And what were those convictions? Lord Valleys had
tried to understand them, but up to the present he had failed. And
this did not surprise him exactly, since, as he often said, political
convictions were not, as they appeared on the surface, the outcome of
reason, but merely symptoms of temperament. And he could not comprehend,
because he could not sympathize with, any attitude towards public
affairs that was not essentially level, attached to the plain,
common-sense factors of the case as they appeared to himself. Not that
he could fairly be called a temporizer, for deep down in him there was
undoubtedly a vein of obstinate, fundamental loyalty to the traditions
of a caste which prized high spirit beyond all things. Still he did feel
that Miltoun was altogether too much the 'pukka' aristocrat--no better
than a Socialist, with his confounded way of seeing things all cut and
dried; his ideas of forcing reforms down people's throats and holding
them there with the iron hand! With his way too of acting on his
principles! Why! He even admitted that he acted on his principles! This
thought always struck a very discordant note in Lord Valleys' breast. It
was almost indecent; worse-ridiculous! The fact was, the dear fellow
had unfortunately a deeper habit of thought than was wanted in
politics--dangerous--very! Experience might do something for him!
And out of his own long experience the Earl of Valleys tried hard to
recollect any politician whom the practice of politics had left where he
was when he started.
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