the wheels of chance-第9节

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n；　how　he　joined　in　the　talk　about　flying…machines　and　the　possibilities　of　electricity；　witnessing　that　fiying…machines　were　〃dead　certain　to　come；〃　and　that　electricity　was　〃wonderful；　wonderful〃；　how　he　went　and　watched　the　billiard　playing　and　said；　〃Left　'em〃　several　times　with　an　oracular　air；　how　he　fell　a…yawning；　and　how　he　got　out　his　cycling　map　and　studied　it　intently；are　things　that　find　no　mention　here。　Nor　will　I　enlarge　upon　his　going　into　the　writing…room；　and　marking　the　road　from　London　to　Guildford　with　a　fine；　bright　line　of　the　reddest　of　red　ink。　In　his　little　cyclist　hand…book　there　is　a　diary；　and　in　the　diary　there　is　an　entry　of　these　thingsit　is　there　to　this　day；　and　I　cannot　do　better　than　reproduce　it　here　to　witness　that　this　book　is　indeed　a　true　one；　and　no　lying　fable　written　to　while　away　an　hour。

At　last　he　fell　a…yawning　so　much　that　very　reluctantly　indeed　he　set　about　finishing　this　great　and　splendid　day。　（Alas！　that　all　days　must　end　at　last！　）　He　got　his　candle　in　the　hall　from　a　friendly　waiting…maid；　and　passed　upwardwhither　a　modest　novelist；　who　writes　for　the　family　circle；　dare　not　follow。　Yet　I　may　tell　you　that　he　knelt　down　at　his　bedside；　happy　and　drowsy；　and　said；　〃Our　Father　'chartin'　heaven；〃　even　as　he　had　learnt　it　by　rote　from　his　mother　nearly　twenty　years　ago。　And　anon　when　his　breathing　had　become　deep　and　regular；　we　may　creep　into　his　bedroom　and　catch　him　at　his　dreams。　He　is　lying　upon　his　left　side；　with　his　arm　under　the　pillow。　It　is　dark；　and　he　is　hidden；　but　if　you　could　have　seen　his　face；　sleeping　there　in　the　darkness；　I　think　you　would　have　perceived；　in　spite　of　that　treasured；　thin；　and　straggling　moustache；　in　spite　of　your　memory　of　the　coarse　words　he　had　used　that　day；　that　the　man　before　you　was；　after　all；　only　a　little　child　asleep。



THE　DREAMS　OF　MR。　HOOPDRIVER

XII

In　spite　of　the　drawn　blinds　and　the　darkness；　you　have　just　seen　Mr。　Hoopdriver's　face　peaceful　in　its　beauty　sleep　in　the　little；　plain　bedroom　at　the　very　top　of　the　Yellow　Hammer　Coffee　Tavern　at　Guildford。　That　was　before　midnight。　As　the　night　progressed　he　was　disturbed　by　dreams。

After　your　first　day　of　cycling　one　dream　is　inevitable。　A　memory　of　motion　lingers　in　the　muscles　of　your　legs；　and　round　and　round　they　seem　to　go。　You　ride　through　Dreamland　on　wonderful　dream　bicycles　that　change　and　grow；　you　ride　down　steeples　and　staircases　and　over　precipices；　you　hover　in　horrible　suspense　over　inhabited　towns；　vainly　seeking　for　a　brake　your　hand　cannot　find；　to　save　you　from　a　headlong　fall；　you　plunge　into　weltering　rivers；　and　rush　helplessly　at　monstrous　obstacles。　Anon　Mr。　Hoopdriver　found　himself　riding　out　of　the　darkness　of　non…existence；　pedalling　Ezekiel's　Wheels　across　the　Weald　of　Surrey；　jolting　over　the　hills　and　smashing　villages　in　his　course；　while　the　other　man　in　brown　cursed　and　swore　at　him　and　shouted　to　stop　his　career。　There　was　the　Putney　heath…keeper；　too；　and　the　man　in　drab　raging　at　him。　He　felt　an　awful　fool；　a…　…what　was　it？a　juggins；　ah！a　Juggernaut。　The　villages　went　off　one　after　another　with　a　soft；　squashing　noise。　He　did　not　see　the　Young　Lady　in　Grey；　but　he　knew　she　was　looking　at　his　back。　He　dared　not　look　round。　Where　the　devil　was　the　brake？　It　must　have　fallen　off。　And　the　bell？　Right　in　front　of　him　was　Guildford。　He　tried　to　shout　and　warn　the　town　to　get　out　of　the　way；　but　his　voice　was　gone　as　well。　Nearer；　nearer！　it　was　fearful！　and　in　another　moment　the　houses　were　cracking　like　nuts　and　the　blood　of　the　inhabitants　squirting　this　way　and　that。　The　streets　were　black　with　people　running。　Right　under　his　wheels　he　saw　the　Young　Lady　in　Grey。　A　feeling　of　horror　came　upon　Mr。　Hoopdriver；　he　flung　himself　sideways　to　descend；　forgetting　how　high　he　was；　and　forthwith　he　began　falling；　falling；　falling。

He　woke　up；　turned　over；　saw　the　new　moon　on　the　window；　wondered　a　little；　and　went　to　sleep　again。

This　second　dream　went　back　into　the　first　somehow；　and　the　other　man　in　brown　came　threatening　and　shouting　towards　him。　He　grew　uglier　and　uglier　as　he　approached；　and　his　expression　was　intolerably　evil。　He　came　and　looked　close　into　Mr。　Hoopdriver's　eyes　and　then　receded　to　an　incredible　distance。　His　face　seemed　to　be　luminous。　〃MISS　BEAUMONT；〃　he　said；　and　splashed　up　a　spray　of　suspicion。　Some　one　began　letting　off　fireworks；　chiefly　Catherine　wheels；　down　the　shop；　though　Mr。　Hoopdriver　knew　it　was　against　the　rules。　For　it　seemed　that　the　place　they　were　in　was　a　vast　shop；　and　then　Mr。　Hoopdriver　perceived　that　the　other　man　in　brown　was　the　shop…walker；　differing　from　most　shop…walkers　in　the　fact　that　he　was　lit　from　within　as　a　Chinese　lantern　might　be。　And　the　customer　Mr。　Hoopdriver　was　going　to　serve　was　the　Young　Lady　in　Grey。　Curious　he　hadn't　noticed　it　before。　She　was　in　grey　as　usual；rationals；and　she　had　her　bicycle　leaning　against　the　counter。　She　smiled　quite　frankly　at　him；　just　as　she　had　done　when　she　had　apologised　for　stopping　him。　And　her　form；　as　she　leant　towards　him；　was　full　of　a　sinuous　grace　he　had　never　noticed　before。　〃What　can　I　have　the　pleasure？〃　said　Mr。　Hoopdriver　at　once；　and　she　said；　〃The　Ripley　road。〃　So　he　got　out　the　Ripley　road　and　unrolled　it　and　showed　it　to　her；　and　she　said　that　would　do　very　nicely；　and　kept　on　looking　at　him　and　smiling；　and　he　began　measuring　off　eight　miles　by　means　of　the　yard　measure　on　the　counter；　eight　miles　being　a　dress　length；　a　rational　dress　length；　that　is；　and　then　the　other　man　in　brown　came　up　and　wanted　to　interfere；　and　said　Mr。　Hoopdriver　was　a　cad；　besides　measuring　it　off　too　slowly。　And　as　Mr。　Hoopdriver　began　to　measure　faster；　the　other　man　in　brown　said　the　Young　Lady　in　Grey　had　been　there　long　enough；　and　that　he　WAS　her　brother；　or　else　she　would　not　be　travelling　with　him；　and　he　suddenly　whipped　his　arm　about　her　waist　and　made　off　with　her。　It　occurred　to　Mr。　Hoopdriver　even　at　the　moment　that　this　was　scarcely　brotherly　behaviour。　Of　course　it　wasn't！　The　sight　of　the　other　man　gripping　her　so　familiarly　enraged　him　frightfully；　he　leapt　over　the　counter　forthwith　and　gave　chase。　They　ran　round　the　shop　and　up　an　iron　staircase　into　the　Keep；　and　so　out　upon　the　Ripley　road。　For　some　time　they　kept　dodging　in　and　out　of　a　wayside　hotel　with　two　front　doors　and　an　inn　yard。　The　other　man　could　not　run　very　fast　because　he　had　hold　of　the　Young　Lady　in　Grey；　but　Mr。　Hoopdriver　was　hampered　by　the　absurd　behaviour　of　his　legs。　They　would　not　stretch　out；　they　would　keep　going　round　and　round　as　if　they　were　on　the　treadles　of　a　wheel；　so　that　he　made　the　smallest　steps　conceivable。　This　dream　came　to　no　crisis。　The　chase　seemed　to　last　an　interminable　time；　and　all　kinds　of　people；　heathkeepers；　shopmen；　policemen；　the　old　man　in　the　Keep；　the　angry　man　in　drab；　the　barmaid　at　the　Unicorn；　men　with　flying…machines；　people　playing　billiards　in　the　doorways；　silly；　headless　figures；　stupid　cocks　and　hens　encumbered　with　parcels　and　umbrellas　and　waterproofs；　people　carrying　bedroom　candles；　and　such…like　riffraff；　kept　getting　in　his　way　and　annoying　him；　although　he　sounded　his　electric　bell；　and　said；　〃Wonderful；　wonderful！〃　at　every　corner。。。。



HOW　MR。　HOOPDRIVER　WENT　TO　HASLEMERE

XIII

There　was　some　little　delay　in　getting　Mr。　Hoopdriver's　breakfast；　so　that　after　all　he　was　not　free　to　start　out　of　Guildford　until　just　upon　the　stroke　of　nine。　He　wheeled　his　machine　from　the　High　Street　in　some　perplexity。　He　did　not　know　whether　this　young　lady；　who　had　seized　hold　of　his　imagination　so　strongly；　and　her　unfriendly　and　possibly　menacing　brother；　were　ahead　of　him　or　even　now　breakfasting　somewhere　in　Guildford。　In　the　former　case　he　might　loiter　as　he　chose；　in　the　latter　he　must　hurry；　and　possibly　take　refuge　in　branch　roads。

It　occurred　to　him　as　being　in　some　obscure　way　strategic；　that　he　would　leave　Guildford　not　by　the　obvious　Portsmouth　road；　but　by　the　road　running　through　Shalford。　Along　this　pleasant　shady　way　he　felt　suffficiently　secure　to　resume　his　exercises　in　riding　with　one　hand　off　the　handles；　and　in　staring　over　his　shoulder。　He　came　over　once　or　twice；　but　fell　on　his　foot　each　time；　and　perceived　that　he　was　improving。　Before　he　got　to　Bramley　a　specious　byway　snapped　him　up；　ran　with　him　for　half　a　mile　or　more；　and　dropped　him　as　a　terrier　drops　a　walkingstick；　upon　the　Portsmouth　again；　a　couple　of　miles　from　Godalming。　He　entered　Godalming　on　his　feet；　for　the　road　through　that　delightful　town　is　beyond　dispute　the　vilest　in　the　world；　a　mere　tumult　of　road　metal；　a　way　of　peaks　and　precipices；　and；　after　a　successful　experiment　with　cider　at　the　Woolpack；　he　pushed　on　to　Milford。

All　this　time　he　was　acutely　aware　of　the　existence　of　the　Young　Lady　in　Grey　and　her　companion　in　brown；　as　a　child　in　the　dark　is　of　Bogies。　Sometimes　he　could　hear　their　pneumatics　stealing　upon　him　from　behind；　and　looking　round　saw　a　long　stretch　of　vacant　road。　Once　he　saw　far　ahead　of　him　a　glittering　wheel；　but　it　proved　to　be　a　workingman　riding　to　destruction　on　a　very　tall　ordinary。　And　he　felt　a　curious；　vague　uneasiness　about　that　Young　Lady　in　Grey；　for　which　he　was　altogethe