erewhon revisited-第10章

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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　Senoja　name　common　enough　in
Erewhonhe　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　originhis　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　pageI　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　pl