The Sleeper Awakes

of an hour. When he recovered his senses, he was back on his translucent couch, and there was a stirring warmth at heart and throat. The dark apparatus, he perceived, ha

f those who had been on the balcon

gested to his mind the picture of a great number of people shouting toget

at does this all mean?" he

to discover him. A voice seemed to be askin

so at least it seemed to the Sleeper's ears. "You are quite safe. You were brought hither from

cross to him. Graham felt a cooling spray, a fragrant mist played over his forehead fo

e was a pleasant-faced man of thirty, perhaps, with a pointed f

said

e. You have heard? Catalepsy? It may seem strange to y

face to face of the three people about him. They were regarding him strangely. He knew he o

aking moments at Boscastle recurred, a thing resolve

in?" he asked. "E. Warm

odd _blurr_ in his accent!" whispered the red-haired man. "Wire,

You may be sure everything shall be done, sir," he said to Graham. "I am afraid it would be difficult to--_wire_ to your cousin. He is not in London now. But don't trouble about

raham, and b

ed he was in some newly established place. He had a sudden flash of suspicion! Surely this wasn't some hall of public exhibition! If it was he would

me processes of thought-reading he interpreted the awe in the faces that peered into his. He looked at them strangely, full of intense emotion. It seemed they read his eyes. He framed his lips to speak and could

nish fluorescence and a meaty taste, and

here were murmurs of respectful approval. He knew now quit

d time. "How long?" he asked in a leve

id the flaxen-bearded man, g

w l

y long

ome years? Many years? There was something--I forget what. I feel--co

He squeezed his eyes with his knu

ke in un

" he asked fa

h more th

or

or

hough imps were twitching the muscle

aid the man wit

face with a lean hand. "Many years!" he repeated. He shut his eyes tight,

years?"

prepared to b

el

n a gross

the strange word.

e quick remarks that were made

ked Graham. "How long? Don

ne, his ear caught six words: "

who he thought had spoken. "Who says--?

with the red beard.

repared to hear of a vast repose, and ye

the figure of a great gulf opening very s

aid no

id you

enturies of years," said

d at their faces and saw that w

on't last. That is not right--this is a joke you have played upon me! Tell

ce fail

"I'm not very strong in history, sir,"

Duchy of Cornwall--it's in the south-west country beyond the

was it--Boscastle. Little Boscastle. I fell asleep--somewher

nd whispered, "More th

thin him. "But if it _is_ two hundred years, every soul I know, every huma

not ans

, Church and State. High and low, rich and poo

mfort! Is th

istant-custodian; assistant-custodian. An

s face. "But why am I here? No!

little glass of pinkish fluid held towards him. He took the dose.

his tears, a little foolishly. "But--two--hun--dred--years!"

attention was attracted by a thick domineering voice, the footsteps of an advancing personage. "What are you doing? Why was I not warned? Surely you could tell? Someone wi

heavy neck and chin. Very thick black and slightly sloping eyebrows that almost met over his nose and overhung deep grey eyes, gave his face an oddly formidable expression.

the red-b

ut see the doorways a

ed straight to the dead wall of the apartment opposite the archway. A long strip of this apparently solid wall rolled up with a snap, hung o

ubordinate---upon the treatment of their charge. He spoke clearly, but in phrases only partially intelligible to Graham. The

ing him things," he repeated again and

quickly and eyed the awakened sl

ueer?"

er

ou see of it, seem

to live in it, str

pose s

e, hadn't I better

laxen-bearded man met his eye and went away. "You wil

I have been asleep two

ave they? Two hundred and t

silent for a moment, and then asked a question, "Is there a mill or dynamo near here?"

shouting?" he

nged." He spoke shortly, his brows were knit, and he glanced about him like a man trying to decide in an emergency. "We must get

rubbed

grew louder, and the thickset man turned and listened also. He cursed suddenly under his breath, and turned his eyes upon Graham with an unfriendly expression. It was a surge of many voices, rising and falling,

rmula. For a time he doubted his ears. But surely these w

rushed suddenly

do they know? Do they k

perhaps

set man; "I have _him_ to see

an inaud

ake. Anything! I

have clothes at once," he said. "You cannot

ng unanswered questions after

moment you shall have your clothes made. Yes--in a moment. And then I

ices. They we

you. They have some twisted idea. I d

appliances in the corner of the room. He listened for a moment, regarding a ball of crystal, nodded, and said a few indistinct w

iven him. He thrust one leg over the side of the couch and then the other. His head n

f a lift came sliding down in front of the thickset man, and a lean, grey-bearded man,

will never do for you to wear that black. I cannot understand how it got here.

manner was calm, but his eyes were full of curiosity. "You will find the fashio

ndency to the hemisphere in hats. Circular curves always. Now--" He flicked out a little appliance the size and appearance of a keyless watch, whirled the knob, and behold--a little figur

me and stood by the

y little tim

or. "My machine follows.

ed the man from the

repeated its evolutions, but in a different costume. "Or this," and with a click another small figure in a more voluminous type of

d not recognise. The boy then went to conduct an incomprehensible monologue in the corner, and the tailor pulled out a number of slotted arms terminating in little discs, pulling them out until the discs were flat against the body of Graham, one at each shoulder blade, one at the elbows, one at the neck and so forth, so that at last there were, perhaps, two score of them upon his body and limbs. At the same time, some other person entered th

ed lad handed the tailor a roll of the bluish satin and the two began fixing this in the mechanism in a manner reminiscent of a roll of paper in a nineteenth century printing machine. Then they ran the ent

glass to the busy figures and trying to ignore the scrutin

e man with the

He indicated the

little difficult to explain. The Council appoints a guardian and assistants. This hall has under certain restrictions been public. In order tha

his back on the new comer, he asked in an undertone,

He is a ca

lloto

hief. His yearly f

atched at the last phrase with an un

ose not. You had the old pound

s that you s

stem--tens, and little hundreds and thousands. We have eleven numerals now. We have single figures for both ten and eleven, two figures f

Graham. "But about th

laxen beard glance

olding some palpably new garments over his arm. The crop-headed boy, by means of one ringer, was impelling the compli

cently been lying, flung out the translucent mattress, and turned up the looking-glass. As he did so a furious bell summo

eturning from the balcony. They began speaking quickly in an undertone, their bearing had an unmistakable quality of anxiety. Over the purple under-garment came a complex garment of bluish whi

said regarding hi

ent," sai

ed them, and with a lean hand extended, advanced on Graham. Then h

moment the flaxen-bearded man had a chair be

other hand of the wild-eyed m

e flaxen-bearded man with hurried poli

enlightened. "But

ly! He is one of the fine

own again to regard him but for Howard's audible impatience. Forthwith with rapid movements and a succession of deftly handled implements he shaved Graham's chin, clipped his moustac

the corner--"At once--at once. The people know all over the city. Work

so the undertone of tumultuous shouting from the archway that had continued during all these occurrences rose to a mighty sound, roared as if it were sweeping past, and fell again as if receding swiftly. It drew Graham after it with