CHAPTER XIII

vividaboutninemonthsbeforetheevent.Thenthehousewassuddenlyringedwithpathos.Ithadseensomuchhappiness.Whyhadittobesweptaway?Inthestreetsofthecityshenotedforthefirsttimethearchitectureofhurryandheardthelanguageofhurryonthemouthsofitsinhabitants—clippedwords,formlesssentences,pottedexpressionsofapprovalordisgust.Monthbymonththingsweresteppinglivelier,buttowhatgoal?Thepopulationstillrose,butwhatwasthequalityofthemenborn?TheparticularmillionairewhoownedthefreeholdofWickhamPlace,anddesiredtoerectBabylonianflatsuponit—whatrighthadhetostirsolargeaportionofthequiveringjelly?Hewasnotafool—shehadheardhimexposeSocialism—buttrueinsightbeganjustwherehisintelligenceended,andonegatheredthatthiswasthecasewithmostmillionaires.Whatrighthadsuchmen—ButMargaretcheckedherself.Thatwayliesmadness.Thankgoodness,she,too,hadsomemoney,andcouldpurchaseanewhome. Tibby,nowinhissecondyearatOxford,wasdownfortheEastervacation,andMargarettooktheopportunityofhavingaserioustalkwithhim.Didheatallknowwherehewantedtolive?Tibbydidn’tknowthathedidknow.Didheatallknowwhathewantedtodo?Hewasequallyuncertain,butwhenpressedremarkedthatheshouldprefertobequitefreeofanyprofession.Margaretwasnotshocked,butwentonsewingforafewminutesbeforeshereplied: “IwasthinkingofMr.Vyse.Heneverstrikesmeasparticularlyhappy.” “Ye—es.”saidTibby,andthenheldhismouthopeninacuriousquiver,asifhe,too,hadthoughtofMr.Vyse,hadseenround,through,over,andbeyondMr.Vyse,hadweighedMr.Vyse,groupedhim,andfinallydismissedhimashavingnopossiblebearingontheSubjectunderdiscussion.ThatbleatofTibby’sinfuriatedHelen.ButHelenwasnowdowninthediningroompreparingaspeechaboutpoliticaleconomy.Attimeshervoicecouldbehearddeclaimingthroughthefloor. “ButMr.Vyseisratherawretched,weedyman,don’tyouthink?Thenthere’sGuy.Thatwasapitifulbusiness.Besides”—shiftingtothegeneral—“everyoneisthebetterforsomeregularwork.” Groans. “Ishallsticktoit,”shecontinued,smiling.“IamnotsayingittoeducateyouitiswhatIreallythink.Ibelievethatinthelastcenturymenhavedevelopedthedesireforwork,andtheymustnotstarveit.It’sanewdesire.Itgoeswithagreatdealthat’sbad,butinitselfit’sgood,andIhopethatforwomen,too,‘nottowork’willsoonbecomeasshockingas‘nottobemarried’wasahundredyearsago.”