首页 >出版文学> The Man Who Was Thursday>第8章
  "Idon’tthinkofSundayonprinciple,"saidGogolsimply,"anymorethanIstareatthesunatnoonday。"
  "Well,thatisapointofview,"saidSymethoughtfully。"Whatdoyousay,Professor?"
  TheProfessorwaswalkingwithbentheadandtrailingstick,andhedidnotansweratall。
  "Wakeup,Professor!"saidSymegenially。"TelluswhatyouthinkofSunday。"
  TheProfessorspokeatlastveryslowly。
  "Ithinksomething,"hesaid,"thatIcannotsayclearly。Or,rather,IthinksomethingthatIcannoteventhinkclearly。Butitissomethinglikethis。Myearlylife,asyouknow,wasabittoolargeandloose。
  Well,whenIsawSunday’sfaceIthoughtitwastoolarge——
  everybodydoes,butIalsothoughtitwastooloose。Thefacewassobig,thatonecouldn’tfocusitormakeitafaceatall。
  Theeyewassofarawayfromthenose,thatitwasn’taneye。
  Themouthwassomuchbyitself,thatonehadtothinkofitbyitself。Thewholethingistoohardtoexplain。"
  Hepausedforalittle,stilltrailinghisstick,andthenwenton——
  "Butputitthisway。Walkinguparoadatnight,Ihaveseenalampandalightedwindowandacloudmaketogetheramostcompleteandunmistakableface。IfanyoneinheavenhasthatfaceIshallknowhimagain。YetwhenIwalkedalittlefartherIfoundthattherewasnoface,thatthewindowwastenyardsaway,thelamptenhundredyards,thecloudbeyondtheworld。Well,Sunday’sfaceescapedme;itranawaytorightandleft,assuchchancepicturesrunaway。Andsohisfacehasmademe,somehow,doubtwhetherthereareanyfaces。Idon’tknowwhetheryourface,Bull,isafaceoracombinationinperspective。Perhapsoneblackdiscofyourbeastlyglassesisquitecloseandanotherfiftymilesaway。Oh,thedoubtsofamaterialistarenotworthadump。Sundayhastaughtmethelastandtheworstdoubts,thedoubtsofaspiritualist。IamaBuddhist,Isuppose;andBuddhismisnotacreed,itisadoubt。MypoordearBull,Idonotbelievethatyoureallyhaveaface。I
  havenotfaithenoughtobelieveinmatter。"
  Syme’seyeswerestillfixedupontheerrantorb,which,reddenedintheeveninglight,lookedlikesomerosierandmoreinnocentworld。
  "Haveyounoticedanoddthing,"hesaid,"aboutallyourdescriptions?EachmanofyoufindsSundayquitedifferent,yeteachmanofyoucanonlyfindonethingtocomparehimto——theuniverseitself。Bullfindshimliketheearthinspring,Gogollikethesunatnoonday。TheSecretaryisremindedoftheshapelessprotoplasm,andtheInspectorofthecarelessnessofvirginforests。TheProfessorsaysheislikeachanginglandscape。Thisisqueer,butitisqueererstillthatIalsohavehadmyoddnotionaboutthePresident,andIalsofindthatIthinkofSundayasIthinkofthewholeworld。"
  "Getonalittlefaster,Syme,"saidBull;"nevermindtheballoon。"
  "WhenIfirstsawSunday,"saidSymeslowly,"Ionlysawhisback;
  andwhenIsawhisback,Iknewhewastheworstmanintheworld。
  Hisneckandshoulderswerebrutal,likethoseofsomeapishgod。
  Hisheadhadastoopthatwashardlyhuman,likethestoopofanox。Infact,Ihadatoncetherevoltingfancythatthiswasnotamanatall,butabeastdressedupinmen’sclothes。"
  "Geton,"saidDr。Bull。
  "Andthenthequeerthinghappened。Ihadseenhisbackfromthestreet,ashesatinthebalcony。ThenIenteredthehotel,andcomingroundtheothersideofhim,sawhisfaceinthesunlight。
  Hisfacefrightenedme,asitdideveryone;butnotbecauseitwasbrutal,notbecauseitwasevil。Onthecontrary,itfrightenedmebecauseitwassobeautiful,becauseitwassogood。"
  "Syme,"exclaimedtheSecretary,"areyouill?"
  "Itwaslikethefaceofsomeancientarchangel,judgingjustlyafterheroicwars。Therewaslaughterintheeyes,andinthemouthhonourandsorrow。Therewasthesamewhitehair,thesamegreat,grey—cladshouldersthatIhadseenfrombehind。ButwhenIsawhimfrombehindIwascertainhewasananimal,andwhenIsawhiminfrontIknewhewasagod。"
  "Pan,"saidtheProfessordreamily,"wasagodandananimal。"
  "Then,andagainandalways,"wentonSymelikeamantalkingtohimself,"thathasbeenformethemysteryofSunday,anditisalsothemysteryoftheworld。WhenIseethehorribleback,Iamsurethenoblefaceisbutamask。WhenIseethefacebutforaninstant,Iknowthebackisonlyajest。Badissobad,thatwecannotbutthinkgoodanaccident;goodissogood,thatwefeelcertainthatevilcouldbeexplained。ButthewholecametoakindofcrestyesterdaywhenIracedSundayforthecab,andwasjustbehindhimalltheway。"
  "Hadyoutimeforthinkingthen?"askedRatcliffe。
  "Time,"repliedSyme,"foroneoutrageousthought。Iwassuddenlypossessedwiththeideathattheblind,blankbackofhisheadreallywashisface——anawful,eyelessfacestaringatme!AndI
  fanciedthatthefigurerunninginfrontofmewasreallyafigurerunningbackwards,anddancingasheran。"
  "Horrible!"saidDr。Bull,andshuddered。
  "Horribleisnottheword,"saidSyme。"Itwasexactlytheworstinstantofmylife。Andyettenminutesafterwards,whenheputhisheadoutofthecabandmadeagrimacelikeagargoyle,Iknewthathewasonlylikeafatherplayinghide—and—seekwithhischildren。"
  "Itisalonggame,"saidtheSecretary,andfrownedathisbrokenboots。
  "Listentome,"criedSymewithextraordinaryemphasis。"ShallI
  tellyouthesecretofthewholeworld?Itisthatwehaveonlyknownthebackoftheworld。Weseeeverythingfrombehind,anditlooksbrutal。Thatisnotatree,butthebackofatree。Thatisnotacloud,butthebackofacloud。Cannotyouseethateverythingisstoopingandhidingaface?Ifwecouldonlygetroundinfront——"
  "Look!"criedoutBullclamorously,"theballooniscomingdown!"
  TherewasnoneedtocryouttoSyme,whohadnevertakenhiseyesoffit。Hesawthegreatluminousglobesuddenlystaggerinthesky,rightitself,andthensinkslowlybehindthetreeslikeasettingsun。
  ThemancalledGogol,whohadhardlyspokenthroughalltheirwearytravels,suddenlythrewuphishandslikealostspirit。
  "Heisdead!"hecried。"AndnowIknowhewasmyfriend——myfriendinthedark!"
  "Dead!"snortedtheSecretary。"Youwillnotfindhimdeadeasily。
  Ifhehasbeentippedoutofthecar,weshallfindhimrollingasacoltrollsinafield,kickinghislegsforfun。"
  "Clashinghishoofs,"saidtheProfessor。"Thecoltsdo,andsodidPan。"
  "Panagain!"saidDr。Bullirritably。"YouseemtothinkPaniseverything。"
  "Soheis,"saidtheProfessor,"inGreek。Hemeanseverything。"
  "Don’tforget,"saidtheSecretary,lookingdown,"thathealsomeansPanic。"
  Symehadstoodwithouthearinganyoftheexclamations。
  "Itfelloverthere,"hesaidshortly。"Letusfollowit!"
  Thenheaddedwithanindescribablegesture——
  "Oh,ifhehascheatedusallbygettingkilled!Itwouldbelikeoneofhislarks。"
  Hestrodeofftowardsthedistanttreeswithanewenergy,hisragsandribbonsflutteringinthewind。Theothersfollowedhiminamorefootsoreanddubiousmanner。Andalmostatthesamemomentallsixmenrealisedthattheywerenotaloneinthelittlefield。
  Acrossthesquareofturfatallmanwasadvancingtowardsthem,leaningonastrangelongstafflikeasceptre。Hewascladinafinebutold—fashionedsuitwithknee—breeches;itscolourwasthatshadebetweenblue,violetandgreywhichcanbeseenincertainshadowsofthewoodland。Hishairwaswhitishgrey,andatthefirstglance,takenalongwithhisknee—breeches,lookedasifitwaspowdered。Hisadvancewasveryquiet;butforthesilverfrostuponhishead,hemighthavebeenonetotheshadowsofthewood。
  "Gentlemen,"hesaid,"mymasterhasacarriagewaitingforyouintheroadjustby。"
  "Whoisyourmaster?"askedSyme,standingquitestill。
  "Iwastoldyouknewhisname,"saidthemanrespectfully。
  Therewasasilence,andthentheSecretarysaid——
  "Whereisthiscarriage?"
  "Ithasbeenwaitingonlyafewmoments,"saidthestranger。"Mymasterhasonlyjustcomehome。"
  Symelookedleftandrightuponthepatchofgreenfieldinwhichhefoundhimself。Thehedgeswereordinaryhedges,thetreesseemedordinarytrees;yethefeltlikeamanentrappedinfairyland。
  Helookedthemysteriousambassadorupanddown,buthecoulddiscovernothingexceptthattheman’scoatwastheexactcolourofthepurpleshadows,andthattheman’sfacewastheexactcolouroftheredandbrownandgoldensky。
  "Showustheplace,"Symesaidbriefly,andwithoutawordthemaninthevioletcoatturnedhisbackandwalkedtowardsagapinthehedge,whichletinsuddenlythelightofawhiteroad。
  Asthesixwanderersbrokeoutuponthisthoroughfare,theysawthewhiteroadblockedbywhatlookedlikealongrowofcarriages,sucharowofcarriagesasmightclosetheapproachtosomehouseinParkLane。Alongthesideofthesecarriagesstoodarankofsplendidservants,alldressedinthegrey—blueuniform,andallhavingacertainqualityofstatelinessandfreedomwhichwouldnotcommonlybelongtotheservantsofagentleman,butrathertotheofficialsandambassadorsofagreatking。Therewerenolessthansixcarriageswaiting,oneforeachofthetatteredandmiserableband。Alltheattendants(asifincourt—dress)woreswords,andaseachmancrawledintohiscarriagetheydrewthem,andsalutedwithasuddenblazeofsteel。
  "Whatcanitallmean?"askedBullofSymeastheyseparated。"IsthisanotherjokeofSunday’s?"
  "Idon’tknow,"saidSymeashesankwearilybackinthecushionsofhiscarriage;"butifitis,it’soneofthejokesyoutalkabout。It’sagood—naturedone。"
  Thesixadventurershadpassedthroughmanyadventures,butnotonehadcarriedthemsoutterlyofftheirfeetasthislastadventureofcomfort。Theyhadallbecomeinuredtothingsgoingroughly;butthingssuddenlygoingsmoothlyswampedthem。Theycouldnotevenfeeblyimaginewhatthecarriageswere;itwasenoughforthemtoknowthattheywerecarriages,andcarriageswithcushions。Theycouldnotconceivewhotheoldmanwaswhohadledthem;butitwasquiteenoughthathehadcertainlyledthemtothecarriages。
  Symedrovethroughadriftingdarknessoftreesinutterabandonment。Itwastypicalofhimthatwhilehehadcarriedhisbeardedchinforwardfiercelysolongasanythingcouldbedone,whenthewholebusinesswastakenoutofhishandshefellbackonthecushionsinafrankcollapse。
  Verygraduallyandveryvaguelyherealisedintowhatrichroadsthecarriagewascarryinghim。Hesawthattheypassedthestonegatesofwhatmighthavebeenapark,thattheybegangraduallytoclimbahillwhich,whilewoodedonbothsides,wassomewhatmoreorderlythanaforest。Thentherebegantogrowuponhim,asuponamanslowlywakingfromahealthysleep,apleasureineverything。
  Hefeltthatthehedgeswerewhathedgesshouldbe,livingwalls;
  thatahedgeislikeahumanarmy,disciplined,butallthemorealive。Hesawhighelmsbehindthehedges,andvaguelythoughthowhappyboyswouldbeclimbingthere。Thenhiscarriagetookaturnofthepath,andhesawsuddenlyandquietly,likealong,low,sunsetcloud,along,lowhouse,mellowinthemildlightofsunset。Allthesixfriendscomparednotesafterwardsandquarrelled;buttheyallagreedthatinsomeunaccountablewaytheplaceremindedthemoftheirboyhood。Itwaseitherthiselm—toporthatcrookedpath,itwaseitherthisscrapoforchardorthatshapeofawindow;buteachmanofthemdeclaredthathecouldrememberthisplacebeforehecouldrememberhismother。
  Whenthecarriageseventuallyrolleduptoalarge,low,cavernousgateway,anothermaninthesameuniform,butwearingasilverstaronthegreybreastofhiscoat,cameouttomeetthem。ThisimpressivepersonsaidtothebewilderedSyme——
  "Refreshmentsareprovidedforyouinyourroom。"
  Syme,undertheinfluenceofthesamemesmericsleepofamazement,wentupthelargeoakenstairsaftertherespectfulattendant。Heenteredasplendidsuiteofapartmentsthatseemedtobedesignedspeciallyforhim。Hewalkeduptoalongmirrorwiththeordinaryinstinctofhisclass,topullhistiestraightortosmoothhishair;andtherehesawthefrightfulfigurethathewas——bloodrunningdownhisfacefromwheretheboughhadstruckhim,hishairstandingoutlikeyellowragsofrankgrass,hisclothestornintolong,waveringtatters。Atoncethewholeenigmasprangup,simplyasthequestionofhowhehadgotthere,andhowhewastogetoutagain。Exactlyatthesamemomentamaninblue,whohadbeenappointedashisvalet,saidverysolemnly——
  "Ihaveputoutyourclothes,sir。"
  "Clothes!"saidSymesardonically。"Ihavenoclothesexceptthese,"andheliftedtwolongstripsofhisfrock—coatinfascinatingfestoons,andmadeamovementasiftotwirllikeaballetgirl。
  "Mymasterasksmetosay,"saidtheattendant,thatthereisafancydressballtonight,andthathedesiresyoutoputonthecostumethatIhavelaidout。Meanwhile,sir,thereisabottleofBurgundyandsomecoldpheasant,whichhehopesyouwillnotrefuse,asitissomehoursbeforesupper。"
  "Coldpheasantisagoodthing,"saidSymereflectively,"andBurgundyisaspankinggoodthing。ButreallyIdonotwanteitherofthemsomuchasIwanttoknowwhatthedevilallthismeans,andwhatsortofcostumeyouhavegotlaidoutforme。Whereisit?"
  Theservantliftedoffakindofottomanalongpeacock—bluedrapery,ratherofthenatureofadomino,onthefrontofwhichwasemblazonedalargegoldensun,andwhichwassplashedhereandtherewithflamingstarsandcrescents。
  "You’retobedressedasThursday,sir,"saidthevaletsomewhataffably。
  "DressedasThursday!"saidSymeinmeditation。"Itdoesn’tsoundawarmcostume。"
  "Oh,yes,sir,"saidtheothereagerly,"theThursdaycostumeisquitewarm,sir。Itfastensuptothechin。"
  "Well,Idon’tunderstandanything,"saidSyme,sighing。"Ihavebeenusedsolongtouncomfortableadventuresthatcomfortableadventuresknockmeout。Still,ImaybeallowedtoaskwhyI
  shouldbeparticularlylikeThursdayinagreenfrockspottedalloverwiththesunandmoon。Thoseorbs,Ithink,shineonotherdays。IoncesawthemoononTuesday,Iremember。"
  "Begpardon,sir,"saidthevalet,"Biblealsoprovidedforyou,"
  andwitharespectfulandrigidfingerhepointedoutapassageinthefirstchapterofGenesis。Symereaditwondering。Itwasthatinwhichthefourthdayoftheweekisassociatedwiththecreationofthesunandmoon。Here,however,theyreckonedfromaChristianSunday。
  "Thisisgettingwilderandwilder,"saidSyme,ashesatdowninachair。"WhoarethesepeoplewhoprovidecoldpheasantandBurgundy,andgreenclothesandBibles?Dotheyprovideeverything?"
  "Yes,sir,everything,"saidtheattendantgravely。"ShallIhelpyouonwithyourcostume?"
  "Oh,hitchtheballythingon!"saidSymeimpatiently。
  Butthoughheaffectedtodespisethemummery,hefeltacuriousfreedomandnaturalnessinhismovementsastheblueandgoldgarmentfellabouthim;andwhenhefoundthathehadtowearasword,itstirredaboyishdream。Ashepassedoutoftheroomheflungthefoldsacrosshisshoulderwithagesture,hisswordstoodoutatanangle,andhehadalltheswaggerofatroubadour。
  Forthesedisguisesdidnotdisguise,butreveal。
  CHAPTERXV
  THEACCUSER
  ASSymestrodealongthecorridorhesawtheSecretarystandingatthetopofagreatflightofstairs。Themanhadneverlookedsonoble。Hewasdrapedinalongrobeofstarlessblack,downthecentreofwhichfellabandorbroadstripeofpurewhite,likeasingleshaftoflight。Thewholelookedlikesomeverysevereecclesiasticalvestment。TherewasnoneedforSymetosearchhismemoryortheBibleinordertorememberthatthefirstdayofcreationmarkedthemerecreationoflightoutofdarkness。Thevestmentitselfwouldalonehavesuggestedthesymbol;andSymefeltalsohowperfectlythispatternofpurewhiteandblackexpressedthesoulofthepaleandaustereSecretary,withhisinhumanveracityandhiscoldfrenzy,whichmadehimsoeasilymakewarontheanarchists,andyetsoeasilypassforoneofthem。Symewasscarcelysurprisedtonoticethat,amidalltheeaseandhospitalityoftheirnewsurroundings,thisman’seyeswerestillstern。NosmellofaleororchardscouldmaketheSecretaryceasetoaskareasonablequestion。
  IfSymehadbeenabletoseehimself,hewouldhaverealisedthathe,too,seemedtobeforthefirsttimehimselfandnooneelse。
  ForiftheSecretarystoodforthatphilosopherwholovestheoriginalandformlesslight,Symewasatypeofthepoetwhoseeksalwaystomakethelightinspecialshapes,tosplititupintosunandstar。Thephilosophermaysometimeslovetheinfinite;thepoetalwayslovesthefinite。Forhimthegreatmomentisnotthecreationoflight,butthecreationofthesunandmoon。
  AstheydescendedthebroadstairstogethertheyovertookRatcliffe,whowascladinspringgreenlikeahuntsman,andthepatternuponwhosegarmentwasagreentangleoftrees。Forhestoodforthatthirddayonwhichtheearthandgreenthingsweremade,andhissquare,sensibleface,withitsnotunfriendlycynicism,seemedappropriateenoughtoit。
  TheywereledoutofanotherbroadandlowgatewayintoaverylargeoldEnglishgarden,fulloftorchesandbonfires,bythebrokenlightofwhichavastcarnivalofpeopleweredancinginmotleydress。SymeseemedtoseeeveryshapeinNatureimitatedinsomecrazycostume。Therewasamandressedasawindmillwithenormoussails,amandressedasanelephant,amandressedasaballoon;thetwolast,together,seemedtokeepthethreadoftheirfarcicaladventures。Symeevensaw,withaqueerthrill,onedancerdressedlikeanenormoushornbill,withabeaktwiceasbigashimself——thequeerbirdwhichhadfixeditselfonhisfancylikealivingquestionwhilehewasrushingdownthelongroadattheZoologicalGardens。Therewereathousandothersuchobjects,however。Therewasadancinglamp—post,adancingappletree,adancingship。Onewouldhavethoughtthattheuntamabletuneofsomemadmusicianhadsetallthecommonobjectsoffieldandstreetdancinganeternaljig。Andlongafterwards,whenSymewasmiddle—agedandatrest,hecouldneverseeoneofthoseparticularobjects——alamppost,oranappletree,orawindmill——
  withoutthinkingthatitwasastrayedrevellerfromthatrevelofmasquerade。
  Ononesideofthislawn,alivewithdancers,wasasortofgreenbank,liketheterraceinsuchold—fashionedgardens。
  Alongthis,inakindofcrescent,stoodsevengreatchairs,thethronesofthesevendays。GogolandDr。Bullwerealreadyintheirseats;theProfessorwasjustmountingtohis。Gogol,orTuesday,hadhissimplicitywellsymbolisedbyadressdesigneduponthedivisionofthewaters,adressthatseparateduponhisforeheadandfelltohisfeet,greyandsilver,likeasheetofrain。TheProfessor,whosedaywasthatonwhichthebirdsandfishes——theruderformsoflife——werecreated,hadadressofdimpurple,overwhichsprawledgoggle—eyedfishesandoutrageoustropicalbirds,theunioninhimofunfathomablefancyandofdoubt。Dr。Bull,thelastdayofCreation,woreacoatcoveredwithheraldicanimalsinredandgold,andonhiscrestamanrampant。Helaybackinhischairwithabroadsmile,thepictureofanoptimistinhiselement。
  Onebyonethewanderersascendedthebankandsatintheirstrangeseats。Aseachofthemsatdownaroarofenthusiasmrosefromthecarnival,suchasthatwithwhichcrowdsreceivekings。
  Cupswereclashedandtorchesshaken,andfeatheredhatsflungintheair。Themenforwhomthesethroneswerereservedweremencrownedwithsomeextraordinarylaurels。Butthecentralchairwasempty。
  SymewasonthelefthandofitandtheSecretaryontheright。
  TheSecretarylookedacrosstheemptythroneatSyme,andsaid,compressinghislips——
  "Wedonotknowyetthatheisnotdeadinafield。"
  AlmostasSymeheardthewords,hesawontheseaofhumanfacesinfrontofhimafrightfulandbeautifulalteration,asifheavenhadopenedbehindhishead。ButSundayhadonlypassedsilentlyalongthefrontlikeashadow,andhadsatinthecentralseat。Hewasdrapedplainly,inapureandterriblewhite,andhishairwaslikeasilverflameonhisforehead。
  Foralongtime——itseemedforhours——thathugemasqueradeofmankindswayedandstampedinfrontofthemtomarchingandexultantmusic。Everycoupledancingseemedaseparateromance;
  itmightbeafairydancingwithapillar—box,orapeasantgirldancingwiththemoon;butineachcaseitwas,somehow,asabsurdasAliceinWonderland,yetasgraveandkindasalovestory。Atlast,however,thethickcrowdbegantothinitself。
  Couplesstrolledawayintothegarden—walks,orbegantodrifttowardsthatendofthebuildingwherestoodsmoking,inhugepotslikefish—kettles,somehotandscentedmixturesofoldaleorwine。Aboveallthese,uponasortofblackframeworkontheroofofthehouse,roaredinitsironbasketagiganticbonfire,whichlitupthelandformiles。Itflungthehomelyeffectoffirelightoverthefaceofvastforestsofgreyorbrown,anditseemedtofillwithwarmtheventheemptinessofuppernight。
  Yetthisalso,afteratime,wasallowedtogrowfainter;thedimgroupsgatheredmoreandmoreroundthegreatcauldrons,orpassed,laughingandclattering,intotheinnerpassagesofthatancienthouse。Soontherewereonlysometenloiterersinthegarden;soononlyfour。Finallythelaststraymerry—makerranintothehousewhoopingtohiscompanions。Thefirefaded,andtheslow,strongstarscameout。Andthesevenstrangemenwereleftalone,likesevenstonestatuesontheirchairsofstone。
  Notoneofthemhadspokenaword。
  Theyseemedinnohastetodoso,butheardinsilencethehumofinsectsandthedistantsongofonebird。ThenSundayspoke,butsodreamilythathemighthavebeencontinuingaconversationratherthanbeginningone。
  "Wewilleatanddrinklater,"hesaid。"Letusremaintogetheralittle,wewhohavelovedeachothersosadly,andhavefoughtsolong。Iseemtorememberonlycenturiesofheroicwar,inwhichyouwerealwaysheroes——epiconepic,iliadoniliad,andyoualwaysbrothersinarms。Whetheritwasbutrecently(fortimeisnothing),oratthebeginningoftheworld,Isentyououttowar。Isatinthedarkness,wherethereisnotanycreatedthing,andtoyouIwasonlyavoicecommandingvalourandanunnaturalvirtue。Youheardthevoiceinthedark,andyouneverhearditagain。Thesuninheavendeniedit,theearthandskydeniedit,allhumanwisdomdeniedit。AndwhenImetyouinthedaylightI
  denieditmyself。"
  Symestirredsharplyinhisseat,butotherwisetherewassilence,andtheincomprehensiblewenton。
  "Butyouweremen。Youdidnotforgetyoursecrethonour,thoughthewholecosmosturnedanengineoftorturetotearitoutofyou。Iknewhownearyouweretohell。Iknowhowyou,Thursday,crossedswordswithKingSatan,andhowyou,Wednesday,namedmeinthehourwithouthope。"
  Therewascompletesilenceinthestarlitgarden,andthentheblack—browedSecretary,implacable,turnedinhischairtowardsSunday,andsaidinaharshvoice——
  "Whoandwhatareyou?"
  "IamtheSabbath,"saidtheotherwithoutmoving。"IamthepeaceofGod。"
  TheSecretarystartedup,andstoodcrushinghiscostlyrobeinhishand。
  "Iknowwhatyoumean,"hecried,"anditisexactlythatthatI
  cannotforgiveyou。Iknowyouarecontentment,optimism,whatdotheycallthething,anultimatereconciliation。Well,Iamnotreconciled。Ifyouwerethemaninthedarkroom,whywereyoualsoSunday,anoffensetothesunlight?Ifyouwerefromthefirstourfatherandourfriend,whywereyoualsoourgreatestenemy?Wewept,wefledinterror;theironenteredintooursouls——andyouarethepeaceofGod!Oh,IcanforgiveGodHisanger,thoughitdestroyednations;butIcannotforgiveHimHispeace。"
  Sundayanswerednotaword,butveryslowlyheturnedhisfaceofstoneuponSymeasifaskingaquestion。
  "No,"saidSyme,"Idonotfeelfiercelikethat。Iamgratefultoyou,notonlyforwineandhospitalityhere,butformanyafinescamperandfreefight。ButIshouldliketoknow。Mysoulandheartareashappyandquiethereasthisoldgarden,butmyreasonisstillcryingout。Ishouldliketoknow。"
  SundaylookedatRatcliffe,whoseclearvoicesaid——
  "Itseemssosillythatyoushouldhavebeenonbothsidesandfoughtyourself。"
  Bullsaid——
  "lunderstandnothing,butIamhappy。Infact,Iamgoingtosleep。"
  "Iamnothappy,"saidtheProfessorwithhisheadinhishands,"becauseIdonotunderstand。Youletmestrayalittletooneartohell。"
  AndthenGogolsaid,withtheabsolutesimplicityofachild——
  "IwishIknewwhyIwashurtsomuch。"
  StillSundaysaidnothing,butonlysatwithhismightychinuponhishand,andgazedatthedistance。Thenatlasthesaid——
  "Ihaveheardyourcomplaintsinorder。Andhere,Ithink,comesanothertocomplain,andwewillhearhimalso。"
  Thefallingfireinthegreatcressetthrewalastlonggleam,likeabarofburninggold,acrossthedimgrass。Againstthisfierybandwasoutlinedinutterblacktheadvancinglegsofablack—cladfigure。Heseemedtohaveafineclosesuitwithknee—breechessuchasthatwhichwaswornbytheservantsofthehouse,onlythatitwasnotblue,butofthisabsolutesable。Hehad,liketheservants,akindofwordbyhisside。Itwasonlywhenhehadcomequiteclosetothecrescentofthesevenandflunguphisfacetolookatthem,thatSymesaw,withthunder—struckclearness,thatthefacewasthebroad,almostape—likefaceofhisoldfriendGregory,withitsrankredhairanditsinsultingsmile。
  "Gregory!"gaspedSyme,half—risingfromhisseat。"Why,thisistherealanarchist!"
  "Yes,"saidGregory,withagreatanddangerousrestraint,"Iamtherealanarchist。"
  "’Nowtherewasaday,’"murmuredBull,whoseemedreallytohavefallenasleep,"’whenthesonsofGodcametopresentthemselvesbeforetheLord,andSatancamealsoamongthem。’"
  "Youareright,"saidGregory,andgazedallround。"Iamadestroyer。IwoulddestroytheworldifIcould。"
  AsenseofapathosfarundertheearthstirredupinSyme,andhespokebrokenlyandwithoutsequence。
  "Oh,mostunhappyman,"hecried,"trytobehappy!Youhaveredhairlikeyoursister。"
  "Myredhair,likeredflames,shallburnuptheworld,"saidGregory。"IthoughtIhatedeverythingmorethancommonmencanhateanything;butIfindthatIdonothateeverythingsomuchasIhateyou!"
  "Ineverhatedyou,"saidSymeverysadly。
  Thenoutofthisunintelligiblecreaturethelastthundersbroke。
  "You!"hecried。"Youneverhatedbecauseyouneverlived。Iknowwhatyouareallofyou,fromfirsttolast——youarethepeopleinpower!Youarethepolice——thegreatfat,smilingmeninblueandbuttons!YouaretheLaw,andyouhaveneverbeenbroken。Butisthereafreesoulalivethatdoesnotlongtobreakyou,onlybecauseyouhaveneverbeenbroken?WeinrevolttalkallkindofnonsensedoubtlessaboutthiscrimeorthatcrimeoftheGovernment。Itisallfolly!TheonlycrimeoftheGovernmentisthatitgoverns。Theunpardonablesinofthesupremepoweristhatitissupreme。Idonotcurseyouforbeingcruel。Idonotcurseyou(thoughImight)forbeingkind。Icurseyouforbeingsafe!Yousitinyourchairsofstone,andhavenevercomedownfromthem。Youarethesevenangelsofheaven,andyouhavehadnotroubles。Oh,Icouldforgiveyoueverything,youthatruleallmankind,ifIcouldfeelforoncethatyouhadsufferedforonehourarealagonysuchasI——"
  Symesprangtohisfeet,shakingfromheadtofoot。
  "Iseeeverything,"hecried,"everythingthatthereis。Whydoeseachthingontheearthwaragainsteachotherthing?Whydoeseachsmallthingintheworldhavetofightagainsttheworlditself?Whydoesaflyhavetofightthewholeuniverse?Whydoesadandelionhavetofightthewholeuniverse?ForthesamereasonthatIhadtobealoneinthedreadfulCounciloftheDays。Sothateachthingthatobeyslawmayhavethegloryandisolationoftheanarchist。Sothateachmanfightingforordermaybeasbraveandgoodamanasthedynamiter。SothatthereallieofSatanmaybeflungbackinthefaceofthisblasphemer,sothatbytearsandtorturewemayearntherighttosaytothisman,’Youlie!’Noagoniescanbetoogreattobuytherighttosaytothisaccuser,’Wealsohavesuffered。’
  "Itisnottruethatwehaveneverbeenbroken。Wehavebeenbrokenuponthewheel。Itisnottruethatwehaveneverdescendedfromthesethrones。Wehavedescendedintohell。Wewerecomplainingofunforgettablemiseriesevenattheverymomentwhenthismanenteredinsolentlytoaccuseusofhappiness。Irepeltheslander;
  wehavenotbeenhappy。IcananswerforeveryoneofthegreatguardsofLawwhomhehasaccused。Atleast——"
  HehadturnedhiseyessoastoseesuddenlythegreatfaceofSunday,whichworeastrangesmile。
  "Haveyou,"hecriedinadreadfulvoice,"haveyoueversuffered?"
  Ashegazed,thegreatfacegrewtoanawfulsize,grewlargerthanthecolossalmaskofMemnon,whichhadmadehimscreamasachild。
  Itgrewlargerandlarger,fillingthewholesky;theneverythingwentblack。Onlyintheblacknessbeforeitentirelydestroyedhisbrainheseemedtohearadistantvoicesayingacommonplacetextthathehadheardsomewhere,"CanyedrinkofthecupthatIdrinkof?"
  ***
  Whenmeninbooksawakefromavision,theycommonlyfindthemselvesinsomeplaceinwhichtheymighthavefallenasleep;
  theyyawninachair,orliftthemselveswithbruisedlimbsfromafield。Syme’sexperiencewassomethingmuchmorepsychologicallystrangeiftherewasindeedanythingunreal,intheearthlysense,aboutthethingshehadgonethrough。ForwhilehecouldalwaysrememberafterwardsthathehadswoonedbeforethefaceofSunday,hecouldnotrememberhavingevercometoatall。Hecouldonlyrememberthatgraduallyandnaturallyheknewthathewasandhadbeenwalkingalongacountrylanewithaneasyandconversationalcompanion。Thatcompanionhadbeenapartofhisrecentdrama;itwasthered—hairedpoetGregory。Theywerewalkinglikeoldfriends,andwereinthemiddleofaconversationaboutsometriviality。ButSymecouldonlyfeelanunnaturalbuoyancyinhisbodyandacrystalsimplicityinhismindthatseemedtobesuperiortoeverythingthathesaidordid。Hefelthewasinpossessionofsomeimpossiblegoodnews,whichmadeeveryotherthingatriviality,butanadorabletriviality。
  Dawnwasbreakingovereverythingincoloursatonceclearandtimid;asifNaturemadeafirstattemptatyellowandafirstattemptatrose。Abreezeblewsocleanandsweet,thatonecouldnotthinkthatitblewfromthesky;itblewratherthroughsomeholeinthesky。Symefeltasimplesurprisewhenhesawrisingallroundhimonbothsidesoftheroadthered,irregularbuildingsofSaffronPark。HehadnoideathathehadwalkedsonearLondon。Hewalkedbyinstinctalongonewhiteroad,onwhichearlybirdshoppedandsang,andfoundhimselfoutsideafencedgarden。TherehesawthesisterofGregory,thegirlwiththegold—redhair,cuttinglilacbeforebreakfast,withthegreatunconsciousgravityofagirl。