Машина времени

           Thenightcameliketheturningoutofalamp,andinanothermomentcameto-morrow. Thelaboratorygrewfaintandhazy,thenfainterandeverfainter. To-morrownightcameblack,thendayagain,nightagain,dayagain,fasterandfasterstill. Aneddyingmurmurfilledmyears,andastrange,dumbconfusednessdescendedonmymind. 

           ‘IamafraidIcannotconveythepeculiarsensationsoftimetravelling. Theyareexcessivelyunpleasant. Thereisafeelingexactlylikethatonehasuponaswitchback—ofahelplessheadlongmotion! Ifeltthesamehorribleanticipation,too,ofanimminentsmash. AsIputonpace,nightfolloweddayliketheflappingofablackwing. Thedimsuggestionofthelaboratoryseemedpresentlytofallawayfromme,andIsawthesunhoppingswiftlyacrossthesky,leapingiteveryminute,andeveryminutemarkingaday. IsupposedthelaboratoryhadbeendestroyedandIhadcomeintotheopenair. Ihadadimimpressionofscaffolding,butIwasalreadygoingtoofasttobeconsciousofanymovingthings. Theslowestsnailthatevercrawleddashedbytoofastforme. Thetwinklingsuccessionofdarknessandlightwasexcessivelypainfultotheeye. Then,intheintermittentdarknesses,Isawthemoonspinningswiftlythroughherquartersfromnewtofull,andhadafaintglimpseofthecirclingstars. Presently,asIwenton,stillgainingvelocity,thepalpitationofnightanddaymergedintoonecontinuousgreyness; theskytookonawonderfuldeepnessofblue,asplendidluminouscolorlikethatofearlytwilight; thejerkingsunbecameastreakoffire,abrilliantarch,inspace;themoonafainterfluctuatingband; andIcouldseenothingofthestars,savenowandthenabrightercircleflickeringintheblue.