the research magnificent-第22章

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　‘igh　time；　sir；　something　of　the　sort　was　done。　　Will　you　have　the　white　wesket　as　before；　sir；　or　a　fresh　one　this　evening？　。　。　。　　Unless　it's　a　very　special　occasion；　sir。　。　。　。　Exactly；　sir。　　THANK　you；　sir。〃　And　when　her　son　was　properly　installed　in　his　apartments　Lady　Marayne　came　round　one　morning　with　a　large　experienced…looking　portfolio　and　rendered　an　account　of　her　stewardship　of　his　estate　that　was　already　some　months　overdue。　　It　was　all　very　confused　and　confusing；　and　there　were　inexplicable　incidents；　a　heavy　overdraft　at　the　bank　for　example；　but　this　was　Sir　Godfrey's　fault；　she　explained。　　〃He　never　would　help　me　with　any　of　this　business；〃　she　said。　　〃I've　had　to　add　sometimes　for　HOURS。　　But；　of　course；　you　are　a　man；　and　when　you've　looked　through　it　all；　I　know　you'll　understand。〃　He　did　look　through　it　enough　to　see　that　it　was　undesirable　that　he　should　understand　too　explicitly；　and；　anyhow；　he　was　manifestly　very　well　off　indeed；　and　the　circumstances　of　the　case；　even　as　he　understood　them；　would　have　made　any　businesslike　book…keeping　ungracious。　　The　bankers　submitted　the　corroborating　account　of　securities；　and　he　found　himself　possessed　of　his　unconditional　six　thousand　a　year；　with；　as　she　put　it；　〃the　world　at　his　feet。〃　　On　the　whole　it　seemed　more　wonderful　to　him　now　than　when　he　had　first　heard　of　it。　　He　kissed　her　and　thanked　her；　and　left　the　portfolio　open　for　Merkle's　entirely　honest　and　respectful　but　very　exact　inspection；　and　walked　back　with　her　to　Desborough　Street；　and　all　the　while　he　was　craving　to　ask　the　one　tremendous　question　he　knew　he　would　never　ask；　which　was　just　how　exactly　this　beneficent　Nolan　came　in。　。　。　。　Once　or　twice　in　the　small　hours；　and　on　a　number　of　other　occasions；　this　unspeakable　riddle　assumed　a　portentous　predominance　in　his　mind。　　He　was　forced　back　upon　his　inner　consciousness　for　its　consideration。　　He　could　discuss　it　with　nobody　else；　because　that　would　have　been　discussing　his　mother。　Probably　most　young　men　who　find　themselves　with　riches　at　large　in　the　world　have　some　such　perplexity　as　this　mixed　in　with　the　gift。　Such　men　as　the　Cecils　perhaps　not；　because　they　are　in　the　order　of　things；　the　rich　young　Jews　perhaps　not；　because　acquisition　is　their　principle；　but　for　most　other　intelligent　inheritors　there　must　be　this　twinge　of　conscientious　doubt。　　〃Why　particularly　am　I　picked　out　for　so　tremendous　an　advantage？〃　　If　the　riddle　is　not　Nolan；　then　it　is　rent；　or　it　is　the　social　mischief　of　the　business；　or　the　particular　speculative　COUP　that　established　their　fortune。　〃PECUNIA　NON　OLET；〃　Benham　wrote；　〃and　it　is　just　as　well。　　Or　the　west…ends　of　the　world　would　reek　with　deodorizers。　　Restitution　is　inconceivable；　how　and　to　whom？　　And　in　the　meanwhile　here　we　are　lifted　up　by　our　advantage　to　a　fantastic　appearance　of　opportunity。　Whether　the　world　looks　to　us　or　not　to　do　tremendous　things；　it　ought　to　look　to　us。　　And　above　all　we　ought　to　look　to　ourselves。　RICHESSE　OBLIGE。〃

3

It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　Benham　came　to　town　only　with　a　general　theory　of　aristocracy。　　He　had　made　plans　for　a　career。　Indeed；　he　had　plans　for　several　careers。　　None　of　them　when　brought　into　contrast　with　the　great　spectacle　of　London　retained　all　the　attractiveness　that　had　saturated　them　at　their　inception。　They　were　all　more　or　less　political　careers。　　Whatever　a　democratic　man　may　be；　Prothero　and　he　had　decided　that　an　aristocratic　man　is　a　public　man。　　He　is　made　and　protected　in　what　he　is　by　laws　and　the　state　and　his　honour　goes　out　to　the　state。　　The　aristocrat　has　no　right　to　be　a　voluptuary　or　a　mere　artist　or　a　respectable　nonentity；　or　any　such　purely　personal　things。　　Responsibility　for　the　aim　and　ordering　of　the　world　is　demanded　from　him　as　imperatively　as　courage。　Benham's　deliberate　assumption　of　the　equestrian　role　brought　him　into　contact　with　a　new　set　of　acquaintances；　conscious　of　political　destinies。　　They　were　amiable；　hard　young　men；　almost　affectedly　unaffected；　they　breakfasted　before　dawn　to　get　in　a　day's　hunting；　and　they　saw　to　it　that　Benham's　manifest　determination　not　to　discredit　himself　did　not　lead　to　his　breaking　his　neck。　　Their　bodies　were　beautifully　tempered；　and　their　minds　were　as　flabby　as　Prothero's　body。　　Among　them　were　such　men　as　Lord　Breeze　and　Peter　Westerton；　and　that　current　set　of　Corinthians　who　supposed　themselves　to　be　resuscitating　the　Young　England　movement　and　Tory　Democracy。　　Poor　movements　which　indeed　have　never　so　much　lived　as　suffered　chronic　resuscitation。　　These　were　days　when　Tariff　Reform　was　only　an　inglorious　possibility　for　the　Tory　Party；　and　Young　England　had　yet　to　demonstrate　its　mental　quality　in　an　anti…　socialist　campaign。　　Seen　from　the　perspectives　of　Cambridge　and　Chexington；　the　Tory　party　was　still　a　credible　basis　for　the　adventure　of　a　young　man　with　an　aristocratic　theory　in　his　mind。　These　were　the　days　when　the　strain　and　extremity　of　a　dangerous　colonial　war　were　fresh　in　people's　minds；　when　the　quality　of　the　public　consciousness　was　braced　up　by　its　recent　response　to　unanticipated　demands。　　The　conflict　of　stupidities　that　had　caused　the　war　was　overlaid　and　forgotten　by　a　hundred　thousand　devotions；　by　countless　heroic　deaths　and　sufferings；　by　a　pacification　largely　conceived　and　broadly　handled。　　The　nation　had　displayed　a　belated　regard　for　its　honour　and　a　sustained　passion　for　great　unities。　　It　was　still　possible　for　Benham　to　regard　the　empire　as　a　splendid　opportunity；　and　London　as　the　conceivable　heart　of　the　world。　　He　could　think　of　Parliament　as　a　career；　and　of　a　mingling　of　aristocratic　socialism　based　on　universal　service　with　a　civilizing　imperialism　as　a　purpose。　。　。　。　But　his　thoughts　had　gone　wider　and　deeper　than　that。　。　。　。　Already　when　Benham　came　to　London　he　had　begun　to　dream　of　possibilities　that　went　beyond　the　accidental　states　and　empires　of　to…day。　　Prothero's　mind；　replete　with　historical　detail；　could　find　nothing　but　absurdity　in　the　alliances　and　dynasties　and　loyalties　of　our　time。　　〃Patched　up　things；　Benham；　temporary；　pretentious。　All　very　well　for　the　undignified　man；　the　democratic　man；　to　take　shelter　under；　all　very　well　for　the　humourist　to　grin　and　bear；　all　very　well　for　the　crowd　and　the　quack；　but　not　for　the　aristocrat　No！his　mind　cuts　like　steel　and　burns　like　fire。　　Lousy　sheds　they　are；　plastered　hoardings　。　。　。　and　such　a　damned　nuisance　too！　　For　any　one　who　wants　to　do　honourable　things！　　With　their　wars　and　their　diplomacies；　their　tariffs　and　their　encroachments；　all　their　humbugging　struggles；　their　bloody　and　monstrous　struggles；　that　finally　work　out　to　no　end　at　all。　。　。　。　　If　you　are　going　for　the　handsome　thing　in　life　then　the　world　has　to　be　a　united　world；　Benham；　as　a　matter　of　course。　　That　was　settled　when　the　railways　and　the　telegraph　came。　　Telephones；　wireless　telegraphy；　aeroplanes　insist　on　it。　　We've　got　to　mediatise　all　this　stuff；　all　these　little　crowns　and　boundaries　and　creeds；　and　so　on；　that　stand　in　the　way。　　Just　as　Italy　had　to　be　united　in　spite　of　all　the　rotten　little　dukes　and　princes　and　republics；　just　as　Germany　had　to　be　united　in　spite　of　its　scores　of　kingdoms　and　duchies　and　liberties；　so　now　the　world。　　Things　as　they　are　may　be　fun　for　lawyers　and　politicians　and　court　people　anddouaniers；　they　may　suit　the　loan…　mongers　and　the　armaments　shareholders；　they　may　even　be　more　comfortable　for　the　middle…aged；　but　what；　except　as　an　inconvenience；　does　that　matter　to　you　or　me？　Prothero　always　pleased　Benham　when　he　swept　away　empires。　　There　was　always　a　point　when　the　rhetoric　broke　into　gesture。　〃We've　got　to　sweep　them　away；　Benham；〃　he　said；　with　a　wide　gesture　of　his　arm。　　〃We've　got　to　sweep　them　all　away。〃　Prothero　helped　himself　to　some　more　whiskey；　and　spoke　hastily；　because　he　was　afraid　some　one　else　might　begin。　　He　was　never　safe　from　interruption　in　his　own　room。　　The　other　young　men　present　sucked　at　their　pipes　and　regarded　him　doubtfully。　　They　were　never　quite　certain　whether　Prothero　was　a　prophet　or　a　fool。　　They　could　not　understand　a　mixed　type；　and　he　was　so　manifestly　both。　〃The　only　sane　political　work　for　an　intelligent　man　is