when the sleeper wakes-第40节

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Crowd！　The　Crowd　as　Ruler！　Even　in　your　days

that　creed　had　been　tried　and　condemned。　To…day　it

has　only　one　believera　multiplex；　silly　onethe

mall　in　the　Crowd。〃



Graham　did　not　answer　immediately。　He　stood　lost

in　sombre　preoccupations。



〃No；〃　said　Ostrog。〃　The　day　of　the　common　man

is　past。　On　the　open　countryside　one　man　is　as　good

as　another；　or　nearly　as　good。　The　earlier　aristocracy

had　a　precarious　tenure　of　strength　and　audacity。

They　were　temperedtempered。　There　were　

insurrections；　duels；　riots。　The　first　real　aristocracy；

the　first　permanent　aristocracy；　came　in　with　castles

and　armour；　and　vanished　before　the　musket　and　bow。

But　this　is　the　second　aristocracy。　The　real　one。

Those　days　of　gunpowder　and　democracy　were　only

an　eddy　in　the　stream。　The　common　man　now　is　a

helpless　unit。　In　these　days　we　have　this　great

machine　of　the　city；　and　an　organisation　complex

beyond　his　understanding。〃



〃Yet；〃　said　Graham；　〃there　is　something　resists；

something　you　are　holding　downsomething　that

stirs　and　presses。〃




〃You　will　see；〃　said　Ostrog；　with　a　forced　smile　that

would　brush　these　difficult　questions　aside。　〃I　have

not　roused　the　force　to　destroy　myselftrust　me。〃



〃I　wonder；〃　said　Graham。



Ostrog　stared。



〃Must　the　world　go　this　way？〃　said　Graham；　with

his　emotions　at　the　speaking　point。　〃Must　it　indeed

go　in　this　way？　Have　all　our　hopes　been　vain？　〃



〃What　do　you　mean？　〃　said　Ostrog。　〃　Hopes？〃



〃I　came　from　a　democratic　age。　And　I　find　an

aristocratic　tyranny！〃



〃Well；but　you　are　the　chief　tyrant。〃



Graham　shook　his　head。



〃Well；〃　said　Ostrog；　〃take　the　general　question。

It　is　the　way　that　change　has　always　travelled。　

Aristocracy；　the　prevalence　of　the　bestthe　suffering　and

extinction　of　the　unfit；　and　so　to　better　things。〃



〃But　aristocracy！　those　people　I　met〃



〃Oh！　not　those！〃　said　Ostrog。　〃But　for　the　most

part　they　go　to　their　death。　Vice　and　pleasure！　They

have　no　children。　That　sort　of　stuff　will　die　out。　If

the　world　keeps　to　one　road；　that　is；　if　there　is　no

turning　back。　An　easy　road　to　excess；　convenient

Euthanasia　for　the　pleasure　seekers　singed　in　the

flame；　that　is　the　way　to　improve　the　race！〃



〃Pleasant　extinction；〃　said　Graham。　〃Yet。〃

He　thought　for　an　instant。〃　There　is　that　other　thing

the　Crowd；　the　great　mass　of　poor　men。　Will　that

die　out？　That　will　not　die　out。　And　it　suffers；　its

suffering　is　a　force　that　even　you〃



Ostrog　moved　impatiently；　and　when　he　spoke；　he

spoke　rather　less　evenly　than　before。



〃Don't　you　trouble　about　these　things；〃　he　said。

Everything　will　be　settled　in　a　few　days　now。　The

Crowd　is　a　huge　foolish　beast。　What　if　it　does　not

die　out？　Even　if　it　does　not　die；　it　can　still　be　tamed

and　driven。　I　have　no　sympathy　with　servile　men。

You　heard　those　people　shouting　and　singing　two

nights　ago。　They　were　taught　that　song。　If　you

had　taken　any　man　there　in　cold　blood　and　asked

why　he　shouted；　he　could　not　have　told　you。　They

think　they　are　shouting　for　you；　that　they　are　loyal

and　devoted　to　you。　Just　then　they　were　ready　to

slaughter　the　Council。　To…daythey　are　already

murmuring　against　those　who　have　overthrown　the

Council。〃



〃No；　no；〃　said　Graham。　〃They　shouted　because

their　lives　were　dreary；　without　joy　or　pride；　and

because　in　mein　methey　hoped。〃



〃And　what　was　their　hope？　What　is　their　hope？

What　right　have　they　to　hope？　They　work　ill　and

they　want　the　reward　of　those　who　work　well。　The

hope　of　mankindwhat　is　it？　That　some　day　the

Over…man　may　come；　that　some　day　the　inferior；　the

weak　and　the　bestial　may　be　subdued　or　eliminated。

Subdued　if　not　eliminated。　The　world　is　no　place　for

the　bad；　the　stupid；　the　enervated。　Their　dutyit's

a　fine　duty　too！is　to　die。　The　death　of　the　failure！

That　is　the　path　by　which　the　beast　rose　to　manhood；

by　which　man　goes　on　to　higher　things。〃



Ostrog　took　a　pace；　seemed　to　think；　and　turned　on

Graham。　〃I　can　imagine　how　this　great　world　state

of　ours　seems　to　a　Victorian　Englishman。　You　regret

all　the　old　forms　of　representative　governmenttheir

spectres　still　haunt　the　world；　the　voting　councils　and

parliaments　and　all　that　eighteenth　century　tomfoolery

You　feel　moved　against　our　Pleasure　Cities。　I　might

have　thought　of　that；had　I　not　been　busy。　But　you

will　learn　better。　The　people　are　mad　with　envythey

would　be　in　sympathy　with　you。　Even　in　the　streets

now；　they　clamour　to　destroy　the　Pleasure　Cities。

But　the　Pleasure　Cities　are　the　excretory　organs

of　the　State；　attractive　places　that　year　after　year　draw

together　all　that　is　weak　and　vicious；　all　that　is　

lascivious　and　lazy；　all　the　easy　roguery　of　the　world；　to　a

graceful　destruction。　They　go　there；　they　have　their

time；　they　die　childless；　all　the　pretty　silly　lascivious

women　die　childless；　and　mankind　is　the　better。　If

the　people　were　sane　they　would　not　envy　the　rich

their　way　of　death。　And　you　would　emancipate　the

silly　brainless　workers　that　we　have　enslaved；　and　try

to　make　their　lives　easy　and　pleasant　again。　Just

as　they　have　sunk　to　what　they　are　fit　for。　〃He

smiled　a　smile　that　irritated　Graham　oddly。　〃You

will　learn　better。　I　know　those　ideas；　in　my　boyhood

I　read　your　Shelley　and　dreamt　of　Liberty。　There　is

no　liberty；　save　wisdom　and　self　control。　Liberty　is

withinnot　without。　It　is　each　man's　own　affair。

Supposewhich　is　impossiblethat　these　swarming

yelping　fools　in　blue　get　the　upper　hand　of　us；　what

then？　They　will　only　fall　to　other　masters。　So　long

as　there　are　sheep　Nature　will　insist　on　beasts　of　prey。

It　would　mean　but　a　few　hundred　years'　delay。　The

coming　of　the　aristocrat　is　fatal　and　assured。　The　end

will　be　the　Over…manfor　all　the　mad　protests　of

humanity。　Let　them　revolt；　let　them　win　and　kill　me

and　my　like。　Others　will　ariseother　masters。　The

end　will　be　the　same。〃



〃I　wonder；〃　said　Graham　doggedly。



For　a　moment　he　stood　downcast。



〃But　I　must　see　these　things　for　myself；〃　he　said；

suddenly　assuming　a　tone　of　confident　mastery。

〃Only　by　seeing　can　I　understand。　I　must　learn。

That　is　what　I　want　to　tell　you；　Ostrog。　I　do　not

want　to　be　King　in　a　Pleasure　City；　that　is　not　my；

pleasure。　I　have　spent　enough　time　with　aeronautics

and　those　other　things。　I　must　learn　how　people

live　now；　how　the　common　life　has　developed。　Then　I

shall　understand　these　things　better。　I　must　learn

how　common　people　livethe　labour　people　more

especiallyhow　they　work；　marry；　bear　children；

die〃



〃You　get　that　from　our　realistic　novelists；〃　

suggested　Ostrog；　suddenly　preoccupied。



〃I　want　reality；〃　said　Graham；　〃not　realism。〃



〃There　are　difficulties；〃　said　Ostrog；　and　thought。



〃On　the　whole　perhaps



〃I　did　not　expect。



〃I　had　thought。　And　yet；　perhaps。　You　say

you　want　to　go　through　the　Ways　of　the　city　and　see

the　common　people。〃



Suddenly　he　came　to　some　conclusion。　〃You

would　need　to　go　disguised；〃　he　said。　〃The　city　is

intensely　excited；　and　the　discovery　of　your　presence

among　them　might　create　a　fearful　tumult。　Still　this

wish　of　yours　to　go　into　this　citythis　idea　of

yours。　Yes；　now　I　think　the　thing　over　it　seems　to

me　not　altogether。　It　can　be　contrived。　If　you

would　really　find　an　interest　in　that！　You　are；　of

course；　Master。　You　can　go　soon　if　you　like。　A　

disguise　for　this　excursion　Asano　will　be　able　to　manage。

He　would　go　with　you。　After　all　it　is　not　a　bad　idea

of　yours。〃



〃You　will　not　want　to　consult　me　in　any　matter？〃

asked　Graham　suddenly；　struck　by　an　odd　suspicion。



〃Oh；　dear　no！　No！　I　think　you　may　trust　affairs

to　me　for　a　time；　at　any　rate；〃　said　Ostrog；　smiling。

〃Even　if　we　differ〃



Graham　glanced；　at　him　sharply。



〃There　is　no　fighting　likely　to　happen　soon？〃　he

asked　abruptly。



〃Certainly　not。〃



〃I　have　been　thinking　about　these　negroes。　I　don't

believe　the　people　intend　any　hostility　to　me；　and；　after

all；　I　am　the　Master。　I　do　not　want　any　negroes

brought　to　London。　It　is　an　archaic　prejudice　perhaps；　

but　I　have　peculiar　feelings　about　Europeans　and

the　subject　races。　Even　about　Paris…〃



Ostrog　stood　watching　him　from　under　his　drooping　

brows。〃　I　am　not　bringing　negroes　to　London；〃

he　said　slowly。〃　But　if〃



〃You　are　not　to　bring　armed　negroes　to　London；

whatever　happens；〃　said　Graham。　〃In　that　matter　I

am　quite　decided。〃



Ostrog；　after　a　pause；　decided　not　to　speak；　and

bowed　deferentially。



CHAPTER　XX



IN　THE　CITY　WAYS



And　that　night；　unknown　and　unsuspected；　Graham；

dressed　in　the　costume　of　an　inferior　wind…vane　

official　keeping　holiday；　and　accompanied　by　Asano　in

Labour　Company　canvas；　surveyed　the　city　through

which　he　had　wandered　when　it　was　veiled　in　darkness。

But　now　he　saw　it　lit　and　waking；　a　whirlpool　of　life。

In　spite　of　the　surging　and　swaying　of　the　forces　of

re