an unsocial socialist-第40章

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Jane；　despite　her　amplitude；　had　a　small　appetite；　and　was
fearful　of　growing　fat；　whilst　Trefusis　was　systematically
abstemious。　Sir　Charles　was　unusually　silent。　He　was　afraid　to
talk　about　art；　lest　he　should　be　contradicted　by　Trefusis；　who；
he　already　felt；　cared　less　and　perhaps　knew　more　about　it　than
he。　Having　previously　commented　to　Agatha　on　the　beauty　of　the
ripening　spring；　and　inquired　whether　her　journey　had　fatigued
her；　he　had　said　as　much　as　he　could　think　of　at　a　first　meeting。
For　her　part；　she　was　intent　on　Trefusis；　who；　though　he　must
know；　she　thought；　that　they　were　all　hostile　to　him　except　Jane；
seemed　as　confident　now　as　when　he　had　befooled　her　long　ago。
That　thought　set　her　teeth　on　edge。　She　did　not　doubt　the
sincerity　of　her　antipathy　to　him　even　when　she　detected　herself
in　the　act　of　protesting　inwardly　that　she　was　not　glad　to　meet
him　again；　and　that　she　would　not　speak　to　him。　Gertrude；
meanwhile；　was　giving　short　answers　to　Erskine　and　listening　to
Trefusis。　She　had　gathered　from　the　domestic　squabbles　of　the
last　few　days　that　Lady　Brandon；　against　her　husband's　will；　had
invited　a　notorious　demagogue；　the　rich　son　of　a　successful
cotton…spinner；　to　visit　the　Beeches。　She　had　made　up　her　mind　to
snub　any　such　man。　But　on　recognizing　the　long…forgotten　Smilash；
she　had　been　astonished；　and　had　not　known　what　to　do。　So；　to
avoid　doing　anything　improper；　she　had　stood　stilly　silent　and
done　nothing；　as　the　custom　of　English　ladies　in　such　cases　is。
Subsequently；　his　unconscious　self…assertion　had　wrought　with　her
as　with　the　others；　and　her　intention　of　snubbing　him　had　faded
into　the　limbo　of　projects　abandoned　without　trial。　Erskine　alone
was　free　from　the　influence　of　the　intruder。　He　wished　himself
elsewhere；　but　beside　Gertrude　the　presence　or　absence　of　any
other　person　troubled　him　very　little。

〃How　are　the　Janseniuses？〃　said　Trefusis；　suddenly　turning　to
Agatha。

〃They　are　quite　well；　thank　you；〃　she　said　in　measured　tones。

〃I　met　John　Jansenius　in　the　city　lately。　You　know　Jansenius？〃　he
added　parenthetically　to　Sir　Charles。　〃Cotman's　bankthe　last
Cotman　died　out　of　the　firm　before　we　were　born。　The　Chairman　of
the　Transcanadian　Railway　Company。〃

〃I　know　the　name。　I　am　seldom　in　the　city。〃

〃Naturally；〃　assented　Trefusis；　〃for　who　would　sadden　himself　by
pushing　his　way　through　a　crowd　of　such　slaves；　if　he　could　help
it？　I　mean　slaves　of　Mammon；　of　course。　To　run　the　gauntlet　of
their　faces　in　Cornhill　is　enough　to　discourage　a　thoughtful　man
for　hours。　Well；　Jansenius；　being　high　in　the　court　of　Mammon；　is
looking　out　for　a　good　post　in　the　household　for　his　son。
Jansenius；　by…the…bye　is　Miss　Wylie's　guardian　and　the　father　of
my　late　wife。〃

Agatha　felt　inclined　to　deny　this；　but；　as　it　was　true；　she　had
to　forbear。　Resolved　to　show　that　the　relations　between　her
family　and　Trefusis　were　not　cordial　ones；　she　asked
deliberately；　〃Did　Mr。　Jansenius　speak　to　you？〃

Gertrude　looked　up；　as　if　she　thought　this　scarcely　ladylike。

〃Yes；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃We　are　the　best　friends　in　the　worldas
good　as　possible；　at　any　rate。　He　wanted　me　to　subscribe　to　a
fund　for　relieving　the　poor　at　the　east　end　of　London　by
assisting　them　to　emigrate。〃

〃I　presume　you　subscribed　liberally；〃　said　Erskine。　〃It　was　an
opportunity　of　doing　some　practical　good。〃

〃I　did　not；〃　said　Trefusis；　grinning　at　the　sarcasm。　〃This
Transcanadian　Railway　Company；　having　got　a　great　deal　of　spare
land　from　the　Canadian　government　for　nothing；　thought　it　would
be　a　good　idea　to　settle　British　workmen　on　it　and　screw　rent　out
of　them。　Plenty　of　British　workmen；　supplanted　in　their
employment　by　machinery；　or　cheap　foreign　labor；　or　one　thing　or
another；　were　quite　willing　to　go；　but　as　they　couldn't　afford　to
pay　their　passages　to　Canada；　the　Company　appealed　to　the
benevolent　to　pay　for　them　by　subscription；　as　the　change　would
improve　their　miserable　condition。　I　did　not　see　why　I　should　pay
to　provide　a　rich　company　with　tenant　farmers；　and　I　told
Jansenius　so。　He　remarked　that　when　money　and　not　talk　was
required；　the　workmen　of　England　soon　found　out　who　were　their
real　friends。〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　these　questions；〃　said　Sir　Charles；　with　an
air　of　conclusiveness；　〃but　I　see　no　objection　to　emigration〃　The
fact　is；〃　said　Trefusis；　〃the　idea　of　emigration　is　a　dangerous
one　for　us。　Familiarize　the　workman　with　it；　and　some　day　he　may
come　to　see　what　a　capital　thing　it　would　be　to　pack　off　me；　and
you；　with　the　peerage；　and　the　whole　tribe　of　unprofitable
proprietors　such　as　we　are；　to　St。　Helena；　making　us　a　handsome
present　of　the　island　by　way　of　indemnity！　We　are　such　a
restless；　unhappy　lot；　that　I　doubt　whether　it　would　not　prove　a
good　thing　for　us　too。　The　workmen　would　lose　nothing　but　the
contemplation　of　our　elegant　persons；　exquisite　manners；　and
refined　tastes。　They　might　provide　against　that　loss　by　picking
out　a　few　of　us　to　keep　for　ornament's　sake。　No　nation　with　a
sense　of　beauty　would　banish　Lady　Brandon；　or　Miss　Lindsay；　or
Miss　Wylie。〃

〃Such　nonsense！〃　said　Jane。

〃You　would　hardly　believe　how　much　I　have　spent　in　sending
workmen　out　of　the　country　against　my　own　view　of　the　country's
interest；〃　continued　Trefusis；　addressing　Erskine。　〃When　I　make　a
convert　among　the　working　classes；　the　first　thing　he　does　is　to
make　a　speech　somewhere　declaring　his　new　convictions。　His
employer　immediately　discharges　him'gives　him　the　sack'　is　the
technical　phrase。　The　sack　is　the　sword　of　the　capitalist；　and
hunger　keeps　it　sharp　for　him。　His　shield　is　the　law；　made　for
the　purpose　by　his　own　class。　Thus　equipped；　he　gives　the　worst
of　it　to　my　poor　convert；　who　comes　ruined　to　me　for　assistance。
As　I　cannot　afford　to　pension　him　for　life；　I　get　rid　of　him　by
assisting　him　to　emigrate。　Sometimes　he　prospers　and　repays　me；
sometimes　I　hear　no　more　of　him；　sometimes　he　comes　back　with　his
habits　unsettled。　One　man　whom　I　sent　to　America　made　his
fortune；　but　he　was　not　a　social　democrat；　he　was　a　clerk　who　had
embezzled；　and　who　applied　to　me　for　assistance　under　the
impression　that　I　considered　it　rather　meritorious　to　rob　the
till　of　a　capitalist。〃

〃He　was　a　practical　Socialist；　in　fact；〃　said　Erskine。

〃On　the　contrary；　he　was　a　somewhat　too　grasping　Individualist。
Howbeit；　I　enabled　him　to　make　good　his　defalcationin　the　city
they　consider　a　defalcation　made　good　when　the　money　is
replacedand　to　go　to　New　York。　I　recommended　him　not　to　go
there；　but　he　knew　better　than　I；　for　he　made　a　fortune　by
speculating　with　money　that　existed　only　in　the　imagination　of
those　with　whom　he　dealt。　He　never　repaid　me；　he　is　probably　far
too　good　a　man　of　business　to　pay　money　that　cannot　be　extracted
from　him　by　an　appeal　to　the　law　or　to　his　commercial　credit。　Mr。
Erskine；〃　added　Trefusis；　lowering　his　voice；　and　turning　to　the
poet；　〃you　are　wrong　to　take　part　with　hucksters　and
money…hunters　against　your　own　nature；　even　though　the　attack
upon　them　is　led　by　a　man　who　prefers　photography　to　etching。〃

〃But　I　assure　youYou　quite　mistake　me；〃　said　Erskine；　taken
aback。　〃I〃

He　stopped；looked　to　Sir　Charles　for　support；　and　then　said
airily：　〃I　don't　doubt　that　you　are　quite　right。　I　hate　business
and　men　of　business；　and　as　to　social　questions；　I　have　only　one
article　of　belief；　which　is；　that　the　sole　refiner　of　human
nature　is　fine　art。〃

〃Whereas　I　believe　that　the　sole　refiner　of　art　is　human　nature。
Art　rises　when　men　rise；　and　grovels　when　men　grovel。　What　is
your　opinion？〃

〃I　agree　with　you　in　many　ways；〃　replied　Sir　Charles　nervously；
for　a　lack　of　interest　in　his　fellow…creatures；　and　an　excess　of
interest　in　himself；　had　prevented　him　from　obtaining　that　power
of　dealing　with　social　questions　which；　he　felt；　a　baronet　ought
to　possess；　and　he　was　consequently　afraid　to　differ　from　anyone
who　alluded　to　them　with　confidence。　〃If　you　take　an　interest　in
art；　I　believe　I　can　show　you　a　few　things　worth　seeing。〃

〃Thank　you。　In　return　I　will　some　day　show　you　a　remarkable
collection　of　photographs　I　possess；　many　of　them　taken　by　me。　I
venture　to　think　they　w