erewhon revisited-第13章

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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　nowfor　I　shall　show　no　more　weaknessyou　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　exhaustednot　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　someth