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our more formal university work； for most of us took firsts； and
three of us got Fellowships in one year or another。 There was
Benton who had a Research Fellowship and went to Tubingen； there was
Esmeer and myself who both became Residential Fellows。 I had taken
the Mental and Moral Science Tripos （as it was then）； and three
years later I got a lectureship in political science。 In those days
it was disguised in the cloak of Political Economy。
2
It was our affectation to be a little detached from the main stream
of undergraduate life。 We worked pretty hard； but by virtue of our
beer； our socialism and suchlike heterodoxy； held ourselves to be
differentiated from the swatting reading man。 None of us； except
Baxter； who was a rowing blue； a rather abnormal blue with an
appetite for ideas； took games seriously enough to train； and on the
other hand we intimated contempt for the rather mediocre；
deliberately humorous； consciously gentlemanly and consciously wild
undergraduate men who made up the mass of Cambridge life。 After the
manner of youth we were altogether too hard on our contemporaries。
We battered our caps and tore our gowns lest they should seem new；
and we despised these others extremely for doing exactly the same
things； we had an idea of ourselves and resented beyond measure a
similar weakness in these our brothers。
There was a type； or at least there seemed to us to be a typeI'm a
little doubtful at times now whether after all we didn't create it
for which Hatherleigh invented the nickname the 〃Pinky Dinkys；〃
intending thereby both contempt and abhorrence in almost equal
measure。 The Pinky Dinky summarised all that we particularly did
not want to be； and also； I now perceive； much of what we were and
all that we secretly dreaded becoming。
But it is hard to convey the Pinky Dinky idea； for all that it meant
so much to us。 We spent one evening at least during that reading
party upon the Pinky Dinky； we sat about our one fire after a walk
in the rainit was our only wet daysmoked our excessively virile
pipes； and elaborated the natural history of the Pinky Dinky。 We
improvised a sort of Pinky Dinky litany； and Hatherleigh supplied
deep notes for the responses。
〃The Pinky Dinky extracts a good deal of amusement from life；〃 said
some one。
〃Damned prig！ 〃 said Hatherleigh。
〃The Pinky Dinky arises in the Union and treats the question with a
light gay touch。 He makes the weird ones mad。 But sometimes he
cannot go on because of the amusement he extracts。〃
〃I want to shy books at the giggling swine；〃 said Hatherleigh。
〃The Pinky Dinky says suddenly while he is making the tea； 'We're
all being frightfully funny。 It's time for you to say something
now。'〃
〃The Pinky Dinky shakes his head and says： 'I'm afraid I shall never
be a responsible being。' And he really IS frivolous。〃
〃Frivolous but not vulgar；〃 said Esmeer。
〃Pinky Dinkys are chaps who've had their buds nipped；〃 said
Hatherleigh。 〃They're Plebs and they know it。 They haven't the
Guts to get hold of things。 And so they worry up all those silly
little jokes of theirs to carry it off。〃 。 。 。
We tried bad ones for a time； viciously flavoured。
Pinky Dinkys are due to over…production of the type that ought to
keep outfitters' shops。 Pinky Dinkys would like to keep outfitters'
shops with whimsy 'scriptions on the boxes and make your bill out
funny； and not be snobs to customers； no！not even if they had
titles。〃
〃Every Pinky Dinky's people are rather good people； and better than
most Pinky Dinky's people。 But he does not put on side。〃
〃Pinky Dinkys become playful at the sight of women。〃
〃'Croquet's my game；' said the Pinky Dinky； and felt a man
condescended。〃
〃But what the devil do they think they're up to； anyhow？〃 roared old
Hatherleigh suddenly； dropping plump into bottomless despair。
We felt we had still failed to get at the core of the mystery of the
Pinky Dinky。
We tried over things about his religion。 〃The Pinky Dinky goes to
King's Chapel； and sits and feels in the dusk。 Solemn things！ Oh
HUSH！ He wouldn't tell you〃
〃He COULDN'T tell you。〃
〃Religion is so sacred to him he never talks about it； never reads
about it； never thinks about it。 Just feels！〃
〃But in his heart of hearts； oh！ ever so deep； the Pinky Dinky has a
doubt〃
Some one protested。
〃Not a vulgar doubt；〃 Esmeer went on； 〃but a kind of hesitation
whether the Ancient of Days is really exactly what one would call
good form。 。 。 。 There's a lot of horrid coarseness got into the
world somehow。 SOMEBODY put it there。 。 。 。 And anyhow there's no
particular reason why a man should be seen about with Him。 He's
jolly Awful of course and all that〃
〃The Pinky Dinky for all his fun and levity has a clean mind。〃
〃A thoroughly clean mind。 Not like Esmeer'sthe Pig！〃
〃If once he began to think about sex； how could he be comfortable at
croquet？〃
〃It's their Damned Modesty；〃 said Hatherleigh suddenly； 〃that's
what's the matter with the Pinky Dinky。 It's Mental Cowardice
dressed up as a virtue and taking the poor dears in。 Cambridge is
soaked with it； it's some confounded local bacillus。 Like the thing
that gives a flavour to Havana cigars。 He comes up here to be made
into a man and a ruler of the people； and he thinks it shows a nice
disposition not to take on the job！ How the Devil is a great Empire
to be run with men like him？〃
〃All his little jokes and things；〃 said Esmeer regarding his feet on
the fender； 〃it's just a nervous sniggeringbecause he's afraid。 。 。 。
Oxford's no better。〃
〃What's he afraid of？〃 said I。
〃God knows！〃 exploded Hatherleigh and stared at the fire。
〃LIFE！〃 said Esmeer。 〃And so in a way are we；〃 he added； and made a
thoughtful silence for a time。
〃I say；〃 began Carter； who was doing the Natural Science Tripos；
〃what is the adult form of the Pinky Dinky？〃
But there we were checked by our ignorance of the world。
〃What is the adult form of any of us？〃 asked Benton； voicing the
thought that had arrested our flow。
3
I do not remember that we ever lifted our criticism to the dons and
the organisation of the University。 I think we took them for
granted。 When I look back at my youth I am always astonished by the
multitude of things that we took for granted。 It seemed to us that
Cambridge was in the order of things； for all the world like having
eyebrows or a vermiform appendix。 Now with the larger scepticism of
middle age I can entertain very fundamental doubts about these old
universities。 Indeed I had a scheme
I do not see what harm I can do now by laying bare the purpose of
the political combinations I was trying to effect。
My educational scheme was indeed the starting…point of all the big
project of conscious public reconstruction at which I aimed。 I
wanted to build up a new educational machine altogether for the
governing class out of a consolidated system of special public
service schools。 I meant to get to work upon this whatever office I
was given in the new government。 I could have begun my plan from
the Admiralty or the War Office quite as easily as from the
Education Office。 I am firmly convinced it is hopeless to think of
reforming the old public schools and universities to meet the needs
of a modern state； they send their roots too deep and far； the cost
would exceed any good that could possibly be effected； and so I have
sought a way round this invincible obstacle。 I do think it would be
quite practicable to side…track； as the Americans say； the whole
system by creating hardworking； hard…living； modern and scientific
boys' schools； first for the Royal Navy and then for the public
service generally； and as they grew； opening them to the public
without any absolute obligation to subsequent service。
Simultaneously with this it would not be impossible to develop a new
college system with strong faculties in modern philosophy； modern
history； European literature and criticism； physical and biological
science； education and sociology。
We could in fact create a new liberal education in this way； and cut
the umbilicus of the classical languages for good and all。 I should
have set this going； and trusted it to correct or kill the old
public schools and the Oxford and Cambridge tradition altogether。 I
had men in my mind to begin the work； and I should have found
others。 I should have aimed at making a hard…trained； capable；
intellectually active； proud type of man。 Everything else would
have been made subservient to that。 I should have kept my grip on
the men through their vacation； and somehow or other I would have
contrived a young woman to ma