CHAPTER XXVII

Helenbegantowonderwhyshehadspentamatterofeightpoundsinmakingsomepeopleillandothersangry.Nowthatthewaveofexcitementwasebbing,andhadlefther,Mr.Bast,andMrs.BaststrandedforthenightinaShropshirehotel,sheaskedherselfwhatforceshadmadethewaveflow.Atallevents,noharmwasdone.Margaretwouldplaythegameproperlynow,andthoughHelendisapprovedofhersister’smethods,sheknewthattheBastswouldbenefitbytheminthelong-run. “Mr.Wilcoxissoillogical,”sheexplainedtoLeonard,whohadputhiswifetobed,andwassittingwithherintheemptycoffee-room.“Ifwetoldhimitwashisdutytotakeyouon,hemightrefusetodoit.Thefactis,heisn’tproperlyeducated.Idon’twanttosetyouagainsthim,butyou’llfindhimatrial.” “Icanneverthankyousufficiently,MissSchlegel,”wasallthatLeonardfeltequalto. “Ibelieveinpersonalresponsibility.Don’tyou?Andinpersonaleverything.Ihate—IsupposeIoughtn’ttosaythat—buttheWilcoxesareonthewrongtacksurely.Orperhapsitisn’ttheirfault.Perhapsthelittlethingthatsays‘I’ismissingoutofthemiddleoftheirheads,andthenit’sawasteoftimetoblamethem.There’sanightmareofatheorythatsaysaspecialraceisbeingbornwhichwillruletherestofusinthefuturejustbecauseitlacksthelittlethingthatsays‘I.’Hadyouheardthat?” “Igetnotimeforreading.” “Hadyouthoughtit,then?Thattherearetwokindsofpeople—ourkind,wholivestraightfromthemiddleoftheirheads,andtheotherkindwhocan’t,becausetheirheadshavenomiddle?Theycan’tsay‘I.’TheyAREN’Tinfact,andsothey’resupermen.PierpontMorganhasneversaid‘I’inhislife.” Leonardrousedhimself.Ifhisbenefactresswantedintellectualconversation,shemusthaveit.Shewasmoreimportantthanhisruinedpast.“InevergotontoNietzsche,”hesaid.“ButIalwaysunderstoodthatthosesupermenwereratherwhatyoumaycallegoists.” “Ohno,that’swrong,”repliedHelen.“Nosupermaneversaid‘Iwant,’because‘Iwant’mustleadtothequestion,‘WhoamI?’andsotoPityandtoJustice.Heonlysays‘want.’‘WantEurope,’ifhe’sNapoleon‘wantwives,’ifhe’sBluebeard‘wantB