erewhon revisited-第28章

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Still　it　was　a　step　in　the　right　direction。〃

〃And　now；　my　boy；〃　he　said　to　a　very　frank　and　ingenuous　youth
about　half　way　up　the　class；　〃and　how　is　truth　best　reached？〃

〃Through　the　falling　out　of　thieves；　sir。〃

〃Quite　so。　　Then　it　will　be　necessary　that　the　more　earnest；
careful；　patient；　self…sacrificing；　enquirers　after　truth　should
have　a　good　deal　of　the　thief　about　them；　though　they　are　very
honest　people　at　the　same　time。　　Now　what　does　the　man〃　（who　on
enquiry　my　father　found　to　be　none　other　than　Mr。　Turvey　himself）
〃say　about　honesty？〃

〃He　says；　sir；　that　honesty　does　not　consist　in　never　stealing；　but
in　knowing　how　and　where　it　will　be　safe　to　do　so。〃

〃Remember；〃　said　Mr。　Turvey　to　my　father；　〃how　necessary　it　is　that
we　should　have　a　plentiful　supply　of　thieves；　if　honest　men　are
ever　to　come　by　their　own。〃

He　spoke　with　the　utmost　gravity；　evidently　quite　easy　in　his　mind
that　his　scheme　was　the　only　one　by　which　truth　could　be
successfully　attained。

〃But　pray　let　me　have　any　criticism　you　may　feel　inclined　to　make。〃

〃I　have　none；〃　said　my　father。　　〃Your　system　commends　itself　to
common　sense；　it　is　the　one　adopted　in　the　law　courts；　and　it　lies
at　the　very　foundation　of　party　government。　　If　your　academic
bodies　can　supply　the　country　with　a　sufficient　number　of　thieves
which　I　have　no　doubt　they　canthere　seems　no　limit　to　the　amount
of　truth　that　may　be　attained。　　If；　however；　I　may　suggest　the　only
difficulty　that　occurs　to　me；　it　is　that　academic　thieves　shew　no
great　alacrity　in　falling　out；　but　incline　rather　to　back　each
other　up　through　thick　and　thin。〃

〃Ah；　yes；〃　said　Mr。　Turvey；　〃there　is　that　difficulty；　nevertheless
circumstances　from　time　to　time　arise　to　get　them　by　the　ears　in
spite　of　themselves。　　But　from　whatever　point　of　view　you　may　look
at　the　question；　it　is　obviously　better　to　aim　at　imperfection　than
perfection；　for　if　we　aim　steadily　at　imperfection；　we　shall
probably　get　it　within　a　reasonable　time；　whereas　to　the　end　of　our
days　we　should　never　reach　perfection。　　Moreover；　from　a　worldly
point　of　view；　there　is　no　mistake　so　great　as　that　of　being　always
right。〃　　He　then　turned　to　his　class　and　said　…

〃And　now　tell　me　what　did　the　Sunchild　tell　us　about　God　and
Mammon？〃

The　head…boy　answered：　　〃He　said　that　we　must　serve　both；　for　no
man　can　serve　God　well　and　truly　who　does　not　serve　Mammon　a　little
also；　and　no　man　can　serve　Mammon　effectually　unless　he　serve　God
largely　at　the　same　time。〃

〃What　were　his　words？〃

〃He　said；　'Cursed　be　they　that　say；　〃Thou　shalt　not　serve　God　and
Mammon；　for　it　is　the　whole　duty　of　man　to　know　how　to　adjust　the
conflicting　claims　of　these　two　deities。〃'

Here　my　father　interposed。　　〃I　knew　the　Sunchild；　and　I　more　than
once　heard　him　speak　of　God　and　Mammon。　　He　never　varied　the　form
of　the　words　he　used；　which　were　to　the　effect　that　a　man　must
serve　either　God　or　Mammon；　but　that　he　could　not　serve　both。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Mr。　Turvey；　〃that　no　doubt　was　his　exoteric　teaching；
but　Professors　Hanky　and　Panky　have　assured　me　most　solemnly　that
his　esoteric　teaching　was　as　I　have　given　it。　　By　the　way；　these
gentlemen　are　both；　I　understand；　at　Sunch'ston；　and　I　think　it
quite　likely　that　I　shall　have　a　visit　from　them　this　afternoon。
If　you　do　not　know　them　I　should　have　great　pleasure　in　introducing
you　to　them；　I　was　at　Bridgeford　with　both　of　them。〃

〃I　have　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　them　already；〃　said　my　father；
〃and　as　you　are　by　no　means　certain　that　they　will　come；　I　will　ask
you　to　let　me　thank　you　for　all　that　you　have　been　good　enough　to
shew　me；　and　bid　you　good…afternoon。　　I　have　a　rather　pressing
engagement〃

〃My　dear　sir；　you　must　please　give　me　five　minutes　more。　　I　shall
examine　the　boys　in　the　Musical　Bank　Catechism。〃　　He　pointed　to　one
of　them　and　said；　〃Repeat　your　duty　towards　your　neighbour。〃

〃My　duty　towards　my　neighbour；〃　said　the　boy；　〃is　to　be　quite　sure
that　he　is　not　likely　to　borrow　money　of　me　before　I　let　him　speak
to　me　at　all；　and　then　to　have　as　little　to　do　with　him　as〃

At　this　point　there　was　a　loud　ring　at　the　door　bell。　　〃Hanky　and
Panky　come　to　see　me；　no　doubt；〃　said　Mr。　Turvey。　　〃I　do　hope　it　is
so。　　You　must　stay　and　see　them。〃

〃My　dear　sir；〃　said　my　father；　putting　his　handkerchief　up　to　his
face；　〃I　am　taken　suddenly　unwell　and　must　positively　leave　you。〃
He　said　this　in　so　peremptory　a　tone　that　Mr。　Turvey　had　to　yield。
My　father　held　his　handkerchief　to　his　face　as　he　went　through　the
passage　and　hall；　but　when　the　servant　opened　the　door　he　took　it
down；　for　there　was　no　Hanky　or　Pankyno　one；　in　fact；　but　a　poor；
wizened　old　man　who　had　come；　as　he　did　every　other　Saturday
afternoon；　to　wind　up　the　Deformatory　clocks。

Nevertheless；　he　had　been　scared；　and　was　in　a　very　wicked…fleeth…
when…no…man…pursueth　frame　of　mind。　　He　went　to　his　inn；　and　shut
himself　up　in　his　room　for　some　time；　taking　notes　of　all　that　had
happened　to　him　in　the　last　three　days。　　But　even　at　his　inn　he　no
longer　felt　safe。　　How　did　he　know　but　that　Hanky　and　Panky　might
have　driven　over　from　Sunch'ston　to　see　Mr。　Turvey；　and　might　put
up　at　this　very　house？　or　they　might　even　be　going　to　spend　the
night　here。　　He　did　not　venture　out　of　his　room　till　after　seven　by
which　time　he　had　made　rough　notes　of　as　much　of　the　foregoing
chapters　as　had　come　to　his　knowledge　so　far。　　Much　of　what　I　have
told　as　nearly　as　I　could　in　the　order　in　which　it　happened；　he　did
not　learn　till　later。　　After　giving　the　merest　outline　of　his
interview　with　Mr。　Turvey；　he　wrote　a　note　as　follows：…　〃I　suppose
I　must　have　held　forth　about　the　greatest　happiness　of　the　greatest
number；　but　I　had　quite　forgotten　it；　though　I　remember　repeatedly
quoting　my　favourite　proverb；　'Every　man　for　himself；　and　the　devil
take　the　hindmost。'　　To　this　they　have　paid　no　attention。〃

By　seven　his　panic　about　Hanky　and　Panky　ended；　for　if　they　had　not
come　by　this　time；　they　were　not　likely　to　do　so。　　Not　knowing　that
they　were　staying　at　the　Mayor's；　he　had　rather　settled　it　that
they　would　now　stroll　up　to　the　place　where　they　had　left　their
hoard　and　bring　it　down　as　soon　as　night　had　fallen。　　And　it　is
quite　possible　that　they　might　have　found　some　excuse　for　doing
this；　when　dinner　was　over；　if　their　hostess　had　not　undesignedly
hindered　them　by　telling　them　about　the　Sunchild。　　When　the
conversation　recorded　in　the　preceding　chapter　was　over；　it　was　too
late　for　them　to　make　any　plausible　excuse　for　leaving　the　house；
we　may　be　sure；　therefore；　that　much　more　had　been　said　than　Yram
and　George　were　able　to　remember　and　report　to　my　father。

After　another　stroll　about　Fairmead；　during　which　he　saw　nothing
but　what　on　a　larger　scale　he　had　already　seen　at　Sunch'ston；　he
returned　to　his　inn　at　about　half…past　eight；　and　ordered　supper　in
a　public　room　that　corresponded　with　the　coffee…room　of　an　English
hotel。



CHAPTER　XIV：　　MY　FATHER　MAKES　THE　ACQUAINTANCE　OF　MR　BALMY；　AND
WALKS　WITH　HIM　NEXT　DAY　TO　SUNCH'STON



Up　to　this　point；　though　he　had　seen　enough　to　shew　him　the　main
drift　of　the　great　changes　that　had　taken　place　in　Erewhonian
opinions；　my　father　had　not　been　able　to　glean　much　about　the
history　of　the　transformation。　　He　could　see　that　it　had　all　grown
out　of　the　supposed　miracle　of　his　balloon　ascent；　and　he　could
understand　that　the　ignorant　masses　had　been　so　astounded　by　an
event　so　contrary　to　all　their　experience；　that　their　faith　in
experience　was　utterly　routed　and　demoralised。　　It　a　man　and　a
woman　might　rise　from　the　earth　and　disappear　into　the　sky；　what
else　might　not　happen？　　If　they　had　been　wrong　in　thinking　such　a
thing　impossible；　in　how　much　else　might　they　not　be　mistaken　also？
The　ground　was　shaken　under　their　very　feet。　understand　that　a
single　incontrovertible　miracle　of　the　first　magnitude　should
uproot　the　hedges　of　caution　in　the　minds　of　the　common　people；　but
he　could　not　understand　how　such　men　as　Hanky　and　Panky；　who
evidently　did　not　believe　that　there　had　been　any　miracle　at　all；
had　been　led　to　throw　themselves　so　energetically　into　a　movement
so　subversive　of　al