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Now Hermione came round the bushes with Gerald Crich. He had come along with Alexander. Gerald was presented to everybody, was kept by Hermione for a few moments in full view, then he was led away, still by Hermione. He was evidently her guest of the moment. There had been a split in the Cabinet; the minister for Education had resigned owing to adverse criticism. This started a conversation on education. `Of course,' said Hermione, lifting her face like a rhapsodist, `there can be no reason, no excuse for education, except the joy and beauty of knowledge in itself.' She seemed to rumble and ruminate with subterranean thoughts for a minute, then she proceeded: `Vocational education isn't education, it is the close of education.' Gerald, on the brink of discussion, sniffed the air with delight and prepared for action. `Not necessarily,' he said. `But isn't education really like gymnastics, isn't the end of education the production of a well-trained, vigorous, energetic mind?' `Just as athletics produce a healthy body, ready for anything,' cried Miss Bradley, in hearty accord. Gudrun looked at her in silent loathing. `Well --' rumbled Hermione, `I don't know. To me the pleasure of knowing is so great, so wonderful -- nothing has meant so much to me in all life, as certain knowledge -- no, I am sure -- nothing.' `What knowledge, for example, Hermione?' asked Alexander. Hermione lifted her face and rumbled -- `M -- m -- m -- I don't know . . . But one thing was the stars, when I really understood something about the stars. One feels so uplifted, so unbounded . . .' Birkin looked at her in a white fury. `What do you want to feel unbounded for?' he said sarcastically. `You don't want to be unbounded.' Hermione recoiled in offence. `Yes, but one does have that limitless feeling,' said Gerald. `It's like getting on top of the mountain and seeing the Pacific.' `Silent upon a peak in Dariayn,' murmured the Italian, lifting her face for a moment from her book. `Not necessarily in Dariayn,' said Gerald, while Ursula began to laugh. Hermione waited for the dust to settle, and then she said, untouched: `Yes, it is the greatest thing in life -- to know. It is really to be happy, to be free.' `Knowledge is, of course, liberty,' said Mattheson. `In compressed tabloids,' said Birkin, looking at the dry, stiff little body of the Baronet. Immediately Gudrun saw the famous sociologist as a flat bottle, containing tabloids of compressed liberty. That pleased her. Sir Joshua was labelled and placed forever in her mind. `What does that mean, Rupert?' sang Hermione, in a calm snub. |
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