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coffee； and a banded cigar； or in the name of temperance omit the
brandy and have rather more coffee； in the smoking…room。 I would
sit and watch that stiff dignity of self…indulgence； and wonder；
wonder。 。 。 。
An infernal clairvoyance would come to me。 I would have visions of
him in relation to his wife； checking always； sometimes bullying；
sometimes being ostentatiously 〃kind〃； I would see him glance
furtively at his domestic servants upon his staircase； or stiffen
his upper lip against the reluctant； protesting business employee。
We imaginative people are base enough； heaven knows； but it is only
in rare moods of bitter penetration that we pierce down to the baser
lusts； the viler shames； the everlasting lying and muddle…headed
self…justification of the dull。
I would turn my eyes down the crowded room and see others of him and
others。 What did he think he was up to？ Did he for a moment
realise that his presence under that ceramic glory of a ceiling with
me meant； if it had any rational meaning at all； that we were
jointly doing something with the nation and the empire and
mankind？ 。 。 。 How on earth could any one get hold of him； make
any noble use of him？ He didn't read beyond his newspaper。 He
never thought； but only followed imaginings in his heart。 He never
discussed。 At the first hint of discussion his temper gave way。
He was； I knew； a deep； thinly…covered tank of resentments and
quite irrational moral rages。 Yet withal I would have to resist
an impulse to go over to him and nudge him and say to him； 〃Look
here！ What indeed do you think we are doing with the nation and
the empire and mankind？ You knowMANKIND！〃
I wonder what reply I should have got。
So far as any average could be struck and so far as any backbone
could be located； it seemed to me that this silent； shy； replete；
sub…angry； middle…class sentimentalist was in his endless species
and varieties and dialects the backbone of our party。 So far as I
could be considered as representing anything in the House； I
pretended to sit for the elements of HIM。 。 。 。
7
For a time I turned towards the Socialists。 They at least had an
air of coherent intentions。 At that time Socialism had come into
politics again after a period of depression and obscurity； with a
tremendous ECLAT。 There was visibly a following of Socialist
members to Chris Robinson； mysteriously uncommunicative gentlemen in
soft felt hats and short coats and square…toed boots who replied to
casual advances a little surprisingly in rich North Country
dialects。 Members became aware of a 〃seagreen incorruptible；〃 as
Colonel Marlow put it to me； speaking on the Address； a slender
twisted figure supporting itself on a stick and speaking with a fire
that was altogether revolutionary。 This was Philip Snowden； the
member for Blackburn。 They had come in nearly forty strong
altogether； and with an air of presently meaning to come in much
stronger。 They were only one aspect of what seemed at that time a
big national movement。 Socialist societies； we gathered； were
springing up all over the country； and every one was inquiring about
Socialism and discussing Socialism。 It had taken the Universities
with particular force； and any youngster with the slightest
intellectual pretension was either actively for or brilliantly
against。 For a time our Young Liberal group was ostentatiously
sympathetic。 。 。 。
When I think of the Socialists there comes a vivid memory of certain
evening gatherings at our house。 。 。 。
These gatherings had been organised by Margaret as the outcome of a
discussion at the Baileys'。 Altiora had been very emphatic and
uncharitable upon the futility of the Socialist movement。 It seemed
that even the leaders fought shy of dinner…parties。
〃They never meet each other；〃 said Altiora； 〃much less people on the
other side。 How can they begin to understand politics until they do
that？〃
〃Most of them have totally unpresentable wives；〃 said Altiora；
〃totally！〃 and quoted instances； 〃and they WILL bring them。 Or they
won't come！ Some of the poor creatures have scarcely learnt their
table manners。 They just make holes in the talk。 。 。 。〃
I thought there was a great deal of truth beneath Altiora's
outburst。 The presentation of the Socialist case seemed very
greatly crippled by the want of a common intimacy in its leaders；
the want of intimacy didn't at first appear to be more than an
accident； and our talk led to Margaret's attempt to get acquaintance
and easy intercourse afoot among them and between them and the Young
Liberals of our group。 She gave a series of weekly dinners；
planned； I think； a little too accurately upon Altiora's model； and
after each we had as catholic a reception as we could contrive。
Our receptions were indeed； I should think； about as catholic as
receptions could be。 Margaret found herself with a weekly houseful
of insoluble problems in intercourse。 One did one's best； but one
got a nightmare feeling as the evening wore on。
It was one of the few unanimities of these parties that every one
should be a little odd in appearance； funny about the hair or the
tie or the shoes or more generally； and that bursts of violent
aggression should alternate with an attitude entirely defensive。 A
number of our guests had an air of waiting for a clue that never
came； and stood and sat about silently； mildly amused but not a bit
surprised that we did not discover their distinctive Open…Sesames。
There was a sprinkling of manifest seers and prophetesses in
shapeless garments； far too many； I thought； for really easy social
intercourse； and any conversation at any moment was liable to become
oracular。 One was in a state of tension from first to last； the
most innocent remark seemed capable of exploding resentment； and
replies came out at the most unexpected angles。 We Young Liberals
went about puzzled but polite to the gathering we had evoked。 The
Young Liberals' tradition is on the whole wonderfully discreet；
superfluous steam is let out far away from home in the Balkans or
Africa； and the neat； stiff figures of the Cramptons； Bunting
Harblow； and Lewis； either in extremely well…cut morning coats
indicative of the House； or in what is sometimes written of as
〃faultless evening dress；〃 stood about on those evenings； they and
their very quietly and simply and expensively dressed little wives；
like a datum line amidst lakes and mountains。
I didn't at first see the connection between systematic social
reorganisation and arbitrary novelties in dietary and costume； just
as I didn't realise why the most comprehensive constructive projects
should appear to be supported solely by odd and exceptional
personalities。 On one of these evenings a little group of rather
jolly…looking pretty young people seated themselves for no
particular reason in a large circle on the floor of my study； and
engaged； so far as I could judge； in the game of Hunt the Meaning；
the intellectual equivalent of Hunt the Slipper。 It must have been
that same evening I came upon an unbleached young gentleman before
the oval mirror on the landing engaged in removing the remains of an
anchovy sandwich from his protruded tonguevisible ends of cress
having misled him into the belief that he was dealing with
doctrinally permissible food。 It was not unusual to be given hand…
bills and printed matter by our guests； but there I had the
advantage over Lewis； who was too tactful to refuse the stuff； too
neatly dressed to pocket it； and had no writing…desk available upon
which he could relieve himself in a manner flattering to the giver。
So that his hands got fuller and fuller。 A relentless； compact
little woman in what Margaret declared to be an extremely expensive
black dress has also pr