erewhon revisited-第55章

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quarter　past　twelve；　but　no　George。　　Half…past；　still　no　George。
One　o'clock；　and　all　the　quarters　till　three　o'clock；　but　still　no
George。　　I　tried　to　eat　some　of　the　ship's　biscuits　I　had　brought
with　me；　but　I　could　not。　　My　disappointment　was　now　as　great　as　my
excitement　had　been　all　the　forenoon；　at　three　o'clock　I　fairly
cried；　and　for　half　an　hour　could　only　fling　myself　on　the　ground
and　give　way　to　all　the　unreasonable　spleen　that　extreme　vexation
could　suggest。　　True；　I　kept　telling　myself　that　for　aught　I　knew
George　might　be　dead；　or　down　with　a　fever；　but　this　would　not　do；
for　in　this　last　case　he　should　have　sent　one　of　his　brothers　to
meet　me；　and　it　was　not　likely　that　he　was　dead。　　I　am　afraid　I
thought　it　most　probable　that　he　had　been　casualof　which　unworthy
suspicion　I　have　long　since　been　heartily　ashamed。

I　put　the　brooches　inside　my　knapsack；　and　hid　it　in　a　place　where
I　was　sure　no　one　would　find　it；　then；　with　a　heavy　heart；　I
trudged　down　again　to　my　campbroken　in　spirit；　and　hopeless　for
the　morrow。

I　camped　again；　but　it　was　some　hours　before　I　got　a　wink　of　sleep；
and　when　sleep　came　it　was　accompanied　by　a　strange　dream。　　I
dreamed　that　I　was　by　my　father's　bedside；　watching　his　last
flicker　of　intelligence；　and　vainly　trying　to　catch　the　words　that
he　was　not　less　vainly　trying　to　utter。　　All　of　a　sudden　the　bed
seemed　to　be　at　my　camping　ground；　and　the　largest　of　the　statues
appeared；　quite　small；　high　up　the　mountain　side；　but　striding　down
like　a　giant　in　seven　league　boots　till　it　stood　over　me　and　my
father；　and　shouted　out　〃Leap；　John；　leap。〃　　In　the　horror　of　this
vision　I　woke　with　a　loud　cry　that　woke　my　dog　also；　and　made　him
shew　such　evident　signs　of　fear；　that　it　seemed　to　me　as　though　he
too　must　have　shared　my　dream。

Shivering　with　cold　I　started　up　in　a　frenzy；　but　there　was
nothing；　save　a　night　of　such　singular　beauty　that　I　did　not　even
try　to　go　to　sleep　again。　　Naturally　enough；　on　trying　to　keep
awake　I　dropped　asleep　before　many　minutes　were　over。

In　the　morning　I　again　climbed　up　to　the　statues；　without；　to　my
surprise；　being　depressed　with　the　idea　that　George　would　again
fail　to　meet　me。　　On　the　contrary；　without　rhyme　or　reason；　I　had　a
strong　presentiment　that　he　would　come。　　And　sure　enough；　as　soon
as　I　caught　sight　of　the　statues；　which　I　did　about　a　quarter　to
twelve；　I　saw　a　youth　coming　towards　me；　with　a　quick　step；　and　a
beaming　face　that　had　only　to　be　seen　to　be　fallen　in　love　with。

〃You　are　my　brother；〃　said　he　to　me。　　〃Is　my　father　with　you？〃

I　pointed　to　the　crape　on　my　arm；　and　to　the　ground；　but　said
nothing。

He　understood　me；　and　bared　his　head。　　Then　he　flung　his　arms　about
me　and　kissed　my　forehead　according　to　Erewhonian　custom。　　I　was　a
little　surprised　at　his　saying　nothing　to　me　about　the　way　in　which
he　had　disappointed　me　on　the　preceding　day；　I　resolved；　however；
to　wait　for　the　explanation　that　I　felt　sure　he　would　give　me
presently。



CHAPTER　XXVIII：　　GEORGE　AND　I　SPEND　A　FEW　HOURS　TOGETHER　AT　THE
STATUES；　AND　THEN　PARTI　REACH　HOMEPOSTSCRIPT



I　have　said　on　an　earlier　page　that　George　gained　an　immediate
ascendancy　over　me；　but　ascendancy　is　not　the　wordhe　took　me　by
storm；　how；　or　why；　I　neither　know　nor　want　to　know；　but　before　I
had　been　with　him　more　than　a　few　minutes　I　felt　as　though　I　had
known　and　loved　him　all　my　life。　　And　the　dog　fawned　upon　him　as
though　he　felt　just　as　I　did。

〃Come　to　the　statues；〃　said　he；　as　soon　as　he　had　somewhat
recovered　from　the　shock　of　the　news　I　had　given　him。　　〃We　can　sit
down　there　on　the　very　stone　on　which　our　father　and　I　sat　a　year
ago。　　I　have　brought　a　basket；　which　my　mother　packed　forforhim
and　me。　　Did　he　talk　to　you　about　me？〃

〃He　talked　of　nothing　so　much；　and　he　thought　of　nothing　so　much。
He　had　your　boots　put　where　he　could　see　them　from　his　bed　until　he
died。〃

Then　followed　the　explanation　about　these　boots；　of　which　the
reader　has　already　been　told。　　This　made　us　both　laugh；　and　from
that　moment　we　were　cheerful。

I　say　nothing　about　our　enjoyment　of　the　luncheon　with　which　Yram
had　provided　us；　and　if　I　were　to　detail　all　that　I　told　George
about　my　father；　and　all　the　additional　information　that　I　got　from
him（many　a　point　did　he　clear　up　for　me　that　I　had　not　fully
understood）I　should　fill　several　chapters；　whereas　I　have　left
myself　only　one。　　Luncheon　being　over　I　said　…

〃And　are　you　married？〃

〃Yes〃　（with　a　blush）；　〃and　are　you？〃

I　could　not　blush。　　Why　should　I？　　And　yet　young　peopleespecially
the　most　ingenuous　among　themare　apt　to　flush　up　on　being　asked
if　they　are；　or　are　going；　to　be　married。　　If　I　could　have　blushed；
I　would。　　As　it　was　I　could　only　say　that　I　was　engaged　and　should
marry　as　soon　as　I　got　back。

〃Then　you　have　come　all　this　way　for　me；　when　you　were　wanting　to
get　married？〃

〃Of　course　I　have。　　My　father　on　his　death…bed　told　me　to　do　so；
and　to　bring　you　something　that　I　have　brought　you。〃

〃What　trouble　I　have　given！　　How　can　I　thank　you？〃

〃Shake　hands　with　me。〃

Whereon　he　gave　my　hand　a　stronger　grip　than　I　had　quite　bargained
for。

〃And　now；〃　said　I；　〃before　I　tell　you　what　I　have　brought；　you　must
promise　me　to　accept　it。　　Your　father　said　I　was　not　to　leave　you
till　you　had　done　so；　and　I　was　to　say　that　he　sent　it　with　his
dying　blessing。〃

After　due　demur　George　gave　his　promise；　and　I　took　him　to　the
place　where　I　had　hidden　my　knapsack。

〃I　brought　it　up　yesterday；〃　said　I。

〃Yesterday？　but　why？〃

〃Because　yesterdaywas　it　not？was　the　first　of　the　two　days
agreed　upon　between　you　and　our　father？〃

〃Nosurely　to…day　is　the　first　dayI　was　to　come　XXI。　i。　3；　which
would　be　your　December　9。〃

〃But　yesterday　was　December　9　with　usto…day　is　December　10。〃

〃Strange！　　What　day　of　the　week　do　you　make　it？〃

〃To…day　is　Thursday；　December　10。〃

〃This　is　still　strangerwe　make　it　Wednesday；　yesterday　was
Tuesday。〃

Then　I　saw　it。　　The　year　XX。　had　been　a　leap　year　with　the
Erewhonians；　and　1891　in　England　had　not。　　This；　then；　was　what　had
crossed　my　father's　brain　in　his　dying　hours；　and　what　he　had
vainly　tried　to　tell　me。　　It　was　also　what　my　unconscious　self　had
been　struggling　to　tell　my　conscious　one；　during　the　past　night；
but　which　my　conscious　self　had　been　too　stupid　to　understand。　　And
yet　my　conscious　self　had　caught　it　in　an　imperfect　sort　of　a　way
after　all；　for　from　the　moment　that　my　dream　had　left　me　I　had　been
composed；　and　easy　in　my　mind　that　all　would　be　well。　　I　wish　some
one　would　write　a　book　about　dreams　and　parthenogenesisfor　that
the　two　are　part　and　parcel　of　the　same　storya　brood　of　folly
without　father　bredI　cannot　doubt。

I　did　not　trouble　George　with　any　of　this　rubbish；　but　only　shewed
him　how　the　mistake　had　arisen。　　When　we　had　laughed　sufficiently
over　my　mistakefor　it　was　I　who　had　come　up　on　the　wrong　day；　not
heI　fished　my　knapsack　out　of　its　hiding…place。

〃Do　not　unpack　it；〃　said　I；　〃beyond　taking　out　the　brooches；　or　you
will　not　be　able　to　pack　it　so　well；　but　you　can　see　the　ends　of
the　bars　of　gold；　and　you　can　feel　the　weight；　my　father　sent　them
for　you。　　The　pearl　brooch　is　for　your　mother；　the　smaller　brooches
are　for　your　sisters；　and　your　wife。〃

I　then　told　him　how　much　gold　there　was；　and　from　my　pockets
brought　out　the　watches　and　the　English　knife。

〃This　last；〃　I　said；　〃is　the　only　thing　that　I　am　giving　you；　the
rest　is　all　from　our　father。　　I　have　many　many　times　as　much　gold
myself；　and　this　is　legally　your　property　as　much　as　mine　is　mine。〃

George　was　aghast；　but　he　was　powerless　alike　to　express　his
feelings；　or　to　refuse　the　gold。

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　my　father　left　me　this　by　his　will？〃

〃Certainly　he　did；〃　said　I；　inventing　a　pious　fraud。

〃It　is　all　against　my　oath；〃　said　he；　looking　grave。

〃Your　oath　be　hanged；〃　said　I。　　〃You　must　give　the　gold　to　the
Mayor；　who　knows　that　it　was　coming；　and　it　will　appear　to　the
world；　as　though　he　were　giving　it　you　now　instead　of　leaving　you
anything。〃

〃But　it　is　ever　so　much　too　much！〃

〃It　is　not　half　enough。　　You　and　the　Mayor　must　settle　all　that
be