an unsocial socialist-第25章

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whatever　with　the　young　ladies　in　my　charge。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　I　choose。〃

〃There　is　much　force　in　that　reason；　Miss　Wilson；　but　it　is　not
moral　force　in　the　sense　conveyed　by　your　college　prospectus；
which　I　have　read　with　great　interest。〃

Miss　Wilson；　since　her　quarrel　with　Agatha；　had　been　sore　on　the
subject　of　moral　force。　〃No　one　is　admitted　here；〃　she　said；
〃without　a　trustworthy　introduction　or　recommendation。　A　disguise
is　not　a　satisfactory　substitute　for　either。〃

〃Disguises　are　generally　assumed　for　the　purpose　of　concealing
crime；〃　he　remarked　sententiously。

〃Precisely　so；〃　she　said　emphatically。

〃Therefore；　I　bear；　to　say　the　least；　a　doubtful　character。
Nevertheless；　I　have　formed　with　some　of　the　students　here　a
slight　acquaintance；　of　which；　it　seems；　you　disapprove。　You　have
given　me　no　good　reason　why　I　should　discontinue　that
acquaintance；　and　you　cannot　control　me　except　by　your　wisha
sort　of　influence　not　usually　effective　with　doubtful　characters。
Suppose　I　disregard　your　wish；　and　that　one　or　two　of　your　pupils
come　to　you　and　say：　'Miss　Wilson；　in　our　opinion　Smilash　is　an
excellent　fellow；　we　find　his　conversation　most　improving。　As　it
is　your　principle　to　allow　us　to　exercise　our　own　judgment；　we
intend　to　cultivate　the　acquaintance　of　Smilash。'　How　will　you
act　in　that　case？〃

〃Send　them　home　to　their　parents　at　once。〃

〃I　see　that　your　principles　are　those　of　the　Church　of　England。
You　allow　the　students　the　right　of　private　judgment　on　condition
that　they　arrive　at　the　same　conclusions　as　you。　Excuse　my　saying
that　the　principles　of　the　Church　of　England；　however　excellent；
are　not　those　your　prospectus　led　me　to　hope　for。　Your　plan　is
coercion；　stark　and　simple。〃

〃I　do　not　admit　it；〃　said　Miss　Wilson；　ready　to　argue；　even　with
Smilash；　in　defence　of　her　system。　〃The　girls　are　quite　at
liberty　to　act　as　they　please；　but　I　reserve　my　equal　liberty　to
exclude　them　from　my　college　if　I　do　not　approve　of　their
behavior。〃

〃Just　so。　In　most　schools　children　are　perfectly　at　liberty　to
learn　their　lessons　or　not；　just　as　they　please；　but　the
principal　reserves　an　equal　liberty　to　whip　them　if　they　cannot
repeat　their　tasks。〃

〃I　do　not　whip　my　pupils；〃　said　Miss　Wilson　indignantly。　〃The
comparison　is　an　outrage。〃

〃But　you　expel　them；　and；　as　they　are　devoted　to　you　and　to　the
place；　expulsion　is　a　dreaded　punishment。　Yours　is　the　old　system
of　making　laws　and　enforcing　them　by　penalties；　and　the
superiority　of　Alton　College　to　other　colleges　is　due；　not　to　any
difference　of　system；　but　to　the　comparative　reasonableness　of
its　laws　and　the　mildness　and　judgment　with　which　they　are
enforced。〃

〃My　system　is　radically　different　from　the　old　one。　However；　I
will　not　discuss　the　matter　with　you。　A　mind　occupied　with　the
prejudices　of　the　old　coercive　despotism　can　naturally　only　see
in　the　new　a　modification　of　the　old；　instead　of；　as　my　system
is；　an　entire　reversal　or　abandonment　of　it。〃

He　shook　his　head　sadly　and　said：　〃You　seek　to　impose　your　ideas
on　others；　ostracizing　those　who　reject　them。　Believe　me；　mankind
has　been　doing　nothing　else　ever　since　it　began　to　pay　some
attention　to　ideas。　It　has　been　said　that　a　benevolent　despotism
is　the　best　possible　form　of　government。　I　do　not　believe　that
saying；　because　I　believe　another　one　to　the　effect　that　hell　is
paved　with　benevolence；　which　most　people；　the　proverb　being　too
deep　for　them；　misinterpret　as　unfulfilled　intentions。　As　if　a
benevolent　despot　might　not　by　any　error　of　judgment　destroy　his
kingdom；　and　then　say；　like　Romeo　when　he　got　his　friend　killed；
'I　thought　all　for　the　best！'　Excuse　my　rambling。　I　meant　to　say；
in　short；　that　though　you　are　benevolent　and　judicious　you　are
none　the　less　a　despot。〃

Miss　Wilson；　at　a　loss　for　a　reply；　regretted　that　she　had　not；
before　letting　him　gain　so　far　on　her；　dismissed　him　summarily
instead　of　tolerating　a　discussion　which　she　did　not　know　how　to
end　with　dignity。　He　relieved　her　by　adding　unexpectedly：

〃Your　system　was　the　cause　of　my　absurd　marriage。　My　wife
acquired　a　degree　of　culture　and　reasonableness　from　her　training
here　which　made　her　seem　a　superior　being　among　the　chatterers
who　form　the　female　seasoning　in　ordinary　society。　I　admired　her
dark　eyes；　and　was　only　too　glad　to　seize　the　excuse　her
education　offered　me　for　believing　her　a　match　for　me　in　mind　as
well　as　in　body。〃

Miss　Wilson；　astonished；　determined　to　tell　him　coldly　that　her
time　was　valuable。　But　curiosity　took　possession　of　her　in　the
act　of　utterance；　and　the　words　that　came　were；　〃Who　was　she？〃

〃Henrietta　Jansenius。　She　is　Henrietta　Trefusis；　and　I　am　Sidney
Trefusis；　at　your　mercy。　I　see　I　have　aroused　your　compassion　at
last。〃

〃Nonsense！〃　said　Miss　Wilson　hastily；　for　her　surprise　was　indeed
tinged　by　a　feeling　that　he　was　thrown　away　on　Henrietta。

〃I　ran　away　from　her　and　adopted　this　retreat　and　this　disguise
in　order　to　avoid　her。　The　usual　rebuke　to　human　forethought
followed。　I　ran　straight　into　her　armsor　rather　she　ran　into
mine。　You　remember　the　scene；　and　were　probably　puzzled　by　it。〃

〃You　seem　to　think　your　marriage　contract　a　very　light　matter；
Mr。　Trefusis。　May　I　ask　whose　fault　was　the　separation？　Hers；　of
course。〃

〃I　have　nothing　to　reproach　her　with。　I　expected　to　find　her
temper　hasty；　but　it　was　not　soher　behavior　was
unexceptionable。　So　was　mine。　Our　bliss　was　perfect；　but
unfortunately；　I　was　not　made　for　domestic　blissat　all　events　I
could　not　endure　itso　I　fled；　and　when　she　caught　me　again　I
could　give　no　excuse　for　my　flight；　though　I　made　it　clear　to　her
that　I　would　not　resume　our　connubial　relations　just　yet。　We
parted　on　bad　terms。　I　fully　intended　to　write　her　a　sweet　letter
to　make　her　forgive　me　in　spite　of　herself；　but　somehow　the　weeks
have　slipped　away　and　I　am　still　fully　intending。　She　has　never
written；　and　I　have　never　written。　This　is　a　pretty　state　of
things；　isn't　it；　Miss　Wilson；　after　all　her　advantages　under　the
influence　of　moral　force　and　the　movement　for　the　higher
education　of　women？〃

〃By　your　own　admission；　the　fault　seems　to　lie　upon　your　moral
training　and　not　upon　hers。〃

〃The　fault　was　in　the　conditions　of　our　association。　Why　they
should　have　attracted　me　so　strongly　at　first；　and　repelled　me　so
horribly　afterwards；　is　one　of　those　devil's　riddles　which　will
not　be　answered　until　we　shall　have　traced　all　the　yet
unsuspected　reactions　of　our　inveterate　dishonesty。　But　I　am
wasting　your　time；　I　fear。　You　sent　for　Smilash；　and　I　have
responded　by　practically　annihilating　him。　In　public；　however；
you　must　still　bear　with　his　antics。　One　moment　more。　I　had
forgotten　to　ask　you　whether　you　are　interested　in　the　shepherd
whose　wife　you　sheltered　on　the　night　of　the　storm？〃

〃He　assured　me；　before　he　took　his　wife　away；　that　he　was
comfortably　settled　in　a　lodging　in　Lyvern。〃

〃Yes。　Very　comfortably　settled　indeed。　For　half…a…crown　a　week　he
obtained　permission　to　share　a　spacious　drawing…room　with　two
other　families　in　a　ten…roomed　house　in　not　much　better　repair
than　his　blown…down　hovel。　This　house　yields　to　its　landlord　over
two　hundred　a　year；　or　rather　more　than　the　rent　of　a　commodious
mansion　in　South　Kensington。　It　is　a　troublesome　rent　to　collect；
but　on　the　other　hand　there　is　no　expenditure　for　repairs　or
sanitation；　which　are　not　considered　necessary　in　tenement
houses。　Our　friend　has　to　walk　three　miles　to　his　work　and　three
miles　back。　Exercise　is　a　capital　thing　for　a　student　or　a　city
clerk；　but　to　a　shepherd　who　has　been　in　the　fields　all　day；　a
long　walk　at　the　end　of　his　work　is　somewhat　too　much　of　a　good
thing。　He　begged　for　an　increase　of　wages　to　compensate　him　for
the　loss　of　the　hut；　but　Sir　John　pointed　out　to　him　that　if　he
was　not　satisfied　his　place　could　be　easily　filled　by　less
exorbitant　shepherds。　Sir　John　even　condescended　to　explain　that
the　laws　of　political　economy　bind　employers　to　buy　labor　in　the
cheapest　market；　and　our　poor　friend；　just　as　ignorant　of
economics　as　Sir　John；　of　course　did　not　know　that　this　was
untrue。　However；　as　labor　is　actually　so　purch