erewhon revisited-第6节

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last　foregoing　paragraphs；　my　father　took　up　the　cue　furnished　him
by　the　second　speaker。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；　going　boldly　up　to　this　gentleman；　〃I　am　one　of　the
rangers；　and　it　is　my　duty　to　ask　you　what　you　are　doing　here　upon
the　King's　preserves。〃

〃Quite　so；　my　man；〃　was　the　rejoinder。　　〃We　have　been　to　see　the
statues　at　the　head　of　the　pass；　and　have　a　permit　from　the　Mayor
of　Sunch'ston　to　enter　upon　the　preserves。　　We　lost　ourselves　in
the　thick　fog；　both　going　and　coming　back。〃

My　father　inwardly　blessed　the　fog。　　He　did　not　catch　the　name　of
the　town；　but　presently　found　that　it　was　commonly　pronounced　as　I
have　written　it。

〃Be　pleased　to　show　it　me；〃　said　my　father　in　his　politest　manner。
On　this　a　document　was　handed　to　him。

I　will　here　explain　that　I　shall　translate　the　names　of　men　and
places；　as　well　as　the　substance　of　the　document；　and　I　shall
translate　all　names　in　future。　　Indeed　I　have　just　done　so　in　the
case　of　Sunch'ston。　　As　an　example；　let　me　explain　that　the　true
Erewhonian　names　for　Hanky　and　Panky；　to　whom　the　reader　will　be
immediately　introduced；　are　Sukoh　and　Sukopnames　too　cacophonous
to　be　read　with　pleasure　by　the　English　public。　　I　must　ask　the
reader　to　believe　that　in　all　cases　I　am　doing　my　best　to　give　the
spirit　of　the　original　name。

I　would　also　express　my　regret　that　my　father　did　not　either
uniformly　keep　to　the　true　Erewhonian　names；　as　in　the　cases　of
Senoj　Nosnibor；　Ydgrun；　Thims；　&c。names　which　occur　constantly　in
Erewhonor　else　invariably　invent　a　name；　as　he　did　whenever　he
considered　the　true　name　impossible。　　My　poor　mother's　name；　for
example；　was　really　Nna　Haras；　and　Mahaina's　Enaj　Ysteb；　which　he
dared　not　face。　　He；　therefore；　gave　these　characters　the　first
names　that　euphony　suggested；　without　any　attempt　at　translation。
Rightly　or　wrongly；　I　have　determined　to　keep　consistently　to
translation　for　all　names　not　used　in　my　father's　book；　and
throughout；　whether　as　regards　names　or　conversations；　I　shall
translate　with　the　freedom　without　which　no　translation　rises　above
construe　level。

Let　me　now　return　to　the　permit。　　The　earlier　part　of　the　document
was　printed；　and　ran　as　follows：…


Extracts　from　the　Act　for　the　afforesting　of　certain　lands　lying
between　the　town　of　Sunchildston；　formerly　called　Coldharbour；　and
the　mountains　which　bound　the　kingdom　of　Erewhon；　passed　in　the
year　Three；　being　the　eighth　year　of　the　reign　of　his　Most　Gracious
Majesty　King　Well…beloved　the　Twenty…Second。

〃Whereas　it　is　expedient　to　prevent　any　of　his　Majesty's　subjects
from　trying　to　cross　over　into　unknown　lands　beyond　the　mountains；
and　in　like　manner　to　protect　his　Majesty's　kingdom　from　intrusion
on　the　part　of　foreign　devils；　it　is　hereby　enacted　that　certain
lands；　more　particularly　described　hereafter；　shall　be　afforested
and　set　apart　as　a　hunting…ground　for　his　Majesty's　private　use。

〃It　is　also　enacted　that　the　Rangers　and　Under…rangers　shall　be
required　to　immediately　kill　without　parley　any　foreign　devil　whom
they　may　encounter　coming　from　the　other　side　of　the　mountains。
They　are　to　weight　the　body；　and　throw　it　into　the　Blue　Pool　under
the　waterfall　shown　on　the　plan　hereto　annexed；　but　on　pain　of
imprisonment　for　life　they　shall　not　reserve　to　their　own　use　any
article　belonging　to　the　deceased。　　Neither　shall　they　divulge　what
they　have　done　to　any　one　save　the　Head　Ranger；　who　shall　report
the　circumstances　of　the　case　fully　and　minutely　to　his　Majesty。

〃As　regards　any　of　his　Majesty's　subjects　who　may　be　taken　while
trespassing　on　his　Majesty's　preserves　without　a　special　permit
signed　by　the　Mayor　of　Sunchildston；　or　any　who　may　be　convicted　of
poaching　on　the　said　preserves；　the　Rangers　shall　forthwith　arrest
them　and　bring　them　before　the　Mayor　of　Sunchildston；　who　shall
enquire　into　their　antecedents；　and　punish　them　with　such　term　of
imprisonment；　with　hard　labour；　as　he　may　think　fit；　provided　that
no　such　term　be　of　less　duration　than　twelve　calendar　months。

〃For　the　further　provisions　of　the　said　Act；　those　whom　it　may
concern　are　referred　to　the　Act　in　full；　a　copy　of　which　may　be
seen　at　the　official　residence　of　the　Mayor　of　Sunchildston。〃


Then　followed　in　MS。　　〃XIX。　　xii。　29。　　Permit　Professor　Hanky；
Royal　Professor　of　Worldly　Wisdom　at　Bridgeford；　seat　of　learning；
city　of　the　people　who　are　above　suspicion；　and　Professor　Panky；
Royal　Professor　of　Unworldly　Wisdom　in　the　said　city；　or　either　of
them〃　＇here　the　MS。　ended；　the　rest　of　the　permit　being　in　print＇
〃to　pass　freely　during　the　space　of　forty…eight　hours　from　the　date
hereof；　over　the　King's　preserves；　provided；　under　pain　of
imprisonment　with　hard　labour　for　twelve　months；　that　they　do　not
kill；　nor　cause　to　be　killed；　nor　eat；　if　another　have　killed；　any
one　or　more　of　his　Majesty's　quails。〃

The　signature　was　such　a　scrawl　that　my　father　could　not　read　it；
but　underneath　was　printed；　〃Mayor　of　Sunchildston；　formerly　called
Coldharbour。〃

What　a　mass　of　information　did　not　my　father　gather　as　he　read；　but
what　a　far　greater　mass　did　he　not　see　that　he　must　get　hold　of　ere
he　could　reconstruct　his　plans　intelligently。

〃The　year　three；〃　indeed；　and　XIX。　　xii。　29；　in　Roman　and　Arabic
characters！　　There　were　no　such　characters　when　he　was　in　Erewhon
before。　　It　flashed　upon　him　that　he　had　repeatedly　shewn　them　to
the　Nosnibors；　and　had　once　even　written　them　down。　　It　could　not
be　that　。　。　。　No；　it　was　impossible；　and　yet　there　was　the　European
dress；　aimed　at　by　the　one　Professor；　and　attained　by　the　other。
Again　〃XIX。〃　what　was　that？　〃xii。〃　might　do　for　December；　but　it
was　now　the　4th　of　December　not　the　29th。　　〃Afforested〃　too？　　Then
that　was　why　he　had　seen　no　sheep　tracks。　　And　how　about　the　quails
he　had　so　innocently　killed？　　What　would　have　happened　if　he　had
tried　to　sell　them　in　Coldharbour？　　What　other　like　fatal　error
might　he　not　ignorantly　commit？　　And　why　had　Coldharbour　become
Sunchildston？

These　thoughts　raced　through　my　poor　father's　brain　as　he　slowly
perused　the　paper　handed　to　him　by　the　Professors。　　To　give　himself
time　he　feigned　to　be　a　poor　scholar；　but　when　he　had　delayed　as
long　as　he　dared；　he　returned　it　to　the　one　who　had　given　it　him。
Without　changing　a　muscle　he　said　…

〃Your　permit；　sir；　is　quite　regular。　　You　can　either　stay　here　the
night　or　go　on　to　Sunchildston　as　you　think　fit。　　May　I　ask　which
of　you　two　gentlemen　is　Professor　Hanky；　and　which　Professor
Panky？〃

〃My　name　is　Panky；〃　said　the　one　who　had　the　watch；　who　wore　his
clothes　reversed；　and　who　had　thought　my　father　might　be　a　poacher。

〃And　mine　Hanky；〃　said　the　other。

〃What　do　you　think；　Panky；〃　he　added；　turning　to　his　brother
Professor；　〃had　we　not　better　stay　here　till　sunrise？　　We　are　both
of　us　tired；　and　this　fellow　can　make　us　a　good　fire。　　It　is　very
dark；　and　there　will　be　no　moon　this　two　hours。　　We　are　hungry；　but
we　can　hold　out　till　we　get　to　Sunchildston；　it　cannot　be　more　than
eight　or　nine　miles　further　down。〃

Panky　assented；　but　then；　turning　sharply　to　my　father；　he　said；
〃My　man；　what　are　you　doing　in　the　forbidden　dress？　　Why　are　you
not　in　ranger's　uniform；　and　what　is　the　meaning　of　all　those
quails？〃　　For　his　seedling　idea　that　my　father　was　in　reality　a
poacher　was　doing　its　best　to　grow。

Quick　as　thought　my　father　answered；　〃The　Head　Ranger　sent　me　a
message　this　morning　to　deliver　him　three　dozen　quails　at
Sunchildston　by　to…morrow　afternoon。　　As　for　the　dress；　we　can　run
the　quails　down　quicker　in　it；　and　he　says　nothing　to　us　so　long　as
we　only　wear　out　old　clothes　and　put　on　our　uniforms　before　we　near
the　town。　　My　uniform　is　in　the　ranger's　shelter　an　hour　and　a　half
higher　up　the　valley。〃

〃See　what　comes；〃　said　Panky；　〃of　having　a　whippersnapper　not　yet
twenty　years　old　in　the　responsible　post　of　Head　Ranger。　　As　for
this　fellow；　he　may　be　speaking　the　truth；　but　I　distrust　him。〃

〃The　man　is　all　right；　Panky；〃　said　Hanky；　〃and　seems　to　be　a
decent　fellow　enough。〃　　Then　to　my　father；　〃How　many　brace　have　you
got？〃　　And　he　looked　at　them　a　little　wistfully。

〃I　have　been　at　it　all　day；　sir；　and　I　have　only　got　eight　brace。
I　must　run　down　ten　more　brace　to…morrow。〃

〃I　see；　I　see。〃　　Then；　turning　to　Panky；　he　said；　〃Of　course；　they
are　wanted　for　the　Mayor's　banquet　on　Sunday。　　By　the　way；　we　have
not　yet　received　our　invitation；　I　suppose　we　shall　find　it　when　we
get　back　to　Sunchildston。〃

〃Sunday；　Sunday；　Sunday！〃　groaned　my　father　inwardly；　but　he
changed　not　a　muscle　of　his　face；　and　said　stolidly　to　Professor
Hanky；　〃I　think　you　must　be　right；　sir；　but　there　was　nothing　said
about　it　to　me；　I　was　only　told　to　bring　the　birds。〃

Thus　tenderly　did　he　water　the　Professor's　second　seedling。　　But
Panky　had　his　seedling　too；　and；　Cain…like；　was　jealous　that
Hanky's　should　flourish　while　his　own　was　withering。

〃And　what；　pray；　my　man；〃　he　said　somewhat　peremptorily　to　my
father；　〃are　those　two　plucked　quails　doing？　　Were　you　to　deliver
them　plucked？　　And　what　bird　did　those　bones　belong　to　which　I　see
lying　by　the　fire　with　the　flesh　all　eaten　off　them？　　Are　the
under…rangers　allowed　not