erewhon revisited-第40章

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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　devilif　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　insis