erewhon revisited-第9章

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her　as　Yram　now。〃

〃The　Mayoress；〃　replied　Panky；　〃is　a　very　dangerous　woman；　see　how
she　stood　out　about　the　way　in　which　the　Sunchild　had　worn　his
clothes　before　they　gave　him　the　then　Erewhonian　dress。　　Besides；
she　is　a　sceptic　at　heart；　and　so　is　that　precious　son　of　hers。〃

〃She　was　quite　right；〃　said　Hanky；　with　something　of　a　snort。　　〃She
brought　him　his　dinner　while　he　was　still　wearing　the　clothes　he
came　in；　and　if　men　do　not　notice　how　a　man　wears　his　clothes；
women　do。　　Besides；　there　are　many　living　who　saw　him　wear　them。〃

〃Perhaps；〃　said　Panky；　〃but　we　should　never　have　talked　the　King
over　if　we　had　not　humoured　him　on　this　point。　　Yram　nearly　wrecked
us　by　her　obstinacy。　　If　we　had　not　frightened　her；　and　if　your
study；　Hanky；　had　not　happened　to　have　been　burned　。　。　。　〃

〃Come；　come；　Panky；　no　more　of　that。〃

〃Of　course　I　do　not　doubt　that　it　was　an　accident；　nevertheless　if
your　study　had　not　been　accidentally　burned；　on　the　very　night　the
clothes　were　entrusted　to　you　for　earnest；　patient；　careful；
scientific　investigationand　Yram　very　nearly　burned　toowe
should　never　have　carried　it　through。　　See　what　work　we　had　to　get
the　King　to　allow　the　way　in　which　the　clothes　were　worn　to　be　a
matter　of　opinion；　not　dogma。　　What　a　pity　it　is　that　the　clothes
were　not　burned　before　the　King's　tailor　had　copied　them。〃

Hanky　laughed　heartily　enough。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　touch　and
go。　　Why；　I　wonder；　could　not　the　Queen　have　put　the　clothes　on　a
dummy　that　would　show　back　from　front？　　As　soon　as　it　was　brought
into　the　council　chamber　the　King　jumped　to　a　conclusion；　and　we
had　to　bundle　both　dummy　and　Yram　out　of　the　royal　presence；　for
neither　she　nor　the　King　would　budge　an　inch。

Even　Panky　smiled。　　〃What　could　we　do？　　The　common　people　almost
worship　Yram；　and　so　does　her　husband；　though　her　fair…haired
eldest　son　was　born　barely　seven　months　after　marriage。　　The　people
in　these　parts　like　to　think　that　the　Sunchild's　blood　is　in　the
country；　and　yet　they　swear　through　thick　and　thin　that　he　is　the
Mayor's　duly　begotten　offspringFaugh！　　Do　you　think　they　would
have　stood　his　being　jobbed　into　the　ranger…ship　by　any　one　else
but　Yram？〃

My　father's　feelings　may　be　imagined；　but　I　will　not　here　interrupt
the　Professors。

〃Well；　well；〃　said　Hanky；　〃for　men　must　rob　and　women　must　job　so
long　as　the　world　goes　on。　　I　did　the　best　I　could。　　The　King　would
never　have　embraced　Sunchildism　if　I　had　not　told　him　he　was　right；
then；　when　satisfied　that　we　agreed　with　him；　he　yielded　to　popular
prejudice　and　allowed　the　question　to　remain　open。　　One　of　his
Royal　Professors　was　to　wear　the　clothes　one　way；　and　the　other　the
other。〃

〃My　way　of　wearing　them；〃　said　Panky；　〃is　much　the　most
convenient。〃

〃Not　a　bit　of　it；　said　Hanky　warmly。　　On　this　the　two　Professors
fell　out；　and　the　discussion　grew　so　hot　that　my　father　interfered
by　advising　them　not　to　talk　so　loud　lest　another　ranger　should
hear　them。　　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃there　are　a　good　many　landrail
bones　lying　about；　and　it　might　be　awkward。〃

The　Professors　hushed　at　once。　　〃By　the　way；〃　said　Panky；　after　a
pause；　〃it　is　very　strange　about　those　footprints　in　the　snow。　　The
man　had　evidently　walked　round　the　statues　two　or　three　times；　as
though　they　were　strange　to　him；　and　he　had　certainly　come　from　the
other　side。〃

〃It　was　one　of　the　rangers；〃　said　Hanky　impatiently；　〃who　had　gone
a　little　beyond　the　statues；　and　come　back　again。〃

〃Then　we　should　have　seen　his　footprints　as　he　went。　　I　am　glad　I
measured　them。〃

〃There　is　nothing　in　it；　but　what　were　your　measurements？〃

〃Eleven　inches　by　four　and　a　half；　nails　on　the　soles；　one　nail
missing　on　the　right　foot　and　two　on　the　left。〃　　Then；　turning　to
my　father　quickly；　he　said；　〃My　man；　allow　me　to　have　a　look　at
your　boots。〃

〃Nonsense；　Panky；　nonsense！〃

Now　my　father　by　this　time　was　wondering　whether　he　should　not　set
upon　these　two　men；　kill　them　if　he　could；　and　make　the　best　of　his
way　back；　but　he　had　still　a　card　to　play。

〃Certainly；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　should　tell　you　that　they　are　not
my　boots。〃

He　took　off　his　right　boot　and　handed　it　to　Panky。

〃Exactly　so！　　Eleven　inches　by　four　and　a　half；　and　one　nail
missing。　　And　now；　Mr。　Ranger；　will　you　be　good　enough　to　explain
how　you　became　possessed　of　that　boot。　　You　need　not　show　me　the
other。〃　　And　he　spoke　like　an　examiner　who　was　confident　that　he
could　floor　his　examinee　in　viva　voce。

〃You　know　our　orders；〃　answered　my　father；　〃you　have　seen　them　on
your　permit。　　I　met　one　of　those　foreign　devils　from　the　other
side；　of　whom　we　have　had　more　than　one　lately；　he　came　from　out　of
the　clouds　that　hang　higher　up；　and　as　he　had　no　permit　and　could
not　speak　a　word　of　our　language；　I　gripped　him；　flung　him；　and
strangled　him。　　Thus　far　I　was　only　obeying　orders；　but　seeing　how
much　better　his　boots　were　than　mine；　and　finding　that　they　would
fit　me；　I　resolved　to　keep　them。　　You　may　be　sure　I　should　not　have
done　so　if　I　had　known　there　was　snow　on　the　top　of　the　pass。〃

〃He　could　not　invent　that；〃　said　Hanky；　〃it　is　plain　he　has　not
been　up　to　the　statues。〃

Panky　was　staggered。　　〃And　of　course；〃　said　he　ironically；　〃you
took　nothing　from　this　poor　wretch　except　his　boots。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　my　father；　〃I　will　make　a　clean　breast　of　everything。
I　flung　his　body；　his　clothes；　and　my　own　old　boots　into　the　pool；
but　I　kept　his　blanket；　some　things　he　used　for　cooking；　and　some
strange　stuff　that　looks　like　dried　leaves；　as　well　as　a　small　bag
of　something　which　I　believe　is　gold。　　I　thought　I　could　sell　the
lot　to　some　dealer　in　curiosities　who　would　ask　no　questions。〃

〃And　what；　pray；　have　you　done　with　all　these　things？〃

〃They　are　here；　sir。〃　　And　as　he　spoke　he　dived　into　the　wood；
returning　with　the　blanket；　billy；　pannikin；　tea；　and　the　little
bag　of　nuggets；　which　he　had　kept　accessible。

〃This　is　very　strange；〃　said　Hanky；　who　was　beginning　to　be　afraid
of　my　father　when　he　learned　that　he　sometimes　killed　people。

Here　the　Professors　talked　hurriedly　to　one　another　in　a　tongue
which　my　father　could　not　understand；　but　which　he　felt　sure　was
the　hypothetical　language　of　which　he　has　spoken　in　his　book。

Presently　Hanky　said　to　my　father　quite　civilly；　〃And　what；　my　good
man；　do　you　propose　to　do　with　all　these　things？　　I　should　tell　you
at　once　that　what　you　take　to　be　gold　is　nothing　of　the　kind；　it　is
a　base　metal；　hardly；　if　at　all；　worth　more　than　copper。〃

〃I　have　had　enough　of　them；　to…morrow　morning　I　shall　take　them
with　me　to　the　Blue　Pool；　and　drop　them　into　it。〃

〃It　is　a　pity　you　should　do　that；〃　said　Hanky　musingly：　　〃the
things　are　interesting　as　curiosities；　andandandwhat　will　you
take　for　them？〃

〃I　could　not　do　it；　sir；〃　answered　my　father。　　〃I　would　not　do　it；
no；　not　for〃　and　he　named　a　sum　equivalent　to　about　five　pounds
of　our　money。　　For　he　wanted　Erewhonian　money；　and　thought　it　worth
his　while　to　sacrifice　his　ten　pounds'　worth　of　nuggets　in　order　to
get　a　supply　of　current　coin。

Hanky　tried　to　beat　him　down；　assuring　him　that　no　curiosity　dealer
would　give　half　as　much；　and　my　father　so　far　yielded　as　to　take　4
pounds；　10s。　in　silver；　which；　as　I　have　already　explained；　would
not　be　worth　more　than　half　a　sovereign　in　gold。　　At　this　figure　a
bargain　was　struck；　and　the　Professors　paid　up　without　offering　him
a　single　Musical　Bank　coin。　　They　wanted　to　include　the　boots　in
the　purchase；　but　here　my　father　stood　out。

But　he　could　not　stand　out　as　regards　another　matter；　which　caused
him　some　anxiety。　　Panky　insisted　that　my　father　should　give　them　a
receipt　for　the　money；　and　there　was　an　altercation　between　the
Professors　on　this　point；　much　longer　than　I　can　here　find　space　to
give。　　Hanky　argued　that　a　receipt　was　useless；　inasmuch　as　it
would　be　ruin　to　my　father　ever　to　refer　to　the　subject　again。
Panky；　however；　was　anxious；　not　lest　my　father　should　again　claim
the　money；　but　（though　he　did　not　say　so　outright）　lest　Hanky
should　claim　the　whole　purchase　as　his　own。　　In　so　the　end　Panky；
for　a　wonder；　carried　the　day；　and　a　receipt　was　drawn　up　to　the