erewhon revisited-第44章

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his　oath　he　must　do　it　with　his　eyes　openand　he　will　do　it　later
onor　I　will　go　and　fetch　the　money　for　him　myself。　　He　is　in　love
with　a　grand…daughter　of　Mrs。　Humdrum's；　and　this　sum；　together
with　what　you　are　now　leaving　with　me；　will　make　him　a　well…to…do
man。　　I　have　always　been　unhappy　about　his　having　any　of　the
Mayor's　money；　and　his　salary　was　not　quite　enough　for　him　to　marry
on。　　What　can　I　say　to　thank　you？〃

〃Tell　me；　please；　about　Mrs。　Humdrum's　grand…daughter。　　You　like
her　as　a　wife　for　George？〃

〃Absolutely。　　She　is　just　such　another　as　her　grandmother　must　have
been。　　She　and　George　have　been　sworn　lovers　ever　since　he　was　ten；
and　she　eight。　　The　only　drawback　is　that　her　mother；　Mrs。
Humdrum's　second　daughter；　married　for　love；　and　there　are　many
children；　so　that　there　will　be　no　money　with　her；　but　what　you　are
leaving　will　make　everything　quite　easy；　for　he　will　sell　the　gold
at　once。　　I　am　so　glad　about　it。〃

〃Can　you　ask　Mrs。　Humdrum　to　bring　her　grand…daughter　with　her　to…
morrow　evening？〃

〃I　am　afraid　not；　for　we　shall　want　to　talk　freely　at　dinner；　and
she　must　not　know　that　you　are　the　Sunchild；　she　shall　come　to　my
house　in　the　afternoon　and　you　can　see　her　then。　　You　will　be　quite
happy　about　her；　but　of　course　she　must　not　know　that　you　are　her
father…in…law　that　is　to　be。〃

〃One　thing　more。　　As　George　must　know　nothing　about　the　sovereigns；
I　must　tell　you　how　I　will　hide　them。　　They　are　in　a　silver　box；
which　I　will　bind　to　the　bough　of　some　tree　close　to　my　camp；　or　if
I　can　find　a　tree　with　a　hole　in　it　I　will　drop　the　box　into　the
hole。　　He　cannot　miss　my　camp；　he　has　only　to　follow　the　stream
that　runs　down　from　the　pass　till　it　gets　near　a　large　river；　and
on　a　small　triangular　patch　of　flat　ground；　he　will　see　the　ashes
of　my　camp　fire；　a　few　yards　away　from　the　stream　on　his　right　hand
as　he　descends。　　In　whatever　tree　I　may　hide　the　box；　I　will　strew
wood　ashes　for　some　yards　in　a　straight　line　towards　it。　　I　will
then　light　another　fire　underneath；　and　blaze　the　tree　with　a　knife
that　I　have　left　at　my　camping　ground。　　He　is　sure　to　find　it。〃

Yram　again　thanked　him；　and　then　my　father；　to　change　the
conversation；　asked　whether　she　thought　that　George　really　would
have　Blue…Pooled　the　Professors。

〃There　is　no　knowing；〃　said　Yram。　　〃He　is　the　gentlest　creature
living　till　some　great　provocation　rouses　him；　and　I　never　saw　him
hate　and　despise　any　one　as　he　does　the　Professors。　　Much　of　what
he　said　was　merely　put　on；　for　he　knew　the　Professors　must　yield。
I　do　not　like　his　ever　having　to　throw　any　one　into　that　horrid
place；　no　more　does　he；　but　the　Rangership　is　exactly　the　sort　of
thing　to　suit　him；　and　the　opening　was　too　good　to　lose。　　I　must
now　leave　you；　and　get　ready　for　the　Mayor's　banquet。　　We　shall
meet　again　to…morrow　evening。　　Try　and　eat　what　I　have　brought　you
in　this　basket。　　I　hope　you　will　like　the　wine。〃　　She　put　out　her
hand；　which　my　father　took；　and　in　another　moment　she　was　gone；　for
she　saw　a　look　in　his　face　as　though　he　would　fain　have　asked　her
to　let　him　once　more　press　his　lips　to　hers。　　Had　he　done　this；
without　thinking　about　it；　it　is　likely　enough　she　would　not　have
been　ill　pleased。　　But　who　can　say？

For　the　rest　of　the　evening　my　father　was　left　very　much　to　his　own
not　too　comfortable　reflections。　　He　spent　part　of　it　in　posting　up
the　notes　from　which；　as　well　as　from　his　own　mouth；　my　story　is　in
great　part　taken。　　The　good　things　that　Yram　had　left　with　him；　and
his　pipe；　which　she　had　told　him　he　might　smoke　quite　freely；
occupied　another　part；　and　by　ten　o'clock　he　went　to　bed。



CHAPTER　XXII：　　MAINLY　OCCUPIED　WITH　A　VERACIOUS　EXTRACT　FROM　A
SUNCH'STONIAN　JOURNAL



While　my　father　was　thus　wiling　away　the　hours　in　his　cell；　the
whole　town　was　being　illuminated　in　his　honour；　and　not　more　than　a
couple　of　hundred　yards　off；　at　the　Mayor's　banquet；　he　was　being
extolled　as　a　superhuman　being。

The　banquet；　which　was　at　the　town　hall；　was　indeed　a　very
brilliant　affair；　but　the　little　space　that　is　left　me　forbids　my
saying　more　than　that　Hanky　made　what　was　considered　the　speech　of
the　evening；　and　betrayed　no　sign　of　ill　effects　from　the　bad
quarter　of　an　hour　which　he　had　spent　so　recently。　　Not　a　trace　was
to　be　seen　of　any　desire　on　his　part　to　change　his　tone　as　regards
Sunchildismas；　for　example；　to　minimize　the　importance　of　the
relic；　or　to　remind　his　hearers　that　though　the　chariot　and　horses
had　undoubtedly　come　down　from　the　sky　and　carried　away　my　father
and　mother；　yet　that　the　earlier　stage　of　the　ascent　had　been　made
in　a　balloon。　　It　almost　seemed；　so　George　told　my　father；　as
though　he　had　resolved　that　he　would　speak　lies；　all　lies；　and
nothing　but　lies。

Panky；　who　was　also　to　have　spoken；　was　excused　by　the　Mayor　on　the
ground　that　the　great　heat　and　the　excitement　of　the　day's
proceedings　had　quite　robbed　him　of　his　voice。

Dr。　Downie　had　a　jumping　cat　before　his　mental　vision。　　He　spoke
quietly　and　sensibly；　dwelling　chiefly　on　the　benefits　that　had
already　accrued　to　the　kingdom　through　the　abolition　of　the　edicts
against　machinery；　and　the　great　developments　which　he　foresaw　as
probable　in　the　near　future。　　He　held　up　the　Sunchild's　example；
and　his　ethical　teaching；　to　the　imitation　and　admiration　of　his
hearers；　but　he　said　nothing　about　the　miraculous　element　in　my
father's　career；　on　which　he　declared　that　his　friend　Professor
Hanky　had　already　so　eloquently　enlarged　as　to　make　further
allusion　to　it　superfluous。

The　reader　knows　what　was　to　happen　on　the　following　morning。　　The
programme　concerted　at　the　Mayor's　was　strictly　adhered　to。　　The
following　account；　however；　which　appeared　in　the　Sunch'ston　bi…
weekly　newspaper　two　days　after　my　father　had　left；　was　given　me　by
George　a　year　later；　on　the　occasion　of　that　interview　to　which　I
have　already　more　than　once　referred。　　There　were　other　accounts　in
other　papers；　but　the　one　I　am　giving　departs　the　least　widely　from
the　facts。　　It　ran：…

〃THE　CLOSE　OF　A　DISAGREEABLE　INCIDENT。Our　readers　will　remember
that　on　Sunday　last　during　the　solemn　inauguration　of　the　temple
now　dedicated　to　the　Sunchild；　an　individual　on　the　front　bench　of
those　set　apart　for　the　public　suddenly　interrupted　Professor
Hanky's　eloquent　sermon　by　declaring　himself　to　be　the　Sunchild；
and　saying　that　he　had　come　down　from　the　sun　to　sanctify　by　his
presence　the　glorious　fane　which　the　piety　of　our　fellow…citizens
and　others　has　erected　in　his　honour。

〃Wild　rumours　obtained　credence　throughout　the　congregation　to　the
effect　that　this　person　was　none　other　than　the　Sunchild　himself；
and　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　his　complexion　and　the　colour　of　his
hair　showed　this　to　be　impossible；　more　than　one　person　was　carried
away　by　the　excitement　of　the　moment；　and　by　some　few　points　of
resemblance　between　the　stranger　and　the　Sunchild。　　Under　the
influence　of　this　belief；　they　were　preparing　to　give　him　the
honour　which　they　supposed　justly　due　to　him；　when　to　the　surprise
of　every　one　he　was　taken　into　custody　by　the　deservedly　popular
Ranger　of　the　King's　preserves；　and　in　the　course　of　the　afternoon
it　became　generally　known　that　he　had　been　arrested　on　the　charge
of　being　one　of　a　gang　of　poachers　who　have　been　known　for　some
time　past　to　be　making　much　havoc　among　the　quails　on　the
preserves。

〃This　offence；　at　all　times　deplored　by　those　who　desire　that　his
Majesty　should　enjoy　good　sport　when　he　honours　us　with　a　visit；　is
doubly　deplorable　during　the　season　when；　on　the　higher　parts　of
the　preserves；　the　young　birds　are　not　yet　able　to　shift　for
themselves；　the　Ranger；　therefore；　is　indefatigable　in　his　efforts
to　break　up　the　gang；　and　with　this　end　in　view；　for　the　last
fortnight　has　been　out　night　and　day　on　the　remoter　sections　of　the
forestlittle　suspecting　that　the　marauders　would　venture　so　near
Sunch'ston　as　it　now　seems　they　have　done。　　It　is　to　his　extreme
anxiety　to　detect　and　punish　these　miscreants　that　we　must　ascribe
the　arrest　of　a　man；　who；　however　foolish；　and　indeed　guilty；　he　is
in　other　respects；　is　innocent　of　the　particular