large/9571/a_dreamers_tales_dm_1501_librivox_64kb_mp3/dreamerstales_05_dunsany_64kb_43
large/9571/a_dreamers_tales_dm_1501_librivox_64kb_mp3/dreamerstales_05_dunsany_64kb
English
9571
It is suddenly revealed to me by the weary pallor of the street lamps that the streets are silent and nocturnal still, not because there is any strength in night, but because men have not yet arisen from sleep to defy him. So have I seen dejected and untidy guards still bearing antique muskets in palatial gateways, although the realms of the monarch that they guard have shrunk to a single province which no enemy yet has troubled to overrun. IT IS SUDDENLY REVEALED TO ME BY THE WEARY PALLOR OF THE STREET LAMPS THAT THE STREETS ARE SILENT AND NOCTURNAL STILL NOT BECAUSE THERE'S ANY STRENGTH IN NIGHT BUT BECAUSE MEN HAVE NOT YET ARISEN FROM SLEEP TO DEFY HIM SO HAVE I SEEN DEJECTED AND UNTIDY GUARDS STILL BEARING ANTIQUE MUSKETS AND PALATIAL GATEWAYS ALTHOUGH THE REALMS OF THE MONARCH THAT THEY GUARD HAVE SHRUNK TO A SINGLE PROVINCE WHICH NO ENEMY HAS YET TROUBLED TO OVERRUN
and had entered the town by stealth. The pavements are a little damp and shiny. Upon one's ears that at this late hour have become very acute there hits the tap of a remote footfall. Louder and louder grow the taps, filling the whole night. And a black cloaked figure passes by, and goes tapping into the dark. One who has danced goes homewards. Somewhere a ball has closed its doors and ended. Its yellow lights are out, its musicians are silent, its dancers have all gone into the night air, and Time has said of it, "Let it be past and over, and among the things that I have put away." Shadows begin to detach themselves from their great gathering places. No less silently than those shadows that are thin and dead move homewards the stealthy cats. Thus have we even in London our faint forebodings of the dawn's approach, which the birds and the beasts and the stars are crying aloud to the untrammeled fields. At what moment I know not I perceive that the night itself is irrevocably overthrown.  THE KENTISH UPLANDS AND HAD ENTERED THE TOWN BY STEALTH THE PAVEMENTS ARE A LITTLE DAMP AND SHINY UPON ONE'S EARS THAT AT THIS LATE HOUR HAVE BECOME VERY ACUTE THERE HITS THE TAP OF A REMOTE FOOTFALL LOUDER AND LOUDER GROW THE TAPS FILLING THE WHOLE NIGHT AND A BLACK CLOAKED FIGURE PASSES BY AND GOES TAPPING INTO THE DARK ONE WHO HAS DANCED GOES HOMEWARDS SOMEWHERE A BALL HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS AND ENDED ITS YELLOW LIGHTS ARE OUT ITS MUSICIANS ARE SILENT ITS DANCERS HAVE ALL GONE INTO THE NIGHT AIR AND TIME HAS SAID OF IT LET IT BE PAST AND OVER AND AMONG THE THINGS THAT I HAVE PUT AWAY SHADOWS BEGIN TO DETACH THEMSELVES FROM THEIR GREAT GATHERING PLACES NO LESS SILENTLY THAN THOSE SHADOWS THAT ARE THIN AND DEAD MOVE HOMEWARDS THE STEALTHY CATS THUS HAVE WE EVEN IN LONDON OUR FAINT FOREBODINGS OF THE DAWN'S APPROACH WHICH THE BIRDS AND THE BEASTS AND THE STARS ARE CRYING ALOUD TO THE UNTRAMMELLED FIELDS AT WHAT MOMENT I KNOW NOT I PERCEIVE THAT THE NIGHT ITSELF IS IRREVOCABLY OVERTHROWN
large/9571/a_dreamers_tales_dm_1501_librivox_64kb_mp3/dreamerstales_05_dunsany_64kb
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