the new machiavelli-第76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！



intellectuals；　and　she　told　me　about　the　aristocrats；　and　we　

sharpened　our　wit　on　them　and　counted　the　percentage　of　beautiful　

people　among　the　latter；　and　wondered　if　the　general　effect　of　

tallness　was　or　was　not　an　illusion。



They　were；　we　agreed；　for　the　most　part　bigger　than　the　average　of　

people　in　London；　and　a　handsome　lot；　even　when　they　were　not　subtly　

individualised。　　〃They　look　so　well　nurtured；〃　I　said；　〃well　cared　

for。　　I　like　their　quiet；　well…trained　movements；　their　pleasant　

consideration　for　each　other。〃



〃Kindly；　good　tempered；　and　at　bottom　utterly　selfish；〃　she　said；　

〃like　big；　rather　carefully　trained；　rather　pampered　children。　　What　

else　can　you　expect　from　them？〃



〃They　are　good　tempered；　anyhow；〃　I　witnessed；　〃and　that's　an　

achievement。　　I　don't　think　I　could　ever　be　content　under　a　bad…

tempered；　sentimentalism；　strenuous　Government。　　That's　why　I　

couldn't　stand　the　Roosevelt　REGIME　in　America。　　One's　chief　

surprise　when　one　comes　across　these　big　people　for　the　first　time　

is　their　admirable　easiness　and　a　real　personal　modesty。　　I　confess　

I　admire　them。　　Oh！　I　like　them。　　I　wouldn't　at　all　mind；　I　believe；　

giving　over　the　country　to　this　aristocracygiven　SOMETHING〃



〃Which　they　haven't　got。〃



〃Which　they　haven't　gotor　they'd　be　the　finest　sort　of　people　in　

the　world。〃



〃That　something？〃　she　inquired。



〃I　don't　know。　　I've　been　puzzling　my　wits　to　know。　　They've　done　

all　sorts　of　things〃



〃That's　Lord　Wrassleton；〃　she　interrupted；　〃whose　leg　was　broken

you　remember？at　Spion　Kop。〃



〃It's　healed　very　well。　　I　like　the　gold　lace　and　the　white　glove　

resting；　with　quite　a　nice　awkwardness；　on　the　sword。　　When　I　was　a　

little　boy　I　wanted　to　wear　clothes　like　that。　　And　the　stars！　　He's　

got　the　V。　C。　　Most　of　these　people　here　have　at　any　rate　shown　

pluck；　you　knowbrought　something　off。〃



〃Not　quite　enough；〃　she　suggested。



〃I　think　that's　it；〃　I　said。　　〃Not　quite　enoughnot　quite　hard　

enough；〃　I　added。



She　laughed　and　looked　at　me。　　〃You'd　like　to　make　us；〃　she　said。



〃What？〃



〃Hard。〃



〃I　don't　think　you'll　go　on　if　you　don't　get　hard。〃



〃We　shan't　be　so　pleasant　if　we　do。〃



〃Well；　there　my　puzzled　wits　come　in　again。　　I　don't　see　why　an　

aristocracy　shouldn't　be　rather　hard　trained；　and　yet　kindly。　　I'm　

not　convinced　that　the　resources　of　education　are　exhausted。　　I　want　

to　better　this；　because　it　already　looks　so　good。〃



〃How　are　we　to　do　it？〃　asked　Mrs。　Redmondson。



〃Oh；　there　you　have　me！　　I've　been　spending　my　time　lately　in　trying　

to　answer　that！　　It　makes　me　quarrel　with〃I　held　up　my　fingers　and　

ticked　the　items　off〃the　public　schools；　the　private　tutors；　the　

army　exams；　the　Universities；　the　Church；　the　general　attitude　of　

the　country　towards　science　and　literature〃



〃We　all　do；〃　said　Mrs。　Redmondson。　　〃We　can't　begin　again　at　the　

beginning；〃　she　added。



〃Couldn't　one；〃　I　nodded　at　the　assembly　in　general；　start　a　

movement？



〃There's　the　Confederates；〃　she　said；　with　a　faint　smile　that　masked　

a　gleam　of　curiosity。　。　。　。　　〃You　want；〃　she　said；　〃to　say　to　the　

aristocracy；　'Be　aristocrats。　　NOBLESSE　OBLIGE。'　　Do　you　remember　

what　happened　to　the　monarch　who　was　told　to　'Be　a　King'？〃



〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃I　want　an　aristocracy。〃



〃This；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃is　the　pick　of　them。　　The　backwoodsmen　

are　off　the　stage。　　These　are　the　brilliant　onesthe　smart　and　the　

blues。　。　。　。　　They　cost　a　lot　of　money；　you　know。〃



So　far　Mrs。　Redmondson；　but　the　picture　remained　full　of　things　not　

stated　in　our　speech。　　They　were　on　the　whole　handsome　people；　

charitable　minded；　happy；　and　easy。　　They　led　spacious　lives；　and　

there　was　something　free　and　fearless　about　their　bearing　that　I　

liked　extremely。　　The　women　particularly　were　wide…reading；　fine…

thinking。　　Mrs。　Redmondson　talked　as　fully　and　widely　and　boldly　as　

a　man；　and　with　those　flashes　of　intuition；　those　startling；　sudden　

delicacies　of　perception　few　men　display。　　I　liked；　too；　the　

relations　that　held　between　women　and　men；　their　general　tolerance；　

their　antagonism　to　the　harsh　jealousies　that　are　the　essence　of　the　

middle…class　order。　。　。　。



After　all；　if　one's　aim　resolved　itself　into　the　development　of　a　

type　and　culture　of　men；　why　shouldn't　one　begin　at　this　end？



It　is　very　easy　indeed　to　generalise　about　a　class　or　human　beings；　

but　much　harder　to　produce　a　sample。　　Was　old　Lady　Forthundred；　for　

instance；　fairly　a　sample？　　I　remember　her　as　a　smiling；　magnificent　

presence；　a　towering　accumulation　of　figure　and　wonderful　shimmering　

blue　silk　and　black　lace　and　black　hair；　and　small　fine　features　and　

chins　and　chins　and　chins；　disposed　in　a　big　cane　chair　with　wraps　

and　cushions　upon　the　great　terrace　of　Champneys。　　Her　eye　was　blue　

and　hard；　and　her　accent　and　intonation　were　exactly　what　you　would　

expect　from　a　rather　commonplace　dressmaker　pretending　to　be　

aristocratic。　　I　was；　I　am　afraid；　posing　a　little　as　the　

intelligent　but　respectful　inquirer　from　below　investigating　the　

great　world；　and　she　was　certainly　posing　as　my　informant。　　She　

affected　a　cynical　coarseness。　　She　developed　a　theory　on　the　

governance　of　England；　beautifully　frank　and　simple。　　〃Give　'um　all　

a　peerage　when　they　get　twenty　thousand　a　year；〃　she　maintained。　　

〃That's　my　remedy。〃



In　my　new　role　of　theoretical　aristocrat　I　felt　a　little　abashed。



〃Twenty　thousand；〃　she　repeated　with　conviction。



It　occurred　to　me　that　I　was　in　the　presence　of　the　aristocratic　

theory　currently　working　as　distinguished　from　my　as　yet　

unformulated　intentions。



〃You'll　get　a　lot　of　loafers　and　scamps　among　'um；〃　said　Lady　

Forthundred。　　〃You　get　loafers　and　scamps　everywhere；　but　you'll　get　

a　lot　of　men　who'll　work　hard　to　keep　things　together；　and　that's　

what　we're　all　after；　isn't　ut？



〃It's　not　an　ideal　arrangement。〃



〃Tell　me　anything　better；〃　said　Lady　Forthundred。



On　the　whole；　and　because　she　refused　emphatically　to　believe　in　

education；　Lady　Forthundred　scored。



We　had　been　discussing　Cossington's　recent　peerage；　for　Cossington；　

my　old　schoolfellow　at　City　Merchants'；　and　my　victor　in　the　affair　

of　the　magazine；　had　clambered　to　an　amazing　wealth　up　a　piled　heap　

of　energetically　pushed　penny　and　halfpenny　magazines；　and　a　group　

of　daily　newspapers。　　I　had　expected　to　find　the　great　lady　hostile　

to　the　new…comer；　but　she　accepted　him；　she　gloried　in　him。



〃We're　a　peerage；〃　she　said；　〃but　none　of　us　have　ever　had　any　

nonsense　about　nobility。〃



She　turned　and　smiled　down　on　me。　　〃We　English；〃　she　said；　〃are　a　

practical　people。　　We　assimilate　'um。〃



〃Then；　I　suppose；　they　don't　give　trouble？〃



〃Then　they　don't　give　trouble。〃



〃They　learn　to　shoot？〃



〃And　all　that；〃　said　Lady　Forthundred。　　〃Yes。　　And　things　go　on。　　

Sometimes　better　than　others；　but　they　go　onsomehow。　　It　depends　

very　much　on　the　sort　of　butler　who　pokes　'um　about。〃



I　suggested　that　it　might　be　possible　to　get　a　secure　twenty　

thousand　a　year　by　at　least　detrimental　methodssocially　speaking。



〃We　must　take　the　bad　and　the　good　of　'um；〃　said　Lady　Forthundred；　

courageously。　。　。　。



Now；　was　she　a　sample？　　It　happened　she　talked。　　What　was　there　in　

the　brains　of　the　multitude　of　her　first；　second；　third；　fourth；　and　

fifth　cousins；　who　didn't　talk；　who　shone　tall；　and　bearing　

themselves　finely；　against　a　background　of　deft；　attentive　maids　and　

valets；　on　every　spacious　social　scene？　　How　did　things　look　to　

them？







7





Side　by　side　with　Lady　Forthundred；　it　is　curious　to　put　Evesham　

with　his　tall；　bent　body；　his　little…featured　almost　elvish　face；　

his　unequal　mild　brown　eyes；　his　gentle　manner；　his　sweet；　amazing　

oratory。　　He　led　all　these　people　wonderfully。　　He　was　always　

curious　and　interested　about　life；　wary　bene