letters have gained the cordial assent and sympathy of Sir
Charles Brandon？〃
〃Certainly； certainly。 That is； if my unknown name would be of
the least interest to him。〃
〃Good；〃 said Trefusis； filling his glass with water。 〃Erskine；
let us drink to our brother Social Democrat。〃
Erskine laughed loudly； but not heartily。 〃What an ass you are；
Brandon！〃 he said。 〃You； with a large landed estate； and bags of
gold invested in railways； calling yourself a Social Democrat！
Are you going to sell out and distributeto sell all that thou
hast and give to the poor？〃
〃Not a penny；〃 replied Trefusis for him promptly。 〃A man cannot
be a Christian in this country。 I have tried it and found it
impossible both in law and in fact。 I am a capitalist and a
landholder。 I have railway shares； mining shares； building
shares； bank shares； and stock of most kinds； and a great trouble
they are to me。 But these shares do not represent wealth actually
in existence； they are a mortgage on the labor of unborn
generations of laborers； who must work to keep me and mine in
idleness and luxury。 If I sold them； would the mortgage be
cancelled and the unborn generations released from its thrall？
No。 It would only pass into the hands of some other capitalist；
and the working class would be no better off for my
self…sacrifice。 Sir Charles cannot obey the command of Christ； I
defy him to do it。 Let him give his land for a public park； only
the richer classes will have leisure to enjoy it。 Plant it at the
very doors of the poor； so that they may at last breathe its air；
and it will raise the value of the neighboring houses and drive
the poor away。 Let him endow a school for the poor； like Eton or
Christ's Hospital； and the rich will take it for their own
children as they do in the two instances I have named。 Sir
Charles does not want to minister to poverty； but to abolish it。
No matter how much you give to the poor； everything except a bare
subsistence wage will be taken from them again by force。 All talk
of practicing Christianity； or even bare justice； is at present
mere waste of words。 How can you justly reward the laborer when
you cannot ascertain the value of what he makes； owing to the
prevalent custom of stealing it？ I know this by experience。 I
wanted to pay a just price for my wife's tomb； but I could not
find out its value； and never shall。 The principle on which we
farm out our national industry to private marauders； who
recompense themselves by black…mail； so corrupts and paralyzes us
that we cannot be honest even when we want to。 And the reason we
bear it so calmly is that very few of us really want to。〃
〃I must study this question of value；〃 said Sir Charles
dubiously； refilling his goblet。 〃Can you recommend me a good
book on the subject？〃
〃Any good treatise on political economy will do；〃 said Trefusis。
〃In economics all roads lead to Socialism； although in nine cases
out of ten； so far； the economist doesn't recognize his
destination； and incurs the malediction pronounced by Jeremiah on
those who justify the wicked for reward。 I will look you out a
book or two。 And if you will call on Donovan Brown the next time
you are in London； he will be delighted； I know。 He meets with
very few who are capable of sympathizing with him from both his
points of viewsocial and artistic。〃
Sir Charles brightened on being reminded of Donovan Brown。 〃I
shall esteem an introduction to him a great honor；〃 he said。 〃I
had no idea that he was a friend of yours。〃
〃I was a very practical young Socialist when I first met him；〃
said Trefusis。 〃When Brown was an unknown and wretchedly poor
man； my mother； at the petition of a friend of his； charitably
bought one of his pictures for thirty pounds； which he was very
glad to get。 Years afterwards； when my mother was dead； and Brown
famous； I was offered eight hundred pounds for this picture；
which was； by…the…bye； a very bad one in my opinion。 Now； after
making the usual unjust allowance for interest on thirty pounds
for twelve years or so that had elapsed； the sale of the picture
would have brought me in a profit of over seven hundred and fifty
pounds； an unearned increment to which I had no righteous claim。
My solicitor； to whom I mentioned the matter； was of opinion that
I might justifiably pocket the seven hundred and fifty pounds as
reward for my mother's benevolence in buying a presumably
worthless picture from an obscure painter。 But he failed to
convince me that I ought to be paid for my mother's virtues；
though we agreed that neither I nor my mother had received any
return in the shape of pleasure in contemplating the work； which
had deteriorated considerably by the fading of the colors since
its purchase。 At last I went to Brown's studio with the picture；
and told him that it was worth nothing to me； as I thought it a
particularly bad one； and that he might have it back again for
fifteen pounds； half the first price。 He at once told me that I
could get from any dealer more for it than he could afford to
give me； but he told me too that I had no right to make a profit
out of his work； and that he would give me the original price of
thirty pounds。 I took it； and then sent him the man who had
offered me the eight hundred。 To my discomfiture Brown refused to
sell it on any terms； because he considered it unworthy of his
reputation。 The man bid up to fifteen hundred； but Brown held
out； and I found that instead of putting seven hundred and
seventy pounds into his pocket I had taken thirty out of it。 I
accordingly offered to return the thirty pieces。 Brown； taking
the offer as an insult； declined all further communication with
me。 I then insisted on the matter being submitted to arbitration；
and demanded fifteen hundred pounds as the full exchange value of
the picture。 All the arbitrators agreed that this was monstrous；
whereupon I contended that if they denied my right to the value
in exchange； they must admit my right to the value in use。 They
assented to this after putting off their decision for a fortnight
in order to read Adam Smith and discover what on earth I meant by
my values in use and exchange。 I now showed that the picture had
no value in use to me； as I disliked it； and that therefore I was
entitled to nothing； and that Brown must take back the thirty
pounds。 They were glad to concede this also to me； as they were
all artist friends of Brown； and wished him not to lose money by
the transaction； though they of course privately thought that the
picture was； as I described it； a bad one。 After that Brown and I
became very good friends。 He tolerated my advances； at first lest
it should seem that he was annoyed by my disparagement of his
work。 Subsequently he fell into my views much as you have done。〃
〃That is very interesting；〃 said Sir Charles。 〃What a noble
thingrefusing fifteen hundred pounds！ He could ill afford it；
probably。〃
〃Heroicaccording to nineteenth century notions of heroism。
Voluntarily to throw away a chance of making money！ that is the
ne plus ultra of martyrdom。 Brown's wife was extremely angry with
him for doing it。〃
〃It is an interesting storyor might be made so；〃 said Erskine。
〃But you make my head spin with your confounded exchange values
and stuff。 Everything is a question of figures with you。〃
〃That comes of my not being a poet；〃 said Trefusis。 〃But we
Socialists need to study the romantic side of our movement to
interest women in it。 If you want to make a cause grow； instruct
every woman you meet in it。 She is or will one day be a wife； and
will contradict her husband with scraps of your arguments。 A
squabble will follow。 The son will listen； and will be set
thinking if he be capable of thought。 And so the mind of the
people gets leavened。 I have converted many young women。 Most of
them know no more of the economic theory of Socialism than they
know of Chaldee； but they no longer fear or condemn its name。 Oh；
I assure you that much can be done in that way by men who are not
afraid of women； and who are not in too great a hurry to see the
harvest they have sown for。〃
〃Take care。 Some of your lady proselytes may get the better of
you some day。 The future husband to be contradicted may be Sidney
Trefusis。 Ha！ ha！ ha！〃 Sir Charles had emptied a second large
goblet of wine； and was a little flushed and boisterous。
〃No；〃 said Trefusis； 〃I have had enough of love myself； and am
not likely to inspire it。 Women do not care for men to whom； as
Erskine says； everything is a question of figures。 I used to
flirt with women； now I lecture them； and abhor a man…flirt worse
than I do a woman one。 Some more wine？ Oh； you must not waste the
remainder of this bottle。〃
〃I think we had better go； Brandon；〃 said Erskine； his mistrust
of Trefusis growing。 〃We promised to be back before two。〃
〃So you shall；〃 said Trefusis。 〃It is not yet a quarter past one。
By…the…bye； I have not shown you Donovan Brown's pet instrument
for the regeneration of society。 Here it is。 A monster petition
praying that the holding back from the laborer of any portion of
the net value produced by his labor be declared a felony。 That is
all。〃
Erskine nudged Sir Charles； who said hastily； 〃Thank you； but I
had rather not sign anything。〃
〃A baronet sign such a petition！〃 exclaimed Trefusis。 〃I did not
think of asking you。 I only show it to you as an interesting
historical document； containing the autographs of a few artists
and poets。 There is Donovan Brown's for example。 It was he who
suggested the petition； which is not likely to do much good； as
the thing cannot be done in any such fashion However； I have
promised Brown to get as many signatures as I can； so you may as
well sign it； Erskine。 It says nothing in blank verse about the
holiness of slaying a tyrant； but it is a step in the right
direction。 You will not stick at such a trifleunless the
reviews have frightened you。 Come； your name and address。〃
Erskine shook his head。
〃Do you then only commit yourself to revolutionary sentiments
when there is a chance of winning fame as a poet by them？〃
〃I will not sign； simply because I do not choose to；〃 said
Erskine warmly。
〃My dear fellow；〃 said Trefusis；