erewhon revisited-第57章

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question。　　I　had　nothing　with　me　but　the　clothes　I　stood　in；
moreover　I　was　longing　to　be　back　in　England；　and　when　once　I　was
in　Erewhon　there　was　no　knowing　when　I　should　be　able　to　get　away
again；　but　George　fought　hard　before　he　gave　in。

It　was　now　nearing　the　time　when　this　strange　meeting　between　two
brothersas　strange　a　one　as　the　statues　can　ever　have　looked　down
uponmust　come　to　an　end。　　I　shewed　George　what　the　repeater　would
do；　and　what　it　would　expect　of　its　possessor。　　I　gave　him　six　good
photographs；　of　my　father　and　myselfthree　of　each。　　He　had　never
seen　a　photograph；　and　could　hardly　believe　his　eyes　as　he　looked
at　those　I　shewed　him。　　I　also　gave　him　three　envelopes　addressed
to　myself；　care　of　Alfred　Emery　Cathie；　Esq。；　15　Clifford's　Inn；
London；　and　implored　him　to　write　to　me　if　he　could　ever　find　means
of　getting　a　letter　over　the　range　as　far　as　the　shepherd's　hut。
At　this　he　shook　his　head；　but　he　promised　to　write　if　he　could。　　I
also　told　him　that　I　had　written　a　full　account　of　my　father's
second　visit　to　Erewhon；　but　that　it　should　never　be　published　till
I　heard　from　himat　which　he　again　shook　his　head；　but　added；　〃And
yet　who　can　tell？　　For　the　King　may　have　the　country　opened　up　to
foreigners　some　day　after　all。〃

Then　he　thanked　me　a　thousand　times　over；　shouldered　the　knapsack；
embraced　me　as　he　had　my　father；　and　caressed　the　dog；　embraced　me
again；　and　made　no　attempt　to　hide　the　tears　that　ran　down　his
cheeks。

〃There；〃　he　said；　〃I　shall　wait　here　till　you　are　out　of　sight。〃

I　turned　away；　and　did　not　look　back　till　I　reached　the　place　at
which　I　knew　that　I　should　lose　the　statues。　　I　then　turned　round；
waved　my　handas　also　did　George；　and　went　down　the　mountain　side；
full　of　sad　thoughts；　but　thankful　that　my　task　had　been　so　happily
accomplished；　and　aware　that　my　life　henceforward　had　been　enriched
by　something　that　I　could　never　lose。

For　I　had　never　seen；　and　felt　as　though　I　never　could　see；
George's　equal。　　His　absolute　unconsciousness　of　self；　the
unhesitating　way　in　which　he　took　me　to　his　heart；　his　fearless
frankness；　the　happy　genial　expression　that　played　on　his　face；　and
the　extreme　sweetness　of　his　smilethese　were　the　things　that　made
me　say　to　myself　that　the　〃blazon　of　beauty's　best〃　could　tell　me
nothing　better　than　what　I　had　found　and　lost　within　the　last　three
hours。　　How　small；　too；　I　felt　by　comparison！　　If　for　no　other
cause；　yet　for　this；　that　I；　who　had　wept　so　bitterly　over　my　own
disappointment　the　day　before；　could　meet　this　dear　fellow's　tears
with　no　tear　of　my　own。

But　let　this　pass。　　I　got　back　to　Harris's　hut　without　adventure。
When　there；　in　the　course　of　the　evening；　I　told　Harris　that　I　had
a　fancy　for　the　rug　he　had　found　on　the　river…bed；　and　that　if　he
would　let　me　have　it；　I　would　give　him　my　red　one　and　ten　shillings
to　boot。　　The　exchange　was　so　obviously　to　his　advantage　that　he
made　no　demur；　and　next　morning　I　strapped　Yram's　rug　on　to　my
horse；　and　took　it　gladly　home　to　England；　where　I　keep　it　on　my
own　bed　next　to　the　counterpane；　so　that　with　care　it　may　last　me
out　my　life。　　I　wanted　him　to　take　the　dog　and　make　a　home　for　him；
but　he　had　two　collies　already；　and　said　that　a　retriever　would　be
of　no　use　to　him。　　So　I　took　the　poor　beast　on　with　me　to　the　port；
where　I　was　glad　to　find　that　Mr。　Baker　liked　him　and　accepted　him
from　me；　though　he　was　not　mine　to　give。　　He　had　been　such　an
unspeakable　comfort　to　me　when　I　was　alone；　that　he　would　have
haunted　me　unless　I　had　been　able　to　provide　for　him　where　I　knew
he　would　be　well　cared　for。　　As　for　Doctor；　I　was　sorry　to　leave
him；　but　I　knew　he　was　in　good　hands。

〃I　see　you　have　not　brought　your　knapsack　back；　sir；〃　said　Mr。
Baker。

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃and　very　thankful　was　I　when　I　had　handed　it　over　to
those　for　whom　it　was　intended。〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　you　were；　sir；　for　I　could　see　it　was　a　desperate
heavy　load　for　you。〃

〃Indeed　it　was。〃　　But　at　this　point　I　brought　the　discussion　to　a
close。

Two　days　later　I　sailed；　and　reached　home　early　in　February　1892。
I　was　married　three　weeks　later；　and　when　the　honeymoon　was　over；
set　about　making　the　necessary；　and　some；　I　fear；　unnecessary
additions　to　this　bookby　far　the　greater　part　of　which　had　been
written；　as　I　have　already　said；　many　months　earlier。　　I　now　leave
it；　at　any　rate　for　the　present；　April　22；　1892。

*　*　*

Postscript。On　the　last　day　of　November　1900；　I　received　a　letter
addressed　in　Mr。　Alfred　Cathie's　familiar　handwriting；　and　on
opening　it　found　that　it　contained　another；　addressed　to　me　in　my
own；　and　unstamped。　　For　the　moment　I　was　puzzled；　but　immediately
knew　that　it　must　be　from　George。　　I　tore　it　open；　and　found　eight
closely　written　pages；　which　I　devoured　as　I　have　seldom　indeed
devoured　so　long　a　letter。　　It　was　dated　XXIX。　vii。　1；　and；　as
nearly　as　I　can　translate　it　was　as　follows；…

〃Twice；　my　dearest　brother；　have　I　written　to　you；　and　twice　in
successive　days　in　successive　years；　have　I　been　up　to　the　statues
on　the　chance　that　you　could　meet　me；　as　I　proposed　in　my　letters。
Do　not　think　I　went　all　the　way　back　to　Sunch'stonthere　is　a
ranger's　shelter　now　only　an　hour　and　a　half　below　the　statues；　and
here　I　passed　the　night。　　I　knew　you　had　got　neither　of　my　letters；
for　if　you　had　got　them　and　could　not　come　yourself；　you　would　have
sent　some　one　whom　you　could　trust　with　a　letter。　　I　know　you
would；　though　I　do　not　know　how　you　would　have　contrived　to　do　it。

〃I　sent　both　letters　through　Bishop　Kahabuka　（or；　as　his　inferior
clergy　call　him；　'Chowbok'）；　head　of　the　Christian　Mission　to
Erewhemos；　which；　as　your　father　has　doubtless　told　you；　is　the
country　adjoining　Erewhon；　but　inhabited　by　a　coloured　race　having
no　affinity　with　our　own。　　Bishop　Kahabuka　has　penetrated　at　times
into　Erewhon；　and　the　King；　wishing　to　be　on　good　terms　with　his
neighbours；　has　permitted　him　to　establish　two　or　three　mission
stations　in　the　western　parts　of　Erewhon。　　Among　the　missionaries
are　some　few　of　your　own　countrymen。　　None　of　us　like　them；　but　one
of　them　is　teaching　me　English；　which　I　find　quite　easy。

〃As　I　wrote　in　the　letters　that　have　never　reached　you；　I　am　no
longer　Ranger。　　The　King；　after　some　few　years　（in　the　course　of
which　I　told　him　of　your　visit；　and　what　you　had　brought　me）；
declared　that　I　was　the　only　one　of　his　servants　whom　he　could
trust；　and　found　high　office　for　me；　which　kept　me　in　close
confidential　communication　with　himself。

〃About　three　years　ago；　on　the　death　of　his　Prime　Minister；　he
appointed　me　to　fill　his　place；　and　it　was　on　this；　that　so　many
possibilities　occurred　to　me　concerning　which　I　dearly　longed　for
your　opinion；　that　I　wrote　and　asked　you；　if　you　could；　to　meet　me
personally　or　by　proxy　at　the　statues；　which　I　could　reach　on　the
occasion　of　my　annual　visit　to　my　motheryesand　fatherat
Sunch'ston。

〃I　sent　both　letters　by　way　of　Erewhemos；　confiding　them　to　Bishop
Kahabuka；　who　is　just　such　another　as　St。　Hanky。　　He　tells　me　that
our　father　was　a　very　old　and　dear　friend　of　hisbut　of　course　I
did　not　say　anything　about　his　being　my　own　father。　　I　only
inquired　about　a　Mr。　Higgs；　who　was　now　worshipped　in　Erewhon　as　a
supernatural　being。　　The　Bishop　said　it　was；　〃Oh；　so　very
dreadful；〃　and　he　felt　it　all　the　more　keenly；　for　the　reason　that
he　had　himself　been　the　means　of　my　father's　going　to　Erewhon；　by
giving　him　the　information　that　enabled　him　to　find　the　pass　over
the　range　that　bounded　the　country。

〃I　did　not　like　the　man；　but　I　thought　I　could　trust　him　with　a
letter；　which　it　now　seems　I　could　not　do。　　This　third　letter　I
have　given　him　with　a　promise　of　a　hundred　pounds　in　silver　for　his
new　Cathedral；　to　be　paid　as　soon　as　I　get　an　answer　from　you。

〃We　are　all　well　at　Sunch'ston；　so　are　my　wife　and　eight　children
five　sons　and　three　daughtersbut　the　country　is　at　sixes　and
sevens。　　St。　Panky　is　dead；　but　his　son　Pocus　is　worse。　　Dr。　Downie
has　become　very　lethargic。　　I　can　do　less　against　St。　Hankyism　than
when　I　was　a　private　man。　　A　little　indiscretion　on　my　part　would
plunge　the　country　in　civil　war。　　Our　engine