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ideas in our minds at once fine and imperfect。 We threw out
suggestions that showed themselves at once far inadequate； and we
tried to qualify them by minor self…contradictions。 Britten； I
think； got more said than any one。 〃You all seem to think you want
to organise people； particular groups and classes of individuals；〃
he insisted。 〃It isn't that。 That's the standing error of
politicians。 You want to organise a culture。 Civilisation isn't a
matter of concrete groupings； it's a matter of prevailing ideas。
The problem is how to make bold； clear ideas prevail。 The question
for Remington and us is just what groups of people will most help
this culture forward。〃
〃Yes； but how are the Lords going to behave？〃 said Crupp。 〃You
yourself were asking that a little while ago。〃
〃If they win or if they lose；〃 Gane maintained； 〃there will be a
movement to reorganise aristocracyReform of the House of Lords；
they'll call the political form of it。〃
〃Bailey thinks that；〃 said some one。
〃The labour people want abolition；〃 said some one。 〃Let 'em；〃 said
Thorns。
He became audible； sketching a possibility of action。
〃Suppose all of us were able to work together。 It's just one of
those indeterminate； confused； eventful times ahead when a steady
jet of ideas might produce enormous results。〃
〃Leave me out of it；〃 said Dayton； 〃IF you please。〃
〃We should；〃 said Thorns under his breath。
I took up Crupp's initiative； I remember； and expanded it。
〃I believe we could doextensive things；〃 I insisted。
〃Revivals and revisions of Toryism have been tried so often；〃 said
Thorns； 〃from the Young England movement onward。〃
〃Not one but has produced its enduring effects；〃 I said。 〃It's the
peculiarity of English conservatism that it's persistently
progressive and rejuvenescent。〃
I think it must have been about that point that Dayton fled our
presence； after some clumsy sentence that I decided upon reflection
was intended to remind me of my duty to my party。
Then I remember Thorns firing doubts at me obliquely across the
table。 〃You can't run a country through its spoilt children；〃 he
said。 〃What you call aristocrats are really spoilt children。
They've had too much of everything； except bracing experience。〃
〃Children can always be educated；〃 said Crupp。
〃I said SPOILT children；〃 said Thorns。
〃Look here； Thorns！〃 said I。 〃If this Budget row leads to a storm；
and these big people get their power clipped； what's going to
happen？ Have you thought of that？ When they go out lock； stock；
and barrel； who comes in？〃
〃Nature abhors a Vacuum；〃 said Crupp； supporting me。
〃Bailey's trained officials；〃 suggested Gane。
〃Quacks with a certificate of approval from Altiora；〃 said Thorns。
〃I admit the horrors of the alternative。 There'd be a massacre in
three years。〃
〃One may go on trying possibilities for ever；〃 I said。 〃One thing
emerges。 Whatever accidents happen； our civilisation needs； and
almost consciously needs； a culture of fine creative minds； and all
the necessary tolerances； opennesses； considerations； that march
with that。 For my own part； I think that is the Most Vital Thing。
Build your ship of state as you will； get your men as you will； I
concentrate on what is clearly the affair of my sort of man；I want
to ensure the quality of the quarter deck。〃
〃Hear； hear！〃 said Shoesmith； suddenlyhis first remark for a long
time。 〃A first…rate figure；〃 said Shoesmith； gripping it。
〃Our danger is in missing that；〃 I went on。 〃Muddle isn't ended by
transferring power from the muddle…headed few to the muddle…headed
many； and then cheating the many out of it again in the interests of
a bureaucracy of sham experts。 But that seems the limit of the
liberal imagination。 There is no real progress in a country； except
a rise in the level of its free intellectual activity。 All other
progress is secondary and dependant。 If you take on Bailey's dreams
of efficient machinery and a sort of fanatical discipline with no
free…moving brains behind it； confused ugliness becomes rigid
ugliness；that's all。 No doubt things are moving from looseness to
discipline； and from irresponsible controls to organised controls
and also and rather contrariwise everything is becoming as people
say； democratised； but all the more need in that； for an ark in
which the living element may be saved。〃
〃Hear； hear！〃 said Shoesmith； faint but pursuing。
It must have been in my house afterwards that Shoesmith became
noticeable。 He seemed trying to say something vague and difficult
that he didn't get said at all on that occasion。 〃We could do
immense things with a weekly；〃 he repeated； echoing Neal； I think。
And there he left off and became a mute expressiveness； and it was
only afterwards； when I was in bed； that I saw we had our capitalist
in our hands。 。 。 。
We parted that night on my doorstep in a tremendous glowbut in
that sort of glow one doesn't act upon without much reconsideration；
and it was some months before I made my decision to follow up the
indications of that opening talk。
5
I find my thoughts lingering about the Pentagram Circle。 In my
developments it played a large part； not so much by starting new
trains of thought as by confirming the practicability of things I
had already hesitatingly entertained。 Discussion with these other
men so prominently involved in current affairs endorsed views that
otherwise would have seemed only a little less remote from actuality
than the guardians of Plato or the labour laws of More。 Among other
questions that were never very distant from our discussions； that
came apt to every topic； was the true significance of democracy；
Tariff Reform as a method of international hostility； and the
imminence of war。 On the first issue I can still recall little
Bailey； glib and winking； explaining that democracy was really just
a dodge for getting assent to the ordinances of the expert official
by means of the polling booth。 〃If they don't like things；〃 said
he； 〃they can vote for the opposition candidate and see what happens
thenand that； you see； is why we don't want proportional
representation to let in the wild men。〃 I opened my eyesthe lids
had dropped for a moment under the caress of those smooth soundsto
see if Bailey's artful forefinger wasn't at the side of his
predominant nose。
The international situation exercised us greatly。 Our meetings were
pervaded by the feeling that all things moved towards a day of
reckoning with Germany； and I was largely instrumental in keeping up
the suggestion that India was in a state of unstable equilibrium；
that sooner or later something must happen theresomething very
serious to our Empire。 Dayton frankly detested these topics。 He
was full of that old Middle Victorian