Volume VII - Modernist Magazines Project

By Henry Harland 47is. hurt, depressed, disappointed ? Not she. She accepts herunpopularity with the most superb indifference. " What do yousuppose I care for the opinion of such riff-raff ? " I recollect heronce crying out, with curling lip. " Anyone who has the leastindividuality, the least character, the least fineness, the leastoriginality—any one who is in the least degree natural, unconventional,spontaneous—is bound to be misconceived andcalumniated by the vulgar rank and file. It's the meanness andstupidity of average human nature ; it's the proverbial injustice ofmen. To be popular, you must either be utterly insignificant, acomplete nonentity, or else a time-server and a hypocrite. So longas I have a clear conscience of my own, I don't care a buttonwhat strangers think and say about me. I don't intend to allowmy conduct to be influenced in the tiniest particular by theprejudices of outsiders. Meddlers, busybodies ! I will live my ownlife, and those who don't like it may do their worst. I will bemyself."" Yes, my dear ; but after all," the King reminded her, " onehas, in this imperfect world, to make certain compromises withone's environment, for comfort's sake. One puts on extra clothingin winter, for example, however much, on abstract principles, onemay despise such a gross, material, unintelligent thing as theweather. Just so, don't you think, one is by way of having asmoother time of it, in the long run, if one takes a few simplemeasures to conciliate the people amongst whom one is compelledto live ? Now, for instance, if you would give an hour or twoevery day to learning Monterossan. . . ."" Oh, for Heaven's sake, don't begin that rengaine," cried herMajesty. cc I've told you a hundred million times that I won'tbe bothered learning Monterossan."It is one of her subjects' sorest points, by the bye, that she hasnever