第17章
Matriculationkeptmeforfourfulldaysandthencameanafternoontospare，andIsoughtoutTottenhamCourtRoadthroughaperplexingnetworkofvariousandcrowdedstreets。ButthisLondonwasvast！itwasendless！itseemedthewholeworldhadchangedintopackedfrontagesandhoardingsandstreetspaces。Igotthereatlastandmadeinquiries，andIfoundmyunclebehindthecounterofthepharmacyhemanaged，anestablishmentthatdidnotimpressmeasdoingaparticularlyhigh-classtrade。“Lord！”hesaidatthesightofme，“Iwaswantingsomethingtohappen！”
Hegreetedmewarmly。Ihadgrowntaller，andhe，Ithought，hadgrownshorterandsmallerandrounderbutotherwisehewasunchanged。Hestruckmeasbeingrathershabby，andthesilkhatheproducedandputon，when，aftermysteriousnegotiationsinthebackpremisesheachievedhisfreedomtoaccompanyme，waspastitsfirstyouth；buthewasasbuoyantandconfidentasever。
“CometoaskmeaboutallTHAT。”hecried。“I’veneverwrittenyet。”
“Oh，amongotherthings。”saidI，withasuddenregrettablepoliteness，andwaivedthetopicofhistrusteeshiptoaskaftermyauntSusan。
“We’llhaveheroutofit。”hesaidsuddenly；“we’llgosomewhere。Wedon’tgetyouinLondoneveryday。”
“It’smyfirstvisit。”Isaid，“I’veneverseenLondonbefore“；
andthatmadehimaskmewhatIthoughtofit，andtherestofthetalkwasLondon，London，totheexclusionofallsmallertopics。HetookmeuptheHampsteadRoadalmosttotheCobdenstatue，plungedintosomebackstreetstotheleft，andcameatlasttoablisteredfrontdoorthatrespondedtohislatch-key，oneofalongseriesofblisteredfrontdoorswithfanlightsandapartmentcardsabove。Wefoundourselvesinadrab-colouredpassagethatwasnotonlynarrowanddirtybutdesolatinglyempty，andthenheopenedadoorandrevealedmyauntsittingatthewindowwithalittlesewing-machineonabamboooccasionaltablebeforeher，and“work“——aplum-colouredwalkingdressI
judgedatitsmostanalyticalstage——scatteredovertherestoftheapartment。
AtthefirstglanceIjudgedmyauntwasplumperthanshehadbeen，buthercomplexionwasjustasfreshandherChinablueeyeasbrightasintheolddays。
“London。”shesaid，didn’t“getblacks“onher。
Shestill“cheeked“myuncle，Iwaspleasedtofind。“WhatareyouoldPokinginforatTHIStime——Gubbitt？。”shesaidwhenheappeared，andshestilllookedwithapractisedeyeforthefacetioussideofthings。Whenshesawmebehindhim，shegavealittlecryandstoodupradiant。Thenshebecamegrave。
Iwassurprisedatmyownemotioninseeingher。Sheheldmeatarm’slengthforamoment，ahandoneachshoulder，andlookedatmewithasortofgladscrutiny。Sheseemedtohesitate，andthenpeckedlittlekissoffmycheek。
“You’reaman，George。”shesaid，asshereleasedme，andcontinuedtolookatmeforawhile。
TheirmenagewasoneofaverycommontypeinLondon。Theyoccupiedwhatiscalledthedining-roomfloorofasmallhouse，andtheyhadtheuseofalittleinconvenientkitcheninthebasementthathadoncebeenscullery。Thetworooms，bedroombehindandlivingroominfront，wereseparatedbyfolding-doorsthatwerenevernowthrownback，andindeed，inthepresenceofavisitor，notusedatall。Therewasofcoursenobathroomoranythingofthatsortavailable，andtherewasnowatersupplyexcepttothekitchenbelow。Myauntdidallthedomesticwork，thoughshecouldhaveaffordedtopayforhelpifthebuildoftheplacehadnotrenderedthatinconvenienttothepitchofimpossibility。Therewasnosortofhelpavailableexceptthatofindoorservants，forwhomshehadnoaccommodation。Thefurniturewastheirown；itwaspartlysecondhand，butonthewholeitseemedcheerfultomyeye，andmyaunt’sbiasforcheap，gay-figuredmuslinhadfoundamplescore。InmanywaysIshouldthinkitmusthavebeenanextremelyinconvenientandcrampedsortofhome，butatthetimeItookit，asIwastakingeverything，asbeingthereandinthenatureofthings。Ididnotseetheoddnessofsolventdecentpeoplelivinginahabitationsoclearlyneitherdesignednoradaptedfortheirneeds，sowastefuloflabourandsodevoidofbeautyasthiswas，anditisonlynowasIdescribethisthatIfindmyselfthinkingoftheessentialabsurdityofanintelligentcommunitylivinginsuchmakeshifthomes。Itstrikesmenowasthenextthingtowearingsecond-handclothes。
Youseeitwasanaturalgrowth，partofthatsystemtowhichBladesover，Ihold，isthekey。TherearewideregionsofLondon，milesofstreetsofhouses，thatappeartohavebeenoriginallydesignedforprosperous-middle-classhomesoftheearlyVictoriantype。Theremusthavebeenaperfectfuryofsuchbuildinginthethirties，forties，andfifties。Streetafterstreetmusthavebeenrushedintobeing，CampdenTownway，Pentonvilleway，Bromptonway，WestKensingtonwayintheVictoriaregionandallovertheminorsuburbsofthesouthside。
Iamdoubtfulifmanyofthesehouseshadanylonguseastheresidencesofsinglefamiliesiffromtheveryfirstalmosttheirtenantsdidnotmakeshiftandtakelodgersandsublet。Theywerebuiltwithbasements，inwhichtheirservantsworkedandlived——servantsofamoresubmissiveandtroglodyticgenerationwhodidnotmindstairs。Thedining-room(withfoldingdoors)
wasalittleabovethegroundlevel，andinthatthewholesomeboiledandroastwithdampboiledpotatoesandthenpietofollow，wasconsumedandthenumerousfamilyreadandworkedintheevening，andabovewasthedrawing-room(alsowithfoldingdoors)，wheretheinfrequentcallerswerereceived。Thatwasthevisionatwhichthoseindustriousbuildersaimed。Evenwhilethesehouseswerebeingrunup，thethreadsupontheloomoffatewereshapingtoabolishaltogetherthetypeofhouseholdthatwouldhavefittedthem。Meansoftransitweredevelopingtocarrythemoderatelyprosperousmiddle-classfamiliesoutofLondon，educationandfactoryemploymentwerewhittlingawayatthesupplyofrough，hardworking，obedientgirlswhowouldstandthesubterraneandrudgeryoftheseplaces，newclassesofhard-upmiddle-classpeoplesuchasmyuncle，employeesofvarioustypes，werecomingintoexistence，forwhomnohomeswereprovided。Noneoftheseclasseshaveideasofwhattheyoughttobe，orfitinanylegitimatewayintotheBladesovertheorythatdominatesourminds。Itwasnobody’sconcerntoseethemhousedundercivilisedconditions，andthebeautifullawsofsupplyanddemandhadfreeplay。Theyhadtosqueezein。Thelandlordscameoutfinanciallyintactfromtheirblunderingenterprise。
Moreandmorethesehousesfellintothehandsofmarriedartisans，orstrugglingwidowsoroldservantswithsavings，whobecameresponsibleforthequarterlyrentandtriedtosweatalivingbysub-lettingfurnishedorunfurnishedapartments。
Iremembernowthatapoorgrey-hairedoldwomanwhohadanairofhavingbeenrousedfromanapinthedustbin，cameoutintotheareaandlookedupatusaswethreewentoutfromthefrontdoorto“seeLondon“undermyuncle’sdirection。Shewasthesub-lettingoccupier；shesqueezedoutaprecariouslivingbytakingthehousewholeandsub-lettingitindetailandshemadeherfoodandgottheshelterofanatticaboveandabasementbelowbythetransaction。Andifshedidn’tchanceto“let“
steadily，outshewenttopauperdomandsomeotherpoor，sordidoldadventurertriedinherplace。
Itisafoolishcommunitythatcanhousewholeclasses，usefulandhelpful，honestandloyalclasses，insuchsqualidlyunsuitabledwellings。Itisbynomeansthesocialeconomyitseems，touseupoldwomen，savingsandinexperienceinordertomeetthelandlord’sdemands。Butanyonewhodoubtsthisthingisgoingonrightuptoto-dayneedonlyspendanafternooninhuntingforlodgingsinanyoftheregionsofLondonIhavenamed。
Butwherehasmystorygotto？Myuncle，Isay，decidedImustbeshownLondon，andoutwethreewentassoonasmyaunthadgotherhaton，tocatchallthatwasleftoftheday。
ItpleasedmyuncleextremelytofindIhadneverseenLondonbefore。Hetookpossessionofthemetropolisforthwith。
“London，George。”hesaid，“takesalotofunderstanding。It’sagreatplace。Immense。Therichesttownintheworld，thebiggestport，thegreatestmanufacturingtown，theImperialcity——thecentreofcivilisation，theheartoftheworld！Seethosesandwichmendownthere！Thatthirdone’shat！Fairtreat！Youdon’tseepovertylikethatinWimblehurstGeorge！AndmanyofthemhighOxfordhonourmentoo。Broughtdownbydrink！It’sawonderfulplace，George——awhirlpool，amaelstrom！whirlsyouupandwhirlsyoudown。”
Ihaveaveryconfusedmemoryofthatafternoon’sinspectionofLondon。MyuncletookustoandfroshowingusoverhisLondon，talkingerratically，followingarouteofhisown。Sometimeswewerewalking，sometimeswewereonthetopsofgreatstaggeringhorseomnibusesinaheavingjumbleoftraffic，andatonepointwehadteainanAeratedBreadShop。ButIrememberverydistinctlyhowwepasseddownParkLaneunderanovercastsky，andhowmyunclepointedoutthehouseofthischildofgoodfortuneandthatwithsucculentappreciation。
Iremember，too，thatashetalkedIwouldfindmyauntwatchingmyfaceasiftocheckthesoundnessofhistalkbymyexpression。
“Beeninloveyet，George？”sheaskedsuddenly，overabuninthetea-shop。
“Toobusy，aunt。”Itoldher。
Shebitherbunextensively，andgesticulatedwiththeremnanttoindicatethatshehadmoretosay。
“HowareYOUgoingtomakeyourfortune？”shesaidsosoonasshecouldspeakagain。“Youhaven’ttoldusthat。”
“’Lectricity。”saidmyuncle，takingbreathafteradeepdraughtoftea。
“IfImakeitatall。”Isaid。“FormypartIthinkshallbesatisfiedwithsomethinglessthanafortune。”
“We’regoingtomakeours——suddenly。”shesaid。
“SoHEoldsays。”Shejerkedherheadatmyuncle。
“Hewon’ttellmewhen——soIcan’tgetanythingready。Butit’scoming。Goingtorideinourcarriageandhaveagarden。
Garden——likeabishop’s。”
Shefinishedherbunandtwiddledcrumbsfromherfingers。“I
shallbegladofthegarden。”shesaid。“It’sgoingtobearealbigonewithrosariesandthings。Fountainsinit。Pampasgrass。Hothouses。”
“You’llgetitallright。”saidmyuncle，whohadreddenedalittle。
“Greyhorsesinthecarriage，George。”shesaid。“It’snicetothinkaboutwhenone’sdull。Anddinnersinrestaurantsoftenandoften。Andtheatres——inthestalls。Andmoneyandmoneyandmoney。”
“Youmayjoke。”saidmyuncle，andhummedforamoment。
“JustasthoughanoldPorpoiselikehimwouldevermakemoney。”
shesaid，turninghereyesuponhisprofilewithasuddenlapsetoaffection。“He’lljustporpoiseabout。”
“I’lldosomething。”saidmyuncle，“youbet！Zzzz！”andrappedwithashillingonthemarbletable。