erewhon revisited-第26章

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over；　and　I　know　you　will　forgive　me　when　you　remember　what　a
number　of　guests　I　had　to　attend　to。〃　　She　then　referred　to　what
Hanky　had　told　her　about　the　supposed　ranger；　and　shewed　him　how
obvious　it　was　that　this　man　was　a　foreigner；　who　had　been　for　some
time　in　Erewhon　more　than　seventeen　years　ago；　but　had　had　no
communication　with　it　since　then。　　Having　pointed　sufficiently；　as
she　thought；　to　the　Sunchild；　she　said；　〃You　see　who　I　believe　this
man　to　have　been。　　Have　I　said　enough；　or　shall　I　say　more？〃

〃I　understand　you；〃　said　Hanky；　〃and　I　agree　with　you　that　the
Sunchild　will　be　in　the　temple　to…morrow。　　It　is　a　serious
business；　but　I　shall　not　alter　my　sermon。　　He　must　listen　to　what
I　may　choose　to　say；　and　I　wish　I　could　tell　him　what　a　fool　he　was
for　coming　here。　　If　he　behaves　himself；　well　and　good：　　your　son
will　arrest　him　quietly　after　service；　and　by　night　he　will　be　in
the　Blue　Pool。　　Your　son　is　bound　to　throw　him　there　as　a　foreign
devil；　without　the　formality　of　a　trial。　　It　would　be　a　most
painful　duty　to　me；　but　unless　I　am　satisfied　that　that　man　has
been　thrown　into　the　Blue　Pool；　I　shall　have　no　option　but　to
report　the　matter　at　headquarters。　　If；　on　the　other　hand；　the　poor
wretch　makes　a　disturbance；　I　can　set　the　crowd　on　to　tear　him　in
pieces。〃

George　was　furious；　but　he　remained　quite　calm；　and　left　everything
to　his　mother。

〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　Blue　Pool；〃　said　Yram　drily。　　〃My
son；　I　doubt　not；　will　know　how　to　do　his　duty；　but　if　you　let　the
people　kill　this　man；　his　body　will　remain；　and　an　inquest　must　be
held；　for　the　matter　will　have　been　too　notorious　to　be　hushed　up。
All　Higgs's　measurements　and　all　marks　on　his　body　were　recorded；
and　these　alone　would　identify　him。　　My　father；　too；　who　is　still
master　of　the　gaol；　and　many　another；　could　swear　to　him。　　Should
the　body　prove；　as　no　doubt　it　would；　to　be　that　of　the　Sunchild；
what　is　to　become　of　Sunchildism？〃

Hanky　smiled。　　〃It　would　not　be　proved。　　The　measurements　of　a　man
of　twenty　or　thereabouts　would　not　correspond　with　this　man's。　　All
we　Professors　should　attend　the　inquest；　and　half　Bridgeford　is　now
in　Sunch'ston。　　No　matter　though　nine…tenths　of　the　marks　and
measurements　corresponded；　so　long　as　there　is　a　tenth　that　does
not　do　so；　we　should　not　be　flesh　and　blood　if　we　did　not　ignore
the　nine　points　and　insist　only　on　the　tenth。　　After　twenty　years
we　shall　find　enough　to　serve　our　turn。　　Think　of　what　all　the
learning　of　the　country　is　committed　to；　think　of　the　change　in　all
our　ideas　and　institutions；　think　of　the　King　and　of　Court
influence。　　I　need　not　enlarge。　　We　shall　not　permit　the　body　to　be
the　Sunchild's。　　No　matter　what　evidence　you　may　produce；　we　shall
sneer　it　down；　and　say　we　must　have　more　before　you　can　expect　us
to　take　you　seriously；　if　you　bring　more；　we　shall　pay　no
attention；　and　the　more　you　bring　the　more　we　shall　laugh　at　you。
No　doubt　those　among　us　who　are　by　way　of　being　candid　will　admit
that　your　arguments　ought　to　be　considered；　but　you　must　not　expect
that　it　will　be　any　part　of　their　duty　to　consider　them。

〃And　even　though　we　admitted　that　the　body　had　been　proved　up　to
the　hilt　to　be　the　Sunchild's；　do　you　think　that　such　a　trifle　as
that　could　affect　Sunchildism？　　Hardly。　　Sunch'ston　is　no　match　for
Bridgeford　and　the　King；　our　only　difficulty　would　lie　in　settling
which　was　the　most　plausible　way　of　the　many　plausible　ways　in
which　the　death　could　be　explained。　　We　should　hatch　up　twenty
theories　in　less　than　twenty　hours；　and　the　last　state　of
Sunchildism　would　be　stronger　than　the　first。　　For　the　people　want
it；　and　so　long　as　they　want　it　they　will　have　it。　　At　the　same
time　the　supposed　identification　of　the　body；　even　by　some　few
ignorant　people　here；　might　lead　to　a　local　heresy　that　is　as　well
avoided；　and　it　will　be　better　that　your　son　should　arrest　the　man
before　the　dedication；　if　he　can　be　found；　and　throw　him　into　the
Blue　Pool　without　any　one　but　ourselves　knowing　that　he　has　been
here　at　all。〃

I　need　not　dwell　on　the　deep　disgust　with　which　this　speech　was
listened　to；　but　the　Mayor；　and　Yram；　and　George　said　not　a　word。

〃But；　Mayoress；〃　said　Panky；　who　had　not　opened　his　lips　so　far；
〃are　you　sure　that　you　are　not　too　hasty　in　believing　this　stranger
to　be　the　Sunchild？　　People　are　continually　thinking　that　such　and
such　another　is　the　Sunchild　come　down　again　from　the　sun's　palace
and　going　to　and　fro　among　us。　　How　many　such　stories；　sometimes
very　plausibly　told；　have　we　not　had　during　the　last　twenty　years？
They　never　take　root；　and　die　out　of　themselves　as　suddenly　as　they
spring　up。　　That　the　man　is　a　poacher　can　hardly　be　doubted；　I
thought　so　the　moment　I　saw　him；　but　I　think　I　can　also　prove　to
you　that　he　is　not　a　foreigner；　and；　therefore；　that　he　is　not　the
Sunchild。　　He　quoted　the　Sunchild's　prayer　with　a　corruption　that
can　have　only　reached　him　from　an　Erewhonian　source〃

Here　Hanky　interrupted　him　somewhat　brusquely。　　〃The　man；　Panky；〃
said　he；　〃was　the　Sunchild；　and　he　was　not　a　poacher；　for　he　had　no
idea　that　he　was　breaking　the　law；　nevertheless；　as　you　say；
Sunchildism　on　the　brain　has　been　a　common　form　of　mania　for
several　years。　　Several　persons　have　even　believed　themselves　to　be
the　Sunchild。　　We　must　not　forget　this；　if　it　should　get　about　that
Higgs　has　been　here。〃

Then；　turning　to　Yram；　he　said　sternly；　〃But　come　what　may；　your
son　must　take　him　to　the　Blue　Pool　at　nightfall。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　George；　with　perfect　suavity；　〃you　have　spoken　as
though　you　doubted　my　readiness　to　do　my　duty。　　Let　me　assure　you
very　solemnly　that　when　the　time　comes　for　me　to　act；　I　shall　act
as　duty　may　direct。〃

〃I　will　answer　for　him；〃　said　Yram；　with　even　more　than　her　usual
quick；　frank　smile；　〃that　he　will　fulfil　his　instructions　to　the
letter；　unless；〃　she　added；　〃some　black　and　white　horses　come　down
from　heaven　and　snatch　poor　Higgs　out　of　his　grasp。　　Such　things
have　happened　before　now。〃

〃I　should　advise　your　son　to　shoot　them　if　they　do；〃　said　Hanky
drily　and　sub…defiantly。

Here　the　conversation　closed；　but　it　was　useless　trying　to　talk　of
anything　else；　so　the　Professors　asked　Yram　to　excuse　them　if　they
retired　early；　in　view　of　the　fact　that　they　had　a　fatiguing　day
before　them。　　This　excuse　their　hostess　readily　accepted。

〃Do　not　let　us　talk　any　more　now；〃　said　Yram　as　soon　as　they　had
left　the　room。　　〃It　will　be　quite　time　enough　when　the　dedication
is　over。　　But　I　rather　think　the　black　and　white　horses　will　come。〃

〃I　think　so　too；　my　dear；〃　said　the　Mayor　laughing。

〃They　shall　come；〃　said　George　gravely；　〃but　we　have　not　yet　got
enough　to　make　sure　of　bringing　them。　　Higgs　will　perhaps　be　able
to　help　me　to…morrow。〃

*　*　*

〃Now　what；〃　said　Panky　as　they　went　upstairs；　〃does　that　woman
meanfor　she　means　something？　　Black　and　white　horses　indeed！〃

〃I　do　not　know　what　she　means　to　do；〃　said　the　other；　〃but　I　know
that　she　thinks　she　can　best　us。〃

〃I　wish　we　had　not　eaten　those　quails。〃

〃Nonsense；　Panky；　no　one　saw　us　but　Higgs；　and　the　evidence　of　a
foreign　devil；　in　such　straits　as　his；　could　not　stand　for　a
moment。　　We　did　not　eat　them。　　No；　no；　she　has　something　that　she
thinks　better　than　that。　　Besides；　it　is　absolutely　impossible　that
she　should　have　heard　what　happened。　　What　I　do　not　understand　is；
why　she　should　have　told　us　about　the　Sunchild's　being　here　at　all。
Why　not　have　left　us　to　find　it　out　or　to　know　nothing　about　it？　　I
do　not　understand　it。〃

So　true　is　it；　as　Euclid　long　since　observed；　that　the　less　cannot
comprehend　that　which　is　the　greater。　　True；　however；　as　this　is；
it　is　also　sometimes　true　that　the　greater　cannot　comprehend　the
less。　　Hanky　went　musing　to　his　own　room　and　threw　himself　into　an
easy　chair　to　think　the　position　over。　　After　a　few　minutes　he　went
to　a　table　on　which　he　saw　pen；　ink；　and　paper；　and　wrote　a　short
letter；　then　he　rang　the　bell。

When　the　servant　came　he　said；　〃I　want　to　send　this　note　to　the
manager　of　the　new　temple；　and　it　is　important　that　he　should　have
it　to…night。　　Be　pleased；　therefore；　to　take　it　to　him　and