when the sleeper wakes-第31节

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

It's　the　Stuart　blood；　I　suppose；　but　really〃



〃Too　much？〃



〃Far　too　much。〃



Graham　did　not　quite　follow　all　this；　but　it　seemed

part　of　the　general　inversion　of　the　new　age。　He

bowed　condescendingly　to　his　first　introduction。　It

was　evident　that　subtle　distinctions　of　class　prevailed

even　in　this　assembly；　that　only　to　a　small　proportion

of　the　guests；　to　an　inner　group；　did　Lincoln　consider

it　appropriate　to　introduce　him。　This　first　introduction　

was　the　Master　Aeronaut；　a　man　whose　suntanned　

face　contrasted　oddly　with　the　delicate　complexions　

about　him。　Just　at　present　his　critical　defection　

from　the　Council　made　him　a　very　important　person　indeed。



His　manner　contrasted　very　favourably；　according

to　Graham's　ideas；　with　the　general　bearing。　He

made　a　few　commonplace　remarks；　assurances　of

loyalty　and　frank　inquiries　about　the　Master's　health。

His　manner　was　breezy；　his　accent　lacked　the　easy

staccato　of　latter…day　English。　He　made　it　admirably

clear　to　Graham　that　he　was　a　bluff　〃aerial　dog〃…he

used　that　phrasethat　there　was　no　nonsense　about

him；　that　he　was　a　thoroughly　manly　fellow　and　

old…fashioned　at　that；　that　he　didn't　profess　to　know　much；

and　that　what　he　did　not　know　was　not　worth　knowing

He　made　a　manly　bow；　ostentatiously　free　from　obsequiousness

and　passed。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　that　type　endures；〃　said　Graham



〃Phonographs　and　kinematographs；〃　said　Lincoln；　

a　little　spitefully。　〃He　has　studied　from　the　life。〃

Graham　glanced　at　the　burly　form　again。　It　was　oddly

reminiscent。



〃As　a　matter　of　fact　we　bought　him；〃　said　Lincoln。

〃Partly。　And　partly　he　was　afraid　of　Ostrog　

Everything　rested　with　him。〃



He　turned　sharply　to　introduce　the　

Surveyor…General　of　the　Public　School　Trust。　This　person　

was　a　willowy　figure　in　a　blue…grey　academic　gown；　he

beamed　down　upon　Graham　through　__pince…nez__　of　a

Victorian　pattern；　and　illustrated　his　remarks　by　

gestures　of　a　beautifully　manicured　hand。　Graham　was

immediately　interested　in　this　gentleman's　functions；

and　asked　him　a　number　of　singularly　direct　questions。

The　Surveyor…General　seemed　quietly　amused　at　the

Master's　fundamental　bluntness。　He　was　a　little

vague　as　to　the　monopoly　of　education　his　Company

possessed；　it　was　done　by　contract　with　the　syndicate

that　ran　the　numerous　London　Municipalities；　but　he

waxed　enthusiastic　over　educational　progress　since　the

Victorian　times。　〃We　have　conquered　Cram；〃　he

said；　〃completely　conquered　Cramthere　is　not　an

examination　left　in　the　world。　Aren't　you　glad？〃



〃How　do　you　get　the　work　done？〃　asked　Graham。



〃We　make　it　attractiveas　attractive　as　possible。

And　if　it　does　not　attract　thenwe　let　it　go。　We　cover

an　immense　field。〃



He　proceeded　to　details；　and　they　had　a　lengthy

conversation。　The　Surveyor…General　mentioned　the

names　of　Pestalozzi　and　Froebel　with　profound

respect；　although　he　displayed　no　intimacy　with　their

epoch…making　works。　Graham　learnt　that　University

Extension　still　existed　in　a　modified　form。　〃There　is

a　certain　type　of　girl；　for　example；〃　said　the　Surveyor…

General；　dilating　with　a　sense　of　his　usefulness；　〃with

a　perfect　passion　for　severe　studieswhen　they　are　not

too　difficult　you　know。　We　cater　for　them　by　the

thousand。　At　this　moment；〃　he　said　with　a

Napoleonic　touch；　〃nearly　five　hundred　phonographs

are　lecturing　in　different　parts　of　London　on　the　

influence　exercised　by　Plato　and　Swift　on　the　love　affairs

of　Shelley；　Hazlitt；　and　Burns。　And　afterwards　they

write　essays　on　the　lectures；　and　the　names　in　order　of

merit　are　put　in　conspicuous　places。　You　see　how

your　little　germ　has　grown？　The　illiterate　middle…class　

of　your　days　has　quite　passed　away。〃



〃About　the　public　elementary　schools；〃　said

Graham。　〃Do　you　control　them？〃



The　Surveyor…General　did；　〃entirely。〃　Now；

Graham；　in　his　later　democratic　days；　had　taken　a　keen

interest　in　these　and　his　questioning　quickened。　Certain　

casual　phrases　that　had　fallen　from　the　old　man

with　whom　he　had　talked　in　the　darkness　recurred　to

him。　The　Surveyor…General；　in　effect；　endorsed　the

old　man's　words。　〃We　have　abolished　Cram；〃　he

said；　a　phrase　Graham　was　beginning　to　interpret　as

the　abolition　of　all　sustained　work。　The　Surveyor…

General　became　sentimental。　〃We　try　and　make　the

elementary　schools　very　pleasant　for　the　little　

children。　They　will　have　to　work　so　soon。　Just　a　few

simple　principlesobedienceindustry。〃



〃You　teach　them　very　little？〃



〃Why　should　we？　It　only　leads　to　trouble　and　discontent。　

We　amuse　them。　Even　as　it　isthere　are

troublesagitations。　Where　the　labourers　get　the

ideas；　one　cannot　tell。　They　tell　one　another。　There

are　socialistic　dreamsanarchy　even！　Agitators　will

get　to　work　among　them。　I　take　itI　have　always

taken　itthat　my　foremost　duty　is　to　fight　against　

popular　discontent。　Why　should　people　be　made

unhappy？〃



〃I　wonder；〃　said　Graham　thoughtfully。　〃But　there

are　a　great　many　things　I　want　to　know。〃



Lincoln；　who　had　stood　watching　Graham's　face　

throughout　the　conversation；　intervened。　〃There　are

others；〃　he　said　in　an　undertone。



The　Surveyor…General　of　schools　gesticulated　him…

self　away。　〃Perhaps；〃　said　Lincoln；　intercepting　a

casual　glance；　〃　you　would　like　to　know　some　of　these

ladies？〃



The　daughter　of　the　Manager　of　the　Piggeries　of

the　European　Food　Trust　was　a　particularly　charming

little　person　with　red　hair　and　animated　blue　eyes。

Lincoln　left　him　awhile　to　converse　with　her；　and　she

displayed　herself　as　quite　an　enthusiast　for　the　〃dear

old　times；〃　as　she　called　them；　that　had　seen　the　

beginning　of　his　trance。　As　she　talked　she　smiled；　and　her

eyes　smiled　in　a　manner　that　demanded　reciprocity。



〃I　have　tried；〃　she　said；　〃countless　timesto

imagine　those　old　romantic　days。　And　to　you　they

are　memories。　How　strange　and　crowded　the　world

must　seem　to　you！　I　have　seen　photographs　and　pictures　

of　the　old　times；　the　little　isolated　houses　built　of

bricks　made　out　of　burnt　mud　and　all　black　with　soot

from　your　fires；　the　railway　bridges；　the　simple　

advertisements；　the　solemn　savage　Puritanical　men　in

strange　black　coats　and　those　tall　hats　of　theirs；　iron

railway　trains　on　iron　bridges　overhead；　horses　and

cattle；　and　even　dogs　running　half　wild　about　the

streets。　And　suddenly；　you　have　come　into　this！〃



〃Into　this；〃　said　Graham。



〃Out　of　your　lifeout　of　all　that　was　familiar。〃



〃The　old　life　was　not　a　happy　one；〃　said　Graham。

〃I　do　not　regret　that。〃



She　looked　at　him　quickly。　There　was　a　brief　pause。

She　sighed　encouragingly。　〃No？　〃



〃No；〃　said　Graham。　〃It　was　a　little　lifeand

unmeaning。　But　this。　We　thought　the　world

complex　and　crowded　and　civilised　enough。　Yet　I　see

although　in　this　world　I　am　barely　four　days　old

looking　back　on　my　own　time；　that　it　was　a　queer；　

barbaric　timethe　mere　beginning　of　this　new　order。

The　mere　beginning　of　this　new　order。　You　will　find

it　hard　to　understand　how　little　I　know。〃



〃　You　may　ask　me　what　you　like；〃　she　said；　smiling

at　him。



〃Then　tell　me　who　these　people　are。　I'm　still　very

much　in　the　dark　about　them。　It's　puzzling。　Are

there　any　Generals？　〃



〃Men　in　hats　and　feathers？〃



〃Of　course　not。　No。　I　suppose　they　are　the　men

who　control　the　great　public　businesses。　Who　is　that

distinguished　looking　man？〃



〃That？　He's　a　most　important　officer。　That　is

Morden。　He　is　managing　director　of　the　Antibilious

Pill　Company。　I　have　heard　that　his　workers　sometimes　

turn　out　a　myriad　myriad　pills　a　day　in　the

twenty…four　hours。　Fancy　a　myriad　myriad！〃



〃A　myriad　myriad。　No　wonder　he　looks　proud；〃

said　Graham。　〃Pills！　What　a　wonderful　time　it　is！

That　man　in　purple？〃



〃He　is　not　quite　one　of　the　inner　circle；　you　know。

But　we　like　him。　He　is　really　clever　and　very　amusing。　

He　is　one　of　the　heads　of　the　Medical　Faculty　of

our　London　University。　All　medical　men；　you　know；

are　shareholders　in　the　Medical　Faculty　Company；

and　wear　that　purple。　You　have　to　beto　be　qualified。　

But　of　course；　people　who　are　paid'　by　fees　for

doing　something〃　She　smiled　away　the　social　

pretensions　of　all　such　people。



〃Are　any　of　your　great　artists　or　authors　here？〃



〃No　authors。　They　are　mostly　such　queer　people

and　so　preoccupied　about　themselves。　And　they　

quarrel　so　dreadfully！　They　will　fight；　some　of　them；　for

precedence　on　staircases！　Dreadful　isn't　it？　But　I

think　Wraysbury；　the　fashionable　capillotomist；　is

here。　From　Capri。〃



〃Capillotomist；〃　said　Graham。　〃Ah！　I　remember。

An　artist！　Why　not？〃



〃We　have　to　cultivate　him；〃　she　said　apologetically。

〃Our　heads　are　in　his　hands。〃　She　smiled。



Graham　hesitated　at　the　invited　compliment；　but　his

glance　was　expressive。　〃Have　the　arts　grown　with

the　rest　of　civilise