the new machiavelli-第42章

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with　rising　eyebrows；　shy。　　It　seemed　an　opportunity　too　rare　for　

them　to　miss。　　They　proclaimed　her　enthusiasm　for　me　in　a　way　that　

brought　a　flush　to　her　cheek　and　a　look　into　her　eye　between　appeal　

and　defiance。　　They　declared　she　had　read　my　books；　which　I　thought　

at　the　time　was　exaggeration；　their　dry　political　quality　was　so　

distinctly　not　what　one　was　accustomed　to　regard　as　schoolgirl　

reading。　　Miss　Gamer　protested　to　protect　her；　〃When　once　in　a　blue　

moon　Isabel　is　well…behaved。　。　。　。！〃



Except　for　these　attacks　I　do　not　remember　much　of　the　conversation　

at　table；　it　was；　I　know；　discursive　and　concerned　with　the　sort　of　

topographical　and　social　and　electioneering　fact　natural　to　such　a　

visit。　　Old　Rivers　struck　me　as　a　delightful　person；　modestly　

unconscious　of　his　doubly…earned　V。　C。　and　the　plucky　defence　of　

Kardin…Bergat　that　won　his　baronetcy。　　He　was　that　excellent　type；　

the　soldier　radical；　and　we　began　that　day　a　friendship　that　was　

only　ended　by　his　death　in　the　hunting…field　three　years　later。　　He　

interested　Margaret　into　a　disregard　of　my　plate　and　the　fact　that　I　

had　secured　the　illegal　indulgence　of　Moselle。　　After　lunch　we　went　

for　coffee　into　another　low　room；　this　time　brown　panelled　and　

looking　through　French　windows　on　a　red…walled　garden；　graceful　even　

in　its　winter　desolation。　　And　there　the　conversation　suddenly　

picked　up　and　became　good。　　It　had　fallen　to　a　pause；　and　the　

doctor；　with　an　air　of　definitely　throwing　off　a　mask　and　wrecking　

an　established　tranquillity；　remarked：　〃Very　probably　you　Liberals　

will　come　in；　though　I'm　not　sure　you'll　come　in　so　mightily　as　you　

think；　but　what　you　do　when　you　do　come　in　passes　my　comprehension。〃



〃There's　good　work　sometimes；〃　said　Sir　Graham；　〃in　undoing。〃



〃You　can't　govern　a　great　empire　by　amending　and　repealing　the　Acts　

of　your　predecessors；〃　said　the　doctor。



There　came　that　kind　of　pause　that　happens　when　a　subject　is　

broached　too　big　and　difficult　for　the　gathering。　　Margaret's　blue　

eyes　regarded　the　speaker　with　quiet　disapproval　for　a　moment；　and　

then　came　to　me　in　the　not　too　confident　hope　that　I　would　snub　him　

out　of　existence　with　some　prompt　rhetorical　stroke。　　A　voice　spoke　

out　of　the　big　arm…chair。



〃We'll　do　things；〃　said　Isabel。



The　doctor's　eye　lit　with　the　joy　of　the　fisherman　who　strikes　his　

fish　at　last。　　〃What　will　you　do？〃　he　asked　her。



〃Every　one　knows　we're　a　mixed　lot；〃　said　Isabel。



〃Poor　old　chaps　like　me！〃　interjected　the　general。



〃But　that's　not　a　programme；〃　said　the　doctor。



〃But　Mr。　Remington　has　published　a　programme；〃　said　Isabel。



The　doctor　cocked　half　an　eye　at　me。



〃In　some　review；〃　the　girl　went　on。　　〃After　all；　we're　not　going　to　

elect　the　whole　Liberal　party　in　the　Kinghamstead　Division。　　I'm　a　

Remington…ite！〃



〃But　the　programme；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃the　programme〃



〃In　front　of　Mr。　Remington！〃



〃Scandal　always　comes　home　at　last；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃Let　him　hear　

the　worst。〃



〃I'd　like　to　hear；〃　I　said。　　〃Electioneering　shatters　convictions　

and　enfeebles　the　mind。〃



〃Not　mine；〃　said　Isabel　stoutly。　　〃I　meanWell；　anyhow　I　take　it　

Mr。　Remington　stands　for　constructing　a　civilised　state　out　of　this　

muddle。〃



〃THIS　muddle；〃　protested　the　doctor　with　an　appeal　of　the　eye　to　the　

beautiful　long　room　and　the　ordered　garden　outside　the　bright　clean　

windows。



〃Well；　THAT　muddle；　if　you　like！　　There's　a　slum　within　a　mile　of　us　

already。　　The　dust　and　blacks　get　worse　and　worse；　Sissie？〃



〃They　do；〃　agreed　Miss　Gamer。



〃Mr。　Remington　stands　for　construction；　order；　education；　discipline。〃



〃And　you？〃　said　the　doctor。



〃I'm　a　good　Remington…ite。〃



〃Discipline！〃　said　the　doctor。



〃Oh！〃　said　Isabel。　　〃At　times　one　has　to　beNapoleonic。　　They　want　

to　libel　me；　Mr。　Remington。　　A　political　worker　can't　always　be　in　

time　for　meals；　can　she？　　At　times　one　has　to　makesplendid　cuts。〃



Miss　Gamer　said　something　indistinctly。



〃Order；　education；　discipline；〃　said　Sir　Graham。　　〃Excellent　things！　　

But　I've　a　sort　of　memoryin　my　young　dayswe　talked　about　

something　called　liberty。〃



〃Liberty　under　the　law；〃　I　said；　with　an　unexpected　approving　murmur　

from　Margaret；　and　took　up　the　defence。　　〃The　old　Liberal　definition　

of　liberty　was　a　trifle　uncritical。　　Privilege　and　legal　

restrictions　are　not　the　only　enemies　of　liberty。　　An　uneducated；　

underbred；　and　underfed　propertyless　man　is　a　man　who　has　lost　the　

possibility　of　liberty。　　There's　no　liberty　worth　a　rap　for　him。　　A　

man　who　is　swimming　hopelessly　for　life　wants　nothing　but　the　

liberty　to　get　out　of　the　water；　he'll　give　every　other　liberty　for　

ituntil　he　gets　out。〃



Sir　Graham　took　me　up　and　we　fell　into　a　discussion　of　the　changing　

qualities　of　Liberalism。　　It　was　a　good　give…and…take　talk；　

extraordinarily　refreshing　after　the　nonsense　and　crowding　secondary　

issues　of　the　electioneering　outside。　　We　all　contributed　more　or　

less　except　Miss　Gamer；　Margaret　followed　with　knitted　brows　and　

occasional　interjections。　　〃People　won't　SEE　that；〃　for　example；　and　

〃It　all　seems　so　plain　to　me。〃　　The　doctor　showed　himself　clever　but　

unsubstantial　and　inconsistent。　　Isabel　sat　back　with　her　black　mop　

of　hair　buried　deep　in　the　chair　looking　quickly　from　face　to　face。　　

Her　colour　came　and　went　with　her　vivid　intellectual　excitement；　

occasionally　she　would　dart　a　word；　usually　a　very　apt　word；　like　a　

lizard's　tongue　into　the　discussion。　　I　remember　chiefly　that　a　

chance　illustration　betrayed　that　she　had　read　Bishop　Burnet。　。　。　。



After　that　it　was　not　surprising　that　Isabel　should　ask　for　a　lift　

in　our　car　as　far　as　the　Lurky　Committee　Room；　and　that　she　should　

offer　me　quite　sound　advice　EN　ROUTE　upon　the　intellectual　

temperament　of　the　Lurky　gasworkers。



On　the　third　occasion　that　I　saw　Isabel　she　was；　as　I　have　said；　

climbing　a　treeand　a　very　creditable　treefor　her　own　private　

satisfaction。　　It　was　a　lapse　from　the　high　seriousness　of　politics；　

and　I　perceived　she　felt　that　I　might　regard　it　as　such　and　attach　

too　much　importance　to　it。　　I　had　some　difficulty　in　reassuring　her。　　

And　it's　odd　to　note　nowit　has　never　occurred　to　me　beforethat　

from　that　day　to　this　I　do　not　think　I　have　ever　reminded　Isabel　of　

that　encounter。



And　after　that　memory　she　seems　to　be　flickering　about　always　in　the　

election；　an　inextinguishable　flame；　now　she　flew　by　on　her　bicycle；　

now　she　dashed　into　committee　rooms；　now　she　appeared　on　doorsteps　

in　animated　conversation　with　dubious　voters；　I　took　every　chance　I　

could　to　talk　to　herI　had　never　met　anything　like　her　before　in　

the　world；　and　she　interested　me　immenselyand　before　the　polling　

day　she　and　I　had　become；　in　the　frankest　simplicity；　fast　

friends。　。　。　。



That；　I　think；　sets　out　very　fairly　the　facts　of　our　early　

relationship。　　But　it　is　hard　to　get　it　true；　either　in　form　or　

texture；　because　of　the　bright；　translucent；　coloured；　and　

refracting　memories　that　come　between。　　One　forgets　not　only　the　

tint　and　quality　of　thoughts　and　impressions　through　that　

intervening　haze；　one　forgets　them　altogether。　　I　don't　remember　now　

that　I　ever　thought　in　those　days　of　passionate　love　or　the　

possibility　of　such　love　between　us。　　I　may　have　done　so　again　and　

again。　　But　I　doubt　it　very　strongly。　　I　don't　think　I　ever　thought　

of　such　aspects。　　I　had　no　more　sense　of　any　danger　between　us；　

seeing　the　years　and　things　that　separated　us；　than　I　could　have　had　

if　she　had　been　an　intelligent　bright…eyed　bird。　　Isabel　came　into　

my　life　as　a　new　sort　of　thing；　she　didn't　join　on　at　all　to　my　

previous　experiences　of　womanhood。　　They　were　not；　as　I　have　

laboured　to　explain；　either　very　wide　or　very　penetrating　

experiences；　on　the　whole；　〃strangled　dinginess〃　expresses　them；　but　

I　do　not　believe　they　were　narrower　or　shallower　than　those　of　many　

other　men　of　my　class。　　I　thought　of　women　as　pretty　things　and　

beautiful　things；　pretty　rather　than　beautiful；　attractive　and　at　

times　disconcertingly　attractive；　often　bright　and　witty；　but；　

because　of　the　vast　reservations　that　hid　them　from　me；　wanting；　

subtly　and　inevitably　wanting；　in　understanding。　　My　idealisation　of　

Margaret　had　evaporated　insensibly　after　our　marriage。　　The　shrine　I　

had　made　for　her　in　my　private　thoughts　stood　at　last　undisguisedly　

empty。　　But　Isabel　did　not　for　a　moment　admit　of　either　idealisation　

or　interested　contempt。　　She　opened　a　new　sphere　of　womanhood　to　me。　　

With　her　steady　amber…brown　eyes；　her　unaffected　interest　in　

impersonal　things；　her　upstanding　waistless　blue　body；　her　energy；　

decision　and　courage；　she　seemed　rather　some　new　and　infinitely　

finer　form　of　boyhood　than　a　feminine　creature；　as　I　had　come　to　

measure　femininity。　　She　was　my　perfect　friend。　　Could　I　have　

foreseen；　had　my　world　been　more　wisely　planned；　to　this　day　we　

might　have　been　such　friends。



She　seemed　at　that　time　unconscious　of　sex；　though　she　has　told　me　

since　how　full　she　was　of　protesting　curiosities　and　restrained　

emotions。　　She　spoke；　as　indeed　she　has　always　spoken；　simply；　

clearly；　and　vividly；　schoolgirl　slang　mingled　with　words　that　

marked　ample　voracious　reading；　and　she　moved　quickly　with　the　free　

directness　of　some　graceful　young　animal。　　She　took　many　of　the　easy　

freedoms　a　man　or　a　sister　might　have　done　with　me。　　She　would　touch　

my　arm；　lay　a　hand　on　my　shoulder　as　I　sat；　adjust　the　lapel　of　a　

breast…pocket　as　she　talked　to　me。　　She　says　now　she　loved　me　always　

from　the　beginning。　　I　doubt　if　there　was　a　suspicion　of　that　in　her　

mind　those　days。　　I　used　to　find　her　regarding　me　with　the　clearest；　

steadiest　gaze　in　the　world；　exactly　like　the　gaze　of　some　nice　

healthy　innocent　animal　in　a　forest；　interested；　inquiring；　

speculative；　but　singularly　untroubled。　。　。　。







5





Polling　day　came　after　a　last　hoarse　and　dingy　crescendo。　　The　

excitement　was　not　of　the　sort　that　makes　one　forget　one　is　tired　

out。　　The　waiting　for　the　end　of　the　count　has　left　a　long　blank　

mark　on　my　memory；　and　then　everyone　was　shaking　my　hand　and　

repeating：　〃Nine　hundred　and　seventy…six。〃



My　success　had　been　a　foregone　conclusion　since　the　afternoon；　but　

we　all　behaved　as　though　we　had　not　been　anticipating　this　result　

for　hours；　as　though　any　other　figures　but　nine　hundred　and　seventy…

six　would　have　meant　something　entirely　different。　　〃Nine　hundred　

and　seventy…six！〃　said　Margaret。　　〃They　didn't　expect　three　

hundred。〃



〃Nine　hundred　and　seventy…six；〃　said　a　little　short　man　with　a　

paper。　　〃It　means　a　big　turnover。　　Two　dozen　short　of　a　thousand；　

you　know。〃



A　tremendous　hullaboo　began　outside；　and　a　lot　of　fresh　people　came　

into　the　room。



Isabel；　flushed　but　not　ou