when the sleeper wakes-第20节

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of　the　higher　ways；　conceiving　he　was　alone　there。



He　squeezed　his　knuckles　into　his　weary　eyes。　

Suppose　when　he　looked　again　he　found　the　dark　through

of　parallel　ways　and　that　intolerable　altitude　of　edifice；

gone？　Suppose　he　were　to　discover　the　whole　story

of　these　last　few　days；　the　awakening；　the　shouting

multitudes；　the　darkness　and　the　fighting；　a　

phantasmagoria；　a　new　and　more　vivid　sort　of　dream。　It

must　be　a　dream；　it　was　so　inconsecutive；　so　

reasonless。　Why　were　the　people　fighting　for　him？　Why

should　this　saner　world　regard　him　as　Owner　and

Master？



So　he　thought；　sitting　blinded；　and　then　he　looked

again；　half　hoping　in　spite　of　his　ears　to　see　some

familiar　aspect　of　the　life　of　the　nineteenth　century；　to

see；　perhaps；　the　little　harbour　of　Boscastle　about　him；

the　cliffs　of　Pentargen；　or　the　bedroom　of　his　home。

But　fact　takes　no　heed　of　human　hopes。　A　squad

of　men　with　a　black　banner　tramped　athwart　the

nearer　shadows；　intent　on　conflict；　and　beyond　rose

that　giddy　wall　of　frontage；　vast　and　dark；　with　the　dim

incomprehensible　lettering　showing　faintly　on　its　face。



〃It　is　no　dream；〃　he　said；　〃no　dream。〃　And　he

bowed　his　face　upon　his　hands。



CHAPTER　XI



THE　OLD　MAN　WHO　KNEW　EVERYTHING



He　was　startled　by　a　cough　close　at　hand。



He　turned　sharply；　and　peering；　saw　a　small；

hunched…up　figure　sitting　a　couple　of　yards　off　in　the

shadow　of　the　enclosure。



〃Have　ye　any　news？　〃　asked　the　high…pitched　

wheezy　voice　of　a　very　old　man。



Graham　hesitated。〃　None；〃　he　said。



〃I　stay　here　till　the　lights　come　again；〃　said　the　old

man。〃　These　blue　scoundrels　are　everywhere

everywhere。〃



Graham's　answer　was　inarticulate　assent。　He　tried

to　see　the　old　man　but　the　darkness　hid　his　face。　He

wanted　very　much　to　respond；　to　talk；　but　he　did　not

know　how　to　begin。



〃Dark　and　damnable；〃　said　the　old　man　suddenly。

〃Dark　and　damnable。　Turned　out　of　my　room　among　

all　these　dangers。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



〃That's　hard；〃　ventured　Graham。　〃That's　hard　on

you。〃



〃Darkness。　An　old　man　lost　in　the　darkness。　And

all　the　world　gone　mad。　War　and　fighting。　The

police　beaten　and　rogues　abroad。　Why　don't　they

bring　some　negroes　to　protect　us？　。　。　。　No　more

dark　passages　for　me。　I　fell　over　a　dead　man。〃



〃You're　safer　with　company；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃if

it's　company　of　the　right　sort；〃　and　peered　frankly。

He　rose　suddenly　and　came　towards　Graham。



Apparently　the　scrutiny　was　satisfactoy。　The　old

man　sat　down　as　if　relieved　to　be　no　longer　alone。

〃Eh！〃　he　said；　〃but　this　is　a　terrible　time！　War　and

fighting；　and　the　dead　Iying　theremen；　strong　men；

dying　in　the　dark。　Sons！　I　have　three　sons。　God

knows　where　they　are　tonight。〃



The　voice　ceased。　Then　repeated　quavering：　〃God

knows　where　they　are　tonight。〃



Graham　stood　revolving　a　question　that　should　not

betray　his　ignorance。　Again　the　old　man's　voice

ended　the　pause。



〃This　Ostrog　will　win；〃　he　said。　〃He　will　win。　And

what　the　world　will　be　like　under　him　no　one　can

tell。　My　sons　are　under　the　wind…vanes；　all　three。

One　of　my　daughters…in…law　was　his　mistress　for　a

while。　His　mistress！　Were　not　common　people。

Though　they've　sent　me　to　wander　tonight　and　take

my　chance。　。　。　。　I　knew　what　was　going　on。　Before　

most　people。　But　this　darkness！　And　to　fall

over　a　dead　body　suddenly　in　the　dark！〃



His　wheezy　breathing　could　be　heard。



〃Ostrog！〃　said　Graham。



〃The　greatest　Boss　the　world　has　ever　seen；〃　said

the　voice。



Graham　ransacked　his　mind。　〃The　Council　has　few

friends　among　the　people；〃　he　hazarded。



〃Few　friends。　And　poor　ones　at　that。　They've

had　their　time。　Eh！　They　should　have　kept　to　the

clever　ones。　But　twice　they　held　election。　And

Ostrog。　And　now　it　has　burst　out　and　nothing　can

stay　it；　nothing　can　stay　it。　Twice　they　rejected

OstrogOstrog　the　Boss。　I　heard　of　his　rages　at

the　timehe　was　terrible。　Heaven　save　them！　For

nothing　on　earth　can　now；　he　has　raised　the　Labour

Companies　upon　them。　No　one　else　would　have

dared。　All　the　blue　canvas　armed　and　marching！　He

will　go　through　with　it。　He　will　go　through。〃



He　was　silent　for　a　little　while。　〃This　Sleeper；〃　he

said；　and　stopped。　　



〃Yes；〃　said　Graham。　〃Well？〃



The　senile　voice　sank　to　a　confidential　whisper；　the

dim；　pale　face　came　close。　〃The　real　Sleeper〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Graham。



〃Died　years　ago。〃



〃What？　〃　said　Graham；　sharply。



〃Years　ago。　Died。　Years　ago。〃



〃You　don't　say　so！〃　said　Graham。



〃I　do。　I　do　say　so。　He　died。　This　Sleeper　who's

woke　upthey　changed　in　the　night。　A　poor；

drugged　insensible　creature。　But　I　mustn't　tell　all　I

know。　I　mustn't　tell　all　I　know。〃



For　a　little　while　he　muttered　inaudibly。　His　secret

was　too　much　for　him。　〃I　don't　know　the　ones　that

put　him　to　sleepthat　was　before　my　timebut　I

know　the　man　who　injected　the　stimulants　and　woke

him　again。　It　was　ten　to　onewake　or　kill。　Wake

or　kill。　Ostrog's　way。〃



Graham　was　so　astonished　at　these　things　that　he

had　to　interrupt；　to　make　the　old　man　repeat　his

words；　to　re…question　vaguely；　before　he　was　sure　of

the　meaning　and　folly　of　what　he　heard。　And　his

awakening　had　not　been　natural！　Was　that　an　old

man's　senile　superstition；　too；　or　had　it　any　truth　in　it？

Feeling　in　the　dark　corners　of　his　memory；　he　presently　

came　on　something　that　might　conceivably　be

an　impression　of　some　such　stimulating　effect。　It

dawned　upon　him　that　he　had　happened　upon　a　lucky

encounter；　that　at　last　he　might　learn　something　of

the　new　age。　The　old　man　wheezed　a　while　and　spat；

and　then　the　piping；　reminiscent　voice　resumed：



〃The　first　time　they　rejected　him。　I've　followed

it　all。〃



〃Rejected　whom？〃　said　Graham。　〃The　Sleeper？〃



〃Sleeper？　No。　Ostrog。　He　was　terribleterrible！　

And　he　was　promised　then；　promised　certainly

the　next　time。　Fools　they　werenot　to　be　more

afraid　of　him。　Now　all　the　city's　his　millstone；　and

such　as　we　dust　ground　upon　it。　Dust　ground　upon

it。　Until　he　set　to　workthe　workers　cut　each　other's

throats；　and　murdered　a　Chinaman　or　a　Labour　policeman　

at　times；　and　left　the　rest　of　us　in　peace。　Dead

bodies！　Robbing！　Darkness！　Such　a　thing　hasn't

been　this　gross　of　years。　Eh！but　'tis　ill　on　small

folks　when　the　great　fall　out！　It's　ill。〃



〃Did　you　saythere　had　not　been　what？for

a　gross　of　years？　〃



〃Eh？〃　said　the　old　man。



The　old　man　said　something　about　clipping　his

words；　and　made　him　repeat　this　a　third　time。　〃Fighting　

and　slaying；　and　weapons　in　hand；　and　fools　bawling　

freedom　and　the　like；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Not　in

all　my　life　has　there　been　that。　These　are　like　the　old

daysfor　surewhen　the　Paris　people　broke　out

three　gross　of　years　ago。　That's　what　I　mean　hasn't

been。　But　it's　the　world's　way。　It　had　to　come　back。

I　know。　I　know。　This　five　years　Ostrog　has　been

working；　and　there　has　been　trouble　and　trouble；　and

hunger　and　threats　and　high　talk　and　arms。　Blue　canvas　

and　murmurs。　No　one　safe。　Everything　sliding

and　slipping。　And　now　here　we　are！　Revolt　and

fighting；　and　the　Council　come　to　its　end。〃



〃You　are　rather　well…informed　on　these　things；〃

said　Graham。



〃I　know　what　I　hear。　It　isn't　all　Babble　Machine

with　me。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　



〃No；〃　said　Graham；　wondering　what　Babble

Machine　might　be。　〃And　you　are　certain　this　Ostrog

you　are　certain　Ostrog　organised　this　rebellion　and

arranged　for　the　waking　of　the　Sleeper？　Just　to　assert

himselfbecause　he　was　not　elected　to　the　Council？



〃Everyone　knows　that；　I　should　think；〃　said　the　old

man。　〃Exceptjust　fools。　He　meant　to　be　master

somehow。　In　the　Council　or　not。　Everyone　who

knows　anything　knows　that。　And　here　we　are　with

dead　bodies　Iying　in　the　dark！　Why；　where　have　you

been　if　you　haven't　heard　all　about　the　trouble

between　Ostrog　and　the　Verneys？　And　what　do　you

think　the　troubles　are　about？　The　Sleeper？　Eh？

You　think　the　Sleeper's　real　and　woke　of　his　own

accordeh？　〃



〃I'm　a　dull　man；　older　than　I　look；　and　forgetful；〃

said　Graham。〃　Lots　of　things　that　have　happened

especially　of　late　years。　If　I　was　the　Sleeper；　to　tell

you　the　truth；　I　couldn't　know　less　about　them。〃



〃Eh！〃　said　the　voice。〃　Old；　are　you？　You　don't

sound　so　very　old！　But　its　not　everyone　keeps　his

memory　to　my　time　of　lifetruly。　But　these　

notorious　things！　But　you're　not　so　old　as　menot

nearly　so　old　as　me。　Well！　I　ought　not　to　judge

other　men　by　myself；　perhaps。　I'm　youngfor　so

old　a　man。　Maybe　you're　old　for　so　young。〃



〃That's　it；〃　said　Graham。　〃And　I've　a　queer　history。　

I　know　very　little。　And　history！　Practically　I

know　no　history。　The　Sleeper　and　Julius　Caesar　are

all　the　same　to　me。　It's　interesting　to　hear　you　talk

of　these　things。〃



〃I　know　a　few　things；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃I　know

a　thing　or　two。　But。　Hark！〃



The　two　men