erewhon revisited-第37章

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legacy）　to　tide　over　difficulties。　　But　this　method　of　balancing
expenditure　and　income　is　very　unsatisfactory；　and　cannot　be　long
continued。

〃I　am　led　to　plead　for　the　society　with　especial　insistence　at　the
present　time；　inasmuch　as　more　than　one　of　those　whose　unblemished
life　has　made　them　fitting　recipients　of　such　a　signal　favour；　have
recently　had　visions　informing　them　that　the　Sunchild　will　again
shortly　visit　us。　　We　know　not　when　he　will　come；　but　when　he
comes；　my　friends；　let　him　not　find　us　unmindful　of；　nor　ungrateful
for；　the　inestimable　services　he　has　rendered　us。　　For　come　he
surely　will。　　Either　in　winter；　what　time　icicles　hang　by　the　wall
and　milk　comes　frozen　home　in　the　pailor　in　summer　when　days　are
at　their　longest　and　the　mowing　grass　is　aboutthere　will　be　an
hour；　either　at　morn；　or　eve；　or　in　the　middle　day；　when　he　will
again　surely　come。　　May　it　be　mine　to　be　among　those　who　are　then
present　to　receive　him。〃

Here　he　again　glared　at　my　father；　whose　blood　was　boiling。　　George
had　not　positively　forbidden　him　to　speak　out；　he　therefore　sprang
to　his　feet；　〃You　lying　hound；〃　he　cried；　〃I　am　the　Sunchild；　and
you　know　it。〃

George；　who　knew　that　he　had　my　father　in　his　own　hands；　made　no
attempt　to　stop　him；　and　was　delighted　that　he　should　have　declared
himself　though　he　had　felt　it　his　duty　to　tell　him　not　to　do　so。
Yram　turned　pale。　　Hanky　roared　out；　〃Tear　him　in　piecesleave　not
a　single　limb　on　his　body。　　Take　him　out　and　burn　him　alive。〃　　The
vergers　made　a　dash　for　himbut　George's　brothers　seized　them。
The　crowd　seemed　for　a　moment　inclined　to　do　as　Hanky　bade　them；
but　Yram　rose　from　her　place；　and　held　up　her　hand　as　one　who
claimed　attention。　　She　advanced　towards　George　and　my　father　as
unconcernedly　as　though　she　were　merely　walking　out　of　church；　but
she　still　held　her　hand　uplifted。　　All　eyes　were　turned　on　her；　as
well　as　on　George　and　my　father；　and　the　icy　calm　of　her　self…
possession　chilled　those　who　were　inclined　for　the　moment　to　take
Hanky's　words　literally。　　There　was　not　a　trace　of　fluster　in　her
gait；　action；　or　words；　as　she　said　…

〃My　friends；　this　temple；　and　this　day；　must　not　be　profaned　with
blood。　　My　son　will　take　this　poor　madman　to　the　prison。　　Let　him
be　judged　and　punished　according　to　law。　　Make　room；　that　he　and　my
son　may　pass。〃

Then；　turning　to　my　father；　she　said；　〃Go　quietly　with　the　Ranger。〃

Having　so　spoken；　she　returned　to　her　seat　as　unconcernedly　as　she
had　left　it。

Hanky　for　a　time　continued　to　foam　at　the　mouth　and　roar　out；　〃Tear
him　to　pieces！　burn　him　alive！〃　but　when　he　saw　that　there　was　no
further　hope　of　getting　the　people　to　obey　him；　he　collapsed　on　to
a　seat　in　his　pulpit；　mopped　his　bald　head；　and　consoled　himself
with　a　great　pinch　of　a　powder　which　corresponds　very　closely　to
our　own　snuff。

George　led　my　father　out　by　the　side　door　at　the　north　end　of　the
western　aisle；　the　people　eyed　him　intently；　but　made　way　for　him
without　demonstration。　　One　voice　alone　was　heard　to　cry　out；　〃Yes；
he　is　the　Sunchild！〃　　My　father　glanced　at　the　speaker；　and　saw
that　he　was　the　interpreter　who　had　taught　him　the　Erewhonian
language　when　he　was　in　prison。

George；　seeing　a　special　constable　close　by；　told　him　to　bid　his
brothers　release　the　vergers；　and　let　them　arrest　the　interpreter
this　the　vergers；　foiled　as　they　had　been　in　the　matter　of　my
father's　arrest；　were　very　glad　to　do。　　So　the　poor　interpreter；　to
his　dismay；　was　lodged　at　once　in　one　of　the　Bank　prison…cells；
where　he　could　do　no　further　harm。



CHAPTER　XVII：　　GEORGE　TAKES　HIS　FATHER　TO　PRISON；　AND　THERE　OBTAINS
SOME　USEFUL　INFORMATION



By　this　time　George　had　got　my　father　into　the　open　square；　where
he　was　surprised　to　find　that　a　large　bonfire　had　been　made　and
lighted。　　There　had　been　nothing　of　the　kind　an　hour　before；　the
wood；　therefore；　must　have　been　piled　and　lighted　while　people　had
been　in　church。　　He　had　no　time　at　the　moment　to　enquire　why　this
had　been　done；　but　later　on　he　discovered　that　on　the　Sunday
morning　the　Manager　of　the　new　temple　had　obtained　leave　from　the
Mayor　to　have　the　wood　piled　in　the　square；　representing　that　this
was　Professor　Hanky's　contribution　to　the　festivities　of　the　day。
There　had；　it　seemed；　been　no　intention　of　lighting　it　until
nightfall；　but　it　had　accidentally　caught　fire　through　the
carelessness　of　a　workman；　much　about　the　time　when　Hanky　began　to
preach。　　No　one　for　a　moment　believed　that　there　had　been　any
sinister　intention；　or　that　Professor　Hanky　when　he　urged　the　crowd
to　burn　my　father　alive；　even　knew　that　there　was　a　pile　of　wood　in
the　square　at　allmuch　less　that　it　had　been　lightedfor　he　could
hardly　have　supposed　that　the　wood　had　been　got　together　so　soon。
Nevertheless　both　George　and　my　father；　when　they　knew　all　that　had
passed；　congratulated　themselves　on　the　fact　that　my　father　had　not
fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　vergers；　who　would　probably　have　tried
to　utilise　the　accidental　fire；　though　in　no　case　is　it　likely　they
would　have　succeeded。

As　soon　as　they　were　inside　the　gaol；　the　old　Master　recognised　my
father。　　〃Bless　my　heartwhat？　　You　here；　again；　Mr。　Higgs？　　Why；
I　thought　you　were　in　the　palace　of　the　sun　your　father。〃

〃I　wish　I　was；〃　answered　my　father；　shaking　hands　with　him；　but　he
could　say　no　more。

〃You　are　as　safe　here　as　if　you　were；〃　said　George　laughing；　〃and
safer。〃　　Then　turning　to　his　grandfather；　he　said；　〃You　have　the
record　of　Mr。　Higgs's　marks　and　measurements？　　I　know　you　have：
take　him　to　his　old　cell；　it　is　the　best　in　the　prison；　and　then
please　bring　me　the　record。〃

The　old　man　took　George　and　my　father　to　the　cell　which　he　had
occupied　twenty　years　earlierbut　I　cannot　stay　to　describe　his
feelings　on　finding　himself　again　within　it。　　The　moment　his
grandfather's　back　was　turned；　George　said　to　my　father；　〃And　now
shake　hands　also　with　your　son。〃

As　he　spoke　he　took　my　father's　hand　and　pressed　it　warmly　between
both　his　own。

〃Then　you　know　you　are　my　son；〃　said　my　father　as　steadily　as　the
strong　emotion　that　mastered　him　would　permit。

〃Certainly。〃

〃But　you　did　not　know　this　when　I　was　walking　with　you　on　Friday？〃

〃Of　course　not。　　I　thought　you　were　Professor　Panky；　if　I　had　not
taken　you　for　one　of　the　two　persons　named　in　your　permit；　I　should
have　questioned　you　closely；　and　probably　ended　by　throwing　you
into　the　Blue　Pool。〃　　He　shuddered　as　he　said　this。

〃But　you　knew　who　I　was　when　you　called　me　Panky　in　the　temple？〃

〃Quite　so。　　My　mother　told　me　everything　on　Friday　evening。〃

〃And　that　is　why　you　tried　to　find　me　at　Fairmead？〃

〃Yes；　but　where　in　the　world　were　you？〃

〃I　was　inside　the　Musical　Bank　of　the　town；　resting　and　reading。〃

George　laughed；　and　said；　〃On　purpose　to　hide？〃

〃Oh　no；　pure　chance。　　But　on　Friday　evening？　　How　could　your　mother
have　found　out　by　that　time　that　I　was　in　Erewhon？　　Am　I　on　my　head
or　my　heels？〃

〃On　your　heels；　my　father；　which　shall　take　you　back　to　your　own
country　as　soon　as　we　can　get　you　out　of　this。〃

〃What　have　I　done　to　deserve　so　much　goodwill？　　I　have　done　you
nothing　but　harm？〃　　Again　he　was　quite　overcome。

George　patted　him　gently　on　the　hand；　and　said；　〃You　made　a　bet　and
you　won　it。　　During　the　very　short　time　that　we　can　be　together；
you　shall　be　paid　in　full；　and　may　heaven　protect　us　both。〃

As　soon　as　my　father　could　speak　he　said；　〃But　how　did　your　mother
find　out　that　I　was　in　Erewhon？〃

〃Hanky　and　Panky　were　dining　with　her；　and　they　told　her　some
things　that　she　thought　strange。　　She　cross…questioned　them；　put
two　and　two　together；　learned　that　you　had　got　their　permit　out　of
them；　saw　that　you　intended　to　return　on　Friday；　and　concluded　that
you　would　be　sleeping　in　Sunch'ston。　　She　sent　for　me；　told　me　all；
bade　me　scour　Sunch'ston　to　find　you；　intending　that　you　should　be
at　once　escorted　safely　over　the　preserves　by　me。　　I　found　your
inn；　but　you　had　given　us　the　slip。　　I　tried　first　Fairmead　and
then　Clearwater；　but　did　not　find　you　till　this　morning。　　For
reasons　too　long　to　repeat；　my　mother　warned　Hanky　and　Panky　that
you　would　be　in　th