erewhon revisited-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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
universethe　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　horseswhich；
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　curiosityat　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　onstowing　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　plainlyknowing　all　he　knewto　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