Острів доктора Моро
The Reversion of the Beast Folk.
Itwouldbeimpossibletodetaileverystepofthelapsingofthesemonsters,—totellhow,daybyday,thehumansemblanceleftthem;howtheygaveupbandagingsandwrappings,abandonedatlasteverystitchofclothing;howthehairbegantospreadovertheexposedlimbs;howtheirforeheadsfellawayandtheirfacesprojected;howthequasi-humanintimacyIhadpermittedmyselfwithsomeoftheminthefirstmonthofmylonelinessbecameashudderinghorrortorecall.
Thechangewasslowandinevitable.Forthemandformeitcamewithoutanydefiniteshock.Istillwentamongtheminsafety,becausenojoltinthedownwardglidehadreleasedtheincreasingchargeofexplosiveanimalismthatoustedthehumandaybyday.ButIbegantofearthatsoonnowthatshockmustcome.MySaint-Bernard-brutefollowedmetotheenclosureeverynight,andhisvigilanceenabledmetosleepattimesinsomethinglikepeace.Thelittlepinksloth-thingbecameshyandleftme,tocrawlbacktoitsnaturallifeoncemoreamongthetree-branches.Wewereinjustthestateofequilibriumthatwouldremaininoneofthose"HappyFamily"cageswhichanimal-tamersexhibit,ifthetamerweretoleaveitforever.
Ofcoursethesecreaturesdidnotdeclineintosuchbeastsasthereaderhasseeninzoologicalgardens,—intoordinarybears,wolves,tigers,oxen,swine,andapes.Therewasstillsomethingstrangeabouteach;ineachMoreauhadblendedthisanimalwiththat.
