erewhon-第28章

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which　last　they　tried　to　imitate　in　melancholy　cadences　that　at
times　degenerated　into　a　howl。　　To　my　thinking　the　noise　was
hideous；　but　it　produced　a　great　effect　upon　my　companions；　who
professed　themselves　much　moved。　　As　soon　as　the　singing　was　over；
the　ladies　requested　me　to　stay　where　I　was　while　they　went　inside
the　place　from　which　it　had　seemed　to　come。

During　their　absence　certain　reflections　forced　themselves　upon　me。

In　the　first　place；　it　struck　me　as　strange　that　the　building
should　be　so　nearly　empty；　I　was　almost　alone；　and　the　few　besides
myself　had　been　led　by　curiosity；　and　had　no　intention　of　doing
business　with　the　bank。　　But　there　might　be　more　inside。　　I　stole
up　to　the　curtain；　and　ventured　to　draw　the　extreme　edge　of　it　on
one　side。　　No；　there　was　hardly　any　one　there。　　I　saw　a　large
number　of　cashiers；　all　at　their　desks　ready　to　pay　cheques；　and
one　or　two　who　seemed　to　be　the　managing　partners。　　I　also　saw　my
hostess　and　her　daughters　and　two　or　three　other　ladies；　also　three
or　four　old　women　and　the　boys　from　one　of　the　neighbouring
Colleges　of　Unreason；　but　there　was　no　one　else。　　This　did　not　look
as　though　the　bank　was　doing　a　very　large　business；　and　yet　I　had
always　been　told　that　every　one　in　the　city　dealt　with　this
establishment。

I　cannot　describe　all　that　took　place　in　these　inner　precincts；　for
a　sinister…looking　person　in　a　black　gown　came　and　made　unpleasant
gestures　at　me　for　peeping。　　I　happened　to　have　in　my　pocket　one　of
the　Musical　Bank　pieces；　which　had　been　given　me　by　Mrs。　Nosnibor；
so　I　tried　to　tip　him　with　it；　but　having　seen　what　it　was；　he
became　so　angry　that　I　had　to　give　him　a　piece　of　the　other　kind　of
money　to　pacify　him。　　When　I　had　done　this　he　became　civil
directly。　　As　soon　as　he　was　gone　I　ventured　to　take　a　second　look；
and　saw　Zulora　in　the　very　act　of　giving　a　piece　of　paper　which
looked　like　a　cheque　to　one　of　the　cashiers。　　He　did　not　examine
it；　but　putting　his　hand　into　an　antique　coffer　hard　by；　he　pulled
out　a　quantity　of　metal　pieces　apparently　at　random；　and　handed
them　over　without　counting　them；　neither　did　Zulora　count　them；　but
put　them　into　her　purse　and　went　back　to　her　seat　after　dropping　a
few　pieces　of　the　other　coinage　into　an　alms　box　that　stood　by　the
cashier's　side。　　Mrs。　Nosnibor　and　Arowhena　then　did　likewise；　but
a　little　later　they　gave　all　（so　far　as　I　could　see）　that　they　had
received　from　the　cashier　back　to　a　verger；　who　I　have　no　doubt　put
it　back　into　the　coffer　from　which　it　had　been　taken。　　They　then
began　making　towards　the　curtain；　whereon　I　let　it　drop　and
retreated　to　a　reasonable　distance。

They　soon　joined　me。　　For　some　few　minutes　we　all　kept　silence；　but
at　last　I　ventured　to　remark　that　the　bank　was　not　so　busy　to…day
as　it　probably　often　was。　　On　this　Mrs。　Nosnibor　said　that　it　was
indeed　melancholy　to　see　what　little　heed　people　paid　to　the　most
precious　of　all　institutions。　　I　could　say　nothing　in　reply；　but　I
have　ever　been　of　opinion　that　the　greater　part　of　mankind　do
approximately　know　where　they　get　that　which　does　them　good。

Mrs。　Nosnibor　went　on　to　say　that　I　must　not　think　there　was　any
want　of　confidence　in　the　bank　because　I　had　seen　so　few　people
there；　the　heart　of　the　country　was　thoroughly　devoted　to　these
establishments；　and　any　sign　of　their　being　in　danger　would　bring
in　support　from　the　most　unexpected　quarters。　　It　was　only　because
people　knew　them　to　be　so　very　safe；　that　in　some　cases　（as　she
lamented　to　say　in　Mr。　Nosnibor's）　they　felt　that　their　support　was
unnecessary。　　Moreover　these　institutions　never　departed　from　the
safest　and　most　approved　banking　principles。　　Thus　they　never
allowed　interest　on　deposit；　a　thing　now　frequently　done　by　certain
bubble　companies；　which　by　doing　an　illegitimate　trade　had　drawn
many　customers　away；　and　even　the　shareholders　were　fewer　than
formerly；　owing　to　the　innovations　of　these　unscrupulous　persons；
for　the　Musical　Banks　paid　little　or　no　dividend；　but　divided　their
profits　by　way　of　bonus　on　the　original　shares　once　in　every　thirty
thousand　years；　and　as　it　was　now　only　two　thousand　years　since
there　had　been　one　of　these　distributions；　people　felt　that　they
could　not　hope　for　another　in　their　own　time　and　preferred
investments　whereby　they　got　some　more　tangible　return；　all　which；
she　said；　was　very　melancholy　to　think　of。

Having　made　these　last　admissions；　she　returned　to　her　original
statement；　namely；　that　every　one　in　the　country　really　supported
these　banks。　　As　to　the　fewness　of　the　people；　and　the　absence　of
the　able…bodied；　she　pointed　out　to　me　with　some　justice　that　this
was　exactly　what　we　ought　to　expect。　　The　men　who　were　most
conversant　about　the　stability　of　human　institutions；　such　as　the
lawyers；　men　of　science；　doctors；　statesmen；　painters；　and　the
like；　were　just　those　who　were　most　likely　to　be　misled　by　their
own　fancied　accomplishments；　and　to　be　made　unduly　suspicious　by
their　licentious　desire　for　greater　present　return；　which　was　at
the　root　of　nine…tenths　of　the　opposition；　by　their　vanity；　which
would　prompt　them　to　affect　superiority　to　the　prejudices　of　the
vulgar；　and　by　the　stings　of　their　own　conscience；　which　was
constantly　upbraiding　them　in　the　most　cruel　manner　on　account　of
their　bodies；　which　were　generally　diseased。

Let　a　person's　intellect　（she　continued）　be　never　so　sound；　unless
his　body　is　in　absolute　health；　he　can　form　no　judgement　worth
having　on　matters　of　this　kind。　　The　body　is　everything：　　it　need
not　perhaps　be　such　a　strong　body　（she　said　this　because　she　saw
that　I　was　thinking　of　the　old　and　infirm…looking　folks　whom　I　had
seen　in　the　bank）；　but　it　must　be　in　perfect　health；　in　this　case；
the　less　active　strength　it　had　the　more　free　would　be　the　working
of　the　intellect；　and　therefore　the　sounder　the　conclusion。　　The
people；　then；　whom　I　had　seen　at　the　bank　were　in　reality　the　very
ones　whose　opinions　were　most　worth　having；　they　declared　its
advantages　to　be　incalculable；　and　even　professed　to　consider　the
immediate　return　to　be　far　larger　than　they　were　entitled　to；　and
so　she　ran　on；　nor　did　she　leave　off　till　we　had　got　back　to　the
house。

She　might　say　what　she　pleased；　but　her　manner　carried　no
conviction；　and　later　on　I　saw　signs　of　general　indifference　to
these　banks　that　were　not　to　be　mistaken。　　Their　supporters　often
denied　it；　but　the　denial　was　generally　so　couched　as　to　add
another　proof　of　its　existence。　　In　commercial　panics；　and　in　times
of　general　distress；　the　people　as　a　mass　did　not　so　much　as　even
think　of　turning　to　these　banks。　　A　few　might　do　so；　some　from
habit　and　early　training；　some　from　the　instinct　that　prompts　us　to
catch　at　any　straw　when　we　think　ourselves　drowning；　but　few　from　a
genuine　belief　that　the　Musical　Banks　could　save　them　from
financial　ruin；　if　they　were　unable　to　meet　their　engagements　in
the　other　kind　of　currency。

In　conversation　with　one　of　the　Musical　Bank　managers　I　ventured　to
hint　this　as　plainly　as　politeness　would　allow。　　He　said　that　it
had　been　more　or　less　true　till　lately；　but　that　now　they　had　put
fresh　stained　glass　windows　into　all　the　banks　in　the　country；　and
repaired　the　buildings；　and　enlarged　the　organs；　the　presidents；
moreover；　had　taken　to　riding　in　omnibuses　and　talking　nicely　to
people　in　the　streets；　and　to　remembering　the　ages　of　their
children；　and　giving　them　things　when　they　were　naughty；　so　that
all　would　henceforth　go　smoothly。

〃But　haven't　you　done　anything　to　the　money　itself？〃　said　I；
timidly。

〃It　is　not　necessary；〃　he　rejoined；　〃not　in　the　least　necessary；　I
assure　you。〃

And　yet　any　one　could　see　that　the　money　given　out　at　these　banks
was　not　that　with　which　people　bought　their　bread；　meat；　and
clothing。　　It　was　like　it　at　a　first　glance；　and　was　stamped　with
designs　that　were　often　of　great　beauty；　it　was　not；　again；　a
spurious　coinage；　made　with　the　intention　that　it　should　be
mistaken　for　the　money　in　actual　use；　it　was　more　like　a　toy　money；
or　the　counters　used　for　certain　games　at　cards；　for；
notwithstanding　the　beauty　of　the　designs；　the　material　on　which
they