erewhon revisited-第52章

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〃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　itas　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　itnot　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　carryabout；　I　believe　36　lbs。　　Can
you　do　this？　　I　really　think　that　if　you　lead　your　horse　you　。　。　。
nothere　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
afterwardsnothing　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　elseeach
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　myselfand　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