erewhon revisited-第56章

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anything。〃

〃But　it　is　ever　so　much　too　much！〃

〃It　is　not　half　enough。　　You　and　the　Mayor　must　settle　all　that
between　you。　　He　and　our　father　talked　it　all　over；　and　this　was
what　they　settled。〃

〃And　our　father　planned　all　this；　without　saying　a　word　to　me　about
it　while　we　were　on　our　way　up　here？〃

〃Yes。　　There　might　have　been　some　hitch　in　the　gold's　coming。
Besides　the　Mayor　told　him　not　to　tell　you。〃

〃And　he　never　said　anything　about　the　other　money　he　left　for　me
which　enabled　me　to　marry　at　once？　　Why　was　this？〃

〃Your　mother　said　he　was　not　to　do　so。〃

〃Bless　my　heart；　how　they　have　duped　me　all　round。　　But　why　would
not　my　mother　let　your　father　tell　me？　　Oh　yesshe　was　afraid　I
should　tell　the　King　about　it；　as　I　certainly　should；　when　I　told
him　all　the　rest。〃

〃Tell　the　King？〃　said　I；　〃what　have　you　been　telling　the　King？〃

〃Everything；　except　about　the　nuggets　and　the　sovereigns；　of　which
I　knew　nothing；　and　I　have　felt　myself　a　blackguard　ever　since　for
not　telling　him　about　these　when　he　came　up　here　last　autumnbut　I
let　the　Mayor　and　my　mother　talk　me　over；　as　I　am　afraid　they　will
do　again。〃

〃When　did　you　tell　the　King？〃

Then　followed　all　the　details　that　I　have　told　in　the　latter　part
of　Chapter　XXI。　　When　I　asked　how　the　King　took　the　confession；
George　said　…

〃He　was　so　much　flattered　at　being　treated　like　a　reasonable　being；
and　Dr。　Downie；　who　was　chief　spokesman；　played　his　part　so
discreetly；　without　attempting　to　obscure　even　the　most
compromising　issues；　that　though　his　Majesty　made　some　show　of
displeasure　at　first；　it　was　plain　that　he　was　heartily　enjoying
the　whole　story。

〃Dr。　Downie　shewed　very　well。　　He　took　on　himself　the　onus　of
having　advised　our　action；　and　he　gave　me　all　the　credit　of　having
proposed　that　we　should　make　a　clean　breast　of　everything。

〃The　King；　too；　behaved　with　truly　royal　politeness；　he　was　on　the
point　of　asking　why　I　had　not　taken　our　father　to　the　Blue　Pool　at
once；　and　flung　him　into　it　on　the　Sunday　afternoon；　when　something
seemed　to　strike　him：　　he　gave　me　a　searching　look；　on　which　he
said　in　an　undertone；　'Oh　yes；'　and　did　not　go　on　with　his
question。　　He　never　blamed　me　for　anything；　and　when　I　begged　him
to　accept　my　resignation　of　the　Rangership；　he　said　…

〃'No。　　Stay　where　you　are　till　I　lose　confidence　in　you；　which　will
not；　I　think；　be　very　soon。　　I　will　come　and　have　a　few　days'
shooting　about　the　middle　of　March；　and　if　I　have　good　sport　I
shall　order　your　salary　to　be　increased。　　If　any　more　foreign
devils　come　over；　do　not　Blue…Pool　them；　send　them　down　to　me；　and
I　will　see　what　I　think　of　them；　I　am　much　disposed　to　encourage　a
few　of　them　to　settle　here。〃

〃I　am　sure；〃　continued　George；　〃that　he　said　this　because　he　knew　I
was　half　a　foreign　devil　myself。　　Indeed　he　won　my　heart　not　only
by　the　delicacy　of　his　consideration；　but　by　the　obvious　good　will
he　bore　me。　　I　do　not　know　what　he　did　with　the　nuggets；　but　he
gave　orders　that　the　blanket　and　the　rest　of　my　father's　kit　should
be　put　in　the　great　Erewhonian　Museum。　　As　regards　my　father's
receipt；　and　the　Professors'　two　depositions；　he　said　he　would　have
them　carefully　preserved　in　his　secret　archives。　　'A　document；'　he
said　somewhat　enigmatically；　'is　a　documentbut；　Professor　Hanky；
you　can　have　this'and　as　he　spoke　he　handed　him　back　his　pocket…
handkerchief。

〃Hanky　during　the　whole　interview　was　furious；　at　having　to　play　so
undignified　a　part；　but　even　more　so；　because　the　King　while　he
paid　marked　attention　to　Dr。　Downie；　and　even　to　myself；　treated
him　with　amused　disdain。　　Nevertheless；　angry　though　he　was；　he　was
impenitent；　unabashed；　and　brazened　it　out　at　Bridgeford；　that　the
King　had　received　him　with　open　arms；　and　had　snubbed　Dr。　Downie
and　myself。　　But　for　his　（Hanky's）　intercession；　I　should　have　been
dismissed　then　and　there　from　the　Rangership。　　And　so　forth。　　Panky
never　opened　his　mouth。

〃Returning　to　the　King；　his　Majesty　said　to　Dr。　Downie；　'I　am
afraid　I　shall　not　be　able　to　canonize　any　of　you　gentlemen　just
yet。　　We　must　let　this　affair　blow　over。　　Indeed　I　am　in　half　a
mind　to　have　this　Sunchild　bubble　pricked；　I　never　liked　it；　and　am
getting　tired　of　it；　you　Musical　Bank　gentlemen　are　overdoing　it。
I　will　talk　it　over　with　her　Majesty。　　As　for　Professor　Hanky；　I　do
not　see　how　I　can　keep　one　who　has　been　so　successfully　hoodwinked；
as　my　Professor　of　Worldly　Wisdom；　but　I　will　consult　her　Majesty
about　this　point　also。　　Perhaps　I　can　find　another　post　for　him。
If　I　decide　on　having　Sunchildism　pricked；　he　shall　apply　the　pin。
You　may　go。'

〃And　glad　enough；〃　said　George；　〃we　all　of　us　were　to　do　so。〃

〃But　did　he；〃　I　asked；　〃try　to　prick　the　bubble　of　Sunchildism？〃

〃Oh　no。　　As　soon　as　he　said　he　would　talk　it　over　with　her　Majesty；
I　knew　the　whole　thing　would　end　in　smoke；　as　indeed　to　all　outward
appearance　it　shortly　did；　for　Dr。　Downie　advised　him　not　to　be　in
too　great　a　hurry；　and　whatever　he　did　to　do　it　gradually。　　He
therefore　took　no　further　action　than　to　show　marked　favour　to
practical　engineers　and　mechanicians。　　Moreover　he　started　an
aeronautical　society；　which　made　Bridgeford　furious；　but　so　far；　I
am　afraid　it　has　done　us　no　good；　for　the　first　ascent　was
disastrous；　involving　the　death　of　the　poor　fellow　who　made　it；　and
since　then　no　one　has　ventured　to　ascend。　　I　am　afraid　we　do　not
get　on　very　fast。〃

〃Did　the　King；〃　I　asked；　〃increase　your　salary？〃

〃Yes。　　He　doubled　it。〃

〃And　what　do　they　say　in　Sunch'ston　about　our　father's　second
visit？〃

George　laughed；　and　shewed　me　the　newspaper　extract　which　I　have
already　given。　　I　asked　who　wrote　it。

〃I　did；〃　said　he；　with　a　demure　smile；　〃I　wrote　it　at　night　after　I
returned　home；　and　before　starting　for　the　capital　next　morning。　　I
called　myself　'the　deservedly　popular　Ranger；'　to　avert　suspicion。
No　one　found　me　out；　you　can　keep　the　extract；　I　brought　it　here　on
purpose。〃

〃It　does　you　great　credit。　　Was　there　ever　any　lunatic；　and　was　he
found？〃

〃Oh　yes。　　That　part　was　true；　except　that　he　had　never　been　up　our
way。〃

〃Then　the　poacher　is　still　at　large？〃

〃It　is　to　be　feared　so。〃

〃And　were　Dr。　Downie　and　the　Professors　canonized　after　all。〃

〃Not　yet；　but　the　Professors　will　be　next　monthfor　Hanky　is　still
Professor。　　Dr。　Downie　backed　out　of　it。　　He　said　it　was　enough　to
be　a　Sunchildist　without　being　a　Sunchild　Saint。　　He　worships　the
jumping　cat　as　much　as　the　others；　but　he　keeps　his　eye　better　on
the　cat；　and　sees　sooner　both　when　it　will　jump；　and　where　it　will
jump　to。　　Then；　without　disturbing　any　one；　he　insinuates　himself
into　the　place　which　will　be　best　when　the　jump　is　over。　　Some　say
that　the　cat　knows　him　and　follows　him；　at　all　events　when　he　makes
a　move　the　cat　generally　jumps　towards　him　soon　afterwards。〃

〃You　give　him　a　very　high　character。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　have　my　doubts　about　his　doing　much　in　this　matter；　he
is　getting　old；　and　Hanky　burrows　like　a　mole　night　and　day。　　There
is　no　knowing　how　it　will　all　end。〃

〃And　the　people　at　Sunch'ston？　　Has　it　got　well　about　among　them；
in　spite　of　your　admirable　article；　that　it　was　the　Sunchild
himself　who　interrupted　Hanky？〃

〃It　has；　and　it　has　not。　　Many　of　us　know　the　truth；　but　a　story
came　down　from　Bridgeford　that　it　was　an　evil　spirit　who　had
assumed　the　Sunchild's　form；　intending　to　make　people　sceptical
about　Sunchildism；　Hanky　and　Panky　cowed　this　spirit；　otherwise　it
would　never　have　recanted。　　Many　people　swallow　this。〃

〃But　Hanky　and　Panky　swore　that　they　knew　the　man。〃

〃That　does　not　matter。〃

〃And　now　please；　how　long　have　you　been　married？〃

〃About　ten　months。〃

〃Any　family？〃

〃One　boy　about　a　fortnight　old。　　Do　come　down　to　Sunch'ston　and　see
himhe　is　your　own　nephew。　　You　speak　Erewhonian　so　perfectly　that
no　human　being　would　suspect　you　were　a　foreigner；　and　you　look　one
of　us　from　head　to　foot。　　I　can　smuggle　you　through　quite　easily；
and　my　mother　would　so　like　to　see　you。〃

I　should　dearly　have　liked　to　have　gone；　but　it　was　out　of　the
question。　　I　had　nothing　with　me　but　the　clothes　I　stood　in；
moreover　I　was　longing