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！
I watched Evesham listening intently。 〃Strange；〃 he said； 〃very
strange。 We are such stuff as thieves are made of。 And in China；
too； they murdered peoplefor the sake of murdering。 Apart； so to
speak； from mercenary considerations。 I'm afraid there's no doubt
of it in certain cases。 No doubt at all。 Young soldiers fresh from
German high schools and English homes！〃
〃Did OUR people？〃 asked some patriot。
〃Not so much。 But I'm afraid there were cases。 。 。 。 Some of the
Indian troops were pretty bad。〃
Gane picked up the tale with confirmations。
It is all printed in the vividest way as a picture upon my memory；
so that were I a painter I think I could give the deep rich browns
and warm greys beyond the brightly lit table； the various
distinguished faces； strongly illuminated； interested and keen；
above the black and white of evening dress； the alert menservants
with their heavier； clean…shaved faces indistinctly seen in the
dimness behind。 Then this was coloured emotionally for me by my
aching sense of loss and sacrifice； and by the chance trend of our
talk to the breaches and unrealities of the civilised scheme。 We
seemed a little transitory circle of light in a universe of darkness
and violence； an effect to which the diminishing smell of burning
rubber； the trampling of feet overhead； the swish of water； added
enormously。 Everybodyunless； perhaps； it was Eveshamdrank
rather carelessly because of the suppressed excitement of our
situation； and talked the louder and more freely。
〃But what a flimsy thing our civilisation is！〃 said Evesham； 〃a mere
thin net of habits and associations！〃
〃I suppose those men came back；〃 said Wilkins。
〃Lady Paskershortly did！〃 chuckled Evesham。
〃How do they fit it in with the rest of their lives？〃 Wilkins
speculated。 〃I suppose there's Pekin…stained police officers；
Pekin…stained J。 P。'strying petty pilferers in the severest
manner。〃 。 。 。
Then for a time things became preposterous。 There was a sudden
cascade of water by the fireplace； and then absurdly the ceiling
began to rain upon us； first at this point and then that。 〃My new
suit！〃 cried some one。 〃Perrrrrr…up pe…rr〃a new vertical line of
blackened water would establish itself and form a spreading pool
upon the gleaming cloth。 The men nearest would arrange catchment
areas of plates and flower bowls。 〃Draw up！〃 said Tarvrille； 〃draw
up。 That's the bad end of the table！〃 He turned to the
imperturbable butler。 〃Take round bath towels；〃 he said； and
presently the men behind us were offeringwith inflexible dignity
〃Port wine； Sir。 Bath towel； Sir！〃 Waulsort； with streaks of
blackened water on his forehead； was suddenly reminded of a wet year
when he had followed the French army manoeuvres。 An animated
dispute sprang up between him and Neal about the relative efficiency
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