the research magnificent-第21章

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asp　it　all；　from　the　conscious　picturesqueness　of　its　garden　suburbs　to　the　factories　of　Croydon；　from　the　clerk…villadoms　of　Ealing　to　the　inky　streams　of　Bow。　　In　those　days　there　were　passenger　steamboats　that　would　take　one　from　the　meadows　of　Hampton　Court　past　the　whole　spectacle　of　London　out　to　the　shipping　at　Greenwich　and　the　towed　liners；　the　incessant　tugs；　the　heaving　portals　of　the　sea。　。　。　。　　His　time　was　far　too　occupied　for　him　to　carry　out　a　tithe　of　these　expeditions　he　had　planned；　but　he　had　many　walks　that　bristled　with　impressions。　Northward　and　southward；　eastward　and　westward　a　dreaming　young　man　could　wander　into　a　wilderness　of　population；　polite　or　sombre；　poor；　rich；　or　middle…class；　but　all　ceaselessly　active；　all　urgently　pressing；　as　it　seemed；　to　their　part　in　the　drama　of　the　coming　years。　　He　loved　the　late　afternoon；　when　every　artery　is　injected　and　gorged　with　the　multitudinous　home…going　of　the　daily　workers；　he　loved　the　time　of　lighting　up；　and　the　clustering　excitements　of　the　late　hours。　　And　he　went　out　southward　and　eastward　into　gaunt　regions　of　reeking　toil。　　As　yet　he　knew　nothing　of　the　realities　of　industrialism。　　He　saw　only　the　beauty　of　the　great　chimneys　that　rose　against　the　sullen　smoke…barred　sunsets；　and　he　felt　only　the　romance　of　the　lurid　shuddering　flares　that　burst　out　from　squat　stacks　of　brickwork　and　lit　the　emptiness　of　strange　and　slovenly　streets。　。　。　。　And　this　London　was　only　the　foreground　of　the　great　scene　upon　which　he；　as　a　prosperous；　well…befriended　young　Englishman；　was　free　to　play　whatever　part　he　could。　　This　narrow　turbid　tidal　river　by　which　he　walked　ran　out　under　the　bridges　eastward　beneath　the　grey…blue　clouds　towards　Germany；　towards　Russia；　and　towards　Asia；　which　still　seemed　in　those　days　so　largely　the　Englishman's　Asia。　And　when　you　turned　about　at　Blackfriars　Bridge　this　sense　of　the　round　world　was　so　upon　you　that　you　faced　not　merely　Westminster；　but　the　icy　Atlantic　and　America；　which　one　could　yet　fancy　was　a　land　of　EnglishmenEnglishmen　a　little　estranged。　　At　any　rate　they　assimilated；　they　kept　the　tongue。　　The　shipping　in　the　lower　reaches　below　the　Tower　there　carried　the　flags　of　every　country　under　the　sky。　。　。　。　　As　he　went　along　the　riverside　he　met　a　group　of　dusky　students；　Chinese　or　Japanese。　　Cambridge　had　abounded　in　Indians；　and　beneath　that　tall　clock　tower　at　Westminster　it　seemed　as　though　the　world　might　centre。　　The　background　of　the　Englishman's　world　reached　indeed　to　either　pole；　it　went　about　the　earth；　his　background　it　wasfor　all　that　he　was　capable　of　doing。　All　this　had　awaited　him。　。　。　。　Is　it　any　wonder　if　a　young　man　with　an　excitable　imagination　came　at　times　to　the　pitch　of　audible　threats？　　If　the　extreme　indulgence　of　his　opportunity　and　his　sense　of　ability　and　vigour　lifted　his　vanity　at　moments　to　the　kingly　pitch？　　If　he　ejaculated　and　made　a　gesture　or　so　as　he　went　along　the　Embankment？

5

In　the　disquisition　upon　choice　that　opened　Benham's　paper　on　ARISTOCRACY；　he　showed　himself　momentarily　wiser　than　his　day…　dreams。　　For　in　these　day…dreams　he　did　seem　to　himself　to　be　choosing　among　unlimited　possibilities。　　Yet　while　he　dreamt　other　influences　were　directing　his　movements。　　There　were　for　instance　his　mother；　Lady　Marayne；　who　saw　a　very　different　London　from　what　he　did；　and　his　mother　Dame　Nature；　who　cannot　see　London　at　all。　She　was　busy　in　his　blood　as　she　is　busy　in　the　blood　of　most　healthy　young　men；　common　experience　must　fill　the　gaps　for　us；　and　patiently　and　thoroughly　she　was　preparing　for　the　entrance　of　that　heroine；　whom　not　the　most　self…centred　of　heroes　can　altogether　avoid。　。　。　。　And　then　there　was　the　power　of　every　day。　　Benham　imagined　himself　at　large　on　his　liberating　steed　of　property　while　indeed　he　was　mounted　on　the　made　horse　of　Civilization；　while　he　was　speculating　whither　he　should　go；　he　was　already　starting　out　upon　the　round。　One　hesitates　upon　the　magnificent　plan　and　devotion　of　one's　lifetime　and　meanwhile　there　is　usage；　there　are　engagements。　　Every　morning　came　Merkle；　the　embodiment　of　the　established　routine；　the　herald　of　all　that　the　world　expected　and　required　Benham　to　be　and　do。　　Usually　he　awakened　Benham　with　the　opening　of　his　door　and　the　soft　tinkle　of　the　curtain　rings　as　he　let　in　the　morning　light。　　He　moved　softly　about　the　room；　gathering　up　and　removing　the　crumpled　hulls　of　yesterday；　that　done　he　reappeared　at　the　bedside　with　a　cup　of　admirable　tea　and　one　thin　slice　of　bread…and…butter；　reported　on　the　day's　weather；　stood　deferential　for　instructions。　〃You　will　be　going　out　for　lunch；　sir。　　Very　good；　sir。　　White　slips　of　course；　sir。　　You　will　go　down　into　the　country　in　the　afternoon？　Will　that　be　the　serge　suit；　sir；　or　the　brown？〃　These　matters　settled；　the　new　aristocrat　could　yawn　and　stretch　like　any　aristocrat　under　the　old　dispensation；　and　then　as　the　sound　of　running　water　from　the　bathroom　ceased；　stick　his　toes　out　of　bed。　The　day　was　tremendously　indicated。　　World…states　and　aristocracies　of　steel　and　fire；　things　that　were　as　real　as　coal…scuttles　in　Billy's　rooms　away　there　at　Cambridge；　were　now　remoter　than　Sirius。　He　was　expected　to　shave；　expected　to　bath；　expected　to　go　in　to　the　bright　warmth　and　white　linen　and　silver　and　china　of　his　breakfast…　table。　　And　there　he　found　letters　and　invitations；　loaded　with　expectation。　　And　beyond　the　coffee…pot；　neatly　folded；　lay　the　TIMES；　and　the　DAILY　NEWS　and　the　TELEGRAPH　all　with　an　air　of　requiring　his　attention。　　There　had　been　more　fighting　in　Thibet　and　Mr。　Ritchie　had　made　a　Free　Trade　speech　at　Croydon。　　The　Japanese　had　torpedoed　another　Russian　ironclad　and　a　British　cruiser　was　ashore　in　the　East　Indies。　　A　man　had　been　found　murdered　in　an　empty　house　in　Hoxton　and　the　King　had　had　a　conversation　with　General　Booth。　　Tadpole　was　in　for　North　Winchelsea；　beating　Taper　by　nine　votes；　and　there　had　been　a　new　cut　in　the　Atlantic　passenger　rates。　　He　was　expected　to　be　interested　and　excited　by　these　things。　Presently　the　telephone　bell　would　ring　and　he　would　hear　the　clear　little　voice　of　his　mother　full　of　imperative　expectations。　　He　would　be　round　for　lunch？　　Yes；　he　would　be　round　to　lunch。　　And　the　afternoon；　had　he　arranged　to　do　anything　with　his　afternoon？　　No！　put　off　Chexington　until　tomorrow。　　There　was　this　new　pianist；　it　was　really　an　EXPERIENCE；　and　one　might　not　get　tickets　again。　　And　then　tea　at　Panton's。　　It　was　rather　fun　at　Panton's。　。　。　。　　Oh！　Weston　Massinghay　was　coming　to　lunch。　　He　was　a　useful　man　to　know。　So　CLEVER。　。　。　。　　So　long；　my　dear　little　Son；　till　I　see　you。　。　。　。　So　life　puts　out　its　Merkle　threads；　as　the　poacher　puts　his　hair　noose　about　the　pheasant's　neck；　and　while　we　theorize　takes　hold　of　us。　。　。　。　It　came　presently　home　to　Benham　that　he　had　been　down　from　Cambridge　for　ten　months；　and　that　he　was　still　not　a　step　forward　with　the　realization　of　the　new　aristocracy。　　His　political　career　waited。　　He　had　done　a　quantity　of　things；　but　their　net　effect　was　incoherence。　　He　had　not　been　merely　passive；　but　his　efforts　to　break　away　into　creative　realities　had　added　to　rather　than　diminished　his　accumulating　sense　of　futility。　The　natural　development　of　his　position　under　the　influence　of　Lady　Marayne　had　enormously　enlarged　the　circle　of　his　acquaintances。　　He　had　taken　part　in　all　sorts　of　social　occasions；　and　sat　and　listened　to　a　representative　selection　of　political　and　literary　and　social　personages；　he　had　been　several　times　to　the　opera　and　to　a　great　number　and　variety　of　plays；　he　had　been　attentively　inconspicuous　in　several　really　good　week…end　parties。　　He　had　spent　a　golden　October　in　North　Italy　with　his　mother；　and　escaped　from　the　glowing　lassitude　of　Venice　for　some　days　of　climbing　in　the　Eastern　Alps。　　In　January；　in　an　outbreak　of　enquiry；　he　had　gone　with　Lionel　Maxim　to　St。　Petersburg　and　had　eaten　zakuska；　brightened　his　eyes　with　vodka；　talked　with　a　number　of　charming　people　of　the　war　that　was　then　imminent；　listened　to　gipsy　singers　until　dawn；　careered　in　sledges　about　the　most　silent　and　stately　of　capitals；　and　returned　with　Lionel；　discoursing　upon　autocracy　and　assassination；　Japan；　the　Russian　destiny；　and　the　government　of　Peter　the　Great。　　That　excursion　was　the　most　after　his　heart　of　all　the　dispersed　employments　of　his　first　year。　　Through　the　rest　of　the　winter　he　kept　himself　very　fit；　and　still　further　qualified　that　nervous　dislike　for　the　horse　that　he　had　acquired　from　Prothero　by　hunting　once　a　week　in　Essex。　　He　was　incurably　a　bad　horseman；　he　rode　without　sympathy；　he　was　unready　and　convulsive　at　hedges　and　ditches；　and　he　judged　distances　badly。　　His　white　face　and　rigid　seat　and　a　certain　joylessness　of　bearing　in　the　saddle　earned　him　the　singular　nickname；　which　never　reached　his　ears；　of　the　〃Galvanized　Corpse。〃　　He　got　through；　however；　at　the　cost　of　four　quite　trifling　spills　and　without　damaging　either　of　the　horses　he　rode。　　And　his　physical　self…respect　increased。　On　his　writing…desk　appeared　a　few　sheets　of　manuscript　that　increased　only　very　slowly。　　He　was　trying　to　express　his　Cambridge　view　of　aristocracy　in　terms　of　Finacue　Street；　West。　The　a