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Bailey； under her vigorous direction； threw up his post in the Civil
Service and abandoned sporadic controversies； and they devoted
themselves to the elaboration and realisation of this centre of
public information she had conceived as their role。 They set out to
study the methods and organisation and realities of government in
the most elaborate manner。 They did the work as no one had ever
hitherto dreamt of doing it。 They planned the research on a
thoroughly satisfying scale； and arranged their lives almost
entirely for it。 They took that house in Chambers Street and
furnished it with severe economy； they discovered that Scotch
domestic who is destined to be the guardian and tyrant of their
declining years； and they set to work。 Their first book； 〃The
Permanent Official；〃 fills three plump volumes； and took them and
their two secretaries upwards of four years to do。 It is an
amazingly good book； an enduring achievement。 In a hundred
directions the history and the administrative treatment of the
public service was clarified for all time。 。 。 。
They worked regularly every morning from nine to twelve； they
lunched lightly but severely； in the afternoon they 〃took exercise〃
or Bailey attended meetings of the London School Board； on which he
served； he said； for the purposes of studyhe also became a railway
director for the same end。 In the late afternoon Altiora was at
home to various callers； and in the evening came dinner or a
reception or both。
Her dinners and gatherings were a very important feature in their
scheme。 She got together all sorts of interesting people in or
about the public service； she mixed the obscurely efficient with the
ill…instructed famous and the rudderless rich； got together in one
room more of the factors in our strange jumble of a public life than
had ever met easily before。 She fed them with a shameless austerity
that kept the conversation brilliant； on a soup； a plain fish； and
mutton or boiled fowl and milk pudding； with nothing to drink but
whisky and soda； and hot and cold water； and milk and lemonade。
Everybody was soon very glad indeed to come to that。 She boasted
how little her housekeeping cost her； and sought constantly for
fresh economies that would enable her； she said； to sustain an
additional private secretary。 Secretaries were the Baileys' one
extravagance； they loved to think of searches going on in the
British Museum； and letters being cleared up and precis made
overhead； while they sat in the little study and worked together；
Bailey with a clockwork industry； and Altiora in splendid flashes
between intervals of cigarettes and meditation。 〃All efficient
public careers；〃 said Altiora； 〃consist in the proper direction of
secretaries。〃
〃If everything goes well I shall have another secretary next year；〃
Altiora told me。 〃I wish I could refuse people dinner napkins。
Imagine what it means in washing！ I dare most things。 。 。 。 But as
it is； they stand a lot of hardship here。〃
〃There's something of the miser in both these people；〃 said Esmeer；
and the thing was perfectly true。 For； after all； the miser is
nothing more than a man who either through want of imagination or
want of suggestion misapplies to a base use a natural power of
concentration upon one end。 The concentration itself is neither
good nor evil； but a power that can be used in either way。 And the
Baileys gathered and reinvested usuriously not money； but knowledge
of the utmost value in human affairs。 They produced an effect of
having found themselvescompletely。 One envied them at times
extraordinarily。 I was attracted； I was dazzledand at the same
time there was something about Bailey's big wrinkled forehead； his
lisping broad mouth； the gestures of his hands and an uncivil
preoccupation I could not endure。 。 。 。
3
Their effect upon me was from the outset very considerable。
Both of them found occasion on that first visit of mine to talk to
me about my published writings and particularly about my then just
published book THE NEW RULER； which had interested them very much。
It fell in indeed so closely with their own way of thinking that I
doubt if they ever understood how independently I had arrived at my
conclusions。 It was their weakness to claim excessively。 That
irritation； however； came later。 We discovered each other
immensely； for a time it produced a tremendous sense of kindred and
cooperation。
Altiora； I remember； maintained that there existed a great army of
such constructive…minded people as ourselvesas yet undiscovered by
one another。
〃It's like boring a tunnel through a mountain；〃 said Oscar； 〃and
presently hearing the tapping of the workers from the other end。〃
〃If you didn't know of them beforehand；〃 I said； 〃it might be a
rather badly joined tunnel。〃
〃Exactly；〃 said Altiora with a high note； 〃and that's why we all
want to find out each other。 。 。 。〃
They didn't talk like that on our first encounter； but they urged me
to lunch with them next day； and then it was we went into things。 A
woman Factory Inspector and the Educational Minister for New
Banksland and his wife were also there； but I don't remember they
made any contribution to the conversation。 The Baileys saw to that。
They kept on at me in an urgent litigious way。
〃We have read your book；〃 each beganas though it had been a joint
function。 〃And we consider〃
〃Yes；〃 I protested； 〃I think〃
That was a secondary matter。
〃They did not consider；〃 said Altiora； raising her voice and going
right over me； that I had allowed sufficiently for the inevitable
development of an official administrative class in the modern
state。〃
〃Nor of its importance；〃 echoed Oscar。
That； they explained in a sort of chorus； was the cardinal idea of
their lives； what they were up to； what they stood for。 〃We want to
suggest to you；〃 they saidand I found this was a stock opening of
theirs〃that from the mere necessities of convenience elected
bodies MUST avail themselves more and more of the services of expert
officials。 We have that very much in mind。 The more complicated
and technical affairs become； the less confidence will the elected
official have in himself。 We want to suggest that these expert
officials must necessarily develop into a new class and a very
powerful class in the community。 We want to organise that。 It may
be THE power of the future。 They will necessarily have to have very
much of a common training。 We consider ourselves as amateur unpaid
precursors of such a class。〃 。 。 。
The vision they displayed for my consideration as the aim of public…
spirited endeavour； seemed like a harder； narrower； more specialised
version of the idea of a trained and disciplined state that
Willersley and I had worked out in the Alps。 They wanted