the new machiavelli-第34章

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of　shining　shameless　ungracious　self…approval。　　As　he　and　I　went　

along　in　the　cool　morning　sunshine　by　the　rice　fields　in　the　throat　

of　the　Val　Maggia　a　silence　fell　between　us。



〃You　know？〃　I　said　abruptly；〃about　that　woman？〃



Willersley　did　not　answer　for　a　moment。　　He　looked　at　me　over　the　

corner　of　his　spectacles。



〃Things　went　pretty　far？〃　he　asked。



〃Oh！　all　the　way！〃　and　I　had　a　twinge　of　fatuous　pride　in　my　

unpremeditated　achievement。



〃She　came　to　your　room？〃



I　nodded。



〃I　heard　her。　　I　heard　her　whispering。　。　。　。　　The　whispering　and　

rustling　and　so　on。　　I　was　in　my　room　yesterday。　。　。　。　　Any　one　

might　have　heard　you。〃



I　went　on　with　my　head　in　the　air。



〃You　might　have　been　caught；　and　that　would　have　meant　endless　

trouble。　　You　might　have　incurred　all　sorts　of　consequences。　　What　

did　you　know　about　her？　。　。　。　　We　have　wasted　four　days　in　that　hot　

close　place。　　When　we　found　that　League　of　Social　Service　we　were　

talking　about；〃　he　said　with　a　determined　eye　upon　me；　〃chastity　

will　be　first　among　the　virtues　prescribed。〃



〃I　shall　form　a　rival　league；〃　I　said　a　little　damped。　　〃I'm　hanged　

if　I　give　up　a　single　desire　in　me　until　I　know　why。〃



He　lifted　his　chin　and　stared　before　him　through　his　glasses　at　

nothing。　　〃There　are　some　things；〃　he　said；　〃that　a　man　who　means　to　

workto　do　great　public　servicesMUST　turn　his　back　upon。　　I'm　not　

discussing　the　rights　or　wrongs　of　this　sort　of　thing。　　It　happens　

to　be　the　conditions　we　work　under。　　It　will　probably　always　be　so。　　

If　you　want　to　experiment　in　that　way；　if　you　want　even　to　discuss　

it；out　you　go　from　political　life。　　You　must　know　that's　so。　。　。　。　　

You're　a　strange　man；　Remington；　with　a　kind　of　kink　in　you。　　You've　

a　sort　of　force。　　You　might　happen　to　do　immense　things。　。　。　。　　

Only〃



He　stopped。　　He　had　said　all　that　he　had　forced　himself　to　say。



〃I　mean　to　take　myself　as　I　am；〃　I　said。　　〃I'm　going　to　get　

experience　for　humanity　out　of　all　my　talentsand　bury　nothing。〃



Willersley　twisted　his　face　to　its　humorous　expression。　　〃I　doubt　if　

sexual　proclivities；〃　he　said　drily；　come　within　the　scope　of　the　

parable。〃



I　let　that　go　for　a　little　while。　　Then　I　broke　out。　　〃Sex！〃　said　I；　

〃is　a　fundamental　thing　in　life。　　We　went　through　all　this　at　

Trinity。　　I'm　going　to　look　at　it；　experience　it；　think　about　it

and　get　it　square　with　the　rest　of　life。　　Career　and　Politics　must　

take　their　chances　of　that。　　It's　part　of　the　general　English　

slackness　that　they　won't　look　this　in　the　face。　　Gods！　what　a　

muffled　time　we're　coming　out　of！　　Sex　means　breeding；　and　breeding　

is　a　necessary　function　in　a　nation。　　The　Romans　broke　up　upon　that。　　

The　Americans　fade　out　amidst　their　successes。　　Eugenics〃



〃THAT　wasn't　Eugenics；〃　said　Willersley。



〃It　was　a　woman；〃　I　said　after　a　little　interval；　feeling　oddly　that　

I　had　failed　altogether　to　answer　him；　and　yet　had　a　strong　dumb　

case　against　him。







BOOK　THE　SECOND



MARGARET







CHAPTER　THE　FIRST



MARGARET　IN　STAFFORDSHIRE





1



I　must　go　back　a　little　way　with　my　story。　　In　the　previous　book　I　

have　described　the　kind　of　education　that　happens　to　a　man　of　my　

class　nowadays；　and　it　has　been　convenient　to　leap　a　phase　in　my　

experience　that　I　must　now　set　out　at　length。　　I　want　to　tell　in　

this　second　hook　how　I　came　to　marry；　and　to　do　that　I　must　give　

something　of　the　atmosphere　in　which　I　first　met　my　wife　and　some　

intimations　of　the　forces　that　went　to　her　making。　　I　met　her　in　

Staffordshire　while　I　was　staying　with　that　uncle　of　whom　I　have　

already　spoken；　the　uncle　who　sold　my　father's　houses　and　settled　my　

mother　in　Penge。　　Margaret　was　twenty　then　and　I　was　twenty…two。



It　was　just　before　the　walking　tour　in　Switzerland　that　opened　up　so　

much　of　the　world　to　me。　　I　saw　her　once；　for　an　afternoon；　and　

circumstances　so　threw　her　up　in　relief　that　I　formed　a　very　vivid　

memory　of　her。　　She　was　in　the　sharpest　contrast　with　the　industrial　

world　about　her；　she　impressed　me　as　a　dainty　blue　flower　might　do；　

come　upon　suddenly　on　a　clinker　heap。　　She　remained　in　my　mind　at　

once　a　perplexing　interrogation　and　a　symbol。　。　。　。



But　first　I　must　tell　of　my　Staffordshire　cousins　and　the　world　that　

served　as　a　foil　for　her。







2





I　first　went　to　stay　with　my　cousins　when　I　was　an　awkward　youth　of　

sixteen；　wearing　deep　mourning　for　my　mother。　　My　uncle　wanted　to　

talk　things　over　with　me；　he　said；　and　if　he　could；　to　persuade　me　

to　go　into　business　instead　of　going　up　to　Cambridge。



I　remember　that　visit　on　account　of　all　sorts　of　novel　things；　but　

chiefly；　I　think；　because　it　was　the　first　time　I　encountered　

anything　that　deserves　to　be　spoken　of　as　wealth。　　For　the　first　

time　in　my　life　I　had　to　do　with　people　who　seemed　to　have　endless　

supplies　of　money；　unlimited　good　clothes；　numerous　servants；　whose　

daily　life　was　made　up　of　things　that　I　had　hitherto　considered　to　

be　treats　or　exceptional　extravagances。　　My　cousins　of　eighteen　and　

nineteen　took　cabs；　for　instance；　with　the　utmost　freedom；　and　

travelled　first…class　in　the　local　trains　that　run　up　and　down　the　

district　of　the　Five　Towns　with　an　entire　unconsciousness　of　the　

magnificence；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　of　such　a　proceeding。



The　family　occupied　a　large　villa　in　Newcastle；　with　big　lawns　

before　it　and　behind；　a　shrubbery　with　quite　a　lot　of　shrubs；　a　

coach　house　and　stable；　and　subordinate　dwelling…places　for　the　

gardener　and　the　coachman。　　Every　bedroom　contained　a　gas　heater　and　

a　canopied　brass　bedstead；　and　had　a　little　bathroom　attached　

equipped　with　the　porcelain　baths　and　fittings　my　uncle　

manufactured；　bright　and　sanitary　and　stamped　with　his　name；　and　the　

house　was　furnished　throughout　with　chairs　and　tables　in　bright　

shining　wood；　soft　and　prevalently　red　Turkish　carpets；　cosy　

corners；　curtained　archways；　gold…framed　landscapes；　overmantels；　a　

dining…room　sideboard　like　a　palace　with　a　large　Tantalus；　and　

electric　light　fittings　of　a　gay　and　expensive　quality。　　There　was　a　

fine　billiard…room　on　the　ground　floor　with　three　comfortable　sofas　

and　a　rotating　bookcase　containing　an　excellent　collection　of　the　

English　and　American　humorists　from　THREE　MEN　IN　A　BOAT　to　the　

penultimate　Mark　Twain。　　There　was　also　a　conservatory　opening　out　

of　the　dining…room；　to　which　the　gardener　brought　potted　flowers　in　

their　season。　。　。　。



My　aunt　was　a　little　woman　with　a　scared　look　and　a　cap　that　would　

get　over　one　eye；　not　very　like　my　mother；　and　nearly　eight　years　

her　junior；　she　was　very　much　concerned　with　keeping　everything　

nice；　and　unmercifully　bullied　by　my　two　cousins；　who　took　after　

their　father　and　followed　the　imaginations　of　their　own　hearts。　　

They　were　tall；　dark；　warmly　flushed　girls　handsome　rather　than　

pretty。　　Gertrude；　the　eldest　and　tallest；　had　eyes　that　were　almost　

black；　Sibyl　was　of　a　stouter　build；　and　her　eyes；　of　which　she　was　

shamelessly　proud；　were　dark　blue。　　Sibyl's　hair　waved；　and　

Gertrude's　was　severely　straight。　　They　treated　me　on　my　first　visit　

with　all　the　contempt　of　the　adolescent　girl　for　a　boy　a　little　

younger　and　infinitely　less　expert　in　the　business　of　life　than　

herself。　　They　were　very　busy　with　the　writings　of　notes　and　certain　

mysterious　goings　and　comings　of　their　own；　and　left　me　very　much　to　

my　own　devices。　　Their　speech　in　my　presence　was　full　of　

unfathomable　allusions。　　They　were　the　sort　of　girls　who　will　talk　

over　and　through　an　uninitiated　stranger　with　the　pleasantest　sense　

of　superiority。



I　met　them　at　breakfast　and　at　lunch　and　at　the　half…past　six　

o'clock　high　tea　that　formed　the　third　chief　meal　of　the　day。　　I　

heard　them　rattling　off　the　compositions　of　Chaminade　and　Moskowski；　

with　great　decision　and　effect；　and　hovered　on　the　edge　of　ten