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at the present time。 The whole process of politics which bulks so
solidly in history seemed for that clairvoyant instant but a froth
of petty motives above abysms of indifference。 。 。 。
Some one had finished。 I perceived I had to speak。
〃Very well；〃 I said； 〃I won't keep you long in replying。 I'll
resign if there isn't a dissolution before next February； and if
there is I shan't stand again。 You don't want the bother and
expense of a bye…election （approving murmurs） if it can be avoided。
But I may tell you plainly now that I don't think it will be
necessary for me to resign； and the sooner you find my successor the
better for the party。 The Lords are in a corner； they've got to
fight now or never； and I think they will throw out the Budget。
Then they will go on fighting。 It is a fight that will last for
years。 They have a sort of social discipline； and you haven't。 You
Liberals will find yourselves with a country behind you； vaguely
indignant perhaps； but totally unprepared with any ideas whatever in
the matter； face to face with the problem of bringing the British
constitution up…to…date。 Anything may happen； provided only that it
is sufficiently absurd。 If the King backs the Lordsand I don't
see why he shouldn'tyou have no Republican movement whatever to
fall back upon。 You lost it during the Era of Good Taste。 The
country； I say； is destitute of ideas； and you have no ideas to give
it。 I don't see what you will do。 。 。 。 For my own part； I mean to
spend a year or so between a window and my writingdesk。〃
I paused。 〃I think； gentlemen；〃 began Parvill； 〃that we hear all
this with very great regret。 。 。 。〃
4
My estrangement from Margaret stands in my memory now as something
that played itself out within the four walls of our house in Radnor
Square； which was； indeed； confined to those limits。 I went to and
fro between my house and the House of Commons； and the dining…rooms
and clubs and offices in which we were preparing our new
developments； in a state of aggressive and energetic dissociation；
in the nascent state； as a chemist would say。 I was free now； and
greedy for fresh combination。 I had a tremendous sense of released
energies。 I had got back to the sort of thing I could do； and to
the work that had been shaping itself for so long in my imagination。
Our purpose now was plain； bold； and extraordinarily congenial。 We
meant no less than to organise a new movement in English thought and
life； to resuscitate a Public Opinion and prepare the ground for a
revised and renovated ruling culture。
For a time I seemed quite wonderfully able to do whatever I wanted
to do。 Shoesmith responded to my first advances。 We decided to
create a weekly paper as our nucleus； and Crupp and I set to work
forthwith to collect a group of writers and speakers； including
Esmeer； Britten； Lord Gane； Neal； and one or two younger men； which
should constitute a more or less definite editorial council about
me； and meet at a weekly lunch on Tuesday to sustain our general co…
operations。 We marked our claim upon Toryism even in the colour of
our wrapper； and spoke of ourselves collectively as the Blue
Weeklies。 But our lunches were open to all sorts of guests； and our
deliberations were never of a character to control me effectively in
my editorial decisions。 My only influential councillor at first was
old Britten； who became my sub…editor。 It was curious how we two
had picked up our ancient intimacy again and resumed the easy give
and take of our speculative dreaming schoolboy days。
For a time my life centred altogether upon this journalistic work。
Britten was an experienced journalist； and I had most of the
necessary instincts for the business。 We meant to make the paper
right and good down to the smallest detail； and we set ourselves at
this with extraordinary zeal。 It wasn't our intention to show our
political motives too markedly at first； and through all the dust
storm and tumult and stress of the political struggle of 1910； we
made a little intellectual oasis of good art criticism and good
writing。 It was the firm belief of nearly all of us that the Lords
were destined to be beaten badly in 1910； and our game was the
longer game of reconstruction that would begin when the shouting and
tumult of that immediate conflict were over。 Meanwhile we had to
get into touch with just as many good minds as possible。
As we felt our feet； I developed slowly and carefully a broadly
conceived and consistent political attitude。 As I will explain
later； we were feminist from the outset； though that caused
Shoesmith and Gane great searching of heart； we developed Esmeer's
House of Lords reform scheme into a general cult of the aristocratic
virtues； and we did much to humanise and liberalise the narrow
excellencies of that Break…up of the Poor Law agitation； which had
been organised originally by Beatrice and Sidney Webb。 In addition；
without any very definite explanation to any one but Esmeer and
Isabel Rivers； and as if it was quite a small matter； I set myself
to secure a uniform philosophical quality in our columns。
That； indeed； was the peculiar virtue and characteristic of the BLUE
WEEKLY。 I was now very definitely convinced that much of the
confusion and futility of contemporary thought was due to the
general need of metaphysical training。 。 。 。 The great mass of
peopleand not simply common people； but people active and
influential in intellectual thingsare still quite untrained in the
methods of thought and absolutely innocent of any criticism of
method； it is scarcely a caricature to call their thinking a crazy
patchwork； discontinuous and chaotic。 They arrive at conclusions by
a kind of accident； and do not suspect any other way may be found to
their attainment。 A stage above this general condition stands that
minority of people who have at some time or other discovered general
terms and a certain use for generalisations。 They areto fall back
on the ancient technicalityRealists of a crude sort。 When I say
Realist of course I mean Realist as opposed to Nominalist； and not
Realist in the almost diametrically different sense of opposition to
Idealist。 Such are the Baileys； such； to take their great
prototype； was Herbert Spencer （who couldn't read Kant）； such are
whole regiments of prominent and entirely self…satisfied
contemporaries。 They go through queer little processes of
definition and generalisation and deduction with the completest
belief in the validity of the intellectual instrument they are
using。 They are RealistsCocksuristsin matter of fact；
sentimentalists in behaviour。 The Baileys having got to this
glorious stage in mental developmentit is glorious because it has
no doubtswere always talking about training 〃Experts〃 to apply the
same simple process to