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〃Couldn't one；〃 I nodded at the assembly in general； start a
movement？
〃There's the Confederates；〃 she said； with a faint smile that masked
a gleam of curiosity。 。 。 。 〃You want；〃 she said； 〃to say to the
aristocracy； 'Be aristocrats。 NOBLESSE OBLIGE。' Do you remember
what happened to the monarch who was told to 'Be a King'？〃
〃Well；〃 I said； 〃I want an aristocracy。〃
〃This；〃 she said； smiling； 〃is the pick of them。 The backwoodsmen
are off the stage。 These are the brilliant onesthe smart and the
blues。 。 。 。 They cost a lot of money； you know。〃
So far Mrs。 Redmondson； but the picture remained full of things not
stated in our speech。 They were on the whole handsome people；
charitable minded； happy； and easy。 They led spacious lives； and
there was something free and fearless about their bearing that I
liked extremely。 The women particularly were wide…reading； fine…
thinking。 Mrs。 Redmondson talked as fully and widely and boldly as
a man； and with those flashes of intuition； those startling； sudden
delicacies of perception few men display。 I liked； too； the
relations that held between women and men； their general tolerance；
their antagonism to the harsh jealousies that are the essence of the
middle…class order。 。 。 。
After all； if one's aim resolved itself into the development of a
type and culture of men； why shouldn't one begin at this end？
It is very easy indeed to generalise about a class or human beings；
but much harder to produce a sample。 Was old Lady Forthundred； for
instance； fairly a sample？ I remember her as a smiling； magnificent
presence； a towering accumulation of figure and wonderful shimmering
blue silk and black lace and black hair； and small fine features and
chins and chins and chins； disposed in a big cane chair with wraps
and cushions upon the great terrace of Champneys。 Her eye was blue
and hard； and her accent and intonation were exactly what you would
expect from a rather commonplace dressmaker pretending to be
aristocratic。 I was； I am afraid； posing a little as the
intelligent but respectful inquirer from below investigating the
great world； and she was certainly posing as my informant。 She
affected a cynical coarseness。 She developed a theory on the
governance of England； beautifully frank and simple。 〃Give 'um all
a peerage when they get twenty thousand a year；〃 she maintained。
〃That's my remedy。〃
In my new role of theoretical aristocrat I felt a little abashed。
〃Twenty thousand；〃 she repeated with conviction。
It occurred to me that I was in the presence of the aristocratic
theory currently working as distinguished from my as yet
unformulated intentions。
〃You'll get a lot of loafers and scamps among 'um；〃 said Lady
Forthundred。 〃You get loafers and scamps everywhere； but you'll get
a lot of men who'll work hard to keep things together； and that's
what we're all after； isn't ut？
〃It's not an ideal arrangement。〃
〃Tell me anything better；〃 said Lady Forthundred。
On the whole； and because she refused emphatically to believe in
education； Lady Forthundred scored。
We had been discussing Cossington's recent peerage； for Cossington；
my old schoolfellow at City Merchants'； and my victor in the affair
of the magazine； had clambered to an amazing wealth up a piled heap
of energetically pushed penny and halfpenny magazines； and a group
of daily newspapers。 I had expected to find the great lady hostile
to the new…comer； but she accepted him； she gloried in him。
〃We're a peerage；〃 she said； 〃but none of us have ever had any
nonsense about nobility。〃
She turned and smiled down on me。 〃We English；〃 she said； 〃are a
practical people。 We assimilate 'um。〃
〃Then； I suppose； they don't give trouble？〃
〃Then they don't give trouble。〃
〃They learn to shoot？〃
〃And all that；〃 said Lady Forthundred。 〃Yes。 And things go on。
Sometimes better than others； but they go onsomehow。 It depends
very much on the sort of butler who pokes 'um about。〃
I suggested that it might be possible to get a secure twenty
thousand a year by at least detrimental methodssocially speaking。
〃We must take the bad and the good of 'um；〃 said Lady Forthundred；
courageously。 。 。 。
Now； was she a sample？ It happened she talked。 What was there in
the brains of the multitude of her first； second； third； fourth； and
fifth cousins； who didn't talk； who shone tall； and bearing
themselves finely； against a background of deft； attentive maids and
valets； on every spacious social scene？ How did things look to
them？
7
Side by side with Lady Forthundred； it is curious to put Evesham
with his tall； bent body； his little…featured almost elvish face；
his unequal mild brown eyes； his gentle manner； his sweet； amazing
oratory。 He led all these people wonderfully。 He was always
curious and interested about life； wary beneath a pleasing
franknessand I tormented my brain to get to the bottom of him。
For a long time he was the most powerful man in England under the
throne； he had the Lords in his hand； and a great majority in the
Commons； and the discontents and intrigues that are the concomitants
of an overwhelming party advantage broke against him as waves break
against a cliff。 He foresaw so far in these matters that it seemed
he scarcely troubled to foresee。 He brought political art to the
last triumph of naturalness。 Always for me he has been the typical
aristocrat； so typical and above the mere forms of aristocracy； that
he remained a commoner to the end of his days。
I had met him at the beginning of my career； he read some early
papers of mine； and asked to see me； and I conceived a flattered
liking for him that strengthened to a very strong feeling indeed。
He seemed to me to stand alone without an equal； the greatest man in
British political life。 Some men one sees through and understands；
some one cannot see into or round because they are of opaque clay；
but about Evesham I had a sense of things hidden as it were by depth
and mists； because he was so big and atmospheric a personality。 No
other contemporary has had that effect upon me。 I've sat beside him
at dinners； stayed in houses with himhe was in the big house party
at Champneystalked to him； sounded him； watching him as I sat
beside him。 I could talk to him with extraordinary freedom and a
rare sense of being understood。 Other men have to be treated in a
special manner； approached through their own mental dialect；
flattered by a minute regard for what they have said and done。
Evesham was as widely and charitably receptive as any man I have
ever met。 The common politicians beside him seemed like rows of
stuffy little rooms looking out upon the sea。
And what was he up to？ What did HE think we were doing with
Mankind？ That I thought worth knowing。
I remember his talking on one occasion at the Hartsteins'； at a
dinner so tremendously floriferous and equipped that we were almost
forced into duologues； about the possible common constructive
purpose in politics。
〃I feel so much；〃 he said； 〃that the best people in every party
converge。 We don't differ at Westminster as they do in the country
towns。 There's a sort of extending common policy that goes on under
every government； because on the whole it's the right thing to do；
and people know it。 Things that used to be matters of opinion
become matters of scienceand cease to be party questions。〃
He instanced education。
〃Apart；〃 said I； 〃from the religious question。〃
〃Apart from the religious question。〃
He dropped that aspect with an easy grace； and went on with his
general theme that political conflict was the outcome of
uncertainty。 〃Directly you get a thing established； so that people
can say； 'Now this is Right；' with the same conviction that people
can say water is a combination of oxygen and hydrogen； there's no
more to be said。 The thing has to be done。 。 。 。〃
And to put against this effect of Evesham； broad and humanely
tolerant； posing as the minister of a steadily developing
constructive conviction； there are other memories。
Have I not seen him in the House； persistent； persuasive；
indefatigable； and by all my standards wickedly perverse； leaning
over the table with those insistent movements of his hand upon it；
or swaying forward with a grip upon his coat lapel； fighting with a
diabolical skill to preserve what are in effect religious tests；
tests he must have known would outrage and humiliate and injure the
consciences of a quarterand that perhaps the best quarterof the
youngsters who come to the work of elementary education？
In playing for points in the game of party advantage Evesham
displayed at times a quite wicked unscrupulousness in