erewhon revisited-第30章

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eye　Narcissus；　while　the　older　women　were　more　soberly　attired。
The　Bank　Managers　and　the　banner　headed　the　men；　who　were　mostly
peasants；　but　among　them　were　a　few　who　seemed　to　be　of　higher
rank；　and　these；　for　the　most　part；　though　by　no　means　all　of　them；
wore　their　clothes　reversedas　I　have　forgotten　to　say　was　done
also　by　Mr。　Balmy。　　Both　men　and　women　joined　in　singing　a　litany
the　words　of　which　my　father　could　not　catch；　the　tune　was　one　he
had　been　used　to　play　on　his　apology　for　a　flute　when　he　was　in
prison；　being；　in　fact；　none　other　than　〃Home；　Sweet　Home。〃　　There
was　no　harmony；　they　never　got　beyond　the　first　four　bars；　but
these　they　must　have　repeated；　my　father　thought；　at　least　a
hundred　times　between　Fairmead　and　Sunch'ston。　　〃Well；〃　said　he　to
himself；　〃however　little　else　I　may　have　taught　them；　I　at　any　rate
gave　them　the　diatonic　scale。〃

He　now　set　himself　to　exploit　his　fellow…traveller；　for　they　soon
got　past　the　procession。

〃The　greatest　miracle；〃　said　he；　〃in　connection　with　this　whole
matter；　has　beenso　at　least　it　seems　to　menot　the　ascent　of　the
Sunchild　with　his　bride；　but　the　readiness　with　which　the　people
generally　acknowledged　its　miraculous　character。　　I　was　one　of
those　that　witnessed　the　ascent；　but　I　saw　no　signs　that　the　crowd
appreciated　its　significance。　　They　were　astounded；　but　they　did
not　fall　down　and　worship。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　the　other；　〃but　you　forget　the　long　drought　and　the　rain
that　the　Sunchild　immediately　prevailed　on　the　air…god　to　send　us。
He　had　announced　himself　as　about　to　procure　it　for　us；　it　was　on
this　ground　that　the　King　assented　to　the　preparation　of　those
material　means　that　were　necessary　before　the　horses　of　the　sun
could　attach　themselves　to　the　chariot　into　which　the　balloon　was
immediately　transformed。　　Those　horses　might　not　be　defiled　by
contact　with　this　gross　earth。　　I　too　witnessed　the　ascent；　at　the
moment；　I　grant　you；　I　saw　neither　chariot　nor　horses；　and　almost
all　those　present　shared　my　own　temporary　blindness；　the　whole
action　from　the　moment　when　the　balloon　left　the　earth；　moved　so
rapidly；　that　we　were　flustered；　and　hardly　knew　what　it　was　that
we　were　really　seeing。　　It　was　not　till　two　or　three　years　later
that　I　found　the　scene　presenting　itself　to　my　soul's　imaginary
sight　in　the　full　splendour　which　was　no　doubt　witnessed；　but　not
apprehended；　by　my　bodily　vision。〃

〃There；〃　said　my　father；　〃you　confirm　an　opinion　that　I　have　long
held。Nothing　is　so　misleading　as　the　testimony　of　eye…witnesses。〃

〃A　spiritual　enlightenment　from　within；〃　returned　Mr。　Balmy；　〃is
more　to　be　relied　on　than　any　merely　physical　affluence　from
external　objects。　　Now；　when　I　shut　my　eyes；　I　see　the　balloon
ascend　a　little　way；　but　almost　immediately　the　heavens　open；　the
horses　descend；　the　balloon　is　transformed；　and　the　glorious
pageant　careers　onward　till　it　vanishes　into　the　heaven　of　heavens。
Hundreds　with　whom　I　have　conversed　assure　me　that　their　experience
has　been　the　same　as　mine。　　Has　yours　been　different？〃

〃Oh　no；　not　at　all；　but　I　always　see　some　storks　circling　round　the
balloon　before　I　see　any　horses。〃

〃How　strange！　　I　have　heard　others　also　say　that　they　saw　the
storks　you　mention；　but　let　me　do　my　utmost　I　cannot　force　them
into　my　mental　image　of　the　scene。　　This　shows；　as　you　were　saying
just　now；　how　incomplete　the　testimony　of　an　eye…witness　often　is。
It　is　quite　possible　that　the　storks　were　there；　but　the　horses　and
the　chariot　have　impressed　themselves　more　vividly　on　my　mind　than
anything　else　has。〃

〃Quite　so；　and　I　am　not　without　hope　that　even　at　this　late　hour
some　further　details　may　yet　be　revealed　to　us。〃

〃It　is　possible；　but　we　should　be　as　cautious　in　accepting　any
fresh　details　as　in　rejecting　them。　　Should　some　heresy　obtain　wide
acceptance；　visions　will　perhaps　be　granted　to　us　that　may　be
useful　in　refuting　it；　but　otherwise　I　expect　nothing　more。〃

〃Neither　do　I；　but　I　have　heard　people　say　that　inasmuch　as　the
Sunchild　said　he　was　going　to　interview　the　air…god　in　order　to
send　us　rain；　he　was　more　probably　son　to　the　air…god　than　to　the
sun。　　Now　here　is　a　heresy　which〃

〃But；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Balmy；　interrupting　him　with　great
warmth；　〃he　spoke　of　his　father　in　heaven　as　endowed　with
attributes　far　exceeding　any　that　can　be　conceivably　ascribed　to
the　air…god。　　The　power　of　the　air…god　does　not　extend　beyond　our
own　atmosphere。〃

〃Pray　believe　me；〃　said　my　father；　who　saw　by　the　ecstatic　gleam　in
his　companion's　eye　that　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　but　to　agree
with　him；　〃that　I　accept〃

〃Hear　me　to　the　end；〃　replied　Mr。　Balmy。　　〃Who　ever　heard　the
Sunchild　claim　relationship　with　the　air…god？　　He　could　command　the
air…god；　and　evidently　did　so；　halting　no　doubt　for　this　beneficent
purpose　on　his　journey　towards　his　ultimate　destination。　　Can　we
suppose　that　the　air…god；　who　had　evidently　intended　withholding
the　rain　from　us　for　an　indefinite　period；　should　have　so
immediately　relinquished　his　designs　against　us　at　the　intervention
of　any　less　exalted　personage　than　the　sun's　own　offspring？
Impossible！〃

〃I　quite　agree　with　you；〃　exclaimed　my　father；　〃it　is　out　of　the〃

〃Let　me　finish　what　I　have　to　say。　　When　the　rain　came　so　copiously
for　days；　even　those　who　had　not　seen　the　miraculous　ascent　found
its　consequences　come　so　directly　home　to　them；　that　they　had　no
difficulty　in　accepting　the　report　of　others。　　There　was　not　a
farmer　or　cottager　in　the　land　but　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief　at
rescue　from　impending　ruin；　and　they　all　knew　it　was　the　Sunchild
who　had　promised　the　King　that　he　would　make　the　air…god　send　it。
So　abundantly；　you　will　remember；　did　it　come；　that　we　had　to　pray
to　him　to　stop　it；　which　in　his　own　good　time　he　was　pleased　to
do。〃

〃I　remember；〃　said　my　father；　who　was　at　last　able　to　edge　in　a
word；　〃that　it　nearly　flooded　me　out　of　house　and　home。　　And　yet；
in　spite　of　all　this；　I　hear　that　there　are　many　at　Bridgeford　who
are　still　hardened　unbelievers。〃

〃Alas！　you　speak　too　truly。　　Bridgeford　and　the　Musical　Banks　for
the　first　three　years　fought　tooth　and　nail　to　blind　those　whom　it
was　their　first　duty　to　enlighten。　　I　was　a　Professor　of　the
hypothetical　language；　and　you　may　perhaps　remember　how　I　was
driven　from　my　chair　on　account　of　the　fearlessness　with　which　I
expounded　the　deeper　mysteries　of　Sunchildism。〃

〃Yes；　I　remember　well　how　cruelly〃　but　my　father　was　not　allowed
to　get　beyond　〃cruelly。〃

〃It　was　I　who　explained　why　the　Sunchild　had　represented　himself　as
belonging　to　a　people　in　many　respects　analogous　to　our　own；　when
no　such　people　can　have　existed。　　It　was　I　who　detected　that　the
supposed　nation　spoken　of　by　the　Sunchild　was　an　invention　designed
in　order　to　give　us　instruction　by　the　light　of　which　we　might　more
easily　remodel　our　institutions。　　I　have　sometimes　thought　that　my
gift　of　interpretation　was　vouchsafed　to　me　in　recognition　of　the
humble　services　that　I　was　hereby　allowed　to　render。　　By　the　way；
you　have　received　no　illumination　this　morning；　have　you？〃

〃I　never　do；　sir；　when　I　am　in　the　company　of　one　whose
conversation　I　find　supremely　interesting。　　But　you　were　telling　me
about　Bridgeford：　　I　live　hundreds　of　miles　from　Bridgeford；　and
have　never　understood　the　suddenness；　and　completeness；　with　which
men　like　Professors　Hanky　and　Panky　and　Dr。　Downie　changed　front。
Do　they　believe　as　you　and　I　do；　or　did　they　merely　go　with　the
times？　　I　spent　a　couple　of　hours　with　Hanky　and　Panky　only　two
evenings　ago；　and　was　not　so　much　impressed　as　I　could　have　wished
with　the　depth　of　their　religious　fervour。〃

〃They　are　sincere　nowmore　especially　Hankybut　I　cannot　think　I
am　judging　them　harshly；　if　I　say　that　they　were　not　so　at　first。
Even　now；　I　fear；　that　they　are　more　carnally　than　spiritually
minded。　　See　how　they　have　fought　for　the　aggrandisement　of　their
own　order。　　It　is　mainly　their　doing　that　the　Musical　Banks　have
usurped　the　spiritual　authority　formerly　exercised　by　the
straighteners。〃

〃But　the　straighteners；〃　said　my　father；　〃could　not　co…exist　with
Sunchildism；　and　it　is　hard　to　see　how　the