It had never been published in a volume, but most of it had appeared in periodicals; and after a good deal of persuasion Cronshaw brought down a bundle of pages torn out of The Yellow Book, The Saturday Review, and other journals, on each of which was a poem.
Philip was taken aback to find that most of them reminded him either of Henley or of Swinburne.
It needed the splendour of Cronshaw's delivery to make them personal.
He expressed his disappointment to Lawson, who carelessly repeated his words; and next time Philip went to the Closerie des Lilas the poet turned to him with his sleek smile:
"I hear you don't think much of my verses."
Philip was embarrassed.
"I don't know about that," he answered.
"I enjoyed reading them very much."
"Do not attempt to spare my feelings," returned Cronshaw, with a wave of his fat hand. "I do not attach any exaggerated importance to my poetical works.
Life is there to be lived rather than to be written about.
My aim is to search out the manifold experience that it offers, wringing from each moment what of emotion it presents.
I look upon my writing as a graceful accomplishment which does not absorb but rather adds pleasure to existence.
And as for posterity—damn posterity."
Philip smiled, for it leaped to one's eyes that the artist in life had produced no more than a wretched daub.
Cronshaw looked at him meditatively and filled his glass.
He sent the waiter for a packet of cigarettes.
"You are amused because I talk in this fashion and you know that I am poor and live in an attic with a vulgar trollop who deceives me with hair-dressers and garcons de cafe; I translate wretched books for the British public, and write articles upon contemptible pictures which deserve not even to be abused.
But pray tell me what is the meaning of life?"
"I say, that's rather a difficult question.
Won't you give the answer yourself?"
"No, because it's worthless unless you yourself discover it.
But what do you suppose you are in the world for?"
Philip had never asked himself, and he thought for a moment before replying.
"Oh, I don't know: I suppose to do one's duty, and make the best possible use of one's faculties, and avoid hurting other people."
"In short, to do unto others as you would they should do unto you?"
"I suppose so."
"Christianity."
"No, it isn't," said Philip indignantly. "It has nothing to do with Christianity.
It's just abstract morality."
"But there's no such thing as abstract morality."
"In that case, supposing under the influence of liquor you left your purse behind when you leave here and I picked it up, why do you imagine that I should return it to you?
It's not the fear of the police."
"It's the dread of hell if you sin and the hope of Heaven if you are virtuous."
"But I believe in neither."
"That may be.
Neither did Kant when he devised the Categorical Imperative.
You have thrown aside a creed, but you have preserved the ethic which was based upon it.
To all intents you are a Christian still, and if there is a God in Heaven you will undoubtedly receive your reward.
The Almighty can hardly be such a fool as the churches make out.
If you keep His laws I don't think He can care a packet of pins whether you believe in Him or not."
"But if I left my purse behind you would certainly return it to me," said Philip.
"Not from motives of abstract morality, but only from fear of the police."
"It's a thousand to one that the police would never find out."
"My ancestors have lived in a civilised state so long that the fear of the police has eaten into my bones.
The daughter of my concierge would not hesitate for a moment.
You answer that she belongs to the criminal classes; not at all, she is merely devoid of vulgar prejudice."
"But then that does away with honour and virtue and goodness and decency and everything," said Philip.
"Have you ever committed a sin?"
"I don't know, I suppose so," answered Philip.
"You speak with the lips of a dissenting minister.