CHAPTER I .
OF lay on the sunset side of , as red and ragged as a cloud of sunset .
was built of a bright brick throughout ; sky-line was fantastic , and even ground plan was wild .
had been the outburst of .
was described with some justice as an artistic colony , though never in any definable way produced any art .
But although pretensions to be an intellectual centre were a little vague , pretensions to be were quite indisputable .
could only think how very oddly shaped must be who could fit in to .
Nor when met was disappointed in this respect .
was not only pleasant , but perfect , if once could regard it not as a deception but rather as a dream .
Even if were not “ , ” the whole was nevertheless artistic .
-- was not really ; but surely was a poem .
-- was not really ; but at least was the cause of philosophy in others .
had no real right to the airs of science that assumed .
had not discovered anything new in biology ; but what biological creature could have discovered more singular than ?
Thus , and thus only , had properly to be regarded ; had to be considered not so much as a workshop for , but as a frail but finished work of art .
felt as if had stepped into a written comedy .
More especially this attractive unreality fell upon about nightfall , when the extravagant roofs were dark against the afterglow and seemed as separate as a drifting cloud .
This again was more strongly true of the many nights of local festivity , when were often illuminated , and the big Chinese lanterns glowed in the dwarfish trees like some fierce and monstrous fruit .
And this was strongest of all on one particular evening , still vaguely remembered in the locality , of which was .
It was not by any means the only evening of which was .
On many nights those passing by might hear high , didactic voice laying down the law to and particularly to .
The attitude of in such cases was indeed one of the paradoxes of .
were of the kind vaguely called emancipated , and professed some protest against male supremacy .
Yet would always pay to the extravagant compliment which ever pays to , that of listening while is talking .
And , , was really ( in some sense ) , even if one only laughed at the end of it .
put the old cant of the lawlessness of art and the art of lawlessness with a certain impudent freshness which gave at least a momentary pleasure .
was helped in some degree by the arresting oddity of appearance , which worked , as the phrase goes , for all it was worth .
dark red hair parted in the middle was literally like ’s , and curved into the slow curls of in a pre-Raphaelite picture .
From within this almost saintly oval , however , face projected suddenly broad and brutal , the chin carried forward with a look of cockney contempt .
This combination at once tickled and terrified the nerves of a neurotic population .
seemed like a walking blasphemy , a blend of and the ape .
This particular evening , if it is remembered for nothing else , will be remembered in for its strange sunset .
It looked like the end of .
All the heaven seemed covered with a quite vivid and palpable plumage ; could only say that the sky was full of feathers , and of feathers that almost brushed the face .
Across the great part of the dome they were grey , with the strangest tints of violet and mauve and an unnatural pink or pale green ; but towards the west the whole grew past description , transparent and passionate , and the last red-hot plumes of it covered up the sun like something too good to be seen .
The whole was so close about , as to express nothing but a violent secrecy .
The very empyrean seemed to be a secret .
It expressed that splendid smallness which is the soul of local patriotism .
The very sky seemed small .
say that there are .
There are .
For a long time had reigned without ; it was upon the night of the sunset that solitude suddenly ended .
was a very mild-looking mortal , with a fair , pointed beard and faint , yellow hair .
But an impression grew that was less meek than looked .
signalised entrance by differing with , , upon the whole nature of poetry .
said that ( ) was , ; nay , said was .
So looked at as if had that moment fallen out of that impossible sky .
In fact , , , connected the two events .
“ It may well be , ” said , in sudden lyrical manner , “ it may well be on such a night of clouds and cruel colours that there is brought forth upon such a portent as .
say are ; say are a contradiction in terms .
only wonder there were not comets and earthquakes on the night appeared in . ”
endured these thunders with a certain submissive solemnity .
, , laughed with such mixture of admiration and disapproval as gave commonly to .
resumed in high oratorical good humour .
“ is identical with , ” cried .
“ might transpose the words anywhere .
is .
is , because prefers a great moment to everything .
sees how much more valuable is one burst of blazing light , one peal of perfect thunder , than the mere common bodies of .
disregards all governments , abolishes all conventions .
delights in disorder only .
If it were not so , the most poetical thing in would be the Underground Railway . ”
“ So it is , ” said .
“ Nonsense ! ” said , who was very rational when attempted paradox .
“ Why do look so sad and tired , so very sad and tired ?
will tell .
It is because know that is going right .
It is because know that whatever place have taken a ticket for that place will reach .
It is because after have passed know that must be , and nothing but .
Oh , wild rapture !
oh , eyes like stars and souls again in , if were unaccountably ! ”
“ It is who are unpoetical , ” replied .
“ If what say of is true , can only be as prosaic as poetry .
The rare , strange thing is to hit the mark ; the gross , obvious thing is to miss it .
feel it is epical when strikes a distant bird .
Is it not also epical when strikes ?
Chaos is dull ; because in chaos might indeed go anywhere , to or to .
But is , and whole magic is in this , that does say , and lo !
it is .
No , take books of mere poetry and prose ; let read a time table , with tears of pride .
Take ; give .
Give , say ! ”
“ Must go ? ” inquired sarcastically .
“ tell , ” went on with passion , “ that every time comes in feel that it has broken past batteries of , and has won a battle against chaos .
say contemptuously that when one has left one must come to .
say that one might do a thousand things instead , and that whenever really come have the sense of hairbreadth escape .
And when hear the guard shout out the word ‘ , ’ it is not an unmeaning word .
It is to the cry of announcing conquest .
It is to indeed ‘ ’ ; it is the victory of . ”
wagged heavy , red head with a slow and sad smile .
“ And even then , ” said , “ always ask the question , ‘ And what is now that have got ? ’
think is like .
know that will only be like .
Yes , will be discontented even in .
is always in revolt . ”
“ There again , ” said irritably , “ what is there poetical about being in revolt ?
might as well say that it is poetical to be sea-sick .
Being sick is a revolt .
Both being sick and being rebellious may be the wholesome thing on certain desperate occasions ; but ’m hanged if can see why they are poetical .
Revolt in the abstract is -- revolting .
It ’s mere vomiting . ”