when the sleeper wakes-第52节

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all；　this　destiny　was　before　me；〃　he　said；　〃this　vast

inheritance　of　which　I　did　not　dream。〃



Insensibly　their　heroic　preoccupation　with　the　

revlutionary　struggle　passed　to　the　question　of　their　

relationship。　He　began　to　question　her。　She　told　him　of

the　days　before　his　awakening；　spoke　with　a　brief

vividness　of　the　girlish　dreams　that　had　given　a　bias

to　her　life；　of　the　incredulous　emotions　his　awakening

had　aroused。　She　told　him　too　of　a　tragic　circumstance　

of　her　girlhood　that　had　darkened　her　life；

quickened　her　sense　of　injustice　and　opened　her　heart

prematurely　to　the　wider　sorrows　of　the　world。　For　a

little　time；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　the　great　war

about　them　was　but　the　vast　ennobling　background

to　these　personal　things。



In　an　instant　these　personal　relations　were　submerged。　

There　came　messengers　to　tell　that　a　great

fleet　of　aeroplanes　was　rushing　between　the　sky　and

Avignon。　He　went　to　the　crystal　dial　in　the　corner

and　assured　himself　that　the　thing　was　so。　He　went

to　the　chart　room　and　consulted　a　map　to　measure　the

distances　of　Avignon；　New　Arawan；　and　London。　He

made　swift　calculations。　He　went　to　the　room　of　the

Ward　Leaders　to　ask　for　news　of　the　fight　for　the

stagesand　there　was　no　one　there。　After　a　time　he

came　back　to　her。



His　face　had　changed。　It　had　dawned　upon　him

that　the　struggle　was　perhaps　more　than　half　over；

that　Ostrog　was　holding　his　own；　that　the　arrival　of

the　aeroplanes　would　mean　a　panic　that　might　leave

him　helpless。　A　chance　phrase　in　the　message　had

given　him　a　glimpse　of　the　reality　that　came。　Each　of

these　soaring　giants　bore　its　thousand　half　savage

negroes　to　the　death　grapple　of　the　city。　Suddenly

his　humanitarian　enthusiasm　showed　flimsy。　Only

two　of　the　Ward　Leaders　were　in　their　room；　when

presently　he　repaired　thither；　the　Hall　of　the　Atlas

seemed　empty。　He　fancied　a　change　in　the　bearing

of　the　attendants　in　the　outer　rooms。　A　sombre　

disillusionment　darkened　his　mind。　She　looked　at　him

anxiously　when　he　returned　to　her。



〃No　news；〃　he　said　with　an　assumed　carelessness

in　answer　to　her　eyes。



Then　he　was　moved　to　frankness。　〃Or　rather

bad　news。　We　are　losing。　We　are　gaining　no　ground

and　the　aeroplanes　draw　nearer　and　nearer。〃



He　walked　the　length　of　the　room　and　turned。



〃Unless　we　can　capture　those　flying　stages　in　the

next　hourthere　will　be　horrible　things。　We　shall

be　beaten。



〃No！〃　she　said。　〃We　have　justicewe　have　the

people。　We　have　God　on　our　side。〃



〃Ostrog　has　disciplinehe　has　plans。　Do　you

know；　out　there　just　now　I　felt。　When　I　heard　that

these　aeroplanes　were　a　stage　nearer。　I　felt　as　if　I

were　fighting　the　machinery　of　fate。〃



She　made　no　answer　for　a　while。　〃We　have　done

right；〃　she　said　at　last。



He　looked　at　her　doubtfully。　〃We　have　done　what

we　could。　But　does　this　depend　upon　us？　Is　it　not

an　older　sin；　a　wider　sin？〃



〃What　do　you　mean？　〃　she　asked。



〃These　blacks　are　savages；　ruled　by　force；　used　as

force。　And　they　have　been　under　the　rule　of　the

whites　two　hundred　years。　Is　it　not　a　race　quarrel？

The　race　sinnedthe　race　pays。〃



〃But　these　labourers；　these　poor　people　of

London！　〃



〃Vicarious　atonement。　To　stand　wrong　is　to　share

the　guilt。〃



She　looked　keenly　at　him；　astonished　at　the　new

aspect　he　presented。



Without　came　the　shrill　ringing　of　a　bell；　the　sound

of　feet　and　the　gabble　of　a　phonographic　message。

The　man　in　yellow　appeared。　〃Yes？〃　said　Graham。



〃They　are　at　Vichy。〃



〃Where　are　the　attendants　who　were　in　the　great

Hall　of　the　Atlas？　〃　asked　Graham　abruptly。



Presently　the　Babble　Machine　rang　again。　〃We

may　win　yet；〃　said　the　man　in　yellow；　going　out　to　it。

〃If　only　we　can　find　where　Ostrog　has　hidden　his

guns。　Everything　hangs　on　that　now。　Perhaps

this〃



Graham　followed　him。　But　the　only　news　was　of

the　aeroplanes。　They　had　reached　Orleans。



Graham　returned　to　Helen。　〃No　news；〃　he　said

〃No　news。〃



〃And　we　can　do　nothing？〃



〃　Nothing。〃



He　paced　impatiently。　Suddenly　the　swift　anger

that　was　his　nature　swept　upon　him。　〃Curse　this

complex　world！〃　he　cried；　〃and　all　the　inventions　of

men！　That　a　man　must　die　like　a　rat　in　a　snare　and

never　see　his　foe！　Oh；　for　one　blow！　。　。　。〃



He　turned　with　an　abrupt　change　in　his　manner。

〃That's　nonsense；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　a　savage。〃



He　paced　and　stopped。　〃After　all　London　and

Paris　are　only　two　cities。　All　the　temperate　zone　has

risen。　What　if　London　is　doomed　and　Paris

destroyed？　These　are　but　accidents。　〃Again　came

the　mockery　of　news　to　call　him　to　fresh　enquiries。　He

returned　with　a　graver　face　and　sat　down　beside　her。



〃The　end　must　be　near；〃　he　said。　〃The　people　it

seems　have　fought　and　died　in　tens　of　thousands；　the

ways　about　Roehampton　must　be　like　a　smoked　beehive。　

And　they　have　died　in　vain。　They　are　still　only

at　the　sub　stage。　The　aeroplanes　are　near　Paris。

Even　were　a　gleam　of　success　to　come　now；　there

would　be　nothing　to　do；　there　would　be　no　time　to　do

anything　before　they　were　upon　us。　The　guns　that

might　have　saved　us　are　mislaid。　Mislaid！　Think　of

the　disorder　of　things！　Think　of　this　foolish　tumult；

that　cannot　even　find　its　weapons！　Oh；　for　one

aeropilejust　one！　For　the　want　of　that　I　am　beaten。

Humanity　is　beaten　and　our　cause　is　lost！　My　

kingship；　my　headlong　foolish　kingship　will　not　last　a

night。　And　I　have　egged　on　the　people　to　fight。〃



〃They　would　have　fought　anyhow。〃



〃I　doubt　it。　I　have　come　among　them〃



〃No；〃　she　cried；〃　not　that。　If　defeat　comesif

you　die。　But　even　that　cannot　be；　it　cannot　be；

after　all　these　years。〃



〃Ah！　We　have　meant　well。　Butdo　you　indeed

believe？〃



〃If　they　defeat　you；〃　she　cried；　〃you　have　spoken。

Your　word　has　gone　like　a　great　wind　through　the

world；　fanning　liberty　into　a　flame。　What　if　the　flame

sputters　a　little！　Nothing　can　change　the　spoken

word。　Your　message　will　have　gone　forth。　。。　。〃



〃To　what　end？　It　may　be。　It　may　be。　You

know　I　said；　when　you　told　me　of　these　things　dear

God！　but　that　was　scarcely　a　score　of　hours　ago！I

said　that　I　had　not　your　faith。　Wellat　any　rate

there　is　nothing　to　do　now。　。　。　。〃



〃You　have　not　my　faith！　Do　you　mean？　You

are　sorry？〃



〃No；〃　he　said　hurriedly；　〃no！　Before　Godno！〃

His　voice　changed。　〃But。　I　thinkI　have　been

indiscreet。　I　knew　littleI　grasped　too　hastily。。　。。〃



He　paused。　He　was　ashamed　of　this　avowal。

〃There　is　one　thing　that　makes　up　for　all。　I　have

known　you。　Across　this　gulf　of　time　I　have　come　to

you。　The　rest　is　done。　It　is　done。　With　you；　too；

it　has　been　something　moreor　something　less〃



He　paused　with　his　face　searching　hers；　and　without

clamoured　the　unheeded　message　that　the　aeroplanes

were　rising　into　the　sky　of　Amiens。



She　put　her　hand　to　her　throat；　and　her　lips　were　。

white。　She　stared　before　her　as　if　she　saw　some　

horrible　possibility。　Suddenly　her　features　changed。

〃Oh；　but　I　have　been　honest！〃　she　cried；　and　then；

〃Have　I　been　honest？　I　loved　the　world　and　freedom；　

I　hated　cruelty　and　oppression。　Surely　it　was

that。〃



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃yes。　And　we　have　done　what　it

lay　in　us　to　do。　We　have　given　our　message；　our

message！　We　have　started　Armageddon！　But

now。　Now　that　we　have；　it　may　be　our　last　hour；

together；　now　that　all　these　greater　things　are

done。　。　。　。〃



He　stopped。　She　sat　in　silence。　Her　face　was　a

white　riddle。



For　a　moment　they　heeded　nothing　of　a　sudden　stir

outside；　a　running　to　and　fro；　and　cries。　Then

Helen　started　to　an　attitude　of　tense　attention。　〃It

is；〃　she　cried　and　stood　up；　speechless；　incredulous；

triumphant。　And　Graham；　too；　heard。　Metallic　voices

were　shouting　〃Victory！〃　Yes　it　was　〃Victory！〃

He　stood　up　also　with　the　light　of　a　desperate　hope

in　his　eyes。



Bursting　through　the　curtains　appeared　the　man　in

yellow；　startled　and　dishevelled　with　excitement。

〃Victory；〃　he　cried；　〃victory！　The　people　are　winning。　

Ostrog's　people　have　collapsed。〃



She　rose。〃　Victory？　〃　And　her　voice　was　hoarse

and　faint。



〃What　do　you　mean？　〃　asked　Graham。　〃Tell　me！

What？〃



〃We　have　driven　them　out　of　the　under　galleries　at

Norwood；　Streatham　is　afire　and　burning　wildly；　and

Roehampton　is　ours。　Ours！and　we　have　taken　the

aeropile　that　lay　thereon。〃



For　an　instant　Graham　and　Helen　stood　in　silence；

their　hearts　were　beating　fast；　they　looked　at　one　

another。　For　one　last　moment　there　gleamed　in　

Graham　his　dream　of　empire；　of　kingship；　with　Helen　by

his　side。　It　gleamed；　and　passed。



A　shrill　bell　rang。　An　agitated　grey…headed　man

appeared　from　the　room　of　the　Ward　Leaders。〃　It　is

all　over；〃　he　cried。



〃What　matters　it　now　that　we　have　Roehampton？

The　aeroplanes　have　been　sighted　at　Boulogne！〃



〃The　Channel！　〃　said　the　man　in　yellow。　He　calculated　

swiftly。〃　Half