English
Thenextdayglidedaway,pleasantlyenough,partlyinsettlingmyselfinmynewquarters,andpartlyinstrollingroundtheneighbourhood,underArthur’sguidance,andtryingtoformageneralideaofElvestonanditsinhabitants.
Whenfiveo’clockarrived,Arthurproposedwithoutanyembarrassmentthistime—totakemewithhimupto‘theHall,’inorderthatImightmakeacquaintancewiththeEarlofAinslie,whohadtakenitfortheseason,andrenewacquaintancewithhisdaughterLadyMuriel.
Myfirstimpressionsofthegentle,dignified,andyetgenialoldmanwereentirelyfavourable:andtherealsatisfactionthatshoweditselfonhisdaughter’sface,asshemetmewiththewords“thisisindeedanunlooked-forpleasure!”
,wasverysoothingforwhateverremainsofpersonalvanitythefailuresanddisappointmentsofmanylongyears,andmuchbuffetingwitharoughworld,hadleftinme.
YetInoted,andwasgladtonote,evidenceofafardeeperfeelingthanmerefriendlyregard,inhermeetingwithArthurthoughthiswas,asIgathered,analmostdailyoccurrence—andtheconversationbetweenthem,inwhichtheEarlandIwereonlyoccasionalsharers,hadaneaseandaspontaneityrarelymetwithexceptbetweenveryoldfriends:and,asIknewthattheyhadnotknowneachotherforalongerperiodthanthesummerwhichwasnowroundingintoautumn,Ifeltcertainthat‘Love,’andLovealone,couldexplainthephenomenon.
“Howconvenientitwouldbe,”LadyMuriellaughinglyremarked,aproposofmyhavinginsistedonsavingherthetroubleofcarryingacupofteaacrosstheroomtotheEarl,“ifcupsofteahadnoweightatall!
Thenperhapsladieswouldsometimesbepermittedtocarrythemforshortdistances!”
“Onecaneasilyimagineasituation,”saidArthur,“wherethingswouldnecessarilyhavenoweight,relativelytoeachother,thougheachwouldhaveitsusualweight,lookedatbyitself.”
“Somedesperateparadox!”saidtheEarl.“Tellushowitcouldbe.Weshallneverguessit.”
“Well,supposethishouse,justasitis,placedafewbillionmilesaboveaplanet,andwithnothingelsenearenoughtodisturbit:ofcourseitfallstotheplanet?”
TheEarlnodded.“Ofcoursethoughitmighttakesomecenturiestodoit.”
“Andisfive-o’clock-teatobegoingonallthewhile?”saidLadyMuriel.
“That,andotherthings,”saidArthur.“Theinhabitantswouldlivetheirlives,growupanddie,andstillthehousewouldbefalling,falling,falling!
Butnowastotherelativeweightofthings.
Nothingcanbeheavy,youknow,exceptbytryingtofall,andbeingpreventedfromdoingso.Youallgrantthat?”
Weallgrantedthat.
“Well,now,ifItakethisbook,andholditoutatarm’slength,ofcourseIfeelitsweight.Itistryingtofall,andIpreventit.
And,ifIletgo,itfailstothefloor.
But,ifwewereallfallingtogether,itcouldn’tbetryingtofallanyquicker,youknow:for,ifIletgo,whatmorecoulditdothanfall?
And,asmyhandwouldbefallingtoo—atthesamerate—itwouldneverleaveit,forthatwouldbetogetaheadofitintherace.
Anditcouldneverovertakethefailingfloor!”
“Iseeitclearly,”saidLadyMuriel.“Butitmakesonedizzytothinkofsuchthings!Howcanyoumakeusdoit?”
“Thereisamorecuriousideayet,”Iventuredtosay.
“Supposeacordfastenedtothehouse,frombelow,andpulleddownbysomeoneontheplanet.
Thenofcoursethehousegoesfasterthanitsnaturalrateoffalling:butthefurniture—withournobleselves—wouldgoonfallingattheiroldpace,andwouldthereforebeleftbehind.”
“Practically,weshouldrisetotheceiling,”saidtheEarl.“Theinevitableresultofwhichwouldbeconcussionofbrain.”
“Toavoidthat,“saidArthur,“letushavethefurniturefixedtothefloor,andourselvestieddowntothefurniture.Thenthefive-o’clock-teacouldgooninpeace.”
“Withonelittledrawback!’,LadyMurielgailyinterrupted.“Weshouldtakethecupsdownwithus:butwhataboutthetea?”
“Ihadforgottenthetea,”Arthurconfessed.“That,nodoubt,wouldrisetotheceilingunlessyouchosetodrinkitontheway!”
“Which,Ithink,isquitenonsenseenoughforonewhile!”saidtheEarl.“WhatnewsdoesthisgentlemanbringusfromthegreatworldofLondon?”
Thisdrewmeintotheconversation,whichnowtookamoreconventionaltone.
Afterawhile,Arthurgavethesignalforourdeparture,andinthecooloftheeveningwestrolleddowntothebeach,enjoyingthesilence,brokenonlybythemurmuroftheseaandthefar-awaymusicofsomefishermen’ssong,almostasmuchasourlatepleasanttalk.
Wesatdownamongtherocks,byalittlepool,sorichinanimal,vegetable,andzoophytic—orwhateveristherightword—life,thatIbecameentrancedinthestudyofit,and,whenArthurproposedreturningtoourlodgings,Ibeggedtobeleftthereforawhile,towatchandmusealone.
Thefishermen’ssonggrewevernearerandclearer,astheirboatstoodinforthebeach;andIwouldhavegonedowntoseethemlandtheircargooffish,hadnotthemicrocosmatmyfeetstirredmycuriosityyetmorekeenly.
Oneancientcrab,thatwasforevershufflingfranticallyfromsidetosideofthepool,hadparticularlyfascinatedme:therewasavacancyinitsstare,andanaimlessviolenceinitsbehaviour,thatirresistiblyrecalledtheGardenerwhohadbefriendedSylvieandBruno:and,asIgazed,Icaughttheconcludingnotesofthetuneofhiscrazysong.
ThesilencethatfollowedwasbrokenbythesweetvoiceofSylvie.“Wouldyoupleaseletusoutintotheroad?”
“What!Afterthatoldbeggaragain?”theGardeneryelled,andbegansinging:—
“HethoughthesawaKangaroo
Thatworkedacoffee-mill:
Helookedagain,andfounditwas
AVegetable-pill
‘WereItoswallowthis,’hesaid,
‘Ishouldbeveryill!’”
“Wedon’twanthimtoswallowanything,”Sylvieexplained.“He’snothungry.Butwewanttoseehim.SoWillyouplease—”
“Certainly!”theGardenerpromptlyreplied.“Ialwaysplease.Neverdispleasesnobody.
Thereyouare!”Andheflungthedooropen,andletusoutuponthedustyhigh-road.
Wesoonfoundourwaytothebush,whichhadsomysteriouslysunkintotheground:andhereSylviedrewtheMagicLocketfromitshiding-place,turneditoverwithathoughtfulair,andatlastappealedtoBrunoinaratherhelplessway.
“Whatwasitwehadtodowithit,Bruno?It’sallgoneoutofmyhead!”
“Kissit!”wasBruno’sinvariablerecipeincasesofdoubtanddifficulty.Sylviekissedit,butnoresultfollowed.
“Rubitthewrongway,”wasBruno’snextsuggestion.
“Whichisthewrongway?”,Sylviemostreasonablyenquired.Theobviousplanwastotrybothways.
Rubbingfromlefttorighthadnovisibleeffectwhatever.
Fromrighttoleft—“Oh,stop,Sylvie!”Brunocriedinsuddenalarm.“Whateverisgoingtohappen?”
Foranumberoftrees,ontheneighbouringhillside,weremovingslowlyupwards,insolemnprocession:whileamildlittlebrook,thathadbeenripplingatourfeetamomentbefore,begantoswell,andfoam,andhiss,andbubble,inatrulyalarmingfashion.
“Rubitsomeotherway!”criedBruno.“Tryup-and-down!Quick!”
Itwasahappythought.Up-and-downdidit:andthelandscape,whichhadbeenshowingsignsofmentalaberrationinvariousdirections,returnedtoitsnormalconditionofsobrietywiththeexceptionofasmallyellowish-brownmouse,whichcontinuedtorunwildlyupanddowntheroad,lashingitstaillikealittlelion.
“Let’sfollowit,”saidSylvie:andthisalsoturnedoutahappythought.
Themouseatoncesettleddownintoabusiness-likejog-trot,withwhichwecouldeasilykeeppace.
Theonlyphenomenon,thatgavemeanyuneasiness,wastherapidincreaseinthesizeofthelittlecreaturewewerefollowing,whichbecameeverymomentmoreandmorelikeareallion.
Soonthetransformationwascomplete:andanoblelionstoodpatientlywaitingforustocomeupwithit.
Nothoughtoffearseemedtooccurtothechildren,whopattedandstrokeditasifithadbeenaShetland-pony.
“Helpmeup!”criedBruno.
AndinanothermomentSylviehadliftedhimuponthebroadbackofthegentlebeast,andseatedherselfbehindhim,pillion-fashion.
Brunotookagoodhandfulofmaneineachhand,andmadebelievetoguidethisnewkindofsteed.“Gee-up!’
,seemedquitesufficientbywayofverbaldirection:thelionatoncebrokeintoaneasycanter,andwesoonfoundourselvesinthedepthsoftheforest.
Isay‘we,’forIamcertainthatIaccompaniedthemthoughhowImanagedtokeepupwithacanteringlionIamwhollyunabletoexplain.
ButIwascertainlyoneofthepartywhenwecameuponanoldbeggar-mancuttingsticks,atwhosefeetthelionmadeaprofoundobeisance,SylvieandBrunoatthesamemomentdismounting,andleapingintothearmsoftheirfather.
“Frombadtoworse!”theoldmansaidtohimself,dreamily,whenthechildrenhadfinishedtheirratherconfusedaccountoftheAmbassador’svisit,gatherednodoubtfromgeneralreport,astheyhadnotseenhimthemselves.“Frombadtoworse!Thatistheirdestiny.Iseeit,butIcannotalterit.
Theselfishnessofameanandcraftyman—theselfishnessofanambitiousandsillywoman—theselfishnessofaspitefulandlovelesschildalltendoneway,frombadtoworse!
Andyou,mydarlings,mustsufferitawhile,Ifear.
Yet,whenthingsareattheirworst,youcancometome.Icandobutlittleasyet—”
Gatheringupahandfulofdustandscatteringitintheair,heslowlyandsolemnlypronouncedsomewordsthatsoundedlikeacharm,thechildrenlookingoninawe-strucksilence:—
“Letcraft,ambition,spite,
BequenchedinReason’snight,
Tillweaknessturntomight,
Tillwhatisdarkbelight,
Tillwhatiswrongberight!”
Thecloudofdustspreaditselfoutthroughtheair,asifitwerealive,formingcuriousshapesthatwereforeverchangingintoothers.
“Itmakesletters!Itmakeswords!”Brunowhispered,asheclung,half-frightened,toSylvie.“OnlyIca’n’tmakethemout!Readthem,Sylvie!”
“I’lltry,”Sylviegravelyreplied.“Waitaminute—ifonlyIcouldseethatword—”
“Ishouldbeveryill!’,adiscordantvoiceyelledinourears.
“WereItoswallowthis,’hesaid,
‘Ishouldbeveryill!’”
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