when the sleeper wakes-第43节

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beginning　of　the　Master's　rule？〃



Is　__this__　the　beginning　of　the　Master's　rule？　For　a

long　time　after　he　had　left　the　place；　the　hooting；

whistling　and　braying　of　the　machines　pursued　him；

〃Galloop；　Galloop；〃　〃Yahahah；　Yaha；　Yap！　Yaha！〃

Is　this　the　beginning　of　the　Master's　rule？



Directly　they　were　out　upon　the　ways　he　began　to

question　Asano　closely　on　the　nature　of　the　Parisian

struggle。　〃This　disarmament！　What　was　their

trouble？　What　does　it　all　mean？〃　Asano　seemed

chiefly　anxious　to　reassure　him　that　it　was　〃all　right。〃

〃But　these　outrages！〃　〃You　cannot　have　an　omelette；〃　

said　Asano；　〃without　breaking　eggs。　It　is　only

the　rough　people。　Only　in　one　part　of　the　city。　All

the　rest　is　all　right。　The　Parisian　labourers　are　the

wildest　in　the　world；　except　ours。〃



〃What！　the　Londoners？　〃



〃No；　the　Japanese。　They　have　to　be　kept　in　order。〃

〃　But　burning　women　alive！　〃



〃A　Commune！〃　said　Asano。　〃They　would　rob

you　of　your　property。　They　would　do　away　with

property　and　give　the　world　over　to　mob　rule。　You

are　Master；　the　world　is　yours。　But　there　will　be　no

Commune　here。　There　is　no　need　for　black　police

here。



〃And　every　consideration　has　been　shown。　It　is

their　own　negroesFrench　speaking　negroes。　Senegal　

regiments；　and　Niger　and　Timbuctoo。〃



〃Regiments？〃　said　Graham；　〃I　thought　there　was

only　one。〃



〃No；〃　said　Asano；　and　glanced　at　him。　〃There　is

more　than　one。〃



Graham　felt　unpleasantly　helpless。



〃I　did　not　think；〃　he　began　and　stopped　abruptly

He　went　off　at　a　tangent　to　ask　for　information　

about　these　Babble　Machines。　For　the　most

part；　the　crowd　present　had　been　shabbily　or　even

raggedly　dressed；　and　Graham　learnt　that　so　far　as

the　more　prosperous　classes　were　concerned；　in　all

the　more　comfortable　private　apartments　of　the　city

were　fixed　Babble　Machines　that　would　speak　directly

a　lever　was　pulled。　The　tenant　of　the　apartment

could　connect　this　with　the　cables　of　any　of　the　great

News　Syndicates　that　he　preferred。　When　he　learnt

this　presently；　he　demanded　the　reason　of　their

absence　from　his　own　suite　of　apartments。　Asano

stared。　〃I　never　thought；〃　he　said。　〃Ostrog　must

have　had　them　removed。〃



Graham　stared。　〃How　was　I　to　know？〃　he　exclaimed。



〃Perhaps　he　thought　they　would　annoy　you；〃　said

Asano。



〃They　must　be　replaced　directly　I　return；〃　said

Graham　after　an　interval。



He　found　a　difficulty　in　understanding　that　this

news　room　and　the　dining　hall　were　not　great　central

places；　that　such　establishments　were　repeated　almost

beyond　counting　all　over　the　city。　But　ever　and

again　during　the　night's　expedition　his　ears；　in　some

new　quarter　would　pick　out　from　the　tumult　of　the

ways　the　peculiar　hooting　of　the　organ　of　Boss

Ostrog；　〃Galloop；　Galloop！〃　or　the　shrill　〃Yahaha；

Yaha；　Yap！Hear　a　live　paper　yelp！〃　of　its　chief

rival。



Repeated；　too；　everywhere；　were　such　__creches__　as　the

one　he　now　entered。　It　was　reached　by　a　lift；　and

by　a　glass　bridge　that　flung　across　the　dining　hall

and　traversed　the　ways　at　a　slight　upward　angle。　To

enter　the　first　section　of　the　place　necessitated　the

use　of　his　solvent　signature　under　Asano's　direction。

They　were　immediately　attended　to　by　a　man　in　a

violet　robe　and　gold　clasp；　the　insignia　of　practising

medical　men。　He　perceived　from　this　man's　manner

that　his　identity　was　known；　and　proceeded　to　ask

questions　on　the　strange　arrangements　of　the　place

without　reserve。



On　either　side　of　the　passage；　which　was　silent

and　padded；　as　if　to　deaden　the　footfall；　were　narrow

little　doors；　their　size　and　arrangement　suggestive　of

the　cells　of　a　Victorian　prison。　But　the　upper　portion　

of　each　door　was　of　the　same　greenish　transparent　

stuff　that　had　enclosed　him　at　his　awakening；

and　within；　dimly　seen；　lay；　in　every　case；　a　very

young　baby　in　a　little　nest　of　wadding。　Elaborate

apparatus　watched　the　atmosphere　and　rang　a　bell　far

away　in　the　central　office　at　the　slightest　departure

from　the　optimum　of　temperature　and　moisture。　A

system　of　such　__creches__　had　almost　entirely　replaced

the　hazardous　adventures　of　the　old…world　nursing。

The　attendant　presently　called　Graham's　attention　to

the　wet　nurses；　a　vista　of　mechanical　figures；　with

arms；　shoulders　and　breasts　of　astonishingly　realistic

modelling；　articulation；　and　texture；　but　mere　brass

tripods　below；　and　having　in　the　place　of　features　a

flat　disc　bearing　advertisements　likely　to　be　of　interest

to　mothers。



Of　all　the　strange　things　that　Graham　came　upon

that　night；　none　jarred　more　upon　his　habits　of

thought　than　this　place。　The　spectacle　of　the　little

pink　creatures；　their　feeble　limbs　swaying　uncertainly

in　vague　first　movements；　left　alone；　without　embrace

or　endearment；　was　wholly　repugnant　to　him。　The

attendant　doctor　was　of　a　different　opinion。　His　

statistical　evidence　showed　beyond　dispute　that　in　the

Victorian　times　the　most　dangerous　passage　of　life

was　the　arms　of　the　mother；　that　there　human　mortality　

had　ever　been　most　terrible。　On　the　other

hand　this　__creche__　company；　the　International　Creche

Syndicate；　lost　not　one…half　per　cent　of　the　million

babies　or　so　that　formed　its　peculiar　care。　But　Graham's　

prejudice　was　too　strong　even　for　those　figures。



Along　one　of　the　many　passages　of　the　place　they

presently　came　upon　a　young　couple　in　the　usual　blue

canvas　peering　through　the　transparency　and　laughing　

hysterically　at　the　bald　head　of　their　first…born。

Graham's　face　must　have　showed　his　estimate　of　them；

for　their　merriment　ceased　and　they　looked　abashed。

But　this　little　incident　accentuated　his　sudden　

realisation　of　the　gulf　between　his　habits　of　thought　and　the

ways　of　the　new　age。　He　passed　on　to　the　crawling

rooms　and　the　Kindergarten；　perplexed　and　distressed。　

He　found　the　endless　long　playrooms　were

empty！　the　latter…day　children　at　least　still　spent　their

nights　in　sleep。　As　they　went　through　these；　the　little

officer　pointed　out　the　nature　of　the　toys；　developments　

of　those　devised　by　that　inspired　sentimentalist　

Froebel。　There　were　nurses　here；　but　much　was

done　by　machines　that　sang　and　danced　and　dandled。



Graham　was　still　not　clear　upon　many　points。

〃But　so　many　orphans；〃　he　said　perplexed；　reverting

to　a　first　misconception；　and　learnt　again　that　they

were　not　orphans。



So　soon　as　they　had　left　the　__creche__　he　began　to

speak　of　the　horror　the　babies　in　their　incubating

cases　had　caused　him。　〃Is　motherhood　gone？〃　he

said。　〃Was　it　a　cant？　Surely　it　was　an　instinct。

This　seems　so　unnaturalabominable　almost。〃



〃Along　here　we　shall　come　to　the　dancing　place；〃

said　Asano　by　way　of　reply。　〃It　is　sure　to　be

crowded。　In　spite　of　all　the　political　unrest　it　will　be

crowded。　The　women　take　no　great　interest　in　

politicsexcept　a　few　here　and　there。　You　will　see　the

mothersmost　young　women　in　London　are　mothers。　

In　that　class　it　is　considered　a　creditable　thing

to　have　one　childa　proof　of　animation。　Few

middle　class　people　have　more　than　one。　With　the

Labour　Company　it　is　different。　As　for　motherhood

They　still　take　an　immense　pride　in　the　children。

They　come　here　to　look　at　them　quite　often。〃



〃Then　do　you　mean　that　the　population　of　the

world？〃



〃Is　falling？　Yes。　Except　among　the　people　under

the　Labour　Company。　They　are　reckless。〃



The　air　was　suddenly　dancing　with　music；　and　down

a　way　they　approached　obliquely；　set　with　gorgeous

pillars　as　it　seemed　of　clear　amethyst；　flowed　a　

concourse　of　gay　people　and　a　tumult　of　merry　cries　and

laughter。　He　saw　curled　heads；　wreathed　brows；　and

a　happy　intricate　flutter　of　gamboge　pass　triumphant

across　the　picture。



〃You　will　see；〃　said　Asano　with　a　faint　smile

〃The　world　has　changed。　In　a　moment　you　will　see

the　mothers　of　the　new　age。　Come　this　way。　We

shall　see　those　yonder　again　very　soon。〃



They　ascended　a　certain　height　in　a　swift　lift；　and

changed　to　a　slower　one。　As　they　went　on　the　music

grew　upon　them；　until　it　was　near　and　full　and　

splendid；　and；　moving　with　its　glorious　intricacies　they

could　distinguish　the　beat　of　innumerable　dancing

feet。　They　made　a　payment　at　a　turnstile；　and

emerged　upon　the　wide　gallery　that　overlooked　the

dancing　place；　and　upon　the　full　enchantment　of

sound　and　sight。



〃Here；〃　said　Asano；　〃are　the　fathers　and　mothers

of　the　little　ones　you　saw。〃



The　hall　was　not　so　richly　decorated　as　that　of　the

Atlas；　but　saving　that；　it　was；　for　its　size；　the　most

splendid　Graham　had　seen。　The　beautiful　whitelimbed　

figures　that　supported　the　galleries　reminded

him　once　more　of　the　restored　magnificence　of　sculpture；　

they　seemed　to　writhe　in　engaging　attitudes；

their　faces　laughed。　The　source　of　the　music　that

filled　the　place　was　hidden；　and　the　whole　vast　shining　

floor　was　thick　with　dancing　couples。　〃Look　at

them；〃　sa