when the sleeper wakes-第41节

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In　spite　of　the　surging　and　swaying　of　the　forces　of

revolution；　in　spite　of　the　unusual　discontent；　

the　mutterings　of　the　greater　struggle　of　which　the　first　revolt

was　but　the　prelude；　the　myriad　streams　of　commerce

still　flowed　wide　and　strong。　He　knew　now　something　

of　the　dimensions　and　quality　of　the　new　age；　but

he　was　not　prepared　for　the　infinite　surprise　of　the

detailed　view；　for　the　torrent　of　colour　and　vivid

impressions　that　poured　past　him。



This　was　his　first　real　contact　with　the　people　of

these　latter　days。　He　realised　that　all　that　had　gone

before；　saving　his　glimpses　of　the　public　theatres　and

markets；　had　had　its　element　of　seclusion；　had　been　a

movement　within　the　comparatively　narrow　political

quarter；　that　all　his　previous　experiences　had　revolved

immediately　about　the　question　of　his　own　position。

But　here　was　the　city　at　the　busiest　hours　of　night；　the

people　to　a　large　extent　returned　to　their　own　immediate　

interests；　the　resumption　of　the　real　informal　life；

he　common　habits　of　the　new　time。



They　emerged　at　first　into　a　street　whose　opposite

ways　were　crowded　with　the　blue　canvas　liveries。　This

swarm　Graham　saw　was　a　portion　of　a　procession

it　was　odd　to　see　a　procession　parading　the　city　seated

They　carried　banners　of　coarse　red　stuff　with　red　

letters。　〃No　disarmament；〃　said　the　banners；　for　the

most　part　in　crudely　daubed　letters　and　with　variant

spelling；　and　〃Why　should　we　disarm？〃　〃No　disarming。〃　

〃No　disarming。〃　Banner　after　banner

went　by；　a　stream　of　banners　flowing　past；　and　at　last

at　the　end；　the　song　of　the　revolt　and　a　noisy　band　of

strange　instruments。〃　They　all　ought　to　be　at　work；〃

said　Asano。　〃They　have　had　no　food　these　two　days；

or　they　have　stolen　it。〃



Presently　Asano　made　a　detour　to　avoid　the　congested　

crowd　that　gaped　upon　the　occasional　passage

of　dead　bodies　from　hospital　to　a　mortuary；　the　

gleanings　after　death's　harvest　of　the　first　revolt。



That　night　few　people　were　sleeping；　everyone　was

abroad。　A　vast　excitement；　perpetual　crowds　perpetually　

changing；　surrounded　Graham；　his　mind　was　confused　

and　darkened　by　an　incessant　tumult；　by　the

cries　and　enigmatical　fragments　of　the　social　struggle

that　was　as　yet　only　beginning。　Everywhere　festoons　

and　banners　of　black　and　strange　decorations；　

intensified　the　quality　of　his　popularity。

Everywhere　he　caught　snatches　of　that　crude　thick

dialect　that　served　the　illiterate　class；　the　class；　that　is；

beyond　the　reach　of　phonograph　culture；　in　their　

common…place　intercourse。　Everywhere　this　trouble　of

disarmament　was　in　the　air；　with　a　quality　of　

immediate　stress　of　which　he　had　no　inkling　during　his

seclusion　in　the　Wind…Vane　quarter。　He　perceived

that　as　soon　as　he　returned　he　must　discuss　this　with

Ostrog；　this　and　the　greater　issues　of　which　it　was　the

expression；　in　a　far　more　conclusive　way　than　he　had

so　far　done。　Perpetually　that　night；　even　in　the　earlier

hours　of　their　wanderings　about　the　city；　the　spirit

of　unrest　and　revolt　swamped　his　attention；　to　the

exclusion　of　countless　strange　things　he　might　

otherwise　have　observed。



This　preoccupation　made　his　impressions　fragmeary。　

Yet　amidst　so　much　that　was　strange　and　vivid；

no　subject；　however　personal　and　insistent；　could　exert

undivided　sway。　There　were　spaces　when　the　revolutionary　

movement　passed　clean　out　of　his　mind；　was

drawn　aside　like　a　curtain　from　before　some　startling

new　aspect　of　the　time。　Helen　had　swayed　his　mind

to　this　intense　earnestness　of　enquiry；　but　there　came

times　when　she；　even；　receded　beyond　his　conscious

thoughts。　At　one　moment；　for　example；　he　found

they　were　traversing　the　religious　quarter；　for　the　easy

transit　about　the　city　afforded　by　the　moving　ways

rendered　sporadic　churches　and　chapels　no　longer

necessaryand　his　attention　was　vividly　arrested　by

the　facade　of　one　of　the　Christian　sects。



They　were　travelling　seated　on　one　of　the　swift　upper

ways；　the　place　leapt　upon　them　at　a　bend　and　advanced

rapidly　towards　them。　It　was　covered　with　inscriptions

from　top　to　base；　in　vivid　white　and　blue；　save　where　a

vast　and　glaring　kinematograph　transparency　presented　

a　realistic　New　Testament　scene；　and　where　a

vast　festoon　of　black　to　show　that　the　popular　religion

followed　the　popular　politics；　hung　across　the　lettering

Graham　had　already　become　familiar　with　the　phonotype　

writing　and　these　inscriptions　arrested　him；　being

to　his　sense　for　the　most　part　almost　incredible　

blasphemy。　Among　the　less　offensive　were　〃Salvation　on

the　First　Floor　and　turn　to　the　Right。〃　〃Put　your

Money　on　your　Maker。〃　〃The　Sharpest　Conversion

in　London；　Expert　Operators！　Look　Slippy！〃

〃What　Christ　would　say　to　the　Sleeper；Join　the

Up…to…date　Saints！〃　〃Be　a　Christianwithout　

hindrance　to　your　present　Occupation。〃　〃All　the　

Brightest　Bishops　on　the　Bench　to…night　and　Prices　as　Usual。〃

〃Brisk　Blessings　for　Busy　Business　Men。〃



〃But　this　is　appalling！〃　said　Graham；　as　that　deafening　

scream　of　mercantile　piety　towered　above　them。



〃What　is　appalling？〃　asked　his　little　officer；　

apparently　seeking　vainly　for　anything　unusual　in　this

shrieking　enamel。



〃__This！__　Surely　the　essence　of　religion　is　reverence。〃



〃Oh　__that！__〃　Asano　looked　at　Graham。　〃Does　it

shock　you？〃　he　said　in　the　tone　of　one　who　makes　a

discovery。　〃I　suppose　it　would；　of　course。　I　had

forgotten。　Nowadays　the　competition　for　attention　is　so

keen。　and　people　simply　haven't　the　leisure　to　attend　to

their　souls；　you　know；　as　they　used　to　do。〃　He　smiled。

〃In　the　old　days　you　had　quiet　Sabbaths　and　the

countryside。　Though　somewhere　I've　read　of　Sunday

afternoons　that〃



〃But；　__that__；〃　said　Graham；　glancing　back　at　the

receding　blue　and　white。　〃That　is　surely　not　the

only〃



〃There　are　hundreds　of　different　ways。　But；　of

course；　if　a　sect　doesn't　tell　it　doesn't　pay。　Worship

has　moved　with　the　times。　There　are　high　class　sects

with　quieter　wayscostly　incense　and　personal　

attentions　and　all　that。　These　people　are　extremely　

popular　and　prosperous。　They　pay　several　dozen　lions　for

those　apartments　to　the　Councilto　you；　I　should

say。〃



Graham　still　felt　a　difficulty　with　the　coinage；　and

this　mention　of　a　dozen　lions　brought　him　abruptly

to　that　matter。　In　a　moment　the　screaming　temples

and　their　swarming　touts　were　forgotten　in　this　new

interest。　A　turn　of　a　phrase　suggested；　and　an　answer

confirmed　the　idea　that　gold　and　silver　were　both

demonetised；　that　stamped　gold　which　had　begun　its

reign　amidst　the　merchants　of　Phoenicia　was　at　last

dethroned。　The　change　had　been　graduated　but　swift；

brought　about　by　an　extension　of　the　system　of

cheques　that　had　even　in　his　previous　life　already　

practically　superseded　gold　in　all　the　larger　business　

transactions。　The　common　traffic　of　the　city；　the　common

currency　indeed　of　all　the　world；　was　conducted　by

means　of　the　little　brown；　green　and　pink　council

cheques　for　small　amounts；　printed　with　a　blank　payee。

Asano　had　several　with　him；　and　at　the　first　

opportunity　he　supplied　the　gaps　in　his　set。　They　were

printed　not　on　tearable　paper；　but　on　a　semi…transparent　

fabric　of　silken；　flexibility；　interwoven　with　silk。

Across　them　all　sprawled　a　facsimile　of　Graham's　

signature；　his　first　encounter　with　the　curves　and　turns　of

that　familiar　autograph　for　two　hundred　and　three

years。



Some　intermediary　experiences　made　no　impression

sufficiently　vivid　to　prevent　the　matter　of　the　

disarmament　claiming　his　thoughts　again；　a　blurred　picture

of　a　Theosophist　temple　that　promised　MIRACLES

in　enormous　letters　of　unsteady　fire　was　least　

submerged　perhaps；　but　then　came　the　view　of　the　dining

hall　in　Northumberland　Avenue。　That　interested　him

very　greatly。



By　the　energy　and　thought　of　Asano　he　was　able　to

view　this　place　from　a　little　screened　gallery　reserved

for　the　attendants　of　the　tables。　The　building　was

pervaded　by　a　distant　muffled　hooting；　piping　and

bawling；　of　which　he　did　not　at　first　understand　the

import；　but　which　recalled　a　certain　mysterious　

leathery　voice　he　had　heard　after　the　resumption　of　the

lights　on　the　night　of　his　solitary　wandering。



He　had　grown　accustomed　now　to　vastness　and

great　numbers　of　people；　nevertheless　this　spectacle

held　him　for　a　long　time。　It　was　as　he　watched　the

table　service　more　immediately　beneath；　and　

interspersed　with　many　questions　and　answers　concerning

details；　that　the　realisation　of　the　full　significance　of

the　feast　of　several　thousand　people　came　to　him。



It　was　his　constant　surprise　to　find　that　points　that

one　might　have　expected　to　strike　vividly　at　the　very

outset　never　occurred　to　him　until　some　trivial　detail

suddenly　shaped　as　a　riddle　and　pointed　to　the　obvious

thing　he　had　overlooked。　In　this　matter；　for　instance；

it　had　not　occurred　to　him　t