More--another reverse like that, and the flood will sweep you clean away. And I"ll not blame it. It"s only flesh and blood.
MORE, Allow for the flesh and blood in me, too, please. When I spoke the other night it was not without a certain feeling here. [He touches his heart.]
BANNING. But your att.i.tude"s so sudden--you"d not been going that length when you were down with us in May.
MORE. Do me the justice to remember that even then I was against our policy. It cost me three weeks" hard struggle to make up my mind to that speech. One comes slowly to these things, Banning.
SHELDER. Case of conscience?
MORE. Such things have happened, Shelder, even in politics.
SHELDER. You see, our ideals are naturally low--how different from yours!
[MORE smiles.]
KATHERINE, who has drawn near her husband, moves back again, as if relieved at this gleam of geniality. WACE rubs his hands.
BANNING. There"s one thing you forget, sir. We send you to Parliament, representing us; but you couldn"t find six men in the whole const.i.tuency that would have bidden you to make that speech.
MORE. I"m sorry; but I can"t help my convictions, Banning.
SHELDER. What was it the prophet was without in his own country?
BANNING. Ah! but we"re not funning, Mr. More. I"ve never known feeling run so high. The sentiment of both meetings was dead against you. We"ve had showers of letters to headquarters. Some from very good men--very warm friends of yours.
SHELDER. Come now! It"s not too late. Let"s go back and tell them you won"t do it again.
MORE. Muzzling order?
BANNING. [Bluntly] That"s about it.
MORE. Give up my principles to save my Parliamentary skin. Then, indeed, they might call me a degenerate! [He touches the newspapers on the table.]
KATHERINE makes an abrupt and painful movement, then remains as still as before, leaning against the corner of the window-seat.
BANNING. Well, Well! I know. But we don"t ask you to take your words back--we only want discretion in the future.
MORE. Conspiracy of silence! And have it said that a mob of newspapers have hounded me to it.
BANNING. They won"t say that of you.
SHELDER. My dear More, aren"t you rather dropping to our level?
With your principles you ought not to care two straws what people say.
MORE. But I do. I can"t betray the dignity and courage of public men. If popular opinion is to control the utterances of her politicians, then good-bye indeed to this country!
BANNING. Come now! I won"t say that your views weren"t sound enough before the fighting began. I"ve never liked our policy out there.
But our blood"s being spilled; and that makes all the difference.
I don"t suppose they"d want me exactly, but I"d be ready to go myself. We"d all of us be ready. And we can"t have the man that represents us talking wild, until we"ve licked these fellows. That"s it in a nutsh.e.l.l.
MORE. I understand your feeling, Banning. I tender you my resignation. I can"t and won"t hold on where I"m not wanted.
BANNING. No, no, no! Don"t do that! [His accent broader and broader] You"ve "ad your say, and there it is. Coom now! You"ve been our Member nine years, in rain and shine.
SHELDER. We want to keep you, More. Come! Give us your promise --that"s a good man!
MORE. I don"t make cheap promises. You ask too much.
[There is silence, and they all look at MORE.]
SHELDER. There are very excellent reasons for the Government"s policy.
MORE. There are always excellent reasons for having your way with the weak.
SHELDER. My dear More, how can you get up any enthusiasm for those cattle-lifting ruffians?
MORE. Better lift cattle than lift freedom.
SHELDER. Well, all we"ll ask is that you shouldn"t go about the country, saying so.
MORE. But that is just what I must do.
[Again they all look at MORE in consternation.]
HOME. Not down our way, you"ll pardon me.
WACE. Really--really, sir----
SHELDER. The time of crusades is past, More.
MORE. Is it?
BANNING. Ah! no, but we don"t want to part with you, Mr. More.
It"s a bitter thing, this, after three elections. Look at the "uman side of it! To speak ill of your country when there"s been a disaster like this terrible business in the Pa.s.s. There"s your own wife. I see her brother"s regiment"s to start this very afternoon.
Come now--how must she feel?
MORE breaks away to the bay window. The DEPUTATION exchange glances.
MORE. [Turning] To try to muzzle me like this--is going too far.
BANNING. We just want to put you out of temptation.
MORE. I"ve held my seat with you in all weathers for nine years.
You"ve all been bricks to me. My heart"s in my work, Banning; I"m not eager to undergo political eclipse at forty.
SHELDER. Just so--we don"t want to see you in that quandary.
BANNING. It"d be no friendliness to give you a wrong impression of the state of feeling. Silence--till the bitterness is overpast; there"s naught else for it, Mr. More, while you feel as you do. That tongue of yours! Come! You owe us something. You"re a big man; it"s the big view you ought to take.