?«
    She spoke in a voice which sounded coldly ironical in its attempt to be
merely calm.
    »I had rather say that I see no value in human lives in a world from which
grass and trees have vanished. But, in truth, I care little to make my position
logically sound. The ruling motive in my life is the love of beautiful things; I
fight against ugliness because it's the only work in which I can engage with all
my heart. I have nothing of the enthusiasm of humanity. In the course of
centuries the world may perhaps put itself right again; I am only concerned with
the present, and I see that everywhere the tendency is towards the rule of mean
interests, ignoble ideals.«
    »Do you call it ignoble,« broke in Adela, »to aim at raising men from
hopeless and degrading toil to a life worthy of human beings?«
    »The end which you have in mind cannot be ignoble. But it is not to be
reached by means such as these.« He pointed down to the valley. »That may be the
only way of raising the standard of comfort among people who work with their
hands; I take the standpoint of the wholly unpractical man, and say that such
efforts do not concern me. From my point of view no movement can be tolerated
which begins with devastating the earth's surface. You will clothe your
workpeople better, you will give them better food and more leisure; in doing so
you injure the class that has finer sensibilities, and give power to the class
which not only postpones everything to material wellbeing, but more and more
regards intellectual refinement as an obstacle in the way of progress. Progress
- the word is sufficient; you have only to think what it has come to mean. It
will be good to have an example of reaction.«
    »When reaction means misery to men and women and little children?«
    »Yes, even if it meant that. As far as I am concerned, I trust it will have
no such results. You must distinguish between humanity and humanitarianism. I
hope I am not lacking in the former; the latter seems to me to threaten
everything that is most precious in the world.«
    »Then you are content that the majority of mankind should be fed and clothed
and kept to labour?«
    »Personally, quite content; for I think it very unlikely that the majority
will ever be fit for anything else. I know that at present they desire nothing
else.«
    »Then they must be taught to desire more.«
    Hubert