the new machiavelli-第36章

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it。　　He　gave　instances。　　It　spoilt　a　man　for　business　by　giving　him　

〃false　ideas。〃　　Some　men　said　that　at　college　a　man　formed　useful　

friendships。　　What　use　were　friendships　to　a　business　man？　　He　might　

get　to　know　lords；　but；　as　my　uncle　pointed　out；　a　lord's　

requirements　in　his　line　of　faience　were　little　greater　than　a　

common　　man's。　　If　college　introduced　him　to　hotel　proprietors　there　

might　be　something　in　it。　　Perhaps　it　helped　a　man　into　Parliament；　

Parliament　still　being　a　confused　retrogressive　corner　in　the　world　

where　lawyers　and　suchlike　sheltered　themselves　from　the　onslaughts　

of　common…sense　behind　a　fog　of　Latin　and　Greek　and　twaddle　and　

tosh；　but　I　wasn't　the　sort　to　go　into　Parliament；　unless　I　meant　to　

be　a　lawyer。　　Did　I　mean　to　be　a　lawyer？　　It　cost　no　end　of　money；　

and　was　full　of　uncertainties；　and　there　were　no　judges　nor　great　

solicitors　among　my　relations。　　〃Young　chaps　think　they　get　on　by　

themselves；〃　said　my　uncle。　　It　isn't　so。　　Not　unless　they　take　

their　coats　off。　　I　took　mine　off　before　I　was　your　age　by　nigh　a　

year。〃



We　were　at　cross　purposes　from　the　outset；　because　I　did　not　think　

men　lived　to　make　money；　and　I　was　obtuse　to　the　hints　he　was　

throwing　out　at　the　possibilities　of　his　own　potbank；　not　willfully　

obtuse；　but　just　failing　to　penetrate　his　meaning。　　Whatever　City　

Merchants　had　or　had　not　done　for　me；　Flack；　Topham　and　old　Gates　

had　certainly　barred　my　mistaking　the　profitable　production　and　sale　

of　lavatory　basins　and　bathroom　fittings　for　the　highest　good。　　It　

was　only　upon　reflection　that　it　dawned　upon　me　that　the　splendid　

chance　for　a　young　fellow　with　my　uncle；　〃me；　having　no　son　of　my　

own；〃　was　anything　but　an　illustration　for　comparison　with　my　own　

chosen　career。



I　still　remember　very　distinctly　my　uncle's　talk；he　loved　to　speak　

〃reet　Staffordshire〃his　rather　flabby　face　with　the　mottled　

complexion　that　told　of　crude　ill…regulated　appetites；　his　clumsy　

gestureshe　kept　emphasising　his　points　by　prodding　at　me　with　his　

fingerthe　ill…worn；　costly；　grey　tweed　clothes；　the　watch　chain　of　

plain　solid　gold；　and　soft　felt　hat　thrust　back　from　his　head。　　He　

tackled　me　first　in　the　garden　after　lunch；　and　then　tried　to　raise　

me　to　enthusiasm　by　taking　me　to　his　potbank　and　showing　me　its　

organisation；　from　the　dusty　grinding　mills　in　which　whitened　men　

worked　and　coughed；　through　the　highly　ventilated　glazing　room　in　

which　strangely　masked　girls　looked　ashamed　of　themselves；〃They'll　

risk　death；　the　fools；　to　show　their　faces　to　a　man；〃　said　my　uncle；　

quite　audiblyto　the　firing　kilns　and　the　glazing　kilns；　and　so　

round　the　whole　place　to　the　railway　siding　and　the　gratifying　

spectacle　of　three　trucks　laden　with　executed　orders。



Then　we　went　up　a　creaking　outside　staircase　to　his　little　office；　

and　he　showed　off　before　me　for　a　while；　with　one　or　two　

subordinates　and　the　telephone。



〃None　of　your　Gas；〃　he　said；　〃all　this。　　It's　Real　every　bit　of　it。　　

Hard　cash　and　hard　glaze。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said；　with　memories　of　a　carelessly　read　pamphlet　in　my　

mind；　and　without　any　satirical　intention；　〃I　suppose　you　MUST　use　

lead　in　your　glazes？〃



Whereupon　I　found　I　had　tapped　the　ruling　grievance　of　my　uncle's　

life。　　He　hated　leadless　glazes　more　than　he　hated　anything；　except　

the　benevolent　people　who　had　organised　the　agitation　for　their　use。　　

〃Leadless　glazes　ain't　only　fit　for　buns；〃　he　said。　　〃Let　me　tell　

you；　my　boy〃



He　began　in　a　voice　of　bland　persuasiveness　that　presently　warmed　to　

anger；　to　explain　the　whole　matter。　　I　hadn't　the　rights　of　the　

matter　at　all。　　Firstly；　there　was　practically　no　such　thing　as　lead　

poisoning。　　Secondly；　not　everyone　was　liable　to　lead　poisoning；　and　

it　would　be　quite　easy　to　pick　out　the　susceptible　typesas　soon　as　

they　had　itand　put　them　to　other　work。　　Thirdly；　the　evil　effects　

of　lead　poisoning　were　much　exaggerated。　　Fourthly；　and　this　was　in　

a　particularly　confidential　undertone；　many　of　the　people　liked　to　

get　lead　poisoning；　especially　the　women；　because　it　caused　

abortion。　　I　might　not　believe　it；　but　he　knew　it　for　a　fact。　　

Fifthly；　the　work…people　simply　would　not　learn　the　gravity　of　the　

danger；　and　would　eat　with　unwashed　hands；　and　incur　all　sorts　of　

risks；　so　that　as　my　uncle　put　it：　〃the　fools　deserve　what　they　

get。〃　　Sixthly；　he　and　several　associated　firms　had　organised　a　

simple　and　generous　insurance　scheme　against　lead…poisoning　risks。　　

Seventhly；　he　never　wearied　in　rational　（as　distinguished　from　

excessive；　futile　and　expensive）　precautions　against　the　disease。　　

Eighthly；　in　the　ill…equipped　shops　of　his　minor　competitors　lead　

poisoning　was　a　frequent　and　virulent　evil；　and　people　had　

generalised　from　these　exceptional　cases。　　The　small　shops；　he　

hazarded；　looking　out　of　the　cracked　and　dirty　window　at　distant　

chimneys；　might　be　advantageously　closed。　。　。　。



〃But　what's　the　good　of　talking？〃　said　my　uncle；　getting　off　the　

table　on　which　he　had　been　sitting。　　〃Seems　to　me　there'll　come　a　

time　when　a　master　will　get　fined　if　he　don't　run　round　the　works　

blowing　his　girls　noses　for　them。　　That's　about　what　it'll　come　to。〃



He　walked　to　the　black　mantelpiece　and　stood　on　the　threadbare　rug；　

and　urged　me　not　to　be　misled　by　the　stories　of　prejudiced　and　

interested　enemies　of　our　national　industries。



〃They'll　get　a　strike　one　of　these　days；　of　employers；　and　then　

we'll　see　a　bit；〃　he　said。　　〃They'll　drive　Capital　abroad　and　then　

they'll　whistle　to　get　it　back　again。〃　。　。　。



He　led　the　way　down　the　shaky　wooden　steps　and　cheered　up　to　tell　me　

of　his　way　of　checking　his　coal　consumption。　　He　exchanged　a　

ferocious　greeting　with　one　or　two　workpeople；　and　so　we　came　out　of　

the　factory　gates　into　the　ugly　narrow　streets；　paved　with　a　

peculiarly　hard　diapered　brick　of　an　unpleasing　inky…blue　colour；　

and　bordered　with　the　mean　and　squalid　homes　of　his　workers。　　Doors　

stood　open　and　showed　grimy　interiors；　and　dirty　ill…clad　children　

played　in　the　kennel。



We　passed　a　sickly…looking　girl　with　a　sallow　face；　who　dragged　her　

limbs　and　peered　at　us　dimly　with　painful　eyes。　　She　stood　back；　as　

partly　blinded　people　will　do；　to　allow　us　to　pass；　although　there　

was　plenty　of　room　for　us。



I　glanced　back　at　her。



〃THAT'S　ploombism　〃　said　my　uncle　casually。



〃What？〃　said　I。



〃Ploombism。　　And　the　other　day　I　saw　a　fool　of　a　girl；　and　what　

d'you　think？　　She'd　got　a　basin　that　hadn't　been　fired；　a　cracked　

piece　of　biscuit　it　was；　up　on　the　shelf　over　her　head；　just　all　

over　glaze；　killing　glaze；　man；　and　she　was　putting　up　her　hand　if　

you　please；　and　eating　her　dinner　out　of　it。　　Got　her　dinner　in　it！



〃Eating　her　dinner　out　of　it；〃　he　repeated　in　loud　and　bitter　tones；　

and　punched　me　hard　in　the　ribs。



〃And　then　they　comes　to　THATand　grumbles。　　And　the　fools　up　in　

Westminster　want　you　to　put　in　fans　here　and　fans　therethe　Longton　

fools　have。　。　。　。　　And　then　eating　their　dinners　out　of　it　all　the　

time！〃　。　。　。



At　high　tea　that　nightmy　uncle　was　still　holding　out　against　

evening　dinnerSibyl　and　Gertrude　made　what　was　evidently　a　

concerted　demand　for　a　motorcar。



〃You've　got　your　mother's　brougham；〃　he　said；　that's　good　enough　for　

you。〃　　But　he　seemed　shaken　by　the　fact　that　some　Burslem　rival　was　

launching　out　with　the　new　invention。　　〃He　spoils　his　girls；〃　he　

remarked。　　〃He's　a　fool；〃　and　became　thoughtful。



Afterwards　he　asked　me　to　come　to　him　into　his　study；　it　was　a　room　

with　a　writing…desk　and　full　of　pieces　of　earthenware　and　suchlike　

litter；　and　we　had　our　great　row　about　Cambridge。



〃Have　you　thought　things　over；　Dick？〃　he　said。



〃I　think　I'll　go　to　Trinity；　Uncle；〃　I　said　firmly。　　〃I　want　to　go　

to　Trinity。　　It　is　a　great　college。〃



He　was　manifestly　chagrined。　　〃You're　a　fool；〃　he　said。



I　made　no　answer。