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diff --git a/old/ervst10.txt b/old/ervst10.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dd41600..0000000 --- a/old/ervst10.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9531 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg Etext Erewhon Revisited, by Samuel Butler -#2 in our series by Samuel Butler - - -Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check -the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! - -Please take a look at the important information in this header. -We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an -electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. - - -**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** - -**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** - -*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* - -Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and -further information is included below. 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Fifield edition. - - - - - -Erewhon Revisited - -by Samuel Butler - - - - - -Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later Both by the Original -Discoverer of the Country and by his Son. - - - - -I forget when, but not very long after I had published "Erewhon" in -1872, it occurred to me to ask myself what course events in Erewhon -would probably take after Mr. Higgs, as I suppose I may now call -him, had made his escape in the balloon with Arowhena. Given a -people in the conditions supposed to exist in Erewhon, and given -the apparently miraculous ascent of a remarkable stranger into the -heavens with an earthly bride--what would be the effect on the -people generally? - -There was no use in trying to solve this problem before, say, -twenty years should have given time for Erewhonian developments to -assume something like permanent shape, and in 1892 I was too busy -with books now published to be able to attend to Erewhon. It was -not till the early winter of 1900, i.e. as nearly as may be thirty -years after the date of Higgs's escape, that I found time to deal -with the question above stated, and to answer it, according to my -lights, in the book which I now lay before the public. - -I have concluded, I believe rightly, that the events described in -Chapter XXIV. of "Erewhon" would give rise to such a cataclysmic -change in the old Erewhonian opinions as would result in the -development of a new religion. Now the development of all new -religions follows much the same general course. In all cases the -times are more or less out of joint--older faiths are losing their -hold upon the masses. At such times, let a personality appear, -strong in itself, and made to seem still stronger by association -with some supposed transcendent miracle, and it will be easy to -raise a Lo here! that will attract many followers. If there be a -single great, and apparently well-authenticated, miracle, others -will accrete round it; then, in all religions that have so -originated, there will follow temples, priests, rites, sincere -believers, and unscrupulous exploiters of public credulity. To -chronicle the events that followed Higgs's balloon ascent without -shewing that they were much as they have been under like conditions -in other places, would be to hold the mirror up to something very -wide of nature. - -Analogy, however, between courses of events is one thing--historic -parallelisms abound; analogy between the main actors in events is a -very different one, and one, moreover, of which few examples can be -found. The development of the new ideas in Erewhon is a familiar -one, but there is no more likeness between Higgs and the founder of -any other religion, than there is between Jesus Christ and Mahomet. -He is a typical middle-class Englishman, deeply tainted with -priggishness in his earlier years, but in great part freed from it -by the sweet uses of adversity. - -If I may be allowed for a moment to speak about myself, I would say -that I have never ceased to profess myself a member of the more -advanced wing of the English Broad Church. What those who belong -to this wing believe, I believe. What they reject, I reject. No -two people think absolutely alike on any subject, but when I -converse with advanced Broad Churchmen I find myself in substantial -harmony with them. I believe--and should be very sorry if I did -not believe--that, mutatis mutandis, such men will find the advice -given on pp. 277-281 and 287-291 of this book much what, under the -supposed circumstances, they would themselves give. - -Lastly, I should express my great obligations to Mr. R. A. -Streatfeild of the British Museum, who, in the absence from England -of my friend Mr. H. Festing Jones, has kindly supervised the -corrections of my book as it passed through the press. - -SAMUEL BUTLER. - -May 1, 1901. - - - - -CHAPTER I: UPS AND DOWNS OF FORTUNE--MY FATHER STARTS FOR EREWHON - - - -Before telling the story of my father's second visit to the -remarkable country which he discovered now some thirty years since, -I should perhaps say a few words about his career between the -publication of his book in 1872, and his death in the early summer -of 1891. I shall thus touch briefly on the causes that occasioned -his failure to maintain that hold on the public which he had -apparently secured at first. - -His book, as the reader may perhaps know, was published -anonymously, and my poor father used to ascribe the acclamation -with which it was received, to the fact that no one knew who it -might not have been written by. Omne ignotum pro magnifico, and -during its month of anonymity the book was a frequent topic of -appreciative comment in good literary circles. Almost coincidently -with the discovery that he was a mere nobody, people began to feel -that their admiration had been too hastily bestowed, and before -long opinion turned all the more seriously against him for this -very reason. The subscription, to which the Lord Mayor had at -first given his cordial support, was curtly announced as closed -before it had been opened a week; it had met with so little success -that I will not specify the amount eventually handed over, not -without protest, to my father; small, however, as it was, he -narrowly escaped being prosecuted for trying to obtain money under -false pretences. - -The Geographical Society, which had for a few days received him -with open arms, was among the first to turn upon him--not, so far -as I can ascertain, on account of the mystery in which he had -enshrouded the exact whereabouts of Erewhon, nor yet by reason of -its being persistently alleged that he was subject to frequent -attacks of alcoholic poisoning--but through his own want of tact, -and a highly-strung nervous state, which led him to attach too much -importance to his own discoveries, and not enough to those of other -people. This, at least, was my father's version of the matter, as -I heard it from his own lips in the later years of his life. - -"I was still very young," he said to me, "and my mind was more or -less unhinged by the strangeness and peril of my adventures." Be -this as it may, I fear there is no doubt that he was injudicious; -and an ounce of judgement is worth a pound of discovery. - -Hence, in a surprisingly short time, he found himself dropped even -by those who had taken him up most warmly, and had done most to -find him that employment as a writer of religious tracts on which -his livelihood was then dependent. The discredit, however, into -which my father fell, had the effect of deterring any considerable -number of people from trying to rediscover Erewhon, and thus caused -it to remain as unknown to geographers in general as though it had -never been found. A few shepherds and cadets at up-country -stations had, indeed, tried to follow in my father's footsteps, -during the time when his book was still being taken seriously; but -they had most of them returned, unable to face the difficulties -that had opposed them. Some few, however, had not returned, and -though search was made for them, their bodies had not been found. -When he reached Erewhon on his second visit, my father learned that -others had attempted to visit the country more recently--probably -quite independently of his own book; and before he had himself been -in it many hours he gathered what the fate of these poor fellows -doubtless was. - -Another reason that made it more easy for Erewhon to remain -unknown, was the fact that the more mountainous districts, though -repeatedly prospected for gold, had been pronounced non-auriferous, -and as there was no sheep or cattle country, save a few river-bed -flats above the upper gorges of any of the rivers, and no game to -tempt the sportsman, there was nothing to induce people to -penetrate into the fastnesses of the great snowy range. No more, -therefore, being heard of Erewhon, my father's book came to be -regarded as a mere work of fiction, and I have heard quite recently -of its having been seen on a second-hand bookstall, marked "6d. -very readable." - -Though there was no truth in the stories about my father's being -subject to attacks of alcoholic poisoning, yet, during the first -few years after his return to England, his occasional fits of -ungovernable excitement gave some colour to the opinion that much -of what he said he had seen and done might be only subjectively -true. I refer more particularly to his interview with Chowbok in -the wool-shed, and his highly coloured description of the statues -on the top of the pass leading into Erewhon. These were soon set -down as forgeries of delirium, and it was maliciously urged, that -though in his book he had only admitted having taken "two or three -bottles of brandy" with him, he had probably taken at least a -dozen; and that if on the night before he reached the statues he -had "only four ounces of brandy" left, he must have been drinking -heavily for the preceding fortnight or three weeks. Those who read -the following pages will, I think, reject all idea that my father -was in a state of delirium, not without surprise that any one -should have ever entertained it. - -It was Chowbok who, if he did not originate these calumnies, did -much to disseminate and gain credence for them. He remained in -England for some years, and never tired of doing what he could to -disparage my father. The cunning creature had ingratiated himself -with our leading religious societies, especially with the more -evangelical among them. Whatever doubt there might be about his -sincerity, there was none about his colour, and a coloured convert -in those days was more than Exeter Hall could resist. Chowbok saw -that there was no room for him and for my father, and declared my -poor father's story to be almost wholly false. It was true, he -said, that he and my father had explored the head-waters of the -river described in his book, but he denied that my father had gone -on without him, and he named the river as one distant by many -thousands of miles from the one it really was. He said that after -about a fortnight he had returned in company with my father, who by -that time had become incapacitated for further travel. At this -point he would shrug his shoulders, look mysterious, and thus say -"alcoholic poisoning" even more effectively than if he had uttered -the words themselves. For a man's tongue lies often in his -shoulders. - -Readers of my father's book will remember that Chowbok had given a -very different version when he had returned to his employer's -station; but Time and Distance afford cover under which falsehood -can often do truth to death securely. - -I never understood why my father did not bring my mother forward to -confirm his story. He may have done so while I was too young to -know anything about it. But when people have made up their minds, -they are impatient of further evidence; my mother, moreover, was of -a very retiring disposition. The Italians say:- - - -"Chi lontano va ammogliare -Sara ingannato, o vorra ingannare." - - -"If a man goes far afield for a wife, he will be deceived--or means -deceiving." The proverb is as true for women as for men, and my -mother was never quite happy in her new surroundings. Wilfully -deceived she assuredly was not, but she could not accustom herself -to English modes of thought; indeed she never even nearly mastered -our language; my father always talked with her in Erewhonian, and -so did I, for as a child she had taught me to do so, and I was as -fluent with her language as with my father's. In this respect she -often told me I could pass myself off anywhere in Erewhon as a -native; I shared also her personal appearance, for though not -wholly unlike my father, I had taken more closely after my mother. -In mind, if I may venture to say so, I believe I was more like my -father. - -I may as well here inform the reader that I was born at the end of -September 1871, and was christened John, after my grandfather. -From what I have said above he will readily believe that my -earliest experiences were somewhat squalid. Memories of childhood -rush vividly upon me when I pass through a low London alley, and -catch the faint sickly smell that pervades it--half paraffin, half -black-currants, but wholly something very different. I have a -fancy that we lived in Blackmoor Street, off Drury Lane. My -father, when first I knew of his doing anything at all, supported -my mother and myself by drawing pictures with coloured chalks upon -the pavement; I used sometimes to watch him, and marvel at the -skill with which he represented fogs, floods, and fires. These -three "f's," he would say, were his three best friends, for they -were easy to do and brought in halfpence freely. The return of the -dove to the ark was his favourite subject. Such a little ark, on -such a hazy morning, and such a little pigeon--the rest of the -picture being cheap sky, and still cheaper sea; nothing, I have -often heard him say, was more popular than this with his clients. -He held it to be his masterpiece, but would add with some naivete -that he considered himself a public benefactor for carrying it out -in such perishable fashion. "At any rate," he would say, "no one -can bequeath one of my many replicas to the nation." - -I never learned how much my father earned by his profession, but it -must have been something considerable, for we always had enough to -eat and drink; I imagine that he did better than many a struggling -artist with more ambitious aims. He was strictly temperate during -all the time that I knew anything about him, but he was not a -teetotaler; I never saw any of the fits of nervous excitement which -in his earlier years had done so much to wreck him. In the -evenings, and on days when the state of the pavement did not permit -him to work, he took great pains with my education, which he could -very well do, for as a boy he had been in the sixth form of one of -our foremost public schools. I found him a patient, kindly -instructor, while to my mother he was a model husband. Whatever -others may have said about him, I can never think of him without -very affectionate respect. - -Things went on quietly enough, as above indicated, till I was about -fourteen, when by a freak of fortune my father became suddenly -affluent. A brother of his father's had emigrated to Australia in -1851, and had amassed great wealth. We knew of his existence, but -there had been no intercourse between him and my father, and we did -not even know that he was rich and unmarried. He died intestate -towards the end of 1885, and my father was the only relative he -had, except, of course, myself, for both my father's sisters had -died young, and without leaving children. - -The solicitor through whom the news reached us was, happily, a man -of the highest integrity, and also very sensible and kind. He was -a Mr. Alfred Emery Cathie, of 15 Clifford's Inn, E.C., and my -father placed himself unreservedly in his hands. I was at once -sent to a first-rate school, and such pains had my father taken -with me that I was placed in a higher form than might have been -expected considering my age. The way in which he had taught me had -prevented my feeling any dislike for study; I therefore stuck -fairly well to my books, while not neglecting the games which are -so important a part of healthy education. Everything went well -with me, both as regards masters and school-fellows; nevertheless, -I was declared to be of a highly nervous and imaginative -temperament, and the school doctor more than once urged our -headmaster not to push me forward too rapidly--for which I have -ever since held myself his debtor. - -Early in 1890, I being then home from Oxford (where I had been -entered in the preceding year), my mother died; not so much from -active illness, as from what was in reality a kind of maladie du -pays. All along she had felt herself an exile, and though she had -borne up wonderfully during my father's long struggle with -adversity, she began to break as soon as prosperity had removed the -necessity for exertion on her own part. - -My father could never divest himself of the feeling that he had -wrecked her life by inducing her to share her lot with his own; to -say that he was stricken with remorse on losing her is not enough; -he had been so stricken almost from the first year of his marriage; -on her death he was haunted by the wrong he accused himself--as it -seems to me very unjustly--of having done her, for it was neither -his fault nor hers--it was Ate. - -His unrest soon assumed the form of a burning desire to revisit the -country in which he and my mother had been happier together than -perhaps they ever again were. I had often heard him betray a -hankering after a return to Erewhon, disguised so that no one -should recognise him; but as long as my mother lived he would not -leave her. When death had taken her from him, he so evidently -stood in need of a complete change of scene, that even those -friends who had most strongly dissuaded him from what they deemed a -madcap enterprise, thought it better to leave him to himself. It -would have mattered little how much they tried to dissuade him, for -before long his passionate longing for the journey became so -overmastering that nothing short of restraint in prison or a -madhouse could have stayed his going; but we were not easy about -him. "He had better go," said Mr. Cathie to me, when I was at home -for the Easter vacation, "and get it over. He is not well, but he -is still in the prime of life; doubtless he will come back with -renewed health and will settle down to a quiet home life again." - -This, however, was not said till it had become plain that in a few -days my father would be on his way. He had made a new will, and -left an ample power of attorney with Mr. Cathie--or, as we always -called him, Alfred--who was to supply me with whatever money I -wanted; he had put all other matters in order in case anything -should happen to prevent his ever returning, and he set out on -October 1, 1890, more composed and cheerful than I had seen him for -some time past. - -I had not realised how serious the danger to my father would be if -he were recognised while he was in Erewhon, for I am ashamed to say -that I had not yet read his book. I had heard over and over again -of his flight with my mother in the balloon, and had long since -read his few opening chapters, but I had found, as a boy naturally -would, that the succeeding pages were a little dull, and soon put -the book aside. My father, indeed, repeatedly urged me not to read -it, for he said there was much in it--more especially in the -earlier chapters, which I had alone found interesting--that he -would gladly cancel if he could. "But there!" he had said with a -laugh, "what does it matter?" - -He had hardly left, before I read his book from end to end, and, on -having done so, not only appreciated the risks that he would have -to run, but was struck with the wide difference between his -character as he had himself portrayed it, and the estimate I had -formed of it from personal knowledge. When, on his return, he -detailed to me his adventures, the account he gave of what he had -said and done corresponded with my own ideas concerning him; but I -doubt not the reader will see that the twenty years between his -first and second visit had modified him even more than so long an -interval might be expected to do. - -I heard from him repeatedly during the first two months of his -absence, and was surprised to find that he had stayed for a week or -ten days at more than one place of call on his outward journey. On -November 26 he wrote from the port whence he was to start for -Erewhon, seemingly in good health and spirits; and on December 27, -1891, he telegraphed for a hundred pounds to be wired out to him at -this same port. This puzzled both Mr. Cathie and myself, for the -interval between November 26 and December 27 seemed too short to -admit of his having paid his visit to Erewhon and returned; as, -moreover, he had added the words, "Coming home," we rather hoped -that he had abandoned his intention of going there. - -We were also surprised at his wanting so much money, for he had -taken a hundred pounds in gold, which from some fancy, he had -stowed in a small silver jewel-box that he had given my mother not -long before she died. He had also taken a hundred pounds worth of -gold nuggets, which he had intended to sell in Erewhon so as to -provide himself with money when he got there. - -I should explain that these nuggets would be worth in Erewhon fully -ten times as much as they would in Europe, owing to the great -scarcity of gold in that country. The Erewhonian coinage is -entirely silver--which is abundant, and worth much what it is in -England--or copper, which is also plentiful; but what we should -call five pounds' worth of silver money would not buy more than one -of our half-sovereigns in gold. - -He had put his nuggets into ten brown holland bags, and he had had -secret pockets made for the old Erewhonian dress which he had worn -when he escaped, so that he need never have more than one bag of -nuggets accessible at a time. He was not likely, therefore, to -have been robbed. His passage to the port above referred to had -been paid before he started, and it seemed impossible that a man of -his very inexpensive habits should have spent two hundred pounds in -a single month--for the nuggets would be immediately convertible in -an English colony. There was nothing, however, to be done but to -cable out the money and wait my father's arrival. - -Returning for a moment to my father's old Erewhonian dress, I -should say that he had preserved it simply as a memento and without -any idea that he should again want it. It was not the court dress -that had been provided for him on the occasion of his visit to the -king and queen, but the everyday clothing that he had been ordered -to wear when he was put in prison, though his English coat, -waistcoat, and trousers had been allowed to remain in his own -possession. These, I had seen from his book, had been presented by -him to the queen (with the exception of two buttons, which he had -given to Yram as a keepsake), and had been preserved by her -displayed upon a wooden dummy. The dress in which he escaped had -been soiled during the hours that he and my mother had been in the -sea, and had also suffered from neglect during the years of his -poverty; but he wished to pass himself off as a common peasant or -working-man, so he preferred to have it set in order as might best -be done, rather than copied. - -So cautious was he in the matter of dress that he took with him the -boots he had worn on leaving Erewhon, lest the foreign make of his -English boots should arouse suspicion. They were nearly new, and -when he had had them softened and well greased, he found he could -still wear them quite comfortably. - -But to return. He reached home late at night one day at the -beginning of February, and a glance was enough to show that he was -an altered man. "What is the matter?" said I, shocked at his -appearance. "Did you go to Erewhon, and were you ill-treated -there?" - -"I went to Erewhon," he said, "and I was not ill-treated there, but -I have been so shaken that I fear I shall quite lose my reason. Do -not ask me more now. I will tell you about it all to-morrow. Let -me have something to eat, and go to bed." - -When we met at breakfast next morning, he greeted me with all his -usual warmth of affection, but he was still taciturn. "I will -begin to tell you about it," he said, "after breakfast. Where is -your dear mother? How was it that I have . . . " - -Then of a sudden his memory returned, and he burst into tears. - -I now saw, to my horror, that his mind was gone. When he -recovered, he said: "It has all come back again, but at times now -I am a blank, and every week am more and more so. I daresay I -shall be sensible now for several hours. We will go into the study -after breakfast, and I will talk to you as long as I can do so." - -Let the reader spare me, and let me spare the reader any -description of what we both of us felt. - -When we were in the study, my father said, "My dearest boy, get pen -and paper and take notes of what I tell you. It will be all -disjointed; one day I shall remember this, and another that, but -there will not be many more days on which I shall remember anything -at all. I cannot write a coherent page. You, when I am gone, can -piece what I tell you together, and tell it as I should have told -it if I had been still sound. But do not publish it yet; it might -do harm to those dear good people. Take the notes now, and arrange -them the sooner the better, for you may want to ask me questions, -and I shall not be here much longer. Let publishing wait till you -are confident that publication can do no harm; and above all, say -nothing to betray the whereabouts of Erewhon, beyond admitting -(which I fear I have already done) that it is in the Southern -hemisphere." - -These instructions I have religiously obeyed. For the first days -after his return, my father had few attacks of loss of memory, and -I was in hopes that his former health of mind would return when he -found himself in his old surroundings. During these days he poured -forth the story of his adventures so fast, that if I had not had a -fancy for acquiring shorthand, I should not have been able to keep -pace with him. I repeatedly urged him not to overtax his strength, -but he was oppressed by the fear that if he did not speak at once, -he might never be able to tell me all he had to say; I had, -therefore, to submit, though seeing plainly enough that he was only -hastening the complete paralysis which he so greatly feared. - -Sometimes his narrative would be coherent for pages together, and -he could answer any questions without hesitation; at others, he was -now here and now there, and if I tried to keep him to the order of -events he would say that he had forgotten intermediate incidents, -but that they would probably come back to him, and I should perhaps -be able to put them in their proper places. - -After about ten days he seemed satisfied that I had got all the -facts, and that with the help of the pamphlets which he had brought -with him I should be able to make out a connected story. -"Remember," he said, "that I thought I was quite well so long as I -was in Erewhon, and do not let me appear as anything else." - -When he had fully delivered himself, he seemed easier in his mind, -but before a month had passed he became completely paralysed, and -though he lingered till the beginning of June, he was seldom more -than dimly conscious of what was going on around him. - -His death robbed me of one who had been a very kind and upright -elder brother rather than a father; and so strongly have I felt his -influence still present, living and working, as I believe for -better within me, that I did not hesitate to copy the epitaph which -he saw in the Musical Bank at Fairmead, {1} and to have it -inscribed on the very simple monument which he desired should alone -mark his grave. - -* * * - -The foregoing was written in the summer of 1891; what I now add -should be dated December 3, 1900. If, in the course of my work, I -have misrepresented my father, as I fear I may have sometimes done, -I would ask my readers to remember that no man can tell another's -story without some involuntary misrepresentation both of facts and -characters. They will, of course, see that "Erewhon Revisited" is -written by one who has far less literary skill than the author of -"Erewhon;" but again I would ask indulgence on the score of youth, -and the fact that this is my first book. It was written nearly ten -years ago, i.e. in the months from March to August 1891, but for -reasons already given it could not then be made public. I have now -received permission, and therefore publish the following chapters, -exactly, or very nearly exactly, as they were left when I had -finished editing my father's diaries, and the notes I took down -from his own mouth--with the exception, of course, of these last -few lines, hurriedly written as I am on the point of leaving -England, of the additions I made in 1892, on returning from my own -three hours' stay in Erewhon, and of the Postscript. - - - -CHAPTER II: TO THE FOOT OF THE PASS INTO EREWHON - - - -When my father reached the colony for which he had left England -some twenty-two years previously, he bought a horse, and started up -country on the evening of the day after his arrival, which was, as -I have said, on one of the last days of November 1890. He had -taken an English saddle with him, and a couple of roomy and -strongly made saddle-bags. In these he packed his money, his -nuggets, some tea, sugar, tobacco, salt, a flask of brandy, -matches, and as many ship's biscuits as he thought he was likely to -want; he took no meat, for he could supply himself from some -accommodation-house or sheep-station, when nearing the point after -which he would have to begin camping out. He rolled his Erewhonian -dress and small toilette necessaries inside a warm red blanket, and -strapped the roll on to the front part of his saddle. On to other -D's, with which his saddle was amply provided, he strapped his -Erewhonian boots, a tin pannikin, and a billy that would hold about -a quart. I should, perhaps, explain to English readers that a -billy is a tin can, the name for which (doubtless of French -Canadian origin) is derived from the words "faire bouillir." He -also took with him a pair of hobbles and a small hatchet. - -He spent three whole days in riding across the plains, and was -struck with the very small signs of change that he could detect, -but the fall in wool, and the failure, so far, to establish a -frozen meat trade, had prevented any material development of the -resources of the country. When he had got to the front ranges, he -followed up the river next to the north of the one that he had -explored years ago, and from the head waters of which he had been -led to discover the only practicable pass into Erewhon. He did -this, partly to avoid the terribly dangerous descent on to the bed -of the more northern river, and partly to escape being seen by -shepherds or bullock-drivers who might remember him. - -If he had attempted to get through the gorge of this river in 1870, -he would have found it impassable; but a few river-bed flats had -been discovered above the gorge, on which there was now a -shepherd's hut, and on the discovery of these flats a narrow horse -track had been made from one end of the gorge to the other. - -He was hospitably entertained at the shepherd's hut just mentioned, -which he reached on Monday, December 1. He told the shepherd in -charge of it that he had come to see if he could find traces of a -large wingless bird, whose existence had been reported as having -been discovered among the extreme head waters of the river. - -"Be careful, sir, said the shepherd; "the river is very dangerous; -several people--one only about a year ago--have left this hut, and -though their horses and their camps have been found, their bodies -have not. When a great fresh comes down, it would carry a body out -to sea in twenty-four hours." - -He evidently had no idea that there was a pass through the ranges -up the river, which might explain the disappearance of an explorer. - -Next day my father began to ascend the river. There was so much -tangled growth still unburnt wherever there was room for it to -grow, and so much swamp, that my father had to keep almost entirely -to the river-bed--and here there was a good deal of quicksand. The -stones also were often large for some distance together, and he had -to cross and recross streams of the river more than once, so that -though he travelled all day with the exception of a couple of hours -for dinner, he had not made more than some five and twenty miles -when he reached a suitable camping ground, where he unsaddled his -horse, hobbled him, and turned him out to feed. The grass was -beginning to seed, so that though it was none too plentiful, what -there was of it made excellent feed. - -He lit his fire, made himself some tea, ate his cold mutton and -biscuits, and lit his pipe, exactly as he had done twenty years -before. There was the clear starlit sky, the rushing river, and -the stunted trees on the mountain-side; the woodhens cried, and the -"more-pork" hooted out her two monotonous notes exactly as they had -done years since; one moment, and time had so flown backwards that -youth came bounding back to him with the return of his youth's -surroundings; the next, and the intervening twenty years--most of -them grim ones--rose up mockingly before him, and the buoyancy of -hope yielded to the despondency of admitted failure. By and by -buoyancy reasserted itself, and, soothed by the peace and beauty of -the night, he wrapped himself up in his blanket and dropped off -into a dreamless slumber. - -Next morning, i.e. December 3, he rose soon after dawn, bathed in a -backwater of the river, got his breakfast, found his horse on the -river-bed, and started as soon as he had duly packed and loaded. -He had now to cross streams of the river and recross them more -often than on the preceding day, and this, though his horse took -well to the water, required care; for he was anxious not to wet his -saddle-bags, and it was only by crossing at the wide, smooth, water -above a rapid, and by picking places where the river ran in two or -three streams, that he could find fords where his practised eye -told him that the water would not be above his horse's belly--for -the river was of great volume. Fortunately, there had been a late -fall of snow on the higher ranges, and the river was, for the -summer season, low. - -Towards evening, having travelled, so far as he could guess, some -twenty or five and twenty miles (for he had made another mid day -halt), he reached the place, which he easily recognised, as that -where he had camped before crossing to the pass that led into -Erewhon. It was the last piece of ground that could be called a -flat (though it was in reality only the sloping delta of a stream -that descended from the pass) before reaching a large glacier that -had encroached on the river-bed, which it traversed at right angles -for a considerable distance. - -Here he again camped, hobbled his horse, and turned him adrift, -hoping that he might again find him some two or three months hence, -for there was a good deal of sweet grass here and there, with sow- -thistle and anise; and the coarse tussock grass would be in full -seed shortly, which alone would keep him going for as long a time -as my father expected to be away. Little did he think that he -should want him again so shortly. - -Having attended to his horse, he got his supper, and while smoking -his pipe congratulated himself on the way in which something had -smoothed away all the obstacles that had so nearly baffled him on -his earlier journey. Was he being lured on to his destruction by -some malicious fiend, or befriended by one who had compassion on -him and wished him well? His naturally sanguine temperament -inclined him to adopt the friendly spirit theory, in the peace of -which he again laid himself down to rest, and slept soundly from -dark till dawn. - -In the morning, though the water was somewhat icy, he again bathed, -and then put on his Erewhonian boots and dress. He stowed his -European clothes, with some difficulty, into his saddle-bags. -Herein also he left his case full of English sovereigns, his spare -pipes, his purse, which contained two pounds in gold and seven or -eight shillings, part of his stock of tobacco, and whatever -provision was left him, except the meat--which he left for sundry -hawks and parrots that were eyeing his proceedings apparently -without fear of man. His nuggets he concealed in the secret -pockets of which I have already spoken, keeping one bag alone -accessible. - -He had had his hair and beard cut short on shipboard the day before -he landed. These he now dyed with a dye that he had brought from -England, and which in a few minutes turned them very nearly black. -He also stained his face and hands deep brown. He hung his saddle -and bridle, his English boots, and his saddle-bags on the highest -bough that he could reach, and made them fairly fast with strips of -flax leaf, for there was some stunted flax growing on the ground -where he had camped. He feared that, do what he might, they would -not escape the inquisitive thievishness of the parrots, whose -strong beaks could easily cut leather; but he could do nothing -more. It occurs to me, though my father never told me so, that it -was perhaps with a view to these birds that he had chosen to put -his English sovereigns into a metal box, with a clasp to it which -would defy them. - -He made a roll of his blanket, and slung it over his shoulder; he -also took his pipe, tobacco, a little tea, a few ship's biscuits, -and his billy and pannikin; matches and salt go without saying. -When he had thus ordered everything as nearly to his satisfaction -as he could, he looked at his watch for the last time, as he -believed, till many weeks should have gone by, and found it to be -about seven o'clock. Remembering what trouble it had got him into -years before, he took down his saddle-bags, reopened them, and put -the watch inside. He then set himself to climb the mountain side, -towards the saddle on which he had seen the statues. - - - -CHAPTER III: MY FATHER WHILE CAMPING IS ACCOSTED BY PROFESSORS -HANKY AND PANKY - - - -My father found the ascent more fatiguing than he remembered it to -have been. The climb, he said, was steady, and took him between -four and five hours, as near as he could guess, now that he had no -watch; but it offered nothing that could be called a difficulty, -and the watercourse that came down from the saddle was a sufficient -guide; once or twice there were waterfalls, but they did not -seriously delay him. - -After he had climbed some three thousand feet, he began to be on -the alert for some sound of ghostly chanting from the statues; but -he heard nothing, and toiled on till he came to a sprinkling of -fresh snow--part of the fall which he had observed on the preceding -day as having whitened the higher mountains; he knew, therefore, -that he must now be nearing the saddle. The snow grew rapidly -deeper, and by the time he reached the statues the ground was -covered to a depth of two or three inches. - -He found the statues smaller than he had expected. He had said in -his book--written many months after he had seen them--that they -were about six times the size of life, but he now thought that four -or five times would have been enough to say. Their mouths were -much clogged with snow, so that even though there had been a strong -wind (which there was not) they would not have chanted. In other -respects he found them not less mysteriously impressive than at -first. He walked two or three times all round them, and then went -on. - -The snow did not continue far down, but before long my father -entered a thick bank of cloud, and had to feel his way cautiously -along the stream that descended from the pass. It was some two -hours before he emerged into clear air, and found himself on the -level bed of an old lake now grassed over. He had quite forgotten -this feature of the descent--perhaps the clouds had hung over it; -he was overjoyed, however, to find that the flat ground abounded -with a kind of quail, larger than ours, and hardly, if at all, -smaller than a partridge. The abundance of these quails surprised -him, for he did not remember them as plentiful anywhere on the -Erewhonian side of the mountains. - -The Erewhonian quail, like its now nearly, if not quite, extinct -New Zealand congener, can take three successive flights of a few -yards each, but then becomes exhausted; hence quails are only found -on ground that is never burned, and where there are no wild animals -to molest them; the cats and dogs that accompany European -civilisation soon exterminate them; my father, therefore, felt safe -in concluding that he was still far from any village. Moreover he -could see no sheep or goat's dung; and this surprised him, for he -thought he had found signs of pasturage much higher than this. -Doubtless, he said to himself, when he wrote his book he had -forgotten how long the descent had been. But it was odd, for the -grass was good feed enough, and ought, he considered, to have been -well stocked. - -Tired with his climb, during which he had not rested to take food, -but had eaten biscuits, as he walked, he gave himself a good long -rest, and when refreshed, he ran down a couple of dozen quails, -some of which he meant to eat when he camped for the night, while -the others would help him out of a difficulty which had been -troubling him for some time. - -What was he to say when people asked him, as they were sure to do, -how he was living? And how was he to get enough Erewhonian money -to keep him going till he could find some safe means of selling a -few of his nuggets? He had had a little Erewhonian money when he -went up in the balloon, but had thrown it over, with everything -else except the clothes he wore and his MSS., when the balloon was -nearing the water. He had nothing with him that he dared offer for -sale, and though he had plenty of gold, was in reality penniless. - -When, therefore, he saw the quails, he again felt as though some -friendly spirit was smoothing his way before him. What more easy -than to sell them at Coldharbour (for so the name of the town in -which he had been imprisoned should be translated), where he knew -they were a delicacy, and would fetch him the value of an English -shilling a piece? - -It took him between two and three hours to catch two dozen. When -he had thus got what he considered a sufficient stock, he tied -their legs together with rushes, and ran a stout stick through the -whole lot. Soon afterwards he came upon a wood of stunted pines, -which, though there was not much undergrowth, nevertheless afforded -considerable shelter and enabled him to gather wood enough to make -himself a good fire. This was acceptable, for though the days were -long, it was now evening, and as soon as the sun had gone the air -became crisp and frosty. - -Here he resolved to pass the night. He chose a part where the -trees were thickest, lit his fire, plucked and cleaned four quails, -filled his billy with water from the stream hard by, made tea in -his pannikin, grilled two of his birds on the embers, ate them, and -when he had done all this, he lit his pipe and began to think -things over. "So far so good," said he to himself; but hardly had -the words passed through his mind before he was startled by the -sound of voices, still at some distance, but evidently drawing -towards him. - -He instantly gathered up his billy, pannikin, tea, biscuits, and -blanket, all of which he had determined to discard and hide on the -following morning; everything that could betray him he carried full -haste into the wood some few yards off, in the direction opposite -to that from which the voices were coming, but he let his quails -lie where they were, and put his pipe and tobacco in his pocket. - -The voices drew nearer and nearer, and it was all my father could -do to get back and sit down innocently by his fire, before he could -hear what was being said. - -"Thank goodness," said one of the speakers (of course in the -Erewhonian language), "we seem to be finding somebody at last. I -hope it is not some poacher; we had better be careful." - -"Nonsense!" said the other. "It must be one of the rangers. No -one would dare to light a fire while poaching on the King's -preserves. What o'clock do you make it?" - -"Half after nine." And the watch was still in the speaker's hand -as he emerged from darkness into the glowing light of the fire. My -father glanced at it, and saw that it was exactly like the one he -had worn on entering Erewhon nearly twenty years previously. - -The watch, however, was a very small matter; the dress of these two -men (for there were only two) was far more disconcerting. They -were not in the Erewhonian costume. The one was dressed like an -Englishman or would-be Englishman, while the other was wearing the -same kind of clothes but turned the wrong way round, so that when -his face was towards my father his body seemed to have its back -towards him, and vice verso. The man's head, in fact, appeared to -have been screwed right round; and yet it was plain that if he were -stripped he would be found built like other people. - -What could it all mean? The men were about fifty years old. They -were well-to-do people, well clad, well fed, and were felt -instinctively by my father to belong to the academic classes. That -one of them should be dressed like a sensible Englishman dismayed -my father as much as that the other should have a watch, and look -as if he had just broken out of Bedlam, or as King Dagobert must -have looked if he had worn all his clothes as he is said to have -worn his breeches. Both wore their clothes so easily--for he who -wore them reversed had evidently been measured with a view to this -absurd fashion--that it was plain their dress was habitual. - -My father was alarmed as well as astounded, for he saw that what -little plan of a campaign he had formed must be reconstructed, and -he had no idea in what direction his next move should be taken; but -he was a ready man, and knew that when people have taken any idea -into their heads, a little confirmation will fix it. A first idea -is like a strong seedling; it will grow if it can. - -In less time than it will have taken the reader to get through the -last foregoing paragraphs, my father took up the cue furnished him -by the second speaker. - -"Yes," said he, going boldly up to this gentleman, "I am one of the -rangers, and it is my duty to ask you what you are doing here upon -the King's preserves." - -"Quite so, my man," was the rejoinder. "We have been to see the -statues at the head of the pass, and have a permit from the Mayor -of Sunch'ston to enter upon the preserves. We lost ourselves in -the thick fog, both going and coming back." - -My father inwardly blessed the fog. He did not catch the name of -the town, but presently found that it was commonly pronounced as I -have written it. - -"Be pleased to show it me," said my father in his politest manner. -On this a document was handed to him. - -I will here explain that I shall translate the names of men and -places, as well as the substance of the document; and I shall -translate all names in future. Indeed I have just done so in the -case of Sunch'ston. As an example, let me explain that the true -Erewhonian names for Hanky and Panky, to whom the reader will be -immediately introduced, are Sukoh and Sukop--names too cacophonous -to be read with pleasure by the English public. I must ask the -reader to believe that in all cases I am doing my best to give the -spirit of the original name. - -I would also express my regret that my father did not either -uniformly keep to the true Erewhonian names, as in the cases of -Senoj Nosnibor, Ydgrun, Thims, &c.--names which occur constantly in -Erewhon--or else invariably invent a name, as he did whenever he -considered the true name impossible. My poor mother's name, for -example, was really Nna Haras, and Mahaina's Enaj Ysteb, which he -dared not face. He, therefore, gave these characters the first -names that euphony suggested, without any attempt at translation. -Rightly or wrongly, I have determined to keep consistently to -translation for all names not used in my father's book; and -throughout, whether as regards names or conversations, I shall -translate with the freedom without which no translation rises above -construe level. - -Let me now return to the permit. The earlier part of the document -was printed, and ran as follows:- - - -Extracts from the Act for the afforesting of certain lands lying -between the town of Sunchildston, formerly called Coldharbour, and -the mountains which bound the kingdom of Erewhon, passed in the -year Three, being the eighth year of the reign of his Most Gracious -Majesty King Well-beloved the Twenty-Second. - -"Whereas it is expedient to prevent any of his Majesty's subjects -from trying to cross over into unknown lands beyond the mountains, -and in like manner to protect his Majesty's kingdom from intrusion -on the part of foreign devils, it is hereby enacted that certain -lands, more particularly described hereafter, shall be afforested -and set apart as a hunting-ground for his Majesty's private use. - -"It is also enacted that the Rangers and Under-rangers shall be -required to immediately kill without parley any foreign devil whom -they may encounter coming from the other side of the mountains. -They are to weight the body, and throw it into the Blue Pool under -the waterfall shown on the plan hereto annexed; but on pain of -imprisonment for life they shall not reserve to their own use any -article belonging to the deceased. Neither shall they divulge what -they have done to any one save the Head Ranger, who shall report -the circumstances of the case fully and minutely to his Majesty. - -"As regards any of his Majesty's subjects who may be taken while -trespassing on his Majesty's preserves without a special permit -signed by the Mayor of Sunchildston, or any who may be convicted of -poaching on the said preserves, the Rangers shall forthwith arrest -them and bring them before the Mayor of Sunchildston, who shall -enquire into their antecedents, and punish them with such term of -imprisonment, with hard labour, as he may think fit, provided that -no such term be of less duration than twelve calendar months. - -"For the further provisions of the said Act, those whom it may -concern are referred to the Act in full, a copy of which may be -seen at the official residence of the Mayor of Sunchildston." - - -Then followed in MS. "XIX. xii. 29. Permit Professor Hanky, -Royal Professor of Worldly Wisdom at Bridgeford, seat of learning, -city of the people who are above suspicion, and Professor Panky, -Royal Professor of Unworldly Wisdom in the said city, or either of -them" [here the MS. ended, the rest of the permit being in print] -"to pass freely during the space of forty-eight hours from the date -hereof, over the King's preserves, provided, under pain of -imprisonment with hard labour for twelve months, that they do not -kill, nor cause to be killed, nor eat, if another have killed, any -one or more of his Majesty's quails." - -The signature was such a scrawl that my father could not read it, -but underneath was printed, "Mayor of Sunchildston, formerly called -Coldharbour." - -What a mass of information did not my father gather as he read, but -what a far greater mass did he not see that he must get hold of ere -he could reconstruct his plans intelligently. - -"The year three," indeed; and XIX. xii. 29, in Roman and Arabic -characters! There were no such characters when he was in Erewhon -before. It flashed upon him that he had repeatedly shewn them to -the Nosnibors, and had once even written them down. It could not -be that . . . No, it was impossible; and yet there was the European -dress, aimed at by the one Professor, and attained by the other. -Again "XIX." what was that? "xii." might do for December, but it -was now the 4th of December not the 29th. "Afforested" too? Then -that was why he had seen no sheep tracks. And how about the quails -he had so innocently killed? What would have happened if he had -tried to sell them in Coldharbour? What other like fatal error -might he not ignorantly commit? And why had Coldharbour become -Sunchildston? - -These thoughts raced through my poor father's brain as he slowly -perused the paper handed to him by the Professors. To give himself -time he feigned to be a poor scholar, but when he had delayed as -long as he dared, he returned it to the one who had given it him. -Without changing a muscle he said - - -"Your permit, sir, is quite regular. You can either stay here the -night or go on to Sunchildston as you think fit. May I ask which -of you two gentlemen is Professor Hanky, and which Professor -Panky?" - -"My name is Panky," said the one who had the watch, who wore his -clothes reversed, and who had thought my father might be a poacher. - -"And mine Hanky," said the other. - -"What do you think, Panky," he added, turning to his brother -Professor, "had we not better stay here till sunrise? We are both -of us tired, and this fellow can make us a good fire. It is very -dark, and there will be no moon this two hours. We are hungry, but -we can hold out till we get to Sunchildston; it cannot be more than -eight or nine miles further down." - -Panky assented, but then, turning sharply to my father, he said, -"My man, what are you doing in the forbidden dress? Why are you -not in ranger's uniform, and what is the meaning of all those -quails?" For his seedling idea that my father was in reality a -poacher was doing its best to grow. - -Quick as thought my father answered, "The Head Ranger sent me a -message this morning to deliver him three dozen quails at -Sunchildston by to-morrow afternoon. As for the dress, we can run -the quails down quicker in it, and he says nothing to us so long as -we only wear out old clothes and put on our uniforms before we near -the town. My uniform is in the ranger's shelter an hour and a half -higher up the valley." - -"See what comes," said Panky, "of having a whippersnapper not yet -twenty years old in the responsible post of Head Ranger. As for -this fellow, he may be speaking the truth, but I distrust him." - -"The man is all right, Panky," said Hanky, "and seems to be a -decent fellow enough." Then to my father, "How many brace have you -got?" And he looked at them a little wistfully. - -"I have been at it all day, sir, and I have only got eight brace. -I must run down ten more brace to-morrow." - -"I see, I see." Then, turning to Panky, he said, "Of course, they -are wanted for the Mayor's banquet on Sunday. By the way, we have -not yet received our invitation; I suppose we shall find it when we -get back to Sunchildston." - -"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!" groaned my father inwardly; but he -changed not a muscle of his face, and said stolidly to Professor -Hanky, "I think you must be right, sir; but there was nothing said -about it to me, I was only told to bring the birds." - -Thus tenderly did he water the Professor's second seedling. But -Panky had his seedling too, and, Cain-like, was jealous that -Hanky's should flourish while his own was withering. - -"And what, pray, my man," he said somewhat peremptorily to my -father, "are those two plucked quails doing? Were you to deliver -them plucked? And what bird did those bones belong to which I see -lying by the fire with the flesh all eaten off them? Are the -under-rangers allowed not only to wear the forbidden dress but to -eat the King's quails as well?" - -The form in which the question was asked gave my father his cue. -He laughed heartily, and said, "Why, sir, those plucked birds are -landrails, not quails, and those bones are landrail bones. Look at -this thigh-bone; was there ever a quail with such a bone as that?" - -I cannot say whether or no Professor Panky was really deceived by -the sweet effrontery with which my father proffered him the bone. -If he was taken in, his answer was dictated simply by a donnish -unwillingness to allow any one to be better informed on any subject -than he was himself. - -My father, when I suggested this to him, would not hear of it. "Oh -no," he said; "the man knew well enough that I was lying." However -this may be, the Professor's manner changed. - -"You are right," he said, "I thought they were landrail bones, but -was not sure till I had one in my hand. I see, too, that the -plucked birds are landrails, but there is little light, and I have -not often seen them without their feathers." - -"I think," said my father to me, "that Hanky knew what his friend -meant, for he said, 'Panky, I am very hungry.'" - -"Oh, Hanky, Hanky," said the other, modulating his harsh voice till -it was quite pleasant. "Don't corrupt the poor man." - -"Panky, drop that; we are not at Bridgeford now; I am very hungry, -and I believe half those birds are not quails but landrails." - -My father saw he was safe. He said, "Perhaps some of them might -prove to be so, sir, under certain circumstances. I am a poor man, -sir." - -"Come, come," said Hanky; and he slipped a sum equal to about half- -a-crown into my father's hand. - -"I do not know what you mean, sir," said my father, "and if I did, -half-a-crown would not be nearly enough." - -"Hanky," said Panky, "you must get this fellow to give you -lessons." - - - -CHAPTER IV: MY FATHER OVERHEARS MORE OF HANKY AND PANKY'S -CONVERSATION - - - -My father, schooled under adversity, knew that it was never well to -press advantage too far. He took the equivalent of five shillings -for three brace, which was somewhat less than the birds would have -been worth when things were as he had known them. Moreover, he -consented to take a shilling's worth of Musical Bank money, which -(as he has explained in his book) has no appreciable value outside -these banks. He did this because he knew that it would be -respectable to be seen carrying a little Musical Bank money, and -also because he wished to give some of it to the British Museum, -where he knew that this curious coinage was unrepresented. But the -coins struck him as being much thinner and smaller than he had -remembered them. - -It was Panky, not Hanky, who had given him the Musical Bank money. -Panky was the greater humbug of the two, for he would humbug even -himself--a thing, by the way, not very hard to do; and yet he was -the less successful humbug, for he could humbug no one who was -worth humbugging--not for long. Hanky's occasional frankness put -people off their guard. He was the mere common, superficial, -perfunctory Professor, who, being a Professor, would of course -profess, but would not lie more than was in the bond; he was log- -rolled and log-rolling, but still, in a robust wolfish fashion, -human. - -Panky, on the other hand, was hardly human; he had thrown himself -so earnestly into his work, that he had become a living lie. If he -had had to play the part of Othello he would have blacked himself -all over, and very likely smothered his Desdemona in good earnest. -Hanky would hardly have blacked himself behind the ears, and his -Desdemona would have been quite safe. - -Philosophers are like quails in the respect that they can take two -or three flights of imagination, but rarely more without an -interval of repose. The Professors had imagined my father to be a -poacher and a ranger; they had imagined the quails to be wanted for -Sunday's banquet; they had imagined that they imagined (at least -Panky had) that they were about to eat landrails; they were now -exhausted, and cowered down into the grass of their ordinary -conversation, paying no more attention to my father than if he had -been a log. He, poor man, drank in every word they said, while -seemingly intent on nothing but his quails, each one of which he -cut up with a knife borrowed from Hanky. Two had been plucked -already, so he laid these at once upon the clear embers. - -"I do not know what we are to do with ourselves," said Hanky, "till -Sunday. To-day is Thursday--it is the twenty-ninth, is it not? -Yes, of course it is--Sunday is the first. Besides, it is on our -permit. To-morrow we can rest; what, I wonder, can we do on -Saturday? But the others will be here then, and we can tell them -about the statues." - -"Yes, but mind you do not blurt out anything about the landrails." - -"I think we may tell Dr. Downie." - -"Tell nobody," said Panky. - -They then talked about the statues, concerning which it was plain -that nothing was known. But my father soon broke in upon their -conversation with the first instalment of quails, which a few -minutes had sufficed to cook. - -"What a delicious bird a quail is," said Hanky. - -"Landrail, Hanky, landrail," said the other reproachfully. - -Having finished the first birds in a very few minutes they returned -to the statues. - -"Old Mrs. Nosnibor," said Panky, "says the Sunchild told her they -were symbolic of ten tribes who had incurred the displeasure of the -sun, his father." - -I make no comment on my father's feelings. - -"Of the sun! his fiddlesticks' ends," retorted Hanky. "He never -called the sun his father. Besides, from all I have heard about -him, I take it he was a precious idiot." - -"O Hanky, Hanky! you will wreck the whole thing if you ever allow -yourself to talk in that way." - -"You are more likely to wreck it yourself, Panky, by never doing -so. People like being deceived, but they like also to have an -inkling of their own deception, and you never inkle them." - -"The Queen," said Panky, returning to the statues, "sticks to it -that . . . " - -"Here comes another bird," interrupted Hanky; "never mind about the -Queen." - -The bird was soon eaten, whereon Panky again took up his parable -about the Queen. - -"The Queen says they are connected with the cult of the ancient -Goddess Kiss-me-quick." - -"What if they are? But the Queen sees Kiss-me-quick in everything. -Another quail, if you please, Mr. Ranger." - -My father brought up another bird almost directly. Silence while -it was being eaten. - -"Talking of the Sunchild," said Panky; "did you ever see him?" - -"Never set eyes on him, and hope I never shall." - -And so on till the last bird was eaten. - -"Fellow," said Panky, "fetch some more wood; the fire is nearly -dead." - -"I can find no more, sir," said my father, who was afraid lest some -genuine ranger might be attracted by the light, and was determined -to let it go out as soon as he had done cooking. - -"Never mind," said Hanky, "the moon will be up soon." - -"And now, Hanky," said Panky, "tell me what you propose to say on -Sunday. I suppose you have pretty well made up your mind about it -by this time." - -"Pretty nearly. I shall keep it much on the usual lines. I shall -dwell upon the benighted state from which the Sunchild rescued us, -and shall show how the Musical Banks, by at once taking up the -movement, have been the blessed means of its now almost universal -success. I shall talk about the immortal glory shed upon -Sunch'ston by the Sun-child's residence in the prison, and wind up -with the Sunchild Evidence Society, and an earnest appeal for funds -to endow the canonries required for the due service of the temple." - -"Temple! what temple?" groaned my father inwardly. - -"And what are you going to do about the four black and white -horses?" - -"Stick to them, of course--unless I make them six." - -"I really do not see why they might not have been horses." - -"I dare say you do not," returned the other drily, "but they were -black and white storks, and you know that as well as I do. Still, -they have caught on, and they are in the altar-piece, prancing and -curvetting magnificently, so I shall trot them out." - -"Altar-piece! Altar-piece!" again groaned my father inwardly. - -He need not have groaned, for when he came to see the so-called -altar-piece he found that the table above which it was placed had -nothing in common with the altar in a Christian church. It was a -mere table, on which were placed two bowls full of Musical Bank -coins; two cashiers, who sat on either side of it, dispensed a few -of these to all comers, while there was a box in front of it -wherein people deposited coin of the realm according to their will -or ability. The idea of sacrifice was not contemplated, and the -position of the table, as well as the name given to it, was an -instance of the way in which the Erewhonians had caught names and -practices from my father, without understanding what they either -were or meant. So, again, when Professor Hanky had spoken of -canonries, he had none but the vaguest idea of what a canonry is. - -I may add further that as a boy my father had had his Bible well -drilled into him, and never forgot it. Hence biblical passages and -expressions had been often in his mouth, as the effect of mere -unconscious cerebration. The Erewhonians had caught many of these, -sometimes corrupting them so that they were hardly recognizable. -Things that he remembered having said were continually meeting him -during the few days of his second visit, and it shocked him deeply -to meet some gross travesty of his own words, or of words more -sacred than his own, and yet to be unable to correct it. "I -wonder," he said to me, "that no one has ever hit on this as a -punishment for the damned in Hades." - -Let me now return to Professor Hanky, whom I fear that I have left -too long. - -"And of course," he continued, "I shall say all sorts of pretty -things about the Mayoress--for I suppose we must not even think of -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 investigation--and Yram very nearly burned too--we -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 offspring--Faugh! 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, and--and--and--what 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 -effect that the undersigned acknowledged to have received from -Professors Hanky and Panky the sum of 4 pounds, 10s. (I translate -the amount), as joint purchasers of certain pieces of yellow ore, a -blanket, and sundry articles found without an owner in the King's -preserves. This paper was dated, as the permit had been, XIX. -xii. 29. - -My father, generally so ready, was at his wits' end for a name, and -could think of none but Mr. Nosnibor's. Happily, remembering that -this gentleman had also been called Senoj--a name common enough in -Erewhon--he signed himself Senoj, Under-ranger." - -Panky was now satisfied. "We will put it in the bag," he said, -"with the pieces of yellow ore." - -"Put it where you like," said Hanky contemptuously; and into the -bag it was put. - -When all was now concluded, my father laughingly said, "If you have -dealt unfairly by me, I forgive you. My motto is, 'Forgive us our -trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.'" - -"Repeat those last words," said Panky eagerly. My father was -alarmed at his manner, but thought it safer to repeat them. - -"You hear that, Hanky? I am convinced; I have not another word to -say. The man is a true Erewhonian; he has our corrupt reading of -the Sunchild's prayer." - -"Please explain." - -"Why, can you not see?" said Panky, who was by way of being great -at conjectural emendations. "Can you not see how impossible it is -for the Sunchild, or any of the people to whom he declared (as we -now know provisionally) that he belonged, could have made the -forgiveness of his own sins depend on the readiness with which he -forgave other people? No man in his senses would dream of such a -thing. It would be asking a supposed all-powerful being not to -forgive his sins at all, or at best to forgive them imperfectly. -No; Yram got it wrong. She mistook 'but do not' for 'as we.' The -sound of the words is very much alike; the correct reading should -obviously be, 'Forgive us our trespasses, but do not forgive them -that trespass against us.' This makes sense, and turns an -impossible prayer into one that goes straight to the heart of every -one of us." Then, turning to my father, he said, "You can see -this, my man, can you not, as soon as it is pointed out to you?" - -My father said that he saw it now, but had always heard the words -as he had himself spoken them. - -"Of course you have, my good fellow, and it is because of this that -I know they never can have reached you except from an Erewhonian -source." - -Hanky smiled,--snorted, and muttered in an undertone, "I shall -begin to think that this fellow is a foreign devil after all." - -"And now, gentlemen," said my father, "the moon is risen. I must -be after the quails at day-break; I will therefore go to the -ranger's shelter" (a shelter, by the way, which existed only in my -father's invention), "and get a couple of hours' sleep, so as to be -both close to the quail-ground; and fresh for running. You are so -near the boundary of the preserves that you will not want your -permit further; no one will meet you, and should any one do so, you -need only give your names and say that you have made a mistake. -You will have to give it up to-morrow at the Ranger's office; it -will save you trouble if I collect it now, and give it up when I -deliver my quails. - -"As regards the curiosities, hide them as you best can outside the -limits. I recommend you to carry them at once out of the forest, -and rest beyond the limits rather than here. You can then recover -them whenever, and in whatever way, you may find convenient. But I -hope you will say nothing about any foreign devil's having come -over on to this side. Any whisper to this effect unsettles -people's minds, and they are too much unsettled already; hence our -orders to kill any one from over there at once, and to tell no one -but the Head Ranger. I was forced by you, gentlemen, to disobey -these orders in self-defence; I must trust your generosity to keep -what I have told you secret. I shall, of course, report it to the -Head Ranger. And now, if you think proper, you can give me up your -permit." - -All this was so plausible that the Professors gave up their permit -without a word but thanks. They bundled their curiosities -hurriedly into "the poor foreign devil's" blanket, reserving a more -careful packing till they were out of the preserves. They wished -my father a very good night, and all success with his quails in the -morning; they thanked him again for the care he had taken of them -in the matter of the landrails, and Panky even went so far as to -give him a few Musical Bank coins, which he gratefully accepted. -They then started off in the direction of Sunch'ston. - -My father gathered up the remaining quails, some of which he meant -to eat in the morning, while the others he would throw away as soon -as he could find a safe place. He turned towards the mountains, -but before he had gone a dozen yards he heard a voice, which he -recognised as Panky's, shouting after him, and saying - - -"Mind you do not forget the true reading of the Sunchild's prayer." - -"You are an old fool," shouted my father in English, knowing that -he could hardly be heard, still less understood, and thankful to -relieve his feelings. - - - -CHAPTER V: MY FATHER MEETS A SON, OF WHOSE EXISTENCE HE WAS -IGNORANT; AND STRIKES A BARGAIN WITH HIM - - - -The incidents recorded in the two last chapters had occupied about -two hours, so that it was nearly midnight before my father could -begin to retrace his steps and make towards the camp that he had -left that morning. This was necessary, for he could not go any -further in a costume that he now knew to be forbidden. At this -hour no ranger was likely to meet him before he reached the -statues, and by making a push for it he could return in time to -cross the limits of the preserves before the Professors' permit had -expired. If challenged, he must brazen it out that he was one or -other of the persons therein named. - -Fatigued though he was, he reached the statues as near as he could -guess, at about three in the morning. What little wind there had -been was warm, so that the tracks, which the Professors must have -seen shortly after he had made them, had disappeared. The statues -looked very weird in the moonlight but they were not chanting. - -While ascending, he pieced together the information he had picked -up from the Professors. Plainly, the Sunchild, or child of the -sun, was none other than himself, and the new name of Coldharbour -was doubtless intended to commemorate the fact that this was the -first town he had reached in Erewhon. Plainly, also, he was -supposed to be of superhuman origin--his flight in the balloon -having been not unnaturally believed to be miraculous. The -Erewhonians had for centuries been effacing all knowledge of their -former culture; archaeologists, indeed, could still glean a little -from museums, and from volumes hard to come by, and still harder to -understand; but archaeologists were few, and even though they had -made researches (which they may or may not have done), their -labours had never reached the masses. What wonder, then, that the -mushroom spawn of myth, ever present in an atmosphere highly -charged with ignorance, had germinated in a soil so favourably -prepared for its reception? - -He saw it all now. It was twenty years next Sunday since he and my -mother had eloped. That was the meaning of XIX. xii. 29. They had -made a new era, dating from the day of his return to the palace of -the sun with a bride who was doubtless to unite the Erewhonian -nature with that of the sun. The New Year, then, would date from -Sunday, December 7, which would therefore become XX. i. 1. The -Thursday, now nearly if not quite over, being only two days distant -from the end of a month of thirty-one days, which was also the last -of the year, would be XIX. xii. 29, as on the Professors' permit. - -I should like to explain here what will appear more clearly on a -later page--I mean, that the Erewhonians, according to their new -system, do not believe the sun to be a god except as regards this -world and his other planets. My father had told them a little -about astronomy, and had assured them that all the fixed stars were -suns like our own, with planets revolving round them, which were -probably tenanted by intelligent living beings, however unlike they -might be to ourselves. From this they evolved the theory that the -sun was the ruler of this planetary system, and that he must be -personified, as they had personified the air-god, the gods of time -and space, hope, justice, and the other deities mentioned in my -father's book. They retain their old belief in the actual -existence of these gods, but they now make them all subordinate to -the sun. The nearest approach they make to our own conception of -God is to say that He is the ruler over all the suns throughout the -universe--the suns being to Him much as our planets and their -denizens are to our own sun. They deny that He takes more interest -in one sun and its system than in another. All the suns with their -attendant planets are supposed to be equally His children, and He -deputes to each sun the supervision and protection of its own -system. Hence they say that though we may pray to the air-god, -&c., and even to the sun, we must not pray to God. We may be -thankful to Him for watching over the suns, but we must not go -further. - -Going back to my father's reflections, he perceived that the -Erewhonians had not only adopted our calendar, as he had repeatedly -explained it to the Nosnibors, but had taken our week as well, and -were making Sunday a high day, just as we do. Next Sunday, in -commemoration of the twentieth year after his ascent, they were -about to dedicate a temple to him; in this there was to be a -picture showing himself and his earthly bride on their heavenward -journey, in a chariot drawn by four black and white horses--which, -however, Professor Hanky had positively affirmed to have been only -storks. - -Here I interrupted my father. "But were there," I said, "any -storks?" - -"Yes," he answered. "As soon as I heard Hanky's words I remembered -that a flight of some four or five of the large storks so common in -Erewhon during the summer months had been wheeling high aloft in -one of those aerial dances that so much delight them. I had quite -forgotten it, but it came back to me at once that these creatures, -attracted doubtless by what they took to be an unknown kind of -bird, swooped down towards the balloon and circled round it like so -many satellites to a heavenly body. I was fearful lest they should -strike at it with their long and formidable beaks, in which case -all would have been soon over; either they were afraid, or they had -satisfied their curiosity--at any rate, they let us alone; but they -kept with us till we were well away from the capital. Strange, how -completely this incident had escaped me." - -I return to my father's thoughts as he made his way back to his old -camp. - -As for the reversed position of Professor Panky's clothes, he -remembered having given his own old ones to the Queen, and having -thought that she might have got a better dummy on which to display -them than the headless scarecrow, which, however, he supposed was -all her ladies-in-waiting could lay their hands on at the moment. -If that dummy had never been replaced, it was perhaps not very -strange that the King could not at the first glance tell back from -front, and if he did not guess right at first, there was little -chance of his changing, for his first ideas were apt to be his -last. But he must find out more about this. - -Then how about the watch? Had their views about machinery also -changed? Or was there an exception made about any machine that he -had himself carried? - -Yram too. She must have been married not long after she and he had -parted. So she was now wife to the Mayor, and was evidently able -to have things pretty much her own way in Sunch'ston, as he -supposed he must now call it. Thank heaven she was prosperous! It -was interesting to know that she was at heart a sceptic, as was -also her light-haired son, now Head Ranger. And that son? Just -twenty years of age! Born seven months after marriage! Then the -Mayor doubtless had light hair too; but why did not those wretches -say in which month Yram was married? If she had married soon after -he had left, this was why he had not been sent for or written to. -Pray heaven it was so. As for current gossip, people would talk, -and if the lad was well begotten, what could it matter to them -whose son he was? "But," thought my father, "I am glad I did not -meet him on my way down. I had rather have been killed by some one -else." - -Hanky and Panky again. He remembered Bridgeford as the town where -the Colleges of Unreason had been most rife; he had visited it, but -he had forgotten that it was called "The city of the people who are -above suspicion." Its Professors were evidently going to muster in -great force on Sunday; if two of them had robbed him, he could -forgive them, for the information he had gleaned from them had -furnished him with a pied a terre. Moreover, he had got as much -Erewhonian money as he should want, for he had resolved to retrace -his steps immediately after seeing the temple dedicated to himself. -He knew the danger he should run in returning over the preserves -without a permit, but his curiosity was so great that he resolved -to risk it. - -Soon after he had passed the statues he began to descend, and it -being now broad day, he did so by leaps and bounds, for the ground -was not precipitous. He reached his old camp soon after five-- -this, at any rate, was the hour at which he set his watch on -finding that it had run down during his absence. There was now no -reason why he should not take it with him, so he put it in his -pocket. The parrots had attacked his saddle-bags, saddle, and -bridle, as they were sure to do, but they had not got inside the -bags. He took out his English clothes and put them on--stowing his -bags of gold in various pockets, but keeping his Erewhonian money -in the one that was most accessible. He put his Erewhonian dress -back into the saddle-bags, intending to keep it as a curiosity; he -also refreshed the dye upon his hands, face, and hair; he lit -himself a fire, made tea, cooked and ate two brace of quails, which -he had plucked while walking so as to save time, and then flung -himself on to the ground to snatch an hour's very necessary rest. -When he woke he found he had slept two hours, not one, which was -perhaps as well, and by eight he began to reascend the pass. - -He reached the statues about noon, for he allowed himself not a -moment's rest. This time there was a stiffish wind, and they were -chanting lustily. He passed them with all speed, and had nearly -reached the place where he had caught the quails, when he saw a man -in a dress which he guessed at once to be a ranger's, but which, -strangely enough, seeing that he was in the King's employ, was not -reversed. My father's heart beat fast; he got out his permit and -held it open in his hand, then with a smiling face he went towards -the Ranger, who was standing his ground. - -"I believe you are the Head Ranger," said my father, who saw that -he was still smooth-faced and had light hair. "I am Professor -Panky, and here is my permit. My brother Professor has been -prevented from coming with me, and, as you see, I am alone." - -My father had professed to pass himself off as Panky, for he had -rather gathered that Hanky was the better known man of the two. - -While the youth was scrutinising the permit, evidently with -suspicion, my father took stock of him, and saw his own past self -in him too plainly--knowing all he knew--to doubt whose son he was. -He had the greatest difficulty in hiding his emotion, for the lad -was indeed one of whom any father might be proud. He longed to be -able to embrace him and claim him for what he was, but this, as he -well knew, might not be. The tears again welled into his eyes when -he told me of the struggle with himself that he had then had. - -"Don't be jealous, my dearest boy," he said to me. "I love you -quite as dearly as I love him, or better, but he was sprung upon me -so suddenly, and dazzled me with his comely debonair face, so full -of youth, and health, and frankness. Did you see him, he would go -straight to your heart, for he is wonderfully like you in spite of -your taking so much after your poor mother." - -I was not jealous; on the contrary, I longed to see this youth, and -find in him such a brother as I had often wished to have. But let -me return to my father's story. - -The young man, after examining the permit, declared it to be in -form, and returned it to my father, but he eyed him with polite -disfavour. - -"I suppose," he said, "you have come up, as so many are doing, from -Bridgeford and all over the country, to the dedication on Sunday." - -"Yes," said my father. "Bless me!" he added, "what a wind you have -up here! How it makes one's eyes water, to be sure;" but he spoke -with a cluck in his throat which no wind that blows can cause. - -"Have you met any suspicious characters between here and the -statues?" asked the youth. "I came across the ashes of a fire -lower down; there had been three men sitting for some time round -it, and they had all been eating quails. Here are some of the -bones and feathers, which I shall keep. They had not been gone -more than a couple of hours, for the ashes were still warm; they -are getting bolder and bolder--who would have thought they would -dare to light a fire? I suppose you have not met any one; but if -you have seen a single person, let me know." - -My father said quite truly that he had met no one. He then -laughingly asked how the youth had been able to discover as much as -he had. - -"There were three well-marked forms, and three separate lots of -quail bones hidden in the ashes. One man had done all the -plucking. This is strange, but I dare say I shall get at it -later." - -After a little further conversation the Ranger said he was now -going down to Sunch'ston, and, though somewhat curtly, proposed -that he and my father should walk together. - -"By all means," answered my father. - -"Before they had gone more than a few hundred yards his companion -said, "If you will come with me a little to the left, I can show -you the Blue Pool." - -To avoid the precipitous ground over which the stream here fell, -they had diverged to the right, where they had found a smoother -descent; returning now to the stream, which was about to enter on a -level stretch for some distance, they found themselves on the brink -of a rocky basin, of no great size, but very blue, and evidently -deep. - -"This," said the Ranger, "is where our orders tell us to fling any -foreign devil who comes over from the other side. I have only been -Head Ranger about nine months, and have not yet had to face this -horrid duty; but," and here he smiled, "when I first caught sight -of you I thought I should have to make a beginning. I was very -glad when I saw you had a permit." - -"And how many skeletons do you suppose are lying at the bottom of -this pool?" - -"I believe not more than seven or eight in all. There were three -or four about eighteen years ago, and about the same number of late -years; one man was flung here only about three months before I was -appointed. I have the full list, with dates, down in my office, -but the rangers never let people in Sunch'ston know when they have -Blue-Pooled any one; it would unsettle men's minds, and some of -them would be coming up here in the dark to drag the pool, and see -whether they could find anything on the body." - -My father was glad to turn away from this most repulsive place. -After a time he said, "And what do you good people hereabouts think -of next Sunday's grand doings?" - -Bearing in mind what he had gleaned from the Professors about the -Ranger's opinions, my father gave a slightly ironical turn to his -pronunciation of the words "grand doings." The youth glanced at -him with a quick penetrative look, and laughed as he said, "The -doings will be grand enough." - -"What a fine temple they have built," said my father. "I have not -yet seen the picture, but they say the four black and white horses -are magnificently painted. I saw the Sunchild ascend, but I saw no -horses in the sky, nor anything like horses." - -The youth was much interested. "Did you really see him ascend?" he -asked; "and what, pray, do you think it all was?" - -"Whatever it was, there were no horses." - -"But there must have been, for, as you of course know, they have -lately found some droppings from one of them, which have been -miraculously preserved, and they are going to show them next Sunday -in a gold reliquary." - -"I know," said my father, who, however, was learning the fact for -the first time. "I have not yet seen this precious relic, but I -think they might have found something less unpleasant." - -"Perhaps they would if they could," replied the youth, laughing, -"but there was nothing else that the horses could leave. It is -only a number of curiously rounded stones, and not at all like what -they say it is." - -"Well, well," continued my father, "but relic or no relic, there -are many who, while they fully recognise the value of the -Sunchild's teaching, dislike these cock and bull stories as -blasphemy against God's most blessed gift of reason. There are -many in Bridgeford who hate this story of the horses." - -The youth was now quite reassured. "So there are here, sir," he -said warmly, "and who hate the Sunchild too. If there is such a -hell as he used to talk about to my mother, we doubt not but that -he will be cast into its deepest fires. See how he has turned us -all upside down. But we dare not say what we think. There is no -courage left in Erewhon." - -Then waxing calmer he said, "It is you Bridgeford people and your -Musical Banks that have done it all. The Musical Bank Managers saw -that the people were falling away from them. Finding that the -vulgar believed this foreign devil Higgs--for he gave this name to -my mother when he was in prison--finding that--But you know all -this as well as I do. How can you Bridgeford Professors pretend to -believe about these horses, and about the Sunchild's being son to -the sun, when all the time you know there is no truth in it?" - -"My son--for considering the difference in our ages I may be -allowed to call you so--we at Bridgeford are much like you at -Sunch'ston; we dare not always say what we think. Nor would it be -wise to do so, when we should not be listened to. This fire must -burn itself out, for it has got such hold that nothing can either -stay or turn it. Even though Higgs himself were to return and tell -it from the house-tops that he was a mortal--ay, and a very common -one--he would be killed, but not believed." - -"Let him come; let him show himself, speak out and die, if the -people choose to kill him. In that case I would forgive him, -accept him for my father, as silly people sometimes say he is, and -honour him to my dying day." - -"Would that be a bargain?" said my father, smiling in spite of -emotion so strong that he could hardly bring the words out of his -mouth. - -"Yes, it would," said the youth doggedly. - -"Then let me shake hands with you on his behalf, and let us change -the conversation." - -He took my father's hand, doubtfully and somewhat disdainfully, but -he did not refuse it. - - - -CHAPTER VI: FURTHER CONVERSATION BETWEEN FATHER AND SON--THE -PROFESSORS' HOARD - - - -It is one thing to desire a conversation to be changed, and another -to change it. After some little silence my father said, "And may I -ask what name your mother gave you?" - -"My name," he answered, laughing, "is George, and I wish it were -some other, for it is the first name of that arch-impostor Higgs. -I hate it as I hate the man who owned it." - -My father said nothing, but he hid his face in his hands. - -"Sir," said the other, "I fear you are in some distress." - -"You remind me," replied my father, "of a son who was stolen from -me when he was a child. I searched for him, during many years, and -at last fell in with him by accident, to find him all the heart of -father could wish. But alas! he did not take kindly to me as I to -him, and after two days he left me; nor shall I ever again see -him." - -"Then, sir, had I not better leave you?" - -"No, stay with me till your road takes you elsewhere; for though I -cannot see my son, you are so like him that I could almost fancy he -is with me. And now--for I shall show no more weakness--you say -your mother knew the Sunchild, as I am used to call him. Tell me -what kind of a man she found him." - -"She liked him well enough in spite of his being a little silly. -She does not believe he ever called himself child of the sun. He -used to say he had a father in heaven to whom he prayed, and who -could hear him; but he said that all of us, my mother as much as -he, have this unseen father. My mother does not believe he meant -doing us any harm, but only that he wanted to get himself and Mrs. -Nosnibor's younger daughter out of the country. As for there -having been anything supernatural about the balloon, she will have -none of it; she says that it was some machine which he knew how to -make, but which we have lost the art of making, as we have of many -another. - -"This is what she says amongst ourselves, but in public she -confirms all that the Musical Bank Managers say about him. She is -afraid of them. You know, perhaps, that Professor Hanky, whose -name I see on your permit, tried to burn her alive?" - -"Thank heaven!" thought my father, "that I am Panky;" but aloud he -said, "Oh, horrible! horrible! I cannot believe this even of -Hanky." - -"He denies it, and we say we believe him; he was most kind and -attentive to my mother during all the rest of her stay in -Bridgeford. He and she parted excellent friends, but I know what -she thinks. I shall be sure to see him while he is in Sunch'ston, -I shall have to be civil to him but it makes me sick to think of -it." - -"When shall you see him?" said my father, who was alarmed at -learning that Hanky and the Ranger were likely to meet. Who could -tell but that he might see Panky too? - -"I have been away from home a fortnight, and shall not be back till -late on Saturday night. I do not suppose I shall see him before -Sunday." - -"That will do," thought my father, who at that moment deemed that -nothing would matter to him much when Sunday was over. Then, -turning to the Ranger, he said, "I gather, then, that your mother -does not think so badly of the Sunchild after all?" - -"She laughs at him sometimes, but if any of us boys and girls say a -word against him we get snapped up directly. My mother turns every -one round her finger. Her word is law in Sunch'ston; every one -obeys her; she has faced more than one mob, and quelled them when -my father could not do so." - -"I can believe all you say of her. What other children has she -besides yourself?" - -"We are four sons, of whom the youngest is now fourteen, and three -daughters." - -"May all health and happiness attend her and you, and all of you, -henceforth and for ever," and my father involuntarily bared his -head as he spoke. - -"Sir," said the youth, impressed by the fervency of my father's -manner, "I thank you, but you do not talk as Bridgeford Professors -generally do, so far as I have seen or heard them. Why do you wish -us all well so very heartily? Is it because you think I am like -your son, or is there some other reason?" - -"It is not my son alone that you resemble," said my father -tremulously, for he knew he was going too far. He carried it off -by adding, "You resemble all who love truth and hate lies, as I -do." - -"Then, sir," said the youth gravely, "you much belie your -reputation. And now I must leave you for another part of the -preserves, where I think it likely that last night's poachers may -now be, and where I shall pass the night in watching for them. You -may want your permit for a few miles further, so I will not take -it. Neither need you give it up at Sunch'ston. It is dated, and -will be useless after this evening." - -With this he strode off into the forest, bowing politely but -somewhat coldly, and without encouraging my father's half proffered -hand. - -My father turned sad and unsatisfied away. - -"It serves me right," he said to himself; "he ought never to have -been my son; and yet, if such men can be brought by hook or by -crook into the world, surely the world should not ask questions -about the bringing. How cheerless everything looks now that he has -left me." - -* * * - -By this time it was three o'clock, and in another few minutes my -father came upon the ashes of the fire beside which he and the -Professors had supped on the preceding evening. It was only some -eighteen hours since they had come upon him, and yet what an age it -seemed! It was well the Ranger had left him, for though my father, -of course, would have known nothing about either fire or poachers, -it might have led to further falsehood, and by this time he had -become exhausted--not to say, for the time being, sick of lies -altogether. - -He trudged slowly on, without meeting a soul, until he came upon -some stones that evidently marked the limits of the preserves. -When he had got a mile or so beyond these, he struck a narrow and -not much frequented path, which he was sure would lead him towards -Sunch'ston, and soon afterwards, seeing a huge old chestnut tree -some thirty or forty yards from the path itself, he made towards it -and flung himself on the ground beneath its branches. There were -abundant signs that he was nearing farm lands and homesteads, but -there was no one about, and if any one saw him there was nothing in -his appearance to arouse suspicion. - -He determined, therefore, to rest here till hunger should wake him, -and drive him into Sunch'ston, which, however, he did not wish to -reach till dusk if he could help it. He meant to buy a valise and -a few toilette necessaries before the shops should close, and then -engage a bedroom at the least frequented inn he could find that -looked fairly clean and comfortable. - -He slept till nearly six, and on waking gathered his thoughts -together. He could not shake his newly found son from out of them, -but there was no good in dwelling upon him now, and he turned his -thoughts to the Professors. How, he wondered, were they getting -on, and what had they done with the things they had bought from -him? - -"How delightful it would be," he said to himself, "if I could find -where they have hidden their hoard, and hide it somewhere else." - -He tried to project his mind into those of the Professors, as -though they were a team of straying bullocks whose probable action -he must determine before he set out to look for them. - -On reflection, he concluded that the hidden property was not likely -to be far from the spot on which he now was. The Professors would -wait till they had got some way down towards Sunch'ston, so as to -have readier access to their property when they wanted to remove -it; but when they came upon a path and other signs that inhabited -dwellings could not be far distant, they would begin to look out -for a hiding-place. And they would take pretty well the first that -came. "Why, bless my heart," he exclaimed, "this tree is hollow; I -wonder whether--" and on looking up he saw an innocent little strip -of the very tough fibrous leaf commonly used while green as string, -or even rope, by the Erewhonians. The plant that makes this leaf -is so like the ubiquitous New Zealand Phormium tenax, or flax, as -it is there called, that I shall speak of it as flax in future, as -indeed I have already done without explanation on an earlier page; -for this plant grows on both sides of the great range. The piece -of flax, then, which my father caught sight of was fastened, at no -great height from the ground, round the branch of a strong sucker -that had grown from the roots of the chestnut tree, and going -thence for a couple of feet or so towards the place where the -parent tree became hollow, it disappeared into the cavity below. -My father had little difficulty in swarming the sucker till he -reached the bough on to which the flax was tied, and soon found -himself hauling up something from the bottom of the tree. In less -time than it takes to tell the tale he saw his own familiar red -blanket begin to show above the broken edge of the hollow, and in -another second there was a clinkum-clankum as the bundle fell upon -the ground. This was caused by the billy and the pannikin, which -were wrapped inside the blanket. As for the blanket, it had been -tied tightly at both ends, as well as at several points between, -and my father inwardly complimented the Professors on the neatness -with which they had packed and hidden their purchase. "But," he -said to himself with a laugh, "I think one of them must have got on -the other's back to reach that bough." - -"Of course," thought he, "they will have taken the nuggets with -them." And yet he had seemed to hear a dumping as well as a -clinkum-clankum. He undid the blanket, carefully untying every -knot and keeping the flax. When he had unrolled it, he found to -his very pleasurable surprise that the pannikin was inside the -billy, and the nuggets with the receipt inside the pannikin. The -paper containing the tea having been torn, was wrapped up in a -handkerchief marked with Hanky's name. - -"Down, conscience, down!" he exclaimed as he transferred the -nuggets, receipt, and handkerchief to his own pocket. "Eye of my -soul that you are! if you offend me I must pluck you out." His -conscience feared him and said nothing. As for the tea, he left it -in its torn paper. - -He then put the billy, pannikin, and tea, back again inside the -blanket, which he tied neatly up, tie for tie with the Professor's -own flax, leaving no sign of any disturbance. He again swarmed the -sucker, till he reached the bough to which the blanket and its -contents had been made fast, and having attached the bundle, he -dropped it back into the hollow of the tree. He did everything -quite leisurely, for the Professors would be sure to wait till -nightfall before coming to fetch their property away. - -"If I take nothing but the nuggets," he argued, "each of the -Professors will suspect the other of having conjured them into his -own pocket while the bundle was being made up. As for the -handkerchief, they must think what they like; but it will puzzle -Hanky to know why Panky should have been so anxious for a receipt, -if he meant stealing the nuggets. Let them muddle it out their own -way." - -Reflecting further, he concluded, perhaps rightly, that they had -left the nuggets where he had found them, because neither could -trust the other not to filch a few, if he had them in his own -possession, and they could not make a nice division without a pair -of scales. "At any rate," he said to himself, "there will be a -pretty quarrel when they find them gone." - -Thus charitably did he brood over things that were not to happen. -The discovery of the Professors' hoard had refreshed him almost as -much as his sleep had done, and it being now past seven, he lit his -pipe--which, however, he smoked as furtively as he had done when he -was a boy at school, for he knew not whether smoking had yet become -an Erewhonian virtue or no--and walked briskly on towards -Sunch'ston. - - - -CHAPTER VII: SIGNS OF THE NEW ORDER OF THINGS CATCH MY FATHER'S -EYE ON EVERY SIDE - - - -He had not gone far before a turn in the path--now rapidly -widening--showed him two high towers, seemingly some two miles off; -these he felt sure must be at Sunch'ston, he therefore stepped out, -lest he should find the shops shut before he got there. - -On his former visit he had seen little of the town, for he was in -prison during his whole stay. He had had a glimpse of it on being -brought there by the people of the village where he had spent his -first night in Erewhon--a village which he had seen at some little -distance on his right hand, but which it would have been out of his -way to visit, even if he had wished to do so; and he had seen the -Museum of old machines, but on leaving the prison he had been -blindfolded. Nevertheless he felt sure that if the towers had been -there he should have seen them, and rightly guessed that they must -belong to the temple which was to be dedicated to himself on -Sunday. - -When he had passed through the suburbs he found himself in the main -street. Space will not allow me to dwell on more than a few of the -things which caught his eye, and assured him that the change in -Erewhonian habits and opinions had been even more cataclysmic than -he had already divined. The first important building that he came -to proclaimed itself as the College of Spiritual Athletics, and in -the window of a shop that was evidently affiliated to the college -he saw an announcement that moral try-your-strengths, suitable for -every kind of ordinary temptation, would be provided on the -shortest notice. Some of those that aimed at the more common kinds -of temptation were kept in stock, but these consisted chiefly of -trials to the temper. On dropping, for example, a penny into a -slot, you could have a jet of fine pepper, flour, or brickdust, -whichever you might prefer, thrown on to your face, and thus -discover whether your composure stood in need of further -development or no. My father gathered this from the writing that -was pasted on to the try-your-strength, but he had no time to go -inside the shop and test either the machine or his own temper. -Other temptations to irritability required the agency of living -people, or at any rate living beings. Crying children, screaming -parrots, a spiteful monkey, might be hired on ridiculously easy -terms. He saw one advertisement, nicely framed, which ran as -follows:- - - -"Mrs. Tantrums, Nagger, certificated by the College of Spiritual -Athletics. Terms for ordinary nagging, two shillings and sixpence -per hour. Hysterics extra." - - -Then followed a series of testimonials--for example:- - - -"Dear Mrs. Tantrums,--I have for years been tortured with a husband -of unusually peevish, irritable temper, who made my life so -intolerable that I sometimes answered him in a way that led to his -using personal violence towards me. After taking a course of -twelve sittings from you, I found my husband's temper comparatively -angelic, and we have ever since lived together in complete -harmony." - - -Another was from a husband:- - - -"Mr.--presents his compliments to Mrs. Tantrums, and begs to assure -her that her extra special hysterics have so far surpassed anything -his wife can do, as to render him callous to those attacks which he -had formerly found so distressing." - - -There were many others of a like purport, but time did not permit -my father to do more than glance at them. He contented himself -with the two following, of which the first ran:- - - -"He did try it at last. A little correction of the right kind -taken at the right moment is invaluable. No more swearing. No -more bad language of any kind. A lamb-like temper ensured in about -twenty minutes, by a single dose of one of our spiritual -indigestion tabloids. In cases of all the more ordinary moral -ailments, from simple lying, to homicidal mania, in cases again of -tendency to hatred, malice, and uncharitableness; of atrophy or -hypertrophy of the conscience, of costiveness or diarrhoea of the -sympathetic instincts, &c., &c., our spiritual indigestion tabloids -will afford unfailing and immediate relief. - -"N.B.--A bottle or two of our Sunchild Cordial will assist the -operation of the tabloids." - - -The second and last that I can give was as follows:- - - -"All else is useless. If you wish to be a social success, make -yourself a good listener. There is no short cut to this. A would- -be listener must learn the rudiments of his art and go through the -mill like other people. If he would develop a power of suffering -fools gladly, he must begin by suffering them without the gladness. -Professor Proser, ex-straightener, certificated bore, pragmatic or -coruscating, with or without anecdotes, attends pupils at their own -houses. Terms moderate. - -"Mrs. Proser, whose success as a professional mind-dresser is so -well-known that lengthened advertisement is unnecessary, prepares -ladies or gentlemen with appropriate remarks to be made at dinner- -parties or at-homes. Mrs. P. keeps herself well up to date with -all the latest scandals." - - -"Poor, poor, straighteners!" said my father to himself. "Alas! -that it should have been my fate to ruin you--for I suppose your -occupation is gone." - -Tearing himself away from the College of Spiritual Athletics and -its affiliated shop, he passed on a few doors, only to find himself -looking in at what was neither more nor less than a chemist's shop. -In the window there were advertisements which showed that the -practice of medicine was now legal, but my father could not stay to -copy a single one of the fantastic announcements that a hurried -glance revealed to him. - -It was also plain here, as from the shop already more fully -described, that the edicts against machines had been repealed, for -there were physical try-your-strengths, as in the other shop there -had been moral ones, and such machines under the old law would not -have been tolerated for a moment. - -My father made his purchases just as the last shops were closing. -He noticed that almost all of them were full of articles labelled -"Dedication." There was Dedication gingerbread, stamped with a -moulded representation of the new temple; there were Dedication -syrups, Dedication pocket-handkerchiefs, also shewing the temple, -and in one corner giving a highly idealised portrait of my father -himself. The chariot and the horses figured largely, and in the -confectioners' shops there were models of the newly discovered -relic--made, so my father thought, with a little heap of cherries -or strawberries, smothered in chocolate. Outside one tailor's shop -he saw a flaring advertisement which can only be translated, "Try -our Dedication trousers, price ten shillings and sixpence." - -Presently he passed the new temple, but it was too dark for him to -do more than see that it was a vast fane, and must have cost an -untold amount of money. At every turn he found himself more and -more shocked, as he realised more and more fully the mischief he -had already occasioned, and the certainty that this was small as -compared with that which would grow up hereafter. - -"What," he said to me, very coherently and quietly, "was I to do? -I had struck a bargain with that dear fellow, though he knew not -what I meant, to the effect that I should try to undo the harm I -had done, by standing up before the people on Sunday and saying who -I was. True, they would not believe me. They would look at my -hair and see it black, whereas it should be very light. On this -they would look no further, but very likely tear me in pieces then -and there. Suppose that the authorities held a post-mortem -examination, and that many who knew me (let alone that all my -measurements and marks were recorded twenty years ago) identified -the body as mine: would those in power admit that I was the -Sunchild? Not they. The interests vested in my being now in the -palace of the sun are too great to allow of my having been torn to -pieces in Sunch'ston, no matter how truly I had been torn; the -whole thing would be hushed up, and the utmost that could come of -it would be a heresy which would in time be crushed. - -"On the other hand, what business have I with 'would be' or 'would -not be?' Should I not speak out, come what may, when I see a whole -people being led astray by those who are merely exploiting them for -their own ends? Though I could do but little, ought I not to do -that little? What did that good fellow's instinct--so straight -from heaven, so true, so healthy--tell him? What did my own -instinct answer? What would the conscience of any honourable man -answer? Who can doubt? - -"And yet, is there not reason? and is it not God-given as much as -instinct? I remember having heard an anthem in my young days, 'O -where shall wisdom be found? the deep saith it is not in me.' As -the singers kept on repeating the question, I kept on saying -sorrowfully to myself--'Ah, where, where, where?' and when the -triumphant answer came, 'The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and -to depart from evil is understanding,' I shrunk ashamed into myself -for not having foreseen it. In later life, when I have tried to -use this answer as a light by which I could walk, I found it served -but to the raising of another question, 'What is the fear of the -Lord, and what is evil in this particular case?' And my easy -method with spiritual dilemmas proved to be but a case of ignotum -per ignotius. - -"If Satan himself is at times transformed into an angel of light, -are not angels of light sometimes transformed into the likeness of -Satan? If the devil is not so black as he is painted, is God -always so white? And is there not another place in which it is -said, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,' as though -it were not the last word upon the subject? If a man should not do -evil that good may come, so neither should he do good that evil may -come; and though it were good for me to speak out, should I not do -better by refraining? - -"Such were the lawless and uncertain thoughts that tortured me very -cruelly, so that I did what I had not done for many a long year--I -prayed for guidance. 'Shew me Thy will, O Lord,' I cried in great -distress, 'and strengthen me to do it when Thou hast shewn it me.' -But there was no answer. Instinct tore me one way and reason -another. Whereon I settled that I would obey the reason with which -God had endowed me, unless the instinct He had also given me should -thrash it out of me. I could get no further than this, that the -Lord hath mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He willeth He -hardeneth; and again I prayed that I might be among those on whom -He would shew His mercy. - -"This was the strongest internal conflict that I ever remember to -have felt, and it was at the end of it that I perceived the first, -but as yet very faint, symptoms of that sickness from which I shall -not recover. Whether this be a token of mercy or no, my Father -which is in heaven knows, but I know not." - -From what my father afterwards told me, I do not think the above -reflections had engrossed him for more than three or four minutes; -the giddiness which had for some seconds compelled him to lay hold -of the first thing he could catch at in order to avoid falling, -passed away without leaving a trace behind it, and his path seemed -to become comfortably clear before him. He settled it that the -proper thing to do would be to buy some food, start back at once -while his permit was still valid, help himself to the property -which he had sold the Professors, leaving the Erewhonians to -wrestle as they best might with the lot that it had pleased Heaven -to send them. - -This, however, was too heroic a course. He was tired, and wanted a -night's rest in a bed; he was hungry, and wanted a substantial -meal; he was curious, moreover, to see the temple dedicated to -himself, and hear Hanky's sermon; there was also this further -difficulty, he should have to take what he had sold the Professors -without returning them their 4 pounds, 10s., for he could not do -without his blanket, &c.; and even if he left a bag of nuggets made -fast to the sucker, he must either place it where it could be seen -so easily that it would very likely get stolen, or hide it so -cleverly that the Professors would never find it. He therefore -compromised by concluding that he would sup and sleep in -Sunch'ston, get through the morrow as he best could without -attracting attention, deepen the stain on his face and hair, and -rely on the change so made in his appearance to prevent his being -recognised at the dedication of the temple. He would do nothing to -disillusion the people--to do this would only be making bad worse. -As soon as the service was over, he would set out towards the -preserves, and, when it was well dark, make for the statues. He -hoped that on such a great day the rangers might be many of them in -Sunch'ston; if there were any about, he must trust the moonless -night and his own quick eyes and ears to get him through the -preserves safely. - -The shops were by this time closed, but the keepers of a few stalls -were trying by lamplight to sell the wares they had not yet got rid -of. One of these was a bookstall, and, running his eye over some -of the volumes, my father saw one entitled - - - -"The Sayings of the Sunchild during his stay in Erewhon, to which -is added a true account of his return to the palace of the sun with -his Erewhonian bride. This is the only version authorised by the -Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Musical Banks; all other -versions being imperfect and inaccurate.--Bridgeford, XVIII., 150 -pp. 8vo. Price 3s. - - -The reader will understand that I am giving the prices as nearly as -I can in their English equivalents. Another title was - - - -"The Sacrament of Divorce: an Occasional Sermon preached by Dr. -Gurgoyle, President of the Musical Banks for the Province of -Sunch'ston. 8vo, 16 pp. 6d. - - -Other titles ran - - - -"Counsels of Imperfection." 8vo, 20 pp. 6d. - -"Hygiene; or, How to Diagnose your Doctor. 8vo, 10 pp. 3d. - -"The Physics of Vicarious Existence," by Dr. Gurgoyle, President of -the Musical Banks for the Province of Sunch'ston. 8vo, 20 pp. 6d. - - -There were many other books whose titles would probably have -attracted my father as much as those that I have given, but he was -too tired and hungry to look at more. Finding that he could buy -all the foregoing for 4s. 9d., he bought them and stuffed them into -the valise that he had just bought. His purchases in all had now -amounted to a little over 1 pound, 10s. (silver), leaving him about -3 pounds (silver), including the money for which he had sold the -quails, to carry him on till Sunday afternoon. He intended to -spend say 2 pounds (silver), and keep the rest of the money in -order to give it to the British Museum. - -He now began to search for an inn, and walked about the less -fashionable parts of the town till he found an unpretending tavern, -which he thought would suit him. Here, on importunity, he was -given a servant's room at the top of the house, all others being -engaged by visitors who had come for the dedication. He ordered a -meal, of which he stood in great need, and having eaten it, he -retired early for the night. But he smoked a pipe surreptitiously -up the chimney before he got into bed. - -Meanwhile other things were happening, of which, happily for his -repose, he was still ignorant, and which he did not learn till a -few days later. Not to depart from chronological order I will deal -with them in my next chapter. - - - -CHAPTER VIII: YRAM, NOW MAYORESS, GIVES A DINNER-PARTY, IN THE -COURSE OF WHICH SHE IS DISQUIETED BY WHAT SHE LEARNS FROM PROFESSOR -HANKY: SHE SENDS FOR HER SON GEORGE AND QUESTIONS HIM - - - -The Professors, returning to their hotel early on the Friday -morning, found a note from the Mayoress urging them to be her -guests during the remainder of their visit, and to meet other -friends at dinner on this same evening. They accepted, and then -went to bed; for they had passed the night under the tree in which -they had hidden their purchase, and, as may be imagined, had slept -but little. They rested all day, and transferred themselves and -their belongings to the Mayor's house in time to dress for dinner. - -When they came down into the drawing-room they found a brilliant -company assembled, chiefly Musical-Bankical like themselves. There -was Dr. Downie, Professor of Logomachy, and perhaps the most subtle -dialectician in Erewhon. He could say nothing in more words than -any man of his generation. His text-book on the "Art of Obscuring -Issues" had passed through ten or twelve editions, and was in the -hands of all aspirants for academic distinction. He had earned a -high reputation for sobriety of judgement by resolutely refusing to -have definite views on any subject; so safe a man was he -considered, that while still quite young he had been appointed to -the lucrative post of Thinker in Ordinary to the Royal Family. -There was Mr. Principal Crank, with his sister Mrs. Quack; -Professors Gabb and Bawl, with their wives and two or three erudite -daughters. - -Old Mrs. Humdrum (of whom more anon) was there of course, with her -venerable white hair and rich black satin dress, looking the very -ideal of all that a stately old dowager ought to be. In society -she was commonly known as Ydgrun, so perfectly did she correspond -with the conception of this strange goddess formed by the -Erewhonians. She was one of those who had visited my father when -he was in prison twenty years earlier. When he told me that she -was now called Ydgrun, he said, "I am sure that the Erinyes were -only Mrs. Humdrums, and that they were delightful people when you -came to know them. I do not believe they did the awful things we -say they did. I think, but am not quite sure, that they let -Orestes off; but even though they had not pardoned him, I doubt -whether they would have done anything more dreadful to him than -issue a mot d'ordre that he was not to be asked to any more -afternoon teas. This, however, would be down-right torture to some -people. At any rate," he continued, "be it the Erinyes, or Mrs. -Grundy, or Ydgrun, in all times and places it is woman who decides -whether society is to condone an offence or no." - -Among the most attractive ladies present was one for whose -Erewhonian name I can find no English equivalent, and whom I must -therefore call Miss La Frime. She was Lady President of the -principal establishment for the higher education of young ladies, -and so celebrated was she, that pupils flocked to her from all -parts of the surrounding country. Her primer (written for the -Erewhonian Arts and Science Series) on the Art of Man-killing, was -the most complete thing of the kind that had yet been done; but -ill-natured people had been heard to say that she had killed all -her own admirers so effectually that not one of them had ever lived -to marry her. According to Erewhonian custom the successful -marriages of the pupils are inscribed yearly on the oak paneling of -the college refectory, and a reprint from these in pamphlet form -accompanies all the prospectuses that are sent out to parents. It -was alleged that no other ladies' seminary in Erewhon could show -such a brilliant record during all the years of Miss La Frime's -presidency. Many other guests of less note were there, but the -lions of the evening were the two Professors whom we have already -met with, and more particularly Hanky, who took the Mayoress in to -dinner. Panky, of course, wore his clothes reversed, as did -Principal Crank and Professor Gabb; the others were dressed English -fashion. - -Everything hung upon the hostess, for the host was little more than -a still handsome figure-head. He had been remarkable for his good -looks as a young man, and Strong is the nearest approach I can get -to a translation of his Erewhonian name. His face inspired -confidence at once, but he was a man of few words, and had little -of that grace which in his wife set every one instantly at his or -her ease. He knew that all would go well so long as he left -everything to her, and kept himself as far as might be in the -background. - -Before dinner was announced there was the usual buzz of -conversation, chiefly occupied with salutations, good wishes for -Sunday's weather, and admiration for the extreme beauty of the -Mayoress's three daughters, the two elder of whom were already out; -while the third, though only thirteen, might have passed for a year -or two older. Their mother was so much engrossed with receiving -her guests that it was not till they were all at table that she was -able to ask Hanky what he thought of the statues, which she had -heard that he and Professor Panky had been to see. She was told -how much interested he had been with them, and how unable he had -been to form any theory as to their date or object. He then added, -appealing to Panky, who was on the Mayoress's left hand, "but we -had rather a strange adventure on our way down, had we not, Panky? -We got lost, and were benighted in the forest. Happily we fell in -with one of the rangers who had lit a fire." - -"Do I understand, then," said Yram, as I suppose we may as well -call her, "that you were out all last night? How tired you must -be! But I hope you had enough provisions with you?" - -"Indeed we were out all night. We staid by the ranger's fire till -midnight, and then tried to find our way down, but we gave it up -soon after we had got out of the forest, and then waited under a -large chestnut tree till four or five this morning. As for food, -we had not so much as a mouthful from about three in the afternoon -till we got to our inn early this morning." - -"Oh, you poor, poor people! how tired you must be." - -"No; we made a good breakfast as soon as we got in, and then went -to bed, where we staid till it was time for us to come to your -house." - -Here Panky gave his friend a significant look, as much as to say -that he had said enough. - -This set Hanky on at once. "Strange to say, the ranger was wearing -the old Erewhonian dress. It did me good to see it again after all -these years. It seems your son lets his men wear what few of the -old clothes they may still have, so long as they keep well away -from the town. But fancy how carefully these poor fellows husband -them; why, it must be seventeen years since the dress was -forbidden!" - -We all of us have skeletons, large or small, in some cupboard of -our lives, but a well regulated skeleton that will stay in its -cupboard quietly does not much matter. There are skeletons, -however, which can never be quite trusted not to open the cupboard -door at some awkward moment, go down stairs, ring the hall-door -bell, with grinning face announce themselves as the skeleton, and -ask whether the master or mistress is at home. This kind of -skeleton, though no bigger than a rabbit, will sometimes loom large -as that of a dinotherium. My father was Yram's skeleton. True, he -was a mere skeleton of a skeleton, for the chances were thousands -to one that he and my mother had perished long years ago; and even -though he rang at the bell, there was no harm that he either could -or would now do to her or hers; still, so long as she did not -certainly know that he was dead, or otherwise precluded from -returning, she could not be sure that he would not one day come -back by the way that he would alone know, and she had rather he -should not do so. - -Hence, on hearing from Professor Hanky that a man had been seen -between the statues and Sunch'ston wearing the old Erewhonian -dress, she was disquieted and perplexed. The excuse he had -evidently made to the Professors aggravated her uneasiness, for it -was an obvious attempt to escape from an unexpected difficulty. -There could be no truth in it. Her son would as soon think of -wearing the old dress himself as of letting his men do so; and as -for having old clothes still to wear out after seventeen years, no -one but a Bridgeford Professor would accept this. She saw, -therefore, that she must keep her wits about her, and lead her -guests on to tell her as much as they could be induced to do. - -"My son," she said innocently, "is always considerate to his men, -and that is why they are so devoted to him. I wonder which of them -it was? In what part of the preserves did you fall in with him?" - -Hanky described the place, and gave the best idea he could of my -father's appearance. - -"Of course he was swarthy like the rest of us?" - -"I saw nothing remarkable about him, except that his eyes were blue -and his eyelashes nearly white, which, as you know, is rare in -Erewhon. Indeed, I do not remember ever before to have seen a man -with dark hair and complexion but light eyelashes. Nature is -always doing something unusual." - -"I have no doubt," said Yram, "that he was the man they call -Blacksheep, but I never noticed this peculiarity in him. If he was -Blacksheep, I am afraid you must have found him none too civil; he -is a rough diamond, and you would hardly be able to understand his -uncouth Sunch'ston dialect." - -"On the contrary, he was most kind and thoughtful--even so far as -to take our permit from us, and thus save us the trouble of giving -it up at your son's office. As for his dialect, his grammar was -often at fault, but we could quite understand him." - -"I am glad to hear he behaved better than I could have expected. -Did he say in what part of the preserves he had been?" - -"He had been catching quails between the place where we saw him and -the statues; he was to deliver three dozen to your son this -afternoon for the Mayor's banquet on Sunday." - -This was worse and worse. She had urged her son to provide her -with a supply of quails for Sunday's banquet, but he had begged her -not to insist on having them. There was no close time for them in -Erewhon, but he set his face against their being seen at table in -spring and summer. During the winter, when any great occasion -arose, he had allowed a few brace to be provided. - -"I asked my son to let me have some," said Yram, who was now on -full scent. She laughed genially as she added, "Can you throw any -light upon the question whether I am likely to get my three dozen? -I have had no news as yet." - -"The man had taken a good many; we saw them but did not count them. -He started about midnight for the ranger's shelter, where he said -he should sleep till daybreak, so as to make up his full tale -betimes." - -Yram had heard her son complain that there were no shelters on the -preserves, and state his intention of having some built before the -winter. Here too, then, the man's story must be false. She -changed the conversation for the moment, but quietly told a servant -to send high and low in search of her son, and if he could be -found, to bid him come to her at once. She then returned to her -previous subject. - -"And did not this heartless wretch, knowing how hungry you must -both be, let you have a quail or two as an act of pardonable -charity?" - -"My dear Mayoress, how can you ask such a question? We knew you -would want all you could get; moreover, our permit threatened us -with all sorts of horrors if we so much as ate a single quail. I -assure you we never even allowed a thought of eating one of them to -cross our minds." - -"Then," said Yram to herself, "they gorged upon them." What could -she think? A man who wore the old dress, and therefore who had -almost certainly been in Erewhon, but had been many years away from -it; who spoke the language well, but whose grammar was defective-- -hence, again, one who had spent some time in Erewhon; who knew -nothing of the afforesting law now long since enacted, for how else -would he have dared to light a fire and be seen with quails in his -possession; an adroit liar, who on gleaning information from the -Professors had hazarded an excuse for immediately retracing his -steps; a man, too, with blue eyes and light eyelashes. What did it -matter about his hair being dark and his complexion swarthy--Higgs -was far too clever to attempt a second visit to Erewhon without -dyeing his hair and staining his face and hands. And he had got -their permit out of the Professors before he left them; clearly, -then, he meant coming back, and coming back at once before the -permit had expired. How could she doubt? My father, she felt -sure, must by this time be in Sunch'ston. He would go back to -change his clothes, which would not be very far down on the other -side the pass, for he would not put on his old Erewhonian dress -till he was on the point of entering Erewhon; and he would hide his -English dress rather than throw it away, for he would want it when -he went back again. It would be quite possible, then, for him to -get through the forest before the permit was void, and he would be -sure to go on to Sunch'ston for the night. - -She chatted unconcernedly, now with one guest now with another, -while they in their turn chatted unconcernedly with one another. - -Miss La Frime to Mrs. Humdrum: "You know how he got his -professorship? No? I thought every one knew that. The question -the candidates had to answer was, whether it was wiser during a -long stay at a hotel to tip the servants pretty early, or to wait -till the stay was ended. All the other candidates took one side or -the other, and argued their case in full. Hanky sent in three -lines to the effect that the proper thing to do would be to promise -at the beginning, and go away without giving. The King, with whom -the appointment rested, was so much pleased with this answer that -he gave Hanky the professorship without so much as looking . . . " - -Professor Gabb to Mrs. Humdrum: "Oh no, I can assure you there is -no truth in it. What happened was this. There was the usual -crowd, and the people cheered Professor after Professor, as he -stood before them in the great Bridgeford theatre and satisfied -them that a lump of butter which had been put into his mouth would -not melt in it. When Hanky's turn came he was taken suddenly -unwell, and had to leave the theatre, on which there was a report -in the house that the butter had melted; this was at once stopped -by the return of the Professor. Another piece of butter was put -into his mouth, and on being taken out after the usual time, was -found to shew no signs of having . . . " - -Miss Bawl to Mr. Principal Crank: . . . "The Manager was so tall, -you know, and then there was that little mite of an assistant -manager--it WAS so funny. For the assistant manager's voice was -ever so much louder than the . . . " - -Mrs. Bawl to Professor Gabb: . . . "Live for art! If I had to -choose whether I would lose either art or science, I have not the -smallest hesitation in saying that I would lose . . . " - -The Mayor and Dr. Downie: . . . "That you are to be canonised at -the close of the year along with Professors Hanky and Panky?" - -"I believe it is his Majesty's intention that the Professors and -myself are to head the list of the Sunchild's Saints, but we have -all of us got to . . . " - -And so on, and so on, buzz, buzz, buzz, over the whole table. -Presently Yram turned to Hanky and said - - -"By the way, Professor, you must have found it very cold up at the -statues, did you not? But I suppose the snow is all gone by this -time?" - -"Yes, it was cold, and though the winter's snow is melted, there -had been a recent fall. Strange to say, we saw fresh footprints in -it, as of some one who had come up from the other side. But -thereon hangs a tale, about which I believe I should say nothing." - -"Then say nothing, my dear Professor," said Yram with a frank -smile. "Above all," she added quietly and gravely, "say nothing to -the Mayor, nor to my son, till after Sunday. Even a whisper of -some one coming over from the other side disquiets them, and they -have enough on hand for the moment." - -Panky, who had been growing more and more restive at his friend's -outspokenness, but who had encouraged it more than once by vainly -trying to check it, was relieved at hearing his hostess do for him -what he could not do for himself. As for Yram, she had got enough -out of the Professor to be now fully dissatisfied, and mentally -informed them that they might leave the witness-box. During the -rest of dinner she let the subject of their adventure severely -alone. - -It seemed to her as though dinner was never going to end; but in -the course of time it did so, and presently the ladies withdrew. -As they were entering the drawing-room a servant told her that her -son had been found more easily than was expected, and was now in -his own room dressing. - -"Tell him," she said, "to stay there till I come, which I will do -directly." - -She remained for a few minutes with her guests, and then, excusing -herself quietly to Mrs. Humdrum, she stepped out and hastened to -her son's room. She told him that Professors Hanky and Panky were -staying in the house, and that during dinner they had told her -something he ought to know, but which there was no time to tell him -until her guests were gone. "I had rather," she said, "tell you -about it before you see the Professors, for if you see them the -whole thing will be reopened, and you are sure to let them see how -much more there is in it than they suspect. I want everything -hushed up for the moment; do not, therefore, join us. Have dinner -sent to you in your father's study. I will come to you about -midnight." - -"But, my dear mother," said George, "I have seen Panky already. I -walked down with him a good long way this afternoon." - -Yram had not expected this, but she kept her countenance. "How did -you know," said she, "that he was Professor Panky? Did he tell you -so?" - -"Certainly he did. He showed me his permit, which was made out in -favour of Professors Hanky and Panky, or either of them. He said -Hanky had been unable to come with him, and that he was himself -Professor Panky." - -Yram again smiled very sweetly. "Then, my dear boy," she said, "I -am all the more anxious that you should not see him now. See -nobody but the servants and your brothers, and wait till I can -enlighten you. I must not stay another moment; but tell me this -much, have you seen any signs of poachers lately?" - -"Yes; there were three last night." - -"In what part of the preserves?" - -Her son described the place. - -"You are sure they had been killing quails?" - -"Yes, and eating them--two on one side of a fire they had lit, and -one on the other; this last man had done all the plucking." - -"Good!" - -She kissed him with more than even her usual tenderness, and -returned to the drawing-room. - -During the rest of the evening she was engaged in earnest -conversation with Mrs. Humdrum, leaving her other guests to her -daughters and to themselves. Mrs. Humdrum had been her closest -friend for many years, and carried more weight than any one else in -Sunch'ston, except, perhaps, Yram herself. "Tell him everything," -she said to Yram at the close of their conversation; "we all dote -upon him; trust him frankly, as you trusted your husband before you -let him marry you. No lies, no reserve, no tears, and all will -come right. As for me, command me," and the good old lady rose to -take her leave with as kind a look on her face as ever irradiated -saint or angel. "I go early," she added, "for the others will go -when they see me do so, and the sooner you are alone the better." - -By half an hour before midnight her guests had gone. Hanky and -Panky were given to understand that they must still be tired, and -had better go to bed. So was the Mayor; so were her sons and -daughters, except of course George, who was waiting for her with -some anxiety, for he had seen that she had something serious to -tell him. Then she went down into the study. Her son embraced her -as she entered, and moved an easy chair for her, but she would not -have it. - -"No; I will have an upright one." Then, sitting composedly down on -the one her son placed for her, she said - - -"And now to business. But let me first tell you that the Mayor was -told, twenty years ago, all the more important part of what you -will now hear. He does not yet know what has happened within the -last few hours, but either you or I will tell him to-morrow." - - - -CHAPTER IX: INTERVIEW BETWEEN YRAM AND HER SON - - - -"What did you think of Panky?" - -"I could not make him out. If he had not been a Bridgeford -Professor I might have liked him; but you know how we all of us -distrust those people." - -"Where did you meet him?" - -"About two hours lower down than the statues." - -"At what o'clock?" - -"It might be between two and half-past." - -"I suppose he did not say that at that hour he was in bed at his -hotel in Sunch'ston. Hardly! Tell me what passed between you." - -"He had his permit open before we were within speaking distance. I -think he feared I should attack him without making sure whether he -was a foreign devil or no. I have told you he said he was -Professor Panky." - -"I suppose he had a dark complexion and black hair like the rest of -us?" - -"Dark complexion and hair purplish rather than black. I was -surprised to see that his eyelashes were as light as my own, and -his eyes were blue like mine--but you will have noticed this at -dinner." - -"No, my dear, I did not, and I think I should have done so if it -had been there to notice." - -"Oh, but it was so indeed." - -"Perhaps. Was there anything strange about his way of talking?" - -"A little about his grammar, but these Bridgeford Professors have -often risen from the ranks. His pronunciation was nearly like -yours and mine." - -"Was his manner friendly?" - -"Very; more so than I could understand at first. I had not, -however, been with him long before I saw tears in his eyes, and -when I asked him whether he was in distress, he said I reminded him -of a son whom he had lost and had found after many years, only to -lose him almost immediately for ever. Hence his cordiality towards -me." - -"Then," said Yram half hysterically to herself, "he knew who you -were. Now, how, I wonder, did he find that out?" All vestige of -doubt as to who the man might be had now left her. - -"Certainly he knew who I was. He spoke about you more than once, -and wished us every kind of prosperity, baring his head reverently -as he spoke." - -"Poor fellow! Did he say anything about Higgs?" - -"A good deal, and I was surprised to find he thought about it all -much as we do. But when I said that if I could go down into the -hell of which Higgs used to talk to you while he was in prison, I -should expect to find him in its hottest fires, he did not like -it." - -"Possibly not, my dear. Did you tell him how the other boys, when -you were at school, used sometimes to say you were son to this man -Higgs, and that the people of Sunch'ston used to say so also, till -the Mayor trounced two or three people so roundly that they held -their tongues for the future?" - -"Not all that, but I said that silly people had believed me to be -the Sunchild's son, and what a disgrace I should hold it to be son -to such an impostor." - -"What did he say to this?" - -"He asked whether I should feel the disgrace less if Higgs were to -undo the mischief he had caused by coming back and shewing himself -to the people for what he was. But he said it would be no use for -him to do so, inasmuch as people would kill him but would not -believe him." - -"And you said?" - -"Let him come back, speak out, and chance what might befall him. -In that case, I should honour him, father or no father." - -"And he?" - -"He asked if that would be a bargain; and when I said it would, he -grasped me warmly by the hand on Higgs's behalf--though what it -could matter to him passes my comprehension." - -"But he saw that even though Higgs were to shew himself and say who -he was, it would mean death to himself and no good to any one -else?" - -"Perfectly." - -"Then he can have meant nothing by shaking hands with you. It was -an idle jest. And now for your poachers. You do not know who they -were? I will tell you. The two who sat on the one side the fire -were Professors Hanky and Panky from the City of the People who are -above Suspicion." - -"No," said George vehemently. "Impossible." - -"Yes, my dear boy, quite possible, and whether possible or -impossible, assuredly true." - -"And the third man?" - -"The third man was dressed in the old costume. He was in -possession of several brace of birds. The Professors vowed they -had not eaten any--" - -"Oh yes, but they had," blurted out George. - -"Of course they had, my dear; and a good thing too. Let us return -to the man in the old costume." - -"That is puzzling. Who did he say he was?" - -"He said he was one of your men; that you had instructed him to -provide you with three dozen quails for Sunday; and that you let -your men wear the old costume if they had any of it left, provided- --" - -This was too much for George; he started to his feet. "What, my -dearest mother, does all this mean? You have been playing with me -all through. What is coming?" - -"A very little more, and you shall hear. This man staid with the -Professors till nearly midnight, and then left them on the plea -that he would finish the night in the Ranger's shelter--" - -"Ranger's shelter, indeed! Why--" - -"Hush, my darling boy, be patient with me. He said he must be up -betimes, to run down the rest of the quails you had ordered him to -bring you. But before leaving the Professors he beguiled them into -giving him up their permit." - -"Then, said George, striding about the room with his face flushed -and his eyes flashing, "he was the man with whom I walked down this -afternoon." - -"Exactly so." - -"And he must have changed his dress?" - -"Exactly so." - -"But where and how?" - -"At some place not very far down on the other side the range, where -he had hidden his old clothes." - -"And who, in the name of all that we hold most sacred, do you take -him to have been--for I see you know more than you have yet told -me?" - -"My son, he was Higgs the Sunchild, father to that boy whom I love -next to my husband more dearly than any one in the whole world." - -She folded her arms about him for a second, without kissing him, -and left him. "And now," she said, the moment she had closed the -door--"and now I may cry." - -* * * - -She did not cry for long, and having removed all trace of tears as -far as might be, she returned to her son outwardly composed and -cheerful. "Shall I say more now," she said, seeing how grave he -looked, "or shall I leave you, and talk further with you to- -morrow?" - -"Now--now--now!" - -"Good! A little before Higgs came here, the Mayor, as he now is, -poor, handsome, generous to a fault so far as he had the -wherewithal, was adored by all the women of his own rank in -Sunch'ston. Report said that he had adored many of them in return, -but after having known me for a very few days, he asked me to marry -him, protesting that he was a changed man. I liked him, as every -one else did, but I was not in love with him, and said so; he said -he would give me as much time as I chose, if I would not point- -blank refuse him; and so the matter was left. - -"Within a week or so Higgs was brought to the prison, and he had -not been there long before I found, or thought I found, that I -liked him better than I liked Strong. I was a fool--but there! As -for Higgs, he liked, but did not love me. If I had let him alone -he would have done the like by me; and let each other alone we did, -till the day before he was taken down to the capital. On that day, -whether through his fault or mine I know not--we neither of us -meant it--it was as though Nature, my dear, was determined that you -should not slip through her fingers--well, on that day we took it -into our heads that we were broken-hearted lovers--the rest -followed. And how, my dearest boy, as I look upon you, can I feign -repentance? - -"My husband, who never saw Higgs, and knew nothing about him except -the too little that I told him, pressed his suit, and about a month -after Higgs had gone, having recovered my passing infatuation for -him, I took kindly to the Mayor and accepted him, without telling -him what I ought to have told him--but the words stuck in my -throat. I had not been engaged to him many days before I found -that there was something which I should not be able to hide much -longer. - -"You know, my dear, that my mother had been long dead, and I never -had a sister or any near kinswoman. At my wits' end who I should -consult, instinct drew me to Mrs. Humdrum, then a woman of about -five-and-forty. She was a grand lady, while I was about the rank -of one of my own housemaids. I had no claim on her; I went to her -as a lost dog looks into the faces of people on a road, and singles -out the one who will most surely help him. I had had a good look -at her once as she was putting on her gloves, and I liked the way -she did it. I marvel at my own boldness. At any rate, I asked to -see her, and told her my story exactly as I have now told it to -you. - -"'You have no mother?' she said, when she had heard all. - -"'No.' - -"'Then, my dear, I will mother you myself. Higgs is out of the -question, so Strong must marry you at once. We will tell him -everything, and I, on your behalf, will insist upon it that the -engagement is at an end. I hear good reports of him, and if we are -fair towards him he will be generous towards us. Besides, I -believe he is so much in love with you that he would sell his soul -to get you. Send him to me. I can deal with him better than you -can.'" - -"And what," said George, "did my father, as I shall always call -him, say to all this? - -"Truth bred chivalry in him at once. 'I will marry her,' he said, -with hardly a moment's hesitation, 'but it will be better that I -should not be put on any lower footing than Higgs was. I ought not -to be denied anything that has been allowed to him. If I am -trusted, I can trust myself to trust and think no evil either of -Higgs or her. They were pestered beyond endurance, as I have been -ere now. If I am held at arm's length till I am fast bound, I -shall marry Yram just the same, but I doubt whether she and I shall -ever be quite happy.' - -"'Come to my house this evening,' said Mrs. Humdrum, 'and you will -find Yram there.' He came, he found me, and within a fortnight we -were man and wife." - -"How much does not all this explain," said George, smiling but very -gravely. "And you are going to ask me to forgive you for robbing -me of such a father." - -"He has forgiven me, my dear, for robbing him of such a son. He -never reproached me. From that day to this he has never given me a -harsh word or even syllable. When you were born he took to you at -once, as, indeed, who could help doing? for you were the sweetest -child both in looks and temper that it is possible to conceive. -Your having light hair and eyes made things more difficult; for -this, and your being born, almost to the day, nine months after -Higgs had left us, made people talk--but your father kept their -tongues within bounds. They talk still, but they liked what little -they saw of Higgs, they like the Mayor and me, and they like you -the best of all; so they please themselves by having the thing both -ways. Though, therefore, you are son to the Mayor, Higgs cast some -miraculous spell upon me before he left, whereby my son should be -in some measure his as well as the Mayor's. It was this miraculous -spell that caused you to be born two months too soon, and we called -you by Higgs's first name as though to show that we took that view -of the matter ourselves. - -"Mrs. Humdrum, however, was very positive that there was no spell -at all. She had repeatedly heard her father say that the Mayor's -grandfather was light-haired and blue-eyed, and that every third -generation in that family a light-haired son was born. The people -believe this too. Nobody disbelieves Mrs. Humdrum, but they like -the miracle best, so that is how it has been settled. - -"I never knew whether Mrs. Humdrum told her husband, but I think -she must; for a place was found almost immediately for my husband -in Mr. Humdrum's business. He made himself useful; after a few -years he was taken into partnership, and on Mr. Humdrum's death -became head of the firm. Between ourselves, he says laughingly -that all his success in life was due to Higgs and me." - -"I shall give Mrs. Humdrum a double dose of kissing," said George -thoughtfully, "next time I see her." - -"Oh, do, do; she will so like it. And now, my darling boy, tell -your poor mother whether or no you can forgive her." - -He clasped her in his arms, and kissed her again and again, but for -a time he could find no utterance. Presently he smiled, and said, -"Of course I do, but it is you who should forgive me, for was it -not all my fault?" - -When Yram, too, had become more calm, she said, "It is late, and we -have no time to lose. Higgs's coming at this time is mere -accident; if he had had news from Erewhon he would have known much -that he did not know. I cannot guess why he has come--probably -through mere curiosity, but he will hear or have heard--yes, you -and he talked about it--of the temple; being here, he will want to -see the dedication. From what you have told me I feel sure that he -will not make a fool of himself by saying who he is, but in spite -of his disguise he may be recognised. I do not doubt that he is -now in Sunch'ston; therefore, to-morrow morning scour the town to -find him. Tell him he is discovered, tell him you know from me -that he is your father, and that I wish to see him with all good- -will towards him. He will come. We will then talk to him, and -show him that he must go back at once. You can escort him to the -statues; after passing them he will be safe. He will give you no -trouble, but if he does, arrest him on a charge of poaching, and -take him to the gaol, where we must do the best we can with him-- -but he will give you none. We need say nothing to the Professors. -No one but ourselves will know of his having been here." - -On this she again embraced her son and left him. If two -photographs could have been taken of her, one as she opened the -door and looked fondly back on George, and the other as she closed -it behind her, the second portrait would have seemed taken ten -years later than the first. - -As for George, he went gravely but not unhappily to his own room. -"So that ready, plausible fellow," he muttered to himself, "was my -own father. At any rate, I am not son to a fool--and he liked me." - - - -CHAPTER X: MY FATHER, FEARING RECOGNITION AT SUNCH'-STON, BETAKES -HIMSELF TO THE NEIGHBOURING TOWN OF FAIRMEAD - - - -I will now return to my father. Whether from fatigue or over- -excitement, he slept only by fits and starts, and when awake he -could not rid himself of the idea that, in spite of his disguise, -he might be recognised, either at his inn or in the town, by some -one of the many who had seen him when he was in prison. In this -case there was no knowing what might happen, but at best, discovery -would probably prevent his seeing the temple dedicated to himself, -and hearing Professor Hanky's sermon, which he was particularly -anxious to do. - -So strongly did he feel the real or fancied danger he should incur -by spending Saturday in Sunch'ston, that he rose as soon as he -heard any one stirring, and having paid his bill, walked quietly -out of the house, without saying where he was going. - -There was a town about ten miles off, not so important as -Sunch'ston, but having some 10,000 inhabitants; he resolved to find -accommodation there for the day and night, and to walk over to -Sunch'ston in time for the dedication ceremony, which he had found -on inquiry, would begin at eleven o'clock. - -The country between Sunch'ston and Fairmead, as the town just -referred to was named, was still mountainous, and being well wooded -as well as well watered, abounded in views of singular beauty; but -I have no time to dwell on the enthusiasm with which my father -described them to me. The road took him at right angles to the -main road down the valley from Sunch'ston to the capital, and this -was one reason why he had chosen Fairmead rather than Clearwater, -which was the next town lower down on the main road. He did not, -indeed, anticipate that any one would want to find him, but whoever -might so want would be more likely to go straight down the valley -than to turn aside towards Fairmead. - -On reaching this place, he found it pretty full of people, for -Saturday was market-day. There was a considerable open space in -the middle of the town, with an arcade running round three sides of -it, while the fourth was completely taken up by the venerable -Musical Bank of the city, a building which had weathered the storms -of more than five centuries. On the outside of the wall, abutting -on the market-place, were three wooden sedilia, in which the Mayor -and two coadjutors sate weekly on market-days to give advice, -redress grievances, and, if necessary (which it very seldom was) to -administer correction. - -My father was much interested in watching the proceedings in a case -which he found on inquiry to be not infrequent. A man was -complaining to the Mayor that his daughter, a lovely child of eight -years old, had none of the faults common to children of her age, -and, in fact, seemed absolutely deficient in immoral sense. She -never told lies, had never stolen so much as a lollipop, never -showed any recalcitrancy about saying her prayers, and by her -incessant obedience had filled her poor father and mother with the -gravest anxiety as regards her future well-being. He feared it -would be necessary to send her to a deformatory. - -"I have generally found," said the Mayor, gravely but kindly, "that -the fault in these distressing cases lies rather with the parent -than the children. Does the child never break anything by -accident?" - -"Yes," said the father. - -"And you have duly punished her for it?" - -"Alas! sir, I fear I only told her she was a naughty girl, and must -not do it again." - -"Then how can you expect your child to learn those petty arts of -deception without which she must fall an easy prey to any one who -wishes to deceive her? How can she detect lying in other people -unless she has had some experience of it in her own practice? How, -again, can she learn when it will be well for her to lie, and when -to refrain from doing so, unless she has made many a mistake on a -small scale while at an age when mistakes do not greatly matter? -The Sunchild (and here he reverently raised his hat), as you may -read in chapter thirty-one of his Sayings, has left us a touching -tale of a little boy, who, having cut down an apple tree in his -father's garden, lamented his inability to tell a lie. Some -commentators, indeed, have held that the evidence was so strongly -against the boy that no lie would have been of any use to him, and -that his perception of this fact was all that he intended to -convey; but the best authorities take his simple words, 'I cannot -tell a lie,' in their most natural sense, as being his expression -of regret at the way in which his education had been neglected. If -that case had come before me, I should have punished the boy's -father, unless he could show that the best authorities are mistaken -(as indeed they too generally are), and that under more favourable -circumstances the boy would have been able to lie, and would have -lied accordingly. - -"There is no occasion for you to send your child to a deformatory. -I am always averse to extreme measures when I can avoid them. -Moreover, in a deformatory she would be almost certain to fall in -with characters as intractable as her own. Take her home and whip -her next time she so much as pulls about the salt. If you will do -this whenever you get a chance, I have every hope that you will -have no occasion to come to me again." - -"Very well, sir," said the father, "I will do my best, but the -child is so instinctively truthful that I am afraid whipping will -be of little use." - -There were other cases, none of them serious, which in the old days -would have been treated by a straightener. My father had already -surmised that the straightener had become extinct as a class, -having been superseded by the Managers and Cashiers of the Musical -Banks, but this became more apparent as he listened to the cases -that next came on. These were dealt with quite reasonably, except -that the magistrate always ordered an emetic and a strong purge in -addition to the rest of his sentence, as holding that all diseases -of the moral sense spring from impurities within the body, which -must be cleansed before there could be any hope of spiritual -improvement. If any devils were found in what passed from the -prisoner's body, he was to be brought up again; for in this case -the rest of the sentence might very possibly be remitted. - -When the Mayor and his coadjutors had done sitting, my father -strolled round the Musical Bank and entered it by the main -entrance, which was on the top of a flight of steps that went down -on to the principal street of the town. How strange it is that, no -matter how gross a superstition may have polluted it, a holy place, -if hallowed by long veneration, remains always holy. Look at -Delphi. What a fraud it was, and yet how hallowed it must ever -remain. But letting this pass, Musical Banks, especially when of -great age, always fascinated my father, and being now tired with -his walk, he sat down on one of the many rush-bottomed seats, and -(for there was no service at this hour) gave free rein to -meditation. - -How peaceful it all was with its droning old-world smell of -ancestor, dry rot, and stale incense. As the clouds came and went, -the grey-green, cobweb-chastened, light ebbed and flowed over the -walls and ceiling; to watch the fitfulness of its streams was a -sufficient occupation. A hen laid an egg outside and began to -cackle--it was an event of magnitude; a peasant sharpening his -scythe, a blacksmith hammering at his anvil, the clack of a wooden -shoe upon the pavement, the boom of a bumble-bee, the dripping of -the fountain, all these things, with such concert as they kept, -invited the dewy-feathered sleep that visited him, and held him for -the best part of an hour. - -My father has said that the Erewhonians never put up monuments or -write epitaphs for their dead, and this he believed to be still -true; but it was not so always, and on waking his eye was caught by -a monument of great beauty, which bore a date of about 1550 of our -era. It was to an old lady, who must have been very loveable if -the sweet smiling face of her recumbent figure was as faithful to -the original as its strongly marked individuality suggested. I -need not give the earlier part of her epitaph, which was -conventional enough, but my father was so struck with the -concluding lines, that he copied them into the note-book which he -always carried in his pocket. They ran:- - - -I fall asleep in the full and certain hope -That my slumber shall not be broken; -And that though I be all-forgetting, -Yet shall I not be all-forgotten, -But continue that life in the thoughts and deeds -Of those I loved, -Into which, while the power to strive was yet vouchsafed me, -I fondly strove to enter. - - -My father deplored his inability to do justice to the subtle -tenderness of the original, but the above was the nearest he could -get to it. - -How different this from the opinions concerning a future state -which he had tried to set before the Erewhonians some twenty years -earlier. It all came back to him, as the storks had done, now that -he was again in an Erewhonian environment, and he particularly -remembered how one youth had inveighed against our European notions -of heaven and hell with a contemptuous flippancy that nothing but -youth and ignorance could even palliate. - -"Sir," he had said to my father, "your heaven will not attract me -unless I can take my clothes and my luggage. Yes; and I must lose -my luggage and find it again. On arriving, I must be told that it -has unfortunately been taken to a wrong circle, and that there may -be some difficulty in recovering it--or it shall have been sent up -to mansion number five hundred thousand millions nine hundred -thousand forty six thousand eight hundred and eleven, whereas it -should have gone to four hundred thousand millions, &c., &c.; and -am I sure that I addressed it rightly? Then, when I am just -getting cross enough to run some risk of being turned out, the -luggage shall make its appearance, hat-box, umbrella, rug, golf- -sticks, bicycle, and everything else all quite correct, and in my -delight I shall tip the angel double and realise that I am enjoying -myself. - -"Or I must have asked what I could have for breakfast, and be told -I could have boiled eggs, or eggs and bacon, or filleted plaice. -'Filleted plaice,' I shall exclaim, 'no! not that. Have you any -red mullets?' And the angel will say, 'Why no, sir, the gulf has -been so rough that there has hardly any fish come in this three -days, and there has been such a run on it that we have nothing left -but plaice.' - -"'Well, well,' I shall say, 'have you any kidneys?' - -"'You can have one kidney, sir', will be the answer. - -"'One kidney, indeed, and you call this heaven! At any rate you -will have sausages?' - -"'Then the angel will say, 'We shall have some after Sunday, sir, -but we are quite out of them at present.' - -"And I shall say, somewhat sulkily, 'Then I suppose I must have -eggs and bacon.' - -"But in the morning there will come up a red mullet, beautifully -cooked, a couple of kidneys and three sausages browned to a turn, -and seasoned with just so much sage and thyme as will savour -without overwhelming them; and I shall eat everything. It shall -then transpire that the angel knew about the luggage, and what I -was to have for breakfast, all the time, but wanted to give me the -pleasure of finding things turn out better than I had expected. -Heaven would be a dull place without such occasional petty false -alarms as these." - -I have no business to leave my father's story, but the mouth of the -ox that treadeth out the corn should not be so closely muzzled that -he cannot sometimes filch a mouthful for himself; and when I had -copied out the foregoing somewhat irreverent paragraphs, which I -took down (with no important addition or alteration) from my -father's lips, I could not refrain from making a few reflections of -my own, which I will ask the reader's forbearance if I lay before -him. - -Let heaven and hell alone, but think of Hades, with Tantalus, -Sisyphus, Tityus, and all the rest of them. How futile were the -attempts of the old Greeks and Romans to lay before us any -plausible conception of eternal torture. What were the Danaids -doing but that which each one of us has to do during his or her -whole life? What are our bodies if not sieves that we are for ever -trying to fill, but which we must refill continually without hope -of being able to keep them full for long together? Do we mind -this? Not so long as we can get the wherewithal to fill them; and -the Danaids never seem to have run short of water. They would -probably ere long take to clearing out any obstruction in their -sieves if they found them getting choked. What could it matter to -them whether the sieves got full or no? They were not paid for -filling them. - -Sisyphus, again! Can any one believe that he would go on rolling -that stone year after year and seeing it roll down again unless he -liked seeing it? We are not told that there was a dragon which -attacked him whenever he tried to shirk. If he had greatly cared -about getting his load over the last pinch, experience would have -shown him some way of doing so. The probability is that he got to -enjoy the downward rush of his stone, and very likely amused -himself by so timing it as to cause the greatest scare to the -greatest number of the shades that were below. - -What though Tantalus found the water shun him and the fruits fly -from him when he tried to seize them? The writer of the "Odyssey" -gives us no hint that he was dying of thirst or hunger. The pores -of his skin would absorb enough water to prevent the first, and we -may be sure that he got fruit enough, one way or another, to keep -him going. - -Tityus, as an effort after the conception of an eternity of -torture, is not successful. What could an eagle matter on the -liver of a man whose body covered nine acres? Before long he would -find it an agreeable stimulant. If, then, the greatest minds of -antiquity could invent nothing that should carry better conviction -of eternal torture, is it likely that the conviction can be carried -at all? - -Methought I saw Jove sitting on the topmost ridges of Olympus and -confessing failure to Minerva. "I see, my dear," he said, "that -there is no use in trying to make people very happy or very -miserable for long together. Pain, if it does not soon kill, -consists not so much in present suffering as in the still recent -memory of a time when there was less, and in the fear that there -will soon be more; and so happiness lies less in immediate pleasure -than in lively recollection of a worse time and lively hope of -better." - -As for the young gentleman above referred to, my father met him -with the assurance that there had been several cases in which -living people had been caught up into heaven or carried down into -hell, and been allowed to return to earth and report what they had -seen; while to others visions had been vouchsafed so clearly that -thousands of authentic pictures had been painted of both states. -All incentive to good conduct, he had then alleged, was found to be -at once removed from those who doubted the fidelity of these -pictures. - -This at least was what he had then said, but I hardly think he -would have said it at the time of which I am now writing. As he -continued to sit in the Musical Bank, he took from his valise the -pamphlet on "The Physics of Vicarious Existence," by Dr. Gurgoyle, -which he had bought on the preceding evening, doubtless being led -to choose this particular work by the tenor of the old lady's -epitaph. - -The second title he found to run, "Being Strictures on Certain -Heresies concerning a Future State that have been Engrafted on the -Sunchild's Teaching." - -My father shuddered as he read this title. "How long," he said to -himself, "will it be before they are at one another's throats?" - -On reading the pamphlet, he found it added little to what the -epitaph had already conveyed; but it interested him, as showing -that, however cataclysmic a change of national opinions may appear -to be, people will find means of bringing the new into more or less -conformity with the old. - -Here it is a mere truism to say that many continue to live a -vicarious life long after they have ceased to be aware of living. -This view is as old as the non omnis moriar of Horace, and we may -be sure some thousands of years older. It is only, therefore, with -much diffidence that I have decided to give a resume of opinions -many of which those whom I alone wish to please will have laid to -heart from their youth upwards. In brief, Dr. Gurgoyle's -contention comes to little more than saying that the quick are more -dead, and the dead more quick, than we commonly think. To be -alive, according to him, is only to be unable to understand how -dead one is, and to be dead is only to be invincibly ignorant -concerning our own livingness--for the dead would be as living as -the living if we could only get them to believe it. - - - -CHAPTER XI: PRESIDENT GURGOYLE'S PAMPHLET "ON THE PHYSICS OF -VICARIOUS EXISTENCE" - - - -Belief, like any other moving body, follows the path of least -resistance, and this path had led Dr. Gurgoyle to the conviction, -real or feigned, that my father was son to the sun, probably by the -moon, and that his ascent into the sky with an earthly bride was -due to the sun's interference with the laws of nature. -Nevertheless he was looked upon as more or less of a survival, and -was deemed lukewarm, if not heretical, by those who seemed to be -the pillars of the new system. - -My father soon found that not even Panky could manipulate his -teaching more freely than the Doctor had done. My father had -taught that when a man was dead there was an end of him, until he -should rise again in the flesh at the last day, to enter into -eternity either of happiness or misery. He had, indeed, often -talked of the immortality which some achieve even in this world; -but he had cheapened this, declaring it to be an unsubstantial -mockery, that could give no such comfort in the hour of death as -was unquestionably given by belief in heaven and hell. - -Dr. Gurgoyle, however, had an equal horror, on the one hand, of -anything involving resumption of life by the body when it was once -dead, and on the other, of the view that life ended with the change -which we call death. He did not, indeed, pretend that he could do -much to take away the sting from death, nor would he do this if he -could, for if men did not fear death unduly, they would often court -it unduly. Death can only be belauded at the cost of belittling -life; but he held that a reasonable assurance of fair fame after -death is a truer consolation to the dying, a truer comfort to -surviving friends, and a more real incentive to good conduct in -this life, than any of the consolations or incentives falsely -fathered upon the Sunchild. - -He began by setting aside every saying ascribed, however truly, to -my father, if it made against his views, and by putting his own -glosses on all that he could gloze into an appearance of being in -his favour. I will pass over his attempt to combat the rapidly -spreading belief in a heaven and hell such as we accept, and will -only summarise his contention that, of our two lives--namely, the -one we live in our own persons, and that other life which we live -in other people both before our reputed death and after it--the -second is as essential a factor of our complete life as the first -is, and sometimes more so. - -Life, he urged, lies not in bodily organs, but in the power to use -them, and in the use that is made of them--that is to say, in the -work they do. As the essence of a factory is not in the building -wherein the work is done, nor yet in the implements used in turning -it out, but in the will-power of the master and in the goods he -makes; so the true life of a man is in his will and work, not in -his body. "Those," he argued, "who make the life of a man reside -within his body, are like one who should mistake the carpenter's -tool-box for the carpenter." - -He maintained that this had been my father's teaching, for which my -father heartily trusts that he may be forgiven. - -He went on to say that our will-power is not wholly limited to the -working of its own special system of organs, but under certain -conditions can work and be worked upon by other will-powers like -itself: so that if, for example, A's will-power has got such hold -on B's as to be able, through B, to work B's mechanism, what seems -to have been B's action will in reality have been more A's than -B's, and this in the same real sense as though the physical action -had been effected through A's own mechanical system--A, in fact, -will have been living in B. The universally admitted maxim that he -who does this or that by the hand of an agent does it himself, -shews that the foregoing view is only a roundabout way of stating -what common sense treats as a matter of course. - -Hence, though A's individual will-power must be held to cease when -the tools it works with are destroyed or out of gear, yet, so long -as any survivors were so possessed by it while it was still -efficient, or, again, become so impressed by its operation on them -through work that he has left, as to act in obedience to his will- -power rather than their own, A has a certain amount of bona fide -life still remaining. His vicarious life is not affected by the -dissolution of his body; and in many cases the sum total of a man's -vicarious action and of its outcome exceeds to an almost infinite -extent the sum total of those actions and works that were effected -through the mechanism of his own physical organs. In these cases -his vicarious life is more truly his life than any that he lived in -his own person. - -"True," continued the Doctor, "while living in his own person, a -man knows, or thinks he knows, what he is doing, whereas we have no -reason to suppose such knowledge on the part of one whose body is -already dust; but the consciousness of the doer has less to do with -the livingness of the deed than people generally admit. We know -nothing of the power that sets our heart beating, nor yet of the -beating itself so long as it is normal. We know nothing of our -breathing or of our digestion, of the all-important work we -achieved as embryos, nor of our growth from infancy to manhood. No -one will say that these were not actions of a living agent, but the -more normal, the healthier, and thus the more truly living, the -agent is, the less he will know or have known of his own action. -The part of our bodily life that enters into our consciousness is -very small as compared with that of which we have no consciousness. -What completer proof can we have that livingness consists in deed -rather than in consciousness of deed? - -"The foregoing remarks are not intended to apply so much to -vicarious action in virtue, we will say, of a settlement, or -testamentary disposition that cannot be set aside. Such action is -apt to be too unintelligent, too far from variation and quick -change to rank as true vicarious action; indeed it is not rarely -found to effect the very opposite of what the person who made the -settlement or will desired. They are meant to apply to that more -intelligent and versatile action engendered by affectionate -remembrance. Nevertheless, even the compulsory vicarious action -taken in consequence of a will, and indeed the very name "will" -itself, shews that though we cannot take either flesh or money with -us, we can leave our will-power behind us in very efficient -operation. - -"This vicarious life (on which I have insisted, I fear at -unnecessary length, for it is so obvious that none can have failed -to realise it) is lived by every one of us before death as well as -after it, and is little less important to us than that of which we -are to some extent conscious in our own persons. A man, we will -say, has written a book which delights or displeases thousands of -whom he knows nothing, and who know nothing of him. The book, we -will suppose, has considerable, or at any rate some influence on -the action of these people. Let us suppose the writer fast asleep -while others are enjoying his work, and acting in consequence of -it, perhaps at long distances from him. Which is his truest life-- -the one he is leading in them, or that equally unconscious life -residing in his own sleeping body? Can there be a doubt that the -vicarious life is the more efficient? - -"Or when we are waking, how powerfully does not the life we are -living in others pain or delight us, according as others think ill -or well of us? How truly do we not recognise it as part of our own -existence, and how great an influence does not the fear of a -present hell in men's bad thoughts, and the hope of a present -heaven in their good ones, influence our own conduct? Have we not -here a true heaven and a true hell, as compared with the efficiency -of which these gross material ones so falsely engrafted on to the -Sunchild's teaching are but as the flint implements of a -prehistoric race? 'If a man,' said the Sunchild, 'fear not man, -whom he hath seen, neither will he fear God, whom he hath not -seen.'" - -My father again assures me that he never said this. Returning to -Dr. Gurgoyle, he continued:- "It may be urged that on a man's death -one of the great factors of his life is so annihilated that no kind -of true life can be any further conceded to him. For to live is to -be influenced, as well as to influence; and when a man is dead how -can he be influenced? He can haunt, but he cannot any more be -haunted. He can come to us, but we cannot go to him. On ceasing, -therefore, to be impressionable, so great a part of that wherein -his life consisted is removed, that no true life can be conceded to -him. - -"I do not pretend that a man is as fully alive after his so-called -death as before it. He is not. All I contend for is, that a -considerable amount of efficient life still remains to some of us, -and that a little life remains to all of us, after what we commonly -regard as the complete cessation of life. In answer, then, to -those who have just urged that the destruction of one of the two -great factors of life destroys life altogether, I reply that the -same must hold good as regards death. - -"If to live is to be influenced and to influence, and if a man -cannot be held as living when he can no longer be influenced, -surely to die is to be no longer able either to influence or be -influenced, and a man cannot be held dead until both these two -factors of death are present. If failure of the power to be -influenced vitiates life, presence of the power to influence -vitiates death. And no one will deny that a man can influence for -many a long year after he is vulgarly reputed as dead. - -"It seems, then, that there is no such thing as either absolute -life without any alloy of death, nor absolute death without any -alloy of life, until, that is to say, all posthumous power to -influence has faded away. And this, perhaps, is what the Sunchild -meant by saying that in the midst of life we are in death, and so -also that in the midst of death we are in life. - -"And there is this, too. No man can influence fully until he can -no more be influenced--that is to say, till after his so-called -death. Till then, his 'he' is still unsettled. We know not what -other influences may not be brought to bear upon him that may -change the character of the influence he will exert on ourselves. -Therefore, he is not fully living till he is no longer living. He -is an incomplete work, which cannot have full effect till finished. -And as for his vicarious life--which we have seen to be very real-- -this can be, and is, influenced by just appreciation, undue praise -or calumny, and is subject, it may be, to secular vicissitudes of -good and evil fortune. - -"If this is not true, let us have no more talk about the -immortality of great men and women. The Sunchild was never weary -of talking to us (as we then sometimes thought, a little tediously) -about a great poet of that nation to which it pleased him to feign -that he belonged. How plainly can we not now see that his words -were spoken for our learning--for the enforcement of that true view -of heaven and hell on which I am feebly trying to insist? The -poet's name, he said, was Shakespeare. Whilst he was alive, very -few people understood his greatness; whereas now, after some three -hundred years, he is deemed the greatest poet that the world has -ever known. 'Can this man,' he asked, 'be said to have been truly -born till many a long year after he had been reputed as truly dead? -While he was in the flesh, was he more than a mere embryo growing -towards birth into that life of the world to come in which he now -shines so gloriously? What a small thing was that flesh and blood -life, of which he was alone conscious, as compared with that -fleshless life which he lives but knows not in the lives of -millions, and which, had it ever been fully revealed even to his -imagination, we may be sure that he could not have reached?' - -"These were the Sunchild's words, as repeated to me by one of his -chosen friends while he was yet amongst us. Which, then, of this -man's two lives should we deem best worth having, if we could -choose one or other, but not both? The felt or the unfelt? Who -would not go cheerfully to block or stake if he knew that by doing -so he could win such life as this poet lives, though he also knew -that on having won it he could know no more about it? Does not -this prove that in our heart of hearts we deem an unfelt life, in -the heaven of men's loving thoughts, to be better worth having than -any we can reasonably hope for and still feel? - -"And the converse of this is true; many a man has unhesitatingly -laid down his felt life to escape unfelt infamy in the hell of -men's hatred and contempt. As body is the sacrament, or outward -and visible sign, of mind; so is posterity the sacrament of those -who live after death. Each is the mechanism through which the -other becomes effective. - -"I grant that many live but a short time when the breath is out of -them. Few seeds germinate as compared with those that rot or are -eaten, and most of this world's denizens are little more than -still-born as regards the larger life, while none are immortal to -the end of time. But the end of time is not worth considering; not -a few live as many centuries as either they or we need think about, -and surely the world, so far as we can guess its object, was made -rather to be enjoyed than to last. 'Come and go' pervades all -things of which we have knowledge, and if there was any provision -made, it seems to have been for a short life and a merry one, with -enough chance of extension beyond the grave to be worth trying for, -rather than for the perpetuity even of the best and noblest. - -"Granted, again, that few live after death as long or as fully as -they had hoped to do, while many, when quick, can have had none but -the faintest idea of the immortality that awaited them; it is -nevertheless true that none are so still-born on death as not to -enter into a life of some sort, however short and humble. A short -life or a long one can no more be bargained for in the unseen world -than in the seen; as, however, care on the part of parents can do -much for the longer life and greater well-being of their offspring -in this world, so the conduct of that offspring in this world does -much both to secure for itself longer tenure of life in the next, -and to determine whether that life shall be one of reward or -punishment. - -"'Reward or punishment,' some reader will perhaps exclaim; 'what -mockery, when the essence of reward and punishment lies in their -being felt by those who have earned them.' I can do nothing with -those who either cry for the moon, or deny that it has two sides, -on the ground that we can see but one. Here comes in faith, of -which the Sunchild said, that though we can do little with it, we -can do nothing without it. Faith does not consist, as some have -falsely urged, in believing things on insufficient evidence; this -is not faith, but faithlessness to all that we should hold most -faithfully. Faith consists in holding that the instincts of the -best men and women are in themselves an evidence which may not be -set aside lightly; and the best men and women have ever held that -death is better than dishonour, and desirable if honour is to be -won thereby. - -"It follows, then, that though our conscious flesh and blood life -is the only one that we can fully apprehend, yet we do also indeed -move, even here, in an unseen world, wherein, when our palpable -life is ended, we shall continue to live for a shorter or longer -time--reaping roughly, though not infallibly, much as we have sown. -Of this unseen world the best men and women will be almost as -heedless while in the flesh as they will be when their life in -flesh is over; for, as the Sunchild often said, 'The Kingdom of -Heaven cometh not by observation.' It will be all in all to them, -and at the same time nothing, for the better people they are, the -less they will think of anything but this present life. - -"What an ineffable contradiction in terms have we not here. What a -reversal, is it not, of all this world's canons, that we should -hold even the best of all that we can know or feel in this life to -be a poor thing as compared with hopes the fulfilment of which we -can never either feel or know. Yet we all hold this, however -little we may admit it to ourselves. For the world at heart -despises its own canons." - -I cannot quote further from Dr. Gurgoyle's pamphlet; suffice it -that he presently dealt with those who say that it is not right of -any man to aim at thrusting himself in among the living when he has -had his day. "Let him die," say they, "and let die as his fathers -before him." He argued that as we had a right to pester people -till we got ourselves born, so also we have a right to pester them -for extension of life beyond the grave. Life, whether before the -grave or afterwards, is like love--all reason is against it, and -all healthy instinct for it. Instinct on such matters is the older -and safer guide; no one, therefore, should seek to efface himself -as regards the next world more than as regards this. If he is to -be effaced, let others efface him; do not let him commit suicide. -Freely we have received; freely, therefore, let us take as much -more as we can get, and let it be a stand-up fight between -ourselves and posterity to see whether it can get rid of us or no. -If it can, let it; if it cannot, it must put up with us. It can -better care for itself than we can for ourselves when the breath is -out of us. - -Not the least important duty, he continued, of posterity towards -itself lies in passing righteous judgement on the forbears who -stand up before it. They should be allowed the benefit of a doubt, -and peccadilloes should be ignored; but when no doubt exists that a -man was engrainedly mean and cowardly, his reputation must remain -in the Purgatory of Time for a term varying from, say, a hundred to -two thousand years. After a hundred years it may generally come -down, though it will still be under a cloud. After two thousand -years it may be mentioned in any society without holding up of -hands in horror. Our sense of moral guilt varies inversely as the -squares of its distance in time and space from ourselves. - -Not so with heroism; this loses no lustre through time and -distance. Good is gold; it is rare, but it will not tarnish. Evil -is like dirty water--plentiful and foul, but it will run itself -clear of taint. - -The Doctor having thus expatiated on his own opinions concerning -heaven and hell, concluded by tilting at those which all right- -minded people hold among ourselves. I shall adhere to my -determination not to reproduce his arguments; suffice it that -though less flippant than those of the young student whom I have -already referred to, they were more plausible; and though I could -easily demolish them, the reader will probably prefer that I should -not set them up for the mere pleasure of knocking them down. Here, -then, I take my leave of good Dr. Gurgoyle and his pamphlet; -neither can I interrupt my story further by saying anything about -the other two pamphlets purchased by my father. - - - -CHAPTER XII: GEORGE FAILS TO FIND MY FATHER, WHEREON YRAM CAUTIONS -THE PROFESSORS - - - -On the morning after the interview with her son described in a -foregoing chapter, Yram told her husband what she had gathered from -the Professors, and said that she was expecting Higgs every moment, -inasmuch as she was confident that George would soon find him. - -"Do what you like, my dear," said the Mayor. "I shall keep out of -the way, for you will manage him better without me. You know what -I think of you." - -He then went unconcernedly to his breakfast, at which the -Professors found him somewhat taciturn. Indeed they set him down -as one of the dullest and most uninteresting people they had ever -met. - -When George returned and told his mother that though he had at last -found the inn at which my father had slept, my father had left and -could not be traced, she was disconcerted, but after a few minutes -she said - - -"He will come back here for the dedication, but there will be such -crowds that we may not see him till he is inside the temple, and it -will save trouble if we can lay hold on him sooner. Therefore, -ride either to Clearwater or Fairmead, and see if you can find him. -Try Fairmead first; it is more out of the way. If you cannot hear -of him there, come back, get another horse, and try Clearwater. If -you fail here too, we must give him up, and look out for him in the -temple to-morrow morning." - -"Are you going to say anything to the Professors?" - -"Not if you can bring Higgs here before night-fall. If you cannot -do this I must talk it over with my husband; I shall have some -hours in which to make up my mind. Now go--the sooner the better." - -It was nearly eleven, and in a few minutes George was on his way. -By noon he was at Fairmead, where he tried all the inns in vain for -news of a person answering the description of my father--for not -knowing what name my father might choose to give, he could trust -only to description. He concluded that since my father could not -be heard of in Fairmead by one o'clock (as it nearly was by the -time he had been round all the inns) he must have gone somewhere -else; he therefore rode back to Sunch'ston, made a hasty lunch, got -a fresh horse, and rode to Clearwater, where he met with no better -success. At all the inns both at Fairmead and Clearwater he left -word that if the person he had described came later in the day, he -was to be told that the Mayoress particularly begged him to return -at once to Sunch'ston, and come to the Mayor's house. - -Now all the time that George was at Fairmead my father was inside -the Musical Bank, which he had entered before going to any inn. -Here he had been sitting for nearly a couple of hours, resting, -dreaming, and reading Bishop Gurgoyle's pamphlet. If he had left -the Bank five minutes earlier, he would probably have been seen by -George in the main street of Fairmead--as he found out on reaching -the inn which he selected and ordering dinner. - -He had hardly got inside the house before the waiter told him that -young Mr. Strong, the Ranger from Sunch'ston, had been enquiring -for him and had left a message for him, which was duly delivered. - -My father, though in reality somewhat disquieted, showed no -uneasiness, and said how sorry he was to have missed seeing Mr. -Strong. "But," he added, "it does not much matter; I need not go -back this afternoon, for I shall be at Sunch'ston to-morrow morning -and will go straight to the Mayor's." - -He had no suspicion that he was discovered, but he was a good deal -puzzled. Presently he inclined to the opinion that George, still -believing him to be Professor Panky, had wanted to invite him to -the banquet on the following day--for he had no idea that Hanky and -Panky were staying with the Mayor and Mayoress. Or perhaps the -Mayor and his wife did not like so distinguished a man's having -been unable to find a lodging in Sunch'ston, and wanted him to stay -with them. Ill satisfied as he was with any theory he could form, -he nevertheless reflected that he could not do better than stay -where he was for the night, inasmuch as no one would be likely to -look for him a second time at Fairmead. He therefore ordered his -room at once. - -It was nearly seven before George got back to Sunch'ston. In the -meantime Yram and the Mayor had considered the question whether -anything was to be said to the Professors or no. They were -confident that my father would not commit himself--why, indeed, -should he have dyed his hair and otherwise disguised himself, if he -had not intended to remain undiscovered? Oh no; the probability -was that if nothing was said to the Professors now, nothing need -ever be said, for my father might be escorted back to the statues -by George on the Sunday evening and be told that he was not to -return. Moreover, even though something untoward were to happen -after all, the Professors would have no reason for thinking that -their hostess had known of the Sunchild's being in Sunch'ston. - -On the other hand, they were her guests, and it would not be -handsome to keep Hanky, at any rate, in the dark, when the -knowledge that the Sunchild was listening to every word he said -might make him modify his sermon not a little. It might or it -might not, but that was a matter for him, not her. The only -question for her was whether or no it would be sharp practice to -know what she knew and say nothing about it. Her husband hated -finesse as much as she did, and they settled it that though the -question was a nice one, the more proper thing to do would be to -tell the Professors what it might so possibly concern one or both -of them to know. - -On George's return without news of my father, they found he thought -just as they did; so it was arranged that they should let the -Professors dine in peace, but tell them about the Sunchild's being -again in Erewhon as soon as dinner was over. - -"Happily," said George, "they will do no harm. They will wish -Higgs's presence to remain unknown as much as we do, and they will -be glad that he should be got out of the country immediately." - -"Not so, my dear," said Yram. "'Out of the country' will not do -for those people. Nothing short of 'out of the world' will satisfy -them." - -"That," said George promptly, "must not be." - -"Certainly not, my dear, but that is what they will want. I do not -like having to tell them, but I am afraid we must." - -"Never mind," said the Mayor, laughing. "Tell them, and let us see -what happens." - -They then dressed for dinner, where Hanky and Panky were the only -guests. When dinner was over Yram sent away her other children, -George alone remaining. He sat opposite the Professors, while the -Mayor and Yram were at the two ends of the table. - -"I am afraid, dear Professor Hanky," said Yram, "that I was not -quite open with you last night, but I wanted time to think things -over, and I know you will forgive me when you remember what a -number of guests I had to attend to." She then referred to what -Hanky had told her about the supposed ranger, and shewed him how -obvious it was that this man was a foreigner, who had been for some -time in Erewhon more than seventeen years ago, but had had no -communication with it since then. Having pointed sufficiently, as -she thought, to the Sunchild, she said, "You see who I believe this -man to have been. Have I said enough, or shall I say more?" - -"I understand you," said Hanky, "and I agree with you that the -Sunchild will be in the temple to-morrow. It is a serious -business, but I shall not alter my sermon. He must listen to what -I may choose to say, and I wish I could tell him what a fool he was -for coming here. If he behaves himself, well and good: your son -will arrest him quietly after service, and by night he will be in -the Blue Pool. Your son is bound to throw him there as a foreign -devil, without the formality of a trial. It would be a most -painful duty to me, but unless I am satisfied that that man has -been thrown into the Blue Pool, I shall have no option but to -report the matter at headquarters. If, on the other hand, the poor -wretch makes a disturbance, I can set the crowd on to tear him in -pieces." - -George was furious, but he remained quite calm, and left everything -to his mother. - -"I have nothing to do with the Blue Pool," said Yram drily. "My -son, I doubt not, will know how to do his duty; but if you let the -people kill this man, his body will remain, and an inquest must be -held, for the matter will have been too notorious to be hushed up. -All Higgs's measurements and all marks on his body were recorded, -and these alone would identify him. My father, too, who is still -master of the gaol, and many another, could swear to him. Should -the body prove, as no doubt it would, to be that of the Sunchild, -what is to become of Sunchildism?" - -Hanky smiled. "It would not be proved. The measurements of a man -of twenty or thereabouts would not correspond with this man's. All -we Professors should attend the inquest, and half Bridgeford is now -in Sunch'ston. No matter though nine-tenths of the marks and -measurements corresponded, so long as there is a tenth that does -not do so, we should not be flesh and blood if we did not ignore -the nine points and insist only on the tenth. After twenty years -we shall find enough to serve our turn. Think of what all the -learning of the country is committed to; think of the change in all -our ideas and institutions; think of the King and of Court -influence. I need not enlarge. We shall not permit the body to be -the Sunchild's. No matter what evidence you may produce, we shall -sneer it down, and say we must have more before you can expect us -to take you seriously; if you bring more, we shall pay no -attention; and the more you bring the more we shall laugh at you. -No doubt those among us who are by way of being candid will admit -that your arguments ought to be considered, but you must not expect -that it will be any part of their duty to consider them. - -"And even though we admitted that the body had been proved up to -the hilt to be the Sunchild's, do you think that such a trifle as -that could affect Sunchildism? Hardly. Sunch'ston is no match for -Bridgeford and the King; our only difficulty would lie in settling -which was the most plausible way of the many plausible ways in -which the death could be explained. We should hatch up twenty -theories in less than twenty hours, and the last state of -Sunchildism would be stronger than the first. For the people want -it, and so long as they want it they will have it. At the same -time the supposed identification of the body, even by some few -ignorant people here, might lead to a local heresy that is as well -avoided, and it will be better that your son should arrest the man -before the dedication, if he can be found, and throw him into the -Blue Pool without any one but ourselves knowing that he has been -here at all." - -I need not dwell on the deep disgust with which this speech was -listened to, but the Mayor, and Yram, and George said not a word. - -"But, Mayoress," said Panky, who had not opened his lips so far, -"are you sure that you are not too hasty in believing this stranger -to be the Sunchild? People are continually thinking that such and -such another is the Sunchild come down again from the sun's palace -and going to and fro among us. How many such stories, sometimes -very plausibly told, have we not had during the last twenty years? -They never take root, and die out of themselves as suddenly as they -spring up. That the man is a poacher can hardly be doubted; I -thought so the moment I saw him; but I think I can also prove to -you that he is not a foreigner, and, therefore, that he is not the -Sunchild. He quoted the Sunchild's prayer with a corruption that -can have only reached him from an Erewhonian source--" - -Here Hanky interrupted him somewhat brusquely. "The man, Panky," -said he, "was the Sunchild; and he was not a poacher, for he had no -idea that he was breaking the law; nevertheless, as you say, -Sunchildism on the brain has been a common form of mania for -several years. Several persons have even believed themselves to be -the Sunchild. We must not forget this, if it should get about that -Higgs has been here." - -Then, turning to Yram, he said sternly, "But come what may, your -son must take him to the Blue Pool at nightfall." - -"Sir," said George, with perfect suavity, "you have spoken as -though you doubted my readiness to do my duty. Let me assure you -very solemnly that when the time comes for me to act, I shall act -as duty may direct." - -"I will answer for him," said Yram, with even more than her usual -quick, frank smile, "that he will fulfil his instructions to the -letter, unless," she added, "some black and white horses come down -from heaven and snatch poor Higgs out of his grasp. Such things -have happened before now." - -"I should advise your son to shoot them if they do," said Hanky -drily and sub-defiantly. - -Here the conversation closed; but it was useless trying to talk of -anything else, so the Professors asked Yram to excuse them if they -retired early, in view of the fact that they had a fatiguing day -before them. This excuse their hostess readily accepted. - -"Do not let us talk any more now," said Yram as soon as they had -left the room. "It will be quite time enough when the dedication -is over. But I rather think the black and white horses will come." - -"I think so too, my dear," said the Mayor laughing. - -"They shall come," said George gravely; "but we have not yet got -enough to make sure of bringing them. Higgs will perhaps be able -to help me to-morrow." - -* * * - -"Now what," said Panky as they went upstairs, "does that woman -mean--for she means something? Black and white horses indeed!" - -"I do not know what she means to do," said the other, "but I know -that she thinks she can best us." - -"I wish we had not eaten those quails." - -"Nonsense, Panky; no one saw us but Higgs, and the evidence of a -foreign devil, in such straits as his, could not stand for a -moment. We did not eat them. No, no; she has something that she -thinks better than that. Besides, it is absolutely impossible that -she should have heard what happened. What I do not understand is, -why she should have told us about the Sunchild's being here at all. -Why not have left us to find it out or to know nothing about it? I -do not understand it." - -So true is it, as Euclid long since observed, that the less cannot -comprehend that which is the greater. True, however, as this is, -it is also sometimes true that the greater cannot comprehend the -less. Hanky went musing to his own room and threw himself into an -easy chair to think the position over. After a few minutes he went -to a table on which he saw pen, ink, and paper, and wrote a short -letter; then he rang the bell. - -When the servant came he said, "I want to send this note to the -manager of the new temple, and it is important that he should have -it to-night. Be pleased, therefore, to take it to him and deliver -it into his own hands; but I had rather you said nothing about it -to the Mayor or Mayoress, nor to any of your fellow-servants. Slip -out unperceived if you can. When you have delivered the note, ask -for an answer at once, and bring it to me." - -So saying, he slipped a sum equal to about five shillings into the -man's hand. - -The servant returned in about twenty minutes, for the temple was -quite near, and gave a note to Hanky, which ran, "Your wishes shall -be attended to without fail." - -"Good!" said Hanky to the man. "No one in the house knows of your -having run this errand for me?" - -"No one, sir." - -"Thank you! I wish you a very good night." - - - -CHAPTER XIII: A VISIT TO THE PROVINCIAL DEFORMATORY AT FAIRMEAD - - - -Having finished his early dinner, and not fearing that he should be -either recognised at Fairmead or again enquired after from -Sunch'ston, my father went out for a stroll round the town, to see -what else he could find that should be new and strange to him. He -had not gone far before he saw a large building with an inscription -saying that it was the Provincial Deformatory for Boys. Underneath -the larger inscription there was a smaller one--one of those -corrupt versions of my father's sayings, which, on dipping into the -Sayings of the Sunchild, he had found to be so vexatiously common. -The inscription ran:- - - -"When the righteous man turneth away from the righteousness that he -hath committed, and doeth that which is a little naughty and wrong, -he will generally be found to have gained in amiability what he has -lost in righteousness." Sunchild Sayings, chap. xxii. v. 15. - - -The case of the little girl that he had watched earlier in the day -had filled him with a great desire to see the working of one of -these curious institutions; he therefore resolved to call on the -headmaster (whose name he found to be Turvey), and enquire about -terms, alleging that he had a boy whose incorrigible rectitude was -giving him much anxiety. The information he had gained in the -forenoon would be enough to save him from appearing to know nothing -of the system. On having rung the bell, he announced himself to -the servant as a Mr. Senoj, and asked if he could see the -Principal. - -Almost immediately he was ushered into the presence of a beaming, -dapper-looking, little old gentleman, quick of speech and movement, -in spite of some little portliness. - -"Ts, ts, ts," he said, when my father had enquired about terms and -asked whether he might see the system at work. "How unfortunate -that you should have called on a Saturday afternoon. We always -have a half-holiday. But stay--yes--that will do very nicely; I -will send for them into school as a means of stimulating their -refractory system." - -He called his servant and told him to ring the boys into school. -Then, turning to my father he said, "Stand here, sir, by the -window; you will see them all come trooping in. H'm, h'm, I am -sorry to see them still come back as soon as they hear the bell. I -suppose I shall ding some recalcitrancy into them some day, but it -is uphill work. Do you see the head-boy--the third of those that -are coming up the path? I shall have to get rid of him. Do you -see him? he is going back to whip up the laggers--and now he has -boxed a boy's ears: that boy is one of the most hopeful under my -care. I feel sure he has been using improper language, and my -head-boy has checked him instead of encouraging him." And so on -till the boys were all in school. - -"You see, my dear sir," he said to my father, "we are in an -impossible position. We have to obey instructions from the Grand -Council of Education at Bridgeford, and they have established these -institutions in consequence of the Sunchild's having said that we -should aim at promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest -number. This, no doubt, is a sound principle, and the greatest -number are by nature somewhat dull, conceited, and unscrupulous. -They do not like those who are quick, unassuming, and sincere; how, -then, consistently with the first principles either of morality or -political economy as revealed to us by the Sunchild, can we -encourage such people if we can bring sincerity and modesty fairly -home to them? We cannot do so. And we must correct the young as -far as possible from forming habits which, unless indulged in with -the greatest moderation, are sure to ruin them. - -"I cannot pretend to consider myself very successful. I do my -best, but I can only aim at making my school a reflection of the -outside world. In the outside world we have to tolerate much that -is prejudicial to the greatest happiness of the greatest number, -partly because we cannot always discover in time who may be let -alone as being genuinely insincere, and who are in reality masking -sincerity under a garb of flippancy, and partly also because we -wish to err on the side of letting the guilty escape, rather than -of punishing the innocent. Thus many people who are perfectly well -known to belong to the straightforward classes are allowed to -remain at large, and may be even seen hobnobbing with the guardians -of public immorality. Indeed it is not in the public interest that -straightforwardness should be extirpated root and branch, for the -presence of a small modicum of sincerity acts as a wholesome -irritant to the academicism of the greatest number, stimulating it -to consciousness of its own happy state, and giving it something to -look down upon. Moreover, we hold it useful to have a certain -number of melancholy examples, whose notorious failure shall serve -as a warning to those who neglect cultivating that power of immoral -self-control which shall prevent them from saying, or even -thinking, anything that shall not immediately and palpably minister -to the happiness, and hence meet the approval, of the greatest -number." - -By this time the boys were all in school. "There is not one prig -in the whole lot," said the headmaster sadly. "I wish there was, -but only those boys come here who are notoriously too good to -become current coin in the world unless they are hardened with an -alloy of vice. I should have liked to show you our gambling, book- -making, and speculation class, but the assistant-master who attends -to this branch of our curriculum is gone to Sunch'ston this -afternoon. He has friends who have asked him to see the dedication -of the new temple, and he will not be back till Monday. I really -do not know what I can do better for you than examine the boys in -Counsels of Imperfection. - -So saying, he went into the schoolroom, over the fireplace of which -my father's eye caught an inscription, "Resist good, and it will -fly from you. Sunchild's Sayings, xvii. 2." Then, taking down a -copy of the work just named from a shelf above his desk, he ran his -eye over a few of its pages. - -He called up a class of about twenty boys. - -"Now, my boys," he said, "Why is it so necessary to avoid extremes -of truthfulness?" - -"It is not necessary, sir," said one youngster, "and the man who -says that it is so is a scoundrel." - -"Come here, my boy, and hold out your hand." When he had done so, -Mr. Turvey gave him two sharp cuts with a cane. "There now, go -down to the bottom of the class and try not to be so extremely -truthful in future." Then, turning to my father, he said, "I hate -caning them, but it is the only way to teach them. I really do -believe that boy will know better than to say what he thinks -another time." - -He repeated his question to the class, and the head-boy answered, -"Because, sir, extremes meet, and extreme truth will be mixed with -extreme falsehood." - -"Quite right, my boy. Truth is like religion; it has only two -enemies--the too much and the too little. Your answer is more -satisfactory than some of your recent conduct had led me to -expect." - -"But, sir, you punished me only three weeks ago for telling you a -lie." - -"Oh yes; why, so I did; I had forgotten. But then you overdid it. -Still it was a step in the right direction." - -"And now, my boy," he said to a very frank and ingenuous youth -about half way up the class, "and how is truth best reached?" - -"Through the falling out of thieves, sir." - -"Quite so. Then it will be necessary that the more earnest, -careful, patient, self-sacrificing, enquirers after truth should -have a good deal of the thief about them, though they are very -honest people at the same time. Now what does the man" (who on -enquiry my father found to be none other than Mr. Turvey himself) -"say about honesty?" - -"He says, sir, that honesty does not consist in never stealing, but -in knowing how and where it will be safe to do so." - -"Remember," said Mr. Turvey to my father, "how necessary it is that -we should have a plentiful supply of thieves, if honest men are -ever to come by their own." - -He spoke with the utmost gravity, evidently quite easy in his mind -that his scheme was the only one by which truth could be -successfully attained. - -"But pray let me have any criticism you may feel inclined to make." - -"I have none," said my father. "Your system commends itself to -common sense; it is the one adopted in the law courts, and it lies -at the very foundation of party government. If your academic -bodies can supply the country with a sufficient number of thieves-- -which I have no doubt they can--there seems no limit to the amount -of truth that may be attained. If, however, I may suggest the only -difficulty that occurs to me, it is that academic thieves shew no -great alacrity in falling out, but incline rather to back each -other up through thick and thin." - -"Ah, yes," said Mr. Turvey, "there is that difficulty; nevertheless -circumstances from time to time arise to get them by the ears in -spite of themselves. But from whatever point of view you may look -at the question, it is obviously better to aim at imperfection than -perfection; for if we aim steadily at imperfection, we shall -probably get it within a reasonable time, whereas to the end of our -days we should never reach perfection. Moreover, from a worldly -point of view, there is no mistake so great as that of being always -right." He then turned to his class and said - - -"And now tell me what did the Sunchild tell us about God and -Mammon?" - -The head-boy answered: "He said that we must serve both, for no -man can serve God well and truly who does not serve Mammon a little -also; and no man can serve Mammon effectually unless he serve God -largely at the same time." - -"What were his words?" - -"He said, 'Cursed be they that say, "Thou shalt not serve God and -Mammon, for it is the whole duty of man to know how to adjust the -conflicting claims of these two deities."' - -Here my father interposed. "I knew the Sunchild; and I more than -once heard him speak of God and Mammon. He never varied the form -of the words he used, which were to the effect that a man must -serve either God or Mammon, but that he could not serve both." - -"Ah!" said Mr. Turvey, "that no doubt was his exoteric teaching, -but Professors Hanky and Panky have assured me most solemnly that -his esoteric teaching was as I have given it. By the way, these -gentlemen are both, I understand, at Sunch'ston, and I think it -quite likely that I shall have a visit from them this afternoon. -If you do not know them I should have great pleasure in introducing -you to them; I was at Bridgeford with both of them." - -"I have had the pleasure of meeting them already," said my father, -"and as you are by no means certain that they will come, I will ask -you to let me thank you for all that you have been good enough to -shew me, and bid you good-afternoon. I have a rather pressing -engagement--" - -"My dear sir, you must please give me five minutes more. I shall -examine the boys in the Musical Bank Catechism." He pointed to one -of them and said, "Repeat your duty towards your neighbour." - -"My duty towards my neighbour," said the boy, "is to be quite sure -that he is not likely to borrow money of me before I let him speak -to me at all, and then to have as little to do with him as--" - -At this point there was a loud ring at the door bell. "Hanky and -Panky come to see me, no doubt," said Mr. Turvey. "I do hope it is -so. You must stay and see them." - -"My dear sir," said my father, putting his handkerchief up to his -face, "I am taken suddenly unwell and must positively leave you." -He said this in so peremptory a tone that Mr. Turvey had to yield. -My father held his handkerchief to his face as he went through the -passage and hall, but when the servant opened the door he took it -down, for there was no Hanky or Panky--no one, in fact, but a poor, -wizened old man who had come, as he did every other Saturday -afternoon, to wind up the Deformatory clocks. - -Nevertheless, he had been scared, and was in a very wicked-fleeth- -when-no-man-pursueth frame of mind. He went to his inn, and shut -himself up in his room for some time, taking notes of all that had -happened to him in the last three days. But even at his inn he no -longer felt safe. How did he know but that Hanky and Panky might -have driven over from Sunch'ston to see Mr. Turvey, and might put -up at this very house? or they might even be going to spend the -night here. He did not venture out of his room till after seven by -which time he had made rough notes of as much of the foregoing -chapters as had come to his knowledge so far. Much of what I have -told as nearly as I could in the order in which it happened, he did -not learn till later. After giving the merest outline of his -interview with Mr. Turvey, he wrote a note as follows:- "I suppose -I must have held forth about the greatest happiness of the greatest -number, but I had quite forgotten it, though I remember repeatedly -quoting my favourite proverb, 'Every man for himself, and the devil -take the hindmost.' To this they have paid no attention." - -By seven his panic about Hanky and Panky ended, for if they had not -come by this time, they were not likely to do so. Not knowing that -they were staying at the Mayor's, he had rather settled it that -they would now stroll up to the place where they had left their -hoard and bring it down as soon as night had fallen. And it is -quite possible that they might have found some excuse for doing -this, when dinner was over, if their hostess had not undesignedly -hindered them by telling them about the Sunchild. When the -conversation recorded in the preceding chapter was over, it was too -late for them to make any plausible excuse for leaving the house; -we may be sure, therefore, that much more had been said than Yram -and George were able to remember and report to my father. - -After another stroll about Fairmead, during which he saw nothing -but what on a larger scale he had already seen at Sunch'ston, he -returned to his inn at about half-past eight, and ordered supper in -a public room that corresponded with the coffee-room of an English -hotel. - - - -CHAPTER XIV: MY FATHER MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF MR BALMY, AND -WALKS WITH HIM NEXT DAY TO SUNCH'STON - - - -Up to this point, though he had seen enough to shew him the main -drift of the great changes that had taken place in Erewhonian -opinions, my father had not been able to glean much about the -history of the transformation. He could see that it had all grown -out of the supposed miracle of his balloon ascent, and he could -understand that the ignorant masses had been so astounded by an -event so contrary to all their experience, that their faith in -experience was utterly routed and demoralised. It a man and a -woman might rise from the earth and disappear into the sky, what -else might not happen? If they had been wrong in thinking such a -thing impossible, in how much else might they not be mistaken also? -The ground was shaken under their very feet. understand that a -single incontrovertible miracle of the first magnitude should -uproot the hedges of caution in the minds of the common people, but -he could not understand how such men as Hanky and Panky, who -evidently did not believe that there had been any miracle at all, -had been led to throw themselves so energetically into a movement -so subversive of all their traditions, when, as it seemed to him, -if they had held out they might have pricked the balloon bubble -easily enough, and maintained everything in statu quo. - -How, again, had they converted the King--if they had converted him? -The Queen had had full knowledge of all the preparations for the -ascent. The King had had everything explained to him. The workmen -and workwomen who had made the balloon and the gas could testify -that none but natural means had been made use of--means which, if -again employed any number of times, would effect a like result. -How could it be that when the means of resistance were so ample and -so easy, the movement should nevertheless have been irresistible? -For had it not been irresistible, was it to be believed that astute -men like Hanky and Panky would have let themselves be drawn into -it? - -What then had been its inner history? My father had so fully -determined to make his way back on the following evening, that he -saw no chance of getting to know the facts--unless, indeed, he -should be able to learn something from Hanky's sermon; he was -therefore not sorry to find an elderly gentleman of grave but -kindly aspect seated opposite to him when he sat down to supper. - -The expression on this man's face was much like that of the early -Christians as shewn in the S. Giovanni Laterano bas-reliefs at -Rome, and again, though less aggressively self-confident, like that -on the faces of those who have joined the Salvation Army. If he -had been in England, my father would have set him down as a -Swedenborgian; this being impossible, he could only note that the -stranger bowed his head, evidently saying a short grace before he -began to eat, as my father had always done when he was in Erewhon -before. I will not say that my father had never omitted to say -grace during the whole of the last twenty years, but he said it -now, and unfortunately forgetting himself, he said it in the -English language, not loud, but nevertheless audibly. - -My father was alarmed at what he had done, but there was no need, -for the stranger immediately said, "I hear, sir, that you have the -gift of tongues. The Sunchild often mentioned it to us, as having -been vouchsafed long since to certain of the people, to whom, for -our learning, he saw fit to feign that he belonged. He thus -foreshadowed prophetically its manifestation also among ourselves. -All which, however, you must know as well as I do. Can you -interpret?" - -My father was much shocked, but he remembered having frequently -spoken of the power of speaking in unknown tongues which was -possessed by many of the early Christians, and he also remembered -that in times of high religious enthusiasm this power had -repeatedly been imparted, or supposed to be imparted, to devout -believers in the middle ages. It grated upon him to deceive one -who was so obviously sincere, but to avoid immediate discomfiture -he fell in with what the stranger had said. - -"Alas! sir," said he, "that rarer and more precious gift has been -withheld from me; nor can I speak in an unknown tongue, unless as -it is borne in upon me at the moment. I could not even repeat the -words that have just fallen from me." - -"That," replied the stranger, "is almost invariably the case. -These illuminations of the spirit are beyond human control. You -spoke in so low a tone that I cannot interpret what you have just -said, but should you receive a second inspiration later, I shall -doubtless be able to interpret it for you. I have been singularly -gifted in this respect--more so, perhaps, than any other -interpreter in Erewhon." - -My father mentally vowed that no second inspiration should be -vouchsafed to him, but presently remembering how anxious he was for -information on the points touched upon at the beginning of this -chapter, and seeing that fortune had sent him the kind of man who -would be able to enlighten him, he changed his mind; nothing, he -reflected, would be more likely to make the stranger talk freely -with him, than the affording him an opportunity for showing off his -skill as an interpreter. - -Something, therefore, he would say, but what? No one could talk -more freely when the train of his thoughts, or the conversation of -others, gave him his cue, but when told to say an unattached -"something," he could not even think of "How do you do this -morning? it is a very fine day;" and the more he cudgelled his -brains for "something," the more they gave no response. He could -not even converse further with the stranger beyond plain "yes" and -"no"; so he went on with his supper, and in thinking of what he was -eating and drinking for the moment forgot to ransack his brain. No -sooner had he left off ransacking it, than it suggested something-- -not, indeed, a very brilliant something, but still something. On -having grasped it, he laid down his knife and fork, and with the -air of one distraught he said - - - -"My name is Norval, on the Grampian Hills -My father feeds his flock--a frugal swain." - - -"I heard you," exclaimed the stranger, "and I can interpret every -word of what you have said, but it would not become me to do so, -for you have conveyed to me a message more comforting than I can -bring myself to repeat even to him who has conveyed it." - -Having said this he bowed his head, and remained for some time -wrapped in meditation. My father kept a respectful silence, but -after a little time he ventured to say in a low tone, how glad he -was to have been the medium through whom a comforting assurance had -been conveyed. Presently, on finding himself encouraged to renew -the conversation, he threw out a deferential feeler as to the -causes that might have induced Mr. Balmy to come to Fairmead. -"Perhaps," he said, "you, like myself, have come to these parts in -order to see the dedication of the new temple; I could not get a -lodging in Sunch'ston, so I walked down here this morning." - -This, it seemed, had been Mr. Balmy's own case, except that he had -not yet been to Sunch'ston. Having heard that it was full to -overflowing, he had determined to pass the night at Fairmead, and -walk over in the morning--starting soon after seven, so as to -arrive in good time for the dedication ceremony. When my father -heard this, he proposed that they should walk together, to which -Mr. Balmy gladly consented; it was therefore arranged that they -should go to bed early, breakfast soon after six, and then walk to -Sunch'ston. My father then went to his own room, where he again -smoked a surreptitious pipe up the chimney. - -Next morning the two men breakfasted together, and set out as the -clock was striking seven. The day was lovely beyond the power of -words, and still fresh--for Fairmead was some 2500 feet above the -sea, and the sun did not get above the mountains that overhung it -on the east side, till after eight o'clock. Many persons were also -starting for Sunch'ston, and there was a procession got up by the -Musical Bank Managers of the town, who walked in it, robed in rich -dresses of scarlet and white embroidered with much gold thread. -There was a banner displaying an open chariot in which the Sunchild -and his bride were seated, beaming with smiles, and in attitudes -suggesting that they were bowing to people who were below them. -The chariot was, of course, drawn by the four black and white -horses of which the reader has already heard, and the balloon had -been ignored. Readers of my father's book will perhaps remember -that my mother was not seen at all--she was smuggled into the car -of the balloon along with sundry rugs, under which she lay -concealed till the balloon had left the earth. All this went for -nothing. It has been said that though God cannot alter the past, -historians can; it is perhaps because they can be useful to Him in -this respect that He tolerates their existence. Painters, my -father now realised, can do all that historians can, with even -greater effect. - -Women headed the procession--the younger ones dressed in white, -with veils and chaplets of roses, blue cornflower, and pheasant's -eye Narcissus, while the older women were more soberly attired. -The Bank Managers and the banner headed the men, who were mostly -peasants, but among them were a few who seemed to be of higher -rank, and these, for the most part, though by no means all of them, -wore their clothes reversed--as I have forgotten to say was done -also by Mr. Balmy. Both men and women joined in singing a litany -the words of which my father could not catch; the tune was one he -had been used to play on his apology for a flute when he was in -prison, being, in fact, none other than "Home, Sweet Home." There -was no harmony; they never got beyond the first four bars, but -these they must have repeated, my father thought, at least a -hundred times between Fairmead and Sunch'ston. "Well," said he to -himself, "however little else I may have taught them, I at any rate -gave them the diatonic scale." - -He now set himself to exploit his fellow-traveller, for they soon -got past the procession. - -"The greatest miracle," said he, "in connection with this whole -matter, has been--so at least it seems to me--not the ascent of the -Sunchild with his bride, but the readiness with which the people -generally acknowledged its miraculous character. I was one of -those that witnessed the ascent, but I saw no signs that the crowd -appreciated its significance. They were astounded, but they did -not fall down and worship." - -"Ah," said the other, "but you forget the long drought and the rain -that the Sunchild immediately prevailed on the air-god to send us. -He had announced himself as about to procure it for us; it was on -this ground that the King assented to the preparation of those -material means that were necessary before the horses of the sun -could attach themselves to the chariot into which the balloon was -immediately transformed. Those horses might not be defiled by -contact with this gross earth. I too witnessed the ascent; at the -moment, I grant you, I saw neither chariot nor horses, and almost -all those present shared my own temporary blindness; the whole -action from the moment when the balloon left the earth, moved so -rapidly, that we were flustered, and hardly knew what it was that -we were really seeing. It was not till two or three years later -that I found the scene presenting itself to my soul's imaginary -sight in the full splendour which was no doubt witnessed, but not -apprehended, by my bodily vision." - -"There," said my father, "you confirm an opinion that I have long -held.--Nothing is so misleading as the testimony of eye-witnesses." - -"A spiritual enlightenment from within," returned Mr. Balmy, "is -more to be relied on than any merely physical affluence from -external objects. Now, when I shut my eyes, I see the balloon -ascend a little way, but almost immediately the heavens open, the -horses descend, the balloon is transformed, and the glorious -pageant careers onward till it vanishes into the heaven of heavens. -Hundreds with whom I have conversed assure me that their experience -has been the same as mine. Has yours been different?" - -"Oh no, not at all; but I always see some storks circling round the -balloon before I see any horses." - -"How strange! I have heard others also say that they saw the -storks you mention; but let me do my utmost I cannot force them -into my mental image of the scene. This shows, as you were saying -just now, how incomplete the testimony of an eye-witness often is. -It is quite possible that the storks were there, but the horses and -the chariot have impressed themselves more vividly on my mind than -anything else has." - -"Quite so; and I am not without hope that even at this late hour -some further details may yet be revealed to us." - -"It is possible, but we should be as cautious in accepting any -fresh details as in rejecting them. Should some heresy obtain wide -acceptance, visions will perhaps be granted to us that may be -useful in refuting it, but otherwise I expect nothing more." - -"Neither do I, but I have heard people say that inasmuch as the -Sunchild said he was going to interview the air-god in order to -send us rain, he was more probably son to the air-god than to the -sun. Now here is a heresy which--" - -"But, my dear sir," said Mr. Balmy, interrupting him with great -warmth, "he spoke of his father in heaven as endowed with -attributes far exceeding any that can be conceivably ascribed to -the air-god. The power of the air-god does not extend beyond our -own atmosphere." - -"Pray believe me," said my father, who saw by the ecstatic gleam in -his companion's eye that there was nothing to be done but to agree -with him, "that I accept--" - -"Hear me to the end," replied Mr. Balmy. "Who ever heard the -Sunchild claim relationship with the air-god? He could command the -air-god, and evidently did so, halting no doubt for this beneficent -purpose on his journey towards his ultimate destination. Can we -suppose that the air-god, who had evidently intended withholding -the rain from us for an indefinite period, should have so -immediately relinquished his designs against us at the intervention -of any less exalted personage than the sun's own offspring? -Impossible!" - -"I quite agree with you," exclaimed my father, "it is out of the--" - -"Let me finish what I have to say. When the rain came so copiously -for days, even those who had not seen the miraculous ascent found -its consequences come so directly home to them, that they had no -difficulty in accepting the report of others. There was not a -farmer or cottager in the land but heaved a sigh of relief at -rescue from impending ruin, and they all knew it was the Sunchild -who had promised the King that he would make the air-god send it. -So abundantly, you will remember, did it come, that we had to pray -to him to stop it, which in his own good time he was pleased to -do." - -"I remember," said my father, who was at last able to edge in a -word, "that it nearly flooded me out of house and home. And yet, -in spite of all this, I hear that there are many at Bridgeford who -are still hardened unbelievers." - -"Alas! you speak too truly. Bridgeford and the Musical Banks for -the first three years fought tooth and nail to blind those whom it -was their first duty to enlighten. I was a Professor of the -hypothetical language, and you may perhaps remember how I was -driven from my chair on account of the fearlessness with which I -expounded the deeper mysteries of Sunchildism." - -"Yes, I remember well how cruelly--" but my father was not allowed -to get beyond "cruelly." - -"It was I who explained why the Sunchild had represented himself as -belonging to a people in many respects analogous to our own, when -no such people can have existed. It was I who detected that the -supposed nation spoken of by the Sunchild was an invention designed -in order to give us instruction by the light of which we might more -easily remodel our institutions. I have sometimes thought that my -gift of interpretation was vouchsafed to me in recognition of the -humble services that I was hereby allowed to render. By the way, -you have received no illumination this morning, have you?" - -"I never do, sir, when I am in the company of one whose -conversation I find supremely interesting. But you were telling me -about Bridgeford: I live hundreds of miles from Bridgeford, and -have never understood the suddenness, and completeness, with which -men like Professors Hanky and Panky and Dr. Downie changed front. -Do they believe as you and I do, or did they merely go with the -times? I spent a couple of hours with Hanky and Panky only two -evenings ago, and was not so much impressed as I could have wished -with the depth of their religious fervour." - -"They are sincere now--more especially Hanky--but I cannot think I -am judging them harshly, if I say that they were not so at first. -Even now, I fear, that they are more carnally than spiritually -minded. See how they have fought for the aggrandisement of their -own order. It is mainly their doing that the Musical Banks have -usurped the spiritual authority formerly exercised by the -straighteners." - -"But the straighteners," said my father, "could not co-exist with -Sunchildism, and it is hard to see how the claims of the Banks can -be reasonably gainsaid." - -"Perhaps; and after all the Banks are our main bulwark against the -evils that I fear will follow from the repeal of the laws against -machinery. This has already led to the development of a -materialism which minimizes the miraculous element in the -Sunchild's ascent, as our own people minimize the material means -that were the necessary prologue to the miraculous." - -Thus did they converse; but I will not pursue their conversation -further. It will be enough to say that in further floods of talk -Mr. Balmy confirmed what George had said about the Banks having -lost their hold upon the masses. That hold was weak even in the -time of my father's first visit; but when the people saw the -hostility of the Banks to a movement which far the greater number -of them accepted, it seemed as though both Bridgeford and the Banks -were doomed, for Bridgeford was heart and soul with the Banks. -Hanky, it appeared, though under thirty, and not yet a Professor, -grasped the situation, and saw that Bridgeford must either move -with the times, or go. He consulted some of the most sagacious -Heads of Houses and Professors, with the result that a committee of -enquiry was appointed, which in due course reported that the -evidence for the Sunchild's having been the only child of the sun -was conclusive. It was about this time--that is to say some three -years after his ascent--that "Higgsism," as it had been hitherto -called, became "Sunchildism," and "Higgs" the "Sunchild." - -My father also learned the King's fury at his escape (for he would -call it nothing else) with my mother. This was so great that -though he had hitherto been, and had ever since proved himself to -be, a humane ruler, he ordered the instant execution of all who had -been concerned in making either the gas or the balloon; and his -cruel orders were carried out within a couple of hours. At the -same time he ordered the destruction by fire of the Queen's -workshops, and of all remnants of any materials used in making the -balloon. It is said the Queen was so much grieved and outraged -(for it was her doing that the material ground-work, so to speak, -had been provided for the miracle) that she wept night and day -without ceasing three whole months, and never again allowed her -husband to embrace her, till he had also embraced Sunchildism. - -When the rain came, public indignation at the King's action was -raised almost to revolution pitch, and the King was frightened at -once by the arrival of the promised downfall and the displeasure of -his subjects. But he still held out, and it was only after -concessions on the part of the Bridgeford committee, that he at -last consented to the absorption of Sunchildism into the Musical -Bank system, and to its establishment as the religion of the -country. The far-reaching changes in Erewhonian institutions with -which the reader is already acquainted followed as a matter of -course. - -"I know the difficulty," said my father presently, "with which the -King was persuaded to allow the way in which the Sunchild's dress -should be worn to be a matter of opinion, not dogma. I see we have -adopted different fashions. Have you any decided opinions upon the -subject?" - -"I have; but I will ask you not to press me for them. Let this -matter remain as the King has left it." - -My father thought that he might now venture on a shot. So he said, -"I have always understood, too, that the King forced the repeal of -the laws against machinery on the Bridgeford committee, as another -condition of his assent?" - -"Certainly. He insisted on this, partly to gratify the Queen, who -had not yet forgiven him, and who had set her heart on having a -watch, and partly because he expected that a development of the -country's resources, in consequence of a freer use of machinery, -would bring more money into his exchequer. Bridgeford fought hard -and wisely here, but they had gained so much by the Musical Bank -Managers being recognised as the authorised exponents of -Sunchildism, that they thought it wise to yield--apparently with a -good grace--and thus gild the pill which his Majesty was about to -swallow. But even then they feared the consequences that are -already beginning to appear, all which, if I mistake not, will -assume far more serious proportions in the future." - -"See," said my father suddenly, "we are coming to another -procession, and they have got some banners, let us walk a little -quicker and overtake it." - -"Horrible!" replied Mr. Balmy fiercely. "You must be short- -sighted, or you could never have called my attention to it. Let us -get it behind us as fast as possible, and not so much as look at -it." - -"Oh yes, yes," said my father, "it is indeed horrible, I had not -seen what it was." - -He had not the faintest idea what the matter was, but he let Mr. -Balmy walk a little ahead of him, so that he could see the banners, -the most important of which he found to display a balloon pure and -simple, with one figure in the car. True, at the top of the banner -there was a smudge which might be taken for a little chariot, and -some very little horses, but the balloon was the only thing -insisted on. As for the procession, it consisted entirely of men, -whom a smaller banner announced to be workmen from the Fairmead -iron and steel works. There was a third banner, which said, -"Science as well as Sunchildism." - - - -CHAPTER XV: THE TEMPLE IS DEDICATED TO MY FATHER, AND CERTAIN -EXTRACTS ARE READ FROM HIS SUPPOSED SAYINGS - - - -"It is enough to break one's heart," said Mr. Balmy when he had -outstripped the procession, and my father was again beside him. -"'As well as,' indeed! We know what that means. Wherever there is -a factory there is a hot-bed of unbelief. 'As well as'! Why it is -a defiance." - -"What, I wonder," said my father innocently, "must the Sunchild's -feelings be, as he looks down on this procession. For there can be -little doubt that he is doing so." - -"There can be no doubt at all," replied Mr. Balmy, "that he is -taking note of it, and of all else that is happening this day in -Erewhon. Heaven grant that he be not so angered as to chastise the -innocent as well as the guilty." - -"I doubt," said my father, "his being so angry even with this -procession, as you think he is." - -Here, fearing an outburst of indignation, he found an excuse for -rapidly changing the conversation. Moreover he was angry with -himself for playing upon this poor good creature. He had not done -so of malice prepense; he had begun to deceive him, because he -believed himself to be in danger if he spoke the truth; and though -he knew the part to be an unworthy one, he could not escape from -continuing to play it, if he was to discover things that he was not -likely to discover otherwise. - -Often, however, he had checked himself. It had been on the tip of -his tongue to be illuminated with the words, - - -Sukoh and Sukop were two pretty men, -They lay in bed till the clock struck ten, - - -and to follow it up with, - - -Now with the drops of this most Yknarc time -My love looks fresh, - - -in order to see how Mr. Balmy would interpret the assertion here -made about the Professors, and what statement he would connect with -his own Erewhonian name; but he had restrained himself. - -The more he saw, and the more he heard, the more shocked he was at -the mischief he had done. See how he had unsettled the little mind -this poor, dear, good gentleman had ever had, till he was now a -mere slave to preconception. And how many more had he not in like -manner brought to the verge of idiocy? How many again had he not -made more corrupt than they were before, even though he had not -deceived them--as for example, Hanky and Panky. And the young? how -could such a lie as that a chariot and four horses came down out of -the clouds enter seriously into the life of any one, without -distorting his mental vision, if not ruining it? - -And yet, the more he reflected, the more he also saw that he could -do no good by saying who he was. Matters had gone so far that -though he spoke with the tongues of men and angels he would not be -listened to; and even if he were, it might easily prove that he had -added harm to that which he had done already. No. As soon as he -had heard Hanky's sermon, he would begin to work his way back, and -if the Professors had not yet removed their purchase, he would -recover it; but he would pin a bag containing about five pounds -worth of nuggets on to the tree in which they had hidden it, and, -if possible, he would find some way of sending the rest to George. - -He let Mr. Balmy continue talking, glad that this gentleman -required little more than monosyllabic answers, and still more -glad, in spite of some agitation, to see that they were now nearing -Sunch'ston, towards which a great concourse of people was hurrying -from Clearwater, and more distant towns on the main road. Many -whole families were coming,--the fathers and mothers carrying the -smaller children, and also their own shoes and stockings, which -they would put on when nearing the town. Most of the pilgrims -brought provisions with them. All wore European costumes, but only -a few of them wore it reversed, and these were almost invariably of -higher social status than the great body of the people, who were -mainly peasants. - -When they reached the town, my father was relieved at finding that -Mr. Balmy had friends on whom he wished to call before going to the -temple. He asked my father to come with him, but my father said -that he too had friends, and would leave him for the present, while -hoping to meet him again later in the day. The two, therefore, -shook hands with great effusion, and went their several ways. My -father's way took him first into a confectioner's shop, where he -bought a couple of Sunchild buns, which he put into his pocket, and -refreshed himself with a bottle of Sunchild cordial and water. All -shops except those dealing in refreshments were closed, and the -town was gaily decorated with flags and flowers, often festooned -into words or emblems proper for the occasion. - -My father, it being now a quarter to eleven, made his way towards -the temple, and his heart was clouded with care as he walked along. -Not only was his heart clouded, but his brain also was oppressed, -and he reeled so much on leaving the confectioner's shop, that he -had to catch hold of some railings till the faintness and giddiness -left him. He knew the feeling to be the same as what he had felt -on the Friday evening, but he had no idea of the cause, and as soon -as the giddiness left him he thought there was nothing the matter -with him. - -Turning down a side street that led into the main square of the -town, he found himself opposite the south end of the temple, with -its two lofty towers that flanked the richly decorated main -entrance. I will not attempt to describe the architecture, for my -father could give me little information on this point. He only saw -the south front for two or three minutes, and was not impressed by -it, save in so far as it was richly ornamented--evidently at great -expense--and very large. Even if he had had a longer look, I doubt -whether I should have got more out of him, for he knew nothing of -architecture, and I fear his test whether a building was good or -bad, was whether it looked old and weather-beaten or no. No matter -what a building was, if it was three or four hundred years old he -liked it, whereas, if it was new, he would look to nothing but -whether it kept the rain out. Indeed I have heard him say that the -mediaeval sculpture on some of our great cathedrals often only -pleases us because time and weather have set their seals upon it, -and that if we could see it as it was when it left the mason's -hands, we should find it no better than much that is now turned out -in the Euston Road. - -The ground plan here given will help the reader to understand the -few following pages more easily. - - +--------------------+ - N / a \ - W+E / b \------------+ - S / G H \ | - | C | N | -+-----------+---------------------------+-----------+------+ -| ------------------- I | -| ------------------- | -| ------------------- | -| o' o' | -| | -| E ||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||| F | -| ||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||| | -| | -| e A o' B C o' D | f -| --- --- --- --- | -| --- --- --- --- | -| --- --- --- --- | -| --- o' --- --- o' --- | -| --- --- --- --- | -| --- --- --- --- | -| --- --- --- --- | -| --- o' --- --- o' --- | -| | -| | -| | -| o' o' | -| | -| | -| g | h -| o' o' | -+-----------+--------------------------------+-------------+ -| |--------------------------------| | -| |-------------M------------------| | -| K |--------------------------------| L | -| |--------------------------------| | -| |--------------------------------| | -| | | | -+-----------+ +-------------+ - - -a. Table with cashier's seat on either side, and alms-box in -front. The picture is exhibited on a scaffolding behind it. - -b. The reliquary. - -c. The President's chair. - -d. Pulpit and lectern. - -e. } -f. } Side doors. -g. } -h. } - -i. Yram's seat. - -k. Seats of George and the Sunchild. - -o' Pillars. - -A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, blocks of seats. - -I. Steps leading from the apse to the nave. - -K and L. Towers. - -M. Steps and main entrance. - -N. Robing-room. - -The building was led up to by a flight of steps (M), and on -entering it my father found it to consist of a spacious nave, with -two aisles and an apse which was raised some three feet above the -nave and aisles. There were no transepts. In the apse there was -the table (a), with the two bowls of Musical Bank money mentioned -on an earlier page, as also the alms-box in front of it. - -At some little distance in front of the table stood the President's -chair (c), or I might almost call it throne. It was so placed that -his back would be turned towards the table, which fact again shews -that the table was not regarded as having any greater sanctity than -the rest of the temple. - -Behind the table, the picture already spoken of was raised aloft. -There was no balloon; some clouds that hung about the lower part of -the chariot served to conceal the fact that the painter was -uncertain whether it ought to have wheels or no. The horses were -without driver, and my father thought that some one ought to have -had them in hand, for they were in far too excited a state to be -left safely to themselves. They had hardly any harness, but what -little there was was enriched with gold bosses. My mother was in -Erewhonian costume, my father in European, but he wore his clothes -reversed. Both he and my mother seemed to be bowing graciously to -an unseen crowd beneath them, and in the distance, near the bottom -of the picture, was a fairly accurate representation of the -Sunch'ston new temple. High up, on the right hand, was a disc, -raised and gilt, to represent the sun; on it, in low relief, there -was an indication of a gorgeous palace, in which, no doubt, the sun -was supposed to live; though how they made it all out my father -could not conceive. - -On the right of the table there was a reliquary (b) of glass, much -adorned with gold, or more probably gilding, for gold was so scarce -in Erewhon that gilding would be as expensive as a thin plate of -gold would be in Europe: but there is no knowing. The reliquary -was attached to a portable stand some five feet high, and inside it -was the relic already referred to. The crowd was so great that my -father could not get near enough to see what it contained, but I -may say here, that when, two days later, circumstances compelled -him to have a close look at it, he saw that it consisted of about a -dozen fine coprolites, deposited by some antediluvian creature or -creatures, which, whatever else they may have been, were certainly -not horses. - -In the apse there were a few cross benches (G and H) on either -side, with an open space between them, which was partly occupied by -the President's seat already mentioned. Those on the right, as one -looked towards the apse, were for the Managers and Cashiers of the -Bank, while those on the left were for their wives and daughters. - -In the centre of the nave, only a few feet in front of the steps -leading to the apse, was a handsome pulpit and lectern (d). The -pulpit was raised some feet above the ground, and was so roomy that -the preacher could walk about in it. On either side of it there -were cross benches with backs (E and F); those on the right were -reserved for the Mayor, civic functionaries, and distinguished -visitors, while those on the left were for their wives and -daughters. - -Benches with backs (A, B, C, D) were placed about half-way down -both nave and aisles--those in the nave being divided so as to -allow a free passage between them. The rest of the temple was open -space, about which people might walk at their will. There were -side doors (e, j, and f, h) at the upper and lower end of each -aisle. Over the main entrance was a gallery in which singers were -placed. - -As my father was worming his way among the crowd, which was now -very dense, he was startled at finding himself tapped lightly on -the shoulder, and turning round in alarm was confronted by the -beaming face of George. - -"How do you do, Professor Panky?" said the youth--who had decided -thus to address him. "What are you doing here among the common -people? Why have you not taken your place in one of the seats -reserved for our distinguished visitors? I am afraid they must be -all full by this time, but I will see what I can do for you. Come -with me." - -"Thank you," said my father. His heart beat so fast that this was -all he could say, and he followed meek as a lamb. - -With some difficulty the two made their way to the right-hand -corner seats of block C, for every seat in the reserved block was -taken. The places which George wanted for my father and for -himself were already occupied by two young men of about eighteen -and nineteen, both of them well-grown, and of prepossessing -appearance. My father saw by the truncheons they carried that they -were special constables, but he took no notice of this, for there -were many others scattered about the crowd. George whispered a few -words to one of them, and to my father's surprise they both gave up -their seats, which appear on the plan as (k). - -It afterwards transpired that these two young men were George's -brothers, who by his desire had taken the seats some hours ago, for -it was here that George had determined to place himself and my -father if he could find him. He chose these places because they -would be near enough to let his mother (who was at i, in the middle -of the front row of block E, to the left of the pulpit) see my -father without being so near as to embarrass him; he could also see -and be seen by Hanky, and hear every word of his sermon; but -perhaps his chief reason had been the fact that they were not far -from the side-door at the upper end of the right-hand aisle, while -there was no barrier to interrupt rapid egress should this prove -necessary. - -It was now high time that they should sit down, which they -accordingly did. George sat at the end of the bench, and thus had -my father on his left. My father was rather uncomfortable at -seeing the young men whom they had turned out, standing against a -column close by, but George said that this was how it was to be, -and there was nothing to be done but to submit. The young men -seemed quite happy, which puzzled my father, who of course had no -idea that their action was preconcerted. - -Panky was in the first row of block F, so that my father could not -see his face except sometimes when he turned round. He was sitting -on the Mayor's right hand, while Dr. Downie was on his left; he -looked at my father once or twice in a puzzled way, as though he -ought to have known him, but my father did not think he recognised -him. Hanky was still with President Gurgoyle and others in the -robing-room, N; Yram had already taken her seat: my father knew -her in a moment, though he pretended not to do so when George -pointed her out to him. Their eyes met for a second; Yram turned -hers quickly away, and my father could not see a trace of -recognition in her face. At no time during the whole ceremony did -he catch her looking at him again. - -"Why, you stupid man," she said to him later on in the day with a -quick, kindly smile, "I was looking at you all the time. As soon -as the President or Hanky began to talk about you I knew you would -stare at him, and then I could look. As soon as they left off -talking about you I knew you would be looking at me, unless you -went to sleep--and as I did not know which you might be doing, I -waited till they began to talk about you again." - -My father had hardly taken note of his surroundings when the choir -began singing, accompanied by a few feeble flutes and lutes, or -whatever the name of the instrument should be, but with no violins, -for he knew nothing of the violin, and had not been able to teach -the Erewhonians anything about it. The voices were all in unison, -and the tune they sang was one which my father had taught Yram to -sing; but he could not catch the words. - -As soon as the singing began, a procession, headed by the venerable -Dr. Gurgoyle, President of the Musical Banks of the province, began -to issue from the robing-room, and move towards the middle of the -apse. The President was sumptuously dressed, but he wore no mitre, -nor anything to suggest an English or European Bishop. The Vice- -President, Head Manager, Vice-Manager, and some Cashiers of the -Bank, now ranged themselves on either side of him, and formed an -impressive group as they stood, gorgeously arrayed, at the top of -the steps leading from the apse to the nave. Here they waited till -the singers left off singing. - -When the litany, or hymn, or whatever it should be called, was -over, the Head Manager left the President's side and came down to -the lectern in the nave, where he announced himself as about to -read some passages from the Sunchild's Sayings. Perhaps because it -was the first day of the year according to their new calendar, the -reading began with the first chapter, the whole of which was read. -My father told me that he quite well remembered having said the -last verse, which he still held as true; hardly a word of the rest -was ever spoken by him, though he recognised his own influence in -almost all of it. The reader paused, with good effect, for about -five seconds between each paragraph, and read slowly and very -clearly. The chapter was as follows:- - - -These are the words of the Sunchild about God and man. He said - - -1. God is the baseless basis of all thoughts, things, and deeds. - -2. So that those who say that there is a God, lie, unless they -also mean that there is no God; and those who say that there is no -God, lie, unless they also mean that there is a God. - -3. It is very true to say that man is made after the likeness of -God; and yet it is very untrue to say this. - -4. God lives and moves in every atom throughout the universe. -Therefore it is wrong to think of Him as 'Him' and 'He,' save as by -the clutching of a drowning man at a straw. - -5. God is God to us only so long as we cannot see Him. When we -are near to seeing Him He vanishes, and we behold Nature in His -stead. - -6. We approach Him most nearly when we think of Him as our -expression for Man's highest conception, of goodness, wisdom, and -power. But we cannot rise to Him above the level of our own -highest selves. - -7. We remove ourselves most far from Him when we invest Him with -human form and attributes. - -8. My father the sun, the earth, the moon, and all planets that -roll round my father, are to God but as a single cell in our bodies -to ourselves. - -9. He is as much above my father, as my father is above men and -women. - -10. The universe is instinct with the mind of God. The mind of -God is in all that has mind throughout all worlds. There is no God -but the Universe, and man, in this world is His prophet. - -11. God's conscious life, nascent, so far as this world is -concerned, in the infusoria, adolescent in the higher mammals, -approaches maturity on this earth in man. All these living beings -are members one of another, and of God. - -12. Therefore, as man cannot live without God in the world, so -neither can God live in this world without mankind. - -13. If we speak ill of God in our ignorance it may be forgiven us; -but if we speak ill of His Holy Spirit indwelling in good men and -women it may not be forgiven us." - - -The Head Manager now resumed his place by President Gurgoyle's -side, and the President in the name of his Majesty the King -declared the temple to be hereby dedicated to the contemplation of -the Sunchild and the better exposition of his teaching. This was -all that was said. The reliquary was then brought forward and -placed at the top of the steps leading from the apse to the nave; -but the original intention of carrying it round the temple was -abandoned for fear of accidents through the pressure round it of -the enormous multitudes who were assembled. More singing followed -of a simple but impressive kind; during this I am afraid I must own -that my father, tired with his walk, dropped off into a refreshing -slumber, from which he did not wake till George nudged him and told -him not to snore, just as the Vice-Manager was going towards the -lectern to read another chapter of the Sunchild's Sayings--which -was as follows:- - - -The Sunchild also spoke to us a parable about the unwisdom of the -children yet unborn, who though they know so much, yet do not know -as much as they think they do. - - -He said:- - - -"The unborn have knowledge of one another so long as they are -unborn, and this without impediment from walls or material -obstacles. The unborn children in any city form a population -apart, who talk with one another and tell each other about their -developmental progress. - -"They have no knowledge, and cannot even conceive the existence of -anything that is not such as they are themselves. Those who have -been born are to them what the dead are to us. They can see no -life in them, and know no more about them than they do of any stage -in their own past development other than the one through which they -are passing at the moment. They do not even know that their -mothers are alive--much less that their mothers were once as they -now are. To an embryo, its mother is simply the environment, and -is looked upon much as our inorganic surroundings are by ourselves. - -"The great terror of their lives is the fear of birth,--that they -shall have to leave the only thing that they can think of as life, -and enter upon a dark unknown which is to them tantamount to -annihilation. - -"Some, indeed, among them have maintained that birth is not the -death which they commonly deem it, but that there is a life beyond -the womb of which they as yet know nothing, and which is a million -fold more truly life than anything they have yet been able even to -imagine. But the greater number shake their yet unfashioned heads -and say they have no evidence for this that will stand a moment's -examination. - -"'Nay,' answer the others, 'so much work, so elaborate, so wondrous -as that whereon we are now so busily engaged must have a purpose, -though the purpose is beyond our grasp.' - -"'Never,' reply the first speakers; 'our pleasure in the work is -sufficient justification for it. Who has ever partaken of this -life you speak of, and re-entered into the womb to tell us of it? -Granted that some few have pretended to have done this, but how -completely have their stories broken down when subjected to the -tests of sober criticism. No. When we are born we are born, and -there is an end of us.' - -"But in the hour of birth, when they can no longer re-enter the -womb and tell the others, Behold! they find that it is not so." - - -Here the reader again closed his book and resumed his place in the -apse. - - - -CHAPTER XVI: PROFESSOR HANKY PREACHES A SERMON, IN THE COURSE OF -WHICH MY FATHER DECLARES HIMSELF TO BE THE SUNCHILD - - - -Professor Hanky then went up into the pulpit, richly but soberly -robed in vestments the exact nature of which I cannot determine. -His carriage was dignified, and the harsh lines on his face gave it -a strong individuality, which, though it did not attract, conveyed -an impression of power that could not fail to interest. As soon as -he had given attention time to fix itself upon him, he began his -sermon without text or preliminary matter of any kind, and -apparently without notes. - -He spoke clearly and very quietly, especially at the beginning; he -used action whenever it could point his meaning, or give it life -and colour, but there was no approach to staginess or even -oratorical display. In fact, he spoke as one who meant what he was -saying, and desired that his hearers should accept his meaning, -fully confident in his good faith. His use of pause was effective. -After the word "mistake," at the end of the opening sentence, he -held up his half-bent hand and paused for full three seconds, -looking intently at his audience as he did so. Every one felt the -idea to be here enounced that was to dominate the sermon. - -The sermon--so much of it as I can find room for--was as follows:- - - -"My friends, let there be no mistake. At such a time, as this, it -is well we should look back upon the path by which we have -travelled, and forward to the goal towards which we are tending. -As it was necessary that the material foundations of this building -should be so sure that there shall be no subsidence in the -superstructure, so is it not less necessary to ensure that there -shall be no subsidence in the immaterial structure that we have -raised in consequence of the Sunchild's sojourn among us. -Therefore, my friends, I again say, 'Let there be no mistake.' -Each stone that goes towards the uprearing of this visible fane, -each human soul that does its part in building the invisible temple -of our national faith, is bearing witness to, and lending its -support to, that which is either the truth of truths, or the -baseless fabric of a dream. - -"My friends, this is the only possible alternative. He in whose -name we are here assembled, is either worthy of more reverential -honour than we can ever pay him, or he is worthy of no more honour -than any other honourable man among ourselves. There can be no -halting between these two opinions. The question of questions is, -was he the child of the tutelary god of this world--the sun, and is -it to the palace of the sun that he returned when he left us, or -was he, as some amongst us still do not hesitate to maintain, a -mere man, escaping by unusual but strictly natural means to some -part of this earth with which we are unacquainted. My friends, -either we are on a right path or on a very wrong one, and in a -matter of such supreme importance--there must be no mistake. - -"I need not remind those of you whose privilege it is to live in -Sunch'ston, of the charm attendant on the Sunchild's personal -presence and conversation, nor of his quick sympathy, his keen -intellect, his readiness to adapt himself to the capacities of all -those who came to see him while he was in prison. He adored -children, and it was on them that some of his most conspicuous -miracles were performed. Many a time when a child had fallen and -hurt itself, was he known to make the place well by simply kissing -it. Nor need I recall to your minds the spotless purity of his -life--so spotless that not one breath of slander has ever dared to -visit it. I was one of the not very many who had the privilege of -being admitted to the inner circle of his friends during the later -weeks that he was amongst us. I loved him dearly, and it will ever -be the proudest recollection of my life that he deigned to return -me no small measure of affection." - -My father, furious as he was at finding himself dragged into -complicity with this man's imposture, could not resist a smile at -the effrontery with which he lowered his tone here, and appeared -unwilling to dwell on an incident which he could not recall without -being affected almost to tears, and mere allusion to which, had -involved an apparent self-display that was above all things -repugnant to him. What a difference between the Hanky of Thursday -evening with its "never set eyes on him and hope I never shall," -and the Hanky of Sunday morning, who now looked as modest as -Cleopatra might have done had she been standing godmother to a -little blue-eyed girl--Bellerophon's first-born baby. - -Having recovered from his natural, but promptly repressed, emotion, -the Professor continued:- - -"I need not remind you of the purpose for which so many of us, from -so many parts of our kingdom, are here assembled. We know what we -have come hither to do: we are come each one of us to sign and -seal by his presence the bond of his assent to those momentous -changes, which have found their first great material expression in -the temple that you see around you. - -"You all know how, in accordance with the expressed will of the -Sunchild, the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Musical Banks -began as soon as he had left us to examine, patiently, carefully, -earnestly, and without bias of any kind, firstly the evidences in -support of the Sunchild's claim to be the son of the tutelar deity -of this world, and secondly the precise nature of his instructions -as regards the future position and authority of the Musical Banks. - -"My friends, it is easy to understand why the Sunchild should have -given us these instructions. With that foresight which is the -special characteristic of divine, as compared with human, wisdom, -he desired that the evidences in support of his superhuman -character should be collected, sifted, and placed on record, before -anything was either lost through the death of those who could alone -substantiate it, or unduly supplied through the enthusiasm of over- -zealous visionaries. The greater any true miracle has been, the -more certainly will false ones accrete round it; here, then, we -find the explanation of the command the Sunchild gave to us to -gather, verify, and record, the facts of his sojourn here in -Erewhon. For above all things he held it necessary to ensure that -there should be neither mistake, nor even possibility of mistake. - -"Consider for a moment what differences of opinion would infallibly -have arisen, if the evidences for the miraculous character of the -Sunchild's mission had been conflicting--if they had rested on -versions each claiming to be equally authoritative, but each -hopelessly irreconcilable on vital points with every single other. -What would future generations have said in answer to those who bade -them fling all human experience to the winds, on the strength of -records written they knew not certainly by whom, nor how long after -the marvels that they recorded, and of which all that could be -certainly said was that no two of them told the same story? - -"Who that believes either in God or man--who with any self-respect, -or respect for the gift of reason with which God had endowed him, -either would, or could, believe that a chariot and four horses had -come down from heaven, and gone back again with human or quasi- -human occupants, unless the evidences for the fact left no loophole -for escape? If a single loophole were left him, he would be -unpardonable, not for disbelieving the story, but for believing it. -The sin against God would lie not in want of faith, but in faith. - -"My friends, there are two sins in matters of belief. There is -that of believing on too little evidence, and that of requiring too -much before we are convinced. The guilt of the latter is incurred, -alas! by not a few amongst us at the present day, but if the -testimony to the truth of the wondrous event so faithfully depicted -on the picture that confronts you had been less contemporaneous, -less authoritative, less unanimous, future generations--and it is -for them that we should now provide--would be guilty of the first- -named, and not less heinous sin if they believed at all. - -"Small wonder, then, that the Sunchild, having come amongst us for -our advantage, not his own, would not permit his beneficent designs -to be endangered by the discrepancies, mythical developments, -idiosyncracies, and a hundred other defects inevitably attendant on -amateur and irresponsible recording. Small wonder, then, that he -should have chosen the officials of the Musical Banks, from the -Presidents and Vice-Presidents downwards to be the authoritative -exponents of his teaching, the depositaries of his traditions, and -his representatives here on earth till he shall again see fit to -visit us. For he will come. Nay it is even possible that he may -be here amongst us at this very moment, disguised so that none may -know him, and intent only on watching our devotion towards him. If -this be so, let me implore him, in the name of the sun his father, -to reveal himself." - -Now Hanky had already given my father more than one look that had -made him uneasy. He had evidently recognised him as the supposed -ranger of last Thursday evening. Twice he had run his eye like a -searchlight over the front benches opposite to him, and when the -beam had reached my father there had been no more searching. It -was beginning to dawn upon my father that George might have -discovered that he was not Professor Panky; was it for this reason -that these two young special constables, though they gave up their -places, still kept so close to him? Was George only waiting his -opportunity to arrest him--not of course even suspecting who he -was--but as a foreign devil who had tried to pass himself off as -Professor Panky? Had this been the meaning of his having followed -him to Fairmead? And should he have to be thrown into the Blue -Pool by George after all? "It would serve me," said he to himself, -"richly right." - -These fears which had been taking shape for some few minutes were -turned almost to certainties by the half-contemptuous glance Hanky -threw towards him as he uttered what was obviously intended as a -challenge. He saw that all was over, and was starting to his feet -to declare himself, and thus fall into the trap that Hanky was -laying for him, when George gripped him tightly by the knee and -whispered, "Don't--you are in great danger." And he smiled kindly -as he spoke. - -My father sank back dumbfounded. "You know me?" he whispered in -reply. - -"Perfectly. So does Hanky, so does my mother; say no more," and he -again smiled. - -George, as my father afterwards learned, had hoped that he would -reveal himself, and had determined in spite of his mother's -instructions, to give him an opportunity of doing so. It was for -this reason that he had not arrested him quietly, as he could very -well have done, before the service began. He wished to discover -what manner of man his father was, and was quite happy as soon as -he saw that he would have spoken out if he had not been checked. -He had not yet caught Hanky's motive in trying to goad my father, -but on seeing that he was trying to do this, he knew that a trap -was being laid, and that my father must not be allowed to speak. - -Almost immediately, however, he perceived that while his eyes had -been turned on Hanky, two burly vergers had wormed their way -through the crowd and taken their stand close to his two brothers. -Then he understood, and understood also how to frustrate. - -As for my father, George's ascendancy over him--quite felt by -George--was so absolute that he could think of nothing now but the -exceeding great joy of finding his fears groundless, and of -delivering himself up to his son's guidance in the assurance that -the void in his heart was filled, and that his wager not only would -be held as won, but was being already paid. How they had found -out, why he was not to speak as he would assuredly have done--for -he was in a white heat of fury--what did it all matter now that he -had found that which he had feared he should fail to find? He gave -George a puzzled smile, and composed himself as best he could to -hear the continuation of Hanky's sermon, which was as follows:- - -"Who could the Sunchild have chosen, even though he had been gifted -with no more than human sagacity, but the body of men whom he -selected? It becomes me but ill to speak so warmly in favour of -that body of whom I am the least worthy member, but what other is -there in Erewhon so above all suspicion of slovenliness, self- -seeking, preconceived bias, or bad faith? If there was one set of -qualities more essential than another for the conduct of the -investigations entrusted to us by the Sunchild, it was those that -turn on meekness and freedom from all spiritual pride. I believe I -can say quite truly that these are the qualities for which -Bridgeford is more especially renowned. The readiness of her -Professors to learn even from those who at first sight may seem -least able to instruct them--the gentleness with which they correct -an opponent if they feel it incumbent upon them to do so, the -promptitude with which they acknowledge error when it is pointed -out to them and quit a position no matter how deeply they have been -committed to it, at the first moment in which they see that they -cannot hold it righteously, their delicate sense of honour, their -utter immunity from what the Sunchild used to call log-rolling or -intrigue, the scorn with which they regard anything like hitting -below the belt--these I believe I may truly say are the virtues for -which Bridgeford is pre-eminently renowned." - -The Professor went on to say a great deal more about the fitness of -Bridgeford and the Musical Bank managers for the task imposed on -them by the Sunchild, but here my father's attention flagged--nor, -on looking at the verbatim report of the sermon that appeared next -morning in the leading Sunch'ston journal, do I see reason to -reproduce Hanky's words on this head. It was all to shew that -there had been no possibility of mistake. - -Meanwhile George was writing on a scrap of paper as though he was -taking notes of the sermon. Presently he slipped this into my -father's hand. It ran:- - -"You see those vergers standing near my brothers, who gave up their -seats to us. Hanky tried to goad you into speaking that they might -arrest you, and get you into the Bank prisons. If you fall into -their hands you are lost. I must arrest you instantly on a charge -of poaching on the King's preserves, and make you my prisoner. Let -those vergers catch sight of the warrant which I shall now give -you. Read it and return it to me. Come with me quietly after -service. I think you had better not reveal yourself at all." - -As soon as he had given my father time to read the foregoing, -George took a warrant out of his pocket. My father pretended to -read it and returned it. George then laid his hand on his -shoulder, and in an undertone arrested him. He then wrote on -another scrap of paper and passed it on to the elder of his two -brothers. It was to the effect that he had now arrested my father, -and that if the vergers attempted in any way to interfere between -him and his prisoner, his brothers were to arrest both of them, -which, as special constables, they had power to do. - -Yram had noted Hanky's attempt to goad my father, and had not been -prepared for his stealing a march upon her by trying to get my -father arrested by Musical Bank officials, rather than by her son. -On the preceding evening this last plan had been arranged on; and -she knew nothing of the note that Hanky had sent an hour or two -later to the Manager of the temple--the substance of which the -reader can sufficiently guess. When she had heard Hanky's words -and saw the vergers, she was for a few minutes seriously alarmed, -but she was reassured when she saw George give my father the -warrant, and her two sons evidently explaining the position to the -vergers. - -Hanky had by this time changed his theme, and was warning his -hearers of the dangers that would follow on the legalization of the -medical profession, and the repeal of the edicts against machines. -Space forbids me to give his picture of the horrible tortures that -future generations would be put to by medical men, if these were -not duly kept in check by the influence of the Musical Banks; the -horrors of the inquisition in the middle ages are nothing to what -he depicted as certain to ensue if medical men were ever to have -much money at their command. The only people in whose hands money -might be trusted safely were those who presided over the Musical -Banks. This tirade was followed by one not less alarming about the -growth of materialistic tendencies among the artisans employed in -the production of mechanical inventions. My father, though his -eyes had been somewhat opened by the second of the two processions -he had seen on his way to Sunch'ston, was not prepared to find that -in spite of the superficially almost universal acceptance of the -new faith, there was a powerful, and it would seem growing, -undercurrent of scepticism, with a desire to reduce his escape with -my mother to a purely natural occurence. - -"It is not enough," said Hanky, "that the Sunchild should have -ensured the preparation of authoritative evidence of his -supernatural character. The evidences happily exist in -overwhelming strength, but they must be brought home to minds that -as yet have stubbornly refused to receive them. During the last -five years there has been an enormous increase in the number of -those whose occupation in the manufacture of machines inclines them -to a materialistic explanation even of the most obviously -miraculous events, and the growth of this class in our midst -constituted, and still constitutes, a grave danger to the state. - -"It was to meet this that the society was formed on behalf of which -I appeal fearlessly to your generosity. It is called, as most of -you doubtless know, the Sunchild Evidence Society; and his Majesty -the King graciously consented to become its Patron. This society -not only collects additional evidences--indeed it is entirely due -to its labours that the precious relic now in this temple was -discovered--but it is its beneficent purpose to lay those that have -been authoritatively investigated before men who, if left to -themselves, would either neglect them altogether, or worse still -reject them. - -"For the first year or two the efforts of the society met with but -little success among those for whose benefit they were more -particularly intended, but during the present year the working -classes in some cities and towns (stimulated very much by the -lectures of my illustrious friend Professor Panky) have shewn a -most remarkable and zealous interest in Sunchild evidences, and -have formed themselves into local branches for the study and -defence of Sunchild truth. - -"Yet in spite of all this need--of all this patient labour and -really very gratifying success--the subscriptions to the society no -longer furnish it with its former very modest income--an income -which is deplorably insufficient if the organization is to be kept -effective, and the work adequately performed. In spite of the most -rigid economy, the committee have been compelled to part with a -considerable portion of their small reserve fund (provided by a -legacy) to tide over difficulties. But this method of balancing -expenditure and income is very unsatisfactory, and cannot be long -continued. - -"I am led to plead for the society with especial insistence at the -present time, inasmuch as more than one of those whose unblemished -life has made them fitting recipients of such a signal favour, have -recently had visions informing them that the Sunchild will again -shortly visit us. We know not when he will come, but when he -comes, my friends, let him not find us unmindful of, nor ungrateful -for, the inestimable services he has rendered us. For come he -surely will. Either in winter, what time icicles hang by the wall -and milk comes frozen home in the pail--or in summer when days are -at their longest and the mowing grass is about--there will be an -hour, either at morn, or eve, or in the middle day, when he will -again surely come. May it be mine to be among those who are then -present to receive him." - -Here he again glared at my father, whose blood was boiling. George -had not positively forbidden him to speak out; he therefore sprang -to his feet, "You lying hound," he cried, "I am the Sunchild, and -you know it." - -George, who knew that he had my father in his own hands, made no -attempt to stop him, and was delighted that he should have declared -himself though he had felt it his duty to tell him not to do so. -Yram turned pale. Hanky roared out, "Tear him in pieces--leave not -a single limb on his body. Take him out and burn him alive." The -vergers made a dash for him--but George's brothers seized them. -The crowd seemed for a moment inclined to do as Hanky bade them, -but Yram rose from her place, and held up her hand as one who -claimed attention. She advanced towards George and my father as -unconcernedly as though she were merely walking out of church, but -she still held her hand uplifted. All eyes were turned on her, as -well as on George and my father, and the icy calm of her self- -possession chilled those who were inclined for the moment to take -Hanky's words literally. There was not a trace of fluster in her -gait, action, or words, as she said - - -"My friends, this temple, and this day, must not be profaned with -blood. My son will take this poor madman to the prison. Let him -be judged and punished according to law. Make room, that he and my -son may pass." - -Then, turning to my father, she said, "Go quietly with the Ranger." - -Having so spoken, she returned to her seat as unconcernedly as she -had left it. - -Hanky for a time continued to foam at the mouth and roar out, "Tear -him to pieces! burn him alive!" but when he saw that there was no -further hope of getting the people to obey him, he collapsed on to -a seat in his pulpit, mopped his bald head, and consoled himself -with a great pinch of a powder which corresponds very closely to -our own snuff. - -George led my father out by the side door at the north end of the -western aisle; the people eyed him intently, but made way for him -without demonstration. One voice alone was heard to cry out, "Yes, -he is the Sunchild!" My father glanced at the speaker, and saw -that he was the interpreter who had taught him the Erewhonian -language when he was in prison. - -George, seeing a special constable close by, told him to bid his -brothers release the vergers, and let them arrest the interpreter-- -this the vergers, foiled as they had been in the matter of my -father's arrest, were very glad to do. So the poor interpreter, to -his dismay, was lodged at once in one of the Bank prison-cells, -where he could do no further harm. - - - -CHAPTER XVII: GEORGE TAKES HIS FATHER TO PRISON, AND THERE OBTAINS -SOME USEFUL INFORMATION - - - -By this time George had got my father into the open square, where -he was surprised to find that a large bonfire had been made and -lighted. There had been nothing of the kind an hour before; the -wood, therefore, must have been piled and lighted while people had -been in church. He had no time at the moment to enquire why this -had been done, but later on he discovered that on the Sunday -morning the Manager of the new temple had obtained leave from the -Mayor to have the wood piled in the square, representing that this -was Professor Hanky's contribution to the festivities of the day. -There had, it seemed, been no intention of lighting it until -nightfall; but it had accidentally caught fire through the -carelessness of a workman, much about the time when Hanky began to -preach. No one for a moment believed that there had been any -sinister intention, or that Professor Hanky when he urged the crowd -to burn my father alive, even knew that there was a pile of wood in -the square at all--much less that it had been lighted--for he could -hardly have supposed that the wood had been got together so soon. -Nevertheless both George and my father, when they knew all that had -passed, congratulated themselves on the fact that my father had not -fallen into the hands of the vergers, who would probably have tried -to utilise the accidental fire, though in no case is it likely they -would have succeeded. - -As soon as they were inside the gaol, the old Master recognised my -father. "Bless my heart--what? You here, again, Mr. Higgs? Why, -I thought you were in the palace of the sun your father." - -"I wish I was," answered my father, shaking hands with him, but he -could say no more. - -"You are as safe here as if you were," said George laughing, "and -safer." Then turning to his grandfather, he said, "You have the -record of Mr. Higgs's marks and measurements? I know you have: -take him to his old cell; it is the best in the prison; and then -please bring me the record." - -The old man took George and my father to the cell which he had -occupied twenty years earlier--but I cannot stay to describe his -feelings on finding himself again within it. The moment his -grandfather's back was turned, George said to my father, "And now -shake hands also with your son." - -As he spoke he took my father's hand and pressed it warmly between -both his own. - -"Then you know you are my son," said my father as steadily as the -strong emotion that mastered him would permit. - -"Certainly." - -"But you did not know this when I was walking with you on Friday?" - -"Of course not. I thought you were Professor Panky; if I had not -taken you for one of the two persons named in your permit, I should -have questioned you closely, and probably ended by throwing you -into the Blue Pool." He shuddered as he said this. - -"But you knew who I was when you called me Panky in the temple?" - -"Quite so. My mother told me everything on Friday evening." - -"And that is why you tried to find me at Fairmead?" - -"Yes, but where in the world were you?" - -"I was inside the Musical Bank of the town, resting and reading." - -George laughed, and said, "On purpose to hide?" - -"Oh no; pure chance. But on Friday evening? How could your mother -have found out by that time that I was in Erewhon? Am I on my head -or my heels?" - -"On your heels, my father, which shall take you back to your own -country as soon as we can get you out of this." - -"What have I done to deserve so much goodwill? I have done you -nothing but harm?" Again he was quite overcome. - -George patted him gently on the hand, and said, "You made a bet and -you won it. During the very short time that we can be together, -you shall be paid in full, and may heaven protect us both." - -As soon as my father could speak he said, "But how did your mother -find out that I was in Erewhon?" - -"Hanky and Panky were dining with her, and they told her some -things that she thought strange. She cross-questioned them, put -two and two together, learned that you had got their permit out of -them, saw that you intended to return on Friday, and concluded that -you would be sleeping in Sunch'ston. She sent for me, told me all, -bade me scour Sunch'ston to find you, intending that you should be -at once escorted safely over the preserves by me. I found your -inn, but you had given us the slip. I tried first Fairmead and -then Clearwater, but did not find you till this morning. For -reasons too long to repeat, my mother warned Hanky and Panky that -you would be in the temple; whereon Hanky tried to get you into his -clutches. Happily he failed, but if I had known what he was doing -I should have arrested you before the service. I ought to have -done this, but I wanted you to win your wager, and I shall get you -safely away in spite of them. My mother will not like my having -let you hear Hanky's sermon and declare yourself." - -"You half told me not to say who I was." - -"Yes, but I was delighted when you disobeyed me." - -"I did it very badly. I never rise to great occasions, I always -fall to them, but these things must come as they come." - -"You did it as well as it could be done, and good will come of it." - -"And now," he continued, "describe exactly all that passed between -you and the Professors. On which side of Panky did Hanky sit, and -did they sit north and south or east and west? How did you get--oh -yes, I know that--you told them it would be of no further use to -them. Tell me all else you can." - -My father said that the Professors were sitting pretty well east -and west, so that Hanky, who was on the east side, nearest the -mountains, had Panky, who was on the Sunch'ston side, on his right -hand. George made a note of this. My father then told what the -reader already knows, but when he came to the measurement of the -boots, George said, "Take your boots off," and began taking off his -own. "Foot for foot," said he, "we are not father and son, but -brothers. Yours will fit me; they are less worn than mine, but I -daresay you will not mind that." - -On this George ex abundanti cautela knocked a nail out of the right -boot that he had been wearing and changed boots with my father; but -he thought it more plausible not to knock out exactly the same nail -that was missing on my father's boot. When the change was made, -each found--or said he found--the other's boots quite comfortable. - -My father all the time felt as though he were a basket given to a -dog. The dog had got him, was proud of him, and no one must try to -take him away. The promptitude with which George took to him, the -obvious pleasure he had in "running" him, his quick judgement, -verging as it should towards rashness, his confidence that my -father trusted him without reserve, the conviction of perfect -openness that was conveyed by the way in which his eyes never -budged from my father's when he spoke to him, his genial, kindly, -manner, perfect physical health, and the air he had of being on the -best possible terms with himself and every one else--the -combination of all this so overmastered my poor father (who indeed -had been sufficiently mastered before he had been five minutes in -George's company) that he resigned himself as gratefully to being a -basket, as George had cheerfully undertaken the task of carrying -him. - -In passing I may say that George could never get his own boots back -again, though he tried more than once to do so. My father always -made some excuse. They were the only memento of George that he -brought home with him; I wonder that he did not ask for a lock of -his hair, but he did not. He had the boots put against a wall in -his bedroom, where he could see them from his bed, and during his -illness, while consciousness yet remained with him, I saw his eyes -continually turn towards them. George, in fact, dominated him as -long as anything in this world could do so. Nor do I wonder; on -the contrary, I love his memory the better; for I too, as will -appear later, have seen George, and whatever little jealousy I may -have felt, vanished on my finding him almost instantaneously gain -the same ascendancy over me his brother, that he had gained over -his and my father. But of this no more at present. Let me return -to the gaol in Sunch'ston. - -"Tell me more," said George, "about the Professors." - -My father told him about the nuggets, the sale of his kit, the -receipt he had given for the money, and how he had got the nuggets -back from a tree, the position of which he described. - -"I know the tree; have you got the nuggets here?" - -"Here they are, with the receipt, and the pocket handkerchief -marked with Hanky's name. The pocket handkerchief was found -wrapped round some dried leaves that we call tea, but I have not -got these with me." As he spoke he gave everything to George, who -showed the utmost delight in getting possession of them. - -"I suppose the blanket and the rest of the kit are still in the -tree?" - -"Unless Hanky and Panky have got them away, or some one has found -them." - -"This is not likely. I will now go to my office, but I will come -back very shortly. My grandfather shall bring you something to eat -at once. I will tell him to send enough for two"--which he -accordingly did. - -On reaching the office, he told his next brother (whom he had made -an under-ranger) to go to the tree he described, and bring back the -bundle he should find concealed therein. "You can go there and -back," he said, "in an hour and a half, and I shall want the bundle -by that time." - -The brother, whose name I never rightly caught, set out at once. -As soon as he was gone, George took from a drawer the feathers and -bones of quails, that he had shown my father on the morning when he -met him. He divided them in half, and made them into two bundles, -one of which he docketed, "Bones of quails eaten, XIX. xii. 29, by -Professor Hanky, P.O.W.W., &c." And he labelled Panky's quail -bones in like fashion. - -Having done this, he returned to the gaol, but on his way he looked -in at the Mayor's, and left a note saying that he should be at the -gaol, where any message would reach him, but that he did not wish -to meet Professors Hanky and Panky for another couple of hours. It -was now about half-past twelve, and he caught sight of a crowd -coming quietly out of the temple, whereby he knew that Hanky would -soon be at the Mayor's house. - -Dinner was brought in almost at the moment when George returned to -the gaol. As soon as it was over George said:- - -"Are you quite sure you have made no mistake about the way in which -you got the permit out of the Professors?" - -"Quite sure. I told them they would not want it, and said I could -save them trouble if they gave it me. They never suspected why I -wanted it. Where do you think I may be mistaken?" - -"You sold your nuggets for rather less than a twentieth part of -their value, and you threw in some curiosities, that would have -fetched about half as much as you got for the nuggets. You say you -did this because you wanted money to keep you going till you could -sell some of your nuggets. This sounds well at first, but the -sacrifice is too great to be plausible when considered. It looks -more like a case of good honest manly straightforward corruption." - -"But surely you believe me?" - -"Of course I do. I believe every syllable that comes from your -mouth, but I shall not be able to make out that the story was as it -was not, unless I am quite certain what it really was." - -"It was exactly as I have told you." - -"That is enough. And now, may I tell my mother that you will put -yourself in her, and the Mayor's, and my, hands, and will do -whatever we tell you?" - -"I will be obedience itself--but you will not ask me to do anything -that will make your mother or you think less well of me?" - -"If we tell you what you are to do, we shall not think any the -worse of you for doing it. Then I may say to my mother that you -will be good and give no trouble--not even though we bid you shake -hands with Hanky and Panky?" - -"I will embrace them and kiss them on both cheeks, if you and she -tell me to do so. But what about the Mayor?" - -"He has known everything, and condoned everything, these last -twenty years. He will leave everything to my mother and me." - -"Shall I have to see him?" - -"Certainly. You must be brought up before him to-morrow morning." - -"How can I look him in the face?" - -"As you would me, or any one else. It is understood among us that -nothing happened. Things may have looked as though they had -happened, but they did not happen." - -"And you are not yet quite twenty?" - -"No, but I am son to my mother--and," he added, "to one who can -stretch a point or two in the way of honesty as well as other -people." - -Having said this with a laugh, he again took my father's hand -between both his, and went back to his office--where he set himself -to think out the course he intended to take when dealing with the -Professors. - - - -CHAPTER XVIII: YRAM INVITES DR. DOWNIE AND MRS. HUMDRUM TO -LUNCHEON--A PASSAGE AT ARMS BETWEEN HER AND HANKY IS AMICABLY -ARRANGED - - - -The disturbance caused by my father's outbreak was quickly -suppressed, for George got him out of the temple almost -immediately; it was bruited about, however, that the Sunchild had -come down from the palace of the sun, but had disappeared as soon -as any one had tried to touch him. In vain did Hanky try to put -fresh life into his sermon; its back had been broken, and large -numbers left the church to see what they could hear outside, or -failing information, to discourse more freely with one another. - -Hanky did his best to quiet his hearers when he found that he could -not infuriate them,-- - -"This poor man," he said, "is already known to me, as one of those -who have deluded themselves into believing that they are the -Sunchild. I have known of his so declaring himself, more than -once, in the neighbourhood of Bridgeford, and others have not -infrequently done the same; I did not at first recognize him, and -regret that the shock of horror his words occasioned me should have -prompted me to suggest violence against him. Let this unfortunate -affair pass from your minds, and let me again urge upon you the -claims of the Sunchild Evidence Society." - -The audience on hearing that they were to be told more about the -Sunchild Evidence Society melted away even more rapidly than -before, and the sermon fizzled out to an ignominious end quite -unworthy of its occasion. - -About half-past twelve, the service ended, and Hanky went to the -robing-room to take off his vestments. Yram, the Mayor, and Panky, -waited for him at the door opposite to that through which my father -had been taken; while waiting, Yram scribbled off two notes in -pencil, one to Dr. Downie, and another to Mrs. Humdrum, begging -them to come to lunch at once--for it would be one o'clock before -they could reach the Mayor's. She gave these notes to the Mayor, -and bade him bring both the invited guests along with him. - -The Mayor left just as Hanky was coming towards her. "This, -Mayoress," he said with some asperity, "is a very serious business. -It has ruined my collection. Half the people left the temple -without giving anything at all. You seem," he added in a tone the -significance of which could not be mistaken, "to be very fond, -Mayoress, of this Mr. Higgs." - -"Yes," said Yram, "I am; I always liked him, and I am sorry for -him; but he is not the person I am most sorry for at this moment-- -he, poor man, is not going to be horsewhipped within the next -twenty minutes." And she spoke the "he" in italics. - -"I do not understand you, Mayoress." - -"My husband will explain, as soon as I have seen him." - -"Hanky," said Panky, "you must withdraw, and apologise at once." - -Hanky was not slow to do this, and when he had disavowed -everything, withdrawn everything, apologised for everything, and -eaten humble pie to Yram's satisfaction, she smiled graciously, and -held out her hand, which Hanky was obliged to take. - -"And now, Professor," she said, "let me return to your remark that -this is a very serious business, and let me also claim a woman's -privilege of being listened to whenever she chooses to speak. I -propose, then, that we say nothing further about this matter till -after luncheon. I have asked Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum to join -us--" - -"Why Mrs. Humdrum?" interrupted Hanky none too pleasantly, for he -was still furious about the duel that had just taken place between -himself and his hostess. - -"My dear Professor," said Yram good-humouredly, "pray say all you -have to say and I will continue." - -Hanky was silent. - -"I have asked," resumed Yram, "Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum to join, -us, and after luncheon we can discuss the situation or no as you -may think proper. Till then let us say no more. Luncheon will be -over by two o'clock or soon after, and the banquet will not begin -till seven, so we shall have plenty of time." - -Hanky looked black and said nothing. As for Panky he was morally -in a state of collapse, and did not count. - -Hardly had they reached the Mayor's house when the Mayor also -arrived with Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum, both of whom had seen and -recognised my father in spite of his having dyed his hair. Dr. -Downie had met him at supper in Mr. Thims's rooms when he had -visited Bridgeford, and naturally enough had observed him closely. -Mrs. Humdrum, as I have already said, had seen him more than once -when he was in prison. She and Dr. Downie were talking earnestly -over the strange reappearance of one whom they had believed long -since dead, but Yram imposed on them the same silence that she had -already imposed on the Professors. - -"Professor Hanky," said she to Mrs. Humdrum, in Hanky's hearing, -"is a little alarmed at my having asked you to join our secret -conclave. He is not married, and does not know how well a woman -can hold her tongue when she chooses. I should have told you all -that passed, for I mean to follow your advice, so I thought you had -better hear everything yourself." - -Hanky still looked black, but he said nothing. Luncheon was -promptly served, and done justice to in spite of much -preoccupation; for if there is one thing that gives a better -appetite than another, it is a Sunday morning's service with a -charity sermon to follow. As the guests might not talk on the -subject they wanted to talk about, and were in no humour to speak -of anything else, they gave their whole attention to the good -things that were before them, without so much as a thought about -reserving themselves for the evening's banquet. Nevertheless, when -luncheon was over, the Professors were in no more genial, -manageable, state of mind than they had been when it began. - -When the servants had left the room, Yram said to Hanky, "You saw -the prisoner, and he was the man you met on Thursday night?" - -"Certainly, he was wearing the forbidden dress and he had many -quails in his possession. There is no doubt also that he was a -foreign devil." - -At this point, it being now nearly half-past two, George came in, -and took a seat next to Mrs. Humdrum--between her and his mother-- -who of course sat at the head of the table with the Mayor opposite -to her. On one side of the table sat the Professors, and on the -other Dr. Downie, Mrs. Humdrum, and George, who had heard the last -few words that Hanky had spoken. - - - -CHAPTER XIX: A COUNCIL IS HELD AT THE MAYOR'S, IN THE COURSE OF -WHICH GEORGE TURNS THE TABLES ON THE PROFESSORS - - - -"Now who," said Yram, "is this unfortunate creature to be, when he -is brought up to-morrow morning, on the charge of poaching?" - -"It is not necessary," said Hanky severely, "that he should be -brought up for poaching. He is a foreign devil, and as such your -son is bound to fling him without trial into the Blue Pool. Why -bring a smaller charge when you must inflict the death penalty on a -more serious one? I have already told you that I shall feel it my -duty to report the matter at headquarters, unless I am satisfied -that the death penalty has been inflicted." - -"Of course," said George, "we must all of us do our duty, and I -shall not shrink from mine--but I have arrested this man on a -charge of poaching, and must give my reasons; the case cannot be -dropped, and it must be heard in public. Am I, or am I not, to -have the sworn depositions of both you gentlemen to the fact that -the prisoner is the man you saw with quails in his possession? If -you can depose to this he will be convicted, for there can be no -doubt he killed the birds himself. The least penalty my father can -inflict is twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour; and he -must undergo this sentence before I can Blue-Pool him. - -"Then comes the question whether or no he is a foreign devil. I -may decide this in private, but I must have depositions on oath -before I do so, and at present I have nothing but hearsay. Perhaps -you gentlemen can give me the evidence I shall require, but the -case is one of such importance that were the prisoner proved never -so clearly to be a foreign devil, I should not Blue-Pool him till I -had taken the King's pleasure concerning him. I shall rejoice, -therefore, if you gentlemen can help me to sustain the charge of -poaching, and thus give me legal standing-ground for deferring -action which the King might regret, and which once taken cannot be -recalled." - -Here Yram interposed. "These points," she said, "are details. -Should we not first settle, not what, but who, we shall allow the -prisoner to be, when he is brought up to-morrow morning? Settle -this, and the rest will settle itself. He has declared himself to -be the Sunchild, and will probably do so again. I am prepared to -identify him, so is Dr. Downie, so is Mrs. Humdrum, the -interpreter, and doubtless my father. Others of known -respectability will also do so, and his marks and measurements are -sure to correspond quite sufficiently. The question is, whether -all this is to be allowed to appear on evidence, or whether it is -to be established, as it easily may, if we give our minds to it, -that he is not the Sunchild." - -"Whatever else he is," said Hanky, "he must not be the Sunchild. -He must, if the charge of poaching cannot be dropped, be a poacher -and a foreign devil. I was doubtless too hasty when I said that I -believed I recognized the man as one who had more than once -declared himself to be the Sunchild--" - -"But, Hanky," interrupted Panky, "are you sure that you can swear -to this man's being the man we met on Thursday night? We only saw -him by firelight, and I doubt whether I should feel justified in -swearing to him." - -"Well, well: on second thoughts I am not sure, Panky, but what you -may be right after all; it is possible that he may be what I said -he was in my sermon." - -"I rejoice to hear you say so," said George, "for in this case the -charge of poaching will fall through. There will be no evidence -against the prisoner. And I rejoice also to think that I shall -have nothing to warrant me in believing him to be a foreign devil. -For if he is not to be the Sunchild, and not to be your poacher, he -becomes a mere monomaniac. If he apologises for having made a -disturbance in the temple, and promises not to offend again, a -fine, and a few days' imprisonment, will meet the case, and he may -be discharged." - -"I see, I see," said Hanky very angrily. "You are determined to -get this man off if you can." - -"I shall act," said George, "in accordance with sworn evidence, and -not otherwise. Choose whether you will have the prisoner to be -your poacher or no: give me your sworn depositions one way or the -other, and I shall know how to act. If you depose on oath to the -identity of the prisoner and your poacher, he will be convicted and -imprisoned. As to his being a foreign devil, if he is the -Sunchild, of course he is one; but otherwise I cannot Blue-Pool him -even when his sentence is expired, without testimony deposed to me -on oath in private, though no open trial is required. A case for -suspicion was made out in my hearing last night, but I must have -depositions on oath to all the leading facts before I can decide -what my duty is. What will you swear to?" - -"All this," said Hanky, in a voice husky with passion, "shall be -reported to the King." - -"I intend to report every word of it; but that is not the point: -the question is what you gentlemen will swear to?" - -"Very well. I will settle it thus. We will swear that the -prisoner is the poacher we met on Thursday night, and that he is -also a foreign devil: his wearing the forbidden dress; his foreign -accent; the foot-tracks we found in the snow, as of one coming over -from the other side; his obvious ignorance of the Afforesting Act, -as shown by his having lit a fire and making no effort to conceal -his quails till our permit shewed him his blunder; the cock-and- -bull story he told us about your orders, and that other story about -his having killed a foreign devil--if these facts do not satisfy -you, they will satisfy the King that the prisoner is a foreign -devil as well as a poacher." - -"Some of these facts," answered George, "are new to me. How do you -know that the foot-tracks were made by the prisoner?" - -Panky brought out his note-book and read the details he had noted. - -"Did you examine the man's boots?" - -"One of them, the right foot; this, with the measurements, was -quite enough." - -"Hardly. Please to look at both soles of my own boots; you will -find that those tracks were mine. I will have the prisoner's boots -examined; in the meantime let me tell you that I was up at the -statues on Thursday morning, walked three or four hundred yards -beyond them, over ground where there was less snow, returned over -the snow, and went two or three times round them, as it is the -Ranger's duty to do once a year in order to see that none of them -are beginning to lean." - -He showed the soles of his boots, and the Professors were obliged -to admit that the tracks were his. He cautioned them as to the -rest of the points on which they relied. Might they not be as -mistaken, as they had just proved to be about the tracks? He could -not, however, stir them from sticking to it that there was enough -evidence to prove my father to be a foreign devil, and declaring -their readiness to depose to the facts on oath. In the end Hanky -again fiercely accused him of trying to shield the prisoner. - -"You are quite right," said George, "and you will see my reasons -shortly." - -"I have no doubt," said Hanky significantly, "that they are such as -would weigh with any man of ordinary feeling." - -"I understand, then," said George, appearing to take no notice of -Hanky's innuendo, "that you will swear to the facts as you have -above stated them?" - -"Certainly." - -"Then kindly wait while I write them on the form that I have -brought with me; the Mayor can administer the oath and sign your -depositions. I shall then be able to leave you, and proceed with -getting up the case against the prisoner." - -So saying, he went to a writing-table in another part of the room, -and made out the depositions. - -Meanwhile the Mayor, Mrs. Humdrum, and Dr. Downie (who had each of -them more than once vainly tried to take part in the above -discussion) conversed eagerly in an undertone among themselves. -Hanky was blind with rage, for he had a sense that he was going to -be outwitted; the Mayor, Yram, and Mrs. Humdrum had already seen -that George thought he had all the trumps in his own hand, but they -did not know more. Dr. Downie was frightened, and Panky so muddled -as to be hors de combat. - -George now rejoined the Professors, and read the depositions: the -Mayor administered the oath according to Erewhonian custom; the -Professors signed without a word, and George then handed the -document to his father to countersign. - -The Mayor examined it, and almost immediately said, "My dear -George, you have made a mistake; these depositions are on a form -reserved for deponents who are on the point of death." - -"Alas!" answered George, "there is no help for it. I did my utmost -to prevent their signing. I knew that those depositions were their -own death warrant,-- and that is why, though I was satisfied that -the prisoner is a foreign devil, I had hoped to be able to shut my -eyes. I can now no longer do so, and as the inevitable -consequence, I must Blue-Pool both the Professors before midnight. -What man of ordinary feeling would not under these circumstances -have tried to dissuade them from deposing as they have done?" - -By this time the Professors had started to their feet, and there -was a look of horrified astonishment on the faces of all present, -save that of George, who seemed quite happy. - -"What monstrous absurdity is this?" shouted Hanky; "do you mean to -murder us?" - -"Certainly not. But you have insisted that I should do my duty, -and I mean to do it. You gentlemen have now been proved to my -satisfaction to have had traffic with a foreign devil; and under -section 37 of the Afforesting Act, I must at once Blue-Pool any -such persons without public trial." - -"Nonsense, nonsense, there was nothing of the kind on our permit, -and as for trafficking with this foreign devil, we spoke to him, -but we neither bought nor sold. Where is the Act?" - -"Here. On your permit you were referred to certain other clauses -not set out therein, which might be seen at the Mayor's office. -Clause 37 is as follows:- - - -"It is furthermore enacted that should any of his Majesty's -subjects be found, after examination by the Head Ranger, to have -had traffic of any kind by way of sale or barter with any foreign -devil, the said Ranger, on being satisfied that such traffic has -taken place, shall forthwith, with or without the assistance of his -under-rangers, convey such subjects of his Majesty to the Blue -Pool, bind them, weight them, and fling them into it, without the -formality of a trial, and shall report the circumstances of the -case to his Majesty." - - -"But we never bought anything from the prisoner. What evidence can -you have of this but the word of a foreign devil in such straits -that he would swear to anything?" - -"The prisoner has nothing to do with it. I am convinced by this -receipt in Professor Panky's handwriting which states that he and -you jointly purchased his kit from the prisoner, and also this bag -of gold nuggets worth about 100 pounds in silver, for the absurdly -small sum of 4 pounds, 10s. in silver. I am further convinced by -this handkerchief marked with Professor Hanky's name, in which was -found a broken packet of dried leaves that are now at my office -with the rest of the prisoner's kit." - -"Then we were watched and dogged," said Hanky, "on Thursday -evening." - -"That, sir," replied George, "is my business, not yours." - -Here Panky laid his arms on the table, buried his head in them, and -burst into tears. Every one seemed aghast, but the Mayor, Yram, -and Mrs. Humdrum saw that George was enjoying it all far too keenly -to be serious. Dr. Downie was still frightened (for George's -surface manner was Rhadamanthine) and did his utmost to console -Panky. George pounded away ruthlessly at his case. - -"I say nothing about your having bought quails from the prisoner -and eaten them. As you justly remarked just now, there is no -object in preferring a smaller charge when one must inflict the -death penalty on a more serious one. Still, Professor Hanky, these -are bones of the quails you ate as you sate opposite the prisoner -on the side of the fire nearest Sunch'ston; these are Professor -Panky's bones, with which I need not disturb him. This is your -permit, which was found upon the prisoner, and which there can be -no doubt you sold him, having been bribed by the offer of the -nuggets for--" - -"Monstrous, monstrous! Infamous falsehood! Who will believe such -a childish trumped up story!" - -"Who, sir, will believe anything else? You will hardly contend -that you did not know the nuggets were gold, and no one will -believe you mean enough to have tried to get this poor man's -property out of him for a song--you knowing its value, and he not -knowing the same. No one will believe that you did not know the -man to be a foreign devil, or that he could hoodwink two such -learned Professors so cleverly as to get their permit out of them. -Obviously he seduced you into selling him your permit, and--I -presume because he wanted a little of our money--he made you pay -him for his kit. I am satisfied that you have not only had traffic -with a foreign devil, but traffic of a singularly atrocious kind, -and this being so, I shall Blue-Pool both of you as soon as I can -get you up to the Pool itself. The sooner we start the better. I -shall gag you, and drive you up in a close carriage as far as the -road goes; from that point you can walk up, or be dragged up as you -may prefer, but you will probably find walking more comfortable." - -"But," said Hanky, "come what may, I must be at the banquet. I am -set down to speak." - -"The Mayor will explain that you have been taken somewhat suddenly -unwell." - -Here Yram, who had been talking quietly with her husband, Dr. -Downie, and Mrs. Humdrum, motioned her son to silence. - -"I feared," she said, "that difficulties might arise, though I did -not foresee how seriously they would affect my guests. Let Mrs. -Humdrum on our side, and Dr. Downie on that of the Professors, go -into the next room and talk the matter quietly over; let us then -see whether we cannot agree to be bound by their decision. I do -not doubt but they will find some means of averting any catastrophe -more serious--No, Professor Hanky, the doors are locked--than a -little perjury in which we shall all share and share alike." - -"Do what you like," said Hanky, looking for all the world like a -rat caught in a trap. As he spoke he seized a knife from the -table, whereon George pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket -and slipped them on to his wrists before he well knew what was -being done to him. - -"George," said the Mayor, "this is going too far. Do you mean to -Blue-Pool the Professors or no?" - -"Not if they will compromise. If they will be reasonable, they -will not be Blue-Pooled; if they think they can have everything -their own way, the eels will be at them before morning." - -A voice was heard from the head of Panky which he had buried in his -arms upon the table. "Co-co-co-compromise," it said; and the -effect was so comic that every one except Hanky smiled. Meanwhile -Yram had conducted Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum into an adjoining -room. - - - -CHAPTER XX: MRS. HUMDRUM AND DR. DOWNIE PROPOSE A COMPROMISE, -WHICH, AFTER AN AMENDMENT BY GEORGE, IS CARRIED NEM. CON. - - - -They returned in about ten minutes, and Dr. Downie asked Mrs. -Humdrum to say what they had agreed to recommend. - -"We think," said she very demurely, "that the strict course would -be to drop the charge of poaching, and Blue-Pool both the -Professors and the prisoner without delay. - -"We also think that the proper thing would be to place on record -that the prisoner is the Sunchild--about which neither Dr. Downie -nor I have a shadow of doubt. - -"These measures we hold to be the only legal ones, but at the same -time we do not recommend them. We think it would offend the public -conscience if it came to be known, as it certainly would, that the -Sunchild was violently killed, on the very day that had seen us -dedicate a temple in his honour, and perhaps at the very hour when -laudatory speeches were being made about him at the Mayor's -banquet; we think also that we should strain a good many points -rather than Blue-Pool the Professors. - -"Nothing is perfect, and Truth makes her mistakes like other -people; when she goes wrong and reduces herself to such an -absurdity as she has here done, those who love her must save her -from herself, correct her, and rehabilitate her. - -"Our conclusion, therefore, is this:- - -"The prisoner must recant on oath his statement that he is the -Sunchild. The interpreter must be squared, or convinced of his -mistake. The Mayoress, Dr. Downie, I, and the gaoler (with the -interpreter if we can manage him), must depose on oath that the -prisoner is not Higgs. This must be our contribution to the -rehabilitation of Truth. - -"The Professors must contribute as follows: They must swear that -the prisoner is not the man they met with quails in his possession -on Thursday night. They must further swear that they have one or -both of them known him, off and on, for many years past, as a -monomaniac with Sunchildism on the brain but otherwise harmless. -If they will do this, no proceedings are to be taken against them. - -"The Mayor's contribution shall be to reprimand the prisoner, and -order him to repeat his recantation in the new temple before the -Manager and Head Cashier, and to confirm his statement on oath by -kissing the reliquary containing the newly found relic. - -"The Ranger and the Master of the Gaol must contribute that the -prisoner's measurements, and the marks found on his body, negative -all possibility of his identity with the Sunchild, and that all the -hair on the covered as well as the uncovered parts of his body was -found to be jet black. - -"We advise further that the prisoner should have his nuggets and -his kit returned to him, and that the receipt given by the -Professors together with Professor Hanky's handkerchief be given -back to the Professors. - -"Furthermore, seeing that we should all of us like to have a quiet -evening with the prisoner, we should petition the Mayor and -Mayoress to ask him to meet all here present at dinner to-morrow -evening, after his discharge, on the plea that Professors Hanky and -Panky and Dr. Downie may give him counsel, convince him of his -folly, and if possible free him henceforth from the monomania under -which he now suffers. - -"The prisoner shall give his word of honour, never to return to -Erewhon, nor to encourage any of his countrymen to do so. After -the dinner to which we hope the Mayoress Will invite us, the -Ranger, if the night is fair, shall escort the prisoner as far as -the statues, whence he will find his own way home. - -"Those who are in favour of this compromise hold up their hands." - -The Mayor and Yram held up theirs. "Will you hold up yours, -Professor Hanky," said George, "if I release you?" - -"Yes," said Hanky with a gruff laugh, whereon George released him -and he held up both his hands. - -Panky did not hold up his, whereon Hanky said, "Hold up your hands, -Panky, can't you? We are really very well out of it." - -Panky, hardly lifting his head, sobbed out, "I think we ought to -have our f-f-fo-fo-four pounds ten returned to us." - -"I am afraid, sir," said George, "that the prisoner must have spent -the greater part of this money." - -Every one smiled, indeed it was all George could do to prevent -himself from laughing outright. The Mayor brought out his purse, -counted the money, and handed it good-humouredly to Panky, who -gratefully received it, and said he would divide it with Hanky. He -then held up his hands, "But," he added, turning to his brother -Professor, "so long as I live, Hanky, I will never go out anywhere -again with you." - -George then turned to Hanky and said, "I am afraid I must now -trouble you and Professor Panky to depose on oath to the facts -which Mrs. Humdrum and Dr. Downie propose you should swear to in -open court to-morrow. I knew you would do so, and have brought an -ordinary form, duly filled up, which declares that the prisoner is -not the poacher you met on Thursday; and also, that he has been -long known to both of you as a harmless monomaniac." - -As he spoke he brought out depositions to the above effect which he -had just written in his office; he shewed the Professors that the -form was this time an innocent one, whereon they made no demur to -signing and swearing in the presence of the Mayor, who attested. - -"The former depositions," said Hanky, "had better be destroyed at -once." - -"That," said George, "may hardly be, but so long as you stick to -what you have just sworn to, they will not be used against you." - -Hanky scowled, but knew that he was powerless and said no more. - -* * * - -The knowledge of what ensued did not reach me from my father. -George and his mother, seeing how ill he looked, and what a shock -the events of the last few days had given him, resolved that he -should not know of the risk that George was about to run; they -therefore said nothing to him about it. What I shall now tell, I -learned on the occasion already referred to when I had the -happiness to meet George. I am in some doubt whether it is more -fitly told here, or when I come to the interview between him and -me; on the whole, however, I suppose chronological order is least -outraged by dealing with it here. - -As soon as the Professors had signed the second depositions, George -said, "I have not yet held up my hands, but I will hold them up if -Mrs. Humdrum and Dr. Downie will approve of what I propose. Their -compromise does not go far enough, for swear as we may, it is sure -to get noised abroad, with the usual exaggerations, that the -Sunchild has been here, and that he has been spirited away either -by us, or by the sun his father. For one person whom we know of as -having identified him, there will be five, of whom we know nothing, -and whom we cannot square. Reports will reach the King sooner or -later, and I shall be sent for. Meanwhile the Professors will be -living in fear of intrigue on my part, and I, however unreasonably, -shall fear the like on theirs. This should not be. I mean, -therefore, on the day following my return from escorting the -prisoner, to set out for the capital, see the King, and make a -clean breast of the whole matter. To this end I must have the -nuggets, the prisoner's kit, his receipt, Professor Hanky's -handkerchief, and, of course, the two depositions just sworn to by -the Professors. I hope and think that the King will pardon us all -round; but whatever he may do I shall tell him everything." - -Hanky was up in arms at once. "Sheer madness," he exclaimed. Yram -and the Mayor looked anxious; Dr. Downie eyed George as though he -were some curious creature, which he heard of but had never seen, -and was rather disposed to like. Mrs. Humdrum nodded her head -approvingly. - -"Quite right, George," said she, "tell his Majesty everything." - -Dr. Downie then said, "Your son, Mayoress, is a very sensible -fellow. I will go with him, and with the Professors--for they had -better come too: each will hear what the other says, and we will -tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I am, -as you know, a persona grata at Court; I will say that I advised -your son's action. The King has liked him ever since he was a boy, -and I am not much afraid about what he will do. In public, no -doubt we had better hush things up, but in private the King must be -told." - -Hanky fought hard for some time, but George told him that it did -not matter whether he agreed or no. "You can come," he said, "or -stop away, just as you please. If you come, you can hear and -speak; if you do not, you will not hear, but these two depositions -will speak for you. Please yourself." - -"Very well," he said at last, "I suppose we had better go." - -Every one having now understood what his or her part was to be, -Yram said they had better shake hands all round and take a couple -of hours' rest before getting ready for the banquet. George said -that the Professors did not shake hands with him very cordially, -but the farce was gone through. When the hand-shaking was over, -Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum left the house, and the Professors -retired grumpily to their own room. - -I will say here that no harm happened either to George or the -Professors in consequence of his having told the King, but will -reserve particulars for my concluding chapter. - - - -CHAPTER XXI: YRAM, ON GETTING RID OF HER GUESTS, GOES TO THE -PRISON TO SEE MY FATHER - - - -Yram did not take the advice she had given her guests, but set -about preparing a basket of the best cold dainties she could find, -including a bottle of choice wine that she knew my father would -like; thus loaded she went to the gaol, which she entered by her -father's private entrance. - -It was now about half-past four, so that much more must have been -said and done after luncheon at the Mayor's than ever reached my -father. The wonder is that he was able to collect so much. He, -poor man, as soon as George left him, flung himself on to the bed -that was in his cell and lay there wakeful, but not unquiet, till -near the time when Yram reached the gaol. - -The old gaoler came to tell him that she had come and would be glad -to see him; much as he dreaded the meeting there was no avoiding -it, and in a few minutes Yram stood before him. - -Both were agitated, but Yram betrayed less of what she felt than my -father. He could only bow his head and cover his face with his -hands. Yram said, "We are old friends; take your hands from your -face and let me see you. There! That is well." - -She took his right hand between both hers, looked at him with eyes -full of kindness, and said softly - - -"You are not much changed, but you look haggard, worn, and ill; I -am uneasy about you. Remember, you are among friends, who will see -that no harm befalls you. There is a look in your eyes that -frightens me." - -As she spoke she took the wine out of her basket, and poured him -out a glass, but rather to give him some little thing to distract -his attention, than because she expected him to drink it--which he -could not do. - -She never asked him whether he found her altered, or turned the -conversation ever such a little on to herself; all was for him; to -soothe and comfort him, not in words alone, but in look, manner, -and voice. My father knew that he could thank her best by -controlling himself, and letting himself be soothed and comforted-- -at any rate so far as he could seem to be. - -Up to this time they had been standing, but now Yram, seeing my -father calmer, said, "Enough, let us sit down." - -So saying she seated herself at one end of the small table that was -in the cell, and motioned my father to sit opposite to her. "The -light hurts you?" she said, for the sun was coming into the room. -"Change places with me, I am a sun worshipper. No, we can move the -table, and we can then see each other better." - -This done, she said, still very softly, "And now tell me what it is -all about. Why have you come here?" - -"Tell me first," said my father, "what befell you after I had been -taken away. Why did you not send me word when you found what had -happened? or come after me? You know I should have married you at -once, unless they bound me in fetters." - -"I know you would; but you remember Mrs. Humdrum? Yes, I see you -do. I told her everything; it was she who saved me. We thought of -you, but she saw that it would not do. As I was to marry Mr. -Strong, the more you were lost sight of the better, but with George -ever with me I have not been able to forget you. I might have been -very happy with you, but I could not have been happier than I have -been ever since that short dreadful time was over. George must -tell you the rest. I cannot do so. All is well. I love my -husband with my whole heart and soul, and he loves me with his. As -between him and me, he knows everything; George is his son, not -yours; we have settled it so, though we both know otherwise; as -between you and me, for this one hour, here, there is no use in -pretending that you are not George's father. I have said all I -need say. Now, tell me what I asked you--Why are you here?" - -"I fear," said my father, set at rest by the sweetness of Yram's -voice and manner--he told me he had never seen any one to compare -with her except my mother--"I fear, to do as much harm now as I did -before, and with as little wish to do any harm at all." - -He then told her all that the reader knows, and explained how he -had thought he could have gone about the country as a peasant, and -seen how she herself had fared, without her, or any one, even -suspecting that he was in the country. - -"You say your wife is dead, and that she left you with a son--is he -like George?" - -"In mind and disposition, wonderfully; in appearance, no; he is -dark and takes after his mother, and though he is handsome, he is -not so good-looking as George." - -"No one," said George's mother, "ever was, or ever will be, and he -is as good as he looks." - -"I should not have believed you if you had said he was not." - -"That is right. I am glad you are proud of him. He irradiates the -lives of every one of us." - -"And the mere knowledge that he exists will irradiate the rest of -mine." - -"Long may it do so. Let us now talk about this morning--did you -mean to declare yourself?" - -"I do not know what I meant; what I most cared about was the doing -what I thought George would wish to see his father do." - -"You did that; but he says he told you not to say who you were." - -"So he did, but I knew what he would think right. He was uppermost -in my thoughts all the time." - -Yram smiled, and said, "George is a dangerous person; you were both -of you very foolish; one as bad as the other." - -"I do not know. I do not know anything. It is beyond me; but I am -at peace about it, and hope I shall do the like again to-morrow -before the Mayor." - -"I heartily hope you will do nothing of the kind. George tells me -you have promised him to be good and to do as we bid you." - -"So I will; but he will not tell me to say that I am not what I -am." - -"Yes, he will, and I will tell you why. If we permit you to be -Higgs the Sunchild, he must either throw his own father into the -Blue Pool--which he will not do--or run great risk of being thrown -into it himself, for not having Blue-Pooled a foreigner. I am -afraid we shall have to make you do a good deal that neither you -nor we shall like." - -She then told him briefly of what had passed after luncheon at her -house, and what it had been settled to do, leaving George to tell -the details while escorting him towards the statues on the -following evening. She said that every one would be so completely -in every one else's power that there was no fear of any one's -turning traitor. But she said nothing about George's intention of -setting out for the capital on Wednesday morning to tell the whole -story to the King. - -"Now," she said, when she had told him as much as was necessary, -"be good, and do as you said you would." - -"I will. I will deny myself, not once, nor twice, but as often as -is necessary. I will kiss the reliquary, and when I meet Hanky and -Panky at your table, I will be sworn brother to them--so long, that -is, as George is out of hearing; for I cannot lie well to them when -he is listening." - -"Oh yes, you can. He will understand all about it; he enjoys -falsehood as well as we all do, and has the nicest sense of when to -lie and when not to do so." - -"What gift can be more invaluable?" - -My father, knowing that he might not have another chance of seeing -Yram alone, now changed the conversation. - -"I have something," he said, "for George, but he must know nothing -about it till after I am gone." - -As he spoke, he took from his pockets the nine small bags of -nuggets that remained to him. - -"But this," said Yram, "being gold, is a large sum: can you indeed -spare it, and do you really wish George to have it all?" - -"I shall be very unhappy if he does not, but he must know nothing -about it till I am out of Erewhon." - -My father then explained to her that he was now very rich, and -would have brought ten times as much, if he had known of George's -existence. "Then," said Yram, musing, "if you are rich, I accept -and thank you heartily on his behalf. I can see a reason for his -not knowing what you are giving him at present, but it is too long -to tell." - -The reason was, that if George knew of this gold before he saw the -King, he would be sure to tell him of it, and the King might claim -it, for George would never explain that it was a gift from father -to son; whereas if the King had once pardoned him, he would not be -so squeamish as to open up the whole thing again with a postscript -to his confession. But of this she said not a word. - -My father then told her of the box of sovereigns that he had left -in his saddle-bags. "They are coined," he said, "and George will -have to melt them down, but he will find some way of doing this. -They will be worth rather more than these nine bags of nuggets." - -"The difficulty will be to get him to go down and fetch them, for -it is against his oath to go far beyond the statues. If you could -be taken faint and say you wanted help, he would see you to your -camping ground without a word, but he would be angry if he found he -had been tricked into breaking his oath in order that money might -be given him. It would never do. Besides, there would not be -time, for he must be back here on Tuesday night. No; if he breaks -his oath he must do it with his eyes open--and he will do it later -on--or I will go and fetch the money for him myself. He is in love -with a grand-daughter of Mrs. Humdrum's, and this sum, together -with what you are now leaving with me, will make him a well-to-do -man. I have always been unhappy about his having any of the -Mayor's money, and his salary was not quite enough for him to marry -on. What can I say to thank you?" - -"Tell me, please, about Mrs. Humdrum's grand-daughter. You like -her as a wife for George?" - -"Absolutely. She is just such another as her grandmother must have -been. She and George have been sworn lovers ever since he was ten, -and she eight. The only drawback is that her mother, Mrs. -Humdrum's second daughter, married for love, and there are many -children, so that there will be no money with her; but what you are -leaving will make everything quite easy, for he will sell the gold -at once. I am so glad about it." - -"Can you ask Mrs. Humdrum to bring her grand-daughter with her to- -morrow evening?" - -"I am afraid not, for we shall want to talk freely at dinner, and -she must not know that you are the Sunchild; she shall come to my -house in the afternoon and you can see her then. You will be quite -happy about her, but of course she must not know that you are her -father-in-law that is to be." - -"One thing more. As George must know nothing about the sovereigns, -I must tell you how I will hide them. They are in a silver box, -which I will bind to the bough of some tree close to my camp; or if -I can find a tree with a hole in it I will drop the box into the -hole. He cannot miss my camp; he has only to follow the stream -that runs down from the pass till it gets near a large river, and -on a small triangular patch of flat ground, he will see the ashes -of my camp fire, a few yards away from the stream on his right hand -as he descends. In whatever tree I may hide the box, I will strew -wood ashes for some yards in a straight line towards it. I will -then light another fire underneath, and blaze the tree with a knife -that I have left at my camping ground. He is sure to find it." - -Yram again thanked him, and then my father, to change the -conversation, asked whether she thought that George really would -have Blue-Pooled the Professors. - -"There is no knowing," said Yram. "He is the gentlest creature -living till some great provocation rouses him, and I never saw him -hate and despise any one as he does the Professors. Much of what -he said was merely put on, for he knew the Professors must yield. -I do not like his ever having to throw any one into that horrid -place, no more does he, but the Rangership is exactly the sort of -thing to suit him, and the opening was too good to lose. I must -now leave you, and get ready for the Mayor's banquet. We shall -meet again to-morrow evening. Try and eat what I have brought you -in this basket. I hope you will like the wine." She put out her -hand, which my father took, and in another moment she was gone, for -she saw a look in his face as though he would fain have asked her -to let him once more press his lips to hers. Had he done this, -without thinking about it, it is likely enough she would not have -been ill pleased. But who can say? - -For the rest of the evening my father was left very much to his own -not too comfortable reflections. He spent part of it in posting up -the notes from which, as well as from his own mouth, my story is in -great part taken. The good things that Yram had left with him, and -his pipe, which she had told him he might smoke quite freely, -occupied another part, and by ten o'clock he went to bed. - - - -CHAPTER XXII: MAINLY OCCUPIED WITH A VERACIOUS EXTRACT FROM A -SUNCH'STONIAN JOURNAL - - - -While my father was thus wiling away the hours in his cell, the -whole town was being illuminated in his honour, and not more than a -couple of hundred yards off, at the Mayor's banquet, he was being -extolled as a superhuman being. - -The banquet, which was at the town hall, was indeed a very -brilliant affair, but the little space that is left me forbids my -saying more than that Hanky made what was considered the speech of -the evening, and betrayed no sign of ill effects from the bad -quarter of an hour which he had spent so recently. Not a trace was -to be seen of any desire on his part to change his tone as regards -Sunchildism--as, for example, to minimize the importance of the -relic, or to remind his hearers that though the chariot and horses -had undoubtedly come down from the sky and carried away my father -and mother, yet that the earlier stage of the ascent had been made -in a balloon. It almost seemed, so George told my father, as -though he had resolved that he would speak lies, all lies, and -nothing but lies. - -Panky, who was also to have spoken, was excused by the Mayor on the -ground that the great heat and the excitement of the day's -proceedings had quite robbed him of his voice. - -Dr. Downie had a jumping cat before his mental vision. He spoke -quietly and sensibly, dwelling chiefly on the benefits that had -already accrued to the kingdom through the abolition of the edicts -against machinery, and the great developments which he foresaw as -probable in the near future. He held up the Sunchild's example, -and his ethical teaching, to the imitation and admiration of his -hearers, but he said nothing about the miraculous element in my -father's career, on which he declared that his friend Professor -Hanky had already so eloquently enlarged as to make further -allusion to it superfluous. - -The reader knows what was to happen on the following morning. The -programme concerted at the Mayor's was strictly adhered to. The -following account, however, which appeared in the Sunch'ston bi- -weekly newspaper two days after my father had left, was given me by -George a year later, on the occasion of that interview to which I -have already more than once referred. There were other accounts in -other papers, but the one I am giving departs the least widely from -the facts. It ran:- - -"THE CLOSE OF A DISAGREEABLE INCIDENT.--Our readers will remember -that on Sunday last during the solemn inauguration of the temple -now dedicated to the Sunchild, an individual on the front bench of -those set apart for the public suddenly interrupted Professor -Hanky's eloquent sermon by declaring himself to be the Sunchild, -and saying that he had come down from the sun to sanctify by his -presence the glorious fane which the piety of our fellow-citizens -and others has erected in his honour. - -"Wild rumours obtained credence throughout the congregation to the -effect that this person was none other than the Sunchild himself, -and in spite of the fact that his complexion and the colour of his -hair showed this to be impossible, more than one person was carried -away by the excitement of the moment, and by some few points of -resemblance between the stranger and the Sunchild. Under the -influence of this belief, they were preparing to give him the -honour which they supposed justly due to him, when to the surprise -of every one he was taken into custody by the deservedly popular -Ranger of the King's preserves, and in the course of the afternoon -it became generally known that he had been arrested on the charge -of being one of a gang of poachers who have been known for some -time past to be making much havoc among the quails on the -preserves. - -"This offence, at all times deplored by those who desire that his -Majesty should enjoy good sport when he honours us with a visit, is -doubly deplorable during the season when, on the higher parts of -the preserves, the young birds are not yet able to shift for -themselves; the Ranger, therefore, is indefatigable in his efforts -to break up the gang, and with this end in view, for the last -fortnight has been out night and day on the remoter sections of the -forest--little suspecting that the marauders would venture so near -Sunch'ston as it now seems they have done. It is to his extreme -anxiety to detect and punish these miscreants that we must ascribe -the arrest of a man, who, however foolish, and indeed guilty, he is -in other respects, is innocent of the particular crime imputed to -him. The circumstances that led to his arrest have reached us from -an exceptionally well-informed source, and are as follows:- - -"Our distinguished guests, Professors Hanky and Panky, both of them -justly celebrated archaeologists, had availed themselves of the -opportunity afforded them by their visit to Sunch'ston, to inspect -the mysterious statues at the head of the stream that comes down -near this city, and which have hitherto baffled all those who have -tried to ascertain their date and purpose. - -"On their descent after a fatiguing day the Professors were -benighted, and lost their way. Seeing the light of a small fire -among some trees near them, they made towards it, hoping to be -directed rightly, and found a man, respectably dressed, sitting by -the fire with several brace of quails beside him, some of them -plucked. Believing that in spite of his appearance, which would -not have led them to suppose that he was a poacher, he must -unquestionably be one, they hurriedly enquired their way, intending -to leave him as soon as they had got their answer; he, however, -attacked them, or made as though he would do so, and said he would -show them a way which they should be in no fear of losing, whereon -Professor Hanky, with a well-directed blow, felled him to the -ground. The two Professors, fearing that other poachers might come -to his assistance, made off as nearly as they could guess in the -direction of Sunch'ston. When they had gone a mile or two onward -at haphazard, they sat down under a large tree, and waited till day -began to break; they then resumed their journey, and before long -struck a path which led them to a spot from which they could see -the towers of the new temple. - -"Fatigued though they were, they waited before taking the rest of -which they stood much in need, till they had reported their -adventure at the Ranger's office. The Ranger was still out on the -preserves, but immediately on his return on Saturday morning he -read the description of the poacher's appearance and dress, about -which last, however, the only remarkable feature was that it was -better than a poacher might be expected to possess, and gave an air -of respectability to the wearer that might easily disarm suspicion. - -"The Ranger made enquiries at all the inns in Sunch'ston, and at -length succeeded in hearing of a stranger who appeared to -correspond with the poacher whom the Professors had seen; but the -man had already left, and though the Ranger did his best to trace -him he did not succeed. On Sunday morning, however, he observed -the prisoner, and found that he answered the description given by -the Professors; he therefore arrested him quietly in the temple, -but told him that he should not take him to prison till the service -was over. The man said he would come quietly inasmuch as he should -easily be able to prove his innocence. In the meantime, however, -he professed the utmost anxiety to hear Professor Hanky's sermon, -which he said he believed would concern him nearly. The Ranger -paid no attention to this, and was as much astounded as the rest of -the congregation were, when immediately after one of Professor -Hanky's most eloquent passages, the man started up and declared -himself to be the Sunchild. On this the Ranger took him away at -once, and for the man's own protection hurried him off to prison. - -"Professor Hanky was so much shocked at such outrageous conduct, -that for the moment he failed to recognise the offender; after a -few seconds, however, he grasped the situation, and knew him to be -one who on previous occasions, near Bridgeford, had done what he -was now doing. It seems that he is notorious in the neighbourhood -of Bridgeford, as a monomaniac who is so deeply impressed with the -beauty of the Sunchild's character--and we presume also of his own- --as to believe that he is himself the Sunchild. - -"Recovering almost instantly from the shock the interruption had -given him, the learned Professor calmed his hearers by acquainting -them with the facts of the case, and continued his sermon to the -delight of all who heard it. We should say, however, that the -gentleman who twenty years ago instructed the Sunchild in the -Erewhonian language, was so struck with some few points of -resemblance between the stranger, and his former pupil, that he -acclaimed him, and was removed forcibly by the vergers. - -"On Monday morning the prisoner was brought up before the Mayor. -We cannot say whether it was the sobering effect of prison walls, -or whether he had been drinking before he entered the temple, and -had now had time enough to recover himself--at any rate for some -reason or other he was abjectly penitent when his case came on for -hearing. The charge of poaching was first gone into, but was -immediately disposed of by the evidence of the two Professors, who -stated that the prisoner bore no resemblance to the poacher they -had seen, save that he was about the same height and age, and was -respectably dressed. - -"The charge of disturbing the congregation by declaring himself the -Sunchild was then proceeded with, and unnecessary as it may appear -to be, it was thought advisable to prevent all possibility of the -man's assertion being accepted by the ignorant as true, at some -later date, when those who could prove its falsehood were no longer -living. The prisoner, therefore, was removed to his cell, and -there measured by the Master of the Gaol, and the Ranger in the -presence of the Mayor, who attested the accuracy of the -measurements. Not one single one of them corresponded with those -recorded of the Sunchild himself, and a few marks such as moles, -and permanent scars on the Sunchild's body were not found on the -prisoner's. Furthermore the prisoner was shaggy-breasted, with -much coarse jet black hair on the fore-arms and from the knees -downwards, whereas the Sunchild had little hair save on his head, -and what little there was, was fine, and very light in colour. - -"Confronted with these discrepancies, the gentleman who had taught -the Sunchild our language was convinced of his mistake, though he -still maintained that there was some superficial likeness between -his former pupil and the prisoner. Here he was confirmed by the -Master of the Gaol, the Mayoress, Mrs. Humdrum, and Professors -Hanky and Panky, who all of them could see what the interpreter -meant, but denied that the prisoner could be mistaken for the -Sunchild for more than a few seconds. No doubt the prisoner's -unhappy delusion has been fostered, if not entirely caused, by his -having been repeatedly told that he was like the Sunchild. The -celebrated Dr. Downie, who well remembers the Sunchild, was also -examined, and gave his evidence with so much convincing detail as -to make it unnecessary to call further witnesses. - -"It having been thus once for all officially and authoritatively -placed on record that the prisoner was not the Sunchild, Professors -Hanky and Panky then identified him as a well known monomaniac on -the subject of Sunchildism, who in other respects was harmless. We -withhold his name and place of abode, out of consideration for the -well known and highly respectable family to which he belongs. The -prisoner admitted with much contrition that he had made a -disturbance in the temple, but pleaded that he had been carried -away by the eloquence of Professor Hanky; he promised to avoid all -like offence in future, and threw himself on the mercy of the -court. - -"The Mayor, unwilling that Sunday's memorable ceremony should be -the occasion of a serious punishment to any of those who took part -in it, reprimanded the prisoner in a few severe but not unkindly -words, inflicted a fine of forty shillings, and ordered that the -prisoner should be taken directly to the temple, where he should -confess his folly to the Manager and Head Cashier, and confirm his -words by kissing the reliquary in which the newly found relic has -been placed. The prisoner being unable to pay the fine, some of -the ladies and gentlemen in court kindly raised the amount amongst -them, in pity for the poor creature's obvious contrition, rather -than see him sent to prison for a month in default of payment. - -"The prisoner was then conducted to the temple, followed by a -considerable number of people. Strange to say, in spite of the -overwhelming evidence that they had just heard, some few among the -followers, whose love of the marvellous overpowered their reason, -still maintained that the prisoner was the Sunchild. Nothing could -be more decorous than the prisoner's behaviour when, after hearing -the recantation that was read out to him by the Manager, he signed -the document with his name and address, which we again withhold, -and kissed the reliquary in confirmation of his words. - -"The Mayor then declared the prisoner to be at liberty. When he -had done so he said, 'I strongly urge you to place yourself under -my protection for the present, that you may be freed from the -impertinent folly and curiosity of some whose infatuation might -lead you from that better mind to which I believe you are now -happily restored. I wish you to remain for some few hours secluded -in the privacy of my own study, where Dr. Downie and the two -excellent Professors will administer that ghostly counsel to you, -which will be likely to protect you from any return of your unhappy -delusion.' - -"The man humbly bowed assent, and was taken by the Mayor's younger -sons to the Mayor's own house, where he was duly cared for. About -midnight, when all was quiet, he was conducted to the outskirts of -the town towards Clearwater, and furnished with enough money to -provide for his more pressing necessities till he could reach some -relatives who reside three or four days' walk down on the road -towards the capital. He desired the man who accompanied him to -repeat to the Mayor his heartfelt thanks for the forbearance and -generosity with which he had been treated. The remembrance of -this, he said, should be ever present with him, and he was -confident would protect him if his unhappy monomania shewed any -signs of returning. - -"Let us now, however, remind our readers that the poacher who -threatened Professors Hanky and Panky's life on Thursday evening -last is still at large. He is evidently a man of desperate -character, and it is to be hoped that our fellow-citizens will give -immediate information at the Ranger's office if they see any -stranger in the neighbourhood of the preserves whom they may have -reasonable grounds for suspecting. - -"P.S.--As we are on the point of going to press we learn that a -dangerous lunatic, who has been for some years confined in the -Clearwater asylum, succeeded in escaping on the night of Wednesday -last, and it is surmised with much probability, that this was the -man who threatened the two Professors on Thursday evening. His -being alone, his having dared to light a fire, probably to cook -quails which he had been driven to kill from stress of hunger, the -respectability of his dress, and the fury with which he would have -attacked the two Professors single-handed, but for Professor -Hanky's presence of mind in giving him a knock-down blow, all point -in the direction of thinking that he was no true poacher, but, what -is even more dangerous--a madman at large. We have not received -any particulars as to the man's appearance, nor the clothes he was -wearing, but we have little doubt that these will confirm the -surmise to which we now give publicity. If it is correct it -becomes doubly incumbent on all our fellow-citizens to be both on -the watch, and on their guard. - -"We may add that the man was fully believed to have taken the -direction towards the capital; hence no attempts were made to look -for him in the neighbourhood of Sunch'ston, until news of the -threatened attack on the Professors led the keeper of the asylum to -feel confident that he had hitherto been on a wrong scent." - - - -CHAPTER XXIII: MY FATHER IS ESCORTED TO THE MAYOR'S HOUSE, AND IS -INTRODUCED TO A FUTURE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW - - - -My father said he was followed to the Mayor's house by a good many -people, whom the Mayor's sons in vain tried to get rid of. One or -two of these still persisted in saying he was the Sunchild--whereon -another said, "But his hair is black." - -"Yes," was the answer, "but a man can dye his hair, can he not? -look at his blue eyes and his eye-lashes?" - -My father was doubting whether he ought not to again deny his -identity out of loyalty to the Mayor and Yram, when George's next -brother said, "Pay no attention to them, but step out as fast as -you can." This settled the matter, and in a few minutes they were -at the Mayor's, where the young men took him into the study; the -elder said with a smile, "We should like to stay and talk to you, -but my mother said we were not to do so." Whereon they left him -much to his regret, but he gathered rightly that they had not been -officially told who he was, and were to be left to think what they -liked, at any rate for the present. - -In a few minutes the Mayor entered, and going straight up to my -father shook him cordially by the hand. - -"I have brought you this morning's paper," said he. "You will find -a full report of Professor Hanky's sermon, and of the speeches at -last night's banquet. You see they pass over your little -interruption with hardly a word, but I dare say they will have made -up their minds about it all by Thursday's issue." - -He laughed as he produced the paper--which my father brought home -with him, and without which I should not have been able to report -Hanky's sermon as fully as I have done. But my father could not -let things pass over thus lightly. - -"I thank you," he said, "but I have much more to thank you for, and -know not how to do it." - -"Can you not trust me to take everything as said?" - -"Yes, but I cannot trust myself not to be haunted if I do not say-- -or at any rate try to say--some part of what I ought to say." - -"Very well; then I will say something myself. I have a small joke, -the only one I ever made, which I inflict periodically upon my -wife. You, and I suppose George, are the only two other people in -the world to whom it can ever be told; let me see, then, if I -cannot break the ice with it. It is this. Some men have twin -sons; George in this topsy turvey world of ours has twin fathers-- -you by luck, and me by cunning. I see you smile; give me your -hand." - -My father took the Mayor's hand between both his own. "Had I been -in your place," he said, "I should be glad to hope that I might -have done as you did." - -"And I," said the Mayor, more readily than might have been expected -of him, "fear that if I had been in yours--I should have made it -the proper thing for you to do. There! The ice is well broken, -and now for business. You will lunch with us, and dine in the -evening. I have given it out that you are of good family, so there -is nothing odd in this. At lunch you will not be the Sunchild, for -my younger children will be there; at dinner all present will know -who you are, so we shall be free as soon as the servants are out of -the room. - -"I am sorry, but I must send you away with George as soon as the -streets are empty--say at midnight--for the excitement is too great -to allow of your staying longer. We must keep your rug and the -things you cook with, but my wife will find you what will serve -your turn. There is no moon, so you and George will camp out as -soon as you get well on to the preserves; the weather is hot, and -you will neither of you take any harm. To-morrow by mid-day you -will be at the statues, where George must bid you good-bye, for he -must be at Sunch'ston to-morrow night. You will doubtless get -safely home; I wish with all my heart that I could hear of your -having done so, but this, I fear, may not be." - -"So be it," replied my father, "but there is something I should yet -say. The Mayoress has no doubt told you of some gold, coined and -uncoined, that I am leaving for George. She will also have told -you that I am rich; this being so, I should have brought him much -more, if I had known that there was any such person. You have -other children; if you leave him anything, you will be taking it -away from your own flesh and blood; if you leave him nothing, it -will be a slur upon him. I must therefore send you enough gold, to -provide for George as your other children will be provided for; you -can settle it upon him at once, and make it clear that the -settlement is instead of provision for him by will. The difficulty -is in the getting the gold into Erewhon, and until it is actually -here, he must know nothing about it." - -I have no space for the discussion that followed. In the end it -was settled that George was to have 2000 pounds in gold, which the -Mayor declared to be too much, and my father too little. Both, -however, were agreed that Erewhon would before long be compelled to -enter into relations with foreign countries, in which case the -value of gold would decline so much as to make 2000 pounds worth -little more than it would be in England. The Mayor proposed to buy -land with it, which he would hand over to George as a gift from -himself, and this my father at once acceded to. All sorts of -questions such as will occur to the reader were raised and settled, -but I must beg him to be content with knowing that everything was -arranged with the good sense that two such men were sure to bring -to bear upon it. - -The getting the gold into Erewhon was to be managed thus. George -was to know nothing, but a promise was to be got from him that at -noon on the following New Year's day, or whatever day might be -agreed upon, he would be at the statues, where either my father or -myself would meet him, spend a couple of hours with him, and then -return. Whoever met George was to bring the gold as though it were -for the Mayor, and George could be trusted to be human enough to -bring it down, when he saw that it would be left where it was if he -did not do so. - -"He will kick a good deal," said the Mayor, "at first, but he will -come round in the end." - -Luncheon was now announced. My father was feeling faint and ill; -more than once during the forenoon he had had a return of the -strange giddiness and momentary loss of memory which had already -twice attacked him, but he had recovered in each case so quickly -that no one had seen he was unwell. He, poor man, did not yet know -what serious brain exhaustion these attacks betokened, and finding -himself in his usual health as soon as they passed away, set them -down as simply effects of fatigue and undue excitement. - -George did not lunch with the others. Yram explained that he had -to draw up a report which would occupy him till dinner time. Her -three other sons, and her three lovely daughters, were there. My -father was delighted with all of them, for they made friends with -him at once. He had feared that he would have been disgraced in -their eyes, by his having just come from prison, but whatever they -may have thought, no trace of anything but a little engaging -timidity on the girls' part was to be seen. The two elder boys--or -rather young men, for they seemed fully grown, though, like George, -not yet bearded--treated him as already an old acquaintance, while -the youngest, a lad of fourteen, walked straight up to him, put out -his hand, and said, "How do you do, sir?" with a pretty blush that -went straight to my father's heart. - -"These boys," he said to Yram aside, "who have nothing to blush -for--see how the blood mantles into their young cheeks, while I, -who should blush at being spoken to by them, cannot do so." - -"Do not talk nonsense," said Yram, with mock severity. - -But it was no nonsense to my poor father. He was awed at the -goodness and beauty with which he found himself surrounded. His -thoughts were too full of what had been, what was, and what was yet -to be, to let him devote himself to these young people as he would -dearly have liked to do. He could only look at them, wonder at -them, fall in love with them, and thank heaven that George had been -brought up in such a household. - -When luncheon was over, Yram said, "I will now send you to a room -where you can lie down and go to sleep for a few hours. You will -be out late to-night, and had better rest while you can. Do you -remember the drink you taught us to make of corn parched and -ground? You used to say you liked it. A cup shall be brought to -your room at about five, for you must try and sleep till then. If -you notice a little box on the dressing-table of your room, you -will open it or no as you like. About half-past five there will be -a visitor, whose name you can guess, but I shall not let her stay -long with you. Here comes the servant to take you to your room." -On this she smiled, and turned somewhat hurriedly away. - -My father on reaching his room went to the dressing-table, where he -saw a small unpretending box, which he immediately opened. On the -top was a paper with the words, "Look--say nothing--forget." -Beneath this was some cotton wool, and then--the two buttons and -the lock of his own hair, that he had given Yram when he said good- -bye to her. - -The ghost of the lock that Yram had then given him, rose from the -dead, and smote him as with a whip across the face. On what dust- -heap had it not been thrown how many long years ago? Then she had -never forgotten him? to have been remembered all these years by -such a woman as that, and never to have heeded it--never to have -found out what she was though he had seen her day after day for -months. Ah! but she was then still budding. That was no excuse. -If a loveable woman--aye, or any woman--has loved a man, even -though he cannot marry her, or even wish to do so, at any rate let -him not forget her--and he had forgotten Yram as completely until -the last few days, as though he had never seen her. He took her -little missive, and under "Look," he wrote, "I have;" under "Say -nothing," "I will;" under "forget," "never." "And I never shall," -he said to himself, as he replaced the box upon the table. He then -lay down to rest upon the bed, but he could get no sleep. - -When the servant brought him his imitation coffee--an imitation so -successful that Yram made him a packet of it to replace the tea -that he must leave behind him--he rose and presently came -downstairs into the drawing-room, where he found Yram and Mrs. -Humdrum's grand-daughter, of whom I will say nothing, for I have -never seen her, and know nothing about her, except that my father -found her a sweet-looking girl, of graceful figure and very -attractive expression. He was quite happy about her, but she was -too young and shy to make it possible for him to do more than -admire her appearance, and take Yram's word for it that she was as -good as she looked. - - - -CHAPTER XXIV: AFTER DINNER, DR. DOWNIE AND THE PROFESSORS WOULD BE -GLAD TO KNOW WHAT IS TO BE DONE ABOUT SUNCHILDISM - - - -It was about six when George's fiancee left the house, and as soon -as she had done so, Yram began to see about the rug and the best -substitutes she could find for the billy and pannikin. She had a -basket packed with all that my father and George would want to eat -and drink while on the preserves, and enough of everything, except -meat, to keep my father going till he could reach the shepherd's -hut of which I have already spoken. Meat would not keep, and my -father could get plenty of flappers--i.e. ducks that cannot yet -fly--when he was on the river-bed down below. - -The above preparations had not been made very long, before Mrs. -Humdrum arrived, followed presently by Dr. Downie and in due course -by the Professors, who were still staying in the house. My father -remembered Mrs. Humdrum's good honest face, but could not bring Dr. -Downie to his recollection till the Doctor told him when and where -they had met, and then he could only very uncertainly recall him, -though he vowed that he could now do so perfectly well. - -"At any rate," said Hanky, advancing towards him with his best -Bridgeford manner, "you will not have forgotten meeting my brother -Professor and myself." - -"It has been rather a forgetting sort of a morning," said my father -demurely, "but I can remember that much, and am delighted to renew -my acquaintance with both of you." - -As he spoke he shook hands with both Professors. - -George was a little late, but when he came, dinner was announced. -My father sat on Yram's right-hand, Dr. Downie on her left. George -was next my father, with Mrs. Humdrum opposite to him. The -Professors sat one on either side of the Mayor. During dinner the -conversation turned almost entirely on my father's flight, his -narrow escape from drowning, and his adventures on his return to -England; about these last my father was very reticent, for he said -nothing about his book, and antedated his accession of wealth by -some fifteen years, but as he walked up towards the statues with -George he told him everything. - -My father repeatedly tried to turn the conversation from himself, -but Mrs. Humdrum and Yram wanted to know about Nna Haras, as they -persisted in calling my mother--how she endured her terrible -experiences in the balloon, when she and my father were married, -all about my unworthy self, and England generally. No matter how -often he began to ask questions about the Nosnibors and other old -acquaintances, both the ladies soon went back to his own -adventures. He succeeded, however, in learning that Mr. Nosnibor -was dead, and Zulora, an old maid of the most unattractive kind, -who had persistently refused to accept Sunchildism, while Mrs. -Nosnibor was the recipient of honours hardly inferior to those -conferred by the people at large on my father and mother, with -whom, indeed, she believed herself to have frequent interviews by -way of visionary revelations. So intolerable were these -revelations to Zulora, that a separate establishment had been -provided for her. George said to my father quietly--"Do you know I -begin to think that Zulora must be rather a nice person." - -"Perhaps," said my father grimly, "but my wife and I did not find -it out." - -When the ladies left the room, Dr. Downie took Yram's seat, and -Hanky Dr. Downie's; the Mayor took Mrs. Humdrum's, leaving my -father, George, and Panky, in their old places. Almost -immediately, Dr. Downie said, "And now, Mr, Higgs, tell us, as a -man of the world, what we are to do about Sunchildism?" - -My father smiled at this. "You know, my dear sir, as well as I do, -that the proper thing would be to put me back in prison, and keep -me there till you can send me down to the capital. You should eat -your oaths of this morning, as I would eat mine; tell every one -here who I am; let them see that my hair has been dyed; get all who -knew me when I was here before to come and see me; appoint an -unimpeachable committee to examine the record of my marks and -measurements, and compare it with those of my own body. You should -let me be seen in every town at which I lodged on my way down, and -tell people that you had made a mistake. When you get to the -capital, hand me over to the King's tender mercies and say that our -oaths were only taken this morning to prevent a ferment in the -town. I will play my part very willingly. The King can only kill -me, and I should die like a gentleman." - -"They will not do it," said George quietly to my father, "and I am -glad of it." - -He was right. "This," said Dr. Downie, "is a counsel of -perfection. Things have gone too far, and we are flesh and blood. -What would those who in your country come nearest to us Musical -Bank Managers do, if they found they had made such a mistake as we -have, and dared not own it?" - -"Do not ask me," said my father; "the story is too long, and too -terrible." - -"At any rate, then, tell us what you would have us do that is -within our reach." - -"I have done you harm enough, and if I preach, as likely as not I -shall do more." - -Seeing, however, that Dr. Downie was anxious to hear what he -thought, my father said - - -"Then I must tell you. Our religion sets before us an ideal which -we all cordially accept, but it also tells us of marvels like your -chariot and horses, which we most of us reject. Our best teachers -insist on the ideal, and keep the marvels in the background. If -they could say outright that our age has outgrown them, they would -say so, but this they may not do; nevertheless they contrive to let -their opinions be sufficiently well known, and their hearers are -content with this. - -"We have others who take a very different course, but of these I -will not speak. Roughly, then, if you cannot abolish me -altogether, make me a peg on which to hang all your own best -ethical and spiritual conceptions. If you will do this, and -wriggle out of that wretched relic, with that not less wretched -picture--if you will make me out to be much better and abler than I -was, or ever shall be, Sunchildism may serve your turn for many a -long year to come. Otherwise it will tumble about your heads -before you think it will. - -"Am I to go on or stop?" - -"Go on," said George softly. That was enough for my father, so on -he went. - -"You are already doing part of what I wish. I was delighted with -the two passages I heard on Sunday, from what you call the -Sunchild's Sayings. I never said a word of either passage; I wish -I had; I wish I could say anything half so good. And I have read a -pamphlet by President Gurgoyle, which I liked extremely; but I -never said what he says I did. Again, I wish I had. Keep to this -sort of thing, and I will be as good a Sunchildist as any of you. -But you must bribe some thief to steal that relic, and break it up -to mend the roads with; and--for I believe that here as elsewhere -fires sometimes get lighted through the carelessness of a workman-- -set the most careless workman you can find to do a plumbing job -near that picture." - -Hanky looked black at this, and George trod lightly on my father's -toe, but he told me that my father's face was innocence itself. - -"These are hard sayings," said Dr. Downie. - -"I know they are," replied my father, "and I do not like saying -them, but there is no royal road to unlearning, and you have much -to unlearn. Still, you Musical Bank people bear witness to the -fact that beyond the kingdoms of this world there is another, -within which the writs of this world's kingdoms do not run. This -is the great service which our church does for us in England, and -hence many of us uphold it, though we have no sympathy with the -party now dominant within it. 'Better,' we think, 'a corrupt -church than none at all.' Moreover, those who in my country would -step into the church's shoes are as corrupt as the church, and more -exacting. They are also more dangerous, for the masses distrust -the church, and are on their guard against aggression, whereas they -do not suspect the doctrinaires and faddists, who, if they could, -would interfere in every concern of our lives. - -"Let me return to yourselves. You Musical Bank Managers are very -much such a body of men as your country needs--but when I was here -before you had no figurehead; I have unwittingly supplied you with -one, and it is perhaps because you saw this, that you good people -of Bridgeford took up with me. Sunchildism is still young and -plastic; if you will let the cock-and-bull stories about me tacitly -drop, and invent no new ones, beyond saying what a delightful -person I was, I really cannot see why I should not do for you as -well as any one else. - -"There. What I have said is nine-tenths of it rotten and wrong, -but it is the most practicable rotten and wrong that I can suggest, -seeing into what a rotten and wrong state of things you have -drifted. And now, Mr. Mayor, do you not think we may join the -Mayoress and Mrs. Humdrum?" - -"As you please, Mr. Higgs," answered the Mayor. - -"Then let us go, for I have said too much already, and your son -George tells me that we must be starting shortly." - -As they were leaving the room Panky sidled up to my father and -said, "There is a point, Mr. Higgs, which you can settle for me, -though I feel pretty certain how you will settle it. I think that -a corruption has crept into the text of the very beautiful--" - -At this moment, as my father, who saw what was coming, was -wondering what in the world he could say, George came up to him and -said, "Mr. Higgs, my mother wishes me to take you down into the -store-room, to make sure that she has put everything for you as you -would like it." On this my father said he would return directly -and answer what he knew would be Panky's question. - -When Yram had shewn what she had prepared--all of it, of course, -faultless--she said, "And now, Mr. Higgs, about our leave-taking. -Of course we shall both of us feel much. I shall; I know you will; -George will have a few more hours with you than the rest of us, but -his time to say good-bye will come, and it will be painful to both -of you. I am glad you came--I am glad you have seen George, and -George you, and that you took to one another. I am glad my husband -has seen you; he has spoken to me about you very warmly, for he has -taken to you much as George did. I am very, very glad to have seen -you myself, and to have learned what became of you--and of your -wife. I know you wish well to all of us; be sure that we all of us -wish most heartily well to you and yours. I sent for you and -George, because I could not say all this unless we were alone; it -is all I can do," she said, with a smile, "to say it now." - -Indeed it was, for the tears were in her eyes all the time, as they -were also in my father's. - -"Let this," continued Yram, "be our leave-taking--for we must have -nothing like a scene upstairs. Just shake hands with us all, say -the usual conventional things, and make it as short as you can; but -I could not bear to send you away without a few warmer words than I -could have said when others were in the room." - -"May heaven bless you and yours," said my father, "for ever and -ever." - -"That will do," said George gently. "Now, both of you shake hands, -and come upstairs with me." - -* * * - -When all three of them had got calm, for George had been moved -almost as much as his father and mother, they went upstairs, and -Panky came for his answer. "You are very possibly right," said my -father--"the version you hold to be corrupt is the one in common -use amongst ourselves, but it is only a translation, and very -possibly only a translation of a translation, so that it may -perhaps have been corrupted before it reached us." - -"That," said Panky, "will explain everything," and he went -contentedly away. - -My father talked a little aside with Mrs. Humdrum about her grand- -daughter and George, for Yram had told him that she knew all about -the attachment, and then George, who saw that my father found the -greatest difficulty in maintaining an outward calm, said, "Mr. -Higgs, the streets are empty; we had better go." - -My father did as Yram had told him; shook hands with every one, -said all that was usual and proper as briefly as he could, and -followed George out of the room. The Mayor saw them to the door, -and saved my father from embarrassment by saying, "Mr. Higgs, you -and I understand one another too well to make it necessary for us -to say so. Good-bye to you, and may no ill befall you ere you get -home." - -My father grasped his hand in both his own. "Again," he said, "I -can say no more than that I thank you from the bottom of my heart." - -As he spoke he bowed his head, and went out with George into the -night. - - - -CHAPTER XXV: GEORGE ESCORTS MY FATHER TO THE STATUES; THE TWO THEN -PART - - - -The streets were quite deserted as George had said they would be, -and very dark, save for an occasional oil lamp. - -"As soon as we can get within the preserves," said George, "we had -better wait till morning. I have a rug for myself as well as for -you." - -"I saw you had two," answered my father; "you must let me carry -them both; the provisions are much the heavier load. - -George fought as hard as a dog would do, till my father said that -they must not quarrel during the very short time they had to be -together. On this George gave up one rug meekly enough, and my -father yielded about the basket, and the other rug. - -It was about half-past eleven when they started, and it was after -one before they reached the preserves. For the first mile from the -town they were not much hindered by the darkness, and my father -told George about his book and many another matter; he also -promised George to say nothing about this second visit. Then the -road became more rough, and when it dwindled away to be a mere -lane--becoming presently only a foot track--they had to mind their -footsteps, and got on but slowly. The night was starlit, and warm, -considering that they were more than three thousand feet above the -sea, but it was very dark, so that my father was well enough -pleased when George showed him the white stones that marked the -boundary, and said they had better soon make themselves as -comfortable as they could till morning. - -"We can stay here," he said, "till half-past three, there will be a -little daylight then; we will rest half an hour for breakfast at -about five, and by noon we shall be at the statues, where we will -dine." - -This being settled, George rolled himself up in his rug, and in a -few minutes went comfortably off to sleep. Not so my poor father. -He wound up his watch, wrapped his rug round him, and lay down; but -he could get no sleep. After such a day, and such an evening, how -could any one have slept? - -About three the first signs of dawn began to show, and half an hour -later my father could see the sleeping face of his son--whom it -went to his heart to wake. Nevertheless he woke him, and in a few -minutes the two were on their way--George as fresh as a lark--my -poor father intent on nothing so much as on hiding from George how -ill and unsound in body and mind he was feeling. - -They walked on, saying but little, till at five by my father's -watch George proposed a halt for breakfast. The spot he chose was -a grassy oasis among the trees, carpeted with subalpine flowers, -now in their fullest beauty, and close to a small stream that here -came down from a side valley. The freshness of the morning air, -the extreme beauty of the place, the lovely birds that flitted from -tree to tree, the exquisite shapes and colours of the flowers, -still dew-bespangled, and above all, the tenderness with which -George treated him, soothed my father, and when he and George had -lit a fire and made some hot corn-coffee--with a view to which Yram -had put up a bottle of milk--he felt so much restored as to look -forward to the rest of his journey without alarm. Moreover he had -nothing to carry, for George had left his own rug at the place -where they had slept, knowing that he should find it on his return; -he had therefore insisted on carrying my father's. My father -fought as long as he could, but he had to give in. - -"Now tell me," said George, glad to change the subject, "what will -those three men do about what you said to them last night? Will -they pay any attention to it?" - -My father laughed. "My dear George, what a question--I do not know -them well enough." - -"Oh yes, you do. At any rate say what you think most likely." - -"Very well. I think Dr. Downie will do much as I said. He will -not throw the whole thing over, through fear of schism, loyalty to -a party from which he cannot well detach himself, and because he -does not think that the public is quite tired enough of its toy. -He will neither preach nor write against it, but he will live -lukewarmly against it, and this is what the Hankys hate. They can -stand either hot or cold, but they are afraid of lukewarm. In -England Dr. Downie would be a Broad Churchman." - -"Do you think we shall ever get rid of Sunchildism altogether?" - -"If they stick to the cock-and-bull stories they are telling now, -and rub them in, as Hanky did on Sunday, it may go, and go soon. -It has taken root too quickly and easily; and its top is too heavy -for its roots; still there are so many chances in its favour that -it may last a long time." - -"And how about Hanky?" - -"He will brazen it out, relic, chariot, and all: and he will -welcome more relics and more cock-and-bull stories; his single eye -will be upon his own aggrandisement and that of his order. -Plausible, unscrupulous, heartless scoundrel that he is, he will -play for the queen and the women of the court, as Dr. Downie will -play for the king and the men. He and his party will sleep neither -night nor day, but they will have one redeeming feature--whoever -they may deceive, they will not deceive themselves. They believe -every one else to be as bad as they are, and see no reason why they -should not push their own wares in the way of business. Hanky is -everything that we in England rightly or wrongly believe a typical -Jesuit to be." - -"And Panky--what about him?" - -"Panky must persuade himself of his own lies, before he is quite -comfortable about telling them to other people. Hanky keeps Hanky -well out of it; Panky must have a base of operations in Panky. -Hanky will lead him by the nose, bit by bit, for his is the master -spirit. In England Panky would be what we call an extreme -ritualist." - -"Then the real battle will be between Hanky and Dr. Downie. Which -will carry the day?" - -"For the present, probably Hanky. He is the more vigilant, and -energetic; in this case Sunchildism will have to go, and I am -afraid your whole Musical Bank system will be swept away along with -it." - -"And why not?" - -"Because, my dear boy, though false in the letter, if good counsels -prevail, it may be made true enough in spirit. If it were to go, -its place would be soon filled by men who would be as false in -letter as the others were, and much more false in spirit. You want -a heart to check your head, and a head to check your heart. As in -our English body politic there are two parties opposed to one -another, neither of which can thrive if the other is unduly -weakened, so in our spiritual and intellectual world two parties -more or less antagonistic are equally necessary. Those who are at -the head of science provide us with the one party; those whom we -call our churchmen are the other. Both are corrupt, but we can -spare neither, for each checks as far as it can the corruptions of -the other." - -"Then you would have us uphold Sunchildism, knowing it to be -untrue?" - -"Do what you will, you will not get perfect truth. And if you can -follow the lead which I believe Dr. Downie will give you, that is -to say, get rid of cock-and-bull stories, idealise my unworthy -self, and, as I said last night, make me a peg on which to hang -your own best thoughts--Sunchildism will be as near truth as -anything you are likely to get. But if Hankyism triumphs, come -what may you must get rid of it, for he and his school will tamper -with the one sure and everlasting word of God revealed to us by -human experience. He who plays fast and loose with this is as one -who would forge God's signature to a cheque drawn on God's own -bank." - -"Are we to foster the belief that it was indeed the Sunchild who -interrupted Hanky's sermon?" - -"Yes, where you safely can, but not otherwise; and commit the facts -to writing as soon as you can find time. Do nothing to jeopardise -your own safety; you can do more by perfunctory acquiescence than -by open dissent. And tell those friends whom you can trust, what -these my parting words to you have been. But above all I charge -you solemnly, do nothing to jeopardise your own safety; you cannot -play into Hanky's hands more certainly than by risking this. Think -how he and Panky would rejoice, and how Dr. Downie would grieve. -Be wise and wary; bide your time; do what you prudently can, and -you will find you can do much; try to do more, and you will do -nothing. Be guided by the Mayor, by your mother--and by that dear -old lady whose grandson you will--" - -"Then they have told you," interrupted the youth blushing scarlet. - -"My dearest boy, of course they have, and I have seen her, and am -head over ears in love with her myself." - -He was all smiles and blushes, and vowed for a few minutes that it -was a shame of them to tell me, but presently he said - - -"Then you like her." - -"Rather!" said my father vehemently, and shaking George by the -hand. But he said nothing about the nuggets and the sovereigns, -knowing that Yram did not wish him to do so. Neither did George -say anything about his determination to start for the capital in -the morning, and make a clean breast of everything to the King. So -soon does it become necessary even for those who are most cordially -attached to hide things from one another. My father, however, was -made comfortable by receiving a promise from the youth that he -would take no step of which the persons he had named would -disapprove. - -When once Mrs. Humdrum's grand-daughter had been introduced there -was no more talking about Hanky and Panky; for George began to -bubble over with the subject that was nearest his heart, and how -much he feared that it would be some time yet before he could be -married. Many a story did he tell of his early attachment and of -its course for the last ten years, but my space will not allow me -to inflict one of them on the reader. My father saw that the more -he listened and sympathised and encouraged, the fonder George -became of him, and this was all he cared about. - -Thus did they converse hour after hour. They passed the Blue Pool, -without seeing it or even talking about it for more than a minute. -George kept an eye on the quails and declared them fairly plentiful -and strong on the wing, but nothing now could keep him from pouring -out his whole heart about Mrs. Humdrum's grand-daughter, until -towards noon they caught sight of the statues, and a halt was made -which gave my father the first pang he had felt that morning, for -he knew that the statues would be the beginning of the end. - -There was no need to light a fire, for Yram had packed for them two -bottles of a delicious white wine, something like White Capri, -which went admirably with the many more solid good things that she -had provided for them. As soon as they had finished a hearty meal -my father said to George, "You must have my watch for a keepsake; I -see you are not wearing my boots. I fear you did not find them -comfortable, but I am glad you have not got them on, for I have set -my heart on keeping yours." - -"Let us settle about the boots first. I rather fancied that that -was why you put me off when I wanted to get my own back again; and -then I thought I should like yours for a keepsake, so I put on -another pair last night, and they are nothing like so comfortable -as yours were." - -"Now I wonder," said my father to me, "whether this was true, or -whether it was only that dear fellow's pretty invention; but true -or false I was as delighted as he meant me to be." - -I asked George about this when I saw him, and he confessed with an -ingenuous blush that my father's boots had hurt him, and that he -had never thought of making a keepsake of them, till my father's -words stimulated his invention. - -As for the watch, which was only a silver one, but of the best -make, George protested for a time, but when he had yielded, my -father could see that he was overjoyed at getting it; for watches, -though now permitted, were expensive and not in common use. - -Having thus bribed him, my father broached the possibility of his -meeting him at the statues on that day twelvemonth, but of course -saying nothing about why he was so anxious that he should come. - -"I will come," said my father, "not a yard farther than the -statues, and if I cannot come I will send your brother. And I will -come at noon; but it is possible that the river down below may be -in fresh, and I may not be able to hit off the day, though I will -move heaven and earth to do so. Therefore if I do not meet you on -the day appointed, do your best to come also at noon on the -following day. I know how inconvenient this will be for you, and -will come true to the day if it is possible." - -To my father's surprise, George did not raise so many difficulties -as he had expected. He said it might be done, if neither he nor my -father were to go beyond the statues. "And difficult as it will be -for you," said George, "you had better come a second day if -necessary, as I will, for who can tell what might happen to make -the first day impossible?" - -"Then," said my father, "we shall be spared that horrible feeling -that we are parting without hope of seeing each other again. I -find it hard enough to say good-bye even now, but I do not know how -I could have faced it if you had not agreed to our meeting again." - -"The day fixed upon will be our XXI. i. 3, and the hour noon as -near as may be?" - -"So. Let me write it down: 'XXI. i. 3, i.e. our December 9, 1891, -I am to meet George at the statues, at twelve o'clock, and if he -does not come, I am to be there again on the following day.' - -In like manner, George wrote down what he was to do: "XXI. i. 3, -or failing this XXI. i. 4. Statues. Noon." - -"This," he said, "is a solemn covenant, is it not?" - -"Yes," said my father, "and may all good omens attend it!" - -The words were not out of his mouth before a mountain bird, -something like our jackdaw, but smaller and of a bluer black, flew -out of the hollow mouth of one of the statues, and with a hearty -chuckle perched on the ground at his feet, attracted doubtless by -the scraps of food that were lying about. With the fearlessness of -birds in that country, it looked up at him and George, gave another -hearty chuckle, and flew back to its statue with the largest -fragment it could find. - -They settled that this was an omen so propitious that they could -part in good hope. "Let us finish the wine," said my father, "and -then, do what must be done!" - -They finished the wine to each other's good health; George drank -also to mine, and said he hoped my father would bring me with him, -while my father drank to Yram, the Mayor, their children, Mrs. -Humdrum, and above all to Mrs. Humdrum's grand-daughter. They then -re-packed all that could be taken away; my father rolled his rug to -his liking, slung it over his shoulder, gripped George's hand, and -said, "My dearest boy, when we have each turned our backs upon one -another, let us walk our several ways as fast as we can, and try -not to look behind us." - -So saying he loosed his grip of George's hand, bared his head, -lowered it, and turned away. - -George burst into tears, and followed him after he had gone two -paces; he threw his arms round him, hugged him, kissed him on his -lips, cheeks, and forehead, and then turning round, strode full -speed towards Sunch'ston. My father never took his eyes off him -till he was out of sight, but the boy did not look round. When he -could see him no more, my father with faltering gait, and feeling -as though a prop had suddenly been taken from under him, began to -follow the stream down towards his old camp. - - - -CHAPTER XXVI: MY FATHER REACHES HOME, AND DIES NOT LONG AFTERWARDS - - - -My father could walk but slowly, for George's boots had blistered -his feet, and it seemed to him that the river-bed, of which he -caught glimpses now and again, never got any nearer; but all things -come to an end, and by seven o'clock on the night of Tuesday, he -was on the spot which he had left on the preceding Friday morning. -Three entire days had intervened, but he felt that something, he -knew not what, had seized him, and that whereas before these three -days life had been one thing, what little might follow them, would -be another--and a very different one. - -He soon caught sight of his horse which had strayed a mile lower -down the river-bed, and in spite of his hobbles had crossed one -ugly stream that my father dared not ford on foot. Tired though he -was, he went after him, bridle in hand, and when the friendly -creature saw him, it recrossed the stream, and came to him of its -own accord--either tired of his own company, or tempted by some -bread my father held out towards him. My father took off the -hobbles, and rode him bare-backed to the camping ground, where he -rewarded him with more bread and biscuit, and then hobbled him -again for the night. - -"It was here," he said to me on one of the first days after his -return, "that I first knew myself to be a broken man. As for -meeting George again, I felt sure that it would be all I could do -to meet his brother; and though George was always in my thoughts, -it was for you and not him that I was now yearning. When I gave -George my watch, how glad I was that I had left my gold one at -home, for that is yours, and I could not have brought myself to -give it him." - -"Never mind that, my dear father," said I, "but tell me how you got -down the river, and thence home again." - -"My very dear boy," he said, "I can hardly remember, and I had no -energy to make any more notes. I remember putting a scrap of paper -into the box of sovereigns, merely sending George my love along -with the money; I remember also dropping the box into a hole in a -tree, which I blazed, and towards which I drew a line of wood- -ashes. I seem to see a poor unhinged creature gazing moodily for -hours into a fire which he heaps up now and again with wood. There -is not a breath of air; Nature sleeps so calmly that she dares not -even breathe for fear of waking; the very river has hushed his -flow. Without, the starlit calm of a summer's night in a great -wilderness; within, a hurricane of wild and incoherent thoughts -battling with one another in their fury to fall upon him and rend -him--and on the other side the great wall of mountain, thousands of -children praying at their mother's knee to this poor dazed thing. -I suppose this half delirious wretch must have been myself. But I -must have been more ill when I left England than I thought I was, -or Erewhon would not have broken me down as it did." - -No doubt he was right. Indeed it was because Mr. Cathie and his -doctor saw that he was out of health and in urgent need of change, -that they left off opposing his wish to travel. There is no use, -however, in talking about this now. - -I never got from him how he managed to reach the shepherd's hut, -but I learned some little from the shepherd, when I stayed with him -both on going towards Erewhon, and on returning. - -"He did not seem to have drink in him," said the shepherd, "when he -first came here; but he must have been pretty full of it, or he -must have had some bottles in his saddle-bags; for he was awful -when he came back. He had got them worse than any man I ever saw, -only that he was not awkward. He said there was a bird flying out -of a giant's mouth and laughing at him, and he kept muttering about -a blue pool, and hanky-panky of all sorts, and he said he knew it -was all hanky-panky, at least I thought he said so, but it was no -use trying to follow him, for it was all nothing but horrors. He -said I was to stop the people from trying to worship him. Then he -said the sky opened and he could see the angels going about and -singing 'Hallelujah.'" - -"How long did he stay with you?" I asked. - -"About ten days, but the last three he was himself again, only too -weak to move. He thought he was cured except for weakness." - -"Do you know how he had been spending the last two days or so -before he got down to your hut?" - -I said two days, because this was the time I supposed he would take -to descend the river. - -"I should say drinking all the time. He said he had fallen off his -horse two or three times, till he took to leading him. If he had -had any other horse than old Doctor he would have been a dead man. -Bless you, I have known that horse ever since he was foaled, and I -never saw one like him for sense. He would pick fords better than -that gentleman could, I know, and if the gentleman fell off him he -would just stay stock still. He was badly bruised, poor man, when -he got here. I saw him through the gorge when he left me, and he -gave me a sovereign; he said he had only one other left to take him -down to the port, or he would have made it more." - -"He was my father," said I, "and he is dead, but before he died he -told me to give you five pounds which I have brought you. I think -you are wrong in saying that he had been drinking." - -"That is what they all say; but I take it very kind of him to have -thought of me." - -My father's illness for the first three weeks after his return -played with him as a cat plays with a mouse; now and again it would -let him have a day or two's run, during which he was so cheerful -and unclouded that his doctor was quite hopeful about him. At -various times on these occasions I got from him that when he left -the shepherd's hut, he thought his illness had run itself out, and -that he should now reach the port from which he was to sail for S. -Francisco without misadventure. This he did, and he was able to do -all he had to do at the port, though frequently attacked with -passing fits of giddiness. I need not dwell upon his voyage to S. -Francisco, and thence home; it is enough to say that he was able to -travel by himself in spite of gradually, but continually, -increasing failure. - -"When," he said, "I reached the port, I telegraphed as you know, -for more money. How puzzled you must have been. I sold my horse -to the man from whom I bought it, at a loss of only about 10 -pounds, and I left with him my saddle, saddlebags, small hatchet, -my hobbles, and in fact everything that I had taken with me, except -what they had impounded in Erewhon. Yram's rug I dropped into the -river when I knew that I should no longer need it--as also her -substitutes for my billy and pannikin; and I burned her basket. -The shepherd would have asked me questions. You will find an order -to deliver everything up to bearer. You need therefore take -nothing from England." - -At another time he said, "When you go, for it is plain I cannot, -and go one or other of us must, try and get the horse I had: he -will be nine years old, and he knows all about the rivers: if you -leave everything to him, you may shut your eyes, but do not -interfere with him. Give the shepherd what I said and he will -attend to you, but go a day or two too soon, for the margin of one -day was not enough to allow in case of a fresh in the river; if the -water is discoloured you must not cross it--not even with Doctor. -I could not ask George to come up three days running from -Sunch'ston to the statues and back." - -Here he became exhausted. Almost the last coherent string of -sentences I got from him was as follows:- - -"About George's money if I send him 2000 pounds you will still have -nearly 150,000 pounds left, and Mr. Cathie will not let you try to -make it more. I know you would give him four or five thousand, but -the Mayor and I talked it over, and settled that 2000 pounds in -gold would make him a rich man. Consult our good friend Alfred" -(meaning, of course, Mr. Cathie) "about the best way of taking the -money. I am afraid there is nothing for it but gold, and this will -be a great weight for you to carry--about, I believe 36 lbs. Can -you do this? I really think that if you lead your horse you . . . -no--there will be the getting him down again--" - -"Don't worry about it, my dear father," said I, "I can do it easily -if I stow the load rightly, and I will see to this. I shall have -nothing else to carry, for I shall camp down below both morning and -evening. But would you not like to send some present to the Mayor, -Yram, their other children, and Mrs. Humdrum's grand-daughter?" - -"Do what you can," said my father. And these were the last -instructions he gave me about those adventures with which alone -this work is concerned. - -The day before he died, he had a little flicker of intelligence, -but all of a sudden his face became clouded as with great anxiety; -he seemed to see some horrible chasm in front of him which he had -to cross, or which he feared that I must cross, for he gasped out -words, which, as near as I could catch them, were, "Look out! -John! Leap! Leap! Le . . . " but he could not say all that he -was trying to say and closed his eyes, having, as I then deemed, -seen that he was on the brink of that gulf which lies between life -and death; I took it that in reality he died at that moment; for -there was neither struggle, nor hardly movement of any kind -afterwards--nothing but a pulse which for the next several hours -grew fainter and fainter so gradually, that it was not till some -time after it had ceased to beat that we were certain of its having -done so. - - - -CHAPTER XXVII: I MEET MY BROTHER GEORGE AT THE STATUES, ON THE TOP -OF THE PASS INTO EREWHON - - - -This book has already become longer than I intended, but I will ask -the reader to have patience while I tell him briefly of my own -visit to the threshold of that strange country of which I fear that -he may be already beginning to tire. - -The winding-up of my father's estate was a very simple matter, and -by the beginning of September 1891 I should have been free to -start; but about that time I became engaged, and naturally enough I -did not want to be longer away than was necessary. I should not -have gone at all if I could have helped it. I left, however, a -fortnight later than my father had done. - -Before starting I bought a handsome gold repeater for the Mayor, -and a brooch for Yram, of pearls and diamonds set in gold, for -which I paid 200 pounds. For Yram's three daughters and for Mrs. -Humdrum's grand-daughter I took four brooches each of which cost -about 15 pounds, 15s., and for the boys I got three ten-guinea -silver watches. For George I only took a strong English knife of -the best make, and the two thousand pounds worth of uncoined gold, -which for convenience' sake I had had made into small bars. I also -had a knapsack made that would hold these and nothing else--each -bar being strongly sewn into its place, so that none of them could -shift. Whenever I went on board ship, or went on shore, I put this -on my back, so that no one handled it except myself--and I can -assure the reader that I did not find it a light weight to handle. -I ought to have taken something for old Mrs. Humdrum, but I am -ashamed to say that I forgot her. - -I went as directly as I could to the port of which my father had -told me, and reached it on November 27, one day later than he had -done in the preceding year. - -On the following day, which was a Saturday, I went to the livery -stables from which my father had bought his horse, and found to my -great delight that Doctor could be at my disposal, for, as it -seemed to me, the very reasonable price of fifteen shillings a day. -I shewed the owner of the stables my father's order, and all the -articles he had left were immediately delivered to me. I was still -wearing crape round one arm, and the horse-dealer, whose name was -Baker, said he was afraid the other gentleman might be dead. - -"Indeed, he is so," said I, "and a great grief it is to me; he was -my father." - -"Dear, dear," answered Mr. Baker, "that is a very serious thing for -the poor gentleman. He seemed quite unfit to travel alone, and I -feared he was not long for this world, but he was bent on going." - -I had nothing now to do but to buy a blanket, pannikin, and billy, -with some tea, tobacco, two bottles of brandy, some ship's -biscuits, and whatever other few items were down on the list of -requisites which my father had dictated to me. Mr. Baker, seeing -that I was what he called a new chum, shewed me how to pack my -horse, but I kept my knapsack full of gold on my back, and though I -could see that it puzzled him, he asked no questions. There was no -reason why I should not set out at once for the principal town of -the colony, which was some ten miles inland; I, therefore, arranged -at my hotel that the greater part of my luggage should await my -return, and set out to climb the high hills that back the port. -From the top of these I had a magnificent view of the plains that I -should have to cross, and of the long range of distant mountains -which bounded them north and south as far as the eye could reach. -On some of the mountains I could still see streaks of snow, but my -father had explained to me that the ranges I should here see, were -not those dividing the English colony from Erewhon. I also saw, -some nine miles or so out upon the plains, the more prominent -buildings of a large town which seemed to be embosomed in trees, -and this I reached in about an hour and a half; for I had to -descend at a foot's pace, and Doctor's many virtues did not -comprise a willingness to go beyond an amble. - -At the town above referred to I spent the night, and began to -strike across the plains on the following morning. I might have -crossed these in three days at twenty-five miles a day, but I had -too much time on my hands, and my load of gold was so uncomfortable -that I was glad to stay at one accommodation house after another, -averaging about eighteen miles a day. I have no doubt that if I -had taken advice, I could have stowed my load more conveniently, -but I could not unpack it, and made the best of it as it was. - -On the evening of Wednesday, December 2, I reached the river which -I should have to follow up; it was here nearing the gorge through -which it had to pass before the country opened out again at the -back of the front range. I came upon it quite suddenly on reaching -the brink of a great terrace, the bank of which sloped almost -precipitously down towards it, but was covered with grass. The -terrace was some three hundred feet above the river, and faced -another similar one, which was from a mile and a half to two miles -distant. At the bottom of this huge yawning chasm, rolled the -mighty river, and I shuddered at the thought of having to cross and -recross it. For it was angry, muddy, evidently in heavy fresh, and -filled bank and bank for nearly a mile with a flood of seething -waters. - -I followed along the northern edge of the terrace, till I reached -the last accommodation house that could be said to be on the -plains--which, by the way, were here some eight or nine hundred -feet above sea level. When I reached this house, I was glad to -learn that the river was not likely to remain high for more than a -day or two, and that if what was called a Southerly Burster came -up, as it might be expected to do at any moment, it would be quite -low again before three days were over. - -At this house I stayed the night, and in the course of the evening -a stray dog--a retriever, hardly full grown, and evidently very -much down on his luck--took up with me; when I inquired about him, -and asked if I might take him with me, the landlord said he wished -I would, for he knew nothing about him and was trying to drive him -from the house. Knowing what a boon the companionship of this poor -beast would be to me when I was camping out alone, I encouraged -him, and next morning he followed me as a matter of course. - -In the night the Southerly Burster which my host anticipated had -come up, cold and blustering, but invigorating after the hot, dry, -wind that had been blowing hard during the daytime as I had crossed -the plains. A mile or two higher up I passed a large sheep- -station, but did not stay there. One or two men looked at me with -surprise, and asked me where I was going, whereon I said I was in -search of rare plants and birds for the Museum of the town at which -I had slept the night after my arrival. This satisfied their -curiosity, and I ambled on accompanied by the dog. In passing I -may say that I found Doctor not to excel at any pace except an -amble, but for a long journey, especially for one who is carrying a -heavy, awkward load, there is no pace so comfortable; and he ambled -fairly fast. - -I followed the horse track which had been cut through the gorge, -and in many places I disliked it extremely, for the river, still in -fresh, was raging furiously; twice, for some few yards, where the -gorge was wider and the stream less rapid, it covered the track, -and I had no confidence that it might not have washed it away; on -these occasions Doctor pricked his ears towards the water, and was -evidently thinking exactly what his rider was. He decided, -however, that all would be sound, and took to the water without any -urging on my part. Seeing his opinion, I remembered my father's -advice, and let him do what he liked, but in one place for three or -four yards the water came nearly up to his belly, and I was in -great fear for the watches that were in my saddlebags. As for the -dog, I feared I had lost him, but after a time he rejoined me, -though how he contrived to do so I cannot say. - -Nothing could be grander than the sight of this great river pent -into a narrow compass, and occasionally becoming more like an -immense waterfall than a river, but I was in continual fear of -coming to more places where the water would be over the track, and -perhaps of finding myself unable to get any farther. I therefore -failed to enjoy what was really far the most impressive sight in -its way that I had ever seen. "Give me," I said to myself, "the -Thames at Richmond," and right thankful was I, when at about two -o'clock I found that I was through the gorge and in a wide valley, -the greater part of which, however, was still covered by the river. -It was here that I heard for the first time the curious sound of -boulders knocking against each other underneath the great body of -water that kept rolling them round and round. - -I now halted, and lit a fire, for there was much dead scrub -standing that had remained after the ground had been burned for the -first time some years previously. I made myself some tea, and -turned Doctor out for a couple of hours to feed. I did not hobble -him, for my father had told me that he would always come for bread. -When I had dined, and smoked, and slept for a couple of hours or -so, I reloaded Doctor and resumed my journey towards the shepherd's -hut, which I caught sight of about a mile before I reached it. -When nearly half a mile off it, I dismounted, and made a written -note of the exact spot at which I did so. I then turned for a -couple of hundred yards to my right, at right angles to the track, -where some huge rocks were lying--fallen ages since from the -mountain that flanked this side of the valley. Here I deposited my -knapsack in a hollow underneath some of the rocks, and put a good -sized stone in front of it, for I meant spending a couple of days -with the shepherd to let the river go down. Moreover, as it was -now only December 3, I had too much time on my hands, but I had not -dared to cut things finer. - -I reached the hut at about six o'clock, and introduced myself to -the shepherd, who was a nice, kind old man, commonly called Harris, -but his real name he told me was Horace--Horace Taylor. I had the -conversation with him of which I have already told the reader, -adding that my father had been unable to give a coherent account of -what he had seen, and that I had been sent to get the information -he had failed to furnish. - -The old man said that I must certainly wait a couple of days before -I went higher up the river. He had made himself a nice garden, in -which he took the greatest pride, and which supplied him with -plenty of vegetables. He was very glad to have company, and to -receive the newspapers which I had taken care to bring him. He had -a real genius for simple cookery, and fed me excellently. My -father's 5 pounds, and the ration of brandy which I nightly gave -him, made me a welcome guest, and though I was longing to be at any -rate as far as the foot of the pass into Erewhon, I amused myself -very well in an abundance of ways with which I need not trouble the -reader. - -One of the first things that Harris said to me was, "I wish I knew -what your father did with the nice red blanket he had with him when -he went up the river. He had none when he came down again; I have -no horse here, but I borrowed one from a man who came up one day -from down below, and rode to a place where I found what I am sure -were the ashes of the last fire he made, but I could find neither -the blanket nor the billy and pannikin he took away with him. He -said he supposed he must have left the things there, but he could -remember nothing about it." - -"I am afraid," said I, "that I cannot help you." - -"At any rate," continued the shepherd, "I did not have my ride for -nothing, for as I was coming back I found this rug half covered -with sand on the river-bed." - -As he spoke he pointed to an excellent warm rug, on the spare bunk -in his hut. "It is none of our make," said he; "I suppose some -foreign digger has come over from the next river down south and got -drowned, for it had not been very long where I found it, at least I -think not, for it was not much fly-blown, and no one had passed -here to go up the river since your father." - -I knew what it was, but I held my tongue beyond saying that the rug -was a very good one. - -The next day, December 4, was lovely, after a night that had been -clear and cold, with frost towards early morning. When the -shepherd had gone for some three hours in the forenoon to see his -sheep (that were now lambing), I walked down to the place where I -had left my knapsack, and carried it a good mile above the hut, -where I again hid it. I could see the great range from one place, -and the thick new fallen snow assured me that the river would be -quite normal shortly. Indeed, by evening it was hardly at all -discoloured, but I waited another day, and set out on the morning -of Sunday, December 6. The river was now almost as low as in -winter, and Harris assured me that if I used my eyes I could not -miss finding a ford over one stream or another every half mile or -so. I had the greatest difficulty in preventing him from -accompanying me on foot for some little distance, but I got rid of -him in the end; he came with me beyond the place where I had hidden -my knapsack, but when he had left me long enough, I rode back and -got it. - -I see I am dwelling too long upon my own small adventures. Suffice -it that, accompanied by my dog, I followed the north bank of the -river till I found I must cross one stream before I could get any -farther. This place would not do, and I had to ride half a mile -back before I found one that seemed as if it might be safe. I -fancy my father must have done just the same thing, for Doctor -seemed to know the ground, and took to the water the moment I -brought him to it. It never reached his belly, but I confess I did -not like it. By and by I had to recross, and so on, off and on, -till at noon I camped for dinner. Here the dog found me a nest of -young ducks, nearly fledged, from which the parent birds tried with -great success to decoy me. I fully thought I was going to catch -them, but the dog knew better and made straight for the nest, from -which he returned immediately with a fine young duck in his mouth, -which he laid at my feet, wagging his tail and barking. I took -another from the nest and left two for the old birds. - -The afternoon was much as the morning and towards seven I reached a -place which suggested itself as a good camping ground. I had -hardly fixed on it and halted, before I saw a few pieces of charred -wood, and felt sure that my father must have camped at this very -place before me. I hobbled Doctor, unloaded, plucked and singed a -duck, and gave the dog some of the meat with which Harris had -furnished me; I made tea, laid my duck on the embers till it was -cooked, smoked, gave myself a nightcap of brandy and water, and by -and by rolled myself round in my blanket, with the dog curled up -beside me. I will not dwell upon the strangeness of my feelings-- -nor the extreme beauty of the night. But for the dog, and Doctor, -I should have been frightened, but I knew that there were no savage -creatures or venomous snakes in the country, and both the dog and -Doctor were such good companionable creatures, that I did not feel -so much oppressed by the solitude as I had feared I should be. But -the night was cold, and my blanket was not enough to keep me -comfortably warm. - -The following day was delightfully warm as soon as the sun got to -the bottom of the valley, and the fresh fallen snow disappeared so -fast from the snowy range that I was afraid it would raise the -river--which, indeed, rose in the afternoon and became slightly -discoloured, but it cannot have been more than three or four inches -deeper, for it never reached the bottom of my saddle-bags. I -believe Doctor knew exactly where I was going, for he wanted no -guidance. I halted again at midday, got two more ducks, crossed -and recrossed the river, or some of its streams, several times, and -at about six, caught sight, after a bend in the valley, of the -glacier descending on to the river-bed. This I knew to be close to -the point at which I was to camp for the night, and from which I -was to ascend the mountain. After another hour's slow progress -over the increasing roughness of the river-bed, I saw the -triangular delta of which my father had told me, and the stream -that had formed it, bounding down the mountain side. Doctor went -right up to the place where my father's fire had been, and I again -found many pieces of charred wood and ashes. - -As soon as I had unloaded Doctor and hobbled him, I went to a tree -hard by, on which I could see the mark of a blaze, and towards -which I thought I could see a line of wood ashes running. There I -found a hole in which some bird had evidently been wont to build, -and surmised correctly that it must be the one in which my father -had hidden his box of sovereigns. There was no box in the hole -now, and I began to feel that I was at last within measureable -distance of Erewhon and the Erewhonians. - -I camped for the night here, and again found my single blanket -insufficient. The next day, i.e. Tuesday, December 8, I had to -pass as I best could, and it occurred to me that as I should find -the gold a great weight, I had better take it some three hours up -the mountain side and leave it there, so as to make the following -day less fatiguing, and this I did, returning to my camp for -dinner; but I was panic-stricken all the rest of the day lest I -should not have hidden it safely, or lest I should be unable to -find it next day--conjuring up a hundred absurd fancies as to what -might befall it. And after all, heavy though it was, I could have -carried it all the way. In the afternoon I saddled Doctor and rode -him up to the glaciers, which were indeed magnificent, and then I -made the few notes of my journey from which this chapter has been -taken. I made excuses for turning in early, and at daybreak -rekindled my fire and got my breakfast. All the time the -companionship of the dog was an unspeakable comfort to me. - -It was now the day my father had fixed for my meeting with George, -and my excitement (with which I have not yet troubled the reader, -though it had been consuming me ever since I had left Harris's hut) -was beyond all bounds, so much so that I almost feared I was in a -fever which would prevent my completing the little that remained of -my task; in fact, I was in as great a panic as I had been about the -gold that I had left. My hands trembled as I took the watches, and -the brooches for Yram and her daughters from my saddle-bags, which -I then hung, probably on the very bough on which my father had hung -them. Needless to say, I also hung my saddle and bridle along with -the saddle-bags. - -It was nearly seven before I started, and about ten before I -reached the hiding-place of my knapsack. I found it, of course, -quite easily, shouldered it, and toiled on towards the statues. At -a quarter before twelve I reached them, and almost beside myself as -I was, could not refrain from some disappointment at finding them a -good deal smaller than I expected. My father, correcting the -measurement he had given in his book, said he thought that they -were about four or five times the size of life; but really I do not -think they were more than twenty feet high, any one of them. In -other respects my father's description of them is quite accurate. -There was no wind, and as a matter of course, therefore, they were -not chanting. I wiled away the quarter of an hour before the time -when George became due, with wondering at them, and in a way -admiring them, hideous though they were; but all the time I kept -looking towards the part from which George should come. - -At last my watch pointed to noon, but there was no George. A -quarter past twelve, but no George. Half-past, still no George. -One o'clock, and all the quarters till three o'clock, but still no -George. I tried to eat some of the ship's biscuits I had brought -with me, but I could not. My disappointment was now as great as my -excitement had been all the forenoon; at three o'clock I fairly -cried, and for half an hour could only fling myself on the ground -and give way to all the unreasonable spleen that extreme vexation -could suggest. True, I kept telling myself that for aught I knew -George might be dead, or down with a fever; but this would not do; -for in this last case he should have sent one of his brothers to -meet me, and it was not likely that he was dead. I am afraid I -thought it most probable that he had been casual--of which unworthy -suspicion I have long since been heartily ashamed. - -I put the brooches inside my knapsack, and hid it in a place where -I was sure no one would find it; then, with a heavy heart, I -trudged down again to my camp--broken in spirit, and hopeless for -the morrow. - -I camped again, but it was some hours before I got a wink of sleep; -and when sleep came it was accompanied by a strange dream. I -dreamed that I was by my father's bedside, watching his last -flicker of intelligence, and vainly trying to catch the words that -he was not less vainly trying to utter. All of a sudden the bed -seemed to be at my camping ground, and the largest of the statues -appeared, quite small, high up the mountain side, but striding down -like a giant in seven league boots till it stood over me and my -father, and shouted out "Leap, John, leap." In the horror of this -vision I woke with a loud cry that woke my dog also, and made him -shew such evident signs of fear, that it seemed to me as though he -too must have shared my dream. - -Shivering with cold I started up in a frenzy, but there was -nothing, save a night of such singular beauty that I did not even -try to go to sleep again. Naturally enough, on trying to keep -awake I dropped asleep before many minutes were over. - -In the morning I again climbed up to the statues, without, to my -surprise, being depressed with the idea that George would again -fail to meet me. On the contrary, without rhyme or reason, I had a -strong presentiment that he would come. And sure enough, as soon -as I caught sight of the statues, which I did about a quarter to -twelve, I saw a youth coming towards me, with a quick step, and a -beaming face that had only to be seen to be fallen in love with. - -"You are my brother," said he to me. "Is my father with you?" - -I pointed to the crape on my arm, and to the ground, but said -nothing. - -He understood me, and bared his head. Then he flung his arms about -me and kissed my forehead according to Erewhonian custom. I was a -little surprised at his saying nothing to me about the way in which -he had disappointed me on the preceding day; I resolved, however, -to wait for the explanation that I felt sure he would give me -presently. - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII: GEORGE AND I SPEND A FEW HOURS TOGETHER AT THE -STATUES, AND THEN PART--I REACH HOME--POSTSCRIPT - - - -I have said on an earlier page that George gained an immediate -ascendancy over me, but ascendancy is not the word--he took me by -storm; how, or why, I neither know nor want to know, but before I -had been with him more than a few minutes I felt as though I had -known and loved him all my life. And the dog fawned upon him as -though he felt just as I did. - -"Come to the statues," said he, as soon as he had somewhat -recovered from the shock of the news I had given him. "We can sit -down there on the very stone on which our father and I sat a year -ago. I have brought a basket, which my mother packed for--for--him -and me. Did he talk to you about me?" - -"He talked of nothing so much, and he thought of nothing so much. -He had your boots put where he could see them from his bed until he -died." - -Then followed the explanation about these boots, of which the -reader has already been told. This made us both laugh, and from -that moment we were cheerful. - -I say nothing about our enjoyment of the luncheon with which Yram -had provided us, and if I were to detail all that I told George -about my father, and all the additional information that I got from -him--(many a point did he clear up for me that I had not fully -understood)--I should fill several chapters, whereas I have left -myself only one. Luncheon being over I said - - -"And are you married?" - -"Yes" (with a blush), "and are you?" - -I could not blush. Why should I? And yet young people--especially -the most ingenuous among them--are apt to flush up on being asked -if they are, or are going, to be married. If I could have blushed, -I would. As it was I could only say that I was engaged and should -marry as soon as I got back. - -"Then you have come all this way for me, when you were wanting to -get married?" - -"Of course I have. My father on his death-bed told me to do so, -and to bring you something that I have brought you." - -"What trouble I have given! How can I thank you?" - -"Shake hands with me." - -Whereon he gave my hand a stronger grip than I had quite bargained -for. - -"And now," said I, "before I tell you what I have brought, you must -promise me to accept it. Your father said I was not to leave you -till you had done so, and I was to say that he sent it with his -dying blessing." - -After due demur George gave his promise, and I took him to the -place where I had hidden my knapsack. - -"I brought it up yesterday," said I. - -"Yesterday? but why?" - -"Because yesterday--was it not?--was the first of the two days -agreed upon between you and our father?" - -"No--surely to-day is the first day--I was to come XXI. i. 3, which -would be your December 9." - -"But yesterday was December 9 with us--to-day is December 10." - -"Strange! What day of the week do you make it?" - -"To-day is Thursday, December 10." - -"This is still stranger--we make it Wednesday; yesterday was -Tuesday." - -Then I saw it. The year XX. had been a leap year with the -Erewhonians, and 1891 in England had not. This, then, was what had -crossed my father's brain in his dying hours, and what he had -vainly tried to tell me. It was also what my unconscious self had -been struggling to tell my conscious one, during the past night, -but which my conscious self had been too stupid to understand. And -yet my conscious self had caught it in an imperfect sort of a way -after all, for from the moment that my dream had left me I had been -composed, and easy in my mind that all would be well. I wish some -one would write a book about dreams and parthenogenesis--for that -the two are part and parcel of the same story--a brood of folly -without father bred--I cannot doubt. - -I did not trouble George with any of this rubbish, but only shewed -him how the mistake had arisen. When we had laughed sufficiently -over my mistake--for it was I who had come up on the wrong day, not -he--I fished my knapsack out of its hiding-place. - -"Do not unpack it," said I, "beyond taking out the brooches, or you -will not be able to pack it so well; but you can see the ends of -the bars of gold, and you can feel the weight; my father sent them -for you. The pearl brooch is for your mother, the smaller brooches -are for your sisters, and your wife." - -I then told him how much gold there was, and from my pockets -brought out the watches and the English knife. - -"This last," I said, "is the only thing that I am giving you; the -rest is all from our father. I have many many times as much gold -myself, and this is legally your property as much as mine is mine." - -George was aghast, but he was powerless alike to express his -feelings, or to refuse the gold. - -"Do you mean to say that my father left me this by his will?" - -"Certainly he did," said I, inventing a pious fraud. - -"It is all against my oath," said he, looking grave. - -"Your oath be hanged," said I. "You must give the gold to the -Mayor, who knows that it was coming, and it will appear to the -world, as though he were giving it you now instead of leaving you -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 yes--she 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 autumn--but 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 document--but, 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 month--for 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 -him--he 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 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 -brothers--as strange a one as the statues can ever have looked down -upon--must 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 myself--three 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 him--at 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 hand--as 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 smile--these 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 book--by 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'ston--there 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 mother--yes--and father--at -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 his--but 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 daughters--but 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 engineers and so-called men -of science are sturdily begging for endowments, and steadily -claiming to have a hand in every pie that is baked from one end of -the country to the other. The missionaries are buying up all our -silver, and a change in the relative values of gold and silver is -in progress of which none of us foresee the end. - -"The King and I both think that annexation by England, or a British -Protectorate, would be the saving of us, for we have no army worth -the name, and if you do not take us over some one else soon will. -The King has urged me to send for you. If you come (do! do! do!) -you had better come by way of Erewhemos, which is now in monthly -communication with Southampton. If you will write me that you are -coming I will meet you at the port, and bring you with me to our -own capital, where the King will be overjoyed to see you." - -* * * - -The rest of the letter was filled with all sorts of news which -interested me, but would require chapters of explanation before -they could become interesting to the reader. - -The letter wound up:- - -"You may publish now whatever you like, whenever you like. - -"Write to me by way of Erewhemos, care of the Right Reverend the -Lord Bishop, and say which way you will come. If you prefer the -old road, we are bound to be in the neighbourhood of the statues by -the beginning of March. My next brother is now Ranger, and could -meet you at the statues with permit and luncheon, and more of that -white wine than ever you will be able to drink. Only let me know -what you will do. - -"I should tell you that the old railway which used to run from -Clearwater to the capital, and which, as you know, was allowed to -go to ruin, has been reconstructed at an outlay far less than might -have been expected--for the bridges had been maintained for -ordinary carriage traffic. The journey, therefore, from Sunch'ston -to the capital can now be done in less than forty hours. On the -whole, however, I recommend you to come by way of Erewhemos. If -you start, as I think possible, without writing from England, -Bishop Kahabuka's palace is only eight miles from the port, and he -will give you every information about your further journey--a -distance of less than a couple of hundred miles. But I should -prefer to meet you myself. - -"My dearest brother, I charge you by the memory of our common -father, and even more by that of those three hours that linked you -to me for ever, and which I would fain hope linked me also to -yourself--come over, if by any means you can do so--come over and -help us. - -"GEORGE STRONG." - - -"My dear," said I to my wife who was at the other end of the -breakfast table, "I shall have to translate this letter to you, and -then you will have to help me to begin packing; for I have none too -much time. I must see Alfred, and give him a power of attorney. -He will arrange with some publisher about my book, and you can -correct the press. Break the news gently to the children; and get -along without me, my dear, for six months as well as you can." - -* * * - -I write this at Southampton, from which port I sail to-morrow--i.e. -November 15, 1900--for Erewhemos. - - - -Footnotes: - -{1} See Chapter X. - - - - - -End of The Project Gutenberg Etext Erewhon Revisited, by Samuel Butler - |