the wheels of chance-第1节

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The　Wheels　of　Chance

by　H。　G。　Wells　＇Herbert　George＇






THE　PRINCIPAL　CHARACTER　IN　THE　STORY

I。

If　you　（presuming　you　are　of　the　sex　that　does　such　things）if　you　had　gone　into　the　Drapery　Emporiumwhich　is　really　only　magnificent　for　shopof　Messrs。　Antrobus　&　Co。a　perfectly　fictitious　〃Co。；〃　by　the　byeof　Putney；　on　the　14th　of　August；　1895；　had　turned　to　the　right…hand　side；　where　the　blocks　of　white　linen　and　piles　of　blankets　rise　up　to　the　rail　from　which　the　pink　and　blue　prints　depend；　you　might　have　been　served　by　the　central　figure　of　this　story　that　is　now　beginning。　He　would　have　come　forward；　bowing　and　swaying；　he　would　have　extended　two　hands　with　largish　knuckles　and　enormous　cuffs　over　the　counter；　and　he　would　have　asked　you；　protruding　a　pointed　chin　and　without　the　slightest　anticipation　of　pleasure　in　his　manner；　what　he　might　have　the　pleasure　of　showing　you。　Under　certain　circumstancesas；　for　instance；　hats；　baby　linen；　gloves；　silks；　lace；　or　curtainshe　would　simply　have　bowed　politely；　and　with　a　drooping　expression；　and　making　a　kind　of　circular　sweep；　invited　you　to　〃step　this　way；〃　and　so　led　you　beyond　his　ken；　but　under　other　and　happier　conditions；huckaback；　blankets；　dimity；　cretonne；　linen；　calico；　are　cases　in　point；he　would　have　requested　you　to　take　a　seat；　emphasising　the　hospitality　by　leaning　over　the　counter　and　gripping　a　chair　back　in　a　spasmodic　manner；　and　so　proceeded　to　obtain；　unfold；　and　exhibit　his　goods　for　your　consideration。　Under　which　happier　circumstances　you　mightif　of　an　observing　turn　of　mind　and　not　too　much　of　a　housewife　to　be　inhumanhave　given　the　central　figure　of　this　story　less　cursory　attention。

Now　if　you　had　noticed　anything　about　him；　it　would　have　been　chiefly　to　notice　how　little　he　was　noticeable。　He　wore　the　black　morning　coat；　the　black　tie；　and　the　speckled　grey　nether　parts　（descending　into　shadow　and　mystery　below　the　counter）　of　his　craft。　He　was　of　a　pallid　complexion；　hair　of　a　kind　of　dirty　fairness；　greyish　eyes；　and　a　skimpy；　immature　moustache　under　his　peaked　indeterminate　nose。　His　features　were　all　small；　but　none　ill…shaped。　A　rosette　of　pins　decorated　the　lappel　of　his　coat。　His　remarks；　you　would　observe；　were　entirely　what　people　used　to　call　cliche；　formulae　not　organic　to　the　occasion；　but　stereotyped　ages　ago　and　learnt　years　since　by　heart。　〃This；　madam；〃　he　would　say；　〃is　selling　very　well〃　〃We　are　doing　a　very　good　article　at　four　three　a　yard。〃　〃We　could　show　you　some。　thing　better；　of　course。〃　〃No　trouble；　madam；　I　assure　you。〃　Such　were　the　simple　counters　of　his　intercourse。　So；　I　say；　he　would　have　presented　himself　to　your　superficial　observation。　He　would　have　danced　about　behind　the　counter；　have　neatly　refolded　the　goods　he　had　shown　you；　have　put　on　one　side　those　you　selected；　extracted　a　little　book　with　a　carbon　leaf　and　a　tinfoil　sheet　from　a　fixture；　made　you　out　a　little　bill　in　that　weak　flourishing　hand　peculiar　to　drapers；　and　have　bawled　〃Sayn！〃　Then　a　puffy　little　shop…walker　would　have　come　into　view；　looked　at　the　bill　for　a　second；　very　hard　（showing　you　a　parting　down　the　middle　of　his　head　meanwhile）；　have　scribbled　a　still　more　flourishing　J。　M。　all　over　the　document；　have　asked　you　if　there　was　nothing　more；　have　stood　by　yousupposing　that　you　were　paying　cashuntil　the　central　figure　of　this　story　reappeared　with　the　change。　One　glance　more　at　him；　and　the　puffy　little　shop…walker　would　have　been　bowing　you　out；　with　fountains　of　civilities　at　work　all　about　you。　And　so　the　interview　would　have　terminated。

But　real　literature；　as　distinguished　from　anecdote；　does　not　concern　itself　with　superficial　appearances　alone。　Literature　is　revelation。　Modern　literature　is　indecorous　revelation。　It　is　the　duty　of　the　earnest　author　to　tell　you　what　you　would　not　have　seeneven　at　the　cost　of　some　blushes。　And　the　thing　that　you　would　not　have　seen　about　this　young　man；　and　the　thing　of　the　greatest　moment　to　this　story；　the　thing　that　must　be　told　if　the　book　is　to　be　written；　waslet　us　face　it　bravelythe　Remarkable　Condition　of　this　Young　Man's　Legs。

Let　us　approach　the　business　with　dispassionate　explicitness。　Let　us　assume　something　of　the　scientific　spirit；　the　hard；　almost　professorial　tone　of　the　conscientious　realist。　Let　us　treat　this　young　man's　legs　as　a　mere　diagram；　and　indicate　the　points　of　interest　with　the　unemotional　precision　of　a　lecturer's　pointer。　And　so　to　our　revelation。　On　the　internal　aspect　of　the　right　ankle　of　this　young　man　you　would　have　observed；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　a　contusion　and　an　abrasion；　on　the　internal　aspect　of　the　left　ankle　a　contusion　also；　on　its　external　aspect　a　large　yellowish　bruise。　On　his　left　shin　there　were　two　bruises；　one　a　leaden　yellow　graduating　here　and　there　into　purple；　and　another；　obviously　of　more　recent　date；　of　a　blotchy　redtumid　and　threatening。　Proceeding　up　the　left　leg　in　a　spiral　manner；　an　unnatural　hardness　and　redness　would　have　been　discovered　on　the　upper　aspect　of　the　calf；　and　above　the　knee　and　on　the　inner　side；　an　extraordinary　expanse　of　bruised　surface；　a　kind　of　closely　stippled　shading　of　contused　points。　The　right　leg　would　be　found　to　be　bruised　in　a　marvellous　manner　all　about　and　under　the　knee；　and　particularly　on　the　interior　aspect　of　the　knee。　So　far　we　may　proceed　with　our　details。　Fired　by　these　discoveries；　an　investigator　might　perhaps　have　pursued　his　inquiries　further…　…to　bruises　on　the　shoulders；　elbows；　and　even　the　finger　joints；　of　the　central　figure　of　our　story。　He　had　indeed　been　bumped　and　battered　at　an　extraordinary　number　of　points。　But　enough　of　realistic　description　is　as　good　as　a　feast；　and　we　have　exhibited　enough　for　our　purpose。　Even　in　literature　one　must　know　where　to　draw　the　line。

Now　the　reader　may　be　inclined　to　wonder　how　a　respectable　young　shopman　should　have　got　his　legs；　and　indeed　himself　generally；　into　such　a　dreadful　condition。　One　might　fancy　that　he　had　been　sitting　with　his　nether　extremities　in　some　complicated　machinery；　a　threshing…machine；　say；　or　one　of　those　hay…making　furies。　But　Sherlock　Holmes　（now　happily　dead）　would　have　fancied　nothing　of　the　kind。　He　would　have　recognised　at　once　that　the　bruises　on　the　internal　aspect　of　the　left　leg；　considered　in　the　light　of　the　distribution　of　the　other　abrasions　and　contusions；　pointed　unmistakably　to　the　violent　impact　of　the　Mounting　Beginner　upon　the　bicycling　saddle；　and　that　the　ruinous　state　of　the　right　knee　was　equally　eloquent　of　the　concussions　attendant　on　that　person's　hasty；　frequently　causeless；　and　invariably　ill…　conceived　descents。　One　large　bruise　on　the　shin　is　even　more　characteristic　of　the　'prentice　cyclist；　for　upon　every　one　of　them　waits　the　jest　of　the　unexpected　treadle。　You　try　at　least　to　walk　your　machine　in　an　easy　manner；　and　whack！you　are　rubbing　your　shin。　So　out　of　innocence　we　ripen。　Two　bruises　on　that　place　mark　a　certain　want　of　aptitude　in　learning；　such　as　one　might　expect　in　a　person　unused　to　muscular　exercise。　Blisters　on　the　hands　are　eloquent　of　the　nervous　clutch　of　the　wavering　rider。　And　so　forth；　until　Sherlock　is　presently　explaining；　by　the　help　of　the　minor　injuries；　that　the　machine　ridden　is　an　old…fashioned　affair　with　a　fork　instead　of　the　diamond　frame；　a　cushioned　tire；　well　worn　on　the　hind　wheel；　and　a　gross　weight　all　on　of　perhaps　three…and…forty　pounds。

The　revelation　is　made。　Behind　the　decorous　figure　of　the　attentive　shopman　that　I　had　the　honour　of　showing　you　at　first；　rises　a　vision　of　a　nightly　struggle；　of　two　dark　figures　and　a　machine　in　a　dark　road；the　road；　to　be　explicit；　from　Roehampton　to　Putney　Hill；and　with　this　vision　is　the　sound　of　a　heel　spurning　the　gravel；　a　gasping　and　grunting；　a　shouting　of　〃Steer；　man；　steer！〃　a　wavering　unsteady　flight；　a　spasmodic　turning　of　the　missile　edifice　of　man　and　machine；　and　a　collapse。　Then　you　descry　dimly　through　the　dusk　the　central　figure　of　this　story　sitting　by　the　roadside　and　rubbing　his　leg　at　some　new　place；　and　his　friend；　sympathetic　（but　by　no　means　depressed）；　repairing　the　displacement　of　the　handle…bar。

Thus　even　in　a　shop　assistant　does　the　warmth　of　manhood　assert　itself；　and　drive　him　against　all　the　conditions　of　his　calling；　against　the　counsels　of　prudence　and　the　restrictions　of　his　means；　to　seek　the　wholesome　delights　of　exertion　and　danger　and　pain。　And　our　first　examination　of　the　draper　reveals　beneath　his　draperiesthe　man！　To　which　initial　fact　（among　others）　we　shall　come　again　in　the　end。



II

But　enough　of　these　revelations。　The　central　figure　of　our　story　is　now　going　along　behind　the　counter；　a　draper　indeed；　with　your　purchases　in　his　arms；　to　the　warehouse；　where　the　various　articles　you　have　selected　will　presently　be　packed　by　the　senior　porter　and　sent　to　you。　Returning　thence　to　his　particular　place；　he　lays　hands　on　a　folded　piece　of　gingham；　and　gripping　the　corners　of　the　folds　in　his　hands；　begins　to　straighten　them　punctiliously。　Near　him　is　an　apprentice；　apprenticed　to　the　same　high　calling　of　draper's　assistant；　a　ruddy；　red…haired　lad　in　a　very　short　tailless　black　coat　and　a　very　high　collar；　who　is　deliberately　unfolding　and　refo