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afterwards I came to understand the quality of her nerve betterand
on the third occasion she was for her own private satisfaction
climbing a tree。 On the intervening occasion we had what seems now
to have been a long sustained conversation about the political
situation and the books and papers I had written。
I wonder if it was。
What a delightful mixture of child and grave woman she was at that
time； and how little I reckoned on the part she would play in my
life！ And since she has played that part； how impossible it is to
tell now of those early days！ Since I wrote that opening paragraph
to this section my idle pen has been； as it were； playing by itself
and sketching faces on the blotting padone impish wizened visage
is oddly like little Baileyand I have been thinking cheek on fist
amidst a limitless wealth of memories。 She sits below me on the low
wall under the olive trees with our little child in her arms。 She
is now the central fact in my life。 It still seems a little
incredible that that should be so。 She has destroyed me as a
politician； brought me to this belated rebeginning of life。 When I
sit down and try to make her a girl again； I feel like the Arabian
fisherman who tried to put the genius back into the pot from which
it had spread gigantic across the skies。 。 。 。
I have a very clear vision of her rush downhill past our labouring
ascendant carmy colours fluttered from handle…bar and shoulder…
knotand her waving hand and the sharp note of her voice。 She
cried out something； I don't know what； some greeting。
〃What a pretty girl！〃 said Margaret。
Parvill； the cheap photographer； that industrious organiser for whom
by way of repayment I got those magic letters； that knighthood of
the underlings； 〃J。 P。〃 was in the car with us and explained her to
us。 〃One of the best workers you have；〃 he said。 。 。 。
And then after a toilsome troubled morning we came； rather cross
from the strain of sustained amiability； to Sir Graham Rivers'
house。 It seemed all softness and quietI recall dead white
panelling and oval mirrors horizontally set and a marble fireplace
between white marble…blind Homer and marble…blind Virgil； very grave
and fineand how Isabel came in to lunch in a shapeless thing like
a blue smock that made her bright quick…changing face seem yellow
under her cloud of black hair。 Her step…sister was there； Miss
Gamer； to whom the house was to descend； a well…dressed lady of
thirty； amiably disavowing responsibility for Isabel in every phrase
and gesture。 And there was a very pleasant doctor； an Oxford man；
who seemed on excellent terms with every one。 It was manifest that
he was in the habit of sparring with the girl； but on this occasion
she wasn't sparring and refused to be teased into a display in spite
of the taunts of either him or her father。 She was； they discovered
with rising eyebrows； shy。 It seemed an opportunity too rare for
them to miss。 They proclaimed her enthusiasm for me in a way that
brought a flush to her cheek and a look into her eye between appeal
and defiance。 They declared she had read my books； which I thought
at the time was exaggeration； their dry political quality was so
distinctly not what one was accustomed to regard as schoolgirl
reading。 Miss Gamer protested to protect her； 〃When once in a blue
moon Isabel is well…behaved。 。 。 。！〃
Except for these attacks I do not remember much of the conversation
at table； it was； I know； discursive and concerned with the sort of
topographical and social and electioneering fact natural to such a
visit。 Old Rivers struck me as a delightful person； modestly
unconscious of his doubly…earned V。 C。 and the plucky defence of
Kardin…Bergat that won his baronetcy。 He was that excellent type；
the soldier radical； and we began that day a friendship that was
only ended by his death in the hunting…field three years later。 He
interested Margaret into a disregard of my plate and the fact that I
had secured the illegal indulgence of Moselle。 After lunch we went
for coffee into another low room； this time brown panelled and
looking through French windows on a red…walled garden； graceful even
in its winter desolation。 And there the conversation suddenly
picked up and became good。 It had fallen to a pause； and the
doctor； with an air of definitely throwing off a mask and wrecking
an established tranquillity； remarked： 〃Very probably you Liberals
will come in； though I'm not sure you'll come in so mightily as you
think； but what you do when you do come in passes my comprehension。〃
〃There's good work sometimes；〃 said Sir Graham； 〃in undoing。〃
〃You can't govern a great empire by amending and repealing the Acts
of your predecessors；〃 said the doctor。
There came that kind of pause that happens when a subject is
broached too big and difficult for the gathering。 Margaret's blue
eyes regarded the speaker with quiet disapproval for a moment； and
then came to me in the not too confident hope that I would snub him
out of existence with some prompt rhetorical stroke。 A voice spoke
out of the big arm…chair。
〃We'll do things；〃 said Isabel。
The doctor's eye lit with the joy of the fisherman who strikes his
fish at last。 〃What will you do？〃 he asked her。
〃Every one knows we're a mixed lot；〃 said Isabel。
〃Poor old chaps like me！〃 interjected the general。
〃But that's not a programme；〃 said the doctor。
〃But Mr。 Remington has published a programme；〃 said Isabel。
The doctor cocked half an eye at me。
〃In some review；〃 the girl went on。 〃After all； we're not going to
elect the whole Liberal party in the Kinghamstead Division。 I'm a
Remington…ite！〃
〃But the programme；〃 said the doctor； 〃the programme〃
〃In front of Mr。 Remington！〃
〃Scandal always comes home at last；〃 said the doctor。 〃Let him hear
the worst。〃
〃I'd like to hear；〃 I said。 〃Electioneering shatters convictions
and enfeebles the mind。〃
〃Not mine；〃 said Isabel stoutly。 〃I meanWell； anyhow I take it
Mr。 Remington stands for constructing a civilised state out of this
muddle。〃
〃THIS muddle；〃 protested the doctor with an appeal of the eye to the
beautiful long room and the ordered garden outside the bright clean
windows。
〃Well； THAT muddle； if you like！ There's a slum within a mile of us
already。 The dust and blacks get worse and worse； Sissie？〃
〃They do；〃 agreed Miss Gamer。
〃Mr。 Remington stands for construction； order； education； discipline。〃
〃And you？〃 said the doctor。
〃I'm a good Remington…ite。〃
〃Discipline！〃 said the doctor。
〃Oh！〃 said Isabel。 〃At times one has to beNapoleonic。 They want
to libel me； Mr。 Remington。 A political worker can't always be in
time for meals； can she？ At times one has to makesplendid cuts。〃
Miss Gamer said something indistinctly。
〃Order； education； discipline；〃 said Sir Graham。 〃Excellent things！
But I've a sort of memoryin my young dayswe talked about
something called liberty。〃
〃Liberty under the law；〃 I said； with an unexpected approving murmur
from Margaret； and took up the defence。 〃The old Liberal definition
of liberty was a trifle uncritical。 Privilege and legal
restrictions are not the only enemies of liberty。 An uneducated；
underbred； and underfed propertyless man is a man who has lost the
possibility of liberty。 There's no liberty worth a rap for him。 A
man who is swimming hopelessly for life wants nothing but the
liberty to get out of the water； he'll give every other liberty for
ituntil he gets out。〃
Sir Graham took me up and we fell into a discussion of the changing
qualities of Liberalism。 It was a good give…and…take talk；
extraordinarily refreshing after the nonsense and crowding secondary
issues of the electioneering outside。 We all contributed mo