when the sleeper wakes-第31部分

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a　rapid　funicular　railway　might　have　given　the　same

sensations。　He　recognised　the　Council　House　and　the

Highgate　Ridge。　And　then　he　looked　straight　down

between　his　feet。



For　a　moment　physical　terror　possessed　him；　a　

passionate　sense　of　insecurity。　He　held　tight。　For　a　

second　or　so　he　could　not　lift　his　eyes。　Some　hundred

feet　or　more　sheer　below　him　was　one　of　the　big　

windvanes　of　south…west　London；　and　beyond　it　the　

southernmost　flying　stage　crowded　with　little　black　dots。

These　things　seemed　to　be　falling　away　from　him。

For　a　second　he　had　an　impulse　to　pursue　the　earth。

He　set　his　teeth；　he　lifted　his　eyes　by　a　muscular　effort；

and　the　moment　of　panic　passed。



He　remained　for　a　space　with　his　teeth　set　hard；　his

eyes　staring　into　the　sky。　Throb；　throb；　throbbeat；

went　the　engine；　throb；　throb；　throb；beat。

He　gripped　his　bars　tightly；　glanced　at　the　aeronaut；

and　saw　a　smile　upon　his　sun…tanned　face。　He　smiled

in　returnperhaps　a　little　artificially。　〃A　little

strange　at　first；〃　he　shouted　before　he　recalled　his

dignity。　But　he　dared　not　look　down　again　for　some

time。　He　stared　over　the　aeronaut's　head　to　where　a

rim　of　vague　blue　horizon　crept　up　the　sky。　For　a

little　while　he　could'　not　banish　the　thought　of　possible

accidents　from　his　mind。　Throb；　throb；　throbbeat；

suppose　some　trivial　screw　went　wrong　in　that　

supporting　engine！　Suppose！　He　made　a　grim

effort　to　dismiss　all　such　suppositions。　After　a　while

they　did　at　least　abandon　the　foreground　of　his

thoughts。　And　up　he　went　steadily；　higher　and　higher

into　the　clear　air。



Once　the　mental　shock　of　moving　unsupported

through　the　air　was　over；　his　sensations　ceased　to　be

unpleasant；　became　very　speedily　pleasurable。　He　had

been　warned　of　air　sickness。　But　he　found　the　

pulsating　movement　of　the　aeropile　as　it　drove　up　the　faint

south…west　breeze　was　very　little　in　excess　of　the　

pitching　of　a　boat　head　on　to　broad　rollers　in　a　moderate

gale；　and　he　was　constitutionally　a　good　sailor。　And

the　keenness　of　the　more　rarefied　air　into　which　they

ascended　produced　a　sense　of　lightness　and　exhilaration。　

He　looked　up　and　saw　the　blue　sky　above

fretted　with　cirrus　clouds。　His　eye　came　cautiously

down　through　the　ribs　and　bars　to　a　shining　flight　of

white　birds　that　hung　in　the　lower　sky。　For　a　space

he　watched　these。　Then　going　lower　and　less　apprehensively；　

he　saw　the　slender　figure　of　the　Wind…Vane

keeper's　crow's　nest　shining　golden　in　the　sunlight　and

growing　smaller　every　moment。　As　his　eye　fell　with

more　confidence　now；　there　came　a　blue　line　of　hills；

and　then　London；　already　to　leeward；　an　intricate

space　of　roofing。　Its　near　edge　came　sharp　and　clear；

and　banished　his　last　apprehensions　in　a　shock　of　surprise。　

For　the　boundary　of　London　was　like　a　wall；

like　a　cliff；　a　steep　fall　of　three　or　four　hundred　feet；　a

frontage　broken　only　by　terraces　here　and　there；　a

complex　decorative　facade。



That　gradual　passage　of　town　into　country　through

an　extensive　sponge　of　suburbs；　which　was　so　

characteristic　a　feature　of　the　great　cities　of　the　nineteenth

century；　existed　no　longer。　Nothing　remained　of　it

but　a　waste　of　ruins　here；　variegated　and　dense　with

thickets　of　the　heterogeneous　growths　that　had　once

adorned　the　gardens　of　the　belt；　interspersed　among

levelled　brown　patches　of　sown　ground；　and　verdant

stretches　of　winter　greens。　The　latter　even　spread

among　the　vestiges　of　houses。　But　for　the　most　part

the　reefs　and　skerries　of　ruins；　the　wreckage　of　

suburban　villas；　stood　among　their　streets　and　roads；　queer

islands　amidst　the　levelled　expanses　of　green　and

brown；　abandoned　indeed　by　the　inhabitants　years

since；　but　too　substantial；　it　seemed'；　to　be　cleared　out

of　the　way　of　the　wholesale　horticultural　mechanisms

of　the　time。



The　vegetation　of　this　waste　undulated　and　frothed

amidst　the　countless　cells　of　crumbling　house　walls；

and　broke　along　the　foot　of　the　city　wall　in　a　surf　of

bramble　and　holly　and　ivy　and　teazle　and　tall　grasses。

Here　and　there　gaudy　pleasure　palaces　towered　amidst

the　puny　remains　of　Victorian　times；　and　cable　ways

slanted　to　them　from　the　city。　That　winter　day　they

seemed　deserted。　Deserted；　too；　were　the　artificial

gardens　among　the　ruins。　The　city　limits　were　indeed

as　sharply　defined　as　in　the　ancient　days　when　the

gates　were　shut　at　nightfall　and　the　robber　foreman

prowled　to　the　very　walls。　A　huge　semi…circular　throat

poured　out　a　vigorous　traffic　upon　the　Eadhamite

Bath　Road。　So　the　first　prospect　of　the　world　beyond

the　city　flashed　on　Graham；　and　dwindled。　And　when

at　last　he　could　look　vertically　downward　again；　he

saw　below　him　the　vegetable　fields　of　the　Thames　

valley　　innumerable　minute　oblongs　of　ruddy　brown；

intersected　by　shining　threads；　the　sewage　ditches。



His　exhilaration　increased　rapidly；　became　a　sort　of

intoxication。　He　found　himself　drawing　deep　breaths

of　air；　laughing　aloud；　desiring　to　shout。　After　a　time

that　desire　became　too　strong　for　him；　and　he　shouted。



The　machine　had　now　risen　as　high　as　was　customary　

with　aeropiles；　and　they　began　to　curve　about

towards　the　south。　Steering；　Graham　perceived；　was

effected　by　the　opening　or　closing　of　one　or　two　thin

strips　of　membrane　in　one　or　other　of　the　otherwise

rigid　wings；　and　by　the　movement　of　the　whole　engine

backward　or　forward　along　its　supports。　The　

aeronaut　set　the　engine　gliding　slowly　forward　along　its

rail　and　opened　the　valve　of　the　leeward　wing　until　the

stem　of　the　aeropile　was　horizontal　and　pointing　

southward。　And　in　that　direction　they　drove　with　a　slight

list　to　leeward；　and　with　a　slow　alternation　of　

movement；　first　a　short；　sharp　ascent　and'　then　a　long

downward　glide　that　was　very　swift　and　pleasing。

During　these　downward　glides　the　propellor　was

inactive　altogether。　These　ascents　gave　Graham　a

glorious　sense　of　successful　effort；　the　descents

through　the　rarefied　air　were　beyond　all　experience。

He　wanted　never　to　leave　the　upper　air　again。



For　a　time　he　was　intent　upon　the　minute　details　of

the　landscape　that　ran　swiftly　northward　beneath　him。

Its　minute；　clear　detail　pleased　him　exceedingly。　He

was　impressed　by　the　ruin　of　the　houses　that　had　once

dotted　the　country；　by　the　vast　treeless　expanse　of

country　from　which　all　farms　and　villages　had　gone；

save　for　crumbling　ruins。　He　had　known　the　thing

was　so；　but　seeing　it　so　was　an　altogether　different

matter。　He　tried　to　make　out　places　he　had　known

within　the　hollow　basin　of　the　world　below；　but　at　first

he　could　distinguish　no　data　now　that　the　Thames　valley

was　left　behind。　Soon；　however；　they　were　driving　over

a　sharp　chalk　hill　that　he　recognised　as　the　Guildford

Hog's　Back；　because　of　the　familiar　outline　of　the

gorge　at　its　eastward　end；　and　because　of　the　ruins　of

the　town　that　rose　steeply　on　either　lip　of　this　gorge。

And　from　that　he　made　out　other　points；　Leith　Hill；

the　sandy　wastes　of　Aldershot；　and　so　forth。　The

Downs　escarpment　was　set　with　gigantic　slow…moving

wind…wheels。　Save　where　the　broad　Eadhamite　

Portsmouth　Road；　thickly　dotted　with　rushing　shapes；　

followed　the　course　of　the　old　railway；　the　gorge　of　the

Wey　was　choked　with　thickets。



The　whole　expanse　of　the　Downs　escarpment；　so　far

as　the　grey　haze　permitted　him　to　see；　was　set　with

wind…wheels　to　which　the　largest　of　the　city　was　but　a

younger　brother。　They　stirred　with　a　stately　motion

before　the　south…west　wind。　And　here　and　there　were

patches　dotted　with　the　sheep　of　the　British　Food

Trust；　and　here　and　there　a　mounted　shepherd　made　a

spot　of　black。　Then　rushing　under　the　stern　of　the

aeropile　came　the　Wealden　Heights；　the　line　of　

Hindhead；　Pitch　Hill；　and　Leith　Hill；　with　a　second　row　of

wind…wheels　that　seemed　striving　to　rob　the　downland

whirlers　of　their　share　of　breeze。　The　purple　heather

was　speckled　with　yellow　gorse；　and　on　the　further

side　a　drove　of　black　oxen　stampeded　before　a

couple　of　mounted　men。　Swiftly　these　swept　behind；

and　dwindled　and　lost　colour；　and　became　scarce　

moving　specks　that　were　swallowed　up　in　haze。



And　when　these　had　vanished　in　the　distance

Graham　heard　a　peewit　wailing　close　at　hand。　He

perceived　he　was　now　above　the　South　Downs；

and　staring　over　his　shoulder　saw　the　battlements

of　Portsmouth　Landing　Stage　towering　over　the

ridge　of　Portsdown　Hill。　In　another　moment　there

came　into　sight　a　spread　of　shipping　like　floating

cities；　the　little　white　cliffs　of　the　Needles　dwarfed　and

sunlit；　and　the　grey　and　glittering　waters　of　the　narrow　

sea。　They　seemed　to　leap　the　Solent　in　a　moment；

and　in　a　few　seconds　the　Isle　of　Wight　was　running

past；　and　then　beneath　him　spread　a　wider　and　wide

extent　of　sea；　here　purple　with　the　shadow　of　a　cloud；

here　grey；　here　a　burnished　mirror；　and　here　a　spread

of　cloudy　greenish　blue。　The　Isle　of　Wight　grew

smaller　and　smaller。　In　a　few　more　minutes　a　strip　of

grey　haze　detached　itself　from　other　strips　that　were

clouds；　descended　out　of　the　sky　and　became　a　coast…

linesunlit　and　pleasantthe　coast　of　northern

France。　It　rose；　it　took　colour；　became　definite　and

detailed；　and　the　counterpart　of　the　Downland　of　

England　was　speeding　by　below。



In　a　little　time；　as　it　seemed；　Paris　came　above　the

horizon；　and　hung　there　for　a　space；　and　sank　out　of

sight　again　as　the　aeropile　circled　about　to　the　north

again。　But　he　perceived　the　Eiffel　Tower　still　

standing；　and　beside　it　a　huge　dome　surmounted　by　a　

pinpoint　Colossus。　And　he　perceived；　too；　though　he　did

not　understand　it　at　the　time；　a　slanting　drift　of　smoke。

The　aeronaut　said　something　about　〃trouble　in　the

underways；〃　that　Graham　did　not　heed　at　the　time。

But　he　marked　the　minarets　and　towers　and　slender

masses　that　streamed　skyward　above　the　city　

windvanes；　and　knew　that　in　the　matter　of　grace　at　least