erewhon revisited-第20章

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engagement　is　at　an　end。　　I　hear　good　reports　of　him；　and　if　we　are
fair　towards　him　he　will　be　generous　towards　us。　　Besides；　I
believe　he　is　so　much　in　love　with　you　that　he　would　sell　his　soul
to　get　you。　　Send　him　to　me。　　I　can　deal　with　him　better　than　you
can。'〃

〃And　what；〃　said　George；　〃did　my　father；　as　I　shall　always　call
him；　say　to　all　this？

〃Truth　bred　chivalry　in　him　at　once。　　'I　will　marry　her；'　he　said；
with　hardly　a　moment's　hesitation；　'but　it　will　be　better　that　I
should　not　be　put　on　any　lower　footing　than　Higgs　was。　　I　ought　not
to　be　denied　anything　that　has　been　allowed　to　him。　　If　I　am
trusted；　I　can　trust　myself　to　trust　and　think　no　evil　either　of
Higgs　or　her。　　They　were　pestered　beyond　endurance；　as　I　have　been
ere　now。　　If　I　am　held　at　arm's　length　till　I　am　fast　bound；　I
shall　marry　Yram　just　the　same；　but　I　doubt　whether　she　and　I　shall
ever　be　quite　happy。'

〃'Come　to　my　house　this　evening；'　said　Mrs。　Humdrum；　'and　you　will
find　Yram　there。'　　He　came；　he　found　me；　and　within　a　fortnight　we
were　man　and　wife。〃

〃How　much　does　not　all　this　explain；〃　said　George；　smiling　but　very
gravely。　　〃And　you　are　going　to　ask　me　to　forgive　you　for　robbing
me　of　such　a　father。〃

〃He　has　forgiven　me；　my　dear；　for　robbing　him　of　such　a　son。　　He
never　reproached　me。　　From　that　day　to　this　he　has　never　given　me　a
harsh　word　or　even　syllable。　　When　you　were　born　he　took　to　you　at
once；　as；　indeed；　who　could　help　doing？　for　you　were　the　sweetest
child　both　in　looks　and　temper　that　it　is　possible　to　conceive。
Your　having　light　hair　and　eyes　made　things　more　difficult；　for
this；　and　your　being　born；　almost　to　the　day；　nine　months　after
Higgs　had　left　us；　made　people　talkbut　your　father　kept　their
tongues　within　bounds。　　They　talk　still；　but　they　liked　what　little
they　saw　of　Higgs；　they　like　the　Mayor　and　me；　and　they　like　you
the　best　of　all；　so　they　please　themselves　by　having　the　thing　both
ways。　　Though；　therefore；　you　are　son　to　the　Mayor；　Higgs　cast　some
miraculous　spell　upon　me　before　he　left；　whereby　my　son　should　be
in　some　measure　his　as　well　as　the　Mayor's。　　It　was　this　miraculous
spell　that　caused　you　to　be　born　two　months　too　soon；　and　we　called
you　by　Higgs's　first　name　as　though　to　show　that　we　took　that　view
of　the　matter　ourselves。

〃Mrs。　Humdrum；　however；　was　very　positive　that　there　was　no　spell
at　all。　　She　had　repeatedly　heard　her　father　say　that　the　Mayor's
grandfather　was　light…haired　and　blue…eyed；　and　that　every　third
generation　in　that　family　a　light…haired　son　was　born。　　The　people
believe　this　too。　　Nobody　disbelieves　Mrs。　Humdrum；　but　they　like
the　miracle　best；　so　that　is　how　it　has　been　settled。

〃I　never　knew　whether　Mrs。　Humdrum　told　her　husband；　but　I　think
she　must；　for　a　place　was　found　almost　immediately　for　my　husband
in　Mr。　Humdrum's　business。　　He　made　himself　useful；　after　a　few
years　he　was　taken　into　partnership；　and　on　Mr。　Humdrum's　death
became　head　of　the　firm。　　Between　ourselves；　he　says　laughingly
that　all　his　success　in　life　was　due　to　Higgs　and　me。〃

〃I　shall　give　Mrs。　Humdrum　a　double　dose　of　kissing；〃　said　George
thoughtfully；　〃next　time　I　see　her。〃

〃Oh；　do；　do；　she　will　so　like　it。　　And　now；　my　darling　boy；　tell
your　poor　mother　whether　or　no　you　can　forgive　her。〃

He　clasped　her　in　his　arms；　and　kissed　her　again　and　again；　but　for
a　time　he　could　find　no　utterance。　　Presently　he　smiled；　and　said；
〃Of　course　I　do；　but　it　is　you　who　should　forgive　me；　for　was　it
not　all　my　fault？〃

When　Yram；　too；　had　become　more　calm；　she　said；　〃It　is　late；　and　we
have　no　time　to　lose。　　Higgs's　coming　at　this　time　is　mere
accident；　if　he　had　had　news　from　Erewhon　he　would　have　known　much
that　he　did　not　know。　　I　cannot　guess　why　he　has　comeprobably
through　mere　curiosity；　but　he　will　hear　or　have　heardyes；　you
and　he　talked　about　itof　the　temple；　being　here；　he　will　want　to
see　the　dedication。　　From　what　you　have　told　me　I　feel　sure　that　he
will　not　make　a　fool　of　himself　by　saying　who　he　is；　but　in　spite
of　his　disguise　he　may　be　recognised。　　I　do　not　doubt　that　he　is
now　in　Sunch'ston；　therefore；　to…morrow　morning　scour　the　town　to
find　him。　　Tell　him　he　is　discovered；　tell　him　you　know　from　me
that　he　is　your　father；　and　that　I　wish　to　see　him　with　all　good…
will　towards　him。　　He　will　come。　　We　will　then　talk　to　him；　and
show　him　that　he　must　go　back　at　once。　　You　can　escort　him　to　the
statues；　after　passing　them　he　will　be　safe。　　He　will　give　you　no
trouble；　but　if　he　does；　arrest　him　on　a　charge　of　poaching；　and
take　him　to　the　gaol；　where　we　must　do　the　best　we　can　with　him
but　he　will　give　you　none。　　We　need　say　nothing　to　the　Professors。
No　one　but　ourselves　will　know　of　his　having　been　here。〃

On　this　she　again　embraced　her　son　and　left　him。　　If　two
photographs　could　have　been　taken　of　her；　one　as　she　opened　the
door　and　looked　fondly　back　on　George；　and　the　other　as　she　closed
it　behind　her；　the　second　portrait　would　have　seemed　taken　ten
years　later　than　the　first。

As　for　George；　he　went　gravely　but　not　unhappily　to　his　own　room。
〃So　that　ready；　plausible　fellow；〃　he　muttered　to　himself；　〃was　my
own　father。　　At　any　rate；　I　am　not　son　to　a　fooland　he　liked　me。〃



CHAPTER　X：　　MY　FATHER；　FEARING　RECOGNITION　AT　SUNCH'…STON；　BETAKES
HIMSELF　TO　THE　NEIGHBOURING　TOWN　OF　FAIRMEAD



I　will　now　return　to　my　father。　　Whether　from　fatigue　or　over…
excitement；　he　slept　only　by　fits　and　starts；　and　when　awake　he
could　not　rid　himself　of　the　idea　that；　in　spite　of　his　disguise；
he　might　be　recognised；　either　at　his　inn　or　in　the　town；　by　some
one　of　the　many　who　had　seen　him　when　he　was　in　prison。　　In　this
case　there　was　no　knowing　what　might　happen；　but　at　best；　discovery
would　probably　prevent　his　seeing　the　temple　dedicated　to　himself；
and　hearing　Professor　Hanky's　sermon；　which　he　was　particularly
anxious　to　do。

So　strongly　did　he　feel　the　real　or　fancied　danger　he　should　incur
by　spending　Saturday　in　Sunch'ston；　that　he　rose　as　soon　as　he
heard　any　one　stirring；　and　having　paid　his　bill；　walked　quietly
out　of　the　house；　without　saying　where　he　was　going。

There　was　a　town　about　ten　miles　off；　not　so　important　as
Sunch'ston；　but　having　some　10；000　inhabitants；　he　resolved　to　find
accommodation　there　for　the　day　and　night；　and　to　walk　over　to
Sunch'ston　in　time　for　the　dedication　ceremony；　which　he　had　found
on　inquiry；　would　begin　at　eleven　o'clock。

The　country　between　Sunch'ston　and　Fairmead；　as　the　town　just
referred　to　was　named；　was　still　mountainous；　and　being　well　wooded
as　well　as　well　watered；　abounded　in　views　of　singular　beauty；　but
I　have　no　time　to　dwell　on　the　enthusiasm　with　which　my　father
described　them　to　me。　　The　road　took　him　at　right　angles　to　the
main　road　down　the　valley　from　Sunch'ston　to　the　capital；　and　this
was　one　reason　why　he　had　chosen　Fairmead　rather　than　Clearwater；
which　was　the　next　town　lower　down　on　the　main　road。　　He　did　not；
indeed；　anticipate　that　any　one　would　want　to　find　him；　but　whoever
might　so　want　would　be　more　likely　to　go　straight　down　the　valley
than　to　turn　aside　towards　Fairmead。

On　reaching　this　place；　he　found　it　pretty　full　of　people；　for
Saturday　was　market…day。　　There　was　a　considerable　open　space　in
the　middle　of　the　town；　with　an　arcade　running　round　three　sides　of
it；　while　the　fourth　was　completely　taken　up　by　the　venerable
Musical　Bank　of　the　city；　a　building　which　had　weathered　the　storms
of　more　than　five　centuries。　　On　the　outside　of　the　wall；　abutting
on　the　market…place；　were　three　wooden　sedilia；　in　which　the　Mayor
and　two　coadjutors　sate　weekly　on　market…days　to　give　advice；
redress　grievances；　and；　if　necessary　（which　it　very　seldom　was）　to
administer　correction。

My　father　was　much　interested　in　watching　the　proceedings　in　a　case
which　he　found　on　inquiry　to　be　not　infrequent。　　A　man　was
complaining　to　the　Mayor　that　his　daughter；　a　lovely　child　of　eight
years　old；　had　none　of　the　faults　common　to　children　of　her　age；
and；　in　fact；　seemed　absolutely　deficient　in　immoral　sense。　　She
never　told　lies；　had　never　stolen　so　much　as　a　lollipop；　never
showed　any　recalc