the new machiavelli-第58章

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extraordinarily　refreshing　after　the　nonsense　and　crowding　secondary　

issues　of　the　electioneering　outside。　　We　all　contributed　more　or　

less　except　Miss　Gamer；　Margaret　followed　with　knitted　brows　and　

occasional　interjections。　　〃People　won't　SEE　that；〃　for　example；　and　

〃It　all　seems　so　plain　to　me。〃　　The　doctor　showed　himself　clever　but　

unsubstantial　and　inconsistent。　　Isabel　sat　back　with　her　black　mop　

of　hair　buried　deep　in　the　chair　looking　quickly　from　face　to　face。　　

Her　colour　came　and　went　with　her　vivid　intellectual　excitement；　

occasionally　she　would　dart　a　word；　usually　a　very　apt　word；　like　a　

lizard's　tongue　into　the　discussion。　　I　remember　chiefly　that　a　

chance　illustration　betrayed　that　she　had　read　Bishop　Burnet。　。　。　。



After　that　it　was　not　surprising　that　Isabel　should　ask　for　a　lift　

in　our　car　as　far　as　the　Lurky　Committee　Room；　and　that　she　should　

offer　me　quite　sound　advice　EN　ROUTE　upon　the　intellectual　

temperament　of　the　Lurky　gasworkers。



On　the　third　occasion　that　I　saw　Isabel　she　was；　as　I　have　said；　

climbing　a　treeand　a　very　creditable　treefor　her　own　private　

satisfaction。　　It　was　a　lapse　from　the　high　seriousness　of　politics；　

and　I　perceived　she　felt　that　I　might　regard　it　as　such　and　attach　

too　much　importance　to　it。　　I　had　some　difficulty　in　reassuring　her。　　

And　it's　odd　to　note　nowit　has　never　occurred　to　me　beforethat　

from　that　day　to　this　I　do　not　think　I　have　ever　reminded　Isabel　of　

that　encounter。



And　after　that　memory　she　seems　to　be　flickering　about　always　in　the　

election；　an　inextinguishable　flame；　now　she　flew　by　on　her　bicycle；　

now　she　dashed　into　committee　rooms；　now　she　appeared　on　doorsteps　

in　animated　conversation　with　dubious　voters；　I　took　every　chance　I　

could　to　talk　to　herI　had　never　met　anything　like　her　before　in　

the　world；　and　she　interested　me　immenselyand　before　the　polling　

day　she　and　I　had　become；　in　the　frankest　simplicity；　fast　

friends。　。　。　。



That；　I　think；　sets　out　very　fairly　the　facts　of　our　early　

relationship。　　But　it　is　hard　to　get　it　true；　either　in　form　or　

texture；　because　of　the　bright；　translucent；　coloured；　and　

refracting　memories　that　come　between。　　One　forgets　not　only　the　

tint　and　quality　of　thoughts　and　impressions　through　that　

intervening　haze；　one　forgets　them　altogether。　　I　don't　remember　now　

that　I　ever　thought　in　those　days　of　passionate　love　or　the　

possibility　of　such　love　between　us。　　I　may　have　done　so　again　and　

again。　　But　I　doubt　it　very　strongly。　　I　don't　think　I　ever　thought　

of　such　aspects。　　I　had　no　more　sense　of　any　danger　between　us；　

seeing　the　years　and　things　that　separated　us；　than　I　could　have　had　

if　she　had　been　an　intelligent　bright…eyed　bird。　　Isabel　came　into　

my　life　as　a　new　sort　of　thing；　she　didn't　join　on　at　all　to　my　

previous　experiences　of　womanhood。　　They　were　not；　as　I　have　

laboured　to　explain；　either　very　wide　or　very　penetrating　

experiences；　on　the　whole；　〃strangled　dinginess〃　expresses　them；　but　

I　do　not　believe　they　were　narrower　or　shallower　than　those　of　many　

other　men　of　my　class。　　I　thought　of　women　as　pretty　things　and　

beautiful　things；　pretty　rather　than　beautiful；　attractive　and　at　

times　disconcertingly　attractive；　often　bright　and　witty；　but；　

because　of　the　vast　reservations　that　hid　them　from　me；　wanting；　

subtly　and　inevitably　wanting；　in　understanding。　　My　idealisation　of　

Margaret　had　evaporated　insensibly　after　our　marriage。　　The　shrine　I　

had　made　for　her　in　my　private　thoughts　stood　at　last　undisguisedly　

empty。　　But　Isabel　did　not　for　a　moment　admit　of　either　idealisation　

or　interested　contempt。　　She　opened　a　new　sphere　of　womanhood　to　me。　　

With　her　steady　amber…brown　eyes；　her　unaffected　interest　in　

impersonal　things；　her　upstanding　waistless　blue　body；　her　energy；　

decision　and　courage；　she　seemed　rather　some　new　and　infinitely　

finer　form　of　boyhood　than　a　feminine　creature；　as　I　had　come　to　

measure　femininity。　　She　was　my　perfect　friend。　　Could　I　have　

foreseen；　had　my　world　been　more　wisely　planned；　to　this　day　we　

might　have　been　such　friends。



She　seemed　at　that　time　unconscious　of　sex；　though　she　has　told　me　

since　how　full　she　was　of　protesting　curiosities　and　restrained　

emotions。　　She　spoke；　as　indeed　she　has　always　spoken；　simply；　

clearly；　and　vividly；　schoolgirl　slang　mingled　with　words　that　

marked　ample　voracious　reading；　and　she　moved　quickly　with　the　free　

directness　of　some　graceful　young　animal。　　She　took　many　of　the　easy　

freedoms　a　man　or　a　sister　might　have　done　with　me。　　She　would　touch　

my　arm；　lay　a　hand　on　my　shoulder　as　I　sat；　adjust　the　lapel　of　a　

breast…pocket　as　she　talked　to　me。　　She　says　now　she　loved　me　always　

from　the　beginning。　　I　doubt　if　there　was　a　suspicion　of　that　in　her　

mind　those　days。　　I　used　to　find　her　regarding　me　with　the　clearest；　

steadiest　gaze　in　the　world；　exactly　like　the　gaze　of　some　nice　

healthy　innocent　animal　in　a　forest；　interested；　inquiring；　

speculative；　but　singularly　untroubled。　。　。　。







5





Polling　day　came　after　a　last　hoarse　and　dingy　crescendo。　　The　

excitement　was　not　of　the　sort　that　makes　one　forget　one　is　tired　

out。　　The　waiting　for　the　end　of　the　count　has　left　a　long　blank　

mark　on　my　memory；　and　then　everyone　was　shaking　my　hand　and　

repeating：　〃Nine　hundred　and　seventy…six。〃



My　success　had　been　a　foregone　conclusion　since　the　afternoon；　but　

we　all　behaved　as　though　we　had　not　been　anticipating　this　result　

for　hours；　as　though　any　other　figures　but　nine　hundred　and　seventy…

six　would　have　meant　something　entirely　different。　　〃Nine　hundred　

and　seventy…six！〃　said　Margaret。　　〃They　didn't　expect　three　

hundred。〃



〃Nine　hundred　and　seventy…six；〃　said　a　little　short　man　with　a　

paper。　　〃It　means　a　big　turnover。　　Two　dozen　short　of　a　thousand；　

you　know。〃



A　tremendous　hullaboo　began　outside；　and　a　lot　of　fresh　people　came　

into　the　room。



Isabel；　flushed　but　not　out　of　breath；　Heaven　knows　where　she　had　

sprung　from　at　that　time　of　night！　was　running　her　hand　down　my　

sleeve　almost　caressingly；　with　the　innocent　bold　affection　of　a　

girl。　　〃Got　you　in！〃　she　said。　　〃It's　been　no　end　of　a　lark。〃



〃And　now；〃　said　I；　〃I　must　go　and　be　constructive。〃



〃Now　you　must　go　and　be　constructive；〃　she　said。



〃You've　got　to　live　here；〃　she　added。



〃By　Jove！　yes；〃　I　said。　　〃We'll　have　to　house　hunt。〃



〃I　shall　read　all　your　speeches。〃



She　hesitated。



〃I　wish　I　was　you；〃　she　said；　and　said　it　as　though　it　was　not　

exactly　the　thing　she　was　meaning　to　say。



〃They　want　you　to　speak；〃　said　Margaret；　with　something　unsaid　in　

her　face。



〃You　must　come　out　with　me；〃　I　answered；　putting　my　arm　through　

hers；　and　felt　someone　urging　me　to　the　French　windows　that　gave　on　

the　balcony。



〃If　you　think〃　she　said；　yielding　gladly



〃Oh；　RATHER！〃　said　I。



The　Mayor　of　Kinghamstead；　a　managing　little　man　with　no　great　

belief　in　my　oratorical　powers；　was　sticking　his　face　up　to　mine。



〃It's　all　over；〃　he　said；　〃　and　you've　won。　　Say　all　the　nice　things　

you　can　and　say　them　plainly。〃



I　turned　and　handed　Margaret　out　through　the　window　and　stood　

looking　over　the　Market…place；　which　was　more　than　half　filled　with　

swaying　people。　　The　crowd　set　up　a　roar　of　approval　at　the　sight　of　

us；　tempered　by　a　little　booing。　　Down　in　one　corner　of　the　square　a　

fight　was　going　on　for　a　flag；　a　fight　that　even　the　prospect　of　a　

speech　could　not　instantly　check。　　〃Speech！〃　cried　voices；　〃Speech！〃　

and　then　a　brief　〃boo…oo…oo〃　that　was　drowned　in　a　cascade　of　shouts　

and　cheers。　　The　conflict　round　the　flag　culminated　in　the　smashing　

of　a　pane　of　glass　in　the　chemist's　window　and　instantly　sank　to　

peace。



〃Gentlemen　voters　of　the　Kinghamstead　Division；〃　I　began。



〃Votes　for　Women！〃　yelled　a　voice；　amidst　laughterthe　first　time　I　

remember　hearing　that　memor