when the sleeper wakes-第22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！
The old man made him repeat the question。 When
at last he was assured of Graham's words； he nudged
him violently。 〃That's too much；〃 said he。 〃You're
poking fun at an old man。 I've been suspecting you
know more than you pretend。〃
〃Perhaps I do；〃 said Graham。 〃But no！ why
should I go on acting？ No； I do not know what a
Pleasure City is。〃
The old man laughed in an intimate way。
〃What is more； I do not know how to read your letters；
I do not know what money you use； I do not
know what foreign countries there are。 I do not know
where I am。 I cannot count。 I do not know
where to get food； nor drink； nor shelter。〃
〃Come； come；〃 said the old man； 〃if you had a
glass of drink； now； would you put it in your ear or
your eye？〃
〃I want you to tell me all these things。〃
〃He； he！ Well； gentlemen who dress in silk must
have their fun。〃 A withered hand caressed Graham's
arm for a moment。〃 Silk。 Well； well！ But； all the
same； I wish I was the man who was put up as the
Sleeper。 He'll have a fine time of it。 All the pomp
and pleasure。 He's a queer looking face。 When they
used to let anyone go to see him； I've got tickets and
been。 The image of the real one； as the photographs
show him； this substitute used to be。 Yellow。 But
he'll get fed up。 It's a queer world。 Think of the luck
of it。 The luck of it。 I expect he'll be sent to Capri。
It's the best fun for a greener。〃
His cough overtook him again。 Then he began
mumbling enviously of pleasures and strange delights。
〃The luck of it； the luck of it！ All my life I've been in
London； hoping to get my chance。〃
〃But you don't know that the Sleeper died；〃 said
Graham； suddenly。 J
The old man made him repeat his words。
〃Men don't live beyond ten dozen。 It's not in the
order of things；〃 said the old man。 〃I'm not a fool。
Fools may believe it； but not me。〃
Graham became angry with the old man's assurance。
〃Whether you are a fool or not；〃 he said； 〃it happens
you are wrong about the Sleeper。〃
〃Eh？ 〃
〃You are wrong about the Sleeper。 I haven't told
you before； but I will tell you now。 You are wrong
about the Sleeper。〃
〃How do you know？ I thought you didn't know
anythingnot even about Pleasure Cities。〃
Graham paused。
〃You don't know；〃 said the old man。 〃How are
you to know？ It's very few men〃
〃I __am__ the Sleeper。〃
He had to repeat it。
There was a brief pause。 〃There's a silly thing to
say； sir； if you'll excuse me。 It might get you into
trouble in a time like this；〃 said the old man。
Graham； slightly dashed； repeated his assertion。
〃I was saying I was the Sleeper。 That years and
years ago I did； indeed； fall asleep； in a little
stonebuilt village； in the days when there were hedgerows；
and villages； and inns； and all the countryside cut up
into little pieces； little fields。 Have you never heard
of those days？ And it is II who speak to you
who awakened again these four days since。〃
〃Four days since！the Sleeper！ But they've got
the Sleeper。 They have him and they won't let him
go。 Nonsense！ You've been talking sensibly enough
up to now。 I can see it as though I was there。 There
will be Lincoln like a keeper just behind him； they
won't let him go about alone。 Trust them。 You're a
queer fellow。 One of these fun pokers。 I see now why
you have been clipping your words so oddly； but〃
He stopped abruptly； and Graham could see his
gesture。
〃As if Ostrog would let the Sleeper run about
alone！ No； you're telling that to the wrong man
altogether。 Eh！ as if I should believe。 What's your
game？ And besides； we've been talking of the
Sleeper。〃
Graham stood up。〃 Listen；〃 he said。 〃I am the
Sleeper。〃
〃You're an odd man；〃 said the old man； 〃to sit
here in the dark； talking clipped； and telling a lie of
that sort。 But〃
Graham's exasperation fell to laughter。 〃It is
preposterous；〃 he cried。 〃Preposterous。 The dream
must end。 It gets wilder and wilder。 Here am Iin
this damned twilightI never knew a dream in twilight
beforean anachronism by two hundred years
and trying to persuade an old fool that I am myself；
and meanwhile Ugh！ 〃
He moved in gusty irritation and went striding。 In
a moment the old man was pursuing him。 〃Eh！ but
don't go！〃 cried the old man。 〃I'm an old fool； I
know。 Don't go。 Don't leave me in all this darkness。〃
Graham hesitated； stopped。 Suddenly the folly of
telling his secret flashed into his mind。
〃I didn't mean to offend youdisbelieving you；〃
said the old man coming near。 〃It's no manner of
harm。 Call yourself the Sleeper if it pleases you。
'Tis a foolish trick 〃
Graham hesitated； turned abruptly and went on his
way。
For a time he heard the old man's hobbling pursuit
and his wheezy cries receding。 But at last the darkness
swallowed him； and Graham saw him no more。
CHAPTER XII
OSTROG
Graham could now take a clearer view of his position。
For a long time yet he wandered； but after the
talk of the old man his discovery of this Ostrog was
clear in his mind as the final inevitable decision。 One
thing was evident； those who were at the headquarters
of the revolt had succeeded very admirably in
suppressing the fact of his disappearance。 But every
moment he expected to hear the report of his death
or of his recapture by the Council。
Presently a man stopped before him。 〃Have you
heard？ 〃 he said。
〃No！〃 said Graham starting。
〃 Near a dozand；〃 said the man； 〃a dozand men！〃
and hurried on。
A number of men and a girl passed in the darkness；
gesticulating and shouting： 〃Capitulated！ Given
up！〃 A dozand of men。〃 〃Two dozand of men。〃
〃Ostrog； Hurrah！ Ostrog； Hurrah！〃 These cries
receded； became indistinct。
Other shouting men followed。 For a time his attention
was absorbed in the fragments of speech he heard。
He had a doubt whether all were speaking English。
Scraps floated to him； scraps like Pigeon English； like
'nigger' dialect； blurred and mangled distortions。 He
dared accost no one with questions。 The
impression the people gave him jarred altogether with his
preconceptions of the struggle and confirmed the old
man's faith in Ostrog。 It was only slowly he could
bring himself to believe that all these people were
rejoicing at the defeat of the Council； that the Council
which had pursued him with such power and vigour
was after all the weaker of the two sides in conflict。
And if that was so； how did it affect him？ Several
times he hesitated on the verge of fundamental questions。
Once he turned and walked for a long way
after a little man of rotund inviting outline； but he
was unable to master confidence to address him。
It was only slowly that it came to him that he might
ask for the 〃wind…vane offices；〃 whatever the 〃wind…
vane offices〃 might be。 His first enquiry simply
resulted in a direction to go on towards Westminster。
His second led to the discovery of a short cut in which
he was speedily lost。 He was told to leave the ways
to which he had hitherto confined himself knowing
no other means of transitand to plunge down one
of the middle staircases into the blackness of a
crossway。 Thereupon came some trivial adventures； chief
of these an ambiguous encounter with a gruff…voiced
invisible creature speaking in a strange dialect that
seemed at first a strange tongue； a thick flow of speech
with the drifting corpses of English words therein；
the dialect of the latter…day vile。 Then another voice
drew near； a girl's voice singing； 〃tralala tralala。〃
She spoke to Graham； her English touched with something
of the same quality。 She professed to have lost
her sister； she blundered needlessly into him he
thought； caught hold of him and laughed。 But a
word of vague remonstrance sent her into the unseen
again。
The sounds about him increased。 Stumbling people
passed him； speaking excitedly。 〃They have surrendered！〃
〃The Council！ Surely not the Council！〃
〃They are saying so in the Ways。〃 The passage
seemed wider。 Suddenly the wall fell away。 He was
in a great space and people were stirring remotely。
He inquired his way of an indistinct figure。 〃Strike
straight across；〃 said a woman's voice。 He left his
guiding wall； and in a moment had stumbled against
a little table on which were utensils of glass。 Graham's
eyes； now attuned to darkness； made out a
long vista with pallid tables on either side。 He went
down this。 At one or two of the tables he heard a
clang of glass and a sound of eating。 There were people
then cool enough to dine； or daring enough to
steal a meal in spite of social convulsion and darkness。
Far off and high up he presently saw a pallid
light of a semi…circular shape。 As he approached this；
a black edge came up and hid it。 He stumbled at
steps and found
