than ever。 But one of his hands was tied up in a white bandage。 〃I am going this morning；〃 he said； 〃I am going down now to breakfast。 I have had a few little accidents with some of the things in the room and I have cut my hand。 I want you to tell the manager and see that they are properly charged for on the bill。 。 。 。 Thank you。'' The head chambermaid was left to consider the accidents。 Benham's things were all packed up and the room had an air of having been straightened up neatly and methodically after a destructive cataclysm。 One or two items that the chambermaid might possibly have overlooked in the normal course of things were carefully exhibited。 For example； the sheet had been torn into half a dozen strips and they were lying side by side on the bed。 The clock on the mantelpiece had been knocked into the fireplace and then pounded to pieces。 All the looking…glasses in the room were smashed； apparently the electric lamp that stood on the night table by the bedside had been wrenched off and flung or hammered about amidst the other breakables。 And there was a considerable amount of blood splashed about the room。 The head chambermaid felt unequal to the perplexities of the spectacle and summoned her most convenient friend； the head chambermaid on the third floor； to her aid。 The first…floor waiter joined their deliberations and several housemaids displayed a respectful interest in the maful to Martindale House and the thing was rankling almost unendurably。 It seemed to be a relief to him to show his son very fully the essentially illogical position of his assailant。 He was entirely inattentive to Benham's carefully made conversational opportunities。 He would be silent at times while Benham talked and then he would break out suddenly with： 〃What seems to me so unreasonable； so ridiculous； in the whole of that fellow's second argumentif one can call it an argument。 。 。 。 A man who reasons as he does is bound to get laughed at。 If people will only see it。 。 。 。〃
CHAPTER THE SIXTH THE NEW HAROUN AL RASCHID
1
Benham corresponded with Amanda until the summer of 1913。 Sometimes the two wrote coldly to one another； sometimes with warm affection； sometimes with great bitterness。 When he met White in Johannesburg durtter。 Finally they invoked the manager。 He was still contemplating the scene of the disorder when the precipitate retreat of his subordinates warned him of Benham's return。 Benham was smoking a cigarette and his bearing was reassuringly tranquil。 〃I had a kind of nightmare；〃 he said。 〃I am fearfully sorry to have disarranged your room。 You must charge me for the inconvenience as well as for the damage。
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〃An aristocrat cannot be a lover。〃 〃One cannot serve at once the intricacies of the wider issues of life and the intricacies of another human being。 I do not mean that one may not love。 One loves the more because one does not concentrate one's love。 One loves nations； the people passing in the street； beasts hurt by the wayside； troubled scoundrels and university dons in tears。 。 。 。 〃But if one does not give one's whole love and life into a woman's hands I do not think one can expect to be loved。 〃An aristocrat must do without close personal love。 。 。 。〃 This much was written at the top of a sheet of paper。 The writing ended halfway down the page。 Manifestly it was an abandoned beginning。 And it was； it seemed to White； the last page of all this confusion of matter that dealt with the Second and Third Limitations。 Its incompleteness made its expression perfect。 。 。 。 There Benham's love experience ended。 He turned to the great business of the world。 Desire and Jealousy should deflect his life no more； like Fear they were to be dismissed as far as possible and subdued when they could not be altogether dismissed。 Whatever stirrings of blood or imagination there were in him after that parting； whatever failures from this resolution； they left no trace on the rest of his research； which was concerned with the hates of peoples and classes and war and peace and the possibilities science unveils and starry speculations of what mankind may do。
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But Benham did not leave England again until he had had an encounter with Lady Marayne。 The little lady came to her son in a state of extraordinary anger and distress。 Never had she seemed quite so resolute nor quite so hopelessly dispersed and mixed。 And when for a moment it seemed to him that she was not as a matter of fact dispersed and mixed at all； then with an instant eagerness he dismissed that one elucidatory gleam。 〃What are you doing in England； Poff？〃 she demanded。 〃And what are you going to do？ 〃Nothing！ And you are going to leave her in your house； with your property and a lover。 If that's it； Poff； why did you ever come back？ And why did you ever marry her？ You might have known； her father was a swindler。 She's begotten of deceit。 She'll tell her own story while you are away； and a pretty story she'll make of it。〃 〃Do you want me to divorce her and make a scandal？〃 〃I never wanted you to go away from her。 If you'd stayed and watched her as a man should； as I begged you and implored you to do。 Didn't I tell you； Poff？ Didn't I warn you？〃 〃But now what am I to do？〃 〃There you are！ That's just a man's way。 You get yourself into this trouble； you follow your passions and your fancies and fads and then you turn to me！ How can I help you now； Poff？ If you'd listened to me before！〃 Her blue eyes were demonstratively round。 〃Yes； but〃 〃I warned you；〃 she interrupted。 〃I warned you。 I've done all I could for you。 It isn't that I haven't seen through her。 When she came to me at first with that made…up story of a baby！ And all about loving me like her own mother。 But I did what I could。 I thought we might still make the best of a bad job。 And then。 I might have known she couldn't leave Pip alone。 。 。 。 But for weeks I didn't dream。 I wouldn't dream。 Right under my nose。 The impudence of it！〃 Her voice broke。 〃Such a horrid mess！ Such a hopeless； horrid mess！〃 She wiped away a bright little tear。 。 。 。 〃It's all alike。 It's your way with us。 All of you。 There isn't a man in the world deserves to have a woman in the world。 We do all we can for you。 We do all we can to amuse you； we dress for you and we talk for you。 All the sweet； warm little women there are！ And then you go away from us！ There never was a woman yet who pleased and satisfied a man； who did not lose him。 Give you everything and off you must go！ Lovers； mothers。 。 。 。〃 It dawned upon Benham dimly that his mother's troubles did not deal exclusively with himself。 〃But Amanda；〃 he began。 〃If you'd looked after her properly； it would hing the strike period of 1913； he was on his way to see her in London and to settle their relationship upon a new and more definite footing。 It was her suggestion that they should meet。 About her he felt an enormous； inexorable； dissatisfaction。 He could not persuade himself that his treatmee evil between different kinds of men is due to uncultivated feeling； to natural bad feeling； but far more is it due to bad thinking。〃 At times he seemed on the verge of the persuasion that most human trouble is really due to bad metaphysics。 It was； one must remark； an extraordinary journey he had made； he had started from chivalry and arrived at metaphysics； every knight he held must be a logician； and ultimate bravery is courage of the mind。 One thinks of his coming to this conclusion with knit brows and balancing intentness above whole gulfs of bathosvery much as he had once walked the Leysin Bisse。 。 。 。 〃Men do not know how to think；〃 he insistedgetting along the planks； 〃and they will not realize that they do not know how to think。 Nine…tenths of the wars in the world have arisen out of misconceptions。 。 。 。 Misconception is the sin and dishonour of the mind； and muddled thinking as ignoble as dirty conduct。 。 。 。 Infinitely more disastrous。〃 And again he wrote： 〃Man； I see； is an over…practical creature； too eager to get into action。 There is our deepest trouble。 He takes conclusions ready…made； or he makes themave been right enough。 Pip was as good as gold until she undermined him。 。 。 。 A woman can't wait about like an umbrella in a stand。 。 。 。 He was just a boy。 。 。 。 Only of course there she wasa novelty。 It is perfectly easy to understand。 She flattered him。 。 。 。 Men are such fools。〃 〃Stillit's no good saying that now。〃 〃But she'll spend all your money； Poff！ She'll break your back with debts。 What's to prevent her？ With him living on her！ For that's what it comes to practically。〃 〃Well； what am I to do？〃 〃You aren't going back without tying her up； Poff？ You ought to stop every farthing of her moneyevery farthing。 It's your duty。〃 〃I can't do things like that。〃 〃But have you no Shame？ To let that sort of thing go on！〃 〃If I don't feel the Shame of it And I don't。〃 〃And that money。 I got you that money； Poff！ It was my money。〃 Benham stared at her perplexed。 〃What am I to do？〃 he asked。 〃Cut her off； you silly boy！ Tie her up！ Pay her through a solicitor。 Say that if she sees him ONCE again〃 He reflected。 〃No；〃 he said at last。 〃Poff！〃 she cried； 〃every time I see you； you are more and more like your father。 You're going offjust as he did。 That baffled； MULISH lookpriggishsolemn！ Oh！ it's strange the stuff a poor woman has to bring into the world。 But you'll do nothing。 I know you'll do nothing。 You'll stand everything。 Youyou Cuckold！ And she'll drive by me； she'll pass me in theatres with the money that ought to have been mine！ Oh！ Oh！〃 She dabbed her handkerchief from one swimming eye to the other。 But she went on talking。 Faster and faster； less and less coherently； more and more wildly abusive。 Presently in a brief pause of the storm Benham sighed profoundly。 。 。 。 It brought the scene to a painful end。 。 。 。 For weeks her distress pursued and perplexed him。 He had an extraordinary persuasion that in some obscure way he was in default； that he was to blame for her distress； that he owed her he could never define what he owed her。 And yet； what on earth was one to do？ And something his mother had said gave him the odd idea that he had misjudged his father； that he ha