backwards
and forwards from a cavernous vehicle very dry and dusty. He found
himself continually being lifted out of the way of washstands and
skeleton chests of drawers. He was invited to sit down and keep quiet,
and almost in the same breath to walk about and avoid hindrance.
Finally, Nurse led him up many resonant stairs to the night-nursery
which at present consisted of two square cots that with japanned iron
bars stood gauntly in a wilderness of oilcloth surrounded by four walls
patterned with a prolific vegetation. Michael was dumped down upon a
grey pillow and invited to see how well his sister Stella was behaving.
Nurse's observation was true enough: Stella was rosily asleep in an
undulation of blankets, and Michael, threatened by many whispers and
bony finger-shakes, was not at all inclined to wake her up. Nurse
retired in an aura of importance, and Michael set out to establish an
intimacy with the various iron bars of his cage. For a grown-up person
these would certainly have seemed much more alike than even the houses
of Carlington Road, West Kensington: for Michael each bar possessed a
personality. Minute scratches unnoticed by the heedless adult world lent
variety of expression: slight irregularities infused certain groups
with an air of deliberate consultation. From the four corners royal
bars, crowned with brass, dominated their subjects. Passions, intrigues,
rumours, ambitions, revenges were perceived by Michael to be seething
below the rigid exterior of these iron bars: even military operations
were sometimes discernible. This cot was guarded by a romantic
population, with one or two of whose units Michael could willingly have
dispensed: one bar in particular, set very much askew, seemed sly and
malignant. Michael disliked being looked at by anybody or anything, and
this bar had a persistent inquisitiveness which already worried him.
'Why does he look at me?' Michael would presently ask, and 'Nobody wants
to look at such an ugly little boy,' Nurse would presently reply. So one
more intolerable question would overshadow his peace of mind.

Meanwhile, far below, the tramp of men continued, until suddenly an
immense roar filled the room. Some of the bars shivered and clinked, and
Michael's heart nearly stopped. The roar died away only to be succeeded
by another roar from the opposite direction. Stella woke up crying.
Michael was too deeply frightened so to soothe himself, as he sat
clutching the pointed ea