“Whenthedreamcameagain，nearlyfourdayslater，itwasverydifferent。Ithinkitcertainthatfourdayshadalsoelapsedinthedream。Manythingshadhappenedinthenorth，andtheshadowofthemwasbackagainbetweenus，andthistimeitwasnotsoeasilydispelled。Ibegan，Iknow，withmoodymusings。Why，inspiteofall，shouldIgoback，gobackforalltherestofmydaystotoilandstress，insultsandperpetualdissatisfaction，simplytosavehundredsofmillionsofcommonpeople，whomIdidnotlove，whomtoooftenIcoulddonootherthandespise，fromthestressandanguishofwarandinfinitemisrule？AndafterallImightfail。
THEYallsoughttheirownnarrowends，andwhyshouldnotI——whyshouldnotIalsoliveasaman？Andoutofsuchthoughtshervoicesummonedme，andIliftedmyeyes。
“Ifoundmyselfawakeandwalking。WehadcomeoutabovethePleasureCity，wewerenearthesummitofMonteSolaroandlookingtowardsthebay。Itwasthelateafternoonandveryclear。FarawaytotheleftIschiahunginagoldenhazebetweensea。andsky，andNapleswascoldlywhiteagainstthehills，andbeforeuswasVesuviuswithatallandslenderstreamerfeatheringatlasttowardsthesouth，andtheruinsofTorredell’AnnunziataandCastellamareglitteringandnear。“
Iinterruptedsuddenly:“YouhavebeentoCapri，ofcourse？“
“Onlyinthisdream，“hesaid，“onlyinthisdream。AllacrossthebaybeyondSorrentowerethefloatingpalacesofthePleasureCitymooredandchained。Andnorthwardwerethebroadfloatingstagesthatreceivedtheaeroplanes。Aeroplanesfelloutoftheskyeveryafternoon，eachbringingitsthousandsofpleasure-seekersfromtheuttermostpartsoftheearthtoCaprianditsdelights。Allthesethings，Isay，stretchedbelow。
“Butwenoticedthemonlyincidentallybecauseofanunusualsightthateveninghadtoshow。FivewaraeroplanesthathadlongslumbereduselessinthedistantarsenalsoftheRhinemouthweremanoeuvringnowintheeastwardsky。Eveshamhadastonishedtheworldbyproducingthemandothers，andsendingthemtocirclehereandthere。Itwasthethreatmaterialinthegreatgameofbluffhewasplaying，andithadtakenevenmebysurprise。HewasoneofthoseincrediblystupidenergeticpeoplewhoseemsentbyHeaventocreatedisasters。Hisenergytothefirstglanceseemedsowonderfullylikecapacity！Buthehadnoimagination，noinvention，onlyastupid，vast，drivingforceofwill，andamadfaithinhisstupididiot’luck’topullhimthrough。Irememberhowwestoodoutupontheheadlandwatchingthesquadroncirclingfaraway，andhowIweighedthefullmeaningofthesight，seeingclearlythewaythingsmustgo。Andthenevenitwasnottoolate。Imighthavegoneback，Ithink，andsavedtheworld。Thepeopleofthenorthwouldfollowme，Iknew，grantedonlythatinonethingIrespectedtheirmoralstandards。Theeastandsouthwouldtrustmeastheywouldtrustnoothernorthernman。AndIknewIhadonlytoputittoherandshewouldhaveletmego……Notbecauseshedidnotloveme！
“OnlyIdidnotwanttogo；mywillwasalltheotherwayabout。
Ihadsonewlythrownofftheincubusofresponsibility:IwasstillsofresharenegadefromdutythatthedaylightclearnessofwhatIOUGHTtodohadnopoweratalltotouchmywill。Mywillwastolive，togatherpleasuresandmakemydearladyhappy。Butthoughthissenseofvastneglecteddutieshadnopowertodrawme，itcouldmakemesilentandpreoccupied，itrobbedthedaysIhadspentofhalftheirbrightnessandrousedmeintodarkmeditationsinthesilenceofthenight。AndasIstoodandwatchedEvesham’saeroplanessweeptoandfro——thosebirdsofinfiniteillomen——shestoodbesidemewatchingme，perceivingthetroubleindeed，butnotperceivingitclearlyhereyesquestioningmyface，herexpressionshadedwithperplexity。Herfacewasgreybecausethesunsetwasfadingoutofthesky。Itwasnofaultofhersthatsheheldme。
Shehadaskedmetogofromher，andagaininthenighttimeandwithtearsshehadaskedmetogo。
“Atlastitwasthesenseofherthatrousedmefrommymood。I
turneduponhersuddenlyandchallengedhertoracedownthemountainslopes。’No，’shesaid，asifIjarredwithhergravity，butIwasresolvedtoendthatgravity，andmadeherrun——noonecanbeverygreyandsadwhoisoutofbreath——andwhenshestumbledIranwithmyhandbeneathherarm。Werandownpastacoupleofmen，whoturnedbackstaringinastonishmentatmybehaviour——theymusthaverecognisedmyface。Andhalfwaydowntheslopecameatumultintheair，clang-clank，clang-clank，andwestopped，andpresentlyoverthehill-crestthosewarthingscameflyingonebehindtheother。“
Themanseemedhesitatingonthevergeofadescription。
“Whatweretheylike？“Iasked。
“Theyhadneverfought，“hesaid。“Theywerejustlikeourironcladsarenowadays；theyhadneverfought。Nooneknewwhattheymightdo，withexcitedmeninsidethem；fewevencaredtospeculate。
Theyweregreatdrivingthingsshapedlikespearheadswithoutashaft，withapropellerintheplaceoftheshaft。“
“Steel？“
“Notsteel。“
“Aluminium？“
“No，no，nothingofthatsort。Analloythatwasverycommon——ascommonasbrass，forexample。Itwascalled——letmesee。“Hesqueezedhisforeheadwiththefingersofonehand。“Iamforgettingeverything，“hesaid。
“Andtheycarriedguns？“
“Littleguns，firinghighexplosiveshells。Theyfiredthegunsbackwards，outofthebaseoftheleaf，sotospeak，andrammedwiththebeak。Thatwasthetheory，youknow，buttheyhadneverbeenfought。Noonecouldtellexactlywhatwasgoingtohappen。
AndmeanwhileIsupposeitwasveryfinetogowhirlingthroughtheairlikeaflightofyoungswallows，swiftandeasy。Iguessthecaptainstriednottothinktooclearlywhattherealthingwouldbelike。Andtheseflyingwarmachines，youknow，wereonlyonesortoftheendlesswarcontrivancesthathadbeeninventedandhadfallenintoabeyanceduringthelongpeace。Therewereallsortsofthesethingsthatpeoplewereroutingoutandfurbishingup；infernalthings，sillythings；thingsthathadneverbeentried；
bigengines，terribleexplosives，greatguns。Youknowthesillywayoftheseingenioussortofmenwhomakethesethings；theyturn’emoutasbeaversbuilddams，andwithnomoresenseoftheriversthey’regoingtodivertandthelandsthey’regoingtoflood！
“Aswewentdownthewindingstepwaytoourhotelagain，inthetwilight，Iforesawitall:IsawhowclearlyandinevitablythingsweredrivingforwarinEvesham’ssilly，violenthands，andIhadsomeinklingofwhatwarwasboundtobeunderthesenewconditions。Andeventhen，thoughIknewitwasdrawingnearthelimitofmyopportunity，Icouldfindnowilltogoback。“
Hesighed。
“Thatwasmylastchance。
“Wedidn’tgointothecityuntiltheskywasfullofstars，sowewalkedoutuponthehighterrace，toandfro，and——shecounselledmetogoback。
“’Mydearest，’shesaid，andhersweetfacelookeduptome，’thisisDeath。ThislifeyouleadisDeath。Gobacktothem，gobacktoyourduty。’
“Shebegantoweep，saying，betweenhersobs，andclingingtomyarmasshesaidit，’Goback——Goback。’
“Thensuddenlyshefellmute，and，glancingdownatherface，Ireadinaninstantthethingshehadthoughttodo。ItwasoneofthosemomentswhenoneSEES。
“’No！’Isaid。
“’No？’sheasked，insurprise，andIthinkalittlefearfulattheanswertoherthought。
“’Nothing，’Isaid，’shallsendmeback。Nothing！Ihavechosen。
Love，Ihavechosen，andtheworldmustgo。WhateverhappensIwilllivethislife——IwillliveforYOU！It——nothingshallturnmeaside；nothing，mydearone。Evenifyoudied——evenifyoudied——’
“’Yes，’shemurmured，softly。
“’Then——Ialsowoulddie。’
“AndbeforeshecouldspeakagainIbegantotalk，talkingeloquently——
asICOULDdointhatlife——talkingtoexaltlove，tomakethelifewewerelivingseemheroicandglorious；andthethingIwasdesertingsomethinghardandenormouslyignoblethatitwasafinethingtosetaside。Ibentallmymindtothrowthatglamouruponit，seekingnotonlytoconvertherbutmyselftothat。Wetalked，andsheclungtome，torntoobetweenallthatshedeemednobleandallthatsheknewwassweet。AndatlastIdidmakeitheroic，madeallthethickeningdisasteroftheworldonlyasortofglorioussettingtoourunparalleledlove，andwetwopoorfoolishsoulsstruttedthereatlast，cladinthatsplendiddelusion，drunkenratherwiththatgloriousdelusion，underthestillstars。
“Andsomymomentpassed。
“Itwasmylastchance。Evenaswewenttoandfrothere，theleadersofthesouthandeastweregatheringtheirresolve，andthehotanswerthatshatteredEvesham’sbluffingforever，tookshapeandwaited。AndalloverAsia，andtheocean，andthesouth，theairandthewireswerethrobbingwiththeirwarningstoprepare——prepare。
“Nooneliving，youknow，knewwhatwarwas；noonecouldimagine，withallthesenewinventions，whathorrorwarmightbring。Ibelievemostpeoplestillbelieveditwouldbeamatterofbrightuniformsandshoutingchargesandtriumphsandflagsandbands——inatimewhenhalftheworlddrewitsfoodsupplyfromregionstenthousandmilesaway。“
Themanwiththewhitefacepaused。Iglancedathim，andhisfacewasintentonthefloorofthecarriage。Alittlerailwaystation，astringofloadedtrucks，asignal-box，andthebackofacottage，shotbythecarriagewindow，andabridgepassedwithaclapofnoise，echoingthetumultofthetrain。
“Afterthat，“hesaid，“Idreamtoften。Forthreeweeksofnightsthatdreamwasmylife。AndtheworstofitwastherewerenightswhenIcouldnotdream，whenIlaytossingonabedinTHIS
