when the sleeper wakes-第3部分

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Boscastle　doctorit　wasn't　the　present　chap；　but　the

G。P。　before　himwas　at　him　until　nearly　two；　with；

me　and　the　landlord　holding　lights　and　so　forth。〃



〃It　was　a　cataleptic　rigour　at　first；　wasn't　it？〃



〃Stiff！wherever　you　bent　him　he　stuck。　You

might　have　stood　him　on　his　head　and　he'd　have

stopped。　I　never　saw　such　stiffness。　Of　course　this〃

he　indicated　the　prostrate　figure　by　a　movement　of

his　head〃　is　quite　different。　And；　of　course；　the

little　doctorwhat　was　his　name？〃



〃Smithers？　〃



〃Smithers　it　waswas　quite　wrong　in　trying　to

fetch　him　round　too　soon；　according　to　all　accounts。

The　things　he　did。　Even　now　it　makes　me　feel　all

ugh！　Mustard；　snuff；　pricking。　And　one　of　those

beastly　little　things；　not　dynamos〃



〃Induction　coils。〃



〃Yes。　You　could　see　his　muscles　throb　and　jump；

and　he　twisted　about。　There　was　just　two　flaring

yellow　candles；　and　all　the　shadows　were　shivering；

and　the　little　doctor　nervous　and　putting　on　side；　and

himstark　and　squirming　in　the　most　unnatural

ways。　Well；　it　made　me　dream。〃



Pause。



〃It's　a　strange　state；〃　said　Warming。



〃　It's　a　sort　of　complete　absence；〃　said　Isbister。



〃Here's　the　body；　empty。　Not　dead　a　bit；　and　yet

not　alive。　It's　like　a　seat　vacant　and　marked　'engaged。'

No　feeling；　no　digestion；　no　beating　of　the

heartnot　a　flutter。　__That__　doesn't　make　me　feel　as

if　there　was　a　man　present。　In　a　sense　it's　more　dead

than　death；　for　these　doctors　tell　me　that　even　the　hair

has　stopped　growing。　Now　with　the　proper　dead；　the

hair　will　go　on　growing〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Warming；　with　a　flash　of　pain　in

his　expression。



They　peered　through　the　glass　again。　Graham　was

indeed　in　a　strange　state；　in　the　flaccid　phase　of　a

trance；　but　a　trance　unprecedented　in　medical　history。　

Trances　had　lasted　for　as　much　as　a　year　before

but　at　the　end　of　that　time　it　had　ever　been

waking　or　a　death；　sometimes　first　one　and　then　the

other。　Isbister　noted　the　marks　the　physicians　had

made　in　injecting　nourishment；　for　that　device　had

been　resorted　to　to　postpone　collapse；　he　pointed　them

out　to　Warming；　who　had　been　trying　not　to　see　them。



〃And　while　he　has　been　Iying　here；〃　said　Isbister；

with　the　zest　of　a　life　freely　spent；　〃　I　have　changed　my

plans　in　life；　married；　raised　a　family；　my　eldest　lad

I　hadn't　begun　to　think　of　sons　thenis　an　American　

citizen；　and　looking　forward　to　leaving　Harvard。

There's　a　touch　of　grey　in　my　hair。　And　this　man；

not　a　day　older　nor　wiser　（practically）　than　I　was　in

my　downy　days。　It's　curious　to　think　of。〃



Warming　turned。　〃And　I　have　grown　old　too。　I

played　cricket　with　him　when　I　was　still　only　a　lad。

And　he　looks　a　young　man　still。　Yellow　perhaps。

But　that　is　a　young　man　nevertheless。〃



〃And　there's　been　the　War；〃　said　Isbister。



〃From　beginning　to　end。〃



〃And　these　Martians。〃



〃I've　understood；〃　said　Isbister　after　a　pause；　〃that

he　had　some　moderate　property　of　his　own？〃



〃That　is　so；〃　said　Warming。　He　coughed　primly。

〃As　it　happens　have　charge　of　it。〃



〃　Ah！〃　Isbister　thought；　hesitated　and　spoke：

〃No　doubthis　keep　here　is　not　expensiveno

doubt　it　will　have　improvedaccumulated？〃



〃It　has。　He　will　wake　up　very　much　better　off

if　he　wakesthan　when　he　slept。〃



〃As　a　business　man；〃　said　Isbister；　〃that　thought

has　naturally　been　in　my　mind。　I　have；　indeed；　

sometimes　thought　that；　speaking　commercially；　of　course；

this　sleep　may　be　a　very　good　thing　for　him。　That

he　knows　what　he　is　about；　so　to　speak；　in　being　

insensible　so　long。　If　he　had　lived　straight　on〃



〃I　doubt　if　he　would　have　premeditated　as　much；〃

said　Warming。　〃He　was　not　a　far…sighted　man。　In

fact〃



〃Yes？〃



〃We　differed　on　that　point。　I　stood　to　him　some…

what　in　the　relation　of　a　guardian。　You　have　probably　

seen　enough　of　affairs　to　recognise　that　

occasionally　a　certain　friction。　But　even　if　that　was　the

case；　there　is　a　doubt　whether　he　will　ever　wake。　This

sleep　exhausts　slowly；　but　it　exhausts。　Apparently

he　is　sliding　slowly；　very　slowly　and　tediously；　down

a　long　slope；　if　you　can　understand　me？　〃



〃It　will　be　a　pity　to　lose　his　surprise。　There's　been

a　lot　of　change　these　twenty　years。　It's　Rip　Van

Winkle　come　real。〃



〃It's　Bellamy；〃　said　Warming。　〃　There　has　been

a　lot　of　change　certainly。　And；　among　other　changes；

I　have　changed。　I　am　an　old　man。〃



Isbister　hesitated；　and　then　feigned　a　belated　surprise。　

〃I　shouldn't　have　thought　it。〃



〃I　was　forty…three　when　his　bankersyou　remember　

you　wired　to　his　bankerssent　on　to　me。〃



〃I　got　their　address　from　the　cheque　book　in　his

pocket；〃　said　Isbister。



〃Well；　the　addition　is　not　difficult；〃　said　Warming。



There　was　another　pause；　and　then　Isbister　gave

way　to　an　unavoidable　curiosity。　〃He　may　go　on

for　years　yet；〃　he　said；　and　had　a　moment　of　hesitation。　

〃We　have　to　consider　that。　His　affairs；　you

know；　may　fall　some　day　into　the　hands　ofsomeone

else；　you　know。〃　



〃That；　if　you　will　believe　me；　Mr。　Isbister；　is　one

of　the　problems　most　constantly　before　my　mind。　We

happen　to　beas　a　matter　of　fact；　there　are　no　very

trustworthy　connections　of　ours。　It　is　a　grotesque

and　unprecedented　position。〃



〃It　is；〃　said　Isbister。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　it's　a

case　for　a　public　trustee；　if　only　we　had　such　a

functionary。〃



〃It　seems　to　me　it's　a　case　for　some　public　body；

some　practically　undying　guardian。　If　he　really　is

going　on　livingas　the　doctors；　some　of　them；　think。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　gone　to　one　or　two　public

men　about　it。　But；　so　far；　nothing　has　been　done。〃



〃It　wouldn't　be　a　bad　idea　to　hand　him　over　to

some　public　bodythe　British　Museum　Trustees；　or

the　Royal　College　of　Physicians。　Sounds　a　bit　odd；

of　course；　but　the　whole　situation　is　odd。〃



〃The　difficulty　is　to　induce　them　to　take　him。〃



〃Red　tape；　I　suppose？　〃



〃Partly。〃



Pause。　〃　It's　a　curious　business；　certainly；〃　said

Isbister。　〃And　compound　interest　has　a　way　of

mounting　up。〃



〃It　has；〃　said　Warming。　〃And　now　the　gold　supplies　

are　running　short　there　is　a　tendency　towards

　　　　　。　。　。　appreciation。〃



〃I've　felt　that；〃　said　Isbister　with　a　grimace。　〃But

it　makes　it　better　for　him。〃



〃If　he　wakes。〃



〃If　he　wakes；〃　echoed　Isbister。　〃Do　you　notice

the　pinched…ill　look　of　his　nose；　and　the　way　in　which

his　eyelids　sink？〃



Warming　looked　and　thought　for　a　space。　〃I　doubt

if　he　will　wake；〃　he　said　at　last。



〃I　never　properly　understood；〃　said　Isbister；　〃what

it　was　brought　this　on。　He　told　me　something　about

overstudy。　I've　often　been　curious。〃



〃He　was　a　man　of　considerable　gifts；　but　spasmodic；　

emotional。　He　had　grave　domestic　troubles；

divorced　his　wife；　in　fact；　and　it　was　as　a　relief　from

that；　I　think；　that　he　took　up　politics　of　the　rabid　sort。

He　was　a　fanatical　Radicala　Socialistor　typical

Liberal；　as　they　used　to　call　themselves；…of　the　advanced

school。　Energeticflightyundisciplined。　Overwork　

upon　a　controversy　did　this　for　him。　I　remember

the　pamphlet　he　wrotea　curious　production。　Wild；

whirling　stuff。　There　were　one　or　two　prophecies。

Some　of　them　are　already　exploded；　some　of　them　are

established　facts。　But　for　the　most　part　to　read　such

a　thesis　is　to　realise　how　full　the　world　is　of　

unanticipated　things。　He　will　have　much　to　learn；　much　to

unlearn；　when　he　wakes。　If　ever　a　waking　comes。〃



〃I'd　give　anything　to　be　there；〃　said　Isbister；　〃just

to　hear　what　he　would　say　to　it　all。〃



〃So　would　I；〃　said　Warming。　〃Aye！　so　would

I；〃　with　an　old　man's　sudden　turn　to　self　pity。　〃But

I　shall　never　see　him　wake。〃



He　stood　looking　thoughtfully　at　the　waxen　figure。

〃He　will　never　wake；〃　he　said　at　last。　He　sighed

〃He　will　never　wake　again。〃



CHAPTER　III



THE　AWAKENING



But　Warming　was　wrong　in　that。　An　awakening

came。



What　a　wonderfully　complex　thing！　this　simple

seeming　unitythe　self！　Who　can　trace　its　

reintegration　as　morning　after　morning　we　awaken；　the

flux　and　confluence　of　its　countless　factors　intenveaving；　

rebuilding；　the　dim　first　stirrings　of　the　soul；　the

growth　and　synthesis　of　the　unconscious　to　the　

subconscious；　the　sub…conscious　to　dawning　consciousness；　

until　at　last　we　recognise　ourselves　again。　And

as　it　happens　to　most　of　us　after　the　night's　sleep；　so

it　was　with　Graham　at　the　end　of　his　vast　slumber。

A　dim　cloud　of　sensation　taking　shape；　a　cloudy　

dreariness；　and　he　found　himself　vaguely　somewhere；

recumbent；　faint；　but　alive。



The　pilgrimage　towards　a　personal　being　seemed　to

traverse　vast　gulfs；　to　occupy　epochs。　Gigantic

dreams　that　were　terrible　realities　at　the　time；　left

vague　perplexing　memories；　strange　creatures；　strange

scenery；　as　if　from　another　planet。　There　was　a　distinct　

impression；　too；　of　a　momentous　conversation；　of

a　namehe　could　not　tell　what　namethat　was

subsequently　to　recur；　of　some　queer　long…forgotten

sensation　of　vein　and　muscle；　of　a　feeling　of　vast　

hopeless　effort；　the　effort　of　a　man　near　drowning　in　

darkness。　Then　came　a　panorama　of　dazzling　unstable

confluent　scenes。



Graham　became　aware　his　eyes　were　open　and　regarding　

some　unfamiliar　thing。



It　was　something　white；　the　edge　of　something；　a

frame　of　wood。　He　moved　his　head　slightly；　following　

the　contour　of　this　shape。　It　went　up　beyond　the

top　of　his　eyes。　He　tried　to　think　where　he　might　be。

Did　it　matter；　seeing　he　was　so　wretched？　The　colour

of　his　thoughts　was　a　dark　depression。　He　felt　the

featureless　misery　of　one　who　wakes　towards　the　hour

of　dawn。　He　had　an　uncertain　sense　of　whispers　and

footsteps　hastily　receding。



The　movement　of　his　head　involved　a　perception　of

extreme　physical　weakness。　He　supposed　he　was　in

bed　in　the　hotel　at　the　place　in　the　valleybut　he

could　not　recall　that　w