erewhon revisited-第51章

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for　you；〃　said　George；　〃you　had　better　come　a　second　day　if
necessary；　as　I　will；　for　who　can　tell　what　might　happen　to　make
the　first　day　impossible？〃

〃Then；〃　said　my　father；　〃we　shall　be　spared　that　horrible　feeling
that　we　are　parting　without　hope　of　seeing　each　other　again。　　I
find　it　hard　enough　to　say　good…bye　even　now；　but　I　do　not　know　how
I　could　have　faced　it　if　you　had　not　agreed　to　our　meeting　again。〃

〃The　day　fixed　upon　will　be　our　XXI。　i。　3；　and　the　hour　noon　as
near　as　may　be？〃

〃So。　　Let　me　write　it　down：　　'XXI。　i。　3；　i。e。　our　December　9；　1891；
I　am　to　meet　George　at　the　statues；　at　twelve　o'clock；　and　if　he
does　not　come；　I　am　to　be　there　again　on　the　following　day。'

In　like　manner；　George　wrote　down　what　he　was　to　do：　　〃XXI。　i。　3；
or　failing　this　XXI。　i。　4。　　Statues。　　Noon。〃

〃This；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　solemn　covenant；　is　it　not？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　my　father；　〃and　may　all　good　omens　attend　it！〃

The　words　were　not　out　of　his　mouth　before　a　mountain　bird；
something　like　our　jackdaw；　but　smaller　and　of　a　bluer　black；　flew
out　of　the　hollow　mouth　of　one　of　the　statues；　and　with　a　hearty
chuckle　perched　on　the　ground　at　his　feet；　attracted　doubtless　by
the　scraps　of　food　that　were　lying　about。　　With　the　fearlessness　of
birds　in　that　country；　it　looked　up　at　him　and　George；　gave　another
hearty　chuckle；　and　flew　back　to　its　statue　with　the　largest
fragment　it　could　find。

They　settled　that　this　was　an　omen　so　propitious　that　they　could
part　in　good　hope。　　〃Let　us　finish　the　wine；〃　said　my　father；　〃and
then；　do　what　must　be　done！〃

They　finished　the　wine　to　each　other's　good　health；　George　drank
also　to　mine；　and　said　he　hoped　my　father　would　bring　me　with　him；
while　my　father　drank　to　Yram；　the　Mayor；　their　children；　Mrs。
Humdrum；　and　above　all　to　Mrs。　Humdrum's　grand…daughter。　　They　then
re…packed　all　that　could　be　taken　away；　my　father　rolled　his　rug　to
his　liking；　slung　it　over　his　shoulder；　gripped　George's　hand；　and
said；　〃My　dearest　boy；　when　we　have　each　turned　our　backs　upon　one
another；　let　us　walk　our　several　ways　as　fast　as　we　can；　and　try
not　to　look　behind　us。〃

So　saying　he　loosed　his　grip　of　George's　hand；　bared　his　head；
lowered　it；　and　turned　away。

George　burst　into　tears；　and　followed　him　after　he　had　gone　two
paces；　he　threw　his　arms　round　him；　hugged　him；　kissed　him　on　his
lips；　cheeks；　and　forehead；　and　then　turning　round；　strode　full
speed　towards　Sunch'ston。　　My　father　never　took　his　eyes　off　him
till　he　was　out　of　sight；　but　the　boy　did　not　look　round。　　When　he
could　see　him　no　more；　my　father　with　faltering　gait；　and　feeling
as　though　a　prop　had　suddenly　been　taken　from　under　him；　began　to
follow　the　stream　down　towards　his　old　camp。



CHAPTER　XXVI：　　MY　FATHER　REACHES　HOME；　AND　DIES　NOT　LONG　AFTERWARDS



My　father　could　walk　but　slowly；　for　George's　boots　had　blistered
his　feet；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　river…bed；　of　which　he
caught　glimpses　now　and　again；　never　got　any　nearer；　but　all　things
come　to　an　end；　and　by　seven　o'clock　on　the　night　of　Tuesday；　he
was　on　the　spot　which　he　had　left　on　the　preceding　Friday　morning。
Three　entire　days　had　intervened；　but　he　felt　that　something；　he
knew　not　what；　had　seized　him；　and　that　whereas　before　these　three
days　life　had　been　one　thing；　what　little　might　follow　them；　would
be　anotherand　a　very　different　one。

He　soon　caught　sight　of　his　horse　which　had　strayed　a　mile　lower
down　the　river…bed；　and　in　spite　of　his　hobbles　had　crossed　one
ugly　stream　that　my　father　dared　not　ford　on　foot。　　Tired　though　he
was；　he　went　after　him；　bridle　in　hand；　and　when　the　friendly
creature　saw　him；　it　recrossed　the　stream；　and　came　to　him　of　its
own　accordeither　tired　of　his　own　company；　or　tempted　by　some
bread　my　father　held　out　towards　him。　　My　father　took　off　the
hobbles；　and　rode　him　bare…backed　to　the　camping　ground；　where　he
rewarded　him　with　more　bread　and　biscuit；　and　then　hobbled　him
again　for　the　night。

〃It　was　here；〃　he　said　to　me　on　one　of　the　first　days　after　his
return；　〃that　I　first　knew　myself　to　be　a　broken　man。　　As　for
meeting　George　again；　I　felt　sure　that　it　would　be　all　I　could　do
to　meet　his　brother；　and　though　George　was　always　in　my　thoughts；
it　was　for　you　and　not　him　that　I　was　now　yearning。　　When　I　gave
George　my　watch；　how　glad　I　was　that　I　had　left　my　gold　one　at
home；　for　that　is　yours；　and　I　could　not　have　brought　myself　to
give　it　him。〃

〃Never　mind　that；　my　dear　father；〃　said　I；　〃but　tell　me　how　you　got
down　the　river；　and　thence　home　again。〃

〃My　very　dear　boy；〃　he　said；　〃I　can　hardly　remember；　and　I　had　no
energy　to　make　any　more　notes。　　I　remember　putting　a　scrap　of　paper
into　the　box　of　sovereigns；　merely　sending　George　my　love　along
with　the　money；　I　remember　also　dropping　the　box　into　a　hole　in　a
tree；　which　I　blazed；　and　towards　which　I　drew　a　line　of　wood…
ashes。　　I　seem　to　see　a　poor　unhinged　creature　gazing　moodily　for
hours　into　a　fire　which　he　heaps　up　now　and　again　with　wood。　　There
is　not　a　breath　of　air；　Nature　sleeps　so　calmly　that　she　dares　not
even　breathe　for　fear　of　waking；　the　very　river　has　hushed　his
flow。　　Without；　the　starlit　calm　of　a　summer's　night　in　a　great
wilderness；　within；　a　hurricane　of　wild　and　incoherent　thoughts
battling　with　one　another　in　their　fury　to　fall　upon　him　and　rend
himand　on　the　other　side　the　great　wall　of　mountain；　thousands　of
children　praying　at　their　mother's　knee　to　this　poor　dazed　thing。
I　suppose　this　half　delirious　wretch　must　have　been　myself。　　But　I
must　have　been　more　ill　when　I　left　England　than　I　thought　I　was；
or　Erewhon　would　not　have　broken　me　down　as　it　did。〃

No　doubt　he　was　right。　　Indeed　it　was　because　Mr。　Cathie　and　his
doctor　saw　that　he　was　out　of　health　and　in　urgent　need　of　change；
that　they　left　off　opposing　his　wish　to　travel。　　There　is　no　use；
however；　in　talking　about　this　now。

I　never　got　from　him　how　he　managed　to　reach　the　shepherd's　hut；
but　I　learned　some　little　from　the　shepherd；　when　I　stayed　with　him
both　on　going　towards　Erewhon；　and　on　returning。

〃He　did　not　seem　to　have　drink　in　him；〃　said　the　shepherd；　〃when　he
first　came　here；　but　he　must　have　been　pretty　full　of　it；　or　he
must　have　had　some　bottles　in　his　saddle…bags；　for　he　was　awful
when　he　came　back。　　He　had　got　them　worse　than　any　man　I　ever　saw；
only　that　he　was　not　awkward。　　He　said　there　was　a　bird　flying　out
of　a　giant's　mouth　and　laughing　at　him；　and　he　kept　muttering　about
a　blue　pool；　and　hanky…panky　of　all　sorts；　and　he　said　he　knew　it
was　all　hanky…panky；　at　least　I　thought　he　said　so；　but　it　was　no
use　trying　to　follow　him；　for　it　was　all　nothing　but　horrors。　　He
said　I　was　to　stop　the　people　from　trying　to　worship　him。　　Then　he
said　the　sky　opened　and　he　could　see　the　angels　going　about　and
singing　'Hallelujah。'〃

〃How　long　did　he　stay　with　you？〃　I　asked。

〃About　ten　days；　but　the　last　three　he　was　himself　again；　only　too
weak　to　move。　　He　thought　he　was　cured　except　for　weakness。〃

〃Do　you　know　how　he　had　been　spending　the　last　two　days　or　so
before　he　got　down　to　your　hut？〃

I　said　two　days；　because　this　was　the　time　I　supposed　he　would　take
to　descend　the　river。

〃I　should　say　drinking　all　the　time。　　He　said　he　had　fallen　off　his
horse　two　or　three　times；　till　he　took　to　leading　him。　　If　he　had
had　any　other　horse　than　old　Doctor　he　would　have　been　a　dead　man。
Bless　you；　I　have　known　that　horse　ever　since　he　was　foaled；　and　I
never　saw　one　like　him　for　sense。　　He　would　pick　fords　better　than
that　gentleman　could；　I　know；　and　if　the　gentleman　fell　off　him　he
would　just　stay　stock　still。　　He　was　badly　bruised；　poor　man；　when
he　got　here。　　I　saw　him　through　the　gorge　when　he　left　me；　and　he
gave　me　a　sovereign；　he　said　he　had　only　one　other　left　to　take　him
down　to　the　port；　or　he　would　have　made　it　more。〃

〃He　was　my　father；〃　said　I；　〃and　he　is　dead；　but　before　he　died　he
told　me　to　give　you　five　pounds　which　I　have　brought　you。　　I　think
you　are　wrong　in　saying　that　he　had　been　drinking。〃

〃That　is　what　they　all　say；　but　I　take　it　very　kind　of　him　to　have
thought　of　me。〃

My　father's　illness　for　the　first　three　we