an unsocial socialist-第53章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　order　to　read　Adam　Smith　and　discover　what　on　earth　I　meant　by
my　values　in　use　and　exchange。　I　now　showed　that　the　picture　had
no　value　in　use　to　me；　as　I　disliked　it；　and　that　therefore　I　was
entitled　to　nothing；　and　that　Brown　must　take　back　the　thirty
pounds。　They　were　glad　to　concede　this　also　to　me；　as　they　were
all　artist　friends　of　Brown；　and　wished　him　not　to　lose　money　by
the　transaction；　though　they　of　course　privately　thought　that　the
picture　was；　as　I　described　it；　a　bad　one。　After　that　Brown　and　I
became　very　good　friends。　He　tolerated　my　advances；　at　first　lest
it　should　seem　that　he　was　annoyed　by　my　disparagement　of　his
work。　Subsequently　he　fell　into　my　views　much　as　you　have　done。〃

〃That　is　very　interesting；〃　said　Sir　Charles。　〃What　a　noble
thingrefusing　fifteen　hundred　pounds！　He　could　ill　afford　it；
probably。〃

〃Heroicaccording　to　nineteenth　century　notions　of　heroism。
Voluntarily　to　throw　away　a　chance　of　making　money！　that　is　the
ne　plus　ultra　of　martyrdom。　Brown's　wife　was　extremely　angry　with
him　for　doing　it。〃

〃It　is　an　interesting　storyor　might　be　made　so；〃　said　Erskine。
〃But　you　make　my　head　spin　with　your　confounded　exchange　values
and　stuff。　Everything　is　a　question　of　figures　with　you。〃

〃That　comes　of　my　not　being　a　poet；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃But　we
Socialists　need　to　study　the　romantic　side　of　our　movement　to
interest　women　in　it。　If　you　want　to　make　a　cause　grow；　instruct
every　woman　you　meet　in　it。　She　is　or　will　one　day　be　a　wife；　and
will　contradict　her　husband　with　scraps　of　your　arguments。　A
squabble　will　follow。　The　son　will　listen；　and　will　be　set
thinking　if　he　be　capable　of　thought。　And　so　the　mind　of　the
people　gets　leavened。　I　have　converted　many　young　women。　Most　of
them　know　no　more　of　the　economic　theory　of　Socialism　than　they
know　of　Chaldee；　but　they　no　longer　fear　or　condemn　its　name。　Oh；
I　assure　you　that　much　can　be　done　in　that　way　by　men　who　are　not
afraid　of　women；　and　who　are　not　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　see　the
harvest　they　have　sown　for。〃

〃Take　care。　Some　of　your　lady　proselytes　may　get　the　better　of
you　some　day。　The　future　husband　to　be　contradicted　may　be　Sidney
Trefusis。　Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　Sir　Charles　had　emptied　a　second　large
goblet　of　wine；　and　was　a　little　flushed　and　boisterous。

〃No；〃　said　Trefusis；　〃I　have　had　enough　of　love　myself；　and　am
not　likely　to　inspire　it。　Women　do　not　care　for　men　to　whom；　as
Erskine　says；　everything　is　a　question　of　figures。　I　used　to
flirt　with　women；　now　I　lecture　them；　and　abhor　a　man…flirt　worse
than　I　do　a　woman　one。　Some　more　wine？　Oh；　you　must　not　waste　the
remainder　of　this　bottle。〃

〃I　think　we　had　better　go；　Brandon；〃　said　Erskine；　his　mistrust
of　Trefusis　growing。　〃We　promised　to　be　back　before　two。〃

〃So　you　shall；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃It　is　not　yet　a　quarter　past　one。
By…the…bye；　I　have　not　shown　you　Donovan　Brown's　pet　instrument
for　the　regeneration　of　society。　Here　it　is。　A　monster　petition
praying　that　the　holding　back　from　the　laborer　of　any　portion　of
the　net　value　produced　by　his　labor　be　declared　a　felony。　That　is
all。〃

Erskine　nudged　Sir　Charles；　who　said　hastily；　〃Thank　you；　but　I
had　rather　not　sign　anything。〃

〃A　baronet　sign　such　a　petition！〃　exclaimed　Trefusis。　〃I　did　not
think　of　asking　you。　I　only　show　it　to　you　as　an　interesting
historical　document；　containing　the　autographs　of　a　few　artists
and　poets。　There　is　Donovan　Brown's　for　example。　It　was　he　who
suggested　the　petition；　which　is　not　likely　to　do　much　good；　as
the　thing　cannot　be　done　in　any　such　fashion　However；　I　have
promised　Brown　to　get　as　many　signatures　as　I　can；　so　you　may　as
well　sign　it；　Erskine。　It　says　nothing　in　blank　verse　about　the
holiness　of　slaying　a　tyrant；　but　it　is　a　step　in　the　right
direction。　You　will　not　stick　at　such　a　trifleunless　the
reviews　have　frightened　you。　Come；　your　name　and　address。〃

Erskine　shook　his　head。

〃Do　you　then　only　commit　yourself　to　revolutionary　sentiments
when　there　is　a　chance　of　winning　fame　as　a　poet　by　them？〃

〃I　will　not　sign；　simply　because　I　do　not　choose　to；〃　said
Erskine　warmly。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Trefusis；　almost　affectionately；　〃if　a　man
has　a　conscience　he　can　have　no　choice　in　matters　of　conviction。
I　have　read　somewhere　in　your　book　that　the　man　who　will　not　shed
his　blood　for　the　liberty　of　his　brothers　is　a　coward　and　a
slave。　Will　you　not　shed　a　drop　of　inkmy　ink；　toofor　the
right　of　your　brothers　to　the　work　of　their　hands？　I　at　first
sight　did　not　care　to　sign　this　petition；　because　I　would　as　soon
petition　a　tiger　to　share　his　prey　with　me　as　our　rulers　to　relax
their　grip　of　the　stolen　labor　they　live　on。　But　Donovan　Brown
said　to　me；　'You　have　no　choice。　Either　you　believe　that　the
laborer　should　have　the　fruit　of　his　labor　or　you　do　not。　If　you
do；　put　your　conviction　on　record；　even　if　it　should　be　as
useless　as　Pilate's　washing　his　hands。'　So　I　signed。〃

〃Donovan　Brown　was　right；〃　said　Sir　Charles。　〃I　will　sign。〃　And
he　did　so　with　a　flourish。

〃Brown　will　be　delighted；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃I　will　write　to　him
to…day　that　I　have　got　another　good　signature　for　him。〃

〃Two　more；〃　said　Sir　Charles。　〃You　shall　sign；　Erskine；　hang　me
if　you　shan't！　It　is　only　against　rascals　that　run　away　without
paying　their　men　their　wages。〃

〃Or　that　don't　pay　them　in　full；〃　observed　Trefusis；　with　a
curious　smile。　〃But　do　not　sign　if　you　feel　uncomfortable　about
it。〃

〃If　you　don't　sign　after　me；　you　are　a　sneak；　Chester；〃　said　Sir
Charles。

〃I　don't　know　what　it　means；〃　said　Erskine；　wavering。　〃I　don't
understand　petitions。〃

〃It　means　what　it　says；　you　cannot　be　held　responsible　for　any
meaning　that　is　not　expressed　in　it；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃But　never
mind。　You　mistrust　me　a　little；　I　fancy；　and　would　rather　not
meddle　with　my　petitions；　but　you　will　think　better　of　that　as
you　grow　used　to　me。　Meanwhile；　there　is　no　hurry。　Don't　sign
yet。〃

〃Nonsense！　I　don't　doubt　your　good　faith；〃　said　Erskine；　hastily
disavowing　suspicions　which　he　felt　but　could　not　account　for。
〃Here　goes！〃　And　he　signed。

〃Well　done！〃　said　Trefusis。　〃This　will　make　Brown　happy　for　the
rest　of　the　month。〃

〃It　is　time　for　us　to　go　now；〃　said　Erskine　gloomily。

〃Look　in　upon　me　at　any　time；　you　shall　be　welcome；〃　said
Trefusis。　〃You　need　not　stand　upon　any　sort　of　ceremony。〃

Then　they　parted；　Sir　Charles　assuring　Trefusis　that　he　had　never
spent　a　more　interesting　morning；　and　shaking　hands　with　him　at
considerable　length　three　times。　Erskine　said　little　until　he　was
in　the　Riverside　Road　with　his　friend；　when　he　suddenly　burst
out：

〃What　the　devil　do　you　mean　by　drinking　two　tumblers　of　such
staggering　stuff　at　one　o'clock　in　the　day　in　the　house　of　a
dangerous　man　like　that？　I　am　very　sorry　I　went　into　the　fellow's
place。　I　had　misgivings　about　it；　and　they　have　been　fully　borne
out。〃

〃How　so？〃　said　Sir　Charles；　taken　aback。

〃He　has　overreached　us。　I　was　a　deuced　fool　to　sign　that　paper；
and　so　were　you。　It　was　for　that　that　he　invited　us。〃

〃Rubbish；　my　dear　boy。　It　was　not　his　paper；　but　Donovan
Brown's。〃

〃I　doubt　it。　Most　likely　he　talked　Brown　into　signing　it　just　as
he　talked　us。　I　tell　you　his　ways　are　all　crooked；　like　his
ideas。　Did　you　hear　how　he　lied　about　Miss　Lindsay？〃

〃Oh；　you　were　mistaken　about　that。　He　does　not　care　two　straws
for　her　or　for　anyone。〃

〃Well；　if　you　are　satisfied；　I　am　not。　You　would　not　be　in　such
high　spirits　over　it　if　you　had　taken　as　little　wine　as　I。〃

〃Pshaw！　you're　too　ridiculous。　It　was　capital　wine。　Do　you　mean
to　say　I　am　drunk？〃

〃No。　But　you　would　not　have　signed　if　you　had　not　taken　that
second　goblet。　If　you　had　not　forced　meI　could　not　get　out　of
it　after　you　set　the　exampleI　would　have　seen　him　dd　sooner
than　have　had　anything　to　do　with　his　petition。〃

〃I　don't　see　what　harm　can　come　of　it；〃　said　Sir　Charles；　braving
out　some　secret　disquietude。

〃I　will　never　go　into　his　house　again；〃　said　Erskine　moodily。　〃We
were　just　like　two　flies　in　a　spider's　web。〃

Meanwhile；　Trefusis　was　fulfilling　his　promise　to　write　to
Donovan　Brown。

〃Sallust's　House。

〃Dear　Brown：　I　have　spent　the　forenoon　angl