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ceased　even　to　trouble　to　have　its　decrees　endorsed　by

the　constitutional　authorities；　and　he　a　motionless；

sunken；　yellow…skinned　figure　had　lain；　neither　dead

nor　living；　recognisably　and　immediately　Master　of　the

Earth。　And　awoke　at　last　to　find　himselfMaster　of

that　inheritance！　Awoke　to　stand　under　the　cloudless

empty　sky　and　gaze　down　upon　the　greatness　of　his

dominion。



To　what　end　had　he　awakened？　Was　this　city；　this

hive　of　hopeless　toilers；　the　final　refutation　of　his

ancient　hopes？　Or　was　the　fire　of　liberty；　the　fire　that

had　blazed　and　waned　in　the　years　of　his　past　life；　still

smouldering　below　there？　He　thought　of　the　stir　and

impulse　of　the　song　of　the　revolution。　Was　that　song

merely　the　trick　of　a　demagogue；　to　be　forgotten　when

its　purpose　was　served？　Was　the　hope　that　still　stirred

within　him　only　the　memory　of　abandoned　things；　the

vestige　of　a　creed　outworn？　Or　had　it　a　wider　meaning；　

an　import　interwoven　with　the　destiny　of　man？

To　what　end　had　he　awakened；　what　was　there　for　him

to　do？　Humanity　was　spread　below　him　like　a　map。

He　thought　of　the　millions　and　millions　of　humanity

following　each　other　unceasingly　for　ever　out　of　the

darkness　of　non…existence　into　the　darkness　of　death。

To　what　end？　Aim　there　must　be；　but　it　transcended

his　power　of　thought。　He　saw　for　the　first　time　clearly

his　own　infinite　littleness；　saw　stark　and　terrible　the

tragic　contrast　of　human　strength　and　the　craving　of

the　human　heart。　For　that　little　while　he　knew　himself

for　the　petty　accident　he　was；　and　knew　therewith　the

greatness　of　his　desire。　And　suddenly　his　littleness

was　intolerable；　his　aspiration　was　intolerable；　and

there　came　to　him　an　irresistible　impulse　to　pray。　And

he　prayed。　He　prayed　vague；　incoherent；　contradictory　

things；　his　soul　strained　up　through　time　and

space　and　all　the　fleeting　multitudinous　confusion　of

being；　towards　somethinghe　scarcely　knew　what

towards　something　that　could　comprehend　his　striving

and　endure。



A　man　and　a　woman　were　far　below　on　a　roof　space

to　the　southward　enjoying　the　freshness　of　the　morning　

air。　The　man　had　brought　out　a　perspective　glass

to　spy　upon　the　Council　House　and　he　was　showing

her　how　to　use　it。　Presently　their　curiosity　was　satisfied；　

they　could　see　no　traces　of　bloodshed　from　their

position；　and　after　a　survey　of　the　empty　sky　she　came

round　to　the　crow's　nest。　And　there　she　saw　two　little

black　figures；　so　small　it　was　hard　to　believe　they　were

men；　one　who　watched　and　one　who　gesticulated　with

hands　outstretched　to　the　silent　emptiness　of　Heaven。



She　handed　the　glass　to　the　man。　He　looked　and

exclaimed：



〃I　believe　it　is　the　Master。　Yes。　I　am　sure。　It　is

the　Master！〃



He　lowered　the　glass　and　looked　at　her。　〃Waving

his　hands　about　almost　as　if　he　was　praying。　I　wonder

what　he　is　up　to。　Worshipping　the　sun？　There

weren't　Parses　in　this　country　in　his　time；　were

there？〃



He　looked　again。　〃He's　stopped　it　now。　It　was　a

chance　attitude；　I　suppose。〃　He　put　down　the　glass

and　became　meditative。　〃He　won't　have　anything　to

do　but　enjoy　himselfjust　enjoy　himself。　Ostrog　will

boss　the　show　of　course。　Ostrog　will　have　to；　because

of　leeping　all　these　Labourer　fools　in　bounds。　Them

and　their　song！　And　got　it　all　by　sleeping；　dear　eyes

just　sleeping。　It's　a　wonderful　world。〃



CHAPTER　XV



PROMINENT　PEOPLE



The　state　apartments　of　the　Wind　Vane　Keeper

would　have　seemed　astonishingly　intricate　to　Graham

had　he　entered　them　fresh　from　his　nineteenth　century

life；　but　already　he　was　growing　accustomed　to　the　scale

of　the　new　time。　They　can　scarcely　be　described　as

halls　and　rooms；　seeing　that　a　complicated　system　of

arches；　bridges；　passages　and　galleries　divided　and

united　every　part　of　the　great　space。　He　came　out

through　one　of　the　now　familiar　sliding　panels　upon　a。

plateau　of　landing　at　the　head　of　a　flight　of　very　broad

and　gentle　steps；　with　men　and　women　far　more

brilliantly　dressed　than　any　he　had　hitherto　seen

ascending　and　descending。　From　this　position　he

looked　down　a　vista　of　intricate　ornament　in　lustreless

white　and　mauve　and　purple；　spanned　by　bridges　that

seemed　wrought　of　porcelain　and　filigree；　and　terminating　

far　off　in　a　cloudy　mystery　of　perforated　screens。



Glancing　upward；　he　saw　tier　above　tier　of　ascending　

galleries　with　faces　looking　down　upon　him。　The

air　was　full　of　the　babble　of　innumerable　voices　and　of

a　music　that　descended　from　above；　a　gay　and　exhilarating　

music　whose　source　he　never　discovered。



The　central　aisle　was　thick　with　people；　but　by　no

means　uncomfortably　crowded；　altogether　that　assembly　

must　have　numbered　many　thousands。　They　were

brilliantly；　even　fantastically　dressed；　the　men　as　

fancifully　as　the　women；　for　the　sobering　influence　of　the

Puritan　conception　of　dignity　upon　masculine　dress

had　long　since　passed　away。　The　hair　of　the　men；　too；

though　it　was　rarely　worn　long；　was　commonly　curled

in　a　manner　that　suggested　the　barber；　and　baldness

had　vanished　from　the　earth。　Frizzy　straight…cut

masses　that　would　have　charmed　Rossetti　abounded；

and　one　gentleman；　who　was　pointed　out　to　Graham

under　the　mysterious　title　of　an　〃amorist〃；　wore　his

hair　in　two　becoming　plaits　a　la　Marguerite。　The

pigtail　was　in　evidence；　it　would　seem　that　citizens　of

Chinese　extraction　were　no　longer　ashamed　of　their

race。　There　was　little　uniformity　of　fashion　apparent

in　the　forms　of　clothing　worn。　The　more　shapely

men　displayed　their　symmetry　in　trunk　hose；　and

here　were　puffs　and　slashes；　and　there　a　cloak

and　there　a　robe。　The　fashions　of　the　days　of

Leo　the　Tenth　were　perhaps　the　prevailing　influence；　

but　the　aesthetic　conceptions　of　the　far　east

were　also　patent。　Masculine　embonpoint；　which；

in　Victorian　times；　would　have　been　subjected　to　the

tightly　buttoned　perils；　the　ruthless　exaggeration　of

tight…legged　tight…armed　evening　dress；　now　formed

but　the　basis　of　a　wealth　of　dignity　and　drooping　folds。

Graceful　slenderness　abounded'　also。　To　Graham；　a

typically　stiff　man　from　a　typically　stiff　period；　not　only

did　these　men　seem　altogether　too　graceful　in　person；

but　altogether　too　expressive　in　their　vividly　

expressive　faces。　They　gesticulated；　they　expressed　surprise；

interest；　amusement；　above　all；　they　expressed　the

emotions　excited　in　their　minds　by　the　ladies　about

them　with　astonishing　frankness。　Even　at　the　first

glance　it　was　evident　that　women　were　in　a　great

majority。



The　ladies　in　the　company　of　these　gentlemen　displayed　

in　dress；　bearing　and　manner　alike；　less

emphasis　and　more　intricacy。　Some　affected　a　classical　

simplicity　of　robing　and　subtlety　of　fold；　after　the

fashion　of　the　First　French　Empire；　and　flashed　

conquering　arms　and　shoulders　as　Graham　passed。

Others　had　closely…fitting　dresses　without　seam　or　belt

at　the　waist；　sometimes　with　long　folds　falling　from　the

shoulders。　The　delightful　confidences　of　evening

dress　had　not　been　diminished　by　the　passage　of　two

centuries。



Everyone's　movements　seemed　graceful。　Graham

remarked　to　Lincoln　that　he　saw　men　as　Raphael's　

cartoons　walking；　and　Lincoln　told　him　that　the　

attainment　of　an　appropriate　set　of　gestures　was　part　of

every　rich　person's　education。　The　Master's　entry　was

greeted　with　a　sort　of　tittering　applause；　but　these　

people　showed　their　distinguished　manners　by　not　

crowding　upon　him　nor　annoying　him　by　any　persistent

scrutiny；　as　he　descended　the　steps　towards　the　floor　of

the　aisle。



He　had　already　learnt　from　Lincoln　that　these　were

the　leaders　of　existing　London　society；　almost　every

person　there　that　night　was　either　a　powerful　official

or　the　immediate　connexion　of　a　powerful　official。

Many　had　returned　from　the　European　Pleasure　Cities

expressly　to　welcome　him。　The　aeronautic　authorities；　

whose　defection　had　played　a　part　in　the　overthrow　

of　the　Council　only　second　to　Graham's　were

very　prominent；　and　so；　too；　was　the　Wind　Vane　Control。　

Amongst　others　there　were　several　of　the　more

prominent　officers　of　the　Food　Trust；　the　controller　of

the　European　Piggeries　had　a　particularly　melancholy

and　interesting　countenance　and　a　daintily　cynical

manner。　A　bishop　in　full　canonicals　passed　athwart

Graham's　vision；　conversing　with　a　gentleman　dressed

exactly　like　the　traditional　Chaucer；　including　even　the

laurel　wreath。



〃Who　is　that？〃　he　asked　almost　involuntarily



〃The　Bishop　of　London；〃　said　Lincoln。



〃Nothe　other；　I　mean。〃



〃Poet　Laureate。〃



〃You　still？〃



〃He　doesn't　make　poetry；　of　course。　He's　a　cousin

of　Wottonone　of　the　Councillors。　But　he's　one　of

the　Red　Rose　Royalistsa　delightful　cluband　they

keep　up　the　tradition　of　these　things。〃



〃Asano　told　me　there　was　a　King。〃



〃The　King　doesn't　belong。　They　had　to　expel　him。

It's　the　Stuart　blood；　I　suppose；　but　real