the new machiavelli-第59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！





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

remember　hearing　that　memorable　war…cry。



〃Three　cheers　for　Mrs。　Remington！〃



〃Mrs。　Remington　asks　me　to　thank　you；〃　I　said；　amidst　further　uproar　

and　reiterated　cries　of　〃Speech！〃



Then　silence　came　with　a　startling　swiftness。



Isabel　was　still　in　my　mind；　I　suppose。　　〃I　shall　go　to　

Westminster；〃　I　began。　　I　sought　for　some　compelling　phrase　and　

could　not　find　one。　　〃To　do　my　share；〃　I　went　on；　〃in　building　up　a　

great　and　splendid　civilisation。〃



I　paused；　and　there　was　a　weak　gust　of　cheering；　and　then　a　renewal　

of　booing。



〃This　election；〃　I　said；　〃　has　been　the　end　and　the　beginning　of　

much。　　New　ideas　are　abroad〃



〃Chinese　labour；〃　yelled　a　voice；　and　across　the　square　swept　a　

wildfire　of　booting　and　bawling。



It　is　one　of　the　few　occasions　when　I　quite　lost　my　hold　on　a　

speech。　　I　glanced　sideways　and　saw　the　Mayor　of　Kinghamstead　

speaking　behind　his　hand　to　Parvill。　　By　a　happy　chance　Parvill　

caught　my　eye。



〃What　do　they　want？〃　I　asked。



〃Eh？〃



〃What　do　they　want？〃



〃Say　something　about　general　fairnessthe　other　side；〃　prompted　

Parvill；　flattered　but　a　little　surprised　by　my　appeal。　　I　pulled　

myself　hastily　into　a　more　popular　strain　with　a　gross　eulogy　of　my　

opponent's　good　taste。



〃Chinese　labour！〃　cried　the　voice　again。



〃You've　given　that　notice　to　quit；〃　I　answered。



The　Market…place　roared　delight；　but　whether　that　delight　expressed　

hostility　to　Chinamen　or　hostility　to　their　practical　enslavement　no　

student　of　the　General　Election　of　1906　has　ever　been　able　to　

determine。　　Certainly　one　of　the　most　effective　posters　on　our　side　

displayed　a　hideous　yellow　face；　just　that　and　nothing　more。　　There　

was　not　even　a　legend　to　it。　　How　it　impressed　the　electorate　we　did　

not　know；　but　that　it　impressed　the　electorate　profoundly　there　can　

be　no　disputing。







6





Kinghamstead　was　one　of　the　earliest　constituencies　fought；　and　we　

came　backit　must　have　been　Saturdaytriumphant　but　very　tired；　to　

our　house　in　Radnor　Square。　　In　the　train　we　read　the　first　

intimations　that　the　victory　of　our　party　was　likely　to　be　a　

sweeping　one。



Then　came　a　period　when　one　was　going　about　receiving　and　giving　

congratulations　and　watching　the　other　men　arrive；　very　like　a　boy　

who　has　returned　to　school　with　the　first　batch　after　the　holidays。　　

The　London　world　reeked　with　the　General　Election；　it　had　invaded　

the　nurseries。　　All　the　children　of　one's　friends　had　got　big　maps　

of　England　cut　up　into　squares　to　represent　constituencies　and　were　

busy　sticking　gummed　blue　labels　over　the　conquered　red　of　Unionism　

that　had　hitherto　submerged　the　country。　　And　there　were　also　orange　

labels；　if　I　remember　rightly；　to　represent　the　new　Labour　party；　

and　green　for　the　Irish。　　I　engaged　myself　to　speak　at　one　or　two　

London　meetings；　and　lunched　at　the　Reform；　which　was　fairly　tepid；　

and　dined　and　spent　one　or　two　tumultuous　evenings　at　the　National　

Liberal　Club；　which　was　in　active　eruption。　　The　National　Liberal　

became　feverishly　congested　towards　midnight　as　the　results　of　the　

counting　came　dropping　in。　　A　big　green…baize　screen　had　been　fixed　

up　at　one　end　of　the　large　smoking…room　with　the　names　of　the　

constituencies　that　were　voting　that　day；　and　directly　the　figures　

came　to　hand；　up　they　went；　amidst　cheers　that　at　last　lost　their　

energy　through　sheer　repetition；　whenever　there　was　record　of　a　

Liberal　gain。　　I　don't　remember　what　happened　when　there　was　a　

Liberal　loss；　I　don't　think　that　any　were　announced　while　I　was　

there。



How　packed　and　noisy　the　place　was；　and　what　a　reek　of　tobacco　and　

whisky　fumes　we　made！　　Everybody　was　excited　and　talking；　making　

waves　of　harsh　confused　sound　that　beat　upon　one's　ears；　and　every　

now　and　then　hoarse　voices　would　shout　for　someone　to　speak。　　Our　

little　set　was　much　in　evidence。　　Both　the　Cramptons　were　in；　Lewis；　

Bunting　Harblow。　　We　gave　brief　addresses　attuned　to　this　excitement　

and　the　late　hour；　amidst　much　enthusiasm。



Now　we　can　DO　things！〃　I　said　amidst　a　rapture　of　applause。　　Men　I　

did　not　know　from　Adam　held　up　glasses　and　nodded　to　me　in　solemn　

fuddled　approval　as　I　came　down　past　them　into　the　crowd　again。



Men　were　betting　whether　the　Unionists　would　lose　more　or　less　than　

two　hundred　seats。



〃I　wonder　just　what　we　shall　do　with　it　all；〃　I　heard　one　sceptic　

speculating。　。　。　。



After　these　orgies　I　would　get　home　very　tired　and　excited；　and　find　

it　difficult　to　get　to　sleep。　　I　would　lie　and　speculate　about　what　

it　was　we　WERE　going　to　do。　　One　hadn't　anticipated　quite　such　a　

tremendous　accession　to　power　for　one's　party。　　Liberalism　was　

swirling　in　like　a　flood。　。　。　。



I　found　the　next　few　weeks　very　unsatisfactory　and　distressing。　　I　

don't　clearly　remember　what　it　was　I　had　expected；　I　suppose　the　

fuss　and　strain　of　the　General　Election　had　built　up　a　feeling　that　

my　return　would　in　some　way　put　power　into　my　hands；　and　instead　I　

found　myself　a　mere　undistinguished　unit　in　a　vast　but　rather　vague　

majority。　　There　were　moments　when　I　felt　very　distinctly　that　a　

majority　could　be　too　big　a　crowd　altogether。　　I　had　all　my　work　

still　before　me；　I　had　achieved　nothing　as　yet　but　opportunity；　and　

a　very　crowded　opportunity　it　was　at　that。　　Everyone　about　me　was　

chatting　Parliament　and　appointments；　one　breathed　distracting　and　

irritating　speculations　as　to　what　would　be　done　and　who　would　be　

asked　to　do　it。　　I　was　chiefly　impressed　by　what　was　unlikely　to　be　

done　and　by　the　absence　of　any　general　plan　of　legislation　to　hold　

us　all　together。　　I　found　the　talk　about　Parliamentary　procedure　and　

etiquette　particularly　trying。　　We　dined　with　the　elder　Cramptons　

one　evening；　and　old　Sir　Edward　was　lengthily　sage　about　what　the　

House　liked；　what　it　didn't　like；　what　made　a　good　impression　and　

what　a　bad　one。　　〃A　man　shouldn't　speak　more　than　twice　in　his　first　

session；　and　not　at　first　on　too　contentious　a　topic；〃　said　Sir　

Edward。　　〃No。〃



〃Very　much　depends　on　manner。　　The　House　hates　a　lecturer。　　There's　

a　sort　of　airy　earnestness〃



He　waved　his　cigar　to　eke　out　his　words。



〃Little　peculiarities　of　costume　count　for　a　great　deal。　　I　could　

name　one　man　who　spent　three　years　living　down　a　pair　of　

spatterdashers。　　On　the　other　handa　thing　like　thatif　it　catches　

the　eye　of　the　PUNCH　man；　for　example；　may　be　your　making。〃



He　went　off　into　a　lengthy　speculation　of　why　the　House　had　come　to　

like　an　originally　unpopular　Irishman　named　Biggar。　。　。　。



The　opening　of　Parliament　gave　me　some　peculiar　moods。　　I　began　to　

feel　more　and　more　like　a　branded　sheep。　　We　were　sworn　in　in　

batches；　dozens　and　scores　of　fresh　men；　trying　not　to　look　too　

fresh　under　the　inspection　of　policemen　and　messengers；　all　of　us　

carrying　new　silk　hats　and　wearing　magisterial　coats。　　It　is　one　of　

my　vivid　memories　from　this　period；　the　sudden　outbreak　of　silk　hats　

in　the　smoking…room　of　the　National　Liberal　Club。　　At　first　I　

thought　there　must　have　been　a　funeral。　　Familiar　faces　that　one　had　

grown　to　know　under　soft　felt　hats；　under　bowlers；　under　liberal…

minded　wide　brims；　and　above　artistic　ties　and　tweed　jackets；　

suddenly　met　one；　staring　with　the　stern　gaze　of　self…consciousness；　

from　under　silk　hats　of　incredible　glossiness。　　There　was　a　

disposition　to　wear　the　hat　much　too　forward；　I　thought；　for　a　good　

Parliamentary　style。



There　was　much　play　with　the　hats　all　through；　a　tremendous　

competition　to　get　in　first　and　put　hats　on　coveted　seats。　　A　memory　

hangs　about　me　of　the　House　in　the　early　afternoon；　an　inhumane　

desolation　inhabited　almost　entirely　by　silk　hats。　　The　current　use　

of　cards　to　secure　seats　came　later。　　There　were　yards　and　yards　of　

empty　green　benches　with　hats　and　hats