erewhon-第13节

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monotony　which　would　have　been　tedious　but　for　the　society　of　Yram；
the　jailor's　daughter；　who　had　taken　a　great　fancy　for　me　and
treated　me　with　the　utmost　kindness。　　The　man　came　every　day　to
teach　me　the　language；　but　my　real　dictionary　and　grammar　were
Yram；　and　I　consulted　them　to　such　purpose　that　I　made　the　most
extraordinary　progress；　being　able　at　the　end　of　a　month　to
understand　a　great　deal　of　the　conversation　which　I　overheard
between　Yram　and　her　father。　　My　teacher　professed　himself　well
satisfied；　and　said　he　should　make　a　favourable　report　of　me　to　the
authorities。　　I　then　questioned　him　as　to　what　would　probably　be
done　with　me。　　He　told　me　that　my　arrival　had　caused　great
excitement　throughout　the　country；　and　that　I　was　to　be　detained　a
close　prisoner　until　the　receipt　of　advices　from　the　Government。
My　having　had　a　watch；　he　said；　was　the　only　damaging　feature　in
the　case。　　And　then；　in　answer　to　my　asking　why　this　should　be　so；
he　gave　me　a　long　story　of　which　with　my　imperfect　knowledge　of　the
language　I　could　make　nothing　whatever；　except　that　it　was　a　very
heinous　offence；　almost　as　bad　（at　least；　so　I　thought　I　understood
him）　as　having　typhus　fever。　　But　he　said　he　thought　my　light　hair
would　save　me。

I　was　allowed　to　walk　in　the　garden；　there　was　a　high　wall　so　that
I　managed　to　play　a　sort　of　hand　fives；　which　prevented　my　feeling
the　bad　effects　of　my　confinement；　though　it　was　stupid　work
playing　alone。　　In　the　course　of　time　people　from　the　town　and
neighbourhood　began　to　pester　the　jailor　to　be　allowed　to　see　me；
and　on　receiving　handsome　fees　he　let　them　do　so。　　The　people　were
good　to　me；　almost　too　good；　for　they　were　inclined　to　make　a　lion
of　me；　which　I　hatedat　least　the　women　were；　only　they　had　to
beware　of　Yram；　who　was　a　young　lady　of　a　jealous　temperament；　and
kept　a　sharp　eye　both　on　me　and　on　my　lady　visitors。　　However；　I
felt　so　kindly　towards　her；　and　was　so　entirely　dependent　upon　her
for　almost　all　that　made　my　life　a　blessing　and　a　comfort　to　me；
that　I　took　good　care　not　to　vex　her；　and　we　remained　excellent
friends。　　The　men　were　far　less　inquisitive；　and　would　not；　I
believe；　have　come　near　me　of　their　own　accord；　but　the　women　made
them　come　as　escorts。　　I　was　delighted　with　their　handsome　mien；
and　pleasant　genial　manners。

My　food　was　plain；　but　always　varied　and　wholesome；　and　the　good
red　wine　was　admirable。　　I　had　found　a　sort　of　wort　in　the　garden；
which　I　sweated　in　heaps　and　then　dried；　obtaining　thus　a
substitute　for　tobacco；　so　that　what　with　Yram；　the　language；
visitors；　fives　in　the　garden；　smoking；　and　bed；　my　time　slipped　by
more　rapidly　and　pleasantly　than　might　have　been　expected。　　I　also
made　myself　a　small　flute；　and　being　a　tolerable　player；　amused
myself　at　times　with　playing　snatches　from　operas；　and　airs　such　as
〃O　where　and　oh　where；〃　and　〃Home；　sweet　home。〃　　This　was　of　great
advantage　to　me；　for　the　people　of　the　country　were　ignorant　of　the
diatonic　scale　and　could　hardly　believe　their　ears　on　hearing　some
of　our　most　common　melodies。　　Often；　too；　they　would　make　me　sing；
and　I　could　at　any　time　make　Yram's　eyes　swim　with　tears　by　singing
〃Wilkins　and　his　Dinah；〃　〃Billy　Taylor；〃　〃The　Ratcatcher's
Daughter；〃　or　as　much　of　them　as　I　could　remember。

I　had　one　or　two　discussions　with　them　because　I　never　would　sing
on　Sunday　（of　which　I　kept　count　in　my　pocket…book）；　except　chants
and　hymn　tunes；　of　these　I　regret　to　say　that　I　had　forgotten　the
words；　so　that　I　could　only　sing　the　tune。　　They　appeared　to　have
little　or　no　religious　feeling；　and　to　have　never　so　much　as　heard
of　the　divine　institution　of　the　Sabbath；　so　they　ascribed　my
observance　of　it　to　a　fit　of　sulkiness；　which　they　remarked　as
coming　over　me　upon　every　seventh　day。　　But　they　were　very
tolerant；　and　one　of　them　said　to　me　quite　kindly　that　she　knew　how
impossible　it　was　to　help　being　sulky　at　times；　only　she　thought　I
ought　to　see　some　one　if　it　became　more　seriousa　piece　of　advice
which　I　then　failed　to　understand；　though　I　pretended　to　take　it
quite　as　a　matter　of　course。

Once　only　did　Yram　treat　me　in　a　way　that　was　unkind　and
unreasonable；at　least　so　I　thought　it　at　the　time。　　It　happened
thus。　　I　had　been　playing　fives　in　the　garden　and　got　much　heated。
Although　the　day　was　cold；　for　autumn　was　now　advancing；　and　Cold
Harbour　（as　the　name　of　the　town　in　which　my　prison　was　should　be
translated）　stood　fully　3000　feet　above　the　sea；　I　had　played
without　my　coat　and　waistcoat；　and　took　a　sharp　chill　on　resting
myself　too　long　in　the　open　air　without　protection。　　The　next　day　I
had　a　severe　cold　and　felt　really　poorly。　　Being　little　used　even
to　the　lightest　ailments；　and　thinking　that　it　would　be　rather　nice
to　be　petted　and　cossetted　by　Yram；　I　certainly　did　not　make　myself
out　to　be　any　better　than　I　was；　in　fact；　I　remember　that　I　made
the　worst　of　things；　and　took　it　into　my　head　to　consider　myself
upon　the　sick　list。　　When　Yram　brought　me　my　breakfast　I　complained
somewhat　dolefully　of　my　indisposition；　expecting　the　sympathy　and
humouring　which　I　should　have　received　from　my　mother　and　sisters
at　home。　　Not　a　bit　of　it。　　She　fired　up　in　an　instant；　and　asked
me　what　I　meant　by　it；　and　how　I　dared　to　presume　to　mention　such　a
thing；　especially　when　I　considered　in　what　place　I　was。　　She　had
the　best　mind　to　tell　her　father；　only　that　she　was　afraid　the
consequences　would　be　so　very　serious　for　me。　　Her　manner　was　so
injured　and　decided；　and　her　anger　so　evidently　unfeigned；　that　I
forgot　my　cold　upon　the　spot；　begging　her　by　all　means　to　tell　her
father　if　she　wished　to　do　so；　and　telling　her　that　I　had　no　idea
of　being　shielded　by　her　from　anything　whatever；　presently
mollifying；　after　having　said　as　many　biting　things　as　I　could；　I
asked　her　what　it　was　that　I　had　done　amiss；　and　promised　amendment
as　soon　as　ever　I　became　aware　of　it。　　She　saw　that　I　was　really
ignorant；　and　had　had　no　intention　of　being　rude　to　her；　whereon　it
came　out　that　illness　of　any　sort　was　considered　in　Erewhon　to　be
highly　criminal　and　immoral；　and　that　I　was　liable；　even　for
catching　cold；　to　be　had　up　before　the　magistrates　and　imprisoned
for　a　considerable　periodan　announcement　which　struck　me　dumb
with　astonishment。

I　followed　up　the　conversation　as　well　as　my　imperfect　knowledge　of
the　language　would　allow；　and　caught　a　glimmering　of　her　position
with　regard　to　ill…health；　but　I　did　not　even　then　fully　comprehend
it；　nor　had　I　as　yet　any　idea　of　the　other　extraordinary
perversions　of　thought　which　existed　among　the　Erewhonians；　but
with　which　I　was　soon　to　become　familiar。　　I　propose；　therefore；　to
make　no　mention　of　what　passed　between　us　on　this　occasion；　save
that　we　were　reconciled；　and　that　she　brought　me　surreptitiously　a
hot　glass　of　spirits　and　water　before　I　went　to　bed；　as　also　a　pile
of　extra　blankets；　and　that　next　morning　I　was　quite　well。　　I　never
remember　to　have　lost　a　cold　so　rapidly。

This　little　affair　explained　much　which　had　hitherto　puzzled　me。
It　seemed　that　the　two　men　who　were　examined　before　the　magistrates
on　the　day　of　my　arrival　in　the　country；　had　been　given　in　charge
on　account　of　ill　health；　and　were　both　condemned　to　a　long　term　of
imprisonment　with　hard　labour；　they　were　now　expiating　their
offence　in　this　very　prison；　and　their　exercise　ground　was　a　yard
separated　by　my　fives　wall　from　the　garden　in　which　I　walked。　　This
accounted　for　the　sounds　of　coughing　and　groaning　which　I　had　often
noticed　as　coming　from　the　other　side　of　the　wall：　　it　was　high；
and　I　had　not　dared　to　climb　it　for　fear　the　jailor　should　see　me
and　think　that　I　was　trying　to　escape；　but　I　had　often　wondered
what　sort　of　people　they　could　be　on　the　other　side；　and　had
resolved　on　asking　the　jailor；　but　I　seldom　saw　him；　and　Yram　and　I
generally　found　other　things　to　talk　about。

Another　month　flew　by；　during　which　I　made　such　progress　in　the
language　that　I　could　understand　all　that　was　said　to　me；　and
express　myself　with　tolerable　fluency。　　My　instructor　professed　to
be　astonished　with　the　progress　I　had　made；　I　was　careful　to
attribute　it　to　the　pains　he　had　taken　with　me　and　to　his　admirable
method　of　explaining　my　difficulties；　so　we　became　excellent
friends。

My　visitors　became　more　and　more　frequent。　　Among　them　there　were
some；　both　men　and　women；　who　delighted　me　entirely　by　their
simplicity；　unconsciousness　of　self；　kindly　genial　manners；　and
last；　but　not　least；　by　their　exquisite　beauty；　there　came　others
less　well…bred；　but　still　comely　and　agreeable　people；　while　some
were　snobs　pure　and　simple。

At　the　end　of　the　third　month　the　jailor　and　my　instructor　came
together　to　visit　me　and　told　me　that　communications　had　been
received　from　the　Government　to　the　effect　that　if　I　had　behaved
well　and　seemed　generally　reasonable；　and　if　there　could　be　no
suspicion　at　all　about　my　bodily　health　and　vigour；　and　if　my　hair
was　really　light；　and　my　eyes　blue　and　complexion　fresh；　I　was　to
be　sent　up　at　once　to　the　metropolis　in　order　that　the　King　and
Queen　might　see　me　and　converse　with　me；　but　that　when　I　arrived
there　I　should　be　set　at　li