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cheek until I rescued him and her； and left him free to congratulate
the new Lady Snape on her husband's K。 C。 B。
I took Margaret down。 We achieved no feats of mutual expression；
except that it was abundantly clear we were both very pleased and
interested to meet again； and that we had both kept memories of each
other。 We made that Misterton tea…party and the subsequent
marriages of my cousins and the world of Burslem generally； matter
for quite an agreeable conversation until at last Altiora； following
her invariable custom； called me by name imperatively out of our
duologue。 〃Mr。 Remington；〃 she said； 〃we want your opinion〃 in
her entirely characteristic effort to get all the threads of
conversation into her own hands for the climax that always wound up
her dinners。 How the other women used to hate those concluding
raids of hers！ I forget most of the other people at that dinner；
nor can I recall what the crowning rally was about。 It didn't in
any way join on to my impression of Margaret。
In the drawing…room of the matting floor I rejoined her； with
Altiora's manifest connivance； and in the interval I had been
thinking of our former meeting。
〃Do you find London；〃 I asked； 〃give you more opportunity for doing
things and learning things than Burslem？〃
She showed at once she appreciated my allusion to her former
confidences。 〃I was very discontented then；〃 she said and paused。
〃I've really only been in London for a few months。 It's so
different。 In Burslem； life seems all business and gettingwithout
any reason。 One went on and it didn't seem to mean anything。 At
least anything that mattered。 。 。 。 London seems to be so full of
meaningsall mixed up together。〃
She knitted her brows over her words and smiled appealingly at the
end as if for consideration for her inadequate expression；
appealingly and almost humorously。
I looked understandingly at her。 〃We have all；〃 I agreed； 〃to come
to London。〃
〃One sees so much distress；〃 she added； as if she felt she had
completely omitted something； and needed a codicil。
〃What are you doing in London？〃
〃I'm thinking of studying。 Some social question。 I thought perhaps
I might go and study social conditions as Mrs。 Bailey did； go
perhaps as a work…girl or see the reality of living in； but Mrs。
Bailey thought perhaps it wasn't quite my work。〃
〃Are you studying？〃
〃I'm going to a good many lectures； and perhaps I shall take up a
regular course at the Westminster School of Politics and Sociology。
But Mrs。 Bailey doesn't seem to believe very much in that either。〃
Her faintly whimsical smile returned。 〃I seem rather indefinite；〃
she apologised； 〃but one does not want to get entangled in things
one can't do。 Oneone has so many advantages； one's life seems to
be such a trust and such a responsibility〃
She stopped。
〃A man gets driven into work；〃 I said。
〃It must be splendid to be Mrs。 Bailey；〃 she replied with a glance
of envious admiration across the room。
〃SHE has no doubts； anyhow；〃 I remarked。
〃She HAD；〃 said Margaret with the pride of one who has received
great confidences。
6
〃You've met before？〃 said Altiora； a day or so later。
I explained when。
〃You find her interesting？〃
I saw in a flash that Altiora meant to marry me to Margaret。
Her intention became much clearer as the year developed。 Altiora
was systematic even in matters that evade system。 I was to marry
Margaret； and freed from the need of making an income I was to come
into politicsas an exponent of Baileyism。 She put it down with
the other excellent and advantageous things that should occupy her
summer holiday。 It was her pride and glory to put things down and
plan them out in detail beforehand； and I'm not quite sure that she
did not even mark off the day upon which the engagement was to be
declared。 If she did； I disappointed her。 We didn't come to an
engagement； in spite of the broadest hints and the glaring
obviousness of everything； that summer。
Every summer the Baileys went out of London to some house they hired
or borrowed； leaving their secretaries toiling behind； and they went
on working hard in the mornings and evenings and taking exercise in
the open air in the afternoon。 They cycled assiduously and went for
long walks at a trot； and raided and studied （and incidentally
explained themselves to） any social 〃types〃 that lived in the
neighbourhood。 One invaded type； resentful under research；
described them with a dreadful aptness as Donna Quixote and Sancho
Panzaand himself as a harmless windmill； hurting no one and
signifying nothing。 She did rather tilt at things。 This particular
summer they were at a pleasant farmhouse in level country near
Pangbourne； belonging to the Hon。 Wilfrid Winchester； and they asked
me to come down to rooms in the neighbourhoodAltiora took them for
a month for me in Augustand board with them upon extremely
reasonable terms； and when I got there I found Margaret sitting in a
hammock at Altiora's feet。 Lots of people； I gathered； were coming
and going in the neighbourhood； the Ponts were in a villa on the
river； and the Rickhams' houseboat was to moor for some days； but
these irruptions did not impede a great deal of duologue between
Margaret and myself。
Altiora was efficient rather than artistic in her match…making。 She
sent us off for long walks togetherMargaret was a fairly good
walkershe exhumed some defective croquet things and incited us to
croquet； not understanding that detestable game is the worst
stimulant for lovers in the world。 And Margaret and I were always
getting left about； and finding ourselves for odd half…hours in the
kitchen…garden with nothing to do except talk； or we were told with
a wave of the hand to run away and amuse each other。
Altiora even tried a picnic in canoes； knowing from fiction rather
than imagination or experience the conclusive nature of such
excursions。 But there she fumbled at the last moment； and elected
at the river's brink to share a canoe with me。 Bailey showed so
much zeal and so little skillhis hat fell off and he became
miraculously nothing but paddle…clutching hands and a vast wrinkled
browthat at last he had to be paddled ignominiously by Margaret；
while Altiora； after a phase of rigid discretion； as nearly as
possible drowned herselfand me no doubt into the bargainwith a
sudden lateral gesture of the arm to emphasise the high note with
which she dismissed the efficiency of the Charity Organisation
Society。 We shipped about an inch of water and sat in it for the
rest of the time； an inconvenience she disregarded heroically。 We
had difficulties in landing Oscar from his frail craft upon the ait
of our feasting；he didn't balance sideways and was much alarmed；
and afterwards； as Margaret had a pain in her back； I took him in my
canoe； let him hide his shame with an ineffectual but not positively
harmful paddle； and towed the other by means of the joined painters。
Still it was the fault of the inadequate information supplied in the
books and not of Altiora that that was not the date of my betrothal。
I find it not a little difficult to state what kept me back from
proposing marriage to Margaret that summer； and what urged me
forward at last to marry her。 It is so much easier to remember
one's resolutions than to remember the moods and suggestions that
produced them。
Marrying and getting married was； I think； a pretty simple affair to
Altiora； it was something that happened to the adolescent and
unmarried when you threw them together under the circumstances of
health； warmth and leisure。 It happened with the kindly and
approving smiles of the more experienced elders who had organised
these proximities。 The young people married； settled down； children
ensued； and father and mother turned their minds； now decently and
properly disillusioned； to other things。 That to Altiora was the
normal sexual life； and she believed it to be the quality of the
great bulk of the life about her。
One of the great barriers to human understanding is the wide
temperamental difference one finds in the values of things relating
to sex。 It is the issue upon which people most need training in
charity and imaginative sympathy。 Here are no universal standards
at all； and indeed for no single man nor woman does there seem to be
any fixed standard； so much do the accidents of circumstances and
one's physical phases affect one's interpretations。 There is
nothing in the whole range of sexual fact that may not seem
supremely beautiful or humanly jolly or magnificently wicked or
disgusting or trivial or utterly insignificant； according to the eye
that sees or the mood that colours。 Here is somethin