when the sleeper wakes-第38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！



upon　you　and　the　people　filed　by　you。　When　I　was　a

little　girl　I　saw　you　like　that；　with　your　face　white　and

calm。〃



She　turned　her　face　from　him　and　looked　steadfastly

at　the　painted　wall　before　her。　Her　voice　fell。　〃When

I　was　a　little　girl　I　used　to　look　at　your　face。　。　。　。it

seemed　to　me　fixed　and　waiting；　like　the　patience　of

God。〃



〃That　is　what　we　thought　of　you；〃　she　said。　〃That

is　how　you　seemed　to　us。〃



She　turned　shining　eyes　to　him；　her　voice　was　clear

and　strong。〃　In　the　city；　in　the　earth；　a　myriad

myriad　men　and　women　are　waiting　to　see　what　you

will　do；　full　of　strange　incredible　expectations。〃



〃Yes？　〃



〃Ostrogno　onecan　take　that　responsibility。〃



Graham　looked　at　her　in　surprise；　at　her　face　lit

with　emotion。　She　seemed　at　first　to　have　spoken　with

an　effort；　and　to　have　fired　herself　by　speaking。



〃Do　you　think；〃　she　said；　〃that　you　who　have　lived

that　little　life　so　far　away　in　the　past；　you　who　have

fallen　into　and　risen　out　of　this　miracle　of　sleep　　do

you　think　that　the　wonder　and　reverence　and　hope　of

half　the　world　has　gathered　about　you　only　that　you

may　live　another　little　life？　。　。　。　That　you　may

shift　the　responsibility　to　any　other　man？〃



〃I　know　how　great　this　kingship　of　mine　is；〃　he

said　haltingly。　〃I　know　how　great　it　seems。　But　is　it

real？　It　is　incredibledreamlike。　Is　it　real；　or　is

it　only　a　great　delusion？〃



〃It　is　real；〃　she　said；　〃if　you　dare。〃



〃After　all；　like　all　kingship；　my　kingship　is　Belief。

It　is　an　illusion　in　the　minds　of　men。〃



〃If　you　dare！〃　she　said。



〃But〃



〃Countless　men；〃　she　said；　〃and　while　it　is　in　their

mindsthey　will　obey。〃



〃But　I　know　nothing。　That　is　what　I　had　in　mind。

I　know　nothing。　And　these　othersthe　Councillors；

Ostrog。　They　are　wiser；　cooler；　they　know　so　much；

every　detail。　And；　indeed；　what　are　these　miseries　of

which　you　speak？　What　am　I　to　know？　Do　you

mean〃



He　stopped　blankly。



〃I　am　still　hardly　more　than　a　girl；〃　she　said。　〃But

to　me　the　world　seems　full　of　wretchedness。　The　world

has　altered　since　your　day；　altered　very　strangely。　I

have　prayed　that　I　might　see　you　and　tell　you　these

things。　The　world　has　changed。　As　if　a　canker　had

seized　itand　robbed　life　ofeverything　worth

having。〃



She　turned　a　flushed　face　upon　him；　moving　suddenly。

〃Your　days　were　the　days　of　freedom。　Yes

I　have　thought。　I　have　been　made　to　think；　for　my

lifehas　not　been　happy。　Men　are　no　longer　free

no　greater；　no　better　than　the　men　of　your　time。　That

is　not　all。　This　cityis　a　prison。　Every　city　now　is

a　prison。　Mammon　grips　the　key　in　his　hand。

Myriads；　countless　myriads；　toil　from　the　cradle　to

the　grave。　Is　that　right？　Is　that　to　befor　ever？

Yes；　far　worse　than　in　your　time。　All　about　us；　beneath　

us；　sorrow　and　pain。　All　the　shallow　delight　of

such　life　as　you　find　about　you；　is　separated　by　just　a

little　from　a　life　of　wretchedness　beyond　any　telling

Yes；　the　poor　know　itthey　know　they　suffer。　These

countless　multitudes　who　faced　death　for　you　two

nights　since！　You　owe　your　life　to　them。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Graham；　slowly。　〃Yes。　I　owe　my

life　to　them。〃



〃You　come；〃　she　said；　〃from　the　days　when　this

new　tyranny　of　the　cities　was　scarcely　beginning。

It　is　a　tyrannya　tyranny。　In　your　days　the

feudal　war　lords　had　gone；　and　the　new　lordship　of

wealth　had　still　to　come。　Half　the　men　in　the　world

still　lived　out　upon　the　free　countryside。　The　cities

had　still　to　devour　them。　I　have　heard　the　stories

out　of　the　old　booksthere　was　nobility！　Common

men　led　lives　of　love　and　faithfulness　thenthey

did　a　thousand　things。　And　youyou　come　from

that　time。〃



〃It　was　not。　But　never　mind。　How　is　it

now？　〃



〃Gain　and　the　Pleasure　Cities！　Or　slaveryunthanked；　

unhonoured；　slavery。〃



〃Slavery！〃　he　said。



〃Slavery。〃



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that　human　beings　are

chattels。〃



〃Worse。　That　is　what　I　want　you　to　know；　what

I　want　you　to　see。　I　know　you　do　not　know。　They

will　keep　things　from　you；　they　will　take　you　presently

to　a　Pleasure　City。　But　you　have　noticed　men　and

women　and　children　in　pale　blue　canvas；　with　thin

yellow　faces　and　dull　eyes？　〃



〃Everywhere。〃



〃Speaking　a　horrible　dialect；　coarse　and　weak。〃



〃I　have　heard　it。〃



〃They　are　the　slavesyour　slaves。　They　are　the

slaves　of　the　Labour　Company　you　own。〃



〃The　Labour　Company！　In　some　waythat　is

familiar。　Ah！　now　I　remember。　I　saw　it　when　I　was

wandering　about　the　city；　after　the　lights　returned；

great　fronts　of　buildings　coloured　pale　blue。　Do　you

really　mean？〃



〃Yes。　How　can　I　explain　it　to　you？　Of　course

the　blue　uniform　struck　you。　Nearly　a　third　of　our

people　wear　itmore　assume　it　now　every　day。　This

Labour　Company　has　grown　imperceptibly。〃



〃What　is　this　Labour　Company？〃　asked　Graham。



〃In　the　old　times；　how　did　you　manage　with　staning　

people？〃



〃There　was　the　workhousewhich　the　parishes

maintained。〃



〃Workhouse！　Yesthere　was　something。　In

our　history　lessons。　I　remember　now。　The　Labour

Company　ousted　the　workhouse。　It　grewpartly

out　of　somethingyou；　perhaps；　may　remember　it

an　emotional　religious　organisation　called　the　

Salvation　Armythat　became　a　business　company。　In　the

first　place　it　was　almost　a　charity。　To　save　people

from　workhouse　rigours。　Now　I　come　to　think　of　it；

it　was　one　of　the　earliest　properties　your　Trustees　

acquired。　They　bought　the　Salvation　Army　and　reconstructed　

it　as　this。　The　idea　in　the　first　place　was　to

give　work　to　starving　homeless　people。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Nowadays　there　are　no　workhouses；　no　refuges

and　charities；　nothing　but　that　Company。　Its　offices

are　everywhere。　That　blue　is　its　colour。　And　any

man；　woman　or　child　who　comes　to　be　hungry　and

weary　and　with　neither　home　nor　friend　nor　resort；

must　go　to　the　Company　in　the　endor　seek　some

way　of　death。　The　Euthanasy　is　beyond　their　means

for　the　poor　there　is　no　easy　death。　And　at　any

hour　in　the　day　or　night　there　is　food；　shelter　and　a

blue　uniform　for　all　comersthat　is　the　first　

condition　of　the　Company　s　incorporationand　in　return

for　a　day's　shelter　the　Company　extracts　a　day's　work；

and　then　returns　the　visitor's　proper　clothing　and

sends　him　or　her　out　again。〃



〃Yes？〃



〃Perhaps　that　does　not　seem　so　terrible　to　you。　In

your　days　men　starved　in　your　streets。　That　was　bad。

But　they　diedmen。　These　people　in　blue。　The

proverb　runs：　'Blue　canvas　once　and　ever。'　The

Company　trades　in　their　labour；　and　it　has　taken　care

to　assure　itself　of　the　supply。　People　come　to

it　starving　and　helplessthey　eat　and　sleep　for

a　night　and　day；　they　…work　for　a　day；　and　at　the

end　of　the　day　they　go　out　again。　If　they　have　worked

well　they　have　a　penny　or　soenough　for　a

theatre　or　a　cheap　dancing　place；　or　a　kinematograph

story；　or　a　dinner　or　a　bet。　They　wander　about　after

that　is　spent。　Begging　is　prevented　by　the　police　of

the　ways。　Besides；　no　one　gives。　They　come　back

again　the　next　day　or　the　day　afterbrought　back

by　the　same　incapacity　that　brought　them　first。　At

last　their　proper　clothing　wears　out；　or　their　rags　get

so　shabby　that　they　are　ashamed。　Then　they　must

work　for　months　to　get　fresh。　If　they　want　fresh。　A

great　number　of　children　are　born　under　the　

Company's　care。　The　mother　owes　them　a　month　

thereafterthe　children　they　cherish　and　educate　until

they　are　fourteen；　and　they　pay　two　years'　service。

You　may　be　sure　these　children　are　educated　for　the

blue　canvas。　And　so　it　is　the　Company　works。〃



〃And　none　are　destitute　in　the　city？　〃



〃None。　They　are　either　in　blue　canvas　or　in

prison。〃



〃If　they　will　not　work？　〃



〃　Most　people　will　work　at　that　pitch；　and　the　

Company　has　powers。　There　are　stages　of　unpleasantness

in　the　workstoppage　of　foodand　a　man　or

woman　who　has　refused　to　work　once　is　known　by　a

thumb…marking　system　in　the　Company's　offices　all

over　the　world。　Besides；　who　can　leave　the　city

poor？　To　go　to　Paris　costs　two　Lions。　And　for　

insubordination　there　are　the　prisonsdark　and　

miserableout　of　sight　below。　There　are　prisons　now　for

many　things。〃



〃And　a　third　of　the　people　wear　this　blue　canvas？　〃



〃More　than　a　third。　Toilers；　living　without　pride　or

delight　or　hope；　with　the　stories　of　Pleasure　Cities　

ringing　in　their　ears；　mocking　their　shameful　lives；　their

privations　and　hardships。　Too　poor　even　for　the

Euthanasy；　the　rich　man's　refuge　from　life。　Dumb；

crippled　millions；　countless　millions；　all　the　world

about；　ignorant　of　anything　but　limitations　and　

unsatisfied　desires。　They　are　born；　they　are　thwarted　and

they　die。　That　is　the　state　to　which　we　have　come。〃



For　a　space　Graham　sat　downcast。



〃But　there　has　been　a　revolution；〃　he　said。　〃All

these　things　will　be　changed。〃　Ostrog〃



〃That　is　our　hope。　That　is　the　hope　of　the　world。