when the sleeper wakes-第4节

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He　was　a　fanatical　Radicala　Socialistor　typical

Liberal；　as　they　used　to　call　themselves；…of　the　advanced

school。　Energeticflightyundisciplined。　Overwork　

upon　a　controversy　did　this　for　him。　I　remember

the　pamphlet　he　wrotea　curious　production。　Wild；

whirling　stuff。　There　were　one　or　two　prophecies。

Some　of　them　are　already　exploded；　some　of　them　are

established　facts。　But　for　the　most　part　to　read　such

a　thesis　is　to　realise　how　full　the　world　is　of　

unanticipated　things。　He　will　have　much　to　learn；　much　to

unlearn；　when　he　wakes。　If　ever　a　waking　comes。〃



〃I'd　give　anything　to　be　there；〃　said　Isbister；　〃just

to　hear　what　he　would　say　to　it　all。〃



〃So　would　I；〃　said　Warming。　〃Aye！　so　would

I；〃　with　an　old　man's　sudden　turn　to　self　pity。　〃But

I　shall　never　see　him　wake。〃



He　stood　looking　thoughtfully　at　the　waxen　figure。

〃He　will　never　wake；〃　he　said　at　last。　He　sighed

〃He　will　never　wake　again。〃



CHAPTER　III



THE　AWAKENING



But　Warming　was　wrong　in　that。　An　awakening

came。



What　a　wonderfully　complex　thing！　this　simple

seeming　unitythe　self！　Who　can　trace　its　

reintegration　as　morning　after　morning　we　awaken；　the

flux　and　confluence　of　its　countless　factors　intenveaving；　

rebuilding；　the　dim　first　stirrings　of　the　soul；　the

growth　and　synthesis　of　the　unconscious　to　the　

subconscious；　the　sub…conscious　to　dawning　consciousness；　

until　at　last　we　recognise　ourselves　again。　And

as　it　happens　to　most　of　us　after　the　night's　sleep；　so

it　was　with　Graham　at　the　end　of　his　vast　slumber。

A　dim　cloud　of　sensation　taking　shape；　a　cloudy　

dreariness；　and　he　found　himself　vaguely　somewhere；

recumbent；　faint；　but　alive。



The　pilgrimage　towards　a　personal　being　seemed　to

traverse　vast　gulfs；　to　occupy　epochs。　Gigantic

dreams　that　were　terrible　realities　at　the　time；　left

vague　perplexing　memories；　strange　creatures；　strange

scenery；　as　if　from　another　planet。　There　was　a　distinct　

impression；　too；　of　a　momentous　conversation；　of

a　namehe　could　not　tell　what　namethat　was

subsequently　to　recur；　of　some　queer　long…forgotten

sensation　of　vein　and　muscle；　of　a　feeling　of　vast　

hopeless　effort；　the　effort　of　a　man　near　drowning　in　

darkness。　Then　came　a　panorama　of　dazzling　unstable

confluent　scenes。



Graham　became　aware　his　eyes　were　open　and　regarding　

some　unfamiliar　thing。



It　was　something　white；　the　edge　of　something；　a

frame　of　wood。　He　moved　his　head　slightly；　following　

the　contour　of　this　shape。　It　went　up　beyond　the

top　of　his　eyes。　He　tried　to　think　where　he　might　be。

Did　it　matter；　seeing　he　was　so　wretched？　The　colour

of　his　thoughts　was　a　dark　depression。　He　felt　the

featureless　misery　of　one　who　wakes　towards　the　hour

of　dawn。　He　had　an　uncertain　sense　of　whispers　and

footsteps　hastily　receding。



The　movement　of　his　head　involved　a　perception　of

extreme　physical　weakness。　He　supposed　he　was　in

bed　in　the　hotel　at　the　place　in　the　valleybut　he

could　not　recall　that　white　edge。　He　must　have　slept。

He　remembered　now　that　he　had　wanted　to　sleep。　He

recalled　the　cliff　and　waterfall　again；　and　then　

recollected　something　about　talking　to　a　passer…by。



How　long　had　he　slept？　What　was　that　sound　of

pattering　feet？　And　that　rise　and　fall；　like　the　

murmur　of　breakers　on　pebbles？　He　put　out　a　languid

hand　to　reach　his　watch　from　the　chair　whereon　it

was　his　habit　to　place　it；　and　touched　some　smooth

hard　surface　like　glass。　This　was　so　unexpected　that

it　startled　him　extremely。　Quite　suddenly　he　rolled

over；　stared　for　a　moment；　and　struggled　into　a　sitting

position。　The　effort　was　unexpectedly　difficult；　and

it　left　him　giddy　and　weakand　amazed。



He　rubbed　his　eyes。　The　riddle　of　his　surroundings

was　confusing　but　his　mind　was　quite　clearevidently　

his　sleep　had　benefited　him。　He　was　not　in　a

bed　at　all　as　he　understood　the　word；　but　Iying　naked

on　a　very　soft　and　yielding　mattress；　in　a　trough　of

dark　glass。　The　mattress　was　partly　transparent；　a

fact　he　observed　with　a　strange　sense　of　insecurity；　and

below　it　was　a　mirror　reflecting　him　greyly。　About

his　armand　he　saw　with　a　shock　that　his　skin　was

strangIy　dry　and　yellowwas　bound　a　curious　apparatus　

of　rubber；　bound　so　cunningly　that　it　seemed

to　pass　into　his　skin　above　and　below。　And　this

strange　bed　was　placed　in　a　case　of　greenish　coloured

glass　（as　it　seemed　to　him）；　a　bar　in　the　white　framework　

of　which　had　first　arrested　his　attention。　In

the　corner　of　the　case　was　a　stand　of　glittering　and

delicately　made　apparatus；　for　the　most　part　quite

strange　appliances；　though　a　maximum　and　minimum

thermometer　was　recognisable。



The　slightly　greenish　tint　of　the　glass…like　substance

which　surrounded　him　on　every　hand　obscured　what

lay　behind；　but　he　perceived　it　was　a　vast　apartment

of　splendid　appearance；　and　with　a　very　large　and

simple　white　archway　facing　him。　Close　to　the　walls

of　the　cage　were　articles　of　furniture；　a　table　covered

with　a　silvery　cloth；　silvery　like　the　side　of　a　fish；　a

couple　of　graceful　chairs；　and　on　the　table　a　number

of　dishes　with　substances　piled　on　them；　a　bottle　and

two　glasses。　He　realised　that　he　was　intensely　hungry。



He　could　see　no　human　being；　and　after　a　period

of　hesitation　scrambled　off　the　translucent　mattress

and　tried　to　stand　on　the　clean　white　floor　of　his　little

apartment。　He　had　miscalculated　his　strength；　however；　

and　staggered　and　put　his　hand　against　the　glasslike　

pane　before　him　to　steady　himself。　For　a　moment

it　resisted　his　hand；　bending　outward　like　a　distended

bladder；　then　it　broke　with　a　slight　report　and　vanisheda

pricked　bubble。　He　reeled　out　into　the

general　space　of　the　hall；　greatly　astonished。　He

caught　at　the　table　to　save　himself；　knocking　one　of

the　glasses　to　the　floorit　rang　but　did　not　break

and　sat　down　in　one　of　the　armchairs。



When　he　had　a　little　recovered　he　filled　the　remaining　

glass　from　the　bottle　and　dranka　colourless

liquid　it　was；　but　not　water；　with　a　pleasing　faint

aroma　and　taste　and　a　quality　of　immediate　support

and　stimulus。　He　put　down　the　vessel　and　looked

about　him。



The　apartment　lost　none　of　its　size　and　magnificence

now　that　the　greenish　transparency　that　had　intervened　

was　removed。　The　archway　he　saw　led　to　a

flight　of　steps；　going　downward　without　the

intermediation　of　a　door；　to　a　spacious　transverse　passage。

This　passage　ran　between　polished　pillars　of　some

white…veined　substance　of　deep　ultramarine；　and　along

it　came　the　sound　of　human　movements　and　voices

and　a　deep　undeviating　droning　note。　He　sat；　now

fully　awake；　listening　alertly；　forgetting　the　viands　in

his　attention。



Then　with　a　shock　he　remembered　that　he　was

naked；　and　casting　about　him　for　covering；　saw　a　long

black　robe　thrown　on　one　of　the　chairs　beside　him。

This　he　wrapped　about　him　and　sat　down　again；

trembling。



His　mind　was　still　a　surging　perplexity。　Clearly

he　had　slept。　and　had　been　removed　in　his　sleep。　But

here？　And　who　were　those　people；　the　distant

crowd　beyond　the　deep　blue　pillars？　Boscastle？　He

poured　out　and　partially　drank　another　glass　of　the

colourless　fluid。



What　was　this　place？this　place　that　to　his　senses

seemed　subtly　quivering　like　a　thing　alive？　He　looked

about　him　at　the　clean　and　beautiful　form　of　the　apartment；　

unstained　by　ornament；　and　saw　that　the　roof

was　broken　in　one　place　by　a　circular　shaft　full　of

light；　and；　as　he　looked；　a　steady；　sweeping　shadow

blotted　it　out　and　passed；　and　came　again　and　passed。

〃Beat；　beat；〃　that　sweeping　shadow　had　a　note　of　its

own　in　the　subdued　tumult　that　filled　the　air。



He　would　have　called　out；　but　only　a　little　sound

came　into　his　throat。　Then　he　stood　up；　and；　with

the　uncertain　steps　of　a　drunkard；　made　his　way

towards　the　archway。　He　staggered　down　the　steps；

tripped　on　the　corner　of　the　black　cloak　he　had

wrapped　about　himself；　and　saved　himself　by　catching

at　one　of　the　blue　pillars。



The　passage　ran　down　a　cool　vista　of　blue　and　purple；　

and　ended　remotely　in　a　railed　space　like　a　balcony；　

brightly　lit　and　projecting　into　a　space　of　haze；

a　space　like　the　interior　of　some　gigantic　building。

Beyond　and　remote　were　vast　and　vague　architectural

forms。　The　tumult　of　voices　rose　now　loud　and　clear；

and　on　the　balcony　and　with　their　backs　to　him；　

gesticulating　and　apparently　in　animated　conversation；

were　three　figures；　richly　dressed　in　loose　and　easy

garments　of　bright　soft　colourings。　The　noise　of　a

great　multitude　of　people　poured　up　over　the　balcony；

and　once　it　seemed　the　top　of　a　banner　passed；　and

once　some　brightly　coloured　object；　a　pale　blue　cap

or　garment　thrown　up　into　the　air　perhaps；　flashed

athwart　the　space　and　fell。　The　shouts　sounded　like

English；　there　was　a　reiteration　of　〃Wake！〃　He

heard　some　indistinct　shrill　cry；　and　abruptly　the

three　men　b