the patrician-第3章

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extraordinarily　strait…laced　makes　it　all　the　more　awkward。　　The
earnestness　of　this　rising　generation　is　most　remarkable。　　I　don't
remember　taking　such　a　serious　view　of　life　in　my　youth。〃


Lady　Casterley　lowered　the　coronetted　sheet　of　paper。　　The　ghost　of　a
grimace　haunted　her　faceshe　had　not　forgotten　her　daughter's　youth。
Raising　the　letter　again；　she　read　on：


〃I'm　sure　Geoffrey　and　I　feel　years　younger　than　either　Miltoun　or
Agatha；　though　we　did　produce　them。　　One　doesn't　feel　it　with　Bertie
or　Babs；　luckily。　　The　war　scare　is　having　an　excellent　effect　on
Miltoun's　candidature。　　Claud　Harbinger　is　with　us；　too；　working　for
Miltoun；　but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　think　he's　after　Babs。　　It's
rather　melancholy；　when　you　think　that　Babs　isn't　quite　twenty
still；　one　can't　expect　anything　else；　I　suppose；　with　her　looks；　and
Claud　is　rather　a　fine　specimen。　　They　talk　of　him　a　lot　now；　he's
quite　coming　to　the　fore　among　the　young　Tories。〃

Lady　Casterley　again　lowered　the　letter；　and　stood　listening。　　A
prolonged；　muffled　sound　as　of　distant　cheering　and　groans　had
penetrated　the　great　conservatory；　vibrating　among　the　pale　petals　of
the　lilies　and　setting　free　their　scent　in　short　waves　of　perfume。
She　passed　into　the　hall；　where；　stood　an　old　man　with　sallow　face
and　long　white　whiskers。

〃What　was　that　noise；　Clifton？〃

〃A　posse　of　Socialists；　my　lady；　on　their　way　to　Putney　to　hold　a
demonstration；　the　people　are　hooting　them。　　They've　got　blocked　just
outside　the　gates。〃

〃Are　they　making　speeches？〃

〃They　are　talking　some　kind　of　rant；　my　lady。〃

〃I'll　go　and　hear　them。　　Give　me　my　black　stick。〃

Above　the　velvet…dark；　flat…toughed　cedar　trees；　which　rose　like
pagodas　of　ebony　on　either　side　of　the　drive；　the　sky　hung　lowering
in　one　great　purple　cloud；　endowed　with　sinister　life　by　a　single
white　beam　striking　up　into　it　from　the　horizon。　　Beneath　this　canopy
of　cloud　a　small　phalanx　of　dusty；　dishevelled…looking　men　and　women
were　drawn　up　in　the　road；　guarding；　and　encouraging　with　cheers；　a
tall；　black…coated　orator。　　Before　and　behind　this　phalanx；　a　little
mob　of　men　and　boys　kept　up　an　accompaniment　of　groans　and　jeering。

Lady　Casterley　and　her　'major…domo'　stood　six　paces　inside　the
scrolled　iron　gates；　and　watched。　　The　slight；　steel…coloured　figure
with　steel…coloured　hair；　was　more　arresting　in　its　immobility　than
all　the　vociferations　and　gestures　of　the　mob。　　Her　eyes　alone　moved
under　their　half…drooped　lids；　her　right　hand　clutched　tightly　the
handle　of　her　stick。　　The　speaker's　voice　rose　in　shrill　protest
against　the　exploitation　of　'the　people'；　it　sank　in　ironical　comment
on　Christianity；　it　demanded　passionately　to　be　free　from　the
continuous　burden　of　'this　insensate　militarist　taxation'；　it
threatened　that　the　people　would　take　things　info　their　own　hands。

Lady　Casterley　turned　her　head：

〃He　is　talking　nonsense；　Clifton。　　It　is　going　to　rain。　　I　shall　go
in。〃

Under　the　stone　porch　she　paused。　　The　purple　cloud　had　broken；　a
blind　fury　of　rain　was　deluging　the　fast…scattering　crowd。　　A　faint
smile　came　on　Lady　Casterley's　lips。

〃It　will　do　them　good　to　have　their　ardour　damped　a　little。　　You　will
get　wet；　Cliftonhurry！　　I　expect　Lord　Valleys　to　dinner。　　Have　a
room　got　ready　for　him　to　dress。　　He's　motoring　from　Monkland。〃




CHAPTER　III

In　a　very　high；　white…pannelled　room；　with　but　little　furniture；　Lord
Valleys　greeted　his　mother…in…law　respectfully。

〃Motored　up　in　nine　hours；　Ma'amnot　bad　going。〃

〃I　am　glad　you　came。　　When　is　Miltoun's　election？〃

〃On　the　twenty…ninth。〃

〃Pity！　　He　should　be　away　from　Monkland；　with　thatanonymous　woman
living　there。〃

〃Ah！　　yes；　you've　heard　of　her！〃

Lady　Casterley　replied　sharply：

〃You're　too　easy…going；　Geoffrey。〃

Lord　Valleys　smiled。

〃These　war　scares；〃　he　said；　〃are　getting　a　bore。　　Can't　quite　make
out　what　the　feeling　of　the　country　is　about　them。〃

Lady　Casterley　rose：

〃It　has　none。　　When　war　comes；　the　feeling　will　be　all　right。　　It
always　is。　　Give　me　your　arm。　　Are　you　hungry？〃。。。

When　Lord　Valleys　spoke　of　war；　he　spoke　as　one　who；　since　he　arrived
at　years　of　discretion；　had　lived　within　the　circle　of　those　who
direct　the　destinies　of　States。　　It　was　for　himas　for　the　lilies　in
the　great　glass　houseimpossible　to　see　with　the　eyes；　or　feel　with
the　feelings　of　a　flower　of　the　garden　outside。　　Soaked　in　the　best
prejudices　and　manners　of　his　class；　he　lived　a　life　no　more　shut　off
from　the　general　than　was　to　be　expected。　　Indeed；　in　some　sort；　as　a
man　of　facts　and　common　sense；　he　was　fairly　in　touch　with　the
opinion　of　the　average　citizen。　　He　was　quite　genuine　when　he　said
that　he　believed　he　knew　what　the　people　wanted　better　than　those　who
prated　on　the　subject；　and　no　doubt　he　was　right；　for　temperamentally
he　was　nearer　to　them　than　their　own　leaders；　though　he　would　not
perhaps　have　liked　to　be　told　so。　　His　man…of…the…world；　political
shrewdness　had　been　superimposed　by　life　on　a　nature　whose　prime
strength　was　its　practicality　and　lack　of　imagination。　　It　was　his
business　to　be　efficient；　but　not　strenuous；　or　desirous　of　pushing
ideas　to　their　logical　conclusions；　to　be　neither　narrow　nor
puritanical；　so　long　as　the　shell　of　'good　form'　was　preserved
intact；　to　be　a　liberal　landlord　up　to　the　point　of　not　seriously
damaging　his　interests；　to　be　well…disposed　towards　the　arts　until
those　arts　revealed　that　which　he　had　not　before　perceived；　it　was
his　business　to　have　light　hands；　steady　eyes；　iron　nerves；　and　those
excellent　manners　that　have　no　mannerisms。　　It　was　his　nature　to　be
easy…going　as　a　husband；　indulgent　as　a　father；　careful　and
straightforward　as　a　politician；　and　as　a　man；　addicted　to　pleasure；
to　work；　and　to　fresh　air。　　He　admired；　and　was　fond　of　his　wife；　and
had　never　regretted　his　marriage。　　He　had　never　perhaps　regretted
anything；　unless　it　were　that　he　had　not　yet　won　the　Derby；　or　quite
succeeded　in　getting　his　special　strain　of　blue…ticked　pointers　to
breed　absolutely　true　to　type。　　His　mother…in…law　he　respected；　as
one　might　respect　a　principle。

There　was　indeed　in　the　personality　of　that　little　old　lady　the
tremendous　force　of　accumulated　decisionthe　inherited　assurance　of
one　whose　prestige　had　never　been　questioned；　who；　from　long
immunity；　and　a　certain　clear…cut　matter…of…factness；　bred　by　the
habit　of　command；　had　indeed　lost　the　power　of　perceiving　that　her
prestige　ever　could　be　questioned。　　Her　knowledge　of　her　own　mind　was
no　ordinary　piece　of　learning；　had　not；　in　fact；　been　learned　at　all；
but　sprang　full…fledged　from　an　active　dominating　temperament。
Fortified　by　the　necessity；　common　to　her　class；　of　knowing
thoroughly　the　more　patent　side　of　public　affairs；　armoured　by　the
tradition　of　a　culture　demanded　by　leadership；　inspired　by　ideas；　but
always　the　same　ideas；　owning　no　master；　but　in　servitude　to　her　own
custom　of　leading；　she　had　a　mind；　formidable　as　the　two…edged　swords
wielded　by　her　ancestors　the　Fitz…Harolds；　at　Agincourt　or　Poitiers
a　mind　which　had　ever　instinctively　rejected　that　inner　knowledge　of
herself　or　of　the　selves　of　others；　produced　by　those　foolish
practices　of　introspection；　contemplation；　and　understanding；　so
deleterious　to　authority。　　If　Lord　Valleys　was　the　body　of　the
aristocratic　machine；　Lady　Casterley　was　the　steel　spring　inside　it。
All　her　life　studiously　unaffected　and　simple　in　attire；　of　plain　and
frugal　habit；　an　early　riser；　working　at　something　or　other　from
morning　till　night；　and　as　little　worn…out　at　seventy…eight　as　most
women　of　fifty；　she　had　only　one　weak　spotand　that　was　her
strengthblindness　as　to　the　nature　and　size　of　her　place　in　the
scheme　of　things。　　She　was　a　type；　a　force。

Wonderfully　well　she　went　with　the　room　in　which　they　were　dining；
whose　grey　walls；　surmounted　by　a　deep　frieze　painted　somewhat　in　the
style　of　Fragonard；　contained　many　nymphs　and　roses　now　rather　dim；
with　the　furniture；　too；　which　had　a　look　of　having　survived　into
times　not　its　own。　　On　the　tables　were　no　flowers；　save　five　lilies
in　an　old　silver　chalice；　and　on　the　wall　over　the　great　sideb