when the sleeper wakes-第45节

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into　the　still　twilight；　and　sloped　away；　shining

greasily　under　a　few　distant　lights；　into　a　circumambient　

ditch　of　darkness。



Out　between　the　bars　he　looked　upon　the　wind…clear　

northern　sky　and　saw　the　starry　constellations

all　unchanged。　Capella　hung　in　the　west；　Vega　was

rising；　and　the　seven　glittering　points　of　the　Great

Bear　swept　overhead　in　their　stately　circle　about　the

Pole。



He　saw　these　stars　in　a　clear　gap　of　sky。　To　the

east　and　south　the　great　circular　shapes　of　

complaining　wind…wheels　blotted　out　the　heavens；　so　that　the

glare　about　the　Council　House　was　hidden。　To　the

south…west　hung　Orion；　showing　like　a　pallid　ghost

through　a　tracery　of　iron…work　and　interlacing　shapes

above　a　dazzling　coruscation　of　lights。　A　bellowing　

and　siren　screaming　that　came　from　the　flying

stages　warned　the　world　that　one　of　the　aeroplanes

was　ready　to　start。　He　remained　for　a　space　gazing

towards　the　glaring　stage。　Then　his　eyes　went　back

to　the　northward　constellations。



For　a　long　time　he　was　silent。　〃This；〃　he　said　at

last；　smiling　in　the　shadow；　〃seems　the　strangest　thing

of　all。　To　stand　in　the　dome　of　Saint　Paul's　and　look

once　more　upon　these　familiar；　silent　stars！〃



Thence　Graham　was　taken　by　Asano　along　devious

ways　to　the　great　gambling　and　business　quarters

where　the　bulk　of　the　fortunes　in　the　city　were　lost

and　made。　It　impressed　him　as　a　well…nigh　interminable　

series　of　very　high　halls；　surrounded　by　tiers　upon

tiers　of　galleries　into　which　opened　thousands　of

offices；　and　traversed　by　a　complicated　multitude　of

bridges；　footways；　aerial　motor　rails；　and　trapeze　and

cable　leaps。　And　here　more　than　anywhere　the　note

of　vehement　vitality；　of　uncontrollable；　hasty　activity。

rose　high。　Everywhere　was　violent　advertisement；

until　his　brain　swam　at　the　tumult　of　light　and　colour。

And　Babble　Machines　of　a　peculiarly　rancid　tone　were

abundant　and　filled　the　air　with　strenuous　squealing

and　an　idiotic　slang。　〃Skin　your　eyes　and　slide；〃

〃Gewhoop；　Bonanza；〃　〃Gollipers　come　and　hark！〃



The　place　seemed　to　him　to　be　dense　with　people

either　profoundly　agitated　or　swelling　with　obscure

cunning；　yet　he　learnt　that　the　place　was　comparatively　

empty；　that　the　great　political　convulsion　of　the

last　few　days　had　reduced　transactions　to　an　

unprecedented　minimum。　In　one　huge　place　were　long

avenues　of　roulette　tables；　each　with　an　excited；　

undignified　crowd　about　it；　in　another　a

yelping　Babel　of　white…faced　women　and　red…

necked　leathery…lunged　men　bought　and　sold　the

shares　of　an　absolutely　fictitious　business　

undertaking　which；　every　five　minutes；　paid　a　dividend　of

ten　per　cent　and　cancelled　a　certain　proportion　of　its

shares　by　means　of　a　lottery　wheel。



These　business　activities　were　prosecuted　with　an

energy　that　readily　passed　into　violence；　and　Graham

approaching　a　dense　crowd　found　at　its　centre　a　couple

of　prominent　merchants　in　violent　controversy　with

teeth　and　nails　on　some　delicate　point　of　business

etiquette。　Something　still　remained　in　life　to　be　fought

for。　Further　he　had　a　shock　at　a　vehement　

announcement　in　phonetic　letters　of　scarlet　flame；　each　twice

the　height　of　a　man；　that　〃　WE　ASSURE　THE

PROPRAIET'R。　WE　ASSURE　THE　PROPRAIET'R。〃



〃Who's　the　proprietor？〃　he　asked。



〃You。〃



〃　But　what　do　they　assure　me？〃　he　asked。　〃What

do　they　assure　me？〃



〃Didn't　you　have　assurance？〃



Graham　thought。　〃Insurance？　〃



〃YesInsurance。　I　remember　that　was　the　older

word。　They　are　insuring　your　life。　Dozands　of

people　are　taking　out　policies；　myriads　of　lions　are

being　put　on　you。　And　further　on　other　people　are

buying　annuities。　They　do　that　on　everybody　who　is

at　all　prominent。　Look　there！〃



A　crowd　of　people　surged　and　roared；　and　Graham

saw　a　vast　black　screen　suddenly　illuminated　in　still

larger　letters　of　burning　purple。　〃Anuetes　on　the

Propraiet'r…x　5　pr。　G。〃　The　people　began　to　boo

and　shout　at　this；　a　number　of　hard　breathing；　

wildeyed　men　came　running　past；　clawing　with　hooked

fingers　at　the　air。　There　was　a　furious　crush　about　a

little　doorway。



Asano　did　a　brief　calculation。　〃Seventeen　per　cent

per　annum　is　their　annuity　on　you。　They　would　not

pay　so　much　per　cent　if　they　could　see　you　now；　Sire。

But　they　do　not　know。　Your　own　annuities　used　to

be　a　very　safe　investment；　but　now　you　are　sheer

gambling；　of　course。　This　is　probably　a　desperate

bid。　I　doubt　if　people　will　get　their　money。〃



The　crowd　of　would…be　annuitants　grew　so　thick

about　them　that　for　some　time　they　could　move　neither

forward　no　backward。　Graham　noticed　what　appeared

to　him　to　be　a　high　proportion　of　women　among　the

speculators；　and　was　reminded　again　of　the　economical

independence　of　their　sex。　They　seemed　remarkably

well　able　to　take　care　of　themselves　in　the　crowd；

using　their　elbows　with　particular　skill；　as　he　learnt　to

his　cost。　One　curly…headed　person　caught　in　the

pressure　for　a　space；　looked　steadfastly　at　him　several

times；　almost　as　if　she　recognized　him；　and　then；

edging　deliberately　towards　him；　touched　his　hand

with　her　arm　in　a　scarcely　accidental　manner；　and

made　it　plain　by　a　look　as　ancient　as　Chaldea　that　he

had　found　favour　in　her　eyes。　And　then　a　lank；　grey…

bearded　man；　perspiring　copiously　in　a　noble　passion

of　self…help；　blind　to　all　earthly　things　save　that　glaring；

bait；　thrust　between　them　in　a　cataclysmal　rush　towards

that　alluring　〃　x　5　pr。　G。〃



〃I　want　to　get　out　of　this；〃　said　Graham　to　Asano。

〃This　is　not　what　I　came　to　see。　Show　me　the

workers。　I　want　to　see　the　people　in　blue。　These

parasitic　lunatics〃



He　found　himself　wedged　in　a　struggling　mass　c

people；　and　this　hopeful　sentence　went　unfinished。



CHAPTER　XXI



THE　UNDER　SIDE



From　the　Business　Quarter　they　presently　passed

by　the　running　ways　into　a　remote　quarter　of　the　city；

where　the　bulk　of　the　manufactures　was　done。　On

their　way　the　platforms　crossed　the　Thames　twice；　and

passed　in　a　broad　viaduct　across　one　of　the　great　roads

that　entered　the　city　from　the　North。　In　both　cases

his　impression　was　swift　and　in　both　very　vivid。　The

river　was　a　broad　wrinkled　glitter　of　black　sea　water；

overarched　by　buildings；　and　vanishing　either　way　into

a　blackness　starred　with　receding　lights。　A　string　of

black　barges　passed　seaward；　manned　by　blue…clad

men。　The　road　was　a　long　and　very　broad　and　high

tunnel；　along　which　big…wheeled　machines　drove

noiselessly　and　swiftly。　Here；　too；　the　distinctive　blue

of　the　Labour　Company　was　in　abundance。　The

smoothness　of　the　double　tracks；　the　largeness　and　the

lightness　of　the　big　pneumatic　wheels　in　proportion　to

the　vehicular　body；　struck　Graham　most　vividly。　One

lank　and　very　high　carriage　with　longitudinal　metallic

rods　hung　with　the　dripping　carcasses　of　many　

hundred　sheep　arrested　his　attention　unduly。　Abruptly

the　edge　of　the　archway　cut　and　blotted　out　the

picture。



Presently　they　left　the　way　and　descended　by　a　lift

and　traversed　a　passage　that　sloped　downward；　and

so　came　to　a　descending　lift　again。　The　appearance

of　things　changed。　Even　the　pretence　of　architectural　

ornament　disappeared；　the　lights　diminished　in

number　and　size；　the　architecture　became　more　and

more　massive　in　proportion　to　the　spaces　as　the　

factory　quarters　were　reached。　And　in　the　dusty　biscuit…

making　place　of　the　potters；　among　the　felspar　mills

in　the　furnace　rooms　of　the　metal　workers；　among　the

incandescent　lakes　of　crude　Eadhamite；　the　blue　

canvas　clothing　was　on　man；　woman　and　child。



Many　of　these　great　and　dusty　galleries　were　silent

avenues　of　machinery；　endless　raked　out　ashen　furnaces　

testified　to　the　revolutionary　dislocation；　but

wherever　there　was　work　it　was　being　done　by　slow…

moving　workers　in　blue　canvas。　The　only　people　not

in　blue　canvas　were　the　overlookers　of　the　work…places

and　the　orange…clad　Labour　Police。　And　fresh　from

the　flushed　faces　of　the　dancing　halls；　the　voluntary

vigours　of　the　business　quarter；　Graham　could　note

the　pinched　faces；　the　feeble　muscles；　and　weary　eyes

of　many　of　the　latter…day　workers。　Such　as　he　saw　at

work　were　noticeably　inferior　in　physique　to　the　few

gaily　dressed　managers　and　forewomen　who　were

directing　their　labours。　The　burly　labourers　of　the

Victorian　times　had　followed　the　dray　horse　and　all

such　living　force　producers；　to　extinction；　the　place　of

his　costly　muscles　was　taken　by　some　dexterous

machine。　The　latter…day　labourer；　male　as　well　as

female；　was　essentially　a　machine…minder　and　feeder；

a　servant　and　attendant；　or　an　artist　under　direction。



The　women；　in　comparison　with　those　Graham

remembered；　were　as　a　class　distinctly　plain　and　flat…

chested。　Two　hundred　years　of　emancipation　from

the　moral　restraints　of　Puritanical　religion；　two　

hundred　years　of　city　life；　had　done　their　work　in　

eli