the new machiavelli-第43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！



political　conceptions　were　perfectly　plain　and　honest。　　I　had　one　

constant　desire　ruling　my　thoughts。　　I　meant　to　leave　England　and　

the　empire　better　ordered　than　I　found　it；　to　organise　and　

discipline；　to　build　up　a　constructive　and　controlling　State　out　of　

my　world's　confusions。　　We　had；　I　saw；　to　suffuse　education　with　

public　intention；　to　develop　a　new　better…living　generation　with　a　

collectivist　habit　of　thought；　to　link　now　chaotic　activities　in　

every　human　affair；　and　particularly　to　catch　that　escaped；　world…

making；　world…ruining；　dangerous　thing；　industrial　and　financial　

enterprise；　and　bring　it　back　to　the　service　of　the　general　good。　　I　

had　then　the　precise　image　that　still　serves　me　as　a　symbol　for　all　

I　wish　to　bring　about；　the　image　of　an　engineer　building　a　lock　in　a　

swelling　torrentwith　water　pressure　as　his　only　source　of　power。　　

My　thoughts　and　acts　were　habitually　turned　to　that　enterprise；　it　

gave　shape　and　direction　to　all　my　life。　　The　problem　that　most　

engaged　my　mind　during　those　years　was　the　practical　and　personal　

problem　of　just　where　to　apply　myself　to　serve　this　almost　innate　

purpose。　　How　was　I；　a　child　of　this　confusion；　struggling　upward　

through　the　confusion；　to　take　hold　of　things？　　　Somewhere　between　

politics　and　literature　my　grip　must　needs　be　found；　but　where？　　

Always　I　seem　to　have　been　looking　for　that　in　those　opening　years；　

and　disregarding　everything　else　to　discover　it。







2





The　Baileys；　under　whose　auspices　I　met　Margaret　again；　were　in　the　

sharpest　contrast　with　the　narrow　industrialism　of　the　Staffordshire　

world。　　They　were　indeed　at　the　other　extreme　of　the　scale；　two　

active　self…centred　people；　excessively　devoted　to　the　public　

service。　　It　was　natural　I　should　gravitate　to　them；　for　they　seemed　

to　stand　for　the　maturer；　more　disciplined；　better　informed　

expression　of　all　I　was　then　urgent　to　attempt　to　do。　　The　bulk　of　

their　friends　were　politicians　or　public　officials；　they　described　

themselves　as　publicistsa　vague　yet　sufficiently　significant　term。　　

They　lived　and　worked　in　a　hard　little　house　in　Chambers　Street；　

Westminster；　and　made　a　centre　for　quite　an　astonishing　amount　of　

political　and　social　activity。



Willersley　took　me　there　one　evening。　　The　place　was　almost　


pretentiously　matter…of…fact　and　unassuming。　　The　narrow　passage…

hall；　papered　with　some　ancient　yellowish　paper；　grained　to　imitate　

wood；　was　choked　with　hats　and　cloaks　and　an　occasional　feminine　

wrap。　　Motioned　rather　than　announced　by　a　tall　Scotch　servant　

woman；　the　only　domestic　I　ever　remember　seeing　there；　we　made　our　

way　up　a　narrow　staircase　past　the　open　door　of　a　small　study　packed　

with　blue…books；　to　discover　Altiora　Bailey　receiving　before　the　

fireplace　in　her　drawing…room。　　　She　was　a　tall　commanding　figure；　

splendid　but　a　little　untidy　in　black　silk　and　red　beads；　with　dark　

eyes　that　had　no　depths；　with　a　clear　hard　voice　that　had　an　almost　

visible　prominence；　aquiline　features　and　straight　black　hair　that　

was　apt　to　get　astray；　that　was　now　astray　like　the　head　feathers　of　

an　eagle　in　a　gale。　　She　stood　with　her　hands　behind　her　back；　and　

talked　in　a　high　tenor　of　a　projected　Town　Planning　Bill　with　Blupp；　

who　was　practically　in　those　days　the　secretary　of　the　local　

Government　Board。　　A　very　short　broad　man　with　thick　ears　and　fat　

white　hands　writhing　intertwined　behind　him；　stood　with　his　back　to　

us；　eager　to　bark　interruptions　into　Altiora's　discourse。　　A　slender　

girl　in　pale　blue；　manifestly　a　young　political　wife；　stood　with　one　

foot　on　the　fender　listening　with　an　expression　of　entirely　puzzled　

propitiation。　　A　tall　sandy…bearded　bishop　with　the　expression　of　a　

man　in　a　trance　completed　this　central　group。



The　room　was　one　of　those　long　apartments　once　divided　by　folding　

doors；　and　reaching　from　back　to　front；　that　are　common　upon　the　

first　floors　of　London　houses。　　Its　walls　were　hung　with　two　or　

three　indifferent　water　colours；　there　was　scarcely　any　furniture　

but　a　sofa　or　so　and　a　chair；　and　the　floor；　severely　carpeted　with　

matting；　was　crowded　with　a　curious　medley　of　people；　men　

predominating。　　Several　were　in　evening　dress；　but　most　had　the　

morning　garb　of　the　politician；　the　women　were　either　severely　

rational　or　radiantly　magnificent。　　Willersley　pointed　out　to　me　the　

wife　of　the　Secretary　of　State　for　War；　and　I　recognised　the　Duchess　

of　Clynes；　who　at　that　time　cultivated　intellectuality。　　I　looked　

round；　identifying　a　face　here　or　there；　and　stepping　back　trod　on　

some　one's　toe；　and　turned　to　find　it　belonged　to　the　Right　Hon。　G。　

B。　Mottisham；　dear　to　the　PUNCH　caricaturists。　　He　received　my　

apology　with　that　intentional　charm　that　is　one　of　his　most　

delightful　traits；　and　resumed　his　discussion。　　Beside　him　was　

Esmeer　of　Trinity；　whom　I　had　not　seen　since　my　Cambridge　days。　。　。　。



Willersley　found　an　ex…member　of　the　School　Board　for　whom　he　had　

affinities；　and　left　me　to　exchange　experiences　and　comments　upon　

the　company　with　Esmeer。　　Esmeer　was　still　a　don；　but　he　was　

nibbling；　he　said；　at　certain　negotiations　with　the　TIMES　that　might　

bring　him　down　to　London。　　He　wanted　to　come　to　London。　　〃We　peep　at　

things　from　Cambridge；〃　he　said。



〃This　sort　of　thing；〃　I　said；　〃makes　London　necessary。　　It's　the　

oddest　gathering。〃



〃Every　one　comes　here；〃　said　Esmeer。　　〃Mostly　we　hate　them　like　

poisonjealousyand　little　irritationsAltiora　can　be　a　horror　at　

timesbut　we　HAVE　to　come。〃



〃Things　are　being　done？〃



〃Oh！no　doubt　of　it。　　It's　one　of　the　parts　of　the　British　

machinerythat　doesn't　show。　。　。　。　　But　nobody　else　could　do　it。



〃Two　people；〃　said　Esmeer；　〃who've　planned　to　be　a　powerin　an　

original　way。　　And　by　Jove！　they've　done　it！〃



I　did　not　for　some　time　pick　out　Oscar　Bailey；　and　then　Esmeer　

showed　him　to　me　in　elaborately　confidential　talk　in　a　corner　with　a　

distinguished…looking　stranger　wearing　a　ribbon。　　Oscar　had　none　of　

the　fine　appearance　of　his　wife；　he　was　a　short　sturdy　figure　with　a　

rounded　protruding　abdomen　and　a　curious　broad；　flattened；　clean…

shaven　face　that　seemed　nearly　all　forehead。　　He　was　of　Anglo…

Hungarian　extraction；　and　I　have　always　fancied　something　Mongolian　

in　his　type。　　He　peered　up　with　reddish　swollen…looking　eyes　over　

gilt…edged　glasses　that　were　divided　horizontally　into　portions　of　

different　refractive　power；　and　he　talking　in　an　ingratiating　

undertone；　with　busy　thin　lips；　an　eager　lisp　and　nervous　movements　

of　the　hand。



People　say　that　thirty　years　before　at　Oxford　he　was　almost　exactly　

the　same　eager；　clever　little　man　he　was　when　I　first　met　him。　　He　

had　come　up　to　Balliol　bristling　with　extraordinary　degrees　and　

prizes　capturned　in　provincial　and　Irish　and　Scotch　universities

and　had　made　a　name　for　himself　as　the　most　formidable　dealer　in　

exact　fact　the　rhetoricians　of　the　Union　had　ever　had　to　encounter。　　

From　Oxford　he　had　gone　on　to　a　position　in　the　Higher　Division　of　

the　Civil　Service；　I　think　in　the　War　Office；　and　had　speedily　made　

a　place　for　himself　as　a　political　journalist。　　He　was　a　

particularly　neat　controversialist；　and　very　full　of　political　and　

sociological　ideas。　　He　had　a　quite　astounding　memory　for　facts　and　

a　mastery　of　detailed　analysis；　and　the　time　afforded　scope　for　

these　gifts。　　The　later　eighties　were　full　of　politico…social　

discussion；　and　he　became　a　prominent　name　upon　the　contents　list　of　

the　NINETEENTH　CENTURY；　the　FORTNIGHTLY　and　CONTEMPORARY　chiefly　as　

a　half　sympathetic　but　frequently　very　damaging　critic　of　the　

socialism　of　that　period。　　He　won　the　immense　respect　of　every　one　

specially　interested　in　social　and　political　questions；　he　soon　

achieved　the　limited　distinction　that　is　awarded　such　capacity；　and　

at　that　I　think　he　would　have　remained　for　the　rest　of　his　life　if　

he　had　not　encounter