erewhon-第26节

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indeed；　there　was　hardly　any　insinuation　against　it　which　they
would　not　tolerate　and　even　applaud　in　their　daily　newspapers　if
written　anonymously；　while　if　the　same　thing　were　said　without
ambiguity　to　their　facesnominative　case　verb　and　accusative　being
all　in　their　right　places；　and　doubt　impossiblethey　would
consider　themselves　very　seriously　and　justly　outraged；　and　accuse
the　speaker　of　being　unwell。

I　never　could　understand　（neither　can　I　quite　do　so　now；　though　I
begin　to　see　better　what　they　mean）　why　a　single　currency　should
not　suffice　them；　it　would　seem　to　me　as　though　all　their　dealings
would　have　been　thus　greatly　simplified；　but　I　was　met　with　a　look
of　horror　if　ever　I　dared　to　hint　at　it。　　Even　those　who　to　my
certain　knowledge　kept　only　just　enough　money　at　the　Musical　Banks
to　swear　by；　would　call　the　other　banks　（where　their　securities
really　lay）　cold；　deadening；　paralysing；　and　the　like。

I　noticed　another　thing；　moreover；　which　struck　me　greatly。　　I　was
taken　to　the　opening　of　one　of　these　banks　in　a　neighbouring　town；
and　saw　a　large　assemblage　of　cashiers　and　managers。　　I　sat
opposite　them　and　scanned　their　faces　attentively。　　They　did　not
please　me；　they　lacked；　with　few　exceptions；　the　true　Erewhonian
frankness；　and　an　equal　number　from　any　other　class　would　have
looked　happier　and　better　men。　　When　I　met　them　in　the　streets　they
did　not　seem　like　other　people；　but　had；　as　a　general　rule；　a
cramped　expression　upon　their　faces　which　pained　and　depressed　me。

Those　who　came　from　the　country　were　better；　they　seemed　to　have
lived　less　as　a　separate　class；　and　to　be　freer　and　healthier；　but
in　spite　of　my　seeing　not　a　few　whose　looks　were　benign　and　noble；
I　could　not　help　asking　myself　concerning　the　greater　number　of
those　whom　I　met；　whether　Erewhon　would　be　a　better　country　if
their　expression　were　to　be　transferred　to　the　people　in　general。
I　answered　myself　emphatically；　no。　　The　expression　on　the　faces　of
the　high　Ydgrunites　was　that　which　one　would　wish　to　diffuse；　and
not　that　of　the　cashiers。

A　man's　expression　is　his　sacrament；　it　is　the　outward　and　visible
sign　of　his　inward　and　spiritual　grace；　or　want　of　grace；　and　as　I
looked　at　the　a　majority　of　these　men；　I　could　not　help　feeling
that　there　must　be　a　something　in　their　lives　which　had　stunted
their　natural　development；　and　that　they　would　have　been　more
healthily　minded　in　any　other　profession。　　I　was　always　sorry　for
them；　for　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　they　were　well…meaning　persons；
they　were　in　the　main　very　poorly　paid；　their　constitutions　were　as
a　rule　above　suspicion；　and　there　were　recorded　numberless
instances　of　their　self…sacrifice　and　generosity；　but　they　had　had
the　misfortune　to　have　been　betrayed　into　a　false　position　at　an
age　for　the　most　part　when　their　judgement　was　not　matured；　and
after　having　been　kept　in　studied　ignorance　of　the　real
difficulties　of　the　system。　　But　this　did　not　make　their　position
the　less　a　false　one；　and　its　bad　effects　upon　themselves　were
unmistakable。

Few　people　would　speak　quite　openly　and　freely　before　them；　which
struck　me　as　a　very　bad　sign。　　When　they　were　in　the　room　every　one
would　talk　as　though　all　currency　save　that　of　the　Musical　Banks
should　be　abolished；　and　yet　they　knew　perfectly　well　that　even　the
cashiers　themselves　hardly　used　the　Musical　Bank　money　more　than
other　people。　　It　was　expected　of　them　that　they　should　appear　to
do　so；　but　this　was　all。　　The　less　thoughtful　of　them　did　not　seem
particularly　unhappy；　but　many　were　plainly　sick　at　heart；　though
perhaps　they　hardly　knew　it；　and　would　not　have　owned　to　being　so。
Some　few　were　opponents　of　the　whole　system；　but　these　were　liable
to　be　dismissed　from　their　employment　at　any　moment；　and　this
rendered　them　very　careful；　for　a　man　who　had　once　been　cashier　at
a　Musical　Bank　was　out　of　the　field　for　other　employment；　and　was
generally　unfitted　for　it　by　reason　of　that　course　of　treatment
which　was　commonly　called　his　education。　　In　fact　it　was　a　career
from　which　retreat　was　virtually　impossible；　and　into　which　young
men　were　generally　induced　to　enter　before　they　could　be　reasonably
expected；　considering　their　training；　to　have　formed　any　opinions
of　their　own。　　Not　unfrequently；　indeed；　they　were　induced；　by　what
we　in　England　should　call　undue　influence；　concealment；　and　fraud。
Few　indeed　were　those　who　had　the　courage　to　insist　on　seeing　both
sides　of　the　question　before　they　committed　themselves　to　what　was
practically　a　leap　in　the　dark。　　One　would　have　thought　that
caution　in　this　respect　was　an　elementary　principle；one　of　the
first　things　that　an　honourable　man　would　teach　his　boy　to
understand；　but　in　practice　it　was　not　so。

I　even　saw　cases　in　which　parents　bought　the　right　of　presenting　to
the　office　of　cashier　at　one　of　these　banks；　with　the　fixed
determination　that　some　one　of　their　sons　（perhaps　a　mere　child）
should　fill　it。　　There　was　the　lad　himselfgrowing　up　with　every
promise　of　becoming　a　good　and　honourable　manbut　utterly　without
warning　concerning　the　iron　shoe　which　his　natural　protector　was
providing　for　him。　　Who　could　say　that　the　whole　thing　would　not
end　in　a　life…long　lie；　and　vain　chafing　to　escape？　　I　confess　that
there　were　few　things　in　Erewhon　which　shocked　me　more　than　this。

Yet　we　do　something　not　so　very　different　from　this　even　in
England；　and　as　regards　the　dual　commercial　system；　all　countries
have；　and　have　had；　a　law　of　the　land；　and　also　another　law；　which；
though　professedly　more　sacred；　has　far　less　effect　on　their　daily
life　and　actions。　　It　seems　as　though　the　need　for　some　law　over
and　above；　and　sometimes　even　conflicting　with；　the　law　of　the
land；　must　spring　from　something　that　lies　deep　down　in　man's
nature；　indeed；　it　is　hard　to　think　that　man　could　ever　have　become
man　at　all；　but　for　the　gradual　evolution　of　a　perception　that
though　this　world　looms　so　large　when　we　are　in　it；　it　may　seem　a
little　thing　when　we　have　got　away　from　it。

When　man　had　grown　to　the　perception　that　in　the　everlasting　Is…
and…Is…Not　of　nature；　the　world　and　all　that　it　contains；　including
man；　is　at　the　same　time　both　seen　and　unseen；　he　felt　the　need　of
two　rules　of　life；　one　for　the　seen；　and　the　other　for　the　unseen
side　of　things。　　For　the　laws　affecting　the　seen　world　he　claimed
the　sanction　of　seen　powers；　for　the　unseen　（of　which　he　knows
nothing　save　that　it　exists　and　is　powerful）　he　appealed　to　the
unseen　power　（of　which；　again；　he　knows　nothing　save　that　it　exists
and　is　powerful）　to　which　he　gives　the　name　of　God。

Some　Erewhonian　opinions　concerning　the　intelligence　of　the　unborn
embryo；　that　I　regret　my　space　will　not　permit　me　to　lay　before　the
reader；　have　led　me　to　conclude　that　the　Erewhonian　Musical　Banks；
and　perhaps　the　religious　systems　of　all　countries；　are　now　more　or
less　of　an　attempt　to　uphold　the　unfathomable　and　unconscious
instinctive　wisdom　of　millions　of　past　generations；　against　the
comparatively　shallow；　consciously　reasoning；　and　ephemeral
conclusions　drawn　from　that　of　the　last　thirty　or　forty。

The　saving　feature　of　the　Erewhonian　Musical　Bank　system　（as
distinct　from　the　quasi…idolatrous　views　which　coexist　with　it；　and
on　which　I　will　touch　later）　was　that　while　it　bore　witness　to　the
existence　of　a　kingdom　that　is　not　of　this　world；　it　made　no
attempt　to　pierce　the　veil　that　hides　it　from　human　eyes。　　It　is
here　that　almost　all　religions　go　wrong。　　Their　priests　try　to　make
us　believe　that　they　know　more　about　the　unseen　world　than　those
whose　eyes　are　still　blinded　by　the　seen；　can　ever　knowforgetting
that　while　to　deny　the　existence　of　an　unseen　kingdom　is　bad；　to
pretend　that　we　know　more　about　it　than　its　bare　existence　is　no
better。

This　chapter　is　already　longer　than　I　intended；　but　I　should　like
to　say　that　in　spite　of　the　saving　feature　of　which　I　have　just
spoken；　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　Erewhonians　are　on　the　eve
of　some　great　change　in　their　religious　opinions；　or　at　any　rate　in
that　part　of　them　which　finds　expression　through　their　Musical
Banks。　　So　far　as　I　could　see；　fully　ninety　per　cent。　of　the
population　of　the　metropolis　looked　upon　these　banks　with　something
not　far　removed　from　contempt。　　If　this　is　so；　any　such　startling
event　as　is　sure　to　arise　sooner　or　later；　may　serve　as　nucleus　to
a　new　order　of　things　that　will　be　more　in　harmony　with　both　the
heads　and　hearts　of　the　people。



CHAPTER　XVI：　　AROWHENA



The　reader　will　perhaps　have　learned　by　this　time　a　thing　which　I
had　myself　suspected　before　I　had　been　twenty…four　hours　in　Mr。
Nosnibor's　houseI　mean；　that　though　the　Nosnibors　showed　me　every
attention；　I　could　not　cordially　like　them；　with　the　exception　of
Arowhena　who　was　quite　different　from　the　rest。　　They　were　not　fair
samples　of　Erewhonians。　　I　saw　many　families　with　whom　they　were　on
visiting　terms；　whose　manners　charmed　me　more　than　I　know　how　to
say；　but　I　never　could　get　over　my　original　prejudice　against　Mr。
Nosnibor　for　having　embezzled　the　money。　　Mrs。　Nosnibor；　too；　was　a
very　worldly　woman；　yet　to　hear　her　talk　one　would　have　thought
that　she　was