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Shelton；〃what do I do？ Do I say 'Hands off'？ No。 'Take it；'
I saytake it！'〃 He archly smiled。 〃But do you think they would？〃
And the softness of his contours fascinated Shelton。
〃The soldier；〃 the person underneath the print resumed； 〃is
necessarily on a lower planeintellectuallyoh； intellectually
than the philanthropist。 His sufferings are less acute； he enjoys
the compensations of advertisementyou admit that？〃 he breathed
persuasively。 〃For instanceI am quite impersonalI suffer； but do
I talk about it？〃 But； someone gazing at his well…filled waistcoat；
he put his thesis in another form： 〃I have one acre and one cow； my
brother has one acre and one cow： do I seek to take them away from
him？〃
Shelton hazarded； 〃Perhaps you 're weaker than your brother。〃
〃Come； come！ Take the case of women： now； I consider our marriage
laws are barbarous。〃
For the first time Shelton conceived respect for them； he made a
comprehensive gesture； and edged himself into the conversation of
another group； for fear of having all his prejudices overturned。
Here an Irish sculptor； standing in a curve； was saying furiously；
〃Bees are not bhumpkins； d…n their sowls！ 〃A Scotch painter； who
listened with a curly smile； seemed trying to compromise this
proposition； which appeared to have relation to the middle classes；
and though agreeing with the Irishman； Shelton felt nervous over his
discharge of electricity。 Next to them two American ladies；
assembled under the tent of hair belonging to a writer of songs； were
discussing the emotions aroused in them by Wagner's operas。
〃They produce a strange condition of affairs in me；〃 said the thinner
one。
〃They 're just divine；〃 said the fatter。
〃I don't know if you can call the fleshly lusts divine；〃 replied the
thinner； looking into the eyes of the writer of the songs。
Amidst all the hum of voices and the fumes of smoke； a sense of
formality was haunting Shelton。 Sandwiched between a Dutchman and a
Prussian poet； he could understand neither of his neighbours； so；
assuming an intelligent expression； he fell to thinking that an
assemblage of free spirits is as much bound by the convention of
exchanging their ideas as commonplace people are by the convention of
having no ideas to traffic in。 He could not help wondering whether；
in the bulk； they were not just as dependent on each other as the
inhabitants of Kensington； whether； like locomotives； they could run
at all without these opportunities for blowing off the steam； and
what would be left when the steam had all escaped。 Somebody ceased
playing the violin； and close to him a group began discussing ethics。
Aspirations were in the air all round； like a lot of hungry ghosts。
He realised that； if tongue be given to them； the flavour vanishes
from ideas which haunt the soul。
Again the violinist played。
〃Cock gracious！〃 said the Prussian poet； falling into English as the
fiddle ceased： 〃Colossal！ 'Aber； wie er ist grossartig'！〃
〃Have you read that thing of Besom's？〃 asked shrill voice behind。
〃Oh； my dear fellow！ too horrid for words； he ought to be hanged！〃
〃The man's dreadful；〃 pursued the voice； shriller than ever； 〃nothing
but a volcanic eruption would cure him。〃
Shelton turned in alarm to look at the authors of these statements。
They were two men of letters talking of a third。
〃'C'est un grand naif； vous savez；'〃 said the second speaker。
〃These fellows don't exist；〃 resumed the first； his small eyes
gleamed with a green light； his whole face had a look as if he gnawed
himself。 Though not a man of letters； Shelton could not help
recognising from those eyes what joy it was to say those words：
〃These fellows don't exist！〃
〃Poor Besom！ You know what Moulter said 。 。 。〃
Shelton turned away； as if he had been too close to one whose hair
smelt of cantharides； and； looking round the room； he frowned。 With
the exception of his cousin； he seemed the only person there of
English blood。 Americans； Mesopotamians； Irish； Italians； Germans；
Scotch； and Russians。 He was not contemptuous of them for being
foreigners； it was simply that God and the climate had made him
different by a skin or so。
But at this point his conclusions were denied （as will sometimes
happen） by his introduction to an Englishmana Major Somebody； who；
with smooth hair and blond moustache； neat eyes and neater clothes；
seemed a little anxious at his own presence there。 Shelton took a
liking to him； partly from a fellow…feeling； and partly because of
the gentle smile with which he was looking at his wife。 Almost
before he had said 〃How do you do？〃 he was plunged into a discussion
on imperialism。
〃Admitting all that；〃 said Shelton； 〃 what I hate is the humbug with
which we pride ourselves on benefiting the whole world by our so…
called civilising methods。〃
The soldier turned his reasonable eyes。
〃But is it humbug？〃
Shelton saw his argument in peril。 If we really thought it； was it
humbug？ He replied； however：
〃Why should we； a small portion of the world's population； assume
that our standards are the proper ones for every kind of race？ If
it 's not humbug； it 's sheer stupidity。〃
The soldier； without taking his hands out of his pockets； but by a
forward movement of his face showing that he was both sincere and
just； re…replied：
〃Well； it must be a good sort of stupidity； it makes us the nation
that we are。〃
Shelton felt dazed。 The conversation buzzed around him； he heard the
smiling prophet saying； 〃Altruism； altruism；〃 and in his voice a
something seemed to murmur； 〃Oh； I do so hope I make a good
impression！〃
He looked at the soldier's clear…cut head with its well…opened eyes；
the tiny crow's…feet at their corners； the conventional moustache； he
envied the certainty of the convictions lying under that well…parted
hair。
〃I would rather we were men first and then Englishmen；〃 he muttered；
〃I think it's all a sort of national illusion； and I can't stand
illusions。〃
〃If you come to that；〃 said the soldier； 〃the world lives by
illusions。 I mean； if you look at history； you'll see that the
creation of illusions has always been her business； don't you know。〃
This Shelton was unable to deny。
〃So；〃 continued the soldier （who was evidently a highly cultivated
man）； 〃if you admit that movement； labour； progress； and all that
have been properly given to building up these illusions； thaterin
fact； they're what you might callerthe outcome of the world's
crescendo；〃 he rushed his voice over this phrase as if ashamed of it
〃why do you want to destroy them？〃
Shelton thought a moment； then； squeezing his body with his folded
arms； replied：
〃The past has made us what we are； of course； and cannot be
destroyed； but how about the future？ It 's surely time to let in
air。 Cathedrals are very fine； and everybody likes the s