CHAPTER IV

iceofavulgarmindtobethrilledbybigness,tothinkthatathousandsquaremilesareathousandtimesmorewonderfulthanonesquaremile,andthatamillionsquaremilesarealmostthesameasheaven.Thatisnotimagination.No,itkillsit.Whentheirpoetsoverheretrytocelebratebignesstheyaredeadatonce,andnaturally.Yourpoetstooaredying,yourphilosophers,yourmusicians,towhomEuropehaslistenedfortwohundredyears.Gone.Gonewiththelittlecourtsthatnurturedthem—gonewithEsterhazyandWeimar.What?What’sthat?Youruniversities?Ohyes,youhavelearnedmen,whocollectmorefactsthandothelearnedmenofEngland.Theycollectfacts,andfacts,andempiresoffacts.Butwhichofthemwillrekindlethelightwithin?” ToallthisMargaretlistened,sittingonthehaughtynephew’sknee. Itwasauniqueeducationforthelittlegirls.ThehaughtynephewwouldbeatWickhamPlaceoneday,bringingwithhimanevenhaughtierwife,bothconvincedthatGermanywasappointedbyGodtogoverntheworld.AuntJuleywouldcomethenextday,convincedthatGreatBritainhadbeenappointedtothesamepostbythesameauthority.Wereboththeseloud-voicedpartiesright?OnoneoccasiontheyhadmetandMargaretwithclaspedhandshadimploredthemtoarguethesubjectoutinherpresence.Whereattheyblushed,andbegantotalkabouttheweather.“Papa,”shecried—shewasamostoffensivechild—“whywilltheynotdiscussthismostclearquestion?”Herfather,surveyingthepartiesgrimly,repliedthathedidnotknow.Puttingherheadononeside,Margaretthenremarked,“TomeoneoftwothingsisverycleareitherGoddoesnotknowhisownmindaboutEnglandandGermany,orelsethesedonotknowthemindofGod.”Ahatefullittlegirl,butatthirteenshehadgraspedadilemmathatmostpeopletravelthroughlifewithoutperceiving.Herbraindartedupanddownitgrewpliantandstrong.Herconclusionwas,thatanyhumanbeingliesnearertotheunseenthananyorganisation,andfromthisshenevervaried. Helenadvancedalongthesamelines,thoughwithamoreirresponsibletread.Incharactersheresembledhersister,butshewaspretty,andsoapttohaveamoreamusingtime.Peoplegatheredroundhermorereadily,especiallywhentheywerenewacquaintances,andshedidenjoyalittlehomageverymuch.WhentheirfatherdiedandtheyruledaloneatWickhamPlace,sheoftenabsorbedthewholeofthecompany,whileMargaret—bothweretremendoustalkers—fellflat.Neithersisterbotheredaboutthis.Helenneverapologisedafterwards,Margaretdidnotfeeltheslightestrancour.Butlookshavetheirinfluenceuponcharacter.Thesisterswerealikeaslittlegirls,butatthetimeoftheWilcoxepisodetheirmethodswerebeginningtodivergetheyoungerwasratherapttoenticepeople,and,inenticingthem,tobeherselfenticedtheelderwentstraightahead,andacceptedanoccasionalfailureaspartofthegame. LittleneedbepremisedaboutTibby.Hewasnowanintelligentmanofsixteen,butdyspepticanddifficile.