all roads lead to calvary-第49章

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or　their　opponents。　　The　bloodthirsty　preachers　of　peace。　The　moralists　who　had　persuaded　themselves　that　every　wrong　was　justified　provided　one　were　fighting　for　the　right。　　The　deaf　shouters　for　justice。　　The　excellent　intentioned　men　and　women　labouring　for　reforms　that　could　only　be　hoped　for　when　greed　and　prejudice　had　yielded　place　to　reason；　and　who　sought　to　bring　about　their　ends　by　appeals　to　passion　and　self…interest。

And　the　insincere；　the　self…seekers；　the　self…advertisers！　　Those　who　were　in　the　business　for　even　coarser　profit！　　The　lime…light　lovers　who　would　always　say　and　do　the　clever；　the　unexpected　thing　rather　than　the　useful　and　the　helpful　thing：　　to　whom　paradox　was　more　than　principle。

Ought　there　not　to　be　a　school　for　reformers；　a　training　college　where　could　be　inculcated　self…examination；　patience；　temperance；　subordination　to　duty；　with　lectures　on　the　fundamental　laws；　within　which　all　progress　must　be　accomplished；　outside　which　lay　confusion　and　explosions；　with　lectures　on　history；　showing　how　improvements　had　been　brought　about　and　how　failure　had　been　invited；　thus　avoiding　much　waste　of　reforming　zeal；　with　lectures　on　the　properties　and　tendencies　of　human　nature；　forbidding　the　attempt　to　treat　it　as　a　sum　in　rule　of　three？

There　were　the　others。　　The　men　and　women　not　in　the　lime…light。　The　lone；　scattered　men　and　women　who　saw　no　flag　but　Pity's　ragged　skirt；　who　heard　no　drum　but　the　world's　low　cry　of　pain；　who　fought　with　feeble　hands　against　the　wrong　around　them；　who　with　aching　heart　and　troubled　eyes　laboured　to　make　kinder　the　little　space　about　them。　　The　great　army　of　the　nameless　reformers　uncheered；　unparagraphed；　unhonoured。　　The　unknown　sowers　of　the　seed。　　Would　the　reapers　of　the　harvest　remember　them？

Beyond　giving　up　her　visits　to　the　house；　she　had　made　no　attempt　to　avoid　meeting　Phillips；　and　at　public　functions　and　at　mutual　friends　they　sometimes　found　themselves　near　to　one　another。　　It　surprised　her　that　she　could　see　him；　talk　to　him；　and　even　be　alone　with　him　without　its　troubling　her。　　He　seemed　to　belong　to　a　part　of　her　that　lay　dead　and　buriedsomething　belonging　to　her　that　she　had　thrust　away　with　her　own　hands：　　that　she　knew　would　never　come　back　to　her。

She　was　still　interested　in　his　work　and　keen　to　help　him。　　It　was　going　to　be　a　stiff　fight。　　He　himself；　in　spite　of　Carleton's　opposition；　had　been　returned　with　an　increased　majority；　but　the　Party　as　a　whole　had　suffered　loss；　especially　in　the　counties。　The　struggle　centred　round　the　agricultural　labourer。　　If　he　could　be　won　over　the　Government　would　go　ahead　with　Phillips's　scheme。　Otherwise　there　was　danger　of　its　being　shelved。　　The　difficulty　was　the　old　problem　of　how　to　get　at　the　men　of　the　scattered　villages；　the　lonely　cottages。　　The　only　papers　that　they　ever　saw　were　those；　chiefly　of　the　Carleton　group；　that　the　farmers　and　the　gentry　took　care　should　come　within　their　reach；　that　were　handed　to　them　at　the　end　of　their　day's　work　as　a　kindly　gift；　given　to　the　school　children　to　take　home　with　them；　supplied　in　ample　numbers　to　all　the　little　inns　and　public…houses。　　In　all　these；　Phillips　was　held　up　as　their　arch　enemy；　his　proposal　explained　as　a　device　to　lower　their　wages；　decrease　their　chances　of　employment；　and　rob　them　of　the　produce　of　their　gardens　and　allotments。　　No　arguments　were　used。　　A　daily　stream　of　abuse；　misrepresentation　and　deliberate　lies；　set　forth　under　flaming　headlines；　served　their　simple　purpose。　　The　one　weekly　paper　that　had　got　itself　established　among　them；　that　their　fathers　had　always　taken；　that　dimly　they　had　come　to　look　upon　as　their　one　friend；　Carleton　had　at　last　succeeded　in　purchasing。　　When　that；　too；　pictured　Phillips's　plan　as　a　diabolical　intent　to　take　from　them　even　the　little　that　they　had；　and　give　it　to　the　loafing　socialist　and　the　bloated　foreigner；　no　room　for　doubt　was　left　to　them。

He　had　organized　volunteer　cycle　companies　of　speakers　from　the　towns；　young　working…men　and　women　and　students；　to　go　out　on　summer　evenings　and　hold　meetings　on　the　village　greens。　　They　were　winning　their　way。　　But　it　was　slow　work。　　And　Carleton　was　countering　their　efforts　by　a　hired　opposition　that　followed　them　from　place　to　place；　and　whose　interruptions　were　made　use　of　to　represent　the　whole　campaign　as　a　fiasco。

〃He's　clever；〃　laughed　Phillips。　　〃I'd　enjoy　the　fight；　if　I'd　only　myself　to　think　of；　and　life　wasn't　so　short。〃

The　laugh　died　away　and　a　shadow　fell　upon　his　face。

〃If　I　could　get　a　few　of　the　big　landlords　to　come　in　on　my　side；〃　he　continued；　〃it　would　make　all　the　difference　in　the　world。　They're　sensible　men；　some　of　them；　and　the　whole　thing　could　be　carried　out　without　injury　to　any　legitimate　interest。　　I　could　make　them　see　that；　if　I　could　only　get　them　quietly　into　a　corner。〃

〃But　they're　frightened　of　me；〃　he　added；　with　a　shrug　of　his　broad　shoulders；　〃and　I　don't　seem　to　know　how　to　tackle　them。〃

Those　drawing…rooms？　　Might　not　something　of　the　sort　be　possible？　Not；　perhaps；　the　sumptuous　salon　of　her　imagination；　thronged　with　the　fair　and　famous；　suitably　attired。　　Something；　perhaps；　more　homely；　more　immediately　attainable。　　Some　of　the　women　dressed；　perhaps；　a　little　dowdily；　not　all　of　them　young　and　beautiful。　The　men　wise；　perhaps；　rather　than　persistently　witty；　a　few　of　them　prosy；　maybe　a　trifle　ponderous；　but　solid　and　influential。　Mrs。　Denton's　great　empty　house　in　Gower　Street？　　A　central　situation　and　near　to　the　tube。　　Lords　and　ladies　had　once　ruffled　there；　trod　a　measure　on　its　spacious　floors；　filled　its　echoing　stone　hall　with　their　greetings　and　their　partings。　　The　gaping　sconces；　where　their　link…boys　had　extinguished　their　torches；　still　capped　its　grim　iron　railings。

Seated　in　the　great；　sombre　library；　Joan　hazarded　the　suggestion。　Mrs。　Denton　might　almost　have　been　waiting　for　it。　　It　would　be　quite　easy。　　A　little　opening　of　long　fastened　windows；　a　lighting　of　chill　grates；　a　little　mending　of　moth…eaten　curtains；　a　sweeping　away　of　long…gathered　dust　and　cobwebs。

Mrs。　Denton　knew　just　the　right　people。　　They　might　be　induced　to　bring　their　sons　and　daughtersit　might　be　their　grandchildren；　youth　being　there　to　welcome　them。　　For　Joan；　of　course；　would　play　her　part。

The　lonely　woman　touched　her　lightly　on　the　hand。　　There　shot　a　pleading　look　from　the　old　stern　eyes。

〃You　will　have　to　imagine　yourself　my　daughter；〃　she　said。　　〃You　are　taller；　but　the　colouring　was　the　same。　　You　won't　mind；　will　you？〃

The　right　people　did　come：　　Mrs。　Denton　being　a　personage　that　a　landed　gentry；　rendered　jumpy　by　the　perpetual　explosion　of　new　ideas　under　their　very　feet；　and　casting　about　eagerly　for　friends；　could　not　afford　to　snub。　　A　kindly；　simple　folk；　quite　intelligent；　some　of　them；　as　Phillips　had　surmised。　　Mrs。　Denton　made　no　mystery　of　why　she　had　invited　them。　　Why　should　all　questions　be　left　to　the　politicians　and　the　journalists？　　Why　should　not　the　people　interested　take　a　hand；　meet　and　talk　over　these　little　matters　with　quiet　voices　and　attentive　ears；　amid　surroundings　where　the　unwritten　law　would　restrain　ladies　and　gentlemen　from　addressing　other　ladies　and　gentlemen　as　blood…　suckers　or　anarchists；　as　grinders　of　the　faces　of　the　poor　or　as　oily…tongued　rogues；　arguments　not　really　conducive　to　mutual　understanding　and　the　bridging　over　of　differences。　　The　latest　Russian　dancer；　the　last　new　musical　revue；　the　marvellous　things　that　can　happen　at　golf；　the　curious　hands　that　one　picks　up　at　bridge；　the　eternal　fox；　the　sacred　bird！　　Excellent　material　for　nine…tenths　of　our　conversation。　　But　the　remaining　tenth？　　Would　it　be　such　excruciatingly　bad　form　for　us　to　be　intelligent；　occasionally；　say；　on　one　or　two　Fridays　during　the　season？　　Mrs。　Denton　wrapped　it　up　tactfully；　but　that　was　her　daring　suggestion。

It　took　them　aback　at　first。　　There　were　people　who　did　this　sort　of　thing。　　People　of　no　class；　who　called　themselves　names　and　took　up　things。　　But　for　people　of　social　standing　to　talk　about　serious　subjectsexcept；　perhaps；　in　bed　to　one's　wife！　　It　sounded　so　un…　English。

With　the　elders　it　was　sense　of　duty　th