乐文小说网

第15部分（第1页）

ible。　So　let　cressets　flare　into　the　night　from　all　the　hills！　It　is　no　purchased　exultation；　no　servile　flattery。　The　People　acclaims　itself；　yet　not　without　genuine　gratitude　and　affection　towards　the　Representative　of　its　glory　and　its　power。　The　Constitutional　pact　has　been　well　preserved。　Review　the　record　of　kingdoms；　and　say　how　often　it　has　e　to　pass　that　sovereign　and　people　rejoiced　together　over　bloodless　victories。

XXI

At　an　inn　in　the　north　I　once　heard　three　men　talking　at　their　breakfast　on　the　question　of　diet。　They　agreed　that　most　people　ate　too　much　meat；　and　one　of　them　went　so　far　as　to　declare　that；　for　his　part；　he　rather　preferred　vegetables　and　fruit。　〃Why；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　believe　me　that　I　sometimes　make　a　breakfast　of　apples？〃　This　announcement　was　received　in　silence；　evidently　the　two　listeners　didnt　quite　know　what　to　think　of　it。　Thereupon　the　speaker；　in　rather　a　blustering　tone；　cried　out；　〃Yes；　I　can　make　a　very　good　breakfast　on　TWO　OR　THREE　POUNDS　OF　APPLES。〃

Wasnt　it　amusing？　And　wasnt　it　characteristic？　This　honest　Briton　had　gone　too　far　in　frankness。　Tis　all　very　well　to　like　vegetables　and　fruits　up　to　a　certain　point；　but　to　breakfast　on　apples！　His　panions　silence　proved　that　they　were　just　a　little　ashamed　of　him；　his　confession　savoured　of　poverty　or　meanness；　to　right　himself　in　their　opinion；　nothing　better　occurred　to　the　man　than　to　protest　that　he　ate　apples；　yes；　but　not　merely　one　or　two；　he　ate　them　largely；　BY　THE　POUND！　I　laughed　at　the　fellow；　but　I　thoroughly　understood　him；　so　would　every　Englishman；　for　at　the　root　of　our　being　is　a　hatred　of　parsimony。　This　manifests　itself　in　all　sorts　of　ludicrous　or　contemptible　forms；　but　no　less　is　it　the　source　of　our　finest　qualities。　An　Englishman　desires；　above　all；　to　live　largely；　on　that　account　he　not　only　dreads；　but　hates　and　despises；　poverty。　His　virtues　are　those　of　the　free…handed　and　warm…hearted　opulent　man；　his　weaknesses　e　of　the　sense　of　inferiority　（intensely　painful　and　humiliating）　which　attaches　in　his　mind　to　one　who　cannot　spend　and　give；　his　vices；　for　the　most　part；　originate　in　loss　of　self…respect　due　to　loss　of　secure　position。

XXII

For　a　nation　of　this　temper；　the　movement　towards　democracy　is　fraught　with　peculiar　dangers。　Profoundly　aristocratic　in　his　sympathies；　the　Englishman　has　always　seen　in　the　patrician　class　not　merely　a　social；　but　a　moral；　superiority；　the　man　of　blue　blood　was　to　him　a　living　representative　of　those　potencies　and　virtues　which　made　his　ideal　of　the　worthy　life。　Very　significant　is　the　cordial　alliance　from　old　time　between　nobles　and　people；　free；　proud　homage　on　one　side　answering　to　gallant　championship　on　the　other；　both　classes　working　together　in　the　cause　of　liberty。　However　great　the　sacrifices　of　the　mon　folk　for　the　maintenance　of　aristocratic　power　and　splendour；　they　were　gladly　made；　this　was　the　Englishmans　religion；　his　inborn　pietas；　in　the　depths　of　the　dullest　soul　moved　a　perception　of　the　ethic　meaning　attached　to　lordship。　Your　Lord　was　the　privileged　being　endowed　by　descent　with　generous　instincts；　and　possessed　of　means　to　show　them　forth　in　act。　A　poor　noble　was　a　contradiction　in　terms；　if　such　a　person　existed；　he　could　only　be　spoken　of　with　wondering　sadness；　as　though　he　were　the　victim　of　some　freak　of　nature。　The　Lord　was　Honourable；　Right　Honourable；　his　acts；　his　words　virtually　constituted　the　code　of　honour　whereby　the　nation　lived。

In　a　new　world；　beyond　the　ocean；　there　grew　up　a　new　race；　a　scion　of　England；　which　shaped　its　life　without　regard　to　the　principle　of　hereditary　lordship；　and　in　course　of　time　this　triumphant　Republic　began　to　shake　the　ideals　of　the　Motherland。　Its　civilization；　spite　of　superficial　resemblances；　is　not　English；　let　him　who　will　think　it　superior；　all　one　cares　to　say　is　that　it　has　already　shown　in　a　broad　picture　the　natural　tendencies　of　English　blood　when　emancipated　from　the　old　cult。　Easy　to　understand　that　some　there　are　who　see　nothing　but　evil　in　the　influence　of　that　vast　monwealth。　If　it　has　done　us　good；　assuredly　the　fact　is　not　yet　demonstrable。　In　old　England；　democracy　is　a　thing　so　alien　to　our　traditions　and　rooted　sentiment　that　the　line　of　its　progress　seems　hitherto　a　mere　track　of　ruin。　In　the　very　word　is　something　from　which　we　shrink；　it　seems　to　signify　nothing　less　than　a　national　apostasy；　a　denial　of　the　faith　in　which　we　won　our　glory。　The　democratic　Englishman　is；　by　the　laws　of　his　own　nature；　in　parlous　case；　he　has　lost　the　ideal　by　which　he　guided　his　rude；　prodigal；　domineering　instincts；　in　place　of　the　Right　Honourable；　born　to　noble　things；　he　has　set　up　the　mere　Plebs；　born；　more　likely　than　not；　for　all　manner　of　baseness。　And；　amid　all　his　show　of　loud　self…confidence；　the　man　is　haunted　with　misgiving。

The　task　before　us　is　no　light　one。　Can　we；　whilst　losing　the　class；　retain　the　idea　it　embodied？　Can　we　English；　ever　so　subject　to　the　material；　liberate　ourselves　from　that　old　association；　yet　guard　its　meaning　in　the　sphere　of　spiritual　life？　Can　we；　with　eyes　which　have　ceased　to　look　reverently　on　worn…out　symbols；　learn　to　select　from　among　the　grey…coated　multitude；　and　place　in　reverence　even　higher　him　who　〃holds　his　patent　of　nobility　straight　from　Almighty　God〃？　Upon　that　depends　the　future　of　England。　In　days　gone　by；　our　very　Snob　bore　testimony　after　his　fashion　to　our　scorn　of　meanness；　he　at　all　events　imagined　himself　to　be　imitating　those　who　were　incapable　of　a　sordid　transaction；　of　a　plebeian　pliance。　But　the　Snob；　one　notes；　is　in　the　way　of　degeneracy；　he　has　new　exemplars；　he　speaks　a　ruder　language。　Him；　be　sure；　in　one　form　or　another；　we　shall　have　always　with　us；　and　to　observe　his　habits　is　to　note　the　tenor　of　the　time。　If　he　have　at　the　back　of　his　dim　mind　no　living　ideal　which　lends　his　foolishness　a　generous　significance；　then　indeed……videant　consules。

XXIII

A　visit　from　N…。　He　stayed　with　me　two　days；　and　I　wish　he　could　have　stayed　a　third。　（Beyond　the　third　day；　I　am　not　sure　that　any　man　would　be　wholly　wele。　My　strength　will　bear　but　a　certain　amount　of　conversation；　even　the　pleasantest；　and　before　long　I　desire　solitude；　which　is　rest。）

The　mere　sight　of　N…；　to　say　nothing　of　his　talk；　did　me　good。　If　appearances　can　ever　be　trusted；　there　are　few　men　who　get　more　enjoyment　out　of　life。　His　hardships　were　never　excessive；　they　did　not　affect　his　health　or　touch　his　spirits；　probably　he　is　in　every　way　a　better　man　for　having……as　he　says……〃gone　through　the　mill。〃　His　recollection　of　the　time　when　he　had　to　work　hard　for　a　five…　pound　note；　and　was　not　always　sure　of　getting　it；　obviously　lends　gusto　to　his　present　state　of　ease。　I　persuaded　him　to　talk　about　his　successes；　and　to　give　me　a　glimpse　of　their　meaning　in　solid　cash。　Last　Midsummer　day；　his　receipts　for　the　twelvemonth　were　more　than　two　thousand　pounds。　Nothing　wonderful；　of　course；　bearing　in　mind　what　some　men　are　making　by　their　pen；　but　very　good　for　a　writer　who　does　not　address　the　baser　throng。　Two　thousand　pounds　in　a　year！　I　gazed　at　him　with　wonder　and　admiration。

I　have　known　very　few　prosperous　men　of　letters；　N…　represents　for　me　the　best　and　brightest　side　of　literary　success。　Say　what　one　will　after　a　lifetime　of　disillusion；　the　author　who　earns　largely　by　honest　and　capable　work　is　among　the　few　enviable　mortals。　Think　of　N…s　existence。　No　other　man　could　do　what　he　is　doing；　and　he　does　it　with　ease。　Two；　or　at　most　three；　hours　work　a　day……and　that　by　no　means　every　day……suffices　to　him。　Like　all　who　write；　he　has　his　unfruitful　times；　his　mental　worries；　his　disappointments；　but　these　bear　no　proportion　to　the　hours　of　happy　and　effective　labour。　Every　time　I　see　him　he　looks　in　better　health；　for　of　late　years　he　has　taken　much　more　exercise；　and　he　is　often　travelling。　He　is　happy　in　his　wife　and　children；　the　thought　of　all　the　forts　and　pleasures　he　is　able　to　give　them　must　be　a　constant　joy　to　him；　were　he　to　die；　his　family　is　safe　from　want。　He　has　friends　and　acquaintances　as　many　as　he　desires；　congenial　folk　gather　at　his　table；　he　is　wele　in　pleasant　houses　near　and　far；　his　praise　is　upon　the　lips　of　all　whose　praise　is　worth　having。　With　all　this；　he　has　the　good　sense　to　avoid　manifest　dangers；　he　has　not　abandoned　his　privacy；　and　he　seems　to　be　in　no　danger　of　being　spoilt　by　good　fortune。　His　work　is　more　to　him　than　a　means　of　earning　money；　he　talks　about　a　book　he　has　in　hand　almost　as　freshly　and　keenly　as　in　the　old　days；　when　his　annual　ine　was　barely　a　couple　of　hundred。　I　note；　too；　that　his　leisure　is　not　swamped　with　the　publications　of　the　day；　he　reads　as　many　old　books　as　new；　and　keeps　many　of　his　early　enthusiasms。

He　is　one　of　the　men　I　heartily　like。　That　he　greatly　cares　for　me　I　do　not　suppose；　but　this　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　matter；　enough　that　he　likes　my　society　well　enough　to　make　a　special　journey　down　into　Devon。　I　represent　to　him；　of　course；　the　days　gone　by；　and　for　their　sake　he　will　always　feel　an　interest　in　me。　Being　ten　years　my　junior；　he　must　naturally　regard　me　as　an　old　buffer；　I　notice；　indeed；　that　he　is　just　a　little　too　deferential　at　moments。　He　feels　a　certain　respect　for　some　of　my　work；　but　thinks；　I　am　sure；　that　I　ceased　writing　none　too　soon……which　is　very　true。　If　I　had　not　been　such　a　lucky　fellow……if　at　this　moment　I　were　still　toiling　for　bread……it　is　probable　that　he　and　I　would　see　each　other　very　seldom；　for　N…　has　delicacy；　and　would　shrink　from　bringing　his　high…spirited　affluence　face　to　face　；　whilst　I；　on　the　other　hand；　should　hate　to　think　that　he　kept　up　my　acquaintance　from　a　sense　of　decency。　As　it　is　we　are　very　good　friends；　quite　unembarrassed；　and……for　a　couple　of　days……　really　enjoy　the　sight　and　hearing　of　each　other。　That　I　am　able　to　give　him　a　fortable　bedroom；　and　set　before　him　an　eatable　dinner；　flatters　my　pride。　If　I　chose　at　any　time　to　accept　his　hearty　invitation；　I　can　do　so　without　moral　twinges。

Two　thousand　pounds！　If；　at　N…s　age；　I　had　achieved　that　ine；　what　would　have　been　the　result　upon　me？　Nothing　but　good；　I　know；　but　what　form　would　the　good　have　taken？　Should　I　have　bee　a　social　man；　a　giver　of　dinners；　a　member　of　clubs？　Or　should　I　merely　have　begun；　ten　years　sooner；　the　life　I　am　living　now？　That　is　more　likely。

In　my　twenties　I　used　to　say　to　myself：　what　a　splendid　thing　it　will　be　WHEN　I　am　the　possessor　of　a　thousand　pounds！　Well；　I　have　never　possessed　that　sum……never　anything　like　it……and　now　never　shall。　Yet　it　was　not　an　extravagant　ambition；　methinks；　however　primitive。

As　we　sat　in　the　garden　dusk；　the　scent　of　our　pipes　mingling　with　that　of　roses；　N…　said　to　me　in　a　laughing　tone：　〃e　now；　tell　me　how　you　felt　when　you　first　heard　of　your　legacy？〃　And　I　could　not　tell　him；　I　had　nothing　to　say；　no　vivid　recollection　of　the　moment　would　e　back　to　me。　I　am　afraid　N…　thought　he　had　been　indiscreet；　for　he　passed　quickly　to　another　subject。　Thinking　it　over　now；　I　see；　of　course；　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　put　into　words　the　feeling　of　that　supreme　moment　of　life。　It　was　not　joy　that　possessed　me；　I　did　not　exult；　I　did　not　lose　control　of　myself　in　any　way。　But　I　remember　drawing　one　or　two　deep　sig

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