Page 266 - lady-chatterlys-lover

’But must you own the industry?’ she said.
’I don’t. But to the extent I do own it, yes, most decided-
ly. The ownership of property has now become a religious
question: as it has been since Jesus and St Francis. The point
is NOT: take all thou hast and give to the poor, but use all
thou hast to encourage the industry and give work to the
poor. It’s the only way to feed all the mouths and clothe all
the bodies. Giving away all we have to the poor spells star-
vation for the poor just as much as for us. And universal
starvation is no high aim. Even general poverty is no lovely
thing. Poverty is ugly.’
’But the disparity?’
’That is fate. Why is the star Jupiter bigger than the star
Neptune? You can’t start altering the make-up of things!’
’But when this envy and jealousy and discontent has once
started,’ she began.
’Do, your best to stop it. Somebody’s GOT to be boss of
the show.’
’But who is boss of the show?’ she asked.
’The men who own and run the industries.’
There was a long silence.
’It seems to me they’re a bad boss,’ she said.
’Then you suggest what they should do.’
’They don’t take their boss-ship seriously enough,’ she
said.
’They take it far more seriously than you take your lady-
ship,’ he said.
’That’s thrust upon me. I don’t really want it,’ she blurted
out. He stopped the chair and looked at her.