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

THELOSTWORLDBySIRARTHURCONANDOYLE

formorefreeEBooks,visit:http://esnips.com/web/ebooks4uCOPYRIGHT,1912ForewordMr.E.D.MalonedesirestostatethatboththeinjunctionforrestraintandthelibelactionhavebeenwithdrawnunreservedlybyProfessorG.E.Challenger,who,beingsatisfiedthatnocriticismorcommentinthisbookismeantinanoffensivespirit,hasguaranteedthathewillplacenoimpedimenttoitspublicationandcirculation.ContentsCHAPTERI."THEREAREHEROISMSALLROUNDUS"II."TRYYOURLUCKWITHPROFESSORCHALLENGER"III."HEISAPERFECTLYIMPOSSIBLEPERSON"IV."IT'SJUSTTHEVERYBIGGESTTHINGINTHEWORLD"V."QUESTION!"VI."IWASTHEFLAILOFTHELORD"VII."TO-MORROWWEDISAPPEARINTOTHEUNKNOWN"VIII."THEOUTLYINGPICKETSOFTHENEWWORLD"IX."WHOCOULDHAVEFORESEENIT?X."THEMOSTWONDERFULTHINGSHAVEHAPPENED"XI."FORONCEIWASTHEHERO"XII."ITWASDREADFULINTHEFOREST"XIII."ASIGHTISHALLNEVERFORGET"XIV."THOSEWERETHEREALCONQUESTS"XV."OUREYESHAVESEENGREATWONDERS"XVI."APROCESSION!APROCESSION!"THELOSTWORLDTheLostWorldCHAPTERI"ThereAreHeroismsAllRoundUs"Mr.Hungerton,herfather,reallywasthemosttactlesspersonuponearth,--afluffy,feathery,untidycockatooofaman,perfectlygood-natured,butabsolutelycentereduponhisownsillyself.IfanythingcouldhavedrivenmefromGladys,itwouldhavebeenthethoughtofsuchafather-in-law.IamconvincedthathereallybelievedinhisheartthatIcameroundtotheChestnutsthreedaysaweekforthepleasureofhis

company,andveryespeciallytohearhisviewsuponbimetallism,asubjectuponwhichhewasbywayofbeinganauthority.ForanhourormorethateveningIlistenedtohismonotonouschirrupaboutbadmoneydrivingoutgood,thetokenvalueof silver,thedepreciationoftherupee,andthetruestandardsofexchange."Suppose,"hecriedwithfeebleviolence,"thatallthedebtsintheworldwerecalledupsimultaneously,andimmediatepaymentinsistedupon,--whatunderourpresentconditionswouldhappenthen?"Igavetheself-evidentanswerthatIshouldbearuinedman,uponwhichhejumpedfromhischair,reprovedmeformyhabituallevity,whichmadeitimpossibleforhimtodiscussanyreasonablesubjectinmypresence,andbouncedoffoutoftheroomtodressforaMasonicmeeting.AtlastIwasalonewithGladys,andthemomentofFatehadcome!AllthateveningIhadfeltlikethesoldierwhoawaitsthesignalwhichwillsendhimonaforlornhope;hopeofvictoryandfearofrepulsealternatinginhismind.Shesatwiththatproud,delicateprofileofhersoutlinedagainsttheredcurtain.Howbeautifulshewas!Andyethowaloof!Wehadbeenfriends,quitegoodfriends;butnevercouldIgetbeyondthesamecomradeshipwhichImighthaveestablishedwithoneofmyfellow-reportersupontheGazette,--perfectlyfrank,perfectlykindly,andperfectlyunsexual.Myinstinctsareallagainstawomanbeingtoofrankandathereasewithme.Itisnocomplimenttoaman.Wheretherealsexfeelingbegins,timidityanddistrustareitscompanions,heritagefromoldwickeddayswhenloveandviolencewentoftenhandinhand.Thebenthead,theavertedeye,thefalteringvoice,thewincingfigure--these,andnottheunshrinkinggazeandfrankreply,arethetruesignalsofpassion.EveninmyshortlifeIhadlearnedasmuchasthat--orhadinheriteditinthatracememorywhichwecallinstinct.Gladyswasfullofeverywomanlyquality.Somejudgedhertobecoldandhard;butsuchathoughtwastreason.Thatdelicatelybronzedskin,almostorientalinitscoloring,thatravenhair,thelargeliquideyes,thefullbutexquisitelips,--allthestigmataofpassionwerethere.ButIwassadlyconsciousthatuptonowIhadneverfoundthesecretofdrawingitforth.However,comewhatmight,Ishouldhavedonewithsuspenseandbringmatterstoaheadto-night.Shecouldbutrefuseme,andbetterbearepulsedloverthananacceptedbrother.Sofarmythoughtshadcarriedme,andIwasabouttobreakthelonganduneasysilence,whentwocritical,darkeyeslookedroundatme,andtheproudheadwasshakeninsmilingreproof."Ihaveapresentimentthatyouaregoingtopropose,Ned.Idowishyouwouldn't;forthingsaresomuchnicerastheyare."Idrewmychairalittlenearer."Now,howdidyouknowthatIwasgoingtopropose?"Iaskedingenuinewonder."Don'twomenalwaysknow?Doyousupposeanywomanintheworldwasevertakenunawares?But--oh,Ned,ourfriendshiphasbeensogoodandsopleasant!Whatapitytospoilit!Don'tyoufeelhowsplendiditisthatayoungmanandayoungwomanshouldbeabletotalkfacetofaceaswehavetalked?""Idon'tknow,Gladys.Yousee,Icantalkfacetofacewith--withthestation-master."Ican'timaginehowthatofficialcameintothematter;butinhetrotted,andsetusbothlaughing."Thatdoesnotsatisfymeintheleast.Iwantmyarmsroundyou,

andyourheadonmybreast,and--oh,Gladys,Iwant----"Shehadsprungfromherchair,asshesawsignsthatIproposedtodemonstratesomeofmywants."You'vespoiledeverything,Ned,"shesaid."It'sallsobeautifulandnaturaluntilthiskindofthingcomesin!Itissuchapity!Whycan'tyoucontrolyourself?""Ididn'tinventit,"Ipleaded."It'snature.It'slove.""Well,perhapsifbothlove,itmaybedifferent.Ihavenever feltit.""Butyoumust--you,withyourbeauty,withyoursoul!Oh,Gladys,youweremadeforlove!Youmustlove!""Onemustwaittillitcomes.""Butwhycan'tyouloveme,Gladys?Isitmyappearance,orwhat?"Shedidunbendalittle.Sheputforwardahand--suchagracious,stoopingattitudeitwas--andshepressedbackmyhead.Thenshelookedintomyupturnedfacewithaverywistfulsmile."Noitisn'tthat,"shesaidatlast."You'renotaconceitedboybynature,andsoIcansafelytellyouitisnotthat.It'sdeeper.""Mycharacter?"Shenoddedseverely."WhatcanIdotomendit?Dositdownandtalkitover.No,really,Iwon'tifyou'llonlysitdown!"Shelookedatmewithawonderingdistrustwhichwasmuchmoretomymindthanherwhole-heartedconfidence.Howprimitiveandbestialitlookswhenyouputitdowninblackandwhite!--andperhapsafterallitisonlyafeelingpeculiartomyself.Anyhow,shesatdown."Nowtellmewhat'samisswithme?""I'minlovewithsomebodyelse,"saidshe.Itwasmyturntojumpoutofmychair."It'snobodyinparticular,"sheexplained,laughingattheexpressionofmyface:"onlyanideal.I'venevermetthekindofmanImean.""Tellmeabouthim.Whatdoeshelooklike?""Oh,hemightlookverymuchlikeyou.""Howdearofyoutosaythat!Well,whatisitthathedoesthatIdon'tdo?Justsaytheword,--teetotal,vegetarian,aeronaut,theosophist,superman.I'llhaveatryatit,Gladys,ifyouwillonlygivemeanideawhatwouldpleaseyou."Shelaughedattheelasticityofmycharacter."Well,inthefirstplace,Idon'tthinkmyidealwouldspeaklikethat,"saidshe."Hewouldbeaharder,sternerman,notsoreadytoadapthimselftoasillygirl'swhim.But,aboveall,hemustbeamanwhocoulddo,whocouldact,whocouldlookDeathinthefaceandhavenofearofhim,amanofgreatdeedsandstrangeexperiences.ItisneveramanthatIshouldlove,butalwaystheglorieshehad