Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 1 — Mr. Bedford Meets Mr. Cavor at Lympne
Sometimesmyattentionfailedaltogether,andIwouldgiveitupandsitandstareathim,wonderingwhether,afterall,itwouldnotbebettertousehimasacentralfigureinagoodfarceandletallthisotherstuffslide.Andthen,perhaps,Iwouldcatchonagainforabit.
AttheearliestopportunityIwenttoseehishouse.Itwaslargeandcarelesslyfurnished;therewerenoservantsotherthanhisthreeassistants,andhisdietaryandprivatelifewerecharacterisedbyaphilosophicalsimplicity.Hewasawater-drinker,avegetarian,andallthoselogicaldisciplinarythings.Butthesightofhisequipmentsettledmanydoubts.Itlookedlikebusinessfromcellartoattic—anamazinglittleplacetofindinanout-of-the-wayvillage.Theground-floorroomscontainedbenchesandapparatus,thebakehouseandsculleryboilerhaddevelopedintorespectablefurnaces,dynamosoccupiedthecellar,andtherewasagasometerinthegarden.Heshowedittomewithalltheconfidingzestofamanwhohasbeenlivingtoomuchalone.Hisseclusionwasoverflowingnowinanexcessofconfidence,andIhadthegoodlucktobetherecipient.
Thethreeassistantswerecreditablespecimensoftheclassof“handy-men”fromwhichtheycame.Conscientiousifunintelligent,strong,civil,andwilling.One,Spargus,whodidthecookingandallthemetalwork,hadbeenasailor;asecond,Gibbs,wasajoiner;andthethirdwasanex-jobbinggardener,andnowgeneralassistant.Theywerethemerestlabourers.AlltheintelligentworkwasdonebyCavor.Theirswasthedarkestignorancecomparedevenwithmymuddledimpression.
