when the sleeper wakes-第1节

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When　the　Sleeper　Wakes



by　H。　G。　＇Herbert　George＇　Wells












CHAPTER　I





INSOMNIA



One　afternoon；　at　low　water；　Mr。　Isbister；　a　young

artist　lodging　at　Boscastle；　walked　from　that　place　to　

the　picturesque　cove　of　Pentargen；　desiring　to　examine　

the　caves　there。　Halfway　down　the　precipitous　path　

to　the　Pentargen　beach　he　came　suddenly　upon　a　man　

sitting　in　an　attitude　of　profound　distress　beneath　

a　projecting　mass　of　rock。　The　hands　of　this　man　

hung　limply　over　his　knees；　his　eyes　were　red　and　

staring　before　him；　and　his　face　was　wet　with　tears。　　　



He　glanced　round　at　Isbister's　footfall。　Both　men　

were　disconcerted；　Isbister　the　more　so；　and；　to　

override　the　awkwardness　of　his　involuntary　pause；　he　

remarked；　with　an　air　of　mature　conviction；　that　the　

weather　was　hot　for　the　time　of　year。



〃Very；〃　answered　the　stranger　shortly；　hesitated　a　

second；　and　added　in　a　colourless　tone；　〃I　can't　sleep。〃　



Isbister　stopped　abruptly。　〃No？〃　was　all　he　said；　

but　his　bearing　conveyed　his　helpful　impulse。　　　



〃It　may　sound　incredible；〃　said　the　stranger；　turning　

weary　eyes　to　Isbister's　face　and　emphasizing　his　

words　with　a　languid　hand；　〃but　I　have　had　no　sleep

…　no　sleep　at　all　for　six　nights。〃



〃Had　advice？〃



〃Yes。　Bad　advice　for　the　most　part。　Drugs。　My

nervous　system。。。　。　They　are　all　very　well　for

the　run　of　people。　It's　hard　to　explain。　I　dare　not

take　。　。　。　sufficiently　powerful　drugs。〃



〃That　makes　it　difficult；〃　said　Isbister。



He　stood　helplessly　in　the　narrow　path；　perplexed　

what　to　do。　Clearly　the　man　wanted　to　talk。　An　idea　

natural　enough　under　the　circumstances；　prompted　

him　to　keep　the　conversation　going。　〃I've　never　suffered　

from　sleeplessness　myself；〃　he　said　in　a　tone　of　

commonplace　gossip；　〃but　in　those　cases　I　have　

known；　people　have　usually　found　something〃　　　



〃I　dare　make　no　experiments。〃



He　spoke　wearily。　He　gave　a　gesture　of　rejection；　

and　for　a　space　both　men　were　silent。　　　



〃Exercise？〃　suggested　Isbister　diffidently；　with　a　

glance　from　his　interlocutor's　face　of　wretchedness　to　

the　touring　costume　he　wore。　　　



〃That　is　what　I　have　tried。　Unwisely　perhaps。　I　

have　followed　the　coast；　day　after　dayfrom　New　

Quay。　It　has　only　added　muscular　fatigue　to　the　mental。　

The　cause　of　this　unrest　was　overwork　trouble。　

There　was　something〃



He　stopped　as　if　from　sheer　fatigue。　He　rubbed　his　

forehead　with　a　lean　hand。　He　resumed　speech　like　

one　who　talks　to　himself。　　　



〃I　am　a　lone　wolf；　a　solitary　man；　wandering　

through　a　world　in　which　I　have　no　part。　I　am　wifeless

childlesswho　is　it　speaks　of　the　childless　as

the　dead　twigs　on　the　tree　of　life？　I　am　wifeless；

I　childlessI　could　find　no　duty　to　do。　No　desire　

even　in　my　heart。　One　thing　at　last　I　set　myself　to　do。　　　



〃I　said；　I　will　do　this；　and　to　do　it；　to　overcome　

the　inertia　of　this　dull　body；　I　resorted　to　drugs。　Great　

God；　I've　had　enough　of　drugs！　I　don't　know　if　__you__　

feel　the　heavy　inconvenience　of　the　body；　its　

exasperating　demand　of　time　from　the　mindtime　

life！　Live！　We　only　live　in　patches。　We　have　

to　eat；　and　then　comes　the　dull　digestive　complacencies

or　irritations。　We　have　to　take　the　air　or　else　

our　thoughts　grow　sluggish；　stupid；　run　into　gulfs　

and　blind　alleys。　A　thousand　distractions　arise　from　

within　and　without；　and　then　comes　drowsiness　and　

sleep。　Men　seem　to　live　for　sleep。　How　little　of　a　

man's　day　is　his　owneven　at　the　best！　And　then　

come　those　false　friends；　those　Thug　helpers；　the　

alkaloids　that　stifle　natural　fatigue　and　kill　rest　

black　coffee；　cocaine〃　　　



〃I　see；〃　said　Isbister。　　　



〃I　did　my　work；〃　said　the　sleepless　man　with　a　

querulous　intonation。　　　



〃And　this　is　the　price？　〃　　　



〃Yes。〃　　　

For　a　little　while　the　two　remained　without　speaking。　　　



〃You　cannot　imagine　the　craving　for　rest　that　I　

feela　hunger　and　thirst。　For　six　long　days；　since　

my　work　was　done；　my　mind　has　been　a　whirlpool；　

swift；　unprogressive　and　incessant；　a　torrent　of　

thoughts　leading　nowhere；　spinning　round　swift　and

steady〃



He　paused。　〃Towards　the　gulf。〃



〃You　must　sleep；〃　said　Isbister　decisively；　and

with　an　air　of　a　remedy　discovered。　〃Certainly　you

must　sleep。〃



〃My　mind　is　perfectly　lucid。　It　was　never　clearer。

But　I　know　I　am　drawing　towards　the　vortex。

Presently〃



〃Yes？〃



〃You　have　seen　things　go　down　an　eddy？　Out　of

the　light　of　the　day；　out　of　this　sweet　world　of　sanity

down〃



〃But；〃　expostulated　Isbister。



The　man　threw　out　a　hand　towards　him；　and　his

eyes　were　wild；　and　his　voice　suddenly　high。　〃I　shall

kill　myself。　If　in　no　other　wayat　the　foot　of　yonder　

dark　precipice　there；　where　the　waves　are　green；

and　the　white　surge　lifts　and　falls；　and　that　little

thread　of　water　trembles　down。　There　at　any　rate　is

。　。　。　sleep。〃



〃　That's　unreasonable；〃　said　Isbister；　startled　at　the

man's　hysterical　gust　of　emotion。　〃Drugs　are　better

than　that。〃



〃　There　at　any　rate　is　sleep；〃　repeated　the　stranger；

not　heeding　him。



Isbister　looked　at　him　and　wondered　transitorily　if

some　complex　Providence　had　indeed　brought　them

together　that　afternoon。　〃It's　not　a　cert；　you　know；〃

he　remarked。　〃　There's　a　cliff　like　that　at　Lulworth

Coveas　high；　anyhowand　a　little　girl　fell　from

top　to　bottom。　And　lives　to…daysound　and　well。〃



〃But　those　rocks　there？　〃



〃One　might　lie　on　them　rather　dismally　through　a

cold　night；　broken　bones　grating　as　one　shivered；　chill

water　splashing　over　you。　Eh？　〃



Their　eyes　met。　〃Sorry　to　upset　your　ideals；〃　said

Isbister　with　a　sense　of　devil…may…careish　brilliance。



〃But　a　suicide　over　that　cliff　（or　any　cliff　for　the　matter　

of　that）；　really；　as　an　artist〃　He　laughed。

〃It's　so　damned　amateurish。〃



〃But　the　other　thing；〃　said　the　sleepless　man　irritably；　

〃the　other　thing。　No　man　can　keep　sane　if

night　after　night〃



〃Have　you　been　walking　along　this　coast　alone？　〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Silly　sort　of　thing　to　do。　If　you'll　excuse　my

saying　so。　Alone！　As　you　say；　body　fag　is　no　cure

for　brain　fag。　Who　told　you　to？　No　wonder；

walking！　And　the　sun　on　your　head；　heat；　fag；　solitude；　

all　the　day　long；　and　then；　I　suppose；　you　go　to

bed　and　try　very　hardeh？〃



Isbister　stopped　short　and　looked　at　the　sufferer

doubtfully。



〃Look　at　these　rocks！〃　cried　the　seated　man　with

a　sudden　force　of　gesture。　〃Look　at　that　sea　that

has　shone　and　quivered　there　for　ever！　See　the　white

spume　rush　into　darkness　under　that　great　cliff。　And

this　blue　vault；　with　the　blinding　sun　pouring　from

the　dome　of　it。　It　is　your　world。　You　accept　it；　you

rejoice　in　it。　It　warms　and　supports　and　delights　you。

And　for　me〃



He　turned　his　head　and　showed　a　ghastly　face；

bloodshot　pallid　eyes　and　bloodless　lips。　He　spoke

almost　in　a　whisper。　〃It　is　the　garment　of　my　misery。

The　whole　world　。　。　。　is　the　garment　of　

my　misery。〃



Isbister　looked　at　all　the　wild　beauty　of　the　sunlit

cliffs　about　them　and　back　to　that　face　of　despair

For　a　moment　he　was　silent。



He　started；　and　made　a　gesture　of　impatient　rejection。　

〃You　get　a　night's　sleep；〃　he　said；　〃and　you

won't　see　much　misery　out　here。　Take　my　word

for　it。〃



He　was　quite　sure　now　that　this　was　a　providential

encounter。　Only　half　an　hour　ago　he　had　been　feeling　

horribly　bored。　Here　was　employment　the　bare

thought　of　which　was　righteous　self…applause。　He

took　possession　forthwith。　It　seemed　to　him　that　the

first　need　of　this　exhausted　being　was　companionship

He　flung　himself　down　on　the　steeply　sloping　turf

beside　the　motionless　seated　figure；　and　deployed

forthwith　into　a　skirmishing　line　of　gossip。



His　hearer　seemed　to　have　lapsed　into　apathy；

he　stared　dismally　seaward；　and　spoke　only　in　answer

to　Isbister's　direct　questionsand　not　to　all　of　those

But　he　made　no　sign　of　objection　to　this　benevolent

intrusion　upon　his　despair。



In　a　helpless　way　he　seemed　even　grateful；　and

when　presently　Isbister；　feeling　that　his　unsupported

talk　was　losing　vigour；　suggested　that　they　should

reascend　the　steep　and　return　towards　Boscastle；

alleging　the　view　into　Blackapit；　he　submitted　quietly。

Halfway　up　he　began　talking　to　himself；　and　abruptly

turned　a　ghastly　face　on　his　helper。　〃What　can　be

happening？〃　he　asked　with　a　gaunt　illustrative　hand。

〃What　can　be　happening？　Spin；　spin；　spin；　spin。　It

goes　round　and　round；　round　and　round　for　evermore。〃



He　stood　with　his　hand　circling



〃It's　all　right；　old　chap；〃　said　Isbister　with　the　air

of　an　old　friend。　〃Don't　worry　yourself。　Trust　to

me。〃



The　man　dropped　his　hand　and　turned　again。　They

went　over　the　brow　in　single　file　and　to　the　headland

beyond　Penally；　with　the　sleepless　man　gesticulating

ever　and　again；　and　speaking　fragmentary