when the sleeper wakes-第3节

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peering　in。



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

feel　a　queer　sort　of　surprise　even　now　when　I　think　of

his　white　eyes。　They　were　white；　you　know；　rolled

up。　Coming　here　again　brings　it　all　back　to　me。



〃Have　you　never　seen　him　since　that　time？　〃　asked

Warming。



〃Often　wanted　to　come；〃　said　Isbister；　〃but　business　

nowadays　is　too　serious　a　thing　for　much　holiday

keeping。　I've　been　in　America　most　of　the　time。〃



〃If　I　remember　rightly；〃　said　Warming；　〃you　were

an　artist？〃



〃Was。　And　then　I　became　a　married　man。　I　saw

it　was　all　up　with　black　and　white；　very　soonat

least　for　a　mediocre　man；　and　I　jumped　on　to　process。

Those　posters　on　the　Cliffs　at　Dover　are　by　my

people。〃



〃Good　posters；〃　admitted　the　solicitor；　〃though　I　｜

was　sorry　to　see　them　there。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I



〃Last　as　long　as　the　cliffs；　if　necessary；〃　exclaimed　

Isbister　with　satisfaction。　〃　The　world　changes。

When　he　fell　asleep；　twenty　years　ago；　I　was　down

at　Boscastle　with　a　box　of　water…colours　and　a　noble；

old…fashioned　ambition。　I　didn't　expect　that　some

day　my　pigments　would　glorify　the　whole　blessed　coast

of　England；　from　Land's　End　round　again　to　the　Lizard。　

Luck　comes　to　a　man　very　often　when　he's　not

looking。〃



Warming　seemed　to　doubt　the　quality　of　the　luck。

〃　I　just　missed　seeing　you；　if　I　recollect　aright。〃



〃You　came　back　by　the　trap　that　took　me　to　Camelford　

railway　station。　It　was　close　on　the　Jubilee；　

Victoria's　Jubilee；　because　I　remember　the　seats　and　flags

in　Westminster；　and　the　row　with　the　cabman　at

Chelsea。〃



〃The　Diamond　Jubilee；　it　was；〃　said　Warming；

〃the　second　one。〃



〃Ah；　yes　！　At　the　proper　Jubileethe　Fifty　Year

affairI　was　down　at　Wookeya　boy。　I　missed

all　that。　。　。　。　What　a　fuss　we　had　with　him！　My

landlady　wouldn't　take　him　in；　wouldn't　let　him　stay

he　looked　so　queer　when　he　was　rigid。　We　had　to

carry　him　in　a　chair　up　to　the　hotel。　And　the　

Boscastle　doctorit　wasn't　the　present　chap；　but　the

G。P。　before　himwas　at　him　until　nearly　two；　with；

me　and　the　landlord　holding　lights　and　so　forth。〃



〃It　was　a　cataleptic　rigour　at　first；　wasn't　it？〃



〃Stiff！wherever　you　bent　him　he　stuck。　You

might　have　stood　him　on　his　head　and　he'd　have

stopped。　I　never　saw　such　stiffness。　Of　course　this〃

he　indicated　the　prostrate　figure　by　a　movement　of

his　head〃　is　quite　different。　And；　of　course；　the

little　doctorwhat　was　his　name？〃



〃Smithers？　〃



〃Smithers　it　waswas　quite　wrong　in　trying　to

fetch　him　round　too　soon；　according　to　all　accounts。

The　things　he　did。　Even　now　it　makes　me　feel　all

ugh！　Mustard；　snuff；　pricking。　And　one　of　those

beastly　little　things；　not　dynamos〃



〃Induction　coils。〃



〃Yes。　You　could　see　his　muscles　throb　and　jump；

and　he　twisted　about。　There　was　just　two　flaring

yellow　candles；　and　all　the　shadows　were　shivering；

and　the　little　doctor　nervous　and　putting　on　side；　and

himstark　and　squirming　in　the　most　unnatural

ways。　Well；　it　made　me　dream。〃



Pause。



〃It's　a　strange　state；〃　said　Warming。



〃　It's　a　sort　of　complete　absence；〃　said　Isbister。



〃Here's　the　body；　empty。　Not　dead　a　bit；　and　yet

not　alive。　It's　like　a　seat　vacant　and　marked　'engaged。'

No　feeling；　no　digestion；　no　beating　of　the

heartnot　a　flutter。　__That__　doesn't　make　me　feel　as

if　there　was　a　man　present。　In　a　sense　it's　more　dead

than　death；　for　these　doctors　tell　me　that　even　the　hair

has　stopped　growing。　Now　with　the　proper　dead；　the

hair　will　go　on　growing〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Warming；　with　a　flash　of　pain　in

his　expression。



They　peered　through　the　glass　again。　Graham　was

indeed　in　a　strange　state；　in　the　flaccid　phase　of　a

trance；　but　a　trance　unprecedented　in　medical　history。　

Trances　had　lasted　for　as　much　as　a　year　before

but　at　the　end　of　that　time　it　had　ever　been

waking　or　a　death；　sometimes　first　one　and　then　the

other。　Isbister　noted　the　marks　the　physicians　had

made　in　injecting　nourishment；　for　that　device　had

been　resorted　to　to　postpone　collapse；　he　pointed　them

out　to　Warming；　who　had　been　trying　not　to　see　them。



〃And　while　he　has　been　Iying　here；〃　said　Isbister；

with　the　zest　of　a　life　freely　spent；　〃　I　have　changed　my

plans　in　life；　married；　raised　a　family；　my　eldest　lad

I　hadn't　begun　to　think　of　sons　thenis　an　American　

citizen；　and　looking　forward　to　leaving　Harvard。

There's　a　touch　of　grey　in　my　hair。　And　this　man；

not　a　day　older　nor　wiser　（practically）　than　I　was　in

my　downy　days。　It's　curious　to　think　of。〃



Warming　turned。　〃And　I　have　grown　old　too。　I

played　cricket　with　him　when　I　was　still　only　a　lad。

And　he　looks　a　young　man　still。　Yellow　perhaps。

But　that　is　a　young　man　nevertheless。〃



〃And　there's　been　the　War；〃　said　Isbister。



〃From　beginning　to　end。〃



〃And　these　Martians。〃



〃I've　understood；〃　said　Isbister　after　a　pause；　〃that

he　had　some　moderate　property　of　his　own？〃



〃That　is　so；〃　said　Warming。　He　coughed　primly。

〃As　it　happens　have　charge　of　it。〃



〃　Ah！〃　Isbister　thought；　hesitated　and　spoke：

〃No　doubthis　keep　here　is　not　expensiveno

doubt　it　will　have　improvedaccumulated？〃



〃It　has。　He　will　wake　up　very　much　better　off

if　he　wakesthan　when　he　slept。〃



〃As　a　business　man；〃　said　Isbister；　〃that　thought

has　naturally　been　in　my　mind。　I　have；　indeed；　

sometimes　thought　that；　speaking　commercially；　of　course；

this　sleep　may　be　a　very　good　thing　for　him。　That

he　knows　what　he　is　about；　so　to　speak；　in　being　

insensible　so　long。　If　he　had　lived　straight　on〃



〃I　doubt　if　he　would　have　premeditated　as　much；〃

said　Warming。　〃He　was　not　a　far…sighted　man。　In

fact〃



〃Yes？〃



〃We　differed　on　that　point。　I　stood　to　him　some…

what　in　the　relation　of　a　guardian。　You　have　probably　

seen　enough　of　affairs　to　recognise　that　

occasionally　a　certain　friction。　But　even　if　that　was　the

case；　there　is　a　doubt　whether　he　will　ever　wake。　This

sleep　exhausts　slowly；　but　it　exhausts。　Apparently

he　is　sliding　slowly；　very　slowly　and　tediously；　down

a　long　slope；　if　you　can　understand　me？　〃



〃It　will　be　a　pity　to　lose　his　surprise。　There's　been

a　lot　of　change　these　twenty　years。　It's　Rip　Van

Winkle　come　real。〃



〃It's　Bellamy；〃　said　Warming。　〃　There　has　been

a　lot　of　change　certainly。　And；　among　other　changes；

I　have　changed。　I　am　an　old　man。〃



Isbister　hesitated；　and　then　feigned　a　belated　surprise。　

〃I　shouldn't　have　thought　it。〃



〃I　was　forty…three　when　his　bankersyou　remember　

you　wired　to　his　bankerssent　on　to　me。〃



〃I　got　their　address　from　the　cheque　book　in　his

pocket；〃　said　Isbister。



〃Well；　the　addition　is　not　difficult；〃　said　Warming。



There　was　another　pause；　and　then　Isbister　gave

way　to　an　unavoidable　curiosity。　〃He　may　go　on

for　years　yet；〃　he　said；　and　had　a　moment　of　hesitation。　

〃We　have　to　consider　that。　His　affairs；　you

know；　may　fall　some　day　into　the　hands　ofsomeone

else；　you　know。〃　



〃That；　if　you　will　believe　me；　Mr。　Isbister；　is　one

of　the　problems　most　constantly　before　my　mind。　We

happen　to　beas　a　matter　of　fact；　there　are　no　very

trustworthy　connections　of　ours。　It　is　a　grotesque

and　unprecedented　position。〃



〃It　is；〃　said　Isbister。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　it's　a

case　for　a　public　trustee；　if　only　we　had　such　a

functionary。〃



〃It　seems　to　me　it's　a　case　for　some　public　body；

some　practically　undying　guardian。　If　he　really　is

going　on　livingas　the　doctors；　some　of　them；　think。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　gone　to　one　or　two　public

men　about　it。　But；　so　far；　nothing　has　been　done。〃



〃It　wouldn't　be　a　bad　idea　to　hand　him　over　to

some　public　bodythe　British　Museum　Trustees；　or

the　Royal　College　of　Physicians。　Sounds　a　bit　odd；

of　course；　but　the　whole　situation　is　odd。〃



〃The　difficulty　is　to　induce　them　to　take　him。〃



〃Red　tape；　I　suppose？　〃



〃Partly。〃



Pause。　〃　It's　a　curious　business；　certainly；〃　said

Isbister。　〃And　compound　interest　has　a　way　of

mounting　up。〃



〃It　has；〃　said　Warming。　〃And　now　the　gold　supplies　

are　running　short　there　is　a　tendency　towards

　　　　　。　。　。　appreciation。〃



〃I've　felt　that；〃　said　Isbister　with　a　grimace。　〃But

it　makes　it　better　for　him。〃



〃If　he　wakes。〃



〃If　he　wakes；〃　echoed　Isbister。　〃Do　you　notice

the　pinched…ill　look　of　his　nose；　and　the　way　in　which

his　eyelids　sink？〃



Warming　looked　and　thought　for　a　space。　〃I　doubt

if　he　will　wake；〃　he　said　at　last。



〃I　never　properly　understood；〃　said　Isbister；　〃what

it　was　brought　this　on。　He　told　me　something　about

overstudy。　I've　often　been　curious。〃



〃He　was　a　man　of　considerable　gifts；　but　spasmodic；　

emotional。　He　had　grave　domestic　troubles；

divorced　his　wife；　in　fact；　and　it　was　as　a　relief　from

that；　I　think；　that　he　took　up　politics　of　the　rabid　sort。

He　was　a　fanatical　Radicala　Socialistor　typical

Liberal；　as　they