I think you're right. His ideas and ideals at Cambridge seem to be of the nature of unobtainable dreams (to his mind), and it's a pity Maurice became caught up in them because, I do think that for Clive, there was always going to be something of the myth about them. That he tries to make them reality is commendable in a way, but I think, like you said in another comment, the fact that he got there alone seems to mean that he will leave them alone too.