erewhon revisited-第44节

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to　say　so。　　Good…bye　to　you；　and　may　no　ill　befall　you　ere　you　get
home。〃

My　father　grasped　his　hand　in　both　his　own。　　〃Again；〃　he　said；　〃I
can　say　no　more　than　that　I　thank　you　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart。〃

As　he　spoke　he　bowed　his　head；　and　went　out　with　George　into　the
night。



CHAPTER　XXV：　　GEORGE　ESCORTS　MY　FATHER　TO　THE　STATUES；　THE　TWO　THEN
PART



The　streets　were　quite　deserted　as　George　had　said　they　would　be；
and　very　dark；　save　for　an　occasional　oil　lamp。

〃As　soon　as　we　can　get　within　the　preserves；〃　said　George；　〃we　had
better　wait　till　morning。　　I　have　a　rug　for　myself　as　well　as　for
you。〃

〃I　saw　you　had　two；〃　answered　my　father；　〃you　must　let　me　carry
them　both；　the　provisions　are　much　the　heavier　load。

George　fought　as　hard　as　a　dog　would　do；　till　my　father　said　that
they　must　not　quarrel　during　the　very　short　time　they　had　to　be
together。　　On　this　George　gave　up　one　rug　meekly　enough；　and　my
father　yielded　about　the　basket；　and　the　other　rug。

It　was　about　half…past　eleven　when　they　started；　and　it　was　after
one　before　they　reached　the　preserves。　　For　the　first　mile　from　the
town　they　were　not　much　hindered　by　the　darkness；　and　my　father
told　George　about　his　book　and　many　another　matter；　he　also
promised　George　to　say　nothing　about　this　second　visit。　　Then　the
road　became　more　rough；　and　when　it　dwindled　away　to　be　a　mere
lanebecoming　presently　only　a　foot　trackthey　had　to　mind　their
footsteps；　and　got　on　but　slowly。　　The　night　was　starlit；　and　warm；
considering　that　they　were　more　than　three　thousand　feet　above　the
sea；　but　it　was　very　dark；　so　that　my　father　was　well　enough
pleased　when　George　showed　him　the　white　stones　that　marked　the
boundary；　and　said　they　had　better　soon　make　themselves　as
comfortable　as　they　could　till　morning。

〃We　can　stay　here；〃　he　said；　〃till　half…past　three；　there　will　be　a
little　daylight　then；　we　will　rest　half　an　hour　for　breakfast　at
about　five；　and　by　noon　we　shall　be　at　the　statues；　where　we　will
dine。〃

This　being　settled；　George　rolled　himself　up　in　his　rug；　and　in　a
few　minutes　went　comfortably　off　to　sleep。　　Not　so　my　poor　father。
He　wound　up　his　watch；　wrapped　his　rug　round　him；　and　lay　down；　but
he　could　get　no　sleep。　　After　such　a　day；　and　such　an　evening；　how
could　any　one　have　slept？

About　three　the　first　signs　of　dawn　began　to　show；　and　half　an　hour
later　my　father　could　see　the　sleeping　face　of　his　sonwhom　it
went　to　his　heart　to　wake。　　Nevertheless　he　woke　him；　and　in　a　few
minutes　the　two　were　on　their　wayGeorge　as　fresh　as　a　larkmy
poor　father　intent　on　nothing　so　much　as　on　hiding　from　George　how
ill　and　unsound　in　body　and　mind　he　was　feeling。

They　walked　on；　saying　but　little；　till　at　five　by　my　father's
watch　George　proposed　a　halt　for　breakfast。　　The　spot　he　chose　was
a　grassy　oasis　among　the　trees；　carpeted　with　subalpine　flowers；
now　in　their　fullest　beauty；　and　close　to　a　small　stream　that　here
came　down　from　a　side　valley。　　The　freshness　of　the　morning　air；
the　extreme　beauty　of　the　place；　the　lovely　birds　that　flitted　from
tree　to　tree；　the　exquisite　shapes　and　colours　of　the　flowers；
still　dew…bespangled；　and　above　all；　the　tenderness　with　which
George　treated　him；　soothed　my　father；　and　when　he　and　George　had
lit　a　fire　and　made　some　hot　corn…coffeewith　a　view　to　which　Yram
had　put　up　a　bottle　of　milkhe　felt　so　much　restored　as　to　look
forward　to　the　rest　of　his　journey　without　alarm。　　Moreover　he　had
nothing　to　carry；　for　George　had　left　his　own　rug　at　the　place
where　they　had　slept；　knowing　that　he　should　find　it　on　his　return；
he　had　therefore　insisted　on　carrying　my　father's。　　My　father
fought　as　long　as　he　could；　but　he　had　to　give　in。

〃Now　tell　me；〃　said　George；　glad　to　change　the　subject；　〃what　will
those　three　men　do　about　what　you　said　to　them　last　night？　　Will
they　pay　any　attention　to　it？〃

My　father　laughed。　　〃My　dear　George；　what　a　questionI　do　not　know
them　well　enough。〃

〃Oh　yes；　you　do。　　At　any　rate　say　what　you　think　most　likely。〃

〃Very　well。　　I　think　Dr。　Downie　will　do　much　as　I　said。　　He　will
not　throw　the　whole　thing　over；　through　fear　of　schism；　loyalty　to
a　party　from　which　he　cannot　well　detach　himself；　and　because　he
does　not　think　that　the　public　is　quite　tired　enough　of　its　toy。
He　will　neither　preach　nor　write　against　it；　but　he　will　live
lukewarmly　against　it；　and　this　is　what　the　Hankys　hate。　　They　can
stand　either　hot　or　cold；　but　they　are　afraid　of　lukewarm。　　In
England　Dr。　Downie　would　be　a　Broad　Churchman。〃

〃Do　you　think　we　shall　ever　get　rid　of　Sunchildism　altogether？〃

〃If　they　stick　to　the　cock…and…bull　stories　they　are　telling　now；
and　rub　them　in；　as　Hanky　did　on　Sunday；　it　may　go；　and　go　soon。
It　has　taken　root　too　quickly　and　easily；　and　its　top　is　too　heavy
for　its　roots；　still　there　are　so　many　chances　in　its　favour　that
it　may　last　a　long　time。〃

〃And　how　about　Hanky？〃

〃He　will　brazen　it　out；　relic；　chariot；　and　all：　　and　he　will
welcome　more　relics　and　more　cock…and…bull　stories；　his　single　eye
will　be　upon　his　own　aggrandisement　and　that　of　his　order。
Plausible；　unscrupulous；　heartless　scoundrel　that　he　is；　he　will
play　for　the　queen　and　the　women　of　the　court；　as　Dr。　Downie　will
play　for　the　king　and　the　men。　　He　and　his　party　will　sleep　neither
night　nor　day；　but　they　will　have　one　redeeming　featurewhoever
they　may　deceive；　they　will　not　deceive　themselves。　　They　believe
every　one　else　to　be　as　bad　as　they　are；　and　see　no　reason　why　they
should　not　push　their　own　wares　in　the　way　of　business。　　Hanky　is
everything　that　we　in　England　rightly　or　wrongly　believe　a　typical
Jesuit　to　be。〃

〃And　Pankywhat　about　him？〃

〃Panky　must　persuade　himself　of　his　own　lies；　before　he　is　quite
comfortable　about　telling　them　to　other　people。　　Hanky　keeps　Hanky
well　out　of　it；　Panky　must　have　a　base　of　operations　in　Panky。
Hanky　will　lead　him　by　the　nose；　bit　by　bit；　for　his　is　the　master
spirit。　　In　England　Panky　would　be　what　we　call　an　extreme
ritualist。〃

〃Then　the　real　battle　will　be　between　Hanky　and　Dr。　Downie。　　Which
will　carry　the　day？〃

〃For　the　present；　probably　Hanky。　　He　is　the　more　vigilant；　and
energetic；　in　this　case　Sunchildism　will　have　to　go；　and　I　am
afraid　your　whole　Musical　Bank　system　will　be　swept　away　along　with
it。〃

〃And　why　not？〃

〃Because；　my　dear　boy；　though　false　in　the　letter；　if　good　counsels
prevail；　it　may　be　made　true　enough　in　spirit。　　If　it　were　to　go；
its　place　would　be　soon　filled　by　men　who　would　be　as　false　in
letter　as　the　others　were；　and　much　more　false　in　spirit。　　You　want
a　heart　to　check　your　head；　and　a　head　to　check　your　heart。　　As　in
our　English　body　politic　there　are　two　parties　opposed　to　one
another；　neither　of　which　can　thrive　if　the　other　is　unduly
weakened；　so　in　our　spiritual　and　intellectual　world　two　parties
more　or　less　antagonistic　are　equally　necessary。　　Those　who　are　at
the　head　of　science　provide　us　with　the　one　party；　those　whom　we
call　our　churchmen　are　the　other。　　Both　are　corrupt；　but　we　can
spare　neither；　for　each　checks　as　far　as　it　can　the　corruptions　of
the　other。〃

〃Then　you　would　have　us　uphold　Sunchildism；　knowing　it　to　be
untrue？〃

〃Do　what　you　will；　you　will　not　get　perfect　truth。　　And　if　you　can
follow　the　lead　which　I　believe　Dr。　Downie　will　give　you；　that　is
to　say；　get　rid　of　cock…and…bull　stories；　idealise　my　unworthy
self；　and；　as　I　said　last　night；　make　me　a　peg　on　which　to　hang
your　own　best　thoughtsSunchildism　will　be　as　near　truth　as
anything　you　are　likely　to　get。　　But　if　Hankyism　triumphs；　come
what　may　you　must　get　rid　of　it；　for　he　and　his　school　will　tamper
with　the　one　sure　and　everlasting　word　of　God　revealed　to　us　by
human　experience。　　He　who　plays　fast　and　loose　with　this　is　as　one
who　would　forge　God's　signature　to　a　cheque　drawn　on　God's　own
bank。〃

〃Are　we　to　foster　the　belief　that　it　was　indeed　the　Sunchild　who
interrupted　Hanky's　sermon？〃

〃Yes；　where　you　safely　can；　but　not　otherwise；　and　commit　the　facts
to　writing　as　soon　as　you　can　find　time。　　Do　nothing　to　jeopardise
your　own　safety；　you　can　do　more　by　perfunctory　acquiescence　than
by　open　dissent。　　And　tell　those　friends　whom　you　can　trust；　what
these　my　parting　words　to　you　have　been。　　But　above　all　I　charge
you　solemnly；　do　nothing　to　jeopardise　your　own　safety；　you　cannot
play　into　Hanky's　hands　more　certainly　than　by　risking　this。　　Think
how　he　and　Panky　would　rejoice；　and　how　Dr。　Downie　would　grieve。
Be　wise　and　wary；　bide　your　time；　do　what　you　prudently　can；　and
you　will　find　you　can　do　much；　try　to　do　more；　and　you　will　do
nothing。　　Be　guided　by　the　Mayor；　by　your　motherand　by　that　dear
old　lady　whose　grandson　you　will〃

〃Then　they　have　told　you；〃　interrupted　the　youth　blushing　scarlet。

〃My　dearest　boy；　of　course　they　have；　and　I　have　seen　her；　and　am
head　over　ears　in　love　with　her　myself。〃

He　was　all　smiles　and　blushes；　and　vowed　for　a　few　minutes　that　it
was　a　shame　of　them　to　tell　me；　but　presently　he　said　…

〃Then　you　like　her。〃

〃Rather！〃　said　my　father　vehemently；　and　shaking　George　by　the
hand。　　But　he　said　nothing　about　the　nuggets　and　the　sovereigns；
kno