Page:The Works of H G Wells Volume 1.pdf/167

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THE WONDERFUL VISIT

"Thank you," said the Vicar as the Angel appeared to be warming to his work; "thank you. That is quite enough. I begin to understand."

He paused for a moment, his face pursed up. "Yes… I begin to see it."

"See what?" asked the Angel.

"The Griffins and Satyrs and so forth. It's as clear…"

"I don't see them," said the Angel.

"No, the whole point is they are not to be seen in this world. But our men with imaginations have told us all about them, you know. And even I at times… there are places in this village where you must simply take what they set before you, or give offence—I, I say, have seen in my dreams Jabberwocks, Bogle brutes, Mandrakes… From our point of view, you know, they are Dream Creatures…"

"Dream Creatures!" said the Angel. "How singular! This is a very curious dream. A kind of topsy-turvy one. You call men real and angels a myth. It almost makes one think that in some odd way there must be two worlds as it were…"

"At least Two," said the Vicar.

"Lying somewhere close together, and yet scarcely suspecting…"

"As near as page to page of a book."

"Penetrating each other, living each its own life. This is really a delicious dream!"

"And never dreaming of each other."

"Except when people go a-dreaming!"

"Yes," said the Angel thoughtfully. "It must be

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