erewhon revisited-第37节

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road　goes；　from　that　point　you　can　walk　up；　or　be　dragged　up　as　you
may　prefer；　but　you　will　probably　find　walking　more　comfortable。〃

〃But；〃　said　Hanky；　〃come　what　may；　I　must　be　at　the　banquet。　　I　am
set　down　to　speak。〃

〃The　Mayor　will　explain　that　you　have　been　taken　somewhat　suddenly
unwell。〃

Here　Yram；　who　had　been　talking　quietly　with　her　husband；　Dr。
Downie；　and　Mrs。　Humdrum；　motioned　her　son　to　silence。

〃I　feared；〃　she　said；　〃that　difficulties　might　arise；　though　I　did
not　foresee　how　seriously　they　would　affect　my　guests。　　Let　Mrs。
Humdrum　on　our　side；　and　Dr。　Downie　on　that　of　the　Professors；　go
into　the　next　room　and　talk　the　matter　quietly　over；　let　us　then
see　whether　we　cannot　agree　to　be　bound　by　their　decision。　　I　do
not　doubt　but　they　will　find　some　means　of　averting　any　catastrophe
more　seriousNo；　Professor　Hanky；　the　doors　are　lockedthan　a
little　perjury　in　which　we　shall　all　share　and　share　alike。〃

〃Do　what　you　like；〃　said　Hanky；　looking　for　all　the　world　like　a
rat　caught　in　a　trap。　　As　he　spoke　he　seized　a　knife　from　the
table；　whereon　George　pulled　a　pair　of　handcuffs　from　his　pocket
and　slipped　them　on　to　his　wrists　before　he　well　knew　what　was
being　done　to　him。

〃George；〃　said　the　Mayor；　〃this　is　going　too　far。　　Do　you　mean　to
Blue…Pool　the　Professors　or　no？〃

〃Not　if　they　will　compromise。　　If　they　will　be　reasonable；　they
will　not　be　Blue…Pooled；　if　they　think　they　can　have　everything
their　own　way；　the　eels　will　be　at　them　before　morning。〃

A　voice　was　heard　from　the　head　of　Panky　which　he　had　buried　in　his
arms　upon　the　table。　　〃Co…co…co…compromise；〃　it　said；　and　the
effect　was　so　comic　that　every　one　except　Hanky　smiled。　　Meanwhile
Yram　had　conducted　Dr。　Downie　and　Mrs。　Humdrum　into　an　adjoining
room。



CHAPTER　XX：　　MRS。　HUMDRUM　AND　DR。　DOWNIE　PROPOSE　A　COMPROMISE；
WHICH；　AFTER　AN　AMENDMENT　BY　GEORGE；　IS　CARRIED　NEM。　　CON。



They　returned　in　about　ten　minutes；　and　Dr。　Downie　asked　Mrs。
Humdrum　to　say　what　they　had　agreed　to　recommend。

〃We　think；〃　said　she　very　demurely；　〃that　the　strict　course　would
be　to　drop　the　charge　of　poaching；　and　Blue…Pool　both　the
Professors　and　the　prisoner　without　delay。

〃We　also　think　that　the　proper　thing　would　be　to　place　on　record
that　the　prisoner　is　the　Sunchildabout　which　neither　Dr。　Downie
nor　I　have　a　shadow　of　doubt。

〃These　measures　we　hold　to　be　the　only　legal　ones；　but　at　the　same
time　we　do　not　recommend　them。　　We　think　it　would　offend　the　public
conscience　if　it　came　to　be　known；　as　it　certainly　would；　that　the
Sunchild　was　violently　killed；　on　the　very　day　that　had　seen　us
dedicate　a　temple　in　his　honour；　and　perhaps　at　the　very　hour　when
laudatory　speeches　were　being　made　about　him　at　the　Mayor's
banquet；　we　think　also　that　we　should　strain　a　good　many　points
rather　than　Blue…Pool　the　Professors。

〃Nothing　is　perfect；　and　Truth　makes　her　mistakes　like　other
people；　when　she　goes　wrong　and　reduces　herself　to　such　an
absurdity　as　she　has　here　done；　those　who　love　her　must　save　her
from　herself；　correct　her；　and　rehabilitate　her。

〃Our　conclusion；　therefore；　is　this：…

〃The　prisoner　must　recant　on　oath　his　statement　that　he　is　the
Sunchild。　　The　interpreter　must　be　squared；　or　convinced　of　his
mistake。　　The　Mayoress；　Dr。　Downie；　I；　and　the　gaoler　（with　the
interpreter　if　we　can　manage　him）；　must　depose　on　oath　that　the
prisoner　is　not　Higgs。　　This　must　be　our　contribution　to　the
rehabilitation　of　Truth。

〃The　Professors　must　contribute　as　follows：　　They　must　swear　that
the　prisoner　is　not　the　man　they　met　with　quails　in　his　possession
on　Thursday　night。　　They　must　further　swear　that　they　have　one　or
both　of　them　known　him；　off　and　on；　for　many　years　past；　as　a
monomaniac　with　Sunchildism　on　the　brain　but　otherwise　harmless。
If　they　will　do　this；　no　proceedings　are　to　be　taken　against　them。

〃The　Mayor's　contribution　shall　be　to　reprimand　the　prisoner；　and
order　him　to　repeat　his　recantation　in　the　new　temple　before　the
Manager　and　Head　Cashier；　and　to　confirm　his　statement　on　oath　by
kissing　the　reliquary　containing　the　newly　found　relic。

〃The　Ranger　and　the　Master　of　the　Gaol　must　contribute　that　the
prisoner's　measurements；　and　the　marks　found　on　his　body；　negative
all　possibility　of　his　identity　with　the　Sunchild；　and　that　all　the
hair　on　the　covered　as　well　as　the　uncovered　parts　of　his　body　was
found　to　be　jet　black。

〃We　advise　further　that　the　prisoner　should　have　his　nuggets　and
his　kit　returned　to　him；　and　that　the　receipt　given　by　the
Professors　together　with　Professor　Hanky's　handkerchief　be　given
back　to　the　Professors。

〃Furthermore；　seeing　that　we　should　all　of　us　like　to　have　a　quiet
evening　with　the　prisoner；　we　should　petition　the　Mayor　and
Mayoress　to　ask　him　to　meet　all　here　present　at　dinner　to…morrow
evening；　after　his　discharge；　on　the　plea　that　Professors　Hanky　and
Panky　and　Dr。　Downie　may　give　him　counsel；　convince　him　of　his
folly；　and　if　possible　free　him　henceforth　from　the　monomania　under
which　he　now　suffers。

〃The　prisoner　shall　give　his　word　of　honour；　never　to　return　to
Erewhon；　nor　to　encourage　any　of　his　countrymen　to　do　so。　　After
the　dinner　to　which　we　hope　the　Mayoress　Will　invite　us；　the
Ranger；　if　the　night　is　fair；　shall　escort　the　prisoner　as　far　as
the　statues；　whence　he　will　find　his　own　way　home。

〃Those　who　are　in　favour　of　this　compromise　hold　up　their　hands。〃

The　Mayor　and　Yram　held　up　theirs。　　〃Will　you　hold　up　yours；
Professor　Hanky；〃　said　George；　〃if　I　release　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Hanky　with　a　gruff　laugh；　whereon　George　released　him
and　he　held　up　both　his　hands。

Panky　did　not　hold　up　his；　whereon　Hanky　said；　〃Hold　up　your　hands；
Panky；　can't　you？　　We　are　really　very　well　out　of　it。〃

Panky；　hardly　lifting　his　head；　sobbed　out；　〃I　think　we　ought　to
have　our　f…f…fo…fo…four　pounds　ten　returned　to　us。〃

〃I　am　afraid；　sir；〃　said　George；　〃that　the　prisoner　must　have　spent
the　greater　part　of　this　money。〃

Every　one　smiled；　indeed　it　was　all　George　could　do　to　prevent
himself　from　laughing　outright。　　The　Mayor　brought　out　his　purse；
counted　the　money；　and　handed　it　good…humouredly　to　Panky；　who
gratefully　received　it；　and　said　he　would　divide　it　with　Hanky。　　He
then　held　up　his　hands；　〃But；〃　he　added；　turning　to　his　brother
Professor；　〃so　long　as　I　live；　Hanky；　I　will　never　go　out　anywhere
again　with　you。〃

George　then　turned　to　Hanky　and　said；　〃I　am　afraid　I　must　now
trouble　you　and　Professor　Panky　to　depose　on　oath　to　the　facts
which　Mrs。　Humdrum　and　Dr。　Downie　propose　you　should　swear　to　in
open　court　to…morrow。　　I　knew　you　would　do　so；　and　have　brought　an
ordinary　form；　duly　filled　up；　which　declares　that　the　prisoner　is
not　the　poacher　you　met　on　Thursday；　and　also；　that　he　has　been
long　known　to　both　of　you　as　a　harmless　monomaniac。〃

As　he　spoke　he　brought　out　depositions　to　the　above　effect　which　he
had　just　written　in　his　office；　he　shewed　the　Professors　that　the
form　was　this　time　an　innocent　one；　whereon　they　made　no　demur　to
signing　and　swearing　in　the　presence　of　the　Mayor；　who　attested。

〃The　former　depositions；〃　said　Hanky；　〃had　better　be　destroyed　at
once。〃

〃That；〃　said　George；　〃may　hardly　be；　but　so　long　as　you　stick　to
what　you　have　just　sworn　to；　they　will　not　be　used　against　you。〃

Hanky　scowled；　but　knew　that　he　was　powerless　and　said　no　more。

*　*　*

The　knowledge　of　what　ensued　did　not　reach　me　from　my　father。
George　and　his　mother；　seeing　how　ill　he　looked；　and　what　a　shock
the　events　of　the　last　few　days　had　given　him；　resolved　that　he
should　not　know　of　the　risk　that　George　was　about　to　run；　they
therefore　said　nothing　to　him　about　it。　　What　I　shall　now　tell；　I
learned　on　the　occasion　already　referred　to　when　I　had　the
happiness　to　meet　George。　　I　am　in　some　doubt　whether　it　is　more
fitly　told　here；　or　when　I　come　to　the　interview　between　him　and
me；　on　the　whole；　however；　I　suppose　chronological　order　is　least
outraged　by　dealing　with　it　here。

As　soon　as　the　Professors　had　signed　the　second　depositions；　George
said；　〃I　have　not　yet　held　up　my　hands；　but　I　will　hold　them　up　if
Mrs。　Humdrum　and　Dr。　Downie　will　approve　of　what　I　propose。　　Their
compromise　does　not　go　far　enough；　for　swear　as　we　may；　it　is　sure
to　get　noised　abroad；　with　the　usual　exaggerations；　that　the
Sunchild　has　been　here；　and　that　he　has　been　spirited　away　either
by　us；　or　by　the　sun　his　father。　　For　one　person　whom　we　know　of　as
having　identified　him；　there　will　be　five；　of　whom　we　know　nothing；
and　whom　we　cannot　square。　　Reports　will　reach　the　King　sooner　or
later；　and　I　shall　be　sent　for。　　Meanwhile　the　Professors　will　be
living　in　fear　of　intrigue　on　my　part；　and　I；　however　unreasonably；
shall　fear　the　like　on　theirs。　　This　should　not　be。　　I　mean；
therefore；　on　the　day　following　my　return　from　escorting　the
prisoner；　to　set　out　for　the　capital；　see　the　King；　and　make　a
clean　breast　of　the　whole　matter。　　To　this　end　I　must　have　the
nuggets；　the　prisoner's　kit；　his　receipt；　Professor　Hanky's
handkerchief；　and；　of　course；　the　two　depositions　just　sworn　to　by
the　Professors。　　I　hope　and　think　that　the　King　will　pardon　us　all