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！
power。 I have no doubt the rumour of them greatly influenced my
ideas。 。 。 。
In the end I made some very rapid decisions； but for nearly two
years I was hesitating。 Hesitations were inevitable in such a
matter。 I was not dealing with any simple question of principle；
but with elusive and fluctuating estimates of the trend of diverse
forces and of the nature of my own powers。 All through that period
I was asking over and over again： how far are these Confederates
mere dreamers？ How farand this was more vitalare they rendering
lip…service to social organisations？ Is it true they desire war
because it confirms the ascendency of their class？ How far can
Conservatism be induced to plan and construct before it resists the
thrust towards change。 Is it really in bulk anything more than a
mass of prejudice and conceit； cynical indulgence； and a hard
suspicion of and hostility to the expropriated classes in the
community？
That is a research which yields no statistics； an enquiry like
asking what is the ruling colour of a chameleon。 The shadowy answer
varied with my health； varied with my mood and the conduct of the
people I was watching。 How fine can people be？ How generous？not
incidentally； but all round？ How far can you educate sons beyond
the outlook of their fathers； and how far lift a rich； proud； self…
indulgent class above the protests of its business agents and
solicitors and its own habits and vanity？ Is chivalry in a class
possible？was it ever； indeed； or will it ever indeed be possible？
Is the progress that seems attainable in certain directions worth
the retrogression that may be its price？
4
It was to the Pentagram Circle that I first broached the new
conceptions that were developing in my mind。 I count the evening of
my paper the beginning of the movement that created the BLUE WEEKLY
and our wing of the present New Tory party。 I do that without any
excessive egotism； because my essay was no solitary man's
production； it was my reaction to forces that had come to me very
large through my fellow…members； its quick reception by them showed
that I was； so to speak； merely the first of the chestnuts to pop。
The atmospheric quality of the evening stands out very vividly in my
memory。 The night； I remember； was warmly foggy when after midnight
we went to finish our talk at my house。
We had recently changed the rules of the club to admit visitors； and
so it happened that I had brought Britten； and Crupp introduced
Arnold Shoesmith； my former schoolfellow at City Merchants； and now
the wealthy successor of his father and elder brother。 I remember
his heavy； inexpressively handsome face lighting to his rare smile
at the sight of me； and how little I dreamt of the tragic
entanglement that was destined to involve us both。 Gane was
present； and Esmeer； a newly…added member； but I think Bailey was
absent。 Either he was absent； or he said something so entirely
characteristic and undistinguished that it has left no impression on
my mind。
I had broken a little from the traditions of the club even in my
title； which was deliberately a challenge to the liberal idea： it
was； 〃The World Exists for Exceptional People。〃 It is not the title
I should choose nowfor since that time I have got my phrase of
〃mental hinterlander〃 into journalistic use。 I should say now； 〃The
World Exists for Mental Hinterland。〃
The notes I made of that opening have long since vanished with a
thousand other papers； but some odd chance has preserved and brought
with me to Italy the menu for the evening； its back black with the
scrawled notes I made of the discussion for my reply。 I found it
the other day among some letters from Margaret and a copy of the
1909 Report of the Poor Law Commission； also rich with pencilled
marginalia。
My opening was a criticism of the democratic idea and method； upon
lines such as I have already sufficiently indicated in the preceding
sections。 I remember how old Dayton fretted in his chair； and
tushed and pished at that； even as I gave it； and afterwards we were
treated to one of his platitudinous harangues； he sitting back in
his chair with that small obstinate eye of his fixed on the ceiling；
and a sort of cadaverous glow upon his face； repeatingquite
regardless of all my reasoning and all that had been said by others
in the debatethe sacred empty phrases that were his soul's refuge
from reality。 〃You may think it very clever；〃 he said with a nod of
his head to mark his sense of his point； 〃not to Trust in the
People。 I do。〃 And so on。 Nothing in his life or work had ever
shown that he did trust in the people； but that was beside the mark。
He was the party Liberal； and these were the party incantations。
After my preliminary attack on vague democracy I went on to show
that all human life was virtually aristocratic； people must either
recognise aristocracy in general or else follow leaders； which is
aristocracy in particular； and so I came to my point that the
reality of human progress lay necessarily through the establishment
of freedoms for the human best and a collective receptivity and
understanding。 There was a disgusted grunt from Dayton； 〃Superman
rubbishNietzsche。 Shaw！ Ugh！〃 I sailed on over him to my next
propositions。 The prime essential in a progressive civilisation was
the establishment of a more effective selective process for the
privilege of higher education； and the very highest educational
opportunity for the educable。 We were too apt to patronise
scholarship winners； as though a scholarship was toffee given as a
reward for virtue。 It wasn't any reward at all； it was an
invitation to capacity。 We had no more right to drag in virtue； or
any merit but quality； than we had to involve it in a search for the
tallest man。 We didn't want a mere process for the selection of
good as distinguished from gifted and able boys〃No； you DON'T；〃
from Daytonwe wanted all the brilliant stuff in the world
concentrated upon the development of the world。 Just to exasperate
Dayton further I put in a plea for gifts as against character in
educational； artistic； and legislative work。 〃Good teaching；〃 I
said； 〃is better than good conduct。 We are becoming idiotic about
character。〃
Dayton was too moved to speak。 He slewed round upon me an eye of
agonised aversion。
I expatiated on the small proportion of the available ability that
is really serving humanity to…day。 〃I suppose to…day all the
thought； all the art； all the increments of knowledge that matter；
are supplied so far as the English…speaking community is concerned
byhow many？by three or four thousand individuals。 （'Less；' said
Thorns。） To be more precise； by the mental hinterlands of three or
four thousand individuals。 We who know some of the band entertain
no illusions as to their innate rarity。 We know that they are just
the few out of many； the few who got in our world of chance and
confusion； the timely stimulus； the apt suggestion at the fortunate
moment； the needed training； the leisure。 The rest are lost in the
crowd； fail through the defects of their qualities； become
commonplace workmen and second…rate professional men； marry
commonplace wives； are as much waste as the driftage of superfluous
pollen in a pine forest is waste。〃
〃Decent honest lives！〃 said Dayton to his bread…crumbs； with his
chin in his necktie。 〃WASTE！〃
〃And the people who do get what we call opportunity get it usually
in extremely limited and cramping forms。 No man lives a life of
intellectual productivity alone； he needs not only material and
opportunity； but helpers； resonators。 Round and about what I might
call the REAL men； you want the sympathetic cooperators； who help by
understanding。 It isn't that ourSALT of three or four th