erewhon revisited-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


those　who　came　to　see　him　while　he　was　in　prison。　　He　adored
children；　and　it　was　on　them　that　some　of　his　most　conspicuous
miracles　were　performed。　　Many　a　time　when　a　child　had　fallen　and
hurt　itself；　was　he　known　to　make　the　place　well　by　simply　kissing
it。　　Nor　need　I　recall　to　your　minds　the　spotless　purity　of　his
lifeso　spotless　that　not　one　breath　of　slander　has　ever　dared　to
visit　it。　　I　was　one　of　the　not　very　many　who　had　the　privilege　of
being　admitted　to　the　inner　circle　of　his　friends　during　the　later
weeks　that　he　was　amongst　us。　　I　loved　him　dearly；　and　it　will　ever
be　the　proudest　recollection　of　my　life　that　he　deigned　to　return
me　no　small　measure　of　affection。〃

My　father；　furious　as　he　was　at　finding　himself　dragged　into
complicity　with　this　man's　imposture；　could　not　resist　a　smile　at
the　effrontery　with　which　he　lowered　his　tone　here；　and　appeared
unwilling　to　dwell　on　an　incident　which　he　could　not　recall　without
being　affected　almost　to　tears；　and　mere　allusion　to　which；　had
involved　an　apparent　self…display　that　was　above　all　things
repugnant　to　him。　　What　a　difference　between　the　Hanky　of　Thursday
evening　with　its　〃never　set　eyes　on　him　and　hope　I　never　shall；〃
and　the　Hanky　of　Sunday　morning；　who　now　looked　as　modest　as
Cleopatra　might　have　done　had　she　been　standing　godmother　to　a
little　blue…eyed　girlBellerophon's　first…born　baby。

Having　recovered　from　his　natural；　but　promptly　repressed；　emotion；
the　Professor　continued：…

〃I　need　not　remind　you　of　the　purpose　for　which　so　many　of　us；　from
so　many　parts　of　our　kingdom；　are　here　assembled。　　We　know　what　we
have　come　hither　to　do：　　we　are　come　each　one　of　us　to　sign　and
seal　by　his　presence　the　bond　of　his　assent　to　those　momentous
changes；　which　have　found　their　first　great　material　expression　in
the　temple　that　you　see　around　you。

〃You　all　know　how；　in　accordance　with　the　expressed　will　of　the
Sunchild；　the　Presidents　and　Vice…Presidents　of　the　Musical　Banks
began　as　soon　as　he　had　left　us　to　examine；　patiently；　carefully；
earnestly；　and　without　bias　of　any　kind；　firstly　the　evidences　in
support　of　the　Sunchild's　claim　to　be　the　son　of　the　tutelar　deity
of　this　world；　and　secondly　the　precise　nature　of　his　instructions
as　regards　the　future　position　and　authority　of　the　Musical　Banks。

〃My　friends；　it　is　easy　to　understand　why　the　Sunchild　should　have
given　us　these　instructions。　　With　that　foresight　which　is　the
special　characteristic　of　divine；　as　compared　with　human；　wisdom；
he　desired　that　the　evidences　in　support　of　his　superhuman
character　should　be　collected；　sifted；　and　placed　on　record；　before
anything　was　either　lost　through　the　death　of　those　who　could　alone
substantiate　it；　or　unduly　supplied　through　the　enthusiasm　of　over…
zealous　visionaries。　　The　greater　any　true　miracle　has　been；　the
more　certainly　will　false　ones　accrete　round　it；　here；　then；　we
find　the　explanation　of　the　command　the　Sunchild　gave　to　us　to
gather；　verify；　and　record；　the　facts　of　his　sojourn　here　in
Erewhon。　　For　above　all　things　he　held　it　necessary　to　ensure　that
there　should　be　neither　mistake；　nor　even　possibility　of　mistake。

〃Consider　for　a　moment　what　differences　of　opinion　would　infallibly
have　arisen；　if　the　evidences　for　the　miraculous　character　of　the
Sunchild's　mission　had　been　conflictingif　they　had　rested　on
versions　each　claiming　to　be　equally　authoritative；　but　each
hopelessly　irreconcilable　on　vital　points　with　every　single　other。
What　would　future　generations　have　said　in　answer　to　those　who　bade
them　fling　all　human　experience　to　the　winds；　on　the　strength　of
records　written　they　knew　not　certainly　by　whom；　nor　how　long　after
the　marvels　that　they　recorded；　and　of　which　all　that　could　be
certainly　said　was　that　no　two　of　them　told　the　same　story？

〃Who　that　believes　either　in　God　or　manwho　with　any　self…respect；
or　respect　for　the　gift　of　reason　with　which　God　had　endowed　him；
either　would；　or　could；　believe　that　a　chariot　and　four　horses　had
come　down　from　heaven；　and　gone　back　again　with　human　or　quasi…
human　occupants；　unless　the　evidences　for　the　fact　left　no　loophole
for　escape？　　If　a　single　loophole　were　left　him；　he　would　be
unpardonable；　not　for　disbelieving　the　story；　but　for　believing　it。
The　sin　against　God　would　lie　not　in　want　of　faith；　but　in　faith。

〃My　friends；　there　are　two　sins　in　matters　of　belief。　　There　is
that　of　believing　on　too　little　evidence；　and　that　of　requiring　too
much　before　we　are　convinced。　　The　guilt　of　the　latter　is　incurred；
alas！　by　not　a　few　amongst　us　at　the　present　day；　but　if　the
testimony　to　the　truth　of　the　wondrous　event　so　faithfully　depicted
on　the　picture　that　confronts　you　had　been　less　contemporaneous；
less　authoritative；　less　unanimous；　future　generationsand　it　is
for　them　that　we　should　now　providewould　be　guilty　of　the　first…
named；　and　not　less　heinous　sin　if　they　believed　at　all。

〃Small　wonder；　then；　that　the　Sunchild；　having　come　amongst　us　for
our　advantage；　not　his　own；　would　not　permit　his　beneficent　designs
to　be　endangered　by　the　discrepancies；　mythical　developments；
idiosyncracies；　and　a　hundred　other　defects　inevitably　attendant　on
amateur　and　irresponsible　recording。　　Small　wonder；　then；　that　he
should　have　chosen　the　officials　of　the　Musical　Banks；　from　the
Presidents　and　Vice…Presidents　downwards　to　be　the　authoritative
exponents　of　his　teaching；　the　depositaries　of　his　traditions；　and
his　representatives　here　on　earth　till　he　shall　again　see　fit　to
visit　us。　　For　he　will　come。　　Nay　it　is　even　possible　that　he　may
be　here　amongst　us　at　this　very　moment；　disguised　so　that　none　may
know　him；　and　intent　only　on　watching　our　devotion　towards　him。　　If
this　be　so；　let　me　implore　him；　in　the　name　of　the　sun　his　father；
to　reveal　himself。〃

Now　Hanky　had　already　given　my　father　more　than　one　look　that　had
made　him　uneasy。　　He　had　evidently　recognised　him　as　the　supposed
ranger　of　last　Thursday　evening。　　Twice　he　had　run　his　eye　like　a
searchlight　over　the　front　benches　opposite　to　him；　and　when　the
beam　had　reached　my　father　there　had　been　no　more　searching。　　It
was　beginning　to　dawn　upon　my　father　that　George　might　have
discovered　that　he　was　not　Professor　Panky；　was　it　for　this　reason
that　these　two　young　special　constables；　though　they　gave　up　their
places；　still　kept　so　close　to　him？　　Was　George　only　waiting　his
opportunity　to　arrest　himnot　of　course　even　suspecting　who　he
wasbut　as　a　foreign　devil　who　had　tried　to　pass　himself　off　as
Professor　Panky？　　Had　this　been　the　meaning　of　his　having　followed
him　to　Fairmead？　　And　should　he　have　to　be　thrown　into　the　Blue
Pool　by　George　after　all？　　〃It　would　serve　me；〃　said　he　to　himself；
〃richly　right。〃

These　fears　which　had　been　taking　shape　for　some　few　minutes　were
turned　almost　to　certainties　by　the　half…contemptuous　glance　Hanky
threw　towards　him　as　he　uttered　what　was　obviously　intended　as　a
challenge。　　He　saw　that　all　was　over；　and　was　starting　to　his　feet
to　declare　himself；　and　thus　fall　into　the　trap　that　Hanky　was
laying　for　him；　when　George　gripped　him　tightly　by　the　knee　and
whispered；　〃Don'tyou　are　in　great　danger。〃　　And　he　smiled　kindly
as　he　spoke。

My　father　sank　back　dumbfounded。　　〃You　know　me？〃　he　whispered　in
reply。

〃Perfectly。　　So　does　Hanky；　so　does　my　mother；　say　no　more；〃　and　he
again　smiled。

George；　as　my　father　afterwards　learned；　had　hoped　that　he　would
reveal　himself；　and　had　determined　in　spite　of　his　mother's
instructions；　to　give　him　an　opportunity　of　doing　so。　　It　was　for
this　reason　that　he　had　not　arrested　him　quietly；　as　he　could　very
well　have　done；　before　the　service　began。　　He　wished　to　discover
what　manner　of　man　his　father　was；　and　was　quite　happy　as　soon　as
he　saw　that　he　would　have　spoken　out　if　he　had　not　been　checked。
He　had　not　yet　caught　Hanky's　motive　in　trying　to　goad　my　father；
but　on　seeing　that　he　was　trying　to　do　this；　he　knew　that　a　trap
was　being　laid；　and　that　my　father　must　not　be　allowed　to　speak。

Almost　immediately；　however；　he　perceived　that　while　his　eyes　had
been　turned　on　Hanky；　two　burly　vergers　had　wormed　their　way
through　the　crowd　and　t