the new machiavelli-第27章

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followed　the　visit　of　Chris　Robinson。　　Chris　Robinson　was　heralded　

by　such　heroic　anticipations；　and　he　was　so　entirely　what　we　had　not　

anticipated。




Hatherleigh　got　him　to　come；　arranged　a　sort　of　meeting　for　him　at　

Redmayne's　rooms　in　King's；　and　was　very　proud　and　proprietorial。　　

It　failed　to　stir　Cambridge　at　all　profoundly。　　Beyond　a　futile　

attempt　to　screw　up　Hatherleigh　made　by　some　inexpert　duffers　who　

used　nails　instead　of　screws　and　gimlets；　there　was　no　attempt　to　

rag。　　Next　day　Chris　Robinson　went　and　spoke　at　Bennett　Hall　in　

Newnham　College；　and　left　Cambridge　in　the　evening　amidst　the　cheers　

of　twenty　men　or　so。　　Socialism　was　at　such　a　low　ebb　politically　in　

those　days　that　it　didn't　even　rouse　men　to　opposition。



And　there　sat　Chris　under　that　flamboyant　and　heroic　Worker　of　the　

poster；　a　little　wrinkled　grey…bearded　apologetic　man　in　ready…made　

clothes；　with　watchful　innocent　brown　eyes　and　a　persistent　and　

invincible　air　of　being　out　of　his　element。　　He　sat　with　his　stout　

boots　tucked　up　under　his　chair；　and　clung　to　a　teacup　and　saucer　

and　looked　away　from　us　into　the　fire；　and　we　all　sat　about　on　

tables　and　chair…arms　and　windowsills　and　boxes　and　anywhere　except　

upon　chairs　after　the　manner　of　young　men。　　The　only　other　chair　

whose　seat　was　occupied　was　the　one　containing　his　knitted　woollen　

comforter　and　his　picturesque　old　beach…photographer's　hat。　　We　were　

all　shy　and　didn't　know　how　to　take　hold　of　him　now　we　had　got　him；　

and；　which　was　disconcertingly　unanticipated；　he　was　manifestly　

having　the　same　difficulty　with　us。　　We　had　expected　to　be　gripped。



〃I'll　not　be　knowing　what　to　say　to　these　Chaps；〃　he　repeated　with　a　

north…country　quality　in　his　speech。



We　made　reassuring　noises。



The　Ambassador　of　the　Workers　stirred　his　tea　earnestly　through　an　

uncomfortable　pause。



〃I'd　best　tell　'em　something　of　how　things　are　in　Lancashire；　what　

with　the　new　machines　and　all　that；〃　he　speculated　at　last　with　red　

reflections　in　his　thoughtful　eyes。



We　had　an　inexcusable　dread　that　perhaps　he　would　make　a　mess　of　the　

meeting。



But　when　he　was　no　longer　in　the　unaccustomed　meshes　of　refined　

conversation；　but　speaking　with　an　audience　before　him；　he　became　a　

different　man。　　He　declared　he　would　explain　to　us　just　exactly　what　

socialism　was；　and　went　on　at　once　to　an　impassioned　contrast　of　

social　conditions。　　〃You　young　men；〃　he　said　〃come　from　homes　of　

luxury；　every　need　you　feel　is　supplied〃



We　sat　and　stood　and　sprawled　about　him；　occupying　every　inch　of　

Redmayne's　floor　space　except　the　hearthrug…platform；　and　we　

listened　to　him　and　thought　him　over。　　He　was　the　voice　of　wrongs　

that　made　us　indignant　and　eager。　　We　forgot　for　a　time　that　he　had　

been　shy　and　seemed　not　a　little　incompetent；　his　provincial　accent　

became　a　beauty　of　his　earnest　speech；　we　were　carried　away　by　his　

indignations。　　We　looked　with　shining　eyes　at　one　another　and　at　the　

various　dons　who　had　dropped　in　and　were　striving　to　maintain　a　

front　of　judicious　severity。　　We　felt　more　and　more　that　social　

injustice　must　cease；　and　cease　forthwith。　　We　felt　we　could　not　

sleep　upon　it。　　At　the　end　we　clapped　and　murmured　our　applause　and　

wanted　badly　to　cheer。



Then　like　a　lancet　stuck　into　a　bladder　came　the　heckling。　　Denson；　

that　indolent；　liberal…minded　sceptic；　did　most　of　the　questioning。　　

He　lay　contorted　in　a　chair；　with　his　ugly　head　very　low；　his　legs　

crossed　and　his　left　boot　very　high；　and　he　pointed　his　remarks　with　

a　long　thin　hand　and　occasionally　adjusted　the　unstable　glasses　that　

hid　his　watery　eyes。　　〃I　don't　want　to　carp；〃　he　began。　　〃The　

present　system；　I　admit；　stands　condemned。　　Every　present　system　

always　HAS　stood　condemned　in　the　minds　of　intelligent　men。　　But　

where　it　seems　to　me　you　get　thin；　is　just　where　everybody　has　been　

thin；　and　that's　when　you　come　to　the　remedy。〃



〃Socialism；〃　said　Chris　Robinson；　as　if　it　answered　everything；　and　

Hatherleigh　said　〃Hear！　Hear！〃　very　resolutely。



〃I　suppose　I　OUGHT　to　take　that　as　an　answer；〃　said　Denson；　getting　

his　shoulder…blades　well　down　to　the　seat　of　his　chair；　〃but　I　

don't。　　I　don't；　you　know。　　It's　rather　a　shame　to　cross…examine　you　

after　this　fine　address　of　yours〃Chris　Robinson　on　the　hearthrug　

made　acquiescent　and　inviting　noises〃but　the　real　question　

remains　how　exactly　are　you　going　to　end　all　these　wrongs？　　There　

are　the　admimstrative　questions。　　If　you　abolish　the　private　owner；　

I　admit　you　abolish　a　very　complex　and　clumsy　way　of　getting　

businesses　run；　land　controlled　and　things　in　general　administered；　

but　you　don't　get　rid　of　the　need　of　administration；　you　know。〃



〃Democracy；〃　said　Chris　Robinson。



〃Organised　somehow；〃　said　Denson。　　〃And　it's　just　the　How　perplexes　

me。　　I　can　quite　easily　imagine　a　socialist　state　administered　in　a　

sort　of　scrambling　tumult　that　would　be　worse　than　anything　we　have　

got　now。



〃Nothing　could　be　worse　than　things　are　now；〃　said　Chris　Robinson。　　

〃I　have　seen　little　children〃



〃I　submit　life　on　an　ill…provisioned　raft；　for　example；　could　easily　

be　worseor　life　in　a　beleagured　town。〃



Murmurs。



They　wrangled　for　some　time；　and　it　had　the　effect　upon　me　of　coming　

out　from　the　glow　of　a　good　matinee　performance　into　the　cold　

daylight　of　late　afternoon。　　Chris　Robinson　did　not　shine　in　

conflict　with　Denson；　he　was　an　orator　and　not　a　dialectician；　and　

he　missed　Denson's　points　and　displayed　a　disposition　to　plunge　into　

untimely　pathos　and　indignation。　　And　Denson　hit　me　curiously　hard　

with　one　of　his　shafts。　　〃Suppose；〃　he　said；　〃you　found　yourself　

prime　minister〃



I　looked　at　Chris　Robinson；　bright…eyed　and　his　hair　a　little　

ruffled　and　his　whole　being　rhetorical；　and　measured　him　against　the　

huge　machine　of　government　muddled　and　mysterious。　　Oh！　but　I　was　

perplexed！



And　then　we　took　him　back　to　Hatherleigh's　rooms　and　drank　beer　and　

smoked　about　him　while　he　nursed　his　knee　with　hairy　wristed　hands　

that　protruded　from　his　flannel　shirt；　and　drank　lemonade　under　the　

cartoon　of　that　emancipated　Worker；　and　we　had　a　great　discursive　

talk　with　him。



〃Eh！　you　should　see　our　big　meetings　up　north？〃　he　said。



Denson　had　ruffled　him　and　worried　him　a　good　deal；　and　ever　and　

again　he　came　back　to　that　discussion。　　〃It's　all　very　easy　for　your　

learned　men　to　sit　and　pick　holes；〃　he　said；　〃while　the　children　

suffer　and　die。　　They　don't　pick　holes　up　north。　　They　mean　

business。〃



He　talked；　and　that　was　the　most　interesting　part　of　it　all；　of　his　

going　to　work　in　a　factory　when　he　was　twelve〃　when　you　Chaps　were　

all　with　your　mammies　〃and　how　he　had　educated　himself　of　nights　

until　he　would　fall　asleep　at　his　reading。



〃It's　made　many　of　us　keen　for　all　our　lives；〃　he　remarked；　〃all　

that　clemming　for　education。　　Why！　I　longed　all　through　one　winter　

to　read　a　bit　of　Darwin。　　I　must　know　about　this　Darwin　if　I　die　for　

it；　I　said。　　And　I　couldno'　get　the　book。〃



Hatherleigh　made　an　enthusiastic　noise　and　drank　beer　at　him　with　

round　eyes　over　the　mug。



〃Well；　anyhow　I　wasted　no　time　on　Greek　and　Latin；〃　said　Chris　

Robinson。　　〃And　one　learns　to　go　straight　at　a　thing　without　

splitting　straws。　　One　gets　hold　of　the　Elementals。〃



（Well；　did　they？　　That　was　the　gist　of　my　perplexity。）



〃One　doesn't　quibble；〃　he　said；　returning　to　his　rankling　memory　of　

Denson；　〃while　men　decay　and　starve。〃



〃But　suppose；〃　I　said；　suddenly　dropping　into　opposition；　〃the　

alternatve　is　to　risk　a　worse　disasteror　do　something　patently　

futile。〃



〃I　don't　follow　that；〃　said　Chris　Robinson。　　〃We　don't　propose　

anything　futile；　so　far　as　I　can　see。〃





6





The　prevailing　force　in　my　undergraduate　days　was　not　Socialism　but　

Kiplingism。　　Our　set　was　quite　exceptional　in　its　socialistic　

profess