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experiences； on the whole； 〃strangled dinginess〃 expresses them； but
I do not believe they were narrower or shallower than those of many
other men of my class。 I thought of women as pretty things and
beautiful things； pretty rather than beautiful； attractive and at
times disconcertingly attractive； often bright and witty； but；
because of the vast reservations that hid them from me； wanting；
subtly and inevitably wanting； in understanding。 My idealisation of
Margaret had evaporated insensibly after our marriage。 The shrine I
had made for her in my private thoughts stood at last undisguisedly
empty。 But Isabel did not for a moment admit of either idealisation
or interested contempt。 She opened a new sphere of womanhood to me。
With her steady amber…brown eyes； her unaffected interest in
impersonal things； her upstanding waistless blue body； her energy；
decision and courage； she seemed rather some new and infinitely
finer form of boyhood than a feminine creature； as I had come to
measure femininity。 She was my perfect friend。 Could I have
foreseen； had my world been more wisely planned； to this day we
might have been such friends。
She seemed at that time unconscious of sex； though she has told me
since how full she was of protesting curiosities and restrained
emotions。 She spoke； as indeed she has always spoken； simply；
clearly； and vividly； schoolgirl slang mingled with words that
marked ample voracious reading； and she moved quickly with the free
directness of some graceful young animal。 She took many of the easy
freedoms a man or a sister might have done with me。 She would touch
my arm； lay a hand on my shoulder as I sat； adjust the lapel of a
breast…pocket as she talked to me。 She says now she loved me always
from the beginning。 I doubt if there was a suspicion of that in her
mind those days。 I used to find her regarding me with the clearest；
steadiest gaze in the world； exactly like the gaze of some nice
healthy innocent animal in a forest； interested； inquiring；
speculative； but singularly untroubled。 。 。 。
5
Polling day came after a last hoarse and dingy crescendo。 The
excitement was not of the sort that makes one forget one is tired
out。 The waiting for the end of the count has left a long blank
mark on my memory； and then everyone was shaking my hand and
repeating： 〃Nine hundred and seventy…six。〃
My success had been a foregone conclusion since the afternoon； but
we all behaved as though we had not been anticipating this result
for hours； as though any other figures but nine hundred and seventy…
six would have meant something entirely different。 〃Nine hundred
and seventy…six！〃 said Margaret。 〃They didn't expect three
hundred。〃
〃Nine hundred and seventy…six；〃 said a little short man with a
paper。 〃It means a big turnover。 Two dozen short of a thousand；
you know。〃
A tremendous hullaboo began outside； and a lot of fresh people came
into the room。
Isabel； flushed but not out of breath； Heaven knows where she had
sprung from at that time of night！ was running her hand down my
sleeve almost caressingly； with the innocent bold affection of a
girl。 〃Got you in！〃 she said。 〃It's been no end of a lark。〃
〃And now；〃 said I； 〃I must go and be constructive。〃
〃Now you must go and be constructive；〃 she said。
〃You've got to live here；〃 she added。
〃By Jove！ yes；〃 I said。 〃We'll have to house hunt。〃
〃I shall read all your speeches。〃
She hesitated。
〃I wish I was you；〃 she said； and said it as though it was not
exactly the thing she was meaning to say。
〃They want you to speak；〃 said Margaret； with something unsaid in
her face。
〃You must come out with me；〃 I answered； putting my arm through
hers； and felt someone urging me to the French windows that gave on
the balcony。
〃If you think〃 she said； yielding gladly
〃Oh； RATHER！〃 said I。
The Mayor of Kinghamstead； a managing little man with no great
belief in my oratorical powers； was sticking his face up to mine。
〃It's all over；〃 he said； 〃 and you've won。 Say all the nice things
you can and say them plainly。〃
I turned and handed Margaret out through the window and stood
looking over the Market…place； which was more than half filled with
swaying people。 The crowd set up a roar of approval at the sight of
us； tempered by a little booing。 Down in one corner of the square a
fight was going on for a flag； a fight that even the prospect of a
speech could not instantly check。 〃Speech！〃 cried voices； 〃Speech！〃
and then a brief 〃boo…oo…oo〃 that was drowned in a cascade of shouts
and cheers。 The conflict round the flag culminated in the smashing
of a pane of glass in the chemist's window and instantly sank to
peace。
〃Gentlemen voters of the Kinghamstead Division；〃 I began。
〃Votes for Women！〃 yelled a voice； amidst laughterthe first time I
remember hearing that memorable war…cry。
〃Three cheers for Mrs。 Remington！〃
〃Mrs。 Remington asks me to thank you；〃 I said； amidst further uproar
and reiterated cries of 〃Speech！〃
Then silence came with a startling swiftness。
Isabel was still in my mind； I suppose。 〃I shall go to
Westminster；〃 I began。 I sought for some compelling phrase and
could not find one。 〃To do my share；〃 I went on； 〃in building up a
great and splendid civilisation。〃
I paused； and there was a weak gust of cheering； and then a renewal
of booing。
〃This election；〃 I said； 〃 has been the end and the beginning of
much。 New ideas are abroad〃
〃Chinese labour；〃 yelled a voice； and across the square swept a
wildfire of booting and bawling。
It is one of the few occasions when I quite lost my hold on a
speech。 I glanced sideways and saw the Mayor of Kinghamstead
speaking behind his hand to Parvill。 By a happy chance Parvill
caught my eye。
〃What do they want？〃 I asked。
〃Eh？〃
〃What do they want？〃
〃Say something about general fairnessthe other side；〃 prompted
Parvill； flattered but a little surprised by my appeal。 I pulled
myself hastily into a more popular strain with a gross eulogy of my
opponent's good taste。
〃Chinese labour！〃 cried the voice again。
〃You've given that notice to quit；〃 I answered。
The Market…place roared delight； but whether that delight expressed
hostility to Chinamen or hostility to their practical enslavement no
student of the General Election of 1906 has ever been able to
determine。 Certainly one of the most effective posters on our side
displayed a hideous yellow face； just that and nothing more。 There
was not even a legend to it。 How it impressed the electorate we did
not know； but that it impressed the electorate profoundly there can
be no disputing。
6
Kinghamstead was one of the earliest constituencies fought； and we
came backit must have been Saturdaytriumphant but very tired； to
our house in Radnor Square。 In the train we read the first
intimations that the victory of our party was likely to be a
sweeping one。
Then came a period when one was going about receiving and giving
congratulations and watching the other men arrive； very like a boy
who has returned to school with the first batch after the holidays。
The London world reeked with the General Election； it had invaded
the nurseries。 All the children of one's friends had got big maps
of England cut up into squares to represent constituencies and were
busy sticking gummed blue labels over the conquered red of Unionism
that had hitherto submerged the country。 And there were also orange
labels； if I remember rightly； to represent the new Labour party；
and green for the Irish。 I engaged myself to speak at one or two
London meetings； and lunched at the Reform； which was fairly tepid；
and dined and spent one or two tumultuous evenings at the National
Liberal Club； which was in active eruption。 The National Liberal
became feverishly congested towards midnight as the results of the
counting came dropping in。 A big green…baize screen had been fixed
up at one end of the large smoking…room with the names of the
constituencies that were voting that day； and directly the figures
came to hand； up they went； amidst cheers that at last lost their
energy through sheer repetition； whenever there was record of a
Liberal gain。 I don't remember what happened when there was a
Liberal loss； I don't think that any were announced while I was
there。
How packed and noisy the place was； and what a reek of tobacco and
whisky fumes we made！ Everybody was excited and talking； making
waves of harsh confused sound that beat upon one's ears； and every
now and then hoarse voices would shout for someone to speak。 Our
little set was much in evidence。 Both the Cramptons were in； Lewis；
B