登陆注册
4718800000030

第30章

They began to meet more people. For the most part these were staring before them, murmuring indistinct questions, jaded, haggard, unclean. One man in evening dress passed them on foot, his eyes on the ground. They heard his voice, and, looking back at him, saw one hand clutched in his hair and the other beating invisible things. His paroxysm of rage over, he went on his way without once looking back.

As my brother's party went on towards the crossroads to the south of Barnet they saw a woman approaching the road across some fields on their left, carrying a child and with two other children; and then passed a man in dirty black, with a thick stick in one hand and a small portmanteau in the other. Then round the corner of the lane, from between the villas that guarded it at its confluence with the high road, came a little cart drawn by a sweating black pony and driven by a sallow youth in a bowler hat, grey with dust. There were three girls, East End factory girls, and a couple of little chil- dren crowded in the cart.

"This'll tike us rahnd Edgware?" asked the driver, wild- eyed, white-faced;and when my brother told him it would if he turned to the left, he whipped up at once without the formality of thanks.

My brother noticed a pale grey smoke or haze rising among the houses in front of them, and veiling the white facade of a terrace beyond the road that appeared between the backs of the villas. Mrs. Elphinstone suddenly cried out at a number of tongues of smoky red flame leaping up above the houses in front of them against the hot, blue sky. The tumultuous noise resolved itself now into the disorderly mingling of many voices, the gride of many wheels, the creaking of waggons, and the staccato of hoofs. The lane came round sharply not fifty yards from the crossroads.

"Good heavens!" cried Mrs. Elphinstone. "What is this you are driving us into?"My brother stopped.

For the main road was a boiling stream of people, a tor- rent of human beings rushing northward, one pressing on another. A great bank of dust, white and luminous in the blaze of the sun, made everything within twenty feet of the ground grey and indistinct and was perpetually renewed by the hurrying feet of a dense crowd of horses and of men and women on foot, and by the wheels of vehicles of every de- scription.

"Way!" my brother heard voices crying. "Make way!"It was like riding into the smoke of a fire to approach the meeting point of the lane and road; the crowd roared like a fire, and the dust was hot and pungent. And, indeed, a little way up the road a villa was burning and sending rolling masses of black smoke across the road to add to the con- fusion.

Two men came past them. Then a dirty woman, carrying a heavy bundle and weeping. A lost retriever dog, with hanging tongue, circled dubiously round them, scared and wretched, and fled at my brother's threat.

So much as they could see of the road Londonward between the houses to the right was a tumultuous stream of dirty, hurrying people, pent in between the villas on either side; the black heads, the crowded forms, grew into distinct- ness as they rushed towards the corner, hurried past, and merged their individuality again in a receding multitude that was swallowed up at last in a cloud of dust.

"Go on! Go on!" cried the voices. "Way! Way!"One man's hands pressed on the back of another. My brother stood at the pony's head. Irresistibly attracted, he advanced slowly, pace by pace, down the lane.

Edgware had been a scene of confusion, Chalk Farm a riotous tumult, but this was a whole population in movement. It is hard to imagine that host. It had no character of its own. The figures poured out past the corner, and receded with their backs to the group in the lane. Along the margin came those who were on foot threatened by the wheels, stumbling in the ditches, blundering into one another.

The carts and carriages crowded close upon one another, making little way for those swifter and more impatient vehi- cles that darted forward every now and then when an opportunity showed itself of doing so, sending the people scattering against the fences and gates of the villas.

"Push on!" was the cry. "Push on! They are coming!"In one cart stood a blind man in the uniform of the Salva- tion Army, gesticulating with his crooked fingers and bawling, "Eternity! Eternity!"His voice was hoarse and very loud so that my brother could hear him long after he was lost to sight in the dust. Some of the people who crowded in the carts whipped stupidly at their horses and quarrelled with other drivers; some sat motionless, staring at nothing with miserable eyes; some gnawed their hands with thirst, or lay prostrate in the bottoms of their conveyances. The horses" bits were covered with foam, their eyes bloodshot.

There were cabs, carriages, shop cars, waggons, beyond counting; a mail cart, a road-cleaner's cart marked "Vestry of St. Pancras," a huge timber waggon crowded with roughs. A brewer's dray rumbled by with its two near wheels splashed with fresh blood.

"Clear the way!" cried the voices. "Clear the way!""Eter-nity! Eter-nity!" came echoing down the road.

There were sad, haggard women tramping by, well dressed, with children that cried and stumbled, their dainty clothes smothered in dust, their weary faces smeared with tears. With many of these came men, sometimes helpful, sometimes low- ering and savage. Fighting side by side with them pushed some weary street outcast in faded black rags, wide-eyed, loud-voiced, and foul-mouthed. There were sturdy workmen thrusting their way along, wretched, unkempt men, clothed like clerks or shopmen, struggling spasmodically;a wounded soldier my brother noticed, men dressed in the clothes of railway porters, one wretched creature in a nightshirt with a coat thrown over it.

But varied as its composition was, certain things all that host had in common. There were fear and pain on their faces, and fear behind them.

同类推荐
  • 叠山集

    叠山集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 从政录

    从政录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 归潜志

    归潜志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玄虚子鸣真集

    玄虚子鸣真集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道德真经注

    道德真经注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 忠靖集

    忠靖集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 颜如语梦

    颜如语梦

    若是有一朝,似繁星升起,我再也不想遇见你。
  • 面瘫夫君鬼魅妻

    面瘫夫君鬼魅妻

    他是名震天下的诛妖仙,向来唯我独尊,就连鬼邪都惧他三分。她是极阴之日自华丽的冰棺中迈出来的恶鬼,为了修仙之路,她勇闯人间,经历千难万险,他用最漠然的冷情驱她三尺,却在她最柔弱的时候细心呵护。心动,情动,她时时惹祸,他处处隐忍。他为她铺平修仙之路,为她血洗魔界。
  • 第一女废柴:妃战天下

    第一女废柴:妃战天下

    一代药尊苏陌岚被人陷害,重生成为废材,脸有胎记,天生废材而且还身中剧毒,群狼虎视眈眈,她一人独战天下,为了自己也为了复仇……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 云傲天

    云傲天

    当流氓无赖,霸道狠辣的她,穿越到唯唯诺诺,书呆子一般的她身上,会流传下怎样的神话?青黎国的王子殿下云傲天,唯唯诺诺,不喜言语,整日抱着本书,不喜练武,不喜魔法,呆在自己的小屋子里,做山顶洞人。却被堂姐陷害,一包春药,居然意图非礼青黎国第一天才宋雁田,被父皇打个半死。当云傲天再次醒来,浑身气息一变,无赖流氓般的痞笑,仍掩不住那身上散发出来的尊贵与傲然。淡淡的看着眼前的一切,不解释,不澄清。前世的遭遇,今日的重生,许是巧合,许是天定。她,云傲天,注定了不凡。抬头看向天际,眯起眼睛,她云傲天会再次回到那个地方,到时候,那些胆敢伤她的,害她族人的,她一个都不会放过。接下来,云傲天用事实告诉别人,什么叫天才!魔法师?哼,不算最强,近身攻击,就gameover剑师?哼,也不算强,放个远程的魔法攻击,你也完蛋!召唤师?哼,这个不错,不过也有缺陷。既然要变强,自然是三个都学!且看她,如何魔武双修,外兼召唤。成为大路上屈指可数的魔剑召唤师!她终将站在高处,俯瞰一切,让云傲天这三个字,成为流传在风中的神话!推荐好友,大家多多捧场啊!:【魔皇冷妃】盛世荣宠推荐异地烟火最新玄幻大作【最强皇女】推荐玄幻新作:【星帝的崛起】宋颖雪著【紫降异世】潇潇慕雨【逍遥鬼帝】曲殇著【绝色魔尊】澜芯著【皇后闹翻天】沫筱然角色领养榜:安静守护你亲亲~领养~女主云傲天!上官冰静亲亲~领养~美男忘川!1310546558亲亲~领养~美男沐青逸!凝轩77亲亲~领养~美男秋祭月!若水落盘亲亲~领养~精灵皇朝!
  • 粉彩

    粉彩

    “你好!欢迎光临!”清晰的问候声是从舒缘阁门口那只色彩斑斓仿真南美鹦鹉口中发出的。透过硬木博古架,店主舒朗看到一位年轻女性步入店堂。舒朗在精巧的超薄电脑笔记本上漫无目的地浏览着,并不着急招呼顾客。古玩店顾客与一般商店顾客自然不同,“上赶着不是买卖”,对久在古玩行里淘宝的人来说,店家的过分热情常常让他们警觉,“捡漏儿”的欲望会大大降低。已经在古玩行扑腾了十年的舒朗深谙其中规矩,让他有足够的“让子弹飞一会儿”的耐心。
  • 太空:太空试验的步伐

    太空:太空试验的步伐

    太阳与人类的关系最密切,它本身有着数不清的谜,日珥之谜就是其中的一个。发生日全食时,人们可以清楚地看到,在色球层中不时有巨大的气柱腾空而起,像一个个鲜红的火舌,这就是日珥。1239年,天文学家在观测日全食时就观测到了日珥,并称其为“燃烧洞”;1733年观测日珥时,将其称作“红火焰”;1824年观测日珥时,日珥又被想象成太阳上的山脉。
  • 元始天尊说甘露升天神咒妙经

    元始天尊说甘露升天神咒妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙血武神

    龙血武神

    魔神指,世间至强秘宝,可将天下武道仙法纳为己用。少年敖空偶然间获得魔神指,从此一飞冲天!笑我天生废柴?神指一吸夺你一世修为!欺我势单力孤?单刀赴会灭你万世基业!脚踏大地、肩扛苍穹、拳碎星河,废柴少年却要登那仙道极巅……
  • 废材逆袭:妖孽王爷独宠逆天妃

    废材逆袭:妖孽王爷独宠逆天妃

    她是现代杀手苏倾舞,却遭到男友的背叛,她绝望之下带着项链跳下悬崖,却不想魂穿异世,她成了异灵大陆的洛丞相之女洛倾舞,洛倾舞是异灵大陆无人不知无人不晓的丑八怪加废材,她受尽自己兄弟姐妹的欺负,在一次被她的三妹嫁祸后伤心绝望而自尽身亡,这才让苏倾舞魂穿到洛倾舞的身体上,废材?她苏倾舞会是废材?今后她苏倾舞便是洛倾舞,且看她如何扭转乾坤,从废材变天才……。他是异灵大陆的天才夜王殿下,冷漠,妖孽,腹黑,聪明,灵力高强,却唯独在她面前时温柔似水,且看她和他如何腹黑对腹黑,在他发现自己喜欢上洛倾舞时,却发现洛倾舞的心早已封闭,在面对如此冷情的洛倾舞,他会如何让她再次相信爱情?……………