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us； but not his wife； who was having her third baby on principle；
his brother Edward was present； and the Lewises； and of course the
Bunting Harblows。 There was also some other lady。 I remember her
as pale blue； but for the life of me I cannot remember her name。
Quite early there was a little breeze between Edward Crampton and
Esmeer； who had ventured an opinion about the partition of Poland。
Edward was at work then upon the seventh volume of his monumental
Life of Kosciusko； and a little impatient with views perhaps not
altogether false but betraying a lamentable ignorance of accessible
literature。 At any rate； his correction of Esmeer was magisterial。
After that there was a distinct and not altogether delightful pause；
and then some one； it may have been the pale…blue lady； asked Mrs。
Lewis whether her aunt Lady Carmixter had returned from her rest…
and…sun…cure in Italy。 That led to a rather anxiously sustained
talk about regimen； and Willie told us how he had profited by the
no…breakfast system。 It had increased his power of work enormously。
He could get through ten hours a day now without inconvenience。
〃What do you do？〃 said Esmeer abruptly。
〃Oh！ no end of work。 There's all the estate and looking after
things。〃
〃But publicly？〃
〃I asked three questions yesterday。 And for one of them I had to
consult nine books！〃
We were drifting； I could see； towards Doctor Haig's system of
dietary； and whether the exclusion or inclusion of fish and chicken
were most conducive to high efficiency； when Britten； who had
refused lemonade and claret and demanded Burgundy； broke out； and
was discovered to be demanding in his throat just what we Young
Liberals thought we were up to？
〃I want；〃 said Britten； repeating his challenge a little louder； 〃to
hear just exactly what you think you are doing in Parliament？〃
Lewis laughed nervously； and thought we were 〃Seeking the Good of
the Community。〃
〃HOW？〃
〃Beneficient Legislation；〃 said Lewis。
〃Beneficient in what direction？〃 insisted Britten。 〃I want to know
where you think you are going。〃
〃Amelioration of Social Conditions；〃 said Lewis。
〃That's only a phrase！〃
〃You wouldn't have me sketch bills at dinner？〃
〃I'd like you to indicate directions；〃 said Britten； and waited。
〃Upward and On；〃 said Lewis with conscious neatness； and turned to
ask Mrs。 Bunting Harblow about her little boy's French。
For a time talk frothed over Britten's head； but the natural
mischief in Mrs。 Millingham had been stirred； and she was presently
echoing his demand in lisping； quasi…confidential undertones。 〃What
ARE we Liberals doing？〃 Then Esmeer fell in with the
revolutionaries。
To begin with； I was a little shocked by this clamour for
fundamentalsand a little disconcerted。 I had the experience that
I suppose comes to every one at times of discovering oneself
together with two different sets of people with whom one has
maintained two different sets of attitudes。 It had always been； I
perceived； an instinctive suppression in our circle that we
shouldn't be more than vague about our political ideals。 It had
almost become part of my morality to respect this convention。 It
was understood we were all working hard； and keeping ourselves fit；
tremendously fit； under Altiora's inspiration； Pro Bono Publico。
Bunting Harblow had his under…secretaryship； and Lewis was on the
verge of the Cabinet； and these things we considered to be in the
nature of confirmations。 。 。 。 It added to tbe discomfort of the
situation that these plunging enquiries were being made in the
presence of our wives。
The rebel section of our party forced the talk。
Edward Crampton was presently declaringI forget in what relation：
〃The country is with us。〃
My long…controlled hatred of the Cramptons' stereotyped phrases
about the Country and the House got the better of me。 I showed my
cloven hoof to my friends for the first time。
〃We don't respect the Country as we used to do；〃 I said。 〃We
haven't the same belief we used to have in the will of the people。
It's no good； Crampton； trying to keep that up。 We Liberals know as
a matter of factnowadays every one knowsthat the monster that
brought us into power has； among other deficiencies； no head。 We've
got to give it oneif possible with brains and a will。 That lies
in the future。 For the present if the country is with us； it means
merely that we happen to have hold of its tether。〃
Lewis was shocked。 A 〃mandate〃 from the Country was sacred to his
system of pretences。
Britten wasn't subdued by his first rebuff； presently he was at us
again。 There were several attempts to check his outbreak of
interrogation； I remember the Cramptons asked questions about the
welfare of various cousins of Lewis who were unknown to the rest of
us； and Margaret tried to engage Britten in a sympathetic discussion
of the Arts and Crafts exhibition。 But Britten and Esmeer were
persistent； Mrs。 Millingham was mischievous； and in the end our
rising hopes of Young Liberalism took to their thickets for good；
while we talked all over them of the prevalent vacuity of political
intentions。 Margaret was perplexed by me。 It is only now I
perceive just how perplexing I must have been。 〃Of course； she said
with that faint stress of apprehension in her eyes； one must have
aims。〃 And； 〃it isn't always easy to put everything into phrases。〃
〃Don't be long；〃 said Mrs。 Edward Crampton to her hsuband as the
wives trooped out。 And afterwards when we went upstairs I had an
indefinable persuasion that the ladies had been criticising
Britten's share in our talk in an altogether unfavourable spirit。
Mrs。 Edward evidently thought him aggressive and impertinent； and
Margaret with a quiet firmness that brooked no resistance； took him
at once into a corner and showed him Italian photographs by Coburn。
We dispersed early。
I walked with Britten along the Chelsea back streets towards
Battersea Bridgehe lodged on the south side。
〃Mrs。 Millingham's a dear；〃 he began。
〃She's a dear。〃
〃I liked her demand for a hansom because a four…wheeler was too
safe。〃
〃She was worked up；〃 I said。 〃She's a woman of faultless character；
but her instincts； as Altiora would say； are anarchisticwhen she
gives them a chance。〃
〃So she takes it out in hansom cabs。〃
〃Hansom cabs。〃
〃She's wise；〃 said Britten。 。 。 。
〃I hope； Remington；〃 he went on after a pause； 〃I didn't rag your
other guests too much。 I've a sort of feeling at moments
Remington； those chaps are so infernally notnot bloody。 It's part
of a man's duty sometimes at least to eat red beef and get drunk。
How is he to understand government if he doesn't？ It scares me to
think of your lotby a sort of misapprehensionbeing in power。 A
kind of neuralgia in the head； by way of government。 I don't
understand where YOU come in。 Those othersthey've no lusts。
Their ideal is anaemia。 You and I； we had at least a lust to take
hold of life and make something of it。 Theythey want to take hold
of life and make nothing of it。 They want to cut out all the
stimulants。 Just as though life was anything else but a reaction to
stimulation！〃 。 。 。
He began to talk of his own life。 He had had ill…fortune through
most of it。 He was poor and unsuccessful； and a girl he had been
very fond of had been attacked and killed by a horse in a field in a
very horrible manner。 These things had wounded and tortured him；
but they hadn't broken him。 They had； it seemed to me； made a kind
of crippled and ugly demigod of him。 He was； I began to perceive；
so much better than I had any right to expect。 At first I had been
rather struck by his unkempt look； and it made my reaction all the
stronger。 There was about h