erewhon revisited-第17章

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We　got　lost；　and　were　benighted　in　the　forest。　　Happily　we　fell　in
with　one　of　the　rangers　who　had　lit　a　fire。〃

〃Do　I　understand；　then；〃　said　Yram；　as　I　suppose　we　may　as　well
call　her；　〃that　you　were　out　all　last　night？　　How　tired　you　must
be！　　But　I　hope　you　had　enough　provisions　with　you？〃

〃Indeed　we　were　out　all　night。　　We　staid　by　the　ranger's　fire　till
midnight；　and　then　tried　to　find　our　way　down；　but　we　gave　it　up
soon　after　we　had　got　out　of　the　forest；　and　then　waited　under　a
large　chestnut　tree　till　four　or　five　this　morning。　　As　for　food；
we　had　not　so　much　as　a　mouthful　from　about　three　in　the　afternoon
till　we　got　to　our　inn　early　this　morning。〃

〃Oh；　you　poor；　poor　people！　how　tired　you　must　be。〃

〃No；　we　made　a　good　breakfast　as　soon　as　we　got　in；　and　then　went
to　bed；　where　we　staid　till　it　was　time　for　us　to　come　to　your
house。〃

Here　Panky　gave　his　friend　a　significant　look；　as　much　as　to　say
that　he　had　said　enough。

This　set　Hanky　on　at　once。　　〃Strange　to　say；　the　ranger　was　wearing
the　old　Erewhonian　dress。　　It　did　me　good　to　see　it　again　after　all
these　years。　　It　seems　your　son　lets　his　men　wear　what　few　of　the
old　clothes　they　may　still　have；　so　long　as　they　keep　well　away
from　the　town。　　But　fancy　how　carefully　these　poor　fellows　husband
them；　why；　it　must　be　seventeen　years　since　the　dress　was
forbidden！〃

We　all　of　us　have　skeletons；　large　or　small；　in　some　cupboard　of
our　lives；　but　a　well　regulated　skeleton　that　will　stay　in　its
cupboard　quietly　does　not　much　matter。　　There　are　skeletons；
however；　which　can　never　be　quite　trusted　not　to　open　the　cupboard
door　at　some　awkward　moment；　go　down　stairs；　ring　the　hall…door
bell；　with　grinning　face　announce　themselves　as　the　skeleton；　and
ask　whether　the　master　or　mistress　is　at　home。　　This　kind　of
skeleton；　though　no　bigger　than　a　rabbit；　will　sometimes　loom　large
as　that　of　a　dinotherium。　　My　father　was　Yram's　skeleton。　　True；　he
was　a　mere　skeleton　of　a　skeleton；　for　the　chances　were　thousands
to　one　that　he　and　my　mother　had　perished　long　years　ago；　and　even
though　he　rang　at　the　bell；　there　was　no　harm　that　he　either　could
or　would　now　do　to　her　or　hers；　still；　so　long　as　she　did　not
certainly　know　that　he　was　dead；　or　otherwise　precluded　from
returning；　she　could　not　be　sure　that　he　would　not　one　day　come
back　by　the　way　that　he　would　alone　know；　and　she　had　rather　he
should　not　do　so。

Hence；　on　hearing　from　Professor　Hanky　that　a　man　had　been　seen
between　the　statues　and　Sunch'ston　wearing　the　old　Erewhonian
dress；　she　was　disquieted　and　perplexed。　　The　excuse　he　had
evidently　made　to　the　Professors　aggravated　her　uneasiness；　for　it
was　an　obvious　attempt　to　escape　from　an　unexpected　difficulty。
There　could　be　no　truth　in　it。　　Her　son　would　as　soon　think　of
wearing　the　old　dress　himself　as　of　letting　his　men　do　so；　and　as
for　having　old　clothes　still　to　wear　out　after　seventeen　years；　no
one　but　a　Bridgeford　Professor　would　accept　this。　　She　saw；
therefore；　that　she　must　keep　her　wits　about　her；　and　lead　her
guests　on　to　tell　her　as　much　as　they　could　be　induced　to　do。

〃My　son；〃　she　said　innocently；　〃is　always　considerate　to　his　men；
and　that　is　why　they　are　so　devoted　to　him。　　I　wonder　which　of　them
it　was？　　In　what　part　of　the　preserves　did　you　fall　in　with　him？〃

Hanky　described　the　place；　and　gave　the　best　idea　he　could　of　my
father's　appearance。

〃Of　course　he　was　swarthy　like　the　rest　of　us？〃

〃I　saw　nothing　remarkable　about　him；　except　that　his　eyes　were　blue
and　his　eyelashes　nearly　white；　which；　as　you　know；　is　rare　in
Erewhon。　　Indeed；　I　do　not　remember　ever　before　to　have　seen　a　man
with　dark　hair　and　complexion　but　light　eyelashes。　　Nature　is
always　doing　something　unusual。〃

〃I　have　no　doubt；〃　said　Yram；　〃that　he　was　the　man　they　call
Blacksheep；　but　I　never　noticed　this　peculiarity　in　him。　　If　he　was
Blacksheep；　I　am　afraid　you　must　have　found　him　none　too　civil；　he
is　a　rough　diamond；　and　you　would　hardly　be　able　to　understand　his
uncouth　Sunch'ston　dialect。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　he　was　most　kind　and　thoughtfuleven　so　far　as
to　take　our　permit　from　us；　and　thus　save　us　the　trouble　of　giving
it　up　at　your　son's　office。　　As　for　his　dialect；　his　grammar　was
often　at　fault；　but　we　could　quite　understand　him。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　he　behaved　better　than　I　could　have　expected。
Did　he　say　in　what　part　of　the　preserves　he　had　been？〃

〃He　had　been　catching　quails　between　the　place　where　we　saw　him　and
the　statues；　he　was　to　deliver　three　dozen　to　your　son　this
afternoon　for　the　Mayor's　banquet　on　Sunday。〃

This　was　worse　and　worse。　　She　had　urged　her　son　to　provide　her
with　a　supply　of　quails　for　Sunday's　banquet；　but　he　had　begged　her
not　to　insist　on　having　them。　　There　was　no　close　time　for　them　in
Erewhon；　but　he　set　his　face　against　their　being　seen　at　table　in
spring　and　summer。　　During　the　winter；　when　any　great　occasion
arose；　he　had　allowed　a　few　brace　to　be　provided。

〃I　asked　my　son　to　let　me　have　some；〃　said　Yram；　who　was　now　on
full　scent。　　She　laughed　genially　as　she　added；　〃Can　you　throw　any
light　upon　the　question　whether　I　am　likely　to　get　my　three　dozen？
I　have　had　no　news　as　yet。〃

〃The　man　had　taken　a　good　many；　we　saw　them　but　did　not　count　them。
He　started　about　midnight　for　the　ranger's　shelter；　where　he　said
he　should　sleep　till　daybreak；　so　as　to　make　up　his　full　tale
betimes。〃

Yram　had　heard　her　son　complain　that　there　were　no　shelters　on　the
preserves；　and　state　his　intention　of　having　some　built　before　the
winter。　　Here　too；　then；　the　man's　story　must　be　false。　　She
changed　the　conversation　for　the　moment；　but　quietly　told　a　servant
to　send　high　and　low　in　search　of　her　son；　and　if　he　could　be
found；　to　bid　him　come　to　her　at　once。　　She　then　returned　to　her
previous　subject。

〃And　did　not　this　heartless　wretch；　knowing　how　hungry　you　must
both　be；　let　you　have　a　quail　or　two　as　an　act　of　pardonable
charity？〃

〃My　dear　Mayoress；　how　can　you　ask　such　a　question？　　We　knew　you
would　want　all　you　could　get；　moreover；　our　permit　threatened　us
with　all　sorts　of　horrors　if　we　so　much　as　ate　a　single　quail。　　I
assure　you　we　never　even　allowed　a　thought　of　eating　one　of　them　to
cross　our　minds。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Yram　to　herself；　〃they　gorged　upon　them。〃　　What　could
she　think？　　A　man　who　wore　the　old　dress；　and　therefore　who　had
almost　certainly　been　in　Erewhon；　but　had　been　many　years　away　from
it；　who　spoke　the　language　well；　but　whose　grammar　was　defective
hence；　again；　one　who　had　spent　some　time　in　Erewhon；　who　knew
nothing　of　the　afforesting　law　now　long　since　enacted；　for　how　else
would　he　have　dared　to　light　a　fire　and　be　seen　with　quails　in　his
possession；　an　adroit　liar；　who　on　gleaning　information　from　the
Professors　had　hazarded　an　excuse　for　immediately　retracing　his
steps；　a　man；　too；　with　blue　eyes　and　light　eyelashes。　　What　did　it
matter　about　his　hair　being　dark　and　his　complexion　swarthyHiggs
was　far　too　clever　to　attempt　a　second　visit　to　Erewhon　without
dyeing　his　hair　and　staining　his　face　and　hands。　　And　he　had　got
their　permit　out　of　the　Professors　before　he　left　them；　clearly；
then；　he　meant　coming　back；　and　coming　back　at　once　before　the
permit　had　expired。　　How　could　she　doubt？　　My　father；　she　felt
sure；　must　by　this　time　be　in　Sunch'ston。　　He　would　go　back　to
change　his　clothes；　which　would　not　be　very　far　down　on　the　other
side　the　pass；　for　he　would　not　put　on　his　old　Erewhonian　dress
till　he　was　on　the　point　of　entering　Erewhon；　and　he　would　hide　his
English　dress　rather　than　throw　it　away；　for　he　would　want　it　when
he　went　back　again。　　It　would　be　quite　possible；　then；　for　him　to
get　through　the　forest　before　the　permit　was　void；　and　he　would　be
sure　to　go　on　to　Sunch'ston　for　the　night。

She　chatted　unconcernedly；　now　with　one　guest　now　with　another；
while　they　in　their　turn　chatted　unconcernedly　with　one　another。

Miss　La　Frime　to　Mrs。　Humdrum：　　〃You　know　how　he　got　his
professorship？　　No？　　I　thought　every　one　knew　that。　　The　question
the　candidates　had　to　answer　was；　whether　it　was　wiser　during　a
long　stay　at　a　hotel　to　tip　the　servants　pretty