when the sleeper wakes-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



beyond　Penally；　with　the　sleepless　man　gesticulating

ever　and　again；　and　speaking　fragmentary　things　

concerning　his　whirling　brain。　At　the　headland　they

stood　for　a　space　by　the　seat　that　looks　into　the　dark

mysteries　of　Blackapit；　and　then　he　sat　down。　Isbister

had　resumed　his　talk　whenever　the　path　had　widened

sufficiently　for　them　to　walk　abreast。　He　was　enlarging　

upon　the　complex　difficulty　of　making　Boscastle

Harbour　in　bad　weather；　when　suddenly　and　quite

irrelevantly　his　companion　interrupted　him　again。



〃My　head　is　not　like　what　it　was；〃　he　said；　gesticulating　

for　want　of　expressive　phrases。　〃It's　not　like

what　it　was。　There　is　a　sort　of　oppression；　a　weight。

Nonot　drowsiness；　would　God　it　were！　It　is　like

a　shadow；　a　deep　shadow　falling　suddenly　and　swiftly

across　something　busy。　Spin；　spin　into　the　darkness

The　tumult　of　thought；　the　confusion；　the　eddy　and

eddy。　I　can't　express　it。　I　can　hardly　keep　my　mind

on　itsteadily　enough　to　tell　you。〃



He　stopped　feebly。



〃　Don't　trouble；　old　chap；〃　said　Isbister。　〃I　think

I　can　understand。　At　any　rate；　it　don't　matter　very　

much　just　at　present　about　telling　me；　you　know。〃



The　sleepless　man　thrust　his　knuckles　into　his　eyes

and　rubbed　them。　Isbister　talked　for　awhile　while

this　rubbing　continued；　and　then　he　had　a　fresh　idea。

〃Come　down　to　my　room；〃　he　said；　〃and　try　a　pipe。

I　can　show　you　some　sketches　of　this　Blackapit。　If

you'd　care？　〃



The　other　rose　obediently　and　followed　him　down

the　steep。



Several　times　Isbister　heard　him　stumble　as　they

came　down；　and　his　movements　were　slow　and　hesitating。　

〃Come　in　with　me；〃　said　Isbister；　〃and　try

some　cigarettes　and　the　blessed　gift　of　alcohol。　If

you　take　alcohol？〃



The　stranger　hesitated　at　the　garden　gate。　He

seemed　no　longer　clearly　aware　of　his　actions。　〃I

don't　drink；〃　he　said　slowly；　coming　up　the　garden

path；　and　after　a　moment's　interval　repeated　absently；

〃NoI　don't　drink。　It　goes　round。　Spin；　it　goes

spin〃



He　stumbled　at　the　doorstep　and　entered　the　room

with　the　bearing　of　one　who　sees　nothing。



Then　he　sat　down　abruptly　and　heavily　in　the　easy

chair；　seemed　almost　to　fall　into　it。　He　leant　forward

with　his　brows　on　his　hands　and　became　motionless。



Presently　he　made　a　faint　sound　in　his　throat。

Isbister　moved　about　the　room　with　the　nervousness

of　an　inexperienced　host；　making　little　remarks　that

scarcely　required　answering。　He　crossed　the　room

to　his　portfolio；　placed　it　on　the　table　and　noticed

the　mantel　clock。



〃I　don't　know　if　you'd　care　to　have　supper　with

me；〃　he　said　with　an　unlighted　cigarette　in　his　hand

his　mind　troubled　with　a　design　of　the　furtive　administration　

of　chloral。　〃Only　cold　mutton；　you　know；

but　passing　sweet。　Welsh。　And　a　tart；　I　believe。〃

He　repeated　this　after　momentary　silence。



The　seated　man　made　no　answer。　Isbister　stopped；

match　in　hand；　regarding　him。



The　stillness　lengthened。　The　match　went　out；　the

cigarette　was　put　down　unlit。　The　man　was　certainly

very　still。　Isbister　took　up　the　portfolio；　opened　it；

put　it　down；　hesitated；　seemed　about　to　speak。

〃Perhaps；〃　he　whispered　doubtfully。　Presently　he

glanced　at　the　door　and　back　to　the　figure。　Then　he

stole　on　tiptoe　out　of　the　room；　glancing　at　his　

companion　after　each　elaborate　pace。



He　closed　the　door　noiselessly。　The　house　door

was　standing　open；　and　he　went　out　beyond　the　porch；

and　stood　where　the　monkshood　rose　at　the　corner

of　the　garden　bed。　From　this　point　he　could　see　the

stranger　through　the　open　window；　still　and　dim；

sitting　head　on　hand。　He　had　not　moved。



A　number　of　children　going　along　the　road　stopped

and　regarded　the　artist　curiously。　A　boatman　exchanged　

civilities　with　him。　He　felt　that　possibly　his

circumspect　attitude　and　position　seemed　peculiar　and

unaccountable。　Smoking；　perhaps；　might　seem　more

natural。　He　drew　pipe　and　pouch　from　his　pocket；

filled　the　pipe　slowly。



〃I　wonder；〃　。　。　。　he　said；　with　a　scarcely　perceptible　

loss　of　complacency。　〃　At　any　rate　we　must

give　him　a　chance。〃　He　struck　a　match　in　the　virile

way；　and　proceeded　to　light　his　pipe。



Presently　he　heard　his　landlady　behind　him；　coming

with　his　lamp　lit　from　the　kitchen。　He　turned；　

gesticulating　with　his　pipe；　and　stopped　her　at　the　door

of　his　sitting…room。　He　had　some　difficulty　in　

explaining　the　situation　in　whispers；　for　she　did　not

know　he　had　a　visitor。　She　retreated　again　with　the

lamp；　still　a　little　mystified　to　judge　from　her　manner；

and　he　resumed　his　hovering　at　the　corner　of　the

porch；　flushed　and　less　at　his　ease。



Long　after　he　had　smoked　out　his　pipe；　and　when

the　bats　were　abroad；　his　curiosity　dominated　his

complex　hesitations；　and　he　stole　back　into　his　

darkling　sitting…room。　He　paused　in　the　doorway。　The

stranger　was　still　in　the　same　attitude；　dark　against

the　window。　Save　for　the　singing　of　some　sailors

aboard　one　of　the　little　slate…carrying　ships　in　the　

harbour；　the　evening　was　very　still。　Outside；　the　spikes

of　monkshood　and　delphinium　stood　erect　and　motionless　

against　the　shadow　of　the　hillside。　Something

flashed　into　Isbister's　mind；　he　started；　and　leaning

over　the　table；　listened。　An　unpleasant　suspicion

grew　stronger；　became　conviction。　Astonishment

seized　him　and　becamedread！



No　sound　of　breathing　came　from　the　seated　figure！



He　crept　slowly　and　noiselessly　round　the　table；

pausing　twice　to　listen。　At　last　he　could　lay　his　hand

on　the　back　of　the　armchair。　He　bent　down　until　the

two　heads　were　ear　to　ear。



Then　he　bent　still　lower　to　look　up　at　his　visitor's

face。　He　started　violently　and　uttered　an　exclamation。　

The　eyes　were　void　spaces　of　white。



He　looked　again　and　saw　that　they　were　open　and

with　the　pupils　rolled　under　the　lids。　He　was　

suddenly　afraid。　Overcome　by　the　strangeness　of　the

man's　condition；　he　took　him　by　the　shoulder　and

shook　him。　〃Are　you　asleep？〃　he　said；　with　his　voice

jumping　into　alto；　and　again；　〃Are　you　asleep？〃



A　conviction　took　possession　of　his　mind　that　this

man　was　dead。　He　suddenly　became　active　and

noisy；　strode　across　the　room；　blundering　against　the

table　as　he　did　so；　and　rang　the　bell。



〃Please　bring　a　light　at　once；〃　he　said　in　the　passage。　

〃There　is　something　wrong　with　my　friend。〃



Then　he　returned　to　the　motionless　seated　figure；

grasped　the　shoulder；　shook　it；　and　shouted。　The

room　was　flooded　with　yellow　glare　as　his　astonished

landlady　entered　with　the　light。　His　face　was　white

as　he　turned　blinking　towards　her。　〃I　must　fetch

a　doctor　at　once；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　either　death　or　a

fit。　Is　there　a　doctor　in　the　village？　Where　is　a

doctor　to　be　found？　〃



THE　TRANCE



The　state　of　cataleptic　rigour　into　which　this　man

had　fallen；　lasted　for　an　unprecedented　length　of　time；

and　then　he　passed　slowly　to　the　flaccid　state；　to　a　lax

attitude　suggestive　of　profound　repose。　Then　it　was

his　eyes　could　be　closed。



He　was　removed　from　the　hotel　to　the　Boscastle

surgery；　and　from　the　surgery；　after　some　weeks；　to

London。　But　he　still　resisted　every　attempt　at　

reanimation。　After　a　time；　for　reasons　that　will　appear

later；　these　attempts　were　discontinued。　For　a　great

space　he　lay　in　that　strange　condition；　inert　and　still

neither　dead　nor　living　but；　as　it　were；　suspended；

hanging　midway　between　nothingness　and　existence。

His　was　a　darkness　unbroken　by　a　ray　of　thought　or

sensation；　a　dreamless　inanition；　a　vast　space　of　peace。

The　tumult　of　his　mind　had　swelled　and　risen　to　an

abrupt　climax　of　silence。　Where　was　the　man？

Where　is　any　man　when　insensibility　takes　hold　of

him？



〃It　seems　only　yesterday；〃　said　Isbister。　〃I

remember　it　all　as　though　it　happened　yesterday

clearer　perhaps；　than　if　it　had　happened　yesterday。〃



It　was　the　Isbister　of　the　last　chapter；　but　he　was

no　longer　a　young　man。　The　hair　that　had　been

brown　and　a　trifle　in　excess　of　the　fashionable　length；

was　iron　grey　and　clipped　close；　and　the　face　that　had

been　pink　and　white　was　buff　and　ruddy。　He　had　a

pointed　beard　shot　with　grey。　He　talked　to　an　elderly

man　who　wore　a　summer　suit　of　drill　（the　summer　of

that　year　was　unusually　hot）。　This　was　Warming；　a

London　solicitor　and　next　of　kin　to　Graham；　the　man

who　had　fallen　into　the　trance。　And　the　two　men

stood　side　by　side　in　a　room　in　a　house　in　London

regarding　his　recumbent　figure。



It　was　a　yellow　figure　Iying　lax　upon　a　water…bed

and　clad　in　a　flowing　shirt；　a　figure　with　a　shrunken

face　and　a　stubby　beard；　lean　limbs　and　lank　nails；　and

about　it　was　a　case　of　thin　glass。　This　glass　seemed

to　mark　off　the　sleeper　from　the　reality　of　life　about

him；　he　was　a　thing　apart；　a　strange；　isolated　abnormality。

The　two　men　stood　close　to　the　glass；

peering　in。



〃The　thing　gave　me　a　shock；〃　said　Isbister　〃I

feel　a　queer　sort　of