A NOVEL
BY
H. G. WELLS
New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1924
All rights reserved
COPYRIGHT, 1923 and 1924,
BY H. G. WELLS.
Set up and electrotyped.
Published April, 1924.
Printed in the United States of America by
THE FERRIS PRINTING COMPANY, NEW YORK.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER THE FIRST
CHAPTER THE SECOND
CHAPTER THE THIRD
MISFORTUNES COME UPON THE SMITH FAMILY
CHAPTER THE FOURTH
THE WIDOW SMITH MOVES TO LONDON
CHAPTER THE FIFTH
CHAPTER THE SIXTH
CHAPTER THE SEVENTH
CHAPTER THE EIGHTH
THE DREAM
§ 1
Sarnac had worked almost continuously for thebetter part of a year upon some very subtle chemicalreactions of the nervous cells of the sympatheticsystem. His first enquiries had led to the openingout of fresh and surprising possibilities, and theseagain had lured him on to still broader and morefascinating prospects. He worked perhaps tooclosely; he found his hope and curiosity unimpaired,but there was less delicacy of touch in his manipulation,and he was thinking less quickly and accurately.He needed a holiday. He had come to theend of a chapter in his work and wished to bracehimself for a new beginning. Sunray had long hopedto be away with him; she, too, was at a phase inher work when interruption was possible, and so thetwo went off together to wander among the lakesand mountains.
Their companionship was at a very delightfulstage. Their close relationship and their friendshipwas of old standing, so that they were quite at theirease with one another, yet they were not too familiarto have lost the keen edge of their interest in eachother's proceedings. Sunray was very much in lovewith Sarnac and glad, and Sarnac was always happyand pleasantly exalted when Sunray was near him.Sunray was the richer-hearted and cleverer lover.They talked of everything in the world but Sarnac'swork because that had to rest and grow fresh again.Of her own work Sunray talked abundantly. Shehad been making stories and pictures of happinessand sorrow in the past ages of the world, and she wasfull of curious speculations about the ways in whichthe ancestral mind has thought and felt.
They pl