erewhon-第58章

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introduced；　and　make　a　short　address。　　After　some　little　difficulty
I　obtained　admission；　and　heard　two　or　three　speeches；　which　were
prefatory　to　the　introduction　of　Mr。　Habakkuk。　　One　of　these　struck
me　as　perhaps　the　most　presumptuous　that　I　had　ever　heard。　　The
speaker　said　that　the　races　of　whom　Mr。　Habakkuk　was　a　specimen；
were　in　all　probability　the　lost　ten　tribes　of　Israel。　　I　dared　not
contradict　him　then；　but　I　felt　angry　and　injured　at　hearing　the
speaker　jump　to　so　preposterous　a　conclusion　upon　such　insufficient
grounds。　　The　discovery　of　the　ten　tribes　was　mine；　and　mine　only。
I　was　still　in　the　very　height　of　indignation；　when　there　was　a
murmur　of　expectation　in　the　hall；　and　Mr。　Habakkuk　was　brought
forward。　　The　reader　may　judge　of　my　surprise　at　finding　that　he
was　none　other　than　my　old　friend　Chowbok！

My　jaw　dropped；　and　my　eyes　almost　started　out　of　my　head　with
astonishment。　　The　poor　fellow　was　dreadfully　frightened；　and　the
storm　of　applause　which　greeted　his　introduction　seemed　only　to　add
to　his　confusion。　　I　dare　not　trust　myself　to　report　his　speech
indeed　I　could　hardly　listen　to　it；　for　I　was　nearly　choked　with
trying　to　suppress　my　feelings。　　I　am　sure　that　I　caught　the　words
〃Adelaide；　the　Queen　Dowager；〃　and　I　thought　that　I　heard　〃Mary
Magdalene〃　shortly　afterwards；　but　I　had　then　to　leave　the　hall　for
fear　of　being　turned　out。　　While　on　the　staircase；　I　heard　another
burst　of　prolonged　and　rapturous　applause；　so　I　suppose　the
audience　were　satisfied。

The　feelings　that　came　uppermost　in　my　mind　were　hardly　of　a　very
solemn　character；　but　I　thought　of　my　first　acquaintance　with
Chowbok；　of　the　scene　in　the　woodshed；　of　the　innumerable　lies　he
had　told　me；　of　his　repeated　attempts　upon　the　brandy；　and　of　many
an　incident　which　I　have　not　thought　it　worth　while　to　dwell　upon；
and　I　could　not　but　derive　some　satisfaction　from　the　hope　that　my
own　efforts　might　have　contributed　to　the　change　which　had　been
doubtless　wrought　upon　him；　and　that　the　rite　which　I　had
performed；　however　unprofessionally；　on　that　wild　upland　river…bed；
had　not　been　wholly　without　effect。　　I　trust　that　what　I　have
written　about　him　in　the　earlier　part　of　my　book　may　not　be
libellous；　and　that　it　may　do　him　no　harm　with　his　employers。　　He
was　then　unregenerate。　　I　must　certainly　find　him　out　and　have　a
talk　with　him；　but　before　I　shall　have　time　to　do　so　these　pages
will　be　in　the　hands　of　the　public。


At　the　last　moment　I　see　a　probability　of　a　complication　which
causes　me　much　uneasiness。　　Please　subscribe　quickly。　　Address　to
the　Mansion…House；　care　of　the　Lord　Mayor；　whom　I　will　instruct　to
receive　names　and　subscriptions　for　me　until　I　can　organise　a
committee。



Footnotes：

｛1｝　　The　last　part　of　Chapter　XXIII　in　this　Gutenberg　eText。DP。

｛2｝　　See　Handel's　compositions　for　the　harpsichord；　published　by
Litolf；　p。　78。

｛3｝　　The　myth　above　alluded　to　exists　in　Erewhon　with　changed
names；　and　considerable　modifications。　　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of
referring　to　the　story　as　familiar　to　ourselves。

｛4｝　　What　a　SAFE　word　〃relation〃　is；　how　little　it　predicates！　yet
it　has　overgrown　〃kinsman。〃

｛5｝　　The　root　alluded　to　is　not　the　potato　of　our　own　gardens；　but
a　plant　so　near　akin　to　it　that　I　have　ventured　to　translate　it
thus。　　Apropos　of　its　intelligence；　had　the　writer　known　Butler　he
would　probably　have　said　…

〃He　knows　what's　what；　and　that's　as　high；
As　metaphysic　wit　can　fly。〃

｛6｝　　Since　my　return　to　England；　I　have　been　told　that　those　who
are　conversant　about　machines　use　many　terms　concerning　them　which
show　that　their　vitality　is　here　recognised；　and　that　a　collection
of　expressions　in　use　among　those　who　attend　on　steam　engines　would
be　no　less　startling　than　instructive。　　I　am　also　informed；　that
almost　all　machines　have　their　own　tricks　and　idiosyncrasies；　that
they　know　their　drivers　and　keepers；　and　that　they　will　play　pranks
upon　a　stranger。　　It　is　my　intention；　on　a　future　occasion；　to
bring　together　examples　both　of　the　expressions　in　common　use　among
mechanicians；　and　of　any　extraordinary　exhibitions　of　mechanical
sagacity　and　eccentricity　that　I　can　meet　withnot　as　believing　in
the　Erewhonian　Professor's　theory；　but　from　the　interest　of　the
subject。





End