But at that moment Alec was contemplating the crowd below from a regal
seat between two red chimney-pots.
For as soon as he had drawn-to the door of the closet, instead of
finding darkness, he became aware of moonshine, coming through a door
that led out upon the roof. This he managed to open, and found himself
free of the first floor of the habitable earth, the cat-walk of the
world. As steady in foot and brain as any sailor, he scrambled up the
roof, seated himself as I have said, and gave himself up to the
situation. A sort of stubby underwood of chimney-pots grew all about
him out of red and blue ridges. Above him the stars shone dim in the
light of the moon, which cast opal tints all around her on the white
clouds; and beneath him was a terrible dark abyss, full of raging men,
dimly lighted with lamps. Cavernous clefts yawned in all directions, in
the side of which lived men and women and children. What a seething of
human emotions was down there! Would they ever be sublimed out of that
torture-pit into the pure air of the still heaven, in which the moon
rode like the very throne of peace?
Alec had gone through enough of trouble already to be able to feel some
such passing sympathy for the dwellers in the city below.
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