the new machiavelli-第92部分

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！



of　the　new　French　and　German　field　guns。　　Wrassleton　joined　in　and　a　

little　drunken　shrivelled　Oxford　don　of　some　sort　with　a　black…

splashed　shirt　front　who　presently　silenced　them　all　by　the　

immensity　and　particularity　of　his　knowledge　of　field　artillery。　　

Then　the　talk　drifted　to　Sedan　and　the　effect　of　dead　horses　upon　

drinking…water；　which　brought　Wrassleton　and　Weston　Massinghay　into　

a　dispute　of　great　vigour　and　emphasis。　　〃The　trouble　in　South　

Africa；〃　said　Weston　Massinghay；　〃wasn't　that　we　didn't　boil　our　

water。　　It　was　that　we　didn't　boil　our　men。　　The　Boers　drank　the　

same　stuff　we　did。　　THEY　didn't　get　dysentery。〃



That　argument　went　on　for　some　time。　　I　was　attacked　across　the　

table　by　a　man　named　Burshort　about　my　Endowment　of　Motherhood　

schemes；　but　in　the　gaps　of　that　debate　I　could　still　hear　Weston　

Massinghay　at　intervals　repeat　in　a　rather　thickened　voice：　〃THEY　

didn't　get　dysentery。〃



I　think　Evesham　went　early。　　The　rest　of　us　clustered　more　and　more　

closely　towards　the　drier　end　of　the　room；　the　table　was　pushed　

along；　and　the　area　beneath　the　extinguished　conflagration　abandoned　

to　a　tinkling；　splashing　company　of　pots　and　pans　and　bowls　and　

baths。　　Everybody　was　now　disposed　to　be　hilarious　and　noisy；　to　say　

startling　and　aggressive　things；　we　must　have　sounded　a　queer　

clamour　to　a　listener　in　the　next　room。　　The　devil　inspired　them　to　

begin　baiting　me。　　〃Ours　isn't　the　Tory　party　any　more；〃　said　

Burshort。　　〃Remington　has　made　it　the　Obstetric　Party。〃



〃That's　good！〃　said　Weston　Massinghay；　with　all　his　teeth　gleaming；　

〃I　shall　use　that　against　you　in　the　House！〃



〃I　shall　denounce　you　for　abusing　private　confidences　if　you　do；〃　

said　Tarvrille。



〃Remington　wants　us　to　give　up　launching　Dreadnoughts　and　launch　

babies　instead；〃　Burshort　urged。　　〃For　the　price　of　one　Dreadnought〃



The　little　shrivelled　don　who　had　been　omniscient　about　guns　joined　

in　the　baiting；　and　displayed　himself　a　venomous　creature。　　

Something　in　his　eyes　told　me　he　knew　Isabel　and　hated　me　for　it。　　

〃Love　and　fine　thinking；〃　he　began；　a　little　thickly；　and　knocking　

over　a　wine…glass　with　a　too　easy　gesture。　　〃Love　and　fine　thinking。　　

Two　things　don't　go　together。　　No　philosophy　worth　a　damn　ever　came　

out　of　excesses　of　love。　　Salt　Lake　CityPiggottAgAgapemone　

againno　works　to　matter。〃



Everybody　laughed。



〃Got　to　rec'nise　these　facts；〃　said　my　assailant。　　〃Love　and　fine　

think'n　pretty　phraseattractive。　　Suitable　for　p'litical　

dec'rations。　　Postcard；　Christmas；　gilt　lets；　in　a　wreath　of　white　

flow's。　　Not　oth'wise　valu'ble。〃



I　made　some　remark；　I　forget　what；　but　he　overbore　me。



Real　things　we　want　are　HateHate　and　COARSE　think'n。　　I　b'long　to　

the　school　of　Mrs。　F's　Aunt〃



〃What？〃　said　some　one；　intent。



〃In　'Little　Dorrit；'〃　explained　Tarvrille；　〃go　on！〃



〃Hate　a　fool；〃　said　my　assailant。



Tarvrille　glanced　at　me。　　I　smiled　to　conceal　the　loss　of　my　temper。



〃Hate；〃　said　the　little　man；　emphasising　his　point　with　a　clumsy　

fist。　　〃Hate's　the　driving　force。　　What's　m'rality？hate　of　rotten　

goings　on。　　What's　patriotism？hate　of　int'loping　foreigners。　　

What's　Radicalism？hate　of　lords。　　What's　Toryism？hate　of　

disturbance。　　It's　all　hatehate　from　top　to　bottom。　　Hate　of　a　

mess。　　Remington　owned　it　the　other　day；　said　he　hated　a　mu'll。　　

There　you　are！　　If　you　couldn't　get　hate　into　an　election；　damn　it　

（hic）　people　wou'n't　poll。　　Poll　for　love！no'　me！〃



He　paused；　but　before　any　one　could　speak　he　had　resumed。



〃Then　this　about　fine　thinking。　　Like　going　into　a　bear　pit　armed　

with　a　tagletalgenttalgent　galv'nometer。　　Like　going　to　fight　a　

mad　dog　with　Shasepear　and　the　Bible。　　Fine　thinkingwhat　we　want　

is　the　thickes'　thinking　we　can　get。　　Thinking　that　stands　up　alone。　　

Taf　Reform　means　work　for　all；　thassort　of　thing。〃



The　gentleman　from　Cambridge　paused。　　〃YOU　a　flag！〃　he　said。　　〃I'd　

as　soon　go　to　ba'ell　und'　wet　tissue　paper！〃



My　best　answer　on　the　spur　of　the　moment　was：



〃The　Japanese　did。〃　　Which　was　absurd。



I　went　on　to　some　other　reply；　I　forget　exactly　what；　and　the　talk　

of　the　whole　table　drew　round　me。　　It　was　an　extraordinary　

revelation　to　me。　　Every　one　was　unusually　careless　and　outspoken；　

and　it　was　amazing　how　manifestly　they　echoed　the　feeling　of　this　

old　Tory　spokesman。　　They　were　quite　friendly　to　me；　they　regarded　

me　and　the　BLUE　WEEKLY　as　valuable　party　assets　for　Toryism；　but　it　

was　clear　they　attached　no　more　importance　to　what　were　my　realities　

than　they　did　to　the　remarkable　therapeutic　claims　of　Mrs。　Eddy。　　

They　were　flushed　and　amused；　perhaps　they　went　a　little　too　far　in　

their　resolves　to　draw　me；　but　they　left　the　impression　on　my　mind　

of　men　irrevocably　set　upon　narrow　and　cynical　views　of　political　

life。　　For　them　the　political　struggle　was　a　game；　whose　counters　

were　human　hate　and　human　credulity；　their　real　aim　was　just　every　

one's　aim；　the　preservation　of　the　class　and　way　of　living　to　which　

their　lives　were　attuned。　　They　did　not　know　how　tired　I　was；　how　

exhausted　mentally　and　morally；　nor　how　cruel　their　convergent　

attack　on　me　chanced　to　be。　　But　my　temper　gave　way；　I　became　tart　

and　fierce；　perhaps　my　replies　were　a　trifle　absurd；　and　Tarvrille；　

with　that　quick　eye　and　sympathy　of　his；　came　to　the　rescue。　　Then　

for　a　time　I　sat　silent　and　drank　port　wine　while　the　others　talked。　　

The　disorder　of　the　room；　the　still　dripping　ceiling；　the　noise；　the　

displaced　ties　and　crumpled　shirts　of　my　companions；　jarred　on　my　

tormented　nerves。　。　。　。　



It　was　long　past　midnight　when　we　dispersed。　　I　remember　Tarvrille　

coming　with　me　into　the　hall；　and　then　suggesting　we　should　go　

upstairs　to　see　the　damage。　　A　manservant　carried　up　two　flickering　

candles　for　us。　　One　end　of　the　room　was　gutted；　curtains；　hangings；　

several　chairs　and　tables　were　completely　burnt；　the　panelling　was　

scorched　and　warped；　three　smashed　windows　made　the　candles　flare　

and　gutter；　and　some　scraps　of　broken　china　still　lay　on　the　puddled　

floor。



As　we　surveyed　this；　Lady　Tarvrille　appeared；　back　from　some　party；　

a　slender；　white…cloaked；　satin…footed　figure　with　amazed　blue　eyes　

beneath　her　golden　hair。　　I　remember　how　stupidly　we　laughed　at　her　

surprise。







2





I　parted　from　Panmure　at　the　corner　of　Aldington　Street；　and　went　my　

way　alone。　　But　I　did　not　go　home；　I　turned　westward　and　walked　for　

a　long　way；　and　then　struck　northward　aimlessly。　　I　was　too　

miserable　to　go　to　my　house。



I　wandered　about　that　night　like　a　man　who　has　discovered　his　Gods　

are　dead。　　I　can　look　back　now　detached　yet　sympathetic　upon　that　

wild　confusion　of　moods　and　impulses；　and　by　it　I　think　I　can　

understand；　oh！　half　the　wrongdoing　and　blundering　in　the　world。



I　do　not　feel　now　the　logical　force　of　the　process　that　must　have　

convinced　me　then　that　I　had　made　my　sacrifice　and　spent　my　strength　

in　vain。　　At　no　time　had　I　been　under　any　illusion　that　the　Tory　

party　had　higher　ideals　than　any　other　party；　yet　it　came　to　me　like　

a　thing　newly　discovered　that　the　men　I　had　to　work　with　had　for　the　

most　part　no　such　dreams；　no　sense　of　any　collective　purpose；　no　

atom　of　the　faith　I　held。　　They　were　just　as　immediately　intent　upon　

personal　ends；　just　as　limited　by　habits　of　thought；　as　the　men　in　

any　other　group　or　party。　　Perhaps　I　had　slipped　unawares　for　a　time　

into　the　delusions　of　a　party　manbut　I　do　not　think　so。



No；　it　was　the　mood　of　profound　despondency　that　had　followed　upon　

the　abrupt　cessation　of　my　familiar　intercourse　with　Isabel；　that　

gave　this　fact　that　had　always　been　present　in　my　mind　its　quality　

of　devastating　revelation。　　It　seemed　as　though　I　had　never　seen　

before　nor　suspected　the　stupendous　gap　between　the　chaotic　aims；　

the　routine；　the　conventional　acquiescences；　the　vulgarisations　of　

the　personal　life；　and　that　clearly　conscious　development　and　

service　of　a　collective　thought　and　purpose　at　which　my　efforts　

aimed。　　I　had　thought　them　but　a　little　way　apart；　and　now　I　saw　

they　were　separated　by　all　the　distance　between　earth　and　heaven。　　I　

saw　now　in　myself　and　every　one　around　me；　a　concentration　upon　

interests　close　at　hand；　an　inability　to　detach　oneself　from　the　

provocations；　tendernesses；　instinctive　hates；　dumb　lusts　and　shy　

timidities　that　touched　one　at　every　point；　and；　save　for　rare　

exalted　moments；　a　regardlessness　of　broader　aims　and　remoter　

possibilities　that　made　the　white　passion　of　statecraft　seem　as　

unearthly　and　irrelevant　to　human　life　as　the　story　an　astronomer　

will　tell；　half　proven　but　altogether　incredible；　of　habitable　

planets　and　answering　intelligences；　suns'　distances　uncounted　

across　the　deep。　　It　seemed　to　me　I　had　aspired　too　high　and　thought　

too　far；　had　mocked　my　own　littleness　by　presumption；　had