Машина часу
Chapter 5
‘Then,again,abouttheTimeMachine: something,Iknewnotwhat,hadtakenitintothehollowpedestaloftheWhiteSphinx. Why? ForthelifeofmeIcouldnotimagine. Thosewaterlesswells,too,thoseflickeringpillars. IfeltIlackedaclue. Ifelt—howshallIputit? Supposeyoufoundaninscription,withsentenceshereandthereinexcellentplainEnglish,andinterpolatedtherewith,othersmadeupofwords,ofletterseven,absolutelyunknowntoyou? Well,onthethirddayofmyvisit,thatwashowtheworldofEightHundredandTwoThousandSevenHundredandOnepresenteditselftome!
‘Thatday,too,Imadeafriend—ofasort. Ithappenedthat,asIwaswatchingsomeofthelittlepeoplebathinginashallow,oneofthemwasseizedwithcrampandbegandriftingdownstream. Themaincurrentranratherswiftly,butnottoostronglyforevenamoderateswimmer. Itwillgiveyouanidea,therefore,ofthestrangedeficiencyinthesecreatures,whenItellyouthatnonemadetheslightestattempttorescuetheweaklycryinglittlethingwhichwasdrowningbeforetheireyes. WhenIrealizedthis,Ihurriedlyslippedoffmyclothes,and,wadinginatapointlowerdown,Icaughtthepoormiteanddrewhersafetoland. Alittlerubbingofthelimbssoonbroughtherround,andIhadthesatisfactionofseeingshewasallrightbeforeIlefther. IhadgottosuchalowestimateofherkindthatIdidnotexpectanygratitudefromher. Inthat,however,Iwaswrong.
‘Thishappenedinthemorning. IntheafternoonImetmylittlewoman,asIbelieveitwas,asIwasreturningtowardsmycentrefromanexploration,andshereceivedmewithcriesofdelightandpresentedmewithabiggarlandofflowers—evidentlymadeformeandmealone. Thethingtookmyimagination. VerypossiblyIhadbeenfeelingdesolate.
