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I shall not do it then; I shall never fall in love but on your recommendation. Moreover, Isabel added, my cousin gives me rather a sad account of Lord Warburton. Oh, indeed? I dont know what there may be to say, but you must remember that Ralph must talk. He thinks your friends too subversiveor not subversive enough! I dont quite understand which, said Isabel. The old man shook his head slowly, smiled and put down his cup. I dont know which either. He goes very far, but its quite possible he doesnt go far enough. He seems to want to do away with a good many things, but he seems to want to remain himself. I suppose thats natural, but its rather inconsistent. Oh, I hope hell remain himself, said Isabel. If he were to be done away with his friends would miss him sadly. Well, said the old man, I guess hell stay and amuse his friends. I should certainly miss him very much here at Gardencourt. He always amuses me when he comes over, and I think he amuses himself as well. Theres a considerable number like him, round in society; theyre very fashionable just now. I dont know what theyre trying to dowhether theyre trying to get up a revolution. I hope at any rate theyll put it off till after Im gone. You see they want to disestablish everything; but Im a pretty big landowner here, and I dont want to be disestablished. I wouldnt have come over if I had thought they were going to behave like that, Mr Touchett went on with expanding hilarity. I came over because I thought England was a safe country. I call it a regular fraud if they are going to introduce any considerable changes; therell be a large number disappointed in that case. Oh, I do hope theyll make a revolution! Isabel exclaimed. I should delight in seeing a revolution. Let me see, said her uncle, with a humorous intention; I forget whether youre on the side of the old or on the side of the new. Ive heard you take such opposite views. Im on the side of both. I guess Im a little on the side of everything. In a revolutionafter it was well begunI think I should be a high, proud loyalist. One sympathizes more with them, and theyve a chance to behave so exquisitely. I mean so picturesquely. I dont know that I understand what you mean by behaving picturesquely, but it seems to me that you do that always, my dear. Oh, you lovely man, if I could believe that! the girl interrupted. Im afraid, after all, you wont have the pleasure of going gracefully to the guillotine here just now, Mr Touchett went on. If you want to see a big outbreak you must pay us a long visit. You see, when you come to the point it wouldnt suit them to be taken at their word. Of whom are you speaking? Well, I mean Lord Warburton and his friendsthe radicals of the upper class. Of course I only know the way it strikes me. They talk about the changes, but I dont think they quite realize. You and I, you know, we know what it is to have lived under democratic institutions: I always thought them very comfortable, but I was used to them from the first. And then I aint a lord; youre a lady, my dear, but I aint a lord. Now over here I dont think it quite comes home to them. Its a matter of every day and every hour, and I dont think many of them would find it as pleasant as what theyve got. Of course if they want to try, its their own business; but I expect they wont try very hard. Dont you think theyre sincere? Isabel asked. |
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