I remember a train boring its way like a
hastening caterpillar of fire across the landscape, and how distinctly I
heard its clatter. Every town and street was buttoned with street lamps.
I came quite close to the South Downs near Lewes, and all the lights
were out in the houses, and the people gone to bed. We left the land a
little to the east of Brighton, and by that time Brighton was well abed.
and the brightly lit sea-front deserted. Then I let out the gas chamber
to its fullest extent and rose. I like to be high above water.
I do not clearly know what happened in the night. I think I must have
dozed, and probably my uncle slept. I remember that once or twice
I heard him talking in an eager, muffled voice to himself, or to an
imaginary court. But there can be no doubt the wind changed right round
into the east, and that we were carried far down the Channel without any
suspicion of the immense leeway we were making. I remember the kind of
stupid perplexity with which I saw the dawn breaking over a grey waste
of water, below, and realised that something was wrong.
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