the research magnificent-第76章

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people　as　I　have　done；　it　would　have　been　better；　just　as　it　would　be　better　to　win　a　battle　without　any　killed　or　wounded。　　I　was　clumsy　with　them　and　they　suffered；　I　suffer　for　their　suffering；　but　still　I　have　to　stick　to　the　way　I　have　taken。　　One's　blunders　are　accidents。　　If　one　thing　is　clearer　than　another　it　is　that　the　world　isn't　accident…proof。　。　。　。　But　I　wish　I　had　sent　those　dollars　to　Prothero。　。　。　。　　God！　　White；　but　I　lie　awake　at　night　thinking　of　that　messenger　as　he　turned　away。　。　。　。　　Trying　to　stop　him。　。　。　。　〃I　didn't　send　those　dollars。　　So　fifty　or　sixty　people　were　killed　and　many　wounded。　。　。　。　　There　for　all　practical　purposes　the　thing　ends。　　Perhaps　it　will　serve　to　give　me　a　little　charity　for　some　other　fool's　haste　and　blundering。　。　。　。　〃I　couldn't　help　it；　White。　　I　couldn't　help　it。　。　。　。　〃The　main　thing；　the　impersonal　thing；　goes　on。　　One　thinks；　one　learns；　one　adds　one's　contribution　of　experience　and　understanding。　The　spirit　of　the　race　goes　on　to　light　and　comprehension。　　In　spite　of　accidents。　　In　spite　of　individual　blundering。　〃It　would　be　absurd　anyhow　to　suppose　that　nobility　is　so　easy　as　to　come　slick　and　true　on　every　occasion。　。　。　。　〃If　one　gives　oneself　to　any　long　aim　one　must　reckon　with　minor　disasters。　　This　Research　I　undertook　grows　and　grows。　　I　believe　in　it　more　and　more。　　The　more　it　asks　from　me　the　more　I　give　to　it。　When　I　was　a　youngster　I　thought　the　thing　I　wanted　was　just　round　the　corner。　　I　fancied　I　would　find　out　the　noble　life　in　a　year　or　two；　just　what　it　was；　just　where　it　took　one；　and　for　the　rest　of　my　life　I　would　live　it。　　Finely。　　But　I　am　just　one　of　a　multitude　of　men；　each　one　going　a　little　wrong；　each　one　achieving　a　little　right。　　And　the　noble　life　is　a　long；　long　way　ahead。　。　。　。　　We　are　working　out　a　new　way　of　lihere　is　no　honour　nor　pride　for　a　man　until　he　refers　his　life　to　ends　and　purposes　beyond　himself。　　An　aht　rise　instantly　out　of　all　this　squalor　and　evil　temper。　。　。　。　　What　does　all　this　struggle　here　amount　to？　　On　one　side　unintelligent　greed；　unintelligent　resentment　on　the　other；　suspicion　everywhere。　。　。　。　〃And　you　know；　White；　at　bottom　THEY　ALL　WANT　TO　BE　DECENT！　〃If　only　they　had　light　enough　in　their　brains　to　show　them　how。〃It's　such　a　plain　job　they　have　here　too；　a　new　city；　the　simplest　industries；　freedom　from　war；　everything　to　make　a　good　life　for　men；　prosperity；　glorious　sunshine；　a　kind　of　happiness　in　the　air。　　And　mismanagement；　fear；　indulgence；　jealousy；　prejudice；　stupidity；　poison　it　all。　　A　squabble　about　working　on　a　Saturday　afternoon；　a　squabble　embittered　by　this　universal　shadow　of　miner's　phthving　for　mankind；　a　new　rule；　a　new　conscience。　　It's　no　small　job　for　all　of　us。　　There　must　be　lifetimes　of　building　up　and　lifetimes　oristocrat　must　be　loyal。　　So　it　has　ever　been；　but　a　modern　aristocrat　must　also　be　lucid；　there　it　is　that　one　has　at　once　the　demand　for　kingship　and　the　repudiation　of　all　existing　states　and　kings。　　In　this　manner　he　had　come　to　his　idea　of　a　great　world　republic　that　must　replace　the　little　warring　kingdoms　of　the　present；　to　the　conception　of　an　unseen　kingship　ruling　the　whole　globe；　to　his　King　Invisible；　who　is　the　Lord　of　Truth　and　all　sane　loyalty。　　〃There；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　link　of　our　order；　the　new　knighthood；　the　new　aristocracy；　that　must　at　last　rule　the　earth。　　There　is　our　Prince。　He　is　in　me；　he　is　in　you；　he　is　latent　in　all　mankind。　　I　have　worked　this　out　and　tried　it　and　lived　it；　and　I　know　that　outwardly　and　inwardly　this　is　the　way　a　man　must　live；　or　else　be　a　poor　thing　and　a　base　one。　　On　great　occasions　and　small　occasions　I　have　failed　myself　a　thousand　times；　but　no　failure　lasts　if　your　faith　lasts。　　What　I　have　learnt；　what　I　have　thought　out　and　made　sure；　I　want　now　to　tell　the　world。　　Somehow　I　will　tell　it；　as　a　book　I　suppose；　though　I　do　not　know　if　I　shall　ever　be　able　to　make　a　book。　　But　I　have　away　there　in　London　or　with　me　here　all　the　masses　of　notes　I　have　made　in　my　search　for　the　life　that　is　worth　while　living。　。　。　。　　We　who　are　self…appointed　aristocrats；　who　are　not　ashamed　of　kingship；　must　speak　to　one　another。　。　。　。　〃We　can　have　no　organization　because　organizations　corrupt。　。　。　。　〃No　recognition。　。　。　。　〃But　we　can　speak　plainly。　。　。　。〃　（As　he　talked　his　voice　was　for　a　space　drowned　by　the　jingle　and　voices　of　mounted　police　riding　past　the　hotel。）　〃But　on　one　side　your　aristocracy　means　revolution；〃　said　White。　〃It　becomes　a　political　conspiracy。〃　〃Manifestly。　　An　open　conspiracy。　　It　denies　the　king　upon　the　stamps　and　the　flag　upon　the　wall。　　It　is　the　continual　proclamation　of　the　Republic　of　Mankind。〃

15

The　earlier　phases　of　violence　in　the　Rand　outbreak　in　1913　were　manifest　rather　in　the　outskirts　of　Johannesburg　than　at　the　centre。　〃Pulling　out〃　was　going　on　first　at　this　mine　and　then　that；　there　were　riots　in　Benoni；　attacks　on　strike　breakers　and　the　smashing　up　of　a　number　of　houses。　　It　was　not　until　July　the　4th　that；　with　the　suppression　of　a　public　meeting　in　the　market…place；　Johannesburg　itself　became　the　storm　centre。　Benham　and　White　were　present　at　this　marketplace　affair；　a　confused　crowded　occasion；　in　which　a　little　leaven　of　active　men　stirred　throisis　that　the　masters　were　too　incapable　and　too　mean　to　prevent。　〃Oh；　God！〃　cried　Benham；　〃when　will　men　be　princes　and　take　hugh　a　large　uncertain　multitude　of　decently　dressed　onlookers。　The　whole　big　square　was　astir；　a　swaying　crowd　of　men。　　A　ramshackle　platform　improvised　upon　a　trolley　struggled　through　the　swarming　straw　hats　to　a　street　corner；　and　there　was　some　speaking。　At　first　it　seemed　as　though　military　men　were　using　this　platform；　and　then　it　was　manifestly　in　possession　of　an　excited　knot　of　labour　leaders　with　red　rosettes。　　The　military　men　had　said　their　say　and　got　down。　　They　came　close　by　Benham；　pushing　their　way　across　the　square。　　〃We've　warned　them；〃　said　one。　　A　red　flag；　like　some　misunderstood　remark　at　a　tea…party；　was　fitfully　visible　and　incomprehensible　behind　the　platform。　　Somebody　was　either　pitched　or　fell　off　the　platform。　　One　could　hear　nothing　from　the　speakers　except　a　minute　bleating。　。　。　。　Then　there　were　shouts　that　the　police　were　charging。　　A　number　of　mounted　men　trotted　into　the　square。　　The　crowd　began　a　series　of　short　rushes　that　opened　lanes　for　the　passage　of　the　mounted　police　as　they　rode　to　and　fro。　　These　men　trotted　through　the　crowd；　scattering　knots　of　people。　　They　carried　pick…handles；　but　they　did　not　seem　to　be　hitting　with　them。　　It　became　clear　that　they　aimed　at　the　capture　of　the　trolley。　　There　was　only　a　feeble　struggle　for　the　trolley；　it　was　captured　and　hauled　through　the　scattered　spectators　in　the　square　to　the　protection　of　a　small　impassive　body　of　regular　cavalry　at　the　opposite　corner。　　Then　quite　a　number　of　people　seemed　to　be　getting　excited　and　fighting。　　They　appeared　to　be　vaguely　fighting　the　foot…police；　and　the　police　seemed　to　be　vaguely　pushing　through　them　and　dispersing　them。　　The　roof　of　a　little　one…story　shop　became　prominent　as　a　centre　of　vigorous　stone…throwing。　It　was　no　sort　of　battle。　　Merely　the　normal　inconsecutiveness　of　human　affairs　had　become　exaggerated　and　pugnacious。　　A　meeting　was　being　prevented；　and　the　police　engaged　in　the　operation　were　being　pelted　or　obstructed。　　Mostly　people　were　just　looking　on。　〃It　amounts　to　nothing；〃　said　Benham。　　〃Even　if　they　held　a　meeting；　what　could　happen？　　Why　does　the　Government　try　to　stop　it？〃　The　drifting　and　charging　and　a　little　booing　went　on　for　some　time。　Every　now　and　then　some　one　clambered　to　a　point　of　vantage；　began　a　speech　and　was　pulled　down　by　policemen。　　And　at　last　across　the　confusion　came　an　idea；　like　a　wind　across　a　pond。　The　strikers　were　to　go　to　the　Power　Station。　That　had　the　effect　of　a　distinct　move　in　the　game。　　The　Power　Station　was　the　centre　of　Johannesburg's　light　and　energy。　　There　if　anywhere　it　would　be　possible　to　express　one's　disapproval　of　the　administration；　one's　desire　to　embarrass　and　confute　it。　　One　could　stop　all　sorts　of　things　from　the　Power　Station。　　At　any　rate　it　was　a　repartee　to　the　suppression　of　the　meeting。　　erything　will　be　soonwhen　one