when the sleeper wakes-第34部分

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He　stopped　and　stood　still；　expectant。　Then　he　perceived　

that　a　nervous　tumult　silenced　her；　perceived

too；　that　she　must　have　sought　speech　with　him　to　be

waiting　for　him　in　this　place。



He　felt　a　regal　impulse　to　assist　her。　〃I　have　wanted

to　see　you；〃　he　said。　〃A　few　days　ago　you　wanted

to　tell　me　somethingyou　wanted　to　tell　me　of　the

people。　What　was　it　you　had　to　tell　me？〃



She　looked　at　him　with　troubled　eyes。



〃You　said　the　people　were　unhappy？〃



For　a　moment　she　was　silent　still。



〃It　must　have　seemed　strange　to　you；〃　she　said

abruptly。



〃It　did。　And　yet〃



〃It　was　an　impulse。〃



〃Well？〃



〃That　is　all。〃



She　looked　at　him　with　a　face　of　hesitation。　She

spoke　with　an　effort。　〃You　forget；〃　she　said；　drawing

a　deep　breath。



〃What？〃



〃The　people〃



〃Do　you　mean？〃



〃You　forget　the　people。〃



He　looked　interrogative。



〃Yes。　I　know　you　are　surprised。　For　you　do　not

understand　what　you　are。　You　do　not　know　the　things

that　are　happening。〃



〃Well？　〃



〃You　do　not　understand。〃



〃Not　clearly；　perhaps。　Buttell　me。〃



She　turned　to　him　with　sudden　resolution。〃　It　is

so　hard　to　explain。　I　have　meant　to；　I　have　wanted　to。

And　nowI　cannot。　I　am　not　ready　with　words。

But　about　youthere　is　something。　It　is　Wonder。

Your　sleepyour　awakening。　These　things　are

miracles。　To　me　at　leastand　to　all　the　common

people。　You　who　lived　and　suffered　and　died；　you

who　were　a　common　citizen；　wake　again；　live　again；　to

find　yourself　Master　almost　of　the　earth。〃



〃Master　of　the　earth；〃　he　said。　〃So　they　tell　me。

But　try　and　imagine　how　little　I　know　of　it。〃



〃CitiesTruststhe　Labour　Company〃



〃Principalities；　powers；　dominionsthe　power　and

the　glory。　Yes；　I　have　heard　them　shout。　I　know。

I　am　Master。　King；　if　you　wish。　With　Ostrog；　the

Boss〃



He　paused。



She　turned　upon　him　and　surveyed　his　face　with　a

curious　scrutiny。　〃Well？〃



He　smiled。　〃To　take　the　responsibility。〃



〃That　is　what　we　have　begun　to　fear。〃　For　a　moment

she　said　no　more。　〃No；〃　she　said　slowly。　〃You　will

take　the　responsibility。　You　will　take　the　

responsibility。　The　people　look　to　you。〃



She　spoke　softly。〃　Listen！　For　at　least　half　the

years　of　your　sleepin　every　generationmultitudes　

of　people；　in　every　generation　greater　multitudes

of　people；　have　prayed　that　you　might　awake

prayed。〃



Graham　moved　to　speak　and　did　not。



She　hesitated；　and　a　faint　colour　crept　back　to　her

cheek。　〃Do　you　know　that　you　have　been　to　myriads

King　Arthur；　Barbarossathe　King　who　would

come　in　his　own　good　time　and　put　the　world　right　for

them？〃



〃I　suppose　the　imagination　of　the　people〃



〃Have　you　not　heard　our　proverb；　'When　the

Sleeper　wakes？'　While　you　lay　insensible　and　motionless　

therethousands　came。　Thousands。　Every

first　of　the　month　you　lay　in　state　with　a　white　robe

upon　you　and　the　people　filed　by　you。　When　I　was　a

little　girl　I　saw　you　like　that；　with　your　face　white　and

calm。〃



She　turned　her　face　from　him　and　looked　steadfastly

at　the　painted　wall　before　her。　Her　voice　fell。　〃When

I　was　a　little　girl　I　used　to　look　at　your　face。　。　。　。it

seemed　to　me　fixed　and　waiting；　like　the　patience　of

God。〃



〃That　is　what　we　thought　of　you；〃　she　said。　〃That

is　how　you　seemed　to　us。〃



She　turned　shining　eyes　to　him；　her　voice　was　clear

and　strong。〃　In　the　city；　in　the　earth；　a　myriad

myriad　men　and　women　are　waiting　to　see　what　you

will　do；　full　of　strange　incredible　expectations。〃



〃Yes？　〃



〃Ostrogno　onecan　take　that　responsibility。〃



Graham　looked　at　her　in　surprise；　at　her　face　lit

with　emotion。　She　seemed　at　first　to　have　spoken　with

an　effort；　and　to　have　fired　herself　by　speaking。



〃Do　you　think；〃　she　said；　〃that　you　who　have　lived

that　little　life　so　far　away　in　the　past；　you　who　have

fallen　into　and　risen　out　of　this　miracle　of　sleep　　do

you　think　that　the　wonder　and　reverence　and　hope　of

half　the　world　has　gathered　about　you　only　that　you

may　live　another　little　life？　。　。　。　That　you　may

shift　the　responsibility　to　any　other　man？〃



〃I　know　how　great　this　kingship　of　mine　is；〃　he

said　haltingly。　〃I　know　how　great　it　seems。　But　is　it

real？　It　is　incredibledreamlike。　Is　it　real；　or　is

it　only　a　great　delusion？〃



〃It　is　real；〃　she　said；　〃if　you　dare。〃



〃After　all；　like　all　kingship；　my　kingship　is　Belief。

It　is　an　illusion　in　the　minds　of　men。〃



〃If　you　dare！〃　she　said。



〃But〃



〃Countless　men；〃　she　said；　〃and　while　it　is　in　their

mindsthey　will　obey。〃



〃But　I　know　nothing。　That　is　what　I　had　in　mind。

I　know　nothing。　And　these　othersthe　Councillors；

Ostrog。　They　are　wiser；　cooler；　they　know　so　much；

every　detail。　And；　indeed；　what　are　these　miseries　of

which　you　speak？　What　am　I　to　know？　Do　you

mean〃



He　stopped　blankly。



〃I　am　still　hardly　more　than　a　girl；〃　she　said。　〃But

to　me　the　world　seems　full　of　wretchedness。　The　world

has　altered　since　your　day；　altered　very　strangely。　I

have　prayed　that　I　might　see　you　and　tell　you　these

things。　The　world　has　changed。　As　if　a　canker　had

seized　itand　robbed　life　ofeverything　worth

having。〃



She　turned　a　flushed　face　upon　him；　moving　suddenly。

〃Your　days　were　the　days　of　freedom。　Yes

I　have　thought。　I　have　been　made　to　think；　for　my

lifehas　not　been　happy。　Men　are　no　longer　free

no　greater；　no　better　than　the　men　of　your　time。　That

is　not　all。　This　cityis　a　prison。　Every　city　now　is

a　prison。　Mammon　grips　the　key　in　his　hand。

Myriads；　countless　myriads；　toil　from　the　cradle　to

the　grave。　Is　that　right？　Is　that　to　befor　ever？

Yes；　far　worse　than　in　your　time。　All　about　us；　beneath　

us；　sorrow　and　pain。　All　the　shallow　delight　of

such　life　as　you　find　about　you；　is　separated　by　just　a

little　from　a　life　of　wretchedness　beyond　any　telling

Yes；　the　poor　know　itthey　know　they　suffer。　These

countless　multitudes　who　faced　death　for　you　two

nights　since！　You　owe　your　life　to　them。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Graham；　slowly。　〃Yes。　I　owe　my

life　to　them。〃



〃You　come；〃　she　said；　〃from　the　days　when　this

new　tyranny　of　the　cities　was　scarcely　beginning。

It　is　a　tyrannya　tyranny。　In　your　days　the

feudal　war　lords　had　gone；　and　the　new　lordship　of

wealth　had　still　to　come。　Half　the　men　in　the　world

still　lived　out　upon　the　free　countryside。　The　cities

had　still　to　devour　them。　I　have　heard　the　stories

out　of　the　old　booksthere　was　nobility！　Common

men　led　lives　of　love　and　faithfulness　thenthey

did　a　thousand　things。　And　youyou　come　from

that　time。〃



〃It　was　not。　But　never　mind。　How　is　it

now？　〃



〃Gain　and　the　Pleasure　Cities！　Or　slaveryunthanked；　

unhonoured；　slavery。〃



〃Slavery！〃　he　said。



〃Slavery。〃



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that　human　beings　are

chattels。〃



〃Worse。　That　is　what　I　want　you　to　know；　what

I　want　you　to　see。　I　know　you　do　not　know。　They

will　keep　things　from　you；　they　will　take　you　presently

to　a　Pleasure　City。　But　you　have　noticed　men　and

women　and　children　in　pale　blue　canvas；　with　thin

yellow　faces　and　dull　eyes？　〃



〃Everywhere。〃



〃Speaking　a　horrible　dialect；　coarse　and　weak。〃



〃I　have　heard　it。〃



〃They　are　the　slavesyour　slaves。　They　are　the

slaves　of　the　Labour　Company　you　own。〃



〃The　Labour　Company！　In　some　waythat　is

familiar。　Ah！　now　I　remember。　I　saw　it　when　I　was

wandering　about　the　city；　after　the　lights　returned；

great　fronts　of　buildings　coloured　pale　blue。　Do　you

really　mean？〃



〃Yes。　How　can　I　explain　it　to　you？　Of　course

the　blue　uniform　struck　you。　Nearly　a　third　of　our

people　wear　itmore　assume　it　now　every　day。　This

Labour　Company　has　grown　imperceptibly。〃



〃What　is　this　Labour　Company？〃　asked　Graham。



〃In　the　old　times；　how　did　you　manage　with　staning　

people？〃



〃There　was　the　workhousewhich　the　parishes

maintained。〃



〃Workhouse！　Yesthere　was　something。　In

our　history　lessons。　I　remember　now。　The　Labour

Company　ousted　the　workhouse。　It　grewpartly

out　of　somethingyou；　perhaps；　may　remember　it

an　emotional　religious　organisation　called　the　

Salvation　Armythat　became　a　business　company。　In　the

first　place　it　was　almost　a　charity。　To　save　people

from　workhouse　rigours。　Now　I　come　to　think　of　it；

it　was　one　of　the　earliest　properties　your　Trustees　

acquired。　They　bought　the　Salvation　Army　and　reconstructed　

it　as　this。　The　idea　in　the　first　place　was　to

give　work　to　starving　homeless　people。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Nowadays　there　are　no　workhouses；　no　refuges

and　charities；　nothing　but　that　Company。　Its　offices

are　everywhere。　That　blue　is　its　colour。　And　any

man；　woman　or　child　who　comes　to　be　hungry　and

weary　and　with　neither　home　nor　friend　nor　resort；

must　go　to　the　Company　in　the　endor　seek　some

way　of　death。　The　Euthanasy　is　beyond　their　means

for　the　poor　there　is　no　easy　death。　And　at　any

hour　in　the　day　or　night　there　is　food；　shelter　and　a

blue　uniform　for　all　comersthat　is　the　first　

condition　of　the　Company　s　incorporationand　in　return

for　a　day's　shelter　the　Company　extracts　a　day's　work；

and　then　returns　the　visitor's　proper　clothing　and

sends　him　or　her　out　again。〃



〃Yes？〃



〃Perhaps　that　does　not　seem　so　terrible　to　you。　In

your　days　men　starved　in　your　streets。　That　was　bad。

But　they　diedmen。　These　people　in　blue。　The

proverb　runs：　'Blue　canvas　once　and　ever。'　The

Company　trades　in　their　labour；　and　it　has　taken　care

to　assure　itself　of　the　supply。　People　come　to

it　starving　and　helplessthey　eat　and　sleep　for

a　night　and　day；　they　…work　for　a　day；　and　at　the

end　of　the　day　they　go　out　again。　If　they　have　worked

well　they　have　a　penny　or　soenough　for　a

theatre　or　a　cheap　dancing　place；　or　a　kinematograph

story；　or　a　dinner　or　a　bet。　They　wander　about　after

that　is　spent。　Begging　is　prevented　by　the　police　of

th