a dream of armageddom-第2章

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with　all　pleasant　and　gracious　things〃



He　stopped；　and　his　face　was　downcast　and　hidden。　　Then　he

looked　up　at　me　and　went　on；　making　no　further　attempt　to　disguise

his　absolute　belief　in　the　reality　of　his　story。



〃You　see；　I　had　thrown　up　my　plans　and　ambitions；　thrown　up

all　I　had　ever　worked　for　or　desired　for　her　sake。　　I　had　been　a

master　man　away　there　in　the　north；　with　influence　and　property　and

a　great　reputation；　but　none　of　it　had　seemed　worth　having　beside

her。　　I　had　come　to　the　place；　this　city　of　sunny　pleasures　with

her；　and　left　all　those　things　to　wreck　and　ruin　just　to　save　a

remnant　at　least　of　my　life。　　While　I　had　been　in　love　with　her

before　I　knew　that　she　had　any　care　for　me；　before　I　had　imagined

that　she　would　darethat　we　should　dare；　all　my　life　had　seemed

vain　and　hollow；　dust　and　ashes。　　It　was　dust　and　ashes。　　Night

after　night　and　through　the　long　days　I　had　longed　and　desiredmy

soul　had　beaten　against　the　thing　forbidden！



〃But　it　is　impossible　for　one　man　to　tell　another　just　these

things。　　It's　emotion；　it's　a　tint；　a　light　that　comes　and　goes。　

Only　while　it's　there；　everything　changes；　everything。　　The　thing

is　I　came　away　and　left　them　in　their　Crisis　to　do　what　they

could。〃



〃Left　whom？〃　I　asked；　puzzled。



〃The　people　up　in　the　north　there。　　You　seein　this　dream；

anyhowI　had　been　a　big　man；　the　sort　of　man　men　come　to　trust　in；

to　group　themselves　about。　　Millions　of　men　who　had　never　seen　me

were　ready　to　do　things　and　risk　things　because　of　their　confidence

in　me。　　I　had　been　playing　that　game　for　years；　that　big　laborious

game；　that　vague；　monstrous　political　game　amidst　intrigues　and

betrayals；　speech　and　agitation。　　It　was　a　vast　weltering　world；

and　at　last　I　had　a　sort　of　leadership　against　the　Gangyou　know

it　was　called　the　Ganga　sort　of　compromise　of　scoundrelly

projects　and　base　ambitions　and　vast　public　emotional　stupidities

and　catch…wordsthe　Gang　that　kept　the　world　noisy　and　blind　year

by　year；　and　all　the　while　that　it　was　drifting；　drifting　towards

infinite　disaster。　　But　I　can't　expect　you　to　understand　the　shades

and　complications　of　the　yearthe　year　something　or　other　ahead。　

I　had　it　alldown　to　the　smallest　detailsin　my　dream。　　I　suppose

I　had　been　dreaming　of　it　before　I　awoke；　and　the　fading　outline　of

some　queer　new　development　I　had　imagined　still　hung　about　me　as　I

rubbed　my　eyes。　　It　was　some　grubby　affair　that　made　me　thank　God

for　the　sunlight。　　I　sat　up　on　the　couch　and　remained　looking　at

the　woman　and　rejoicingrejoicing　that　I　had　come　away　out　of　all

that　tumult　and　folly　and　violence　before　it　was　too　late。　　After

all；　I　thought；　this　is　lifelove　and　beauty；　desire　and　delight；

are　they　not　worth　all　those　dismal　struggles　for　vague；　gigantic

ends？　　And　I　blamed　myself　for　having　ever　sought　to　be　a　leader

when　I　might　have　given　my　days　to　love。　　But　then；　thought　I；　if

I　had　not　spent　my　early　days　sternly　and　austerely；　I　might　have

wasted　myself　upon　vain　and　worthless　women；　and　at　the　thought　all

my　being　went　out　in　love　and　tenderness　to　my　dear　mistress；　my

dear　lady；　who　had　come　at　last　and　compelled　mecompelled　me　by

her　invincible　charm　for　meto　lay　that　life　aside。



〃'You　are　worth　it；'　I　said；　speaking　without　intending　her　to

hear；　'you　are　worth　it；　my　dearest　one；　worth　pride　and　praise　and

all　things。　　Love！　to　have　you　is　worth　them　all　together。〃　　And　at

the　murmur　of　my　voice　she　turned　about。



〃'Come　and　see；'　she　criedI　can　hear　her　now'come　and　see

the　sunrise　upon　Monte　Solaro。'



〃I　remember　how　I　sprang　to　my　feet　and　joined　her　at　the

balcony。　　She　put　a　white　hand　upon　my　shoulder　and　pointed　towards

great　masses　of　limestone；　flushing；　as　it　were；　into　life。　　I

looked。　　But　first　I　noted　the　sunlight　on　her　face　caressing　the

lines　of　her　cheeks　and　neck。　　How　can　I　describe　to　you　the　scene

we　had　before　us？　　We　were　at　Capri〃



〃I　have　been　there；〃　I　said。　　〃I　have　clambered　up　Monte

Solaro　and　drunk　vero　Caprimuddy　stuff　like　ciderat　the

summit。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　man　with　the　white　face；　〃then　perhaps　you　can

tell　meyou　will　know　if　this　is　indeed　Capri。　　For　in　this　life

I　have　never　been　there。　　Let　me　describe　it。　　We　were　in　a　little

room；　one　of　a　vast　multitude　of　little　rooms；　very　cool　and　sunny；

hollowed　out　of　the　limestone　of　a　sort　of　cape；　very　high　above

the　sea。　　The　whole　island；　you　know；　was　one　enormous　hotel；

complex　beyond　explaining；　and　on　the　other　side　there　were　miles

of　floating　hotels；　and　huge　floating　stages　to　which　the　flying

machines　came。　　They　called　it　a　pleasure　city。　　Of　course；　there

was　none　of　that　in　your　timerather；　I　should　say；　is　none　of

that　now。　　Of　course。　　Now！yes。



〃Well；　this　room　of　ours　was　at　the　extremity　of　the　cape；　so

that　one　could　see　east　and　west。　　Eastward　was　a　great　cliffa

thousand　feet　high　perhapscoldly　gray　except　for　one　bright　edge

of　gold；　and　beyond　it　the　Isle　of　the　Sirens；　and　a　falling　coast

that　faded　and　passed　into　the　hot　sunrise。　　And　when　one　turned　to

the　west；　distinct　and　near　was　a　little　bay；　a　little　beach　still

in　shadow。　　And　out　of　that　shadow　rose　Solaro　straight　and　tall；

flushed　and　golden　crested；　like　a　beauty　throned；　and　the　white

moon　was　floating　behind　her　in　the　sky。　　And　before　us　from　east

to　west　stretched　the　many…tinted　sea　all　dotted　with　little

sailing　boats。



〃To　the　eastward；　of　course；　these　little　boats　were　gray　and

very　minute　and　clear；　but　to　the　westward　they　were　little　boats

of　goldshining　goldalmost　like　little　flames。　　And　just　below

us　was　a　rock　with　an　arch　worn　through　it。　　The　blue　sea…water

broke　to　green　and　foam　all　round　the　rock；　and　a　galley　came

gliding　out　of　the　arch。〃



〃I　know　that　rock。〃　　I　said。　　〃I　was　nearly　drowned　there。　　It

is　called　the　Faraglioni。〃



〃I　Faraglioni？　　Yes；　she　called　it　that；〃　answered　the　man

with　the　white　face。　　〃There　was　some　storybut　that〃



He　put　his　hand　to　his　forehead　again。　　〃　No；〃　he　said；　〃I

forget　that　story。〃



〃Well；　that　is　the　first　thing　I　remember；　the　first　dream　I

had；　that　little　shaded　room　and　the　beautiful　air　and　sky　and　that

dear　lady　of　mine；　with　her　shining　arms　and　her　graceful　robe；　and

how　we　sat　and　talked　in　half　whispers　to　one　another。　　We　talked

in　whispers　not　because　there　was　any　one　to　hear；　but　because

there　was　still　such　a　freshness　of　mind　between　us　that　our

thoughts　were　a　little　frightened；　I　think；　to　find　themselves　at

last　in　words。　　And　so　they　went　softly。



〃Presently　we　were　hungry　and　we　went　from　our　apartment；

going　by　a　strange　passage　with　a　moving　floor；　until　we　came　to

the　great　breakfast　roomthere　was　a　fountain　and　music。　　A

pleasant　and　joyful　place　it　was；　with　its　sunlight　and　splashing；

and　the　murmur　of　plucked　strings。　　And　we　sat　and　ate　and　smiled

at　one　another；　and　I　would　not　heed　a　man　who　was　watching　me　from

a　table　near　by。



〃And　afterwards　we　went　on　to　the　dancing…hall。　　But　I　cannot

describe　that　hall。　　The　place　was　enormouslarger　than　any

building　you　have　ever　seenand　in　one　place　there　was　the　old

gate　of　Capri；　caught　into　the　wall　of　a　gallery　high　overhead。　

Light　girders；　stems　and　threads　of　gold；　burst　from　the　pillars

like　fountains；　streamed　like　an　Aurora　across　the　roof　and

interlaced；　likelike　conjuring　tricks。　　All　about　the　great

circle　for　the　dancers　there　were　beautiful　figures；　strange

dragons；　and　intricate　and　wonderful　grotesques　bearing　lights。　

The　place　was　inundated　with　artificial　light　that　shamed　the

newborn　day。　　And　as　we　went　through　the　throng　the　people　turned

about　and　looked　at　us；　for　all　through　the　world　my　name　and　face

were　known；　and　how　I　had　suddenly　thrown　up　pride　and　struggle　to

come　to　this　place。　　And　they　looked　also　at　the　lady　beside　me；

though　half　the　story　of　how　at　last　she　had　come　to　me　was　unkno