H G Wells

The First Men in the Moon H G Wells

As I sit down to write here amidst the shadows of vine-leaves under the blue sky of southernItaly, it comes to me with a certain quality of astonishment that my participation in these amazingadventures of Mr. Cavor was, after all, the outcome of the purest accident. It might have been anyone. I fell into these things at a time when I thought myself removed from the slightest possibility ofdisturbing experiences. I had gone to Lympne because I had imagined it the most uneventful placein the world. "Here, at any rate," said I, "I shall find peace and a chance to work!"And this book is the sequel. So utterly at variance is destiny with all the little plans of men. I mayperhaps mention here that very recently I had come an ugly cropper in certain business enterprises. Sitting now surrounded by all the circumstances of wealth, there is a luxury in admitting myextremity. I can admit, even, that to a certain extent my disasters were conceivably of my ownmaking. It may be there are directions in which I have some capacity, but the conduct of businessoperations is not among these. But in those days I was young, and my youth among otherobjectionable forms took that of a pride in my capacity for affairs. I am young still in years, but thethings that have happened to me have rubbed something of the youth from my mind. Whether theyhave brought any wisdom to light below it is a more doubtful matter.