the star-第2章

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pale　yellow　ghost　of　itself；　hanging　huge　in　the　sunset。　　In　a

South　African　City　a　great　man　had　married；　and　the　streets　were

alight　to　welcome　his　return　with　his　bride。　　〃Even　the　skies　have

illuminated；〃　said　the　flatterer。　　Under　Capricorn；　two　negro

lovers；　daring　the　wild　beasts　and　evil　spirits；　for　love　of　one

another；　crouched　together　in　a　cane　brake　where　the　fire…flies

hovered。　　〃That　is　our　star；〃　they　whispered；　and　felt　strangely

comforted　by　the　sweet　brilliance　of　its　light。



The　master　mathematician　sat　in　his　private　room　and　pushed

the　papers　from　him。　　His　calculations　were　already　finished。　　In

a　small　white　phial　there　still　remained　a　little　of　the　drug　that

had　kept　him　awake　and　active　for　four　long　nights。　　Each　day；

serene；　explicit；　patient　as　ever；　he　had　given　his　lecture　to　his

students；　and　then　had　come　back　at　once　to　this　momentous

calculation。　　His　face　was　grave；　a　little　drawn　and　hectic　from

his　drugged　activity。　　For　some　time　he　seemed　lost　in　thought。　

Then　he　went　to　the　window；　and　the　blind　went　up　with　a　click。　

Half　way　up　the　sky；　over　the　clustering　roofs；　chimneys　and

steeples　of　the　city；　hung　the　star。



He　looked　at　it　as　one　might　look　into　the　eyes　of　a　brave

enemy。　　〃You　may　kill　me；〃　he　said　after　a　silence。　　〃But　I　can

hold　youand　all　the　universe　for　that　matterin　the　grip　of　this

little　brain。　　I　would　not　change。　　Even　now。〃



He　looked　at　the　little　phial。　　〃There　will　be　no　need　of

sleep　again；〃　he　said。　　The　next　day　at　noonpunctual　to　the

minute；　he　entered　his　lecture　theatre；　put　his　hat　on　the　end　of

the　table　as　his　habit　was；　and　carefully　selected　a　large　piece　of

chalk。　　It　was　a　joke　among　his　students　that　he　could　not　lecture

without　that　piece　of　chalk　to　fumble　in　his　fingers；　and　once　he

had　been　stricken　to　impotence　by　their　hiding　his　supply。　　He　came

and　looked　under　his　grey　eyebrows　at　the　rising　tiers　of　young

fresh　faces；　and　spoke　with　his　accustomed　studied　commonness　of

phrasing。　　〃Circumstances　have　arisencircumstances　beyond　my

control；〃　he　said　and　paused；　〃which　will　debar　me　from　completing

the　course　I　had　designed。　　It　would　seem；　gentlemen；　if　I　may　put

the　thing　clearly　and　briefly；　thatMan　has　lived　in　vain。〃



The　students　glanced　at　one　another。　　Had　they　heard　aright？　

Mad？　　Raised　eyebrows　and　grinning　lips　there　were；　but　one　or　two

faces　remained　intent　upon　his　calm　grey…fringed　face。　　〃It　will　be

interesting；〃　he　was　saying；　〃to　devote　this　morning　to　an

exposition；　so　far　as　I　can　make　it　clear　to　you；　of　the

calculations　that　have　led　me　to　this　conclusion。　　Let　us　assume〃



He　turned　towards　the　blackboard；　meditating　a　diagram　in　the

way　that　was　usual　to　him。　　〃What　was　that　about　'lived　in　vain？'〃

whispered　one　student　to　another。　　〃Listen；〃　said　the　other；

nodding　towards　the　lecturer。



And　presently　they　began　to　understand。



That　night　the　star　rose　later；　for　its　proper　eastward　motion

had　carried　it　some　way　across　Leo　towards　Virgo；　and　its

brightness　was　so　great　that　the　sky　became　a　luminous　blue　as　it

rose；　and　every　star　was　hidden　in　its　turn；　save　only　Jupiter　near

the　zenith；　Capella；　Aldebaran；　Sirius　and　the　pointers　of　the

Bear。　　It　was　very　white　and　beautiful。　　In　many　parts　of　the　world

that　night　a　pallid　halo　encircled　it　about。　　It　was　perceptibly

larger；　in　the　clear　refractive　sky　of　the　tropics　it　seemed　as　if

it　were　nearly　a　quarter　the　size　of　the　moon。　　The　frost　was　still

on　the　ground　in　England；　but　the　world　was　as　brightly　lit　as　if

it　were　midsummer　moonlight。　　One　could　see　to　read　quite　ordinary

print　by　that　cold　clear　light；　and　in　the　cities　the　lamps　burnt

yellow　and　wan。



And　everywhere　the　world　was　awake　that　night；　and　throughout

Christendom　a　sombre　murmur　hung　in　the　keen　air　over　the　country

side　like　the　belling　of　bees　in　the　heather；　and　this　murmurous

tumult　grew　to　a　clangour　in　the　cities。　　It　was　the　tolling　of　the

bells　in　a　million　belfry　towers　and　steeples；　summoning　the　people

to　sleep　no　more；　to　sin　no　more；　but　to　gather　in　their　churches

and　pray。　　And　overhead；　growing　larger　and　brighter　as　the　earth

rolled　on　its　way　and　the　night　passed；　rose　the　dazzling　star。



And　the　streets　and　houses　were　alight　in　all　the　cities；　the

shipyards　glared；　and　whatever　roads　led　to　high　country　were　lit

and　crowded　all　night　long。　　And　in　all　the　seas　about　the

civilised　lands；　ships　with　throbbing　engines；　and　ships　with

bellying　sails；　crowded　with　men　and　living　creatures；　were

standing　out　to　ocean　and　the　north。　　For　already　the　warning　of

the　master　mathematician　had　been　telegraphed　all　over　the　world；

and　translated　into　a　hundred　tongues。　　The　new　planet　and　Neptune；

locked　in　a　fiery　embrace；　were　whirling　headlong；　ever　faster　and

faster　towards　the　sun。　　Already　every　second　this　blazing　mass

flew　a　hundred　miles；　and　every　second　its　terrific　velocity

increased。　　As　it　flew　now；　indeed；　it　must　pass　a　hundred　million

of　miles　wide　of　the　earth　and　scarcely　affect　it。　　But　near　its

destined　path；　as　yet　only　slightly　perturbed；　spun　the　mighty

planet　Jupiter　and　his　moons　sweeping　splendid　round　the　sun。　　

Every　moment　now　the　attraction　between　the　fiery　star　and　the

greatest　of　the　planets　grew　stronger。　　And　the　result　of　that

attraction？　　Inevitably　Jupiter　would　be　deflected　from　its　orbit

into　an　elliptical　path；　and　the　burning　star；　swung　by　his

attraction　wide　of　its　sunward　rush；　would　〃describe　a　curved　path〃

and　perhaps　collide　with；　and　certainly　pass　very　close　to；　our

earth。　　〃Earthquakes；　volcanic　outbreaks；　cyclones；　sea　waves；

floods；　and　a　steady　rise　in　temperature　to　I　know　not　what

limit〃so　prophesied　the　master　mathematician。



And　overhead；　to　carry　out　his　words；　lonely　and　cold　and

livid；　blazed　the　star　of　the　coming　doom。



To　many　who　stared　at　it　that　night　until　their　eyes　ached；　it

seemed　that　it　was　visibly　approaching。　　And　that　night；　too；　the

weather　changed；　and　the　frost　that　had　gripped　all　Central　Europe

and　France　and　England　softened　towards　a　thaw。



But　you　must　not　imagine　because　I　have　spoken　of　people

praying　through　the　night　and　people　going　aboard　ships　and　people

fleeing　toward　mountainous　country　that　the　whole　world　was　already

in　a　terror　because　of　the　star。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　use　and　wont

still　ruled　the　world；　and　save　for　the　talk　of　idle　moments　and

the　splendour　of　the　night；　nine　human　beings　out　of　ten　were　still

busy　at　their　common　occupations。　　In　all　the　cities　the　shops；

save　one　here　and　there；　opened　and　closed　at　their　proper　hours；

the　doctor　and　the　undertaker　plied　their　trades；　the　workers

gathered　in　the　factories；　soldiers　drilled；　scholars　studied；

lovers　sought　one　another；　thieves　lurked　and　fled；　politicians

planned　their　schemes。　　The　presses　of　the　newspapers　roared

through　the　night；　and　many　a　priest　of　this　church　and　that　would

not　open　his　holy　building　to　further　what　he　considered　a　foolish

panic。　　The　newspapers　insisted　on　the　lesson　of　the　year　1000for

then；　too；　people　had　anticipated　the　end。　　The　star　was　no

starmere　gasa　comet；　and　were　it　a　star　it　could　not　possibly

strike　the　earth。　　There　was　no　precedent　for　such　a　thing。　　Common

sense　was　sturdy　everywhere；　scornful；　jesting；　a　little　inclined

to　persecute　the

obdurate　fearful。　　That　night；　at　seven…fifteen　by　Greenwich　time；

the　star　would　be　at　its　nearest　to　Jupiter。　　Then　the　world　would

see　the　turn　things　would　take。　　The　master　mathematician's　grim

warnings　were　treated　by　many　as　so　much　mere　elaborate

self…advertisement。　　Common　sense　at　last；　a　little　heated　by

argument；　signified　its　unalterable　convictions　by　going　to　bed。　

So；　too；　barbarism　and　savagery；　already　tired　of　the　novelty；　went

about　their　nightly　business；　and　save　for　a　howling　dog　here　and

there；　the　beast　world　left　the　sta