when the sleeper wakes-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



had　never　seen　beyond　the　little　round　of　unintelligent

grudging　participation　in　the　world's　business；　and

unintelligent　dissatisfied　sharing　in　its　tawdrier　

pleasures。　He　thought　of　the　hopes　of　his　vanished　

contemporaries；　and　for　a　moment　the　dream　of　London

in　Morris's　quaint　old　__News　from　Nowhere__；　and　the

perfect　land　of　Hudson's　beautiful　__Crystal　Age_…　appeared　

before　him　in　an　atmosphere　of　infinite　loss。

He　thought　of　his　own　hopes。



For　in　the　latter　days　of　that　passionate　life　that　lay

now　so　far　behind　him；　the　conception　of　a　free　and

equal　manhood　had　become　a　very　real　thing　to　him。

He　had　hoped；　as　indeed　his　age　had　hoped；　rashly

taking　it　for　granted；　that　the　sacrifice　of　the　many

to　the　few　would　some　day　cease；　that　a　day　was　near

when　every　child　born　of　woman　should　have　a　fair

and　assured　chance　of　happiness。　And　here；　after　two

hundred　years；　the　same　hope；　still　unfulfilled；　cried

passionately　through　the　city。　After　two　hundred

years；　he　knew；　greater　than　ever；　grown　with　the　city

to　gigantic　proportions；　were　poverty　and　helpless

labour　and　all　the　sorrows　of　his　time。



Already　he　knew　something　of　the　history　of　the

intervening　years。　He　had　heard　now　of　the　moral

decay　that　had　followed　the　collapse　of　supernatural

religion　in　the　minds　of　ignoble　man；　the　decline　of

public　honour；　the　ascendency　of　wealth。　For　men

who　had　lost　their　belief　in　God　had　still　kept　their

faith　in　property；　and　wealth　ruled　a　venial　world。



His　Japanese　attendant；　Asano；　in　expounding　the

political　history　of　the　intervening　two　centuries；　drew

an　apt　image　from　a　seed　eaten　by　insect　parasites。

First　there　is　the　original　seed；　ripening　vigorously

enough。　And　then　comes　some　insect　and　lays　an　egg

under　the　skin；　and　behold！　in　a　little　while　the　seed

is　a　hollow　shape　with　an　active　grub　inside　that　has

eaten　out　its　substance。　And　then　comes　some　secondary　

parasite；　some　ichneumon　fly；　and　lays　an　egg

within　this　grub；　and　behold！　that；　too；　is　a　hollow

shape；　and　the　new　living　thing　is　inside　its　predecessor's　

skin　which　itself　is　snug　within　the　seed　coat。

And　the　seed　coat　still　keeps　its　shape；　most　people

think　it　a　seed　still；　and　for　all　one　knows　it　may　still

think　itself　a　seed；　vigorous　and　alive。　〃Your　

Victorian　kingdom；〃　said　Asano；　〃was　like　thatking…

ship　with　the　heart　eaten　out。　〃The　landowners

the　barons　and　gentrybegan　ages　ago　with　King

John；　there　were　lapses；　but　they　beheaded　King

Charles；　and　ended　practically　with　King　George

mere　husk　of　a　king　。　。　。　the　real　power　in　the

hands　of　their　parliament。　But　the　Parliamentthe

organ　of　the　land…holding　tenant…ruling　gentrydid

not　keep　its　power　long。　The　change　had　already

come　in　the　nineteenth　century。　The　franchises　had

been　broadened　until　it　included　masses　of　ignorant

men；　〃urban　myriads；〃　who　went　in　their　featureless

thousands　to　vote　together。　And　the　natural

consequence　of　a　swarming　constituency　is　the　rule　of　the

party　organisation。　Power　was　passing　even　in　the

Victorian　time　to　the　party　machinery；　secret；　

complex；　and　corrupt。　Very　speedily　power　was　in　the

hands　of　great　men　of　business　who　financed　the

machines。　A　time　came　when　the　real　power　and

interest　of　the　Empire　rested　visibly　between　the　two

party　councils；　ruling　by　newspapers　and　electoral

organisationstwo　small　groups　of　rich　and　able

men；　working　at　first　in　opposition；　then　presently

together。



There　was　a　reaction　of　a　genteel　ineffectual　sort。

There　were　numberless　books　in　existence；　Asano　said；

to　prove　thatthe　publication　of　some　of　them　was

as　early　as　Graham's　sleepa　whole　literature　of

reaction　in　fact。　The　party　of　the　reaction　seems　to

have　locked　itself　into　its　study　and　rebelled　with

unflinching　determinationon　paper。　The　urgent

necessity　of　either　capturing　or　depriving　the　party

councils　of　power　is　a　common　suggestion　underlying

all　the　thoughtful　work　of　the　early　twentieth　century；

both　in　America　and　England。　In　most　of　these

things　America　was　a　little　earlier　than　England；

though　both　countries　drove　the　same　way。



That　counter…revolution　never　came。　It　could

never　organise　and　keep　pure。　There　was　not　enough

of　the　old　sentimentality；　the　old　faith　in　righteousness；　

left　among　men。　Any　organisation　that　became

big　enough　to　influence　the　polls　became　complex

enough　to　be　undermined；　broken　up；　or　bought　outright　

by　capable　rich　men。　Socialistic　and　Popular；

Reactionary　and　Purity　Parties　were　all　at　last　mere

Stock　Exchange　counters；　selling　their　principles　to

pay　for　their　electioneering。　And　the　great　concern

of　the　rich　was　naturally　to　keep　property　intact；　the

board　clear　for　the　game　of　trade。　Just　as　the　feudal

concern　had　been　to　keep　the　board　clear　for　hunting

and　war。　The　whole　world　was　exploited；　a　battle

field　of　businesses；　and　financial　convulsions；　the

scourge　of　currency　manipulation；　tariff　wars；　made

more　human　misery　during　the　twentieth　century

because　the　wretchedness　was　dreary　life　instead　of

speedy　deaththan　had　war；　pestilence　and　famine；　in

the　darkest　hours　of　earlier　history。



His　own　part　in　the　development　of　this　time　he

now　knew　clearly　enough。　Through　the　successive

phases　in　the　development　of　this　mechanical　

civilisation；　aiding　and　presently　directing　its　development；

there　had　grown　a　new　power；　the　Council；　the　board

of　his　trustees。　At　first　it　had　been　a　mere　chance

union　of　the　millions　of　Isbister　and　Warming；　a

mere　property　holding　company；　the　creation　of　two

childless　testators'　whims；　but　the　collective　talent　of

its　first　constitution　had　speedily　guided　it　to　a　vast

influence；　until　by　title　deed；　loan　and　share；　under　a

hundred　disguises　and　pseudonyms　it　had　ramified

through　the　fabric　of　the　American　and　English

States。



Wielding　an　enormous　influence　and　patronage；　the

Council　had　early　assumed　a　political　aspect；　and　in

its　development　it　had　continually　used　its　wealth　to

tip　the　beam　of　political　decisions　and　its　political

advantages　to　grasp　yet　more　and　more　wealth。　At

last　the　party　organisations　of　two　hemispheres　were

in　its　hands；　it　became　an　inner　council　of　political

control。　Its　last　struggle　was　with　the　tacit　alliance

of　the　great　Jewish　families。　But　these　families　were

linked　only　by　a　feeble　sentiment；　at　any　time　

inheritance　might　fling　a　huge　fragment　of　their　resources　to

a　minor；　a　woman　or　a　fool；　marriages　and　legacies

alienated　hundreds　of　thousands　at　one　blow。　The

Council　had　no　such　breach　in　its　continuity。　

Steadily；　steadfastly　it　grew。



The　original　Council　was　not　simply　twelve　men　of

exceptional　ability；　they　fused；　it　was　a　council　of

genius。　It　struck　boldly　for　riches；　for　political　

influence；　and　the　two　subserved　each　other。　With　

amazing　foresight　it　spent　great　sums　of　money　on　the

art　of　flying；　holding　that　invention　back　against　an

hour　foreseen。　It　used　the　patent　laws；　and　a　thousand　

half…legal　expedients；　to　hamper　all　investigators

who　refused　to　work　with　it。　In　the　old　days　it　never

missed　a　capable　man。　It　paid　his　price。　Its　policy

in　those　days　was　vigorousunerring；　and　against　it

as　it　grew　steadily　and　incessantly　was　only　the　chaotic

selfish　rule　of　the　casually　rich。　In　a　hundred　years

Graham　had　become　almost　exclusive　owner　of

Africa；　of　South　America；　of　France；　of　London；　of

England　and　all　its　influencefor　all　practical　

purposes；　that　isa　power　in　North　Americathen　the

dominant　power　in　America。　The　Council　bought

and　organised　China；　drilled　Asia；　crippled　the　Old

World　empires；　undermined　them　financially；　fought

and　defeated　them。



And　this　spreading　usurpation　of　the　world　was　so

dexterously　performeda　proteushundreds　of

banks；　companies；　syndicates；　masked　the　Council's

operationsthat　it　was　already　far　advanced　before

common　men　suspected　the　tyranny　that　had　come。

The　Council　never　hesitated；　never　faltered。　Means　of

communication；　land；　buildings；　governments；　municipalities；　

the　territorial　companies　of　the　tropics；　every

human　enterprise；　it　gathered　greedily。　And　it　drilled

and　marshalled　its　men；　its　railway　police；　its　roadway

police；　its　house　guards；　and　drain　and　cable　guards；

its　hosts　of　land…workers。　Their　unions　it　did　not

fight；　but　it　undermined　and　betrayed　and　bought

them。　It　bought　the　world　at　last。　And；　finally；　its

culminating　stroke　was　the　introduction　of　flying。



When　the　Council；　in　conflict　with　the　workers　in

some　of　its　huge　monopolies；　did　something　flagrantly

illegal　and　that　without　even　the　ordinary　civility　of

bribery；　the　old　Law；　alarmed　for　the　profits　of　its

complaisance；　looked　about　it　for　weapons。　But　there

were　no　more　armies；　no　fighting　navies；　the　age　of

Peace　had'　come。　The　only　possible　war　ships　were

the　great　steam　vessels　of　the　Council's　Navigation

Trust。　The　police　forces　they　controlled；　the　police　of

the　railways；　of　the　ships；　of　their　agricultural　estates；

their　time…keepers　and　order…keepers；　outnumbered

the　neglected　little　forces　of　the　old　country　and　

municipal　organisations　ten　to　one。　And　they　produced

flying　machines。　There　were　men　alive　still　who　could

remember　the　last　great　debate　in　the　London　House

of　Commonsthe　legal　party；　the　party　against　the

Council　was　in　a　minority；　but　it　made　a　desperate

fightand　how　the　members　came　crowding　out　upon

the　terrace　to　see　these　great　unfamiliar　winged

shapes　circling　quietly　overhead。　The　Council　had

soared　to　its　power。　The　last　sham　of　a　democracy

that　had　permitted　unlimited　irresponsible　property

was　at　an　end。



Within　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　of　Graham's　

falling　asleep；　his　Council　had　thrown　off　its　disguises　and

ruled　openly；　supreme　in　his　name。　Elections　had

become　a　cheerful　formality；　a　septe