erewhon revisited-第12节

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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　something　from　the　bottom　of　the　tree。　　In　less
time　than　it　takes　to　tell　the　tale　he　saw　his　own　familiar　red
blanket　begin　to　show　above　the　broken　edge　of　the　hollow；　and　in
another　second　there　was　a　clinkum…clankum　as　the　bundle　fell　upon
the　ground。　　This　was　caused　by　the　billy　and　the　pannikin；　which
were　wrapped　inside　the　blanket。　　As　for　the　blanket；　it　had　been
tied　tightly　at　both　ends；　as　well　as　at　several　points　between；
and　my　father　inwardly　complimented　the　Professors　on　the　neatness
with　which　they　had　packed　and　hidden　their　purchase。　　〃But；〃　he
said　to　himself　with　a　laugh；　〃I　think　one　of　them　must　have　got　on
the　other's　back　to　reach　that　bough。〃

〃Of　course；〃　thought　he；　〃they　will　have　taken　the　nuggets　with
them。〃　　And　yet　he　had　seemed　to　hear　a　dumping　as　well　as　a
clinkum…clankum。　　He　undid　the　blanket；　carefully　untying　every
knot　and　keeping　the　flax。　　When　he　had　unrolled　it；　he　found　to
his　very　pleasurable　surprise　that　the　pannikin　was　inside　the
billy；　and　the　nuggets　with　the　receipt　inside　the　pannikin。　　The
paper　containing　the　tea　having　been　torn；　was　wrapped　up　in　a
handkerchief　marked　with　Hanky's　name。

〃Down；　conscience；　down！〃　he　exclaimed　as　he　transferred　the
nuggets；　receipt；　and　handkerchief　to　his　own　pocket。　　〃Eye　of　my
soul　that　you　are！　if　you　offend　me　I　must　pluck　you　out。〃　　His
conscience　feared　him　and　said　nothing。　　As　for　the　tea；　he　left　it
in　its　torn　paper。

He　then　put　the　billy；　pannikin；　and　tea；　back　again　inside　the
blanket；　which　he　tied　neatly　up；　tie　for　tie　with　the　Professor's
own　flax；　leaving　no　sign　of　any　disturbance。　　He　again　swarmed　the
sucker；　till　he　reached　the　bough　to　which　the　blanket　and　its
contents　had　been　made　fast；　and　having　attached　the　bundle；　he
dropped　it　back　into　the　hollow　of　the　tree。　　He　did　everything
quite　leisurely；　for　the　Professors　would　be　sure　to　wait　till
nightfall　before　coming　to　fetch　their　property　away。

〃If　I　take　nothing　but　the　nuggets；〃　he　argued；　〃each　of　the
Professors　will　suspect　the　other　of　having　conjured　them　into　his
own　pocket　while　the　bundle　was　being　made　up。　　As　for　the
handkerchief；　they　must　think　what　they　like；　but　it　will　puzzle
Hanky　to　know　why　Panky　should　have　been　so　anxious　for　a　receipt；
if　he　meant　stealing　the　nuggets。　　Let　them　muddle　it　out　their　own
way。〃

Reflecting　further；　he　concluded；　perhaps　rightly；　that　they　had
left　the　nuggets　where　he　had　found　them；　because　neither　could
trust　the　other　not　to　filch　a　few；　if　he　had　them　in　his　own
possession；　and　they　could　not　make　a　nice　division　without　a　pair
of　scales。　　〃At　any　rate；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃there　will　be　a
pretty　quarrel　when　they　find　them　gone。〃

Thus　charitably　did　he　brood　over　things　that　were　not　to　happen。
The　discovery　of　the　Professors'　hoard　had　refreshed　him　almost　as
much　as　his　sleep　had　done；　and　it　being　now　past　seven；　he　lit　his
pipewhich；　however；　he　smoked　as　furtively　as　he　had　done　when　he
was　a　boy　at　school；　for　he　knew　not　whether　smoking　had　yet　become
an　Erewhonian　virtue　or　noand　walked　briskly　on　towards
Sunch'ston。



CHAPTER　VII：　　SIGNS　OF　THE　NEW　ORDER　OF　THINGS　CATCH　MY　FATHER'S
EYE　ON　EVERY　SIDE



He　had　not　gone　far　before　a　turn　in　the　pathnow　rapidly
wideningshowed　him　two　high　towers；　seemingly　some　two　miles　off；
these　he　felt　sure　must　be　at　Sunch'ston；　he　therefore　stepped　out；
lest　he　should　find　the　shops　shut　before　he　got　there。

On　his　former　visit　he　had　seen　little　of　the　town；　for　he　was　in
prison　during　his　whole　stay。　　He　had　had　a　glimpse　of　it　on　being
brought　there　by　the　people　of　the　village　where　he　had　spent　his
first　night　in　Erewhona　village　which　he　had　seen　at　some　little
distance　on　his　right　hand；　but　which　it　would　have　been　out　of　his
way　to　visit；　even　if　he　had　wished　to　do　so；　and　he　had　seen　the
Museum　of　old　machines；　but　on　leaving　the　prison　he　had　been
blindfolded。　　Nevertheless　he　felt　sure　that　if　the　towers　had　been
there　he　should　have　seen　them；　and　r