the new machiavelli-第58章

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want　to　stop　the　sale　of　ink　and　paper　because　those　things　tempt　

men　to　forgery。　　We　do　already　threaten　the　privacy　of　the　post　

because　of　betting　tout's　letters。　　The　drift　of　all　that　kind　of　

thing　is　narrow；　unimaginative；　mischievous；　stupid。　。　。　。〃



I　stopped　short　and　walked　to　the　window　and　surveyed　a　pretty　

fountain；　facsimile　of　one　in　Verona；　amidst　trim…cut　borderings　of　

yew。　　Beyond；　and　seen　between　the　stems　of　ilex　trees；　was　a　great　

blaze　of　yellow　flowers。　。　。　。



〃But　prevention；〃　I　heard　Margaret　behind　me；　〃is　the　essence　of　our　

work。〃



I　turned。　　〃There's　no　prevention　but　education。　　There's　no　

antiseptics　in　life　but　love　and　fine　thinking。　　Make　people　fine；　

make　fine　people。　　Don't　be　afraid。　　These　Tory　leaders　are　better　

people　individually　than　the　average；　why　cast　them　for　the　villains　

of　the　piece？　　The　real　villain　in　the　piecein　the　whole　human　

dramais　the　muddle…headedness；　and　it　matters　very　little　if　it's　

virtuous…minded　or　wicked。　　I　want　to　get　at　muddle…headedness。　　If　

I　could　do　that　I　could　let　all　that　you　call　wickedness　in　the　

world　run　about　and　do　what　it　jolly　well　pleased。　　It　would　matter　

about　as　much　as　a　slightly　neglected　dogin　an　otherwise　well…

managed　home。〃



My　thoughts　had　run　away　with　me。



〃I　can't　understand　you；〃　said　Margaret；　in　the　profoundest　

distress。　　〃I　can't　understand　how　it　is　you　are　coming　to　see　

things　like　this。〃







10





The　moods　of　a　thinking　man　in　politics　are　curiously　evasive　and　

difficult　to　describe。　　Neither　the　public　nor　the　historian　will　

permit　the　statesman　moods。　　He　has　from　the　first　to　assume　he　has　

an　Aim；　a　definite　Aim；　and　to　pretend　to　an　absolute　consistency　

with　that。　　Those　subtle　questionings　about　the　very　fundamentals　of　

life　which　plague　us　all　so　relentlessly　nowadays　are　supposed　to　be　

silenced。　　He　lifts　his　chin　and　pursues　his　Aim　explicitly　in　the　

sight　of　all　men。　　Those　who　have　no　real　political　experience　can　

scarcely　imagine　the　immense　mental　and　moral　strain　there　is　

between　one's　everyday　acts　and　utterances　on　the　one　hand　and　the　

〃thinking…out〃　process　on　the　other。　　It　is　perplexingly　difficult　

to　keep　in　your　mind；　fixed　and　firm；　a　scheme　essentially　complex；　

to　keep　balancing　a　swaying　possibility　while　at　the　same　time　under　

jealous；　hostile；　and　stupid　observation　you　tread　your　part　in　the　

platitudinous；　quarrelsome；　ill…presented　march　of　affairs。　。　。　。



The　most　impossible　of　all　autobiographies　is　an　intellectual　

autobiography。　　I　have　thrown　together　in　the　crudest　way　the　

elements　of　the　problem　I　struggled　with；　but　I　can　give　no　record　

of　the　subtle　details；　I　can　tell　nothing　of　the　long　vacillations　

between　Protean　values；　the　talks　and　re…talks；　the　meditations；　the　

bleak　lucidities　of　sleepless　nights。　。　。　。



And　yet　these　things　I　have　struggled　with　must　be　thought　out；　and；　

to　begin　with；　they　must　be　thought　out　in　this　muddled；　

experimenting　way。　　To　go　into　a　study　to　think　about　statecraft　is　

to　turn　your　back　on　the　realities　you　are　constantly　needing　to　

feel　and　test　and　sound　if　your　thinking　is　to　remain　vital；　to　

choose　an　aim　and　pursue　it　in　despite　of　all　subsequent　

questionings　is　to　bury　the　talent　of　your　mind。　　It　is　no　use　

dealing　with　the　intricate　as　though　it　were　simple；　to　leap　

haphazard　at　the　first　course　of　action　that　presents　itself；　the　

whole　world　of　politicians　is　far　too　like　a　man　who　snatches　a　

poker　to　a　failing　watch。　　It　is　easy　to　say　he　wants　to　〃get　

something　done；〃　but　the　only　sane　thing　to　do　for　the　moment　is　to　

put　aside　that　poker　and　take　thought　and　get　a　better　implement。　。　。　。



One　of　the　results　of　these　fundamental　preoccupations　of　mine　was　a　

curious　irritability　towards　Margaret　that　I　found　difficult　to　

conceal。　　It　was　one　of　the　incidental　cruelties　of　our　position　

that　this　should　happen。　　I　was　in　such　doubt　myself；　that　I　had　no　

power　to　phrase　things　for　her　in　a　form　she　could　use。　　Hitherto　I　

had　stage…managed　our　〃serious〃　conversations。　　Now　I　was　too　much　

in　earnest　and　too　uncertain　to　go　on　doing　this。　　I　avoided　talk　

with　her。　　Her　serene；　sustained　confidence　in　vague　formulae　and　

sentimental　aspirations　exasperated　me；　her　want　of　sympathetic　

apprehension　made　my　few　efforts　to　indicate　my　changing　attitudes　

distressing　and　futile。　　It　wasn't　that　I　was　always　thinking　right；　

and　that　she　was　always　saying　wrong。　　It　was　that　I　was　struggling　

to　get　hold　of　a　difficult　thing　that　was；　at　any　rate；　half　true；　I　

could　not　gauge　how　true；　and　that　Margaret's　habitual　phrasing　

ignored　these　elusive　elements　of　truth；　and　without　premeditation　

fitted　into　the　weaknesses　of　my　new　intimations；　as　though　they　had　

nothing　but　weaknesses。　　It　was；　for　example；　obvious　that　these　big　

people；　who　were　the　backbone　of　Imperialism　and　Conservatism；　were　

temperamentally　lax；　much　more　indolent；　much　more　sensuous；　than　

our　deliberately　virtuous　Young　Liberals。　　I　didn't　want　to　be　

reminded　of　that；　just　when　I　was　in　full　effort　to　realise　the　

finer　elements　in　their　composition。　　Margaret　classed　them　and　

disposed　of　them。　　It　was　our　incurable　differences　in　habits　and　

gestures　of　thought　coming　between　us　again。



The　desert　of　misunderstanding　widened。　　I　was　forced　back　upon　

myself　and　my　own　secret　councils。　　For　a　time　I　went　my　way　alone；　

an　unmixed　evil　for　both　of　us。　　Except　for　that　Pentagram　evening；　

a　series　of　talks　with　Isabel　Rivers；　who　was　now　becoming　more　and　

more　important　in　my　intellectual　life；　and　the　arguments　I　

maintained　with　Crupp；　I　never　really　opened　my　mind　at　all　during　

that　period　of　indecisions；　slow　abandonments；　and　slow　

acquisitions。







CHAPTER　THE　THIRD



SECESSION







1





At　last；　out　of　a　vast　accumulation　of　impressions；　decision　

distilled　quite　suddenly。　　I　succumbed　to　Evesham　and　that　dream　of　

the　right　thing　triumphant　through　expression。　　I　determined　I　would　

go　over　to　the　Conservatives；　and　use　my　every　gift　and　power　on　the　

side　of　such　forces　on　that　side　as　made　for　educational　

reorganisation；　scientific　research；　literature；　criticism；　and　

intellectual　development。　　That　was　in　1909。　　I　judged　the　Tories　

were　driving　straight　at　a　conflict　with　the　country；　and　I　thought　

them　bound　to　incur　an　electoral　defeat。　　I　under…estimated　their　

strength　in　the　counties。　　There　would　follow；　I　calculated；　a　

period　of　profound　reconstruction　in　method　and　policy　alike。　　I　was　

entirely　at　one　with　Crupp　in　perceiving　in　this　an　immense　

opportunity　for　the　things　we　desired。　　An　aristocracy　quickened　by　

conflict　and　on　the　defensive；　and　full　of　the　idea　of　justification　

by　reconstruction；　might　prove　altogether　more　apt　for　thought　and　

high　professions　than　Mrs。　Redmondson's　spoilt　children。　　Behind　the　

now　inevitable　struggle　for　a　reform　of　the　House　of　Lords；　there　

would　be　great　heart　searchings　and　educational　endeavour。　　On　that　

we　reckoned。　。　。　。



At　last　we　talked　it　out　to　the　practical　pitch；　and　Crupp　and　

Shoesmith；　and　I　and　Gane；　made　our　definite　agreement　together。　。　。　。



I　emerged　from　enormous　silences　upon　Margaret　one　evening。



She　was　just　back　from　the　display　of　some　new　musicians　at　the　

Hartsteins。　　I　remember　she　wore　a　dress　of　golden　satin；　very　rich…

looking　and　splendid。　　About　her　slender　neck　there　was　a　rope　of　

gold…set　amber　beads。　　Her　hair　caught　up　and　echoed　and　returned　

these　golden　notes。　　I；　too；　was　in　evening　dress；　but　where　I　had　

been　escapes　me；some　forgotten　dinner；　I　suppose。　　I　went　into　her　

room。　　I　remember　I　didn't　speak　for　some　moments。　　I　went　across　to　

the　window　and　pulled　the　blind　aside；　and　looked　out　upon　the　

railed　garden　of　the　square；　with　its　shrubs　and　shadowed　turf　

gleaming　pallidly　and　irregularly　in　the　light　of　the　big　electric　


standard　in　the　corner。



〃Margaret；〃　I　said；　〃I　think　I　shall　break　with　the　party。〃



She　made　no　answer。　　I　turned　presently；　a　movement　of　enquiry。



〃I　was　afraid　you　meant　to　do　that；〃　she　said。



〃I'm　out　of　touch；〃　I　explained。　　〃Altogether。〃



〃Oh！　I　know。〃



〃It　places　me　in　a　difficult　position；〃　I　said。



Margaret　stood　at　her　dressing…table；　looking　steadfastly　at　herself　

in　the　glass；　and　with　her　fingers　playing　with　a　litter　of　

stoppered　bottles　of　tinted　glass。　　〃I　was　afraid　it　was　coming　to　

this；〃　she　said。



〃In　a　way；〃　I　said；　〃we've　been　allies。　　I　owe　my　seat　to　you。　　I　

couldn't　have　gone　into　Parliament。　。　。　。〃



〃I　don't　want　considerations　like　that　to　affect　us；〃　she　

interrupted。



There　was　a　pause。　　She　sat　down　in　a　chair　by　her　dressing…table；　

lifted　an　ivory　hand…glass；　and　put　it　down　again。



〃I　wish；〃　she　said；　with　something　like　a　sob　in　her　voice；　〃it　were　

possible　that　you　shouldn't　do　this。〃　　She　stopped　abruptly；　and　I　

did　not　look　at　her；　because　I　could　feel　the　effort　she　was　making　

to　control　herself。



〃I　thought；〃　she　began　again；　〃when　you　came　into　Parliament〃



There　came　another　silence。　　〃It's　all　gone　so　differently；〃　she　

said。　　〃Everything　has　gone　so　differently。〃



I　had　a　sudden　memory　of　her；　shining　triumphant　after　the　

Kinghampstead　election；　and　for　the　first　time　I　realised　just　how　

perplexing　and　disappointing　my　subsequent　career　must　have　been　to　

her。



〃I'm　not　doing　this　without　consideration；〃　I　said。



〃I　know；〃　she　said；　in　a　voice　of　despair；　〃I've　seen　it　coming。　　

ButI　still　don't　understand　it。　　I　don't　understand　how　you　can　go　

over。〃



〃My　ideas　have　changed　and　developed；〃　I　said。



I　walked　across　to　her　bearskin　hearthrug；　and　stood　by　the　mantel。



〃To　think　that　you；〃　she　said；　〃you　who　might　have　been　leader〃　　

She　could　not　finish　it。　　〃All　the　forces　of　reaction；〃　she　threw　

out。



〃I　don't　think　they　are　the　forces　of　reaction；〃　I　said。　　〃I　think　I　

can　find　work　to　dobetter　work　on　that　side。〃



〃Against　us！〃　she　said。　　〃As　if　progress　wasn't　hard　enough！　　As　if　

it　didn't　call　upon　every　able　man！〃



〃I　don't　think　Liberalism　has　a　monopoly　of　progress。〃



She　did　not　answer　that。　　She　sat　quite　still　looking　in　front　of　

her。　　〃WHY　have　you　gone　over？〃　she　asked　abruptly　as　though　I　had　

said　nothing。



There　came　a　silence　that　I　was　impelled　to　end。　　I　began　a　stiff　

dissertation　from　the　hearthrug。　　〃I　am　going　over；　because　I　think　

I　may　join　in　an　intellectual　renascence　on　the　Conservative　side。　　

I　think　that　in　the　coming　struggle　there　will　be　a　partial　and　

altogether　confused　and　demoralising　victory　for　democracy；　that　

will　stir　the　classes　which　now　dominate　the　Conservative　party　into　

an　energetic　revival。　　They　will　set　out　to　win　back；　and　win