erewhon revisited-第14节

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come；　and　though　it　were　good　for　me　to　speak　out；　should　I　not　do
better　by　refraining？

〃Such　were　the　lawless　and　uncertain　thoughts　that　tortured　me　very
cruelly；　so　that　I　did　what　I　had　not　done　for　many　a　long　yearI
prayed　for　guidance。　　'Shew　me　Thy　will；　O　Lord；'　I　cried　in　great
distress；　'and　strengthen　me　to　do　it　when　Thou　hast　shewn　it　me。'
But　there　was　no　answer。　　Instinct　tore　me　one　way　and　reason
another。　　Whereon　I　settled　that　I　would　obey　the　reason　with　which
God　had　endowed　me；　unless　the　instinct　He　had　also　given　me　should
thrash　it　out　of　me。　　I　could　get　no　further　than　this；　that　the
Lord　hath　mercy　on　whom　He　will　have　mercy；　and　whom　He　willeth　He
hardeneth；　and　again　I　prayed　that　I　might　be　among　those　on　whom
He　would　shew　His　mercy。

〃This　was　the　strongest　internal　conflict　that　I　ever　remember　to
have　felt；　and　it　was　at　the　end　of　it　that　I　perceived　the　first；
but　as　yet　very　faint；　symptoms　of　that　sickness　from　which　I　shall
not　recover。　　Whether　this　be　a　token　of　mercy　or　no；　my　Father
which　is　in　heaven　knows；　but　I　know　not。〃

From　what　my　father　afterwards　told　me；　I　do　not　think　the　above
reflections　had　engrossed　him　for　more　than　three　or　four　minutes；
the　giddiness　which　had　for　some　seconds　compelled　him　to　lay　hold
of　the　first　thing　he　could　catch　at　in　order　to　avoid　falling；
passed　away　without　leaving　a　trace　behind　it；　and　his　path　seemed
to　become　comfortably　clear　before　him。　　He　settled　it　that　the
proper　thing　to　do　would　be　to　buy　some　food；　start　back　at　once
while　his　permit　was　still　valid；　help　himself　to　the　property
which　he　had　sold　the　Professors；　leaving　the　Erewhonians　to
wrestle　as　they　best　might　with　the　lot　that　it　had　pleased　Heaven
to　send　them。

This；　however；　was　too　heroic　a　course。　　He　was　tired；　and　wanted　a
night's　rest　in　a　bed；　he　was　hungry；　and　wanted　a　substantial
meal；　he　was　curious；　moreover；　to　see　the　temple　dedicated　to
himself；　and　hear　Hanky's　sermon；　there　was　also　this　further
difficulty；　he　should　have　to　take　what　he　had　sold　the　Professors
without　returning　them　their　4　pounds；　10s。；　for　he　could　not　do
without　his　blanket；　&c。；　and　even　if　he　left　a　bag　of　nuggets　made
fast　to　the　sucker；　he　must　either　place　it　where　it　could　be　seen
so　easily　that　it　would　very　likely　get　stolen；　or　hide　it　so
cleverly　that　the　Professors　would　never　find　it。　　He　therefore
compromised　by　concluding　that　he　would　sup　and　sleep　in
Sunch'ston；　get　through　the　morrow　as　he　best　could　without
attracting　attention；　deepen　the　stain　on　his　face　and　hair；　and
rely　on　the　change　so　made　in　his　appearance　to　prevent　his　being
recognised　at　the　dedication　of　the　temple。　　He　would　do　nothing　to
disillusion　the　peopleto　do　this　would　only　be　making　bad　worse。
As　soon　as　the　service　was　over；　he　would　set　out　towards　the
preserves；　and；　when　it　was　well　dark；　make　for　the　statues。　　He
hoped　that　on　such　a　great　day　the　rangers　might　be　many　of　them　in
Sunch'ston；　if　there　were　any　about；　he　must　trust　the　moonless
night　and　his　own　quick　eyes　and　ears　to　get　him　through　the
preserves　safely。

The　shops　were　by　this　time　closed；　but　the　keepers　of　a　few　stalls
were　trying　by　lamplight　to　sell　the　wares　they　had　not　yet　got　rid
of。　　One　of　these　was　a　bookstall；　and；　running　his　eye　over　some
of　the　volumes；　my　father　saw　one　entitled　…


〃The　Sayings　of　the　Sunchild　during　his　stay　in　Erewhon；　to　which
is　added　a　true　account　of　his　return　to　the　palace　of　the　sun　with
his　Erewhonian　bride。　　This　is　the　only　version　authorised　by　the
Presidents　and　Vice…Presidents　of　the　Musical　Banks；　all　other
versions　being　imperfect　and　inaccurate。Bridgeford；　XVIII。；　150
pp。　8vo。　　Price　3s。


The　reader　will　understand　that　I　am　giving　the　prices　as　nearly　as
I　can　in　their　English　equivalents。　　Another　title　was　…


〃The　Sacrament　of　Divorce：　　an　Occasional　Sermon　preached　by　Dr。
Gurgoyle；　President　of　the　Musical　Banks　for　the　Province　of
Sunch'ston。　　8vo；　16　pp。　6d。


Other　titles　ran　…


〃Counsels　of　Imperfection。〃　　8vo；　20　pp。　6d。

〃Hygiene；　or；　How　to　Diagnose　your　Doctor。　　8vo；　10　pp。　3d。

〃The　Physics　of　Vicarious　Existence；〃　by　Dr。　Gurgoyle；　President　of
the　Musical　Banks　for　the　Province　of　Sunch'ston。　　8vo；　20　pp。　6d。


There　were　many　other　books　whose　titles　would　probably　have
attracted　my　father　as　much　as　those　that　I　have　given；　but　he　was
too　tired　and　hungry　to　look　at　more。　　Finding　that　he　could　buy
all　the　foregoing　for　4s。　9d。；　he　bought　them　and　stuffed　them　into
the　valise　that　he　had　just　bought。　　His　purchases　in　all　had　now
amounted　to　a　little　over　1　pound；　10s。　（silver）；　leaving　him　about
3　pounds　（silver）；　including　the　money　for　which　he　had　sold　the
quails；　to　carry　him　on　till　Sunday　afternoon。　　He　intended　to
spend　say　2　pounds　（silver）；　and　keep　the　rest　of　the　money　in
order　to　give　it　to　the　British　Museum。

He　now　began　to　search　for　an　inn；　and　walked　about　the　less
fashionable　parts　of　the　town　till　he　found　an　unpretending　tavern；
which　he　thought　would　suit　him。　　Here；　on　importunity；　he　was
given　a　servant's　room　at　the　top　of　the　house；　all　others　being
engaged　by　visitors　who　had　come　for　the　dedication。　　He　ordered　a
meal；　of　which　he　stood　in　great　need；　and　having　eaten　it；　he
retired　early　for　the　night。　　But　he　smoked　a　pipe　surreptitiously
up　the　chimney　before　he　got　into　bed。

Meanwhile　other　things　were　happening；　of　which；　happily　for　his
repose；　he　was　still　ignorant；　and　which　he　did　not　learn　till　a
few　days　later。　　Not　to　depart　from　chronological　order　I　will　deal
with　them　in　my　next　chapter。



CHAPTER　VIII：　　YRAM；　NOW　MAYORESS；　GIVES　A　DINNER…PARTY；　IN　THE
COURSE　OF　WHICH　SHE　IS　DISQUIETED　BY　WHAT　SHE　LEARNS　FROM　PROFESSOR
HANKY：　　SHE　SENDS　FOR　HER　SON　GEORGE　AND　QUESTIONS　HIM



The　Professors；　returning　to　their　hotel　early　on　the　Friday
morning；　found　a　note　from　the　Mayoress　urging　them　to　be　her
guests　during　the　remainder　of　their　visit；　and　to　meet　other
friends　at　dinner　on　this　same　evening。　　They　accepted；　and　then
went　to　bed；　for　they　had　passed　the　night　under　the　tree　in　which
they　had　hidden　their　purchase；　and；　as　may　be　imagined；　had　slept
but　little。　　They　rested　all　day；　and　transferred　themselves　and
their　belongings　to　the　Mayor's　house　in　time　to　dress　for　dinner。

When　they　came　down　into　the　drawing…room　they　found　a　brilliant
company　assembled；　chiefly　Musical…Bankical　like　themselves。　　There
was　Dr。　Downie；　Professor　of　Logomachy；　and　perhaps　the　most　subtle
dialectician　in　Erewhon。　　He　could　say　nothing　in　more　words　than
any　man　of　his　generation。　　His　text…book　on　the　〃Art　of　Obscuring
Issues〃　had　passed　through　ten　or　twelve　editions；　and　was　in　the
hands　of　all　aspirants　for　academic　distinction。　　He　had　earned　a
high　reputation　for　sobriety　of　judgement　by　resolutely　refusing　to
have　definite　views　on　any　subject；　so　safe　a　man　was　he
considered；　that　while　still　quite　young　he　had　been　appointed　to
the　lucrative　post　of　Thinker　in　Ordinary　to　the　Royal　Family。
There　was　Mr。　Principal　Crank；　with　his　sister　Mrs。　Quack；
Professors　Gabb　and　Bawl；　with　their　wives　and　two　or　three　erudite
daughters。

Old　Mrs。　Humdrum　（of　whom　more　anon）　was　there　of　course；　with　her
venerable　white　hair　and　rich　black　satin　dress；　looking　the　very
ideal　of　all　that　a　stately　old　dowager　ought　to　be。　　In　society
she　was　commonly　known　as　Ydgrun；　so　perfectly　did　she　correspond
with　the　conception　of　this　strange　goddess　formed　by　the
Erewhonians。　　She　was　one　of　those　who　had　visited　my　father　when
he　was　in　prison　twenty　years　earlier。　　When　he　told　me　that　she
was　now　called　Ydgrun；　he　said；　〃I　am　sure　that　the　Erinyes　were
only　Mrs。　Humdrums；　and　that　they　were　delightful　people　when　you
came　to　know　them。　　I　do　not　believe　they　did　the　awful　things　we
say　they　did。　　I　think；　but　am　not　quite　sure；　that　they　let
Orestes　off；　but　even　though　they　had　not　pardoned　him；　I　doubt
whether　they　would　have　done　anything　more　dreadful　to　him　than
issue　a　mot　d'ordre　that　he　was　not　to　be　asked　to　any　more
afternoon　teas。　　This；　however；　would　be　down…right　torture　to　some
people。　　At　any　rate；〃　he　continued；　〃be　it　the　Erinyes；　or　Mrs。
Grundy；　or　Ydgrun；　in　all　times　and　places　it　is　woman　who　decides
whether　society　is　to　condone　an　offence　or　no。〃

Among　the　most　attractive　ladies　present　was　one　for　whose
Erewhonian　name　I　can　find　no　English　equivalent；　and　whom　I　must
therefore　call　Miss　La　Frime。　　She　was　Lady　President　of　the
principal　establishment　for　the　higher　education　of　young　ladies；
and　so　celebrated　was　she；　that　pupils　flocked　to　her　from　all
parts　of　the　surrounding　country。　　Her　primer　（written　for　the
Erewhonian　Arts　and　Science　Series）　on　the　Art　of　Man…killing；　was
the　most　complete　thing　of　the　kind　that　had　yet　been　done；　but
ill…natured　people　had　been　heard　to　say　that　she　had　killed　all
her　own　admirers　so　effectually　that　not　one　of　them　had　ever　lived
to　marry　her。　　According　to　Erewhonian　custom　the　successful
marriages　of　the　pupils　are　inscribed　yearly　on　the　oak　paneling　of
the　college　refectory；　and　a　re