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of shining shameless ungracious self…approval。 As he and I went
along in the cool morning sunshine by the rice fields in the throat
of the Val Maggia a silence fell between us。
〃You know？〃 I said abruptly；〃about that woman？〃
Willersley did not answer for a moment。 He looked at me over the
corner of his spectacles。
〃Things went pretty far？〃 he asked。
〃Oh！ all the way！〃 and I had a twinge of fatuous pride in my
unpremeditated achievement。
〃She came to your room？〃
I nodded。
〃I heard her。 I heard her whispering。 。 。 。 The whispering and
rustling and so on。 I was in my room yesterday。 。 。 。 Any one
might have heard you。〃
I went on with my head in the air。
〃You might have been caught； and that would have meant endless
trouble。 You might have incurred all sorts of consequences。 What
did you know about her？ 。 。 。 We have wasted four days in that hot
close place。 When we found that League of Social Service we were
talking about；〃 he said with a determined eye upon me； 〃chastity
will be first among the virtues prescribed。〃
〃I shall form a rival league；〃 I said a little damped。 〃I'm hanged
if I give up a single desire in me until I know why。〃
He lifted his chin and stared before him through his glasses at
nothing。 〃There are some things；〃 he said； 〃that a man who means to
workto do great public servicesMUST turn his back upon。 I'm not
discussing the rights or wrongs of this sort of thing。 It happens
to be the conditions we work under。 It will probably always be so。
If you want to experiment in that way； if you want even to discuss
it；out you go from political life。 You must know that's so。 。 。 。
You're a strange man； Remington； with a kind of kink in you。 You've
a sort of force。 You might happen to do immense things。 。 。 。
Only〃
He stopped。 He had said all that he had forced himself to say。
〃I mean to take myself as I am；〃 I said。 〃I'm going to get
experience for humanity out of all my talentsand bury nothing。〃
Willersley twisted his face to its humorous expression。 〃I doubt if
sexual proclivities；〃 he said drily； come within the scope of the
parable。〃
I let that go for a little while。 Then I broke out。 〃Sex！〃 said I；
〃is a fundamental thing in life。 We went through all this at
Trinity。 I'm going to look at it； experience it； think about it
and get it square with the rest of life。 Career and Politics must
take their chances of that。 It's part of the general English
slackness that they won't look this in the face。 Gods！ what a
muffled time we're coming out of！ Sex means breeding； and breeding
is a necessary function in a nation。 The Romans broke up upon that。
The Americans fade out amidst their successes。 Eugenics〃
〃THAT wasn't Eugenics；〃 said Willersley。
〃It was a woman；〃 I said after a little interval； feeling oddly that
I had failed altogether to answer him； and yet had a strong dumb
case against him。
BOOK THE SECOND
MARGARET
CHAPTER THE FIRST
MARGARET IN STAFFORDSHIRE
1
I must go back a little way with my story。 In the previous book I
have described the kind of education that happens to a man of my
class nowadays； and it has been convenient to leap a phase in my
experience that I must now set out at length。 I want to tell in
this second hook how I came to marry； and to do that I must give
something of the atmosphere in which I first met my wife and some
intimations of the forces that went to her making。 I met her in
Staffordshire while I was staying with that uncle of whom I have
already spoken； the uncle who sold my father's houses and settled my
mother in Penge。 Margaret was twenty then and I was twenty…two。
It was just before the walking tour in Switzerland that opened up so
much of the world to me。 I saw her once； for an afternoon； and
circumstances so threw her up in relief that I formed a very vivid
memory of her。 She was in the sharpest contrast with the industrial
world about her； she impressed me as a dainty blue flower might do；
come upon suddenly on a clinker heap。 She remained in my mind at
once a perplexing interrogation and a symbol。 。 。 。
But first I must tell of my Staffordshire cousins and the world that
served as a foil for her。
2
I first went to stay with my cousins when I was an awkward youth of
sixteen； wearing deep mourning for my mother。 My uncle wanted to
talk things over with me； he said； and if he could； to persuade me
to go into business instead of going up to Cambridge。
I remember that visit on account of all sorts of novel things； but
chiefly； I think； because it was the first time I encountered
anything that deserves to be spoken of as wealth。 For the first
time in my life I had to do with people who seemed to have endless
supplies of money； unlimited good clothes； numerous servants； whose
daily life was made up of things that I had hitherto considered to
be treats or exceptional extravagances。 My cousins of eighteen and
nineteen took cabs； for instance； with the utmost freedom； and
travelled first…class in the local trains that run up and down the
district of the Five Towns with an entire unconsciousness of the
magnificence； as it seemed to me； of such a proceeding。
The family occupied a large villa in Newcastle； with big lawns
before it and behind； a shrubbery with quite a lot of shrubs； a
coach house and stable； and subordinate dwelling…places for the
gardener and the coachman。 Every bedroom contained a gas heater and
a canopied brass bedstead； and had a little bathroom attached
equipped with the porcelain baths and fittings my uncle
manufactured； bright and sanitary and stamped with his name； and the
house was furnished throughout with chairs and tables in bright
shining wood； soft and prevalently red Turkish carpets； cosy
corners； curtained archways； gold…framed landscapes； overmantels； a
dining…room sideboard like a palace with a large Tantalus； and
electric light fittings of a gay and expensive quality。 There was a
fine billiard…room on the ground floor with three comfortable sofas
and a rotating bookcase containing an excellent collection of the
English and American humorists from THREE MEN IN A BOAT to the
penultimate Mark Twain。 There was also a conservatory opening out
of the dining…room； to which the gardener brought potted flowers in
their season。 。 。 。
My aunt was a little woman with a scared look and a cap that would
get over one eye； not very like my mother； and nearly eight years
her junior； she was very much concerned with keeping everything
nice； and unmercifully bullied by my two cousins； who took after
their father and followed the imaginations of their own hearts。
They were tall； dark； warmly flushed girls handsome rather than
pretty。 Gertrude； the eldest and tallest； had eyes that were almost
black； Sibyl was of a stouter build； and her eyes； of which she was
shamelessly proud； were dark blue。 Sibyl's hair waved； and
Gertrude's was severely straight。 They treated me on my first visit
with all the contempt of the adolescent girl for a boy a little
younger and infinitely less expert in the business of life than
herself。 They were very busy with the writings of notes and certain
mysterious goings and comings of their own； and left me very much to
my own devices。 Their speech in my presence was full of
unfathomable allusions。 They were the sort of girls who will talk
over and through an uninitiated stranger with the pleasantest sense
of superiority。
I met them at breakfast and at lunch and at the half…past six
o'clock high tea that formed the third chief meal of the day。 I
heard them rattling off the compositions of Chaminade and Moskowski；
with great decision and effect； and hovered on the edge of ten