rights　of　the　

matter　at　all。　　Firstly；　there　was　practically　no　such　thing　as　lead　

poisoning。　　Secondly；　not　everyone　was　liable　to　lead　poisoning；　and　

it　would　be　quite　easy　to　pick　out　the　susceptible　typesas　soon　as　

they　had　itand　put　them　to　other　work。　　Thirdly；　the　evil　effects　

of　lead　poisoning　were　much　exaggerated。　　Fourthly；　and　this　was　in　

a　particularly　confidential　undertone；　many　of　the　people　liked　to　

get　lead　poisoning；　especially　the　women；　because　it　caused　

abortion。　　I　might　not　believe　it；　but　he　knew　it　for　a　fact。　　

Fifthly；　the　work…people　simply　would　not　learn　the　gravity　of　the　

danger；　and　would　eat　with　unwashed　hands；　and　incur　all　sorts　of　

risks；　so　that　as　my　uncle　put　it：　〃the　fools　deserve　what　they　

get。〃　　Sixthly；　he　and　several　associated　firms　had　organised　a　

simple　and　generous　insurance　scheme　against　lead…poisoning　risks。　　

Seventhly；　he　never　wearied　in　rational　（as　distinguished　from　

excessive；　futile　and　expensive）　precautions　against　the　disease。　　

Eighthly；　in　the　ill…equipped　shops　of　his　minor　competitors　lead　

poisoning　was　a　frequent　and　virulent　evil；　and　people　had　

generalised　from　these　exceptional　cases。　　The　small　shops；　he　

hazarded；　looking　out　of　the　cracked　and　dirty　window　at　distant　

chimneys；　might　be　advantageously　closed。　。　。　。



〃But　what's　the　good　of　talking？〃　said　my　uncle；　getting　off　the　

table　on　which　he　had　been　sitting。　　〃Seems　to　me　there'll　come　a　

time　when　a　master　will　get　fined　if　he　don't　run　round　the　works　

blowing　his　girls　noses　for　them。　　That's　about　what　it'll　come　to。〃



He　walked　to　the　black　mantelpiece　and　stood　on　the　threadbare　rug；　

and　urged　me　not　to　be　misled　by　the　stories　of　prejudiced　and　

interested　enemies　of　our　national　industries。



〃They'll　get　a　strike　one　of　these　days；　of　employers；　and　then　

we'll　see　a　bit；〃　he　said。　　〃They'll　drive　Capital　abroad　and　then　

they'll　whistle　to　get　it　back　again。〃　。　。　。



He　led　the　way　down　the　shaky　wooden　steps　and　cheered　up　to　tell　me　

of　his　way　of　checking　his　coal　consumption。　　He　exchanged　a　

ferocious　greeting　with　one　or　two　workpeople；　and　so　we　came　out　of　

the　factory　gates　into　the　ugly　narrow　streets；　paved　with　a　

peculiarly　hard　diapered　brick　of　an　unpleasing　inky…blue　colour；　

and　bordered　with　the　mean　and　squalid　homes　of　his　workers。　　Doors　

stood　open　and　showed