erewhon-第27节

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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　singularly　the　reverse；　neither　could　I　endure　Zulora；
Arowhena　however　was　perfection。

She　it　was　who　ran　all　the　little　errands　for　her　mother　and　Mr。
Nosnibor　and　Zulora；　and　gave　those　thousand　proofs　of　sweetness
and　unselfishness　which　some　one　member　of　a　family　is　generally
required　to　give。　　All　day　long　it　was　Arowhena　this；　and　Arowhena
that；　but　she　never　seemed　to　know　that　she　was　being　put　upon；　and
was　always　bright　and　willing　from　morning　till　evening。　　Zulora
certainly　was　very　handsome；　but　Arowhena　was　infinitely　the　more
graceful　of　the　two　and　was　the　very　ne　plus　ultra　of　youth　and
beauty。　　I　will　not　attempt　to　describe　her；　for　anything　that　I
could　say　would　fall　so　far　short　of　the　reality　as　only　to　mislead
the　reader。　　Let　him　think　of　the　very　loveliest　that　he　can
imagine；　and　he　will　still　be　below　the　truth。　　Having　said　this
much；　I　need　hardly　say　that　I　had　fallen　in　love　with　her。

She　must　have　seen　what　I　felt　for　her；　but　I　tried　my　hardest　not
to　let　it　appear　even　by　the　slightest　sign。　　I　had　many　reasons
for　this。　　I　had　no　idea　what　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Nosnibor　would　say　to
it；　and　I　knew　that　Arowhena　would　not　look　at　me　（at　any　rate　not
yet）　if　her　father　and　mother　disapproved；　which　they　probably
would；　considering　that　I　had　nothing　except　the　pension　of　about　a
pound　a　day　of　our　money　which　the　King　had　granted　me。　　I　did　not
yet　know　of　a　more　serious　obstacle。

In　the　meantime；　I　may　say　that　I　had　been　presented　at　court；　and
was　told　that　my　reception　had　been　considered　as　singularly
gracious；　indeed；　I　had　several　interviews　both　with　the　King　and
Queen；　at　which　from　time　to　time　the　Queen　got　everything　from　me
that　I　had　in　the　world；　clothes　and　all；　except　the　two　buttons　I
had　given　to　Yram；　the　loss　of　which　seemed　to　annoy　her　a　good
deal。　　I　was　presented　with　a　court　suit；　and　her　Majesty　had　my
old　clothes　put　upon　a　wooden　dummy；　on　which　they　probably　remain；
unless　they　have　been　removed　in　consequence　of　my　subsequent
downfall。　　His　Majesty's　manners　were　those　of　a　cultivated　English
gentleman。　　He　was　much　pleased　at　hearing　that　our　government　was
monarchical；　and　that　the　mass　of　the　people　were　resolute　that　it
should　not　be　changed；　indeed；　I　was　so　much　encouraged　by　the
evident　pleasure　with　which　he　heard　me；　that　I　ventured　to　quote
to　him　those　beautiful　lines　of　Shakespeare's　…


〃There's　a　divinity　doth　hedge　a　king；
Rough　hew　him　how　we　may；〃


but　I　was　sorry　I　had　done　so　afterwards；　for　I　do　not　think　his
Majesty　admired　the　lines　as　much　as　I　could　have　wished。

There　is　no　occasion　for　me　to　dwell　further　upon　my　experience　of
the　court；　but　I　ought　perhaps　to　allude　to　one　of　my　conversations
with　the　King；　inasmuch　as　it　was　pregnant　with　the　most　important
consequences。

He　had　been　asking　me　about　my　watch；　and　enquiring　whether　such
dangerous　inventions　were　tolerated　in　the　country　from　which　I
came。　　I　owned　with　some　confusion　that　watches　were　not　uncommon；
but　observing　the　gravity　which　came　over　his　Majesty's　face　I
presumed　to　say　that　they　were　fast　dying　out；　and　that　we　had　few
if　any　other　mechanical　contrivances　of　which　he　was　likely　to
disapprove。　　Upon　his　asking　me　to　name　some　of　our　most　advanced
machines；　I　did　not　dare　to　tell　him　of　our　steam…engines　and
railroads　and　electric　telegraphs；　and　was　puzzling　my　brains　to
think　what　I　could　say；　when；　of　all　things　in　the　world；　balloons
suggested　themselves；　and　I　gave　him　an　account　of　a　very
remarkable　ascent　which　was　made　some　years　ago。　　The　King　was　too
polite　to　contradict；　but　I　felt　sure　that　he　did　not　believe　me；
and　from　that　day　forward　though　he　always　showed　me　the　attention
which　was　due　to　my　genius　（for　in　this　light　was　my　complexion
regarded）；　he　never　questioned　me　about　the　manners　and　customs　of
my　country。

To　return；　however；　to　Arowhena。　　I　soon　gathered　that　neither　Mr。
nor　Mrs。　Nosnibor　would　have　any　objection　to　my　marrying　into　the
family；　a　physical　excellence　is　considered　in　Erewhon　as　a　set　off
against　almost　any　other　disqualification；　and　my　light　hair　was
sufficient　to　make　me　an　eligible　match。　　But　along　with　this
welcome　fact　I　gathered　another　which　filled　me　with　dismay：　　I　was
expected　to　marry　Zulora；　for　whom　I　had　already　conceived　a　great
aversion。　　At　first　I　hardly　noticed　the　little　hints　and　the
artifices　which　were　resorted　to　in　order　to　bring　us　together；　but
after　a　time　they　became　too　plain。　　Zulora；　whether　she　was　in
love　with　me　or　not；　was　bent　on　marrying　me；　and　I　gathered　in
talking　with　a　young　gentleman　of　my　acquaintance　who　frequently
visited　the　house　and　whom　I　greatly　disliked；　that　it　was
considered　a　sacred　and　inviolable　rule　that　whoever　married　into　a
family　must　marry　the　eldest　daughter　at　that　time　unmarried。　　The
young　gentleman　urged　this　upon　me　so　frequently　that　I　at　last　saw
he　was　in　love　with　Arowhena　himself；　and　wanted　me　to　get　Zulora
out　of　the　way；　but　others　told　me　the　same　story　as　to　the　custom
of　the　country；　and　I　saw　there　was　a　serious　difficulty。　　My　only
comfort　was　that　Arowhena　snubbed　my　rival　and　would　not　look　at
him。　　Neither　would　she　look　at　me；　nevertheless　there　was　a
difference　in　the　manner　of　her　disregard；　this　was　all　I　could　get
from　her。

Not　that　she　avoided　me；　on　the　contrary　I　had　many　a　tete…a…tete
with　her；　for　her　mother　and　sister　were　anxious　for　me　to　deposit
some　part　of　my　pension　in　the　Musical　Banks；　this　being　in
accordance　with　the　dictates　of　their　goddess　Ydgrun；　of　whom　both
Mrs。　Nosnibor　and　Zulora　were　great　devotees。　　I　was　not　sure
whether　I　had　kept　my　secret　from　being　perceived　by　Arowhena
herself；　but　none　of　the　others　suspected　me；　so　she　was　set　upon
me　to　get　me　to　open　an　account；　at　any　rate　pro　forma；　with　the
Musical　Banks；　and　I　need　hardly　say　that　she　succeeded。　　But　I　did
not　yield　at　once；　I　enjoyed　the　process　of　being　argued　with　too
keenly　to　lose　it　by　a　prompt　concession；　besides；　a　little
hesitation　rendered　the　concession　itself　more　valuable。　　It　was　in
the　course　of　conversations　on　this　subject　that　I　learned　the　more
defined　religious　opinions　of　the　Erewhonians；　that　coexist　with
the　Musical　Bank　system；　but　are　not　recognised　by　those　curious
institutions。　　I　will　describe　them　as　briefly　as　possible　in　the
following　chapters　before　I　return　to　the　personal　adventures　of
Arowhena　and　myself。

They　were　idolaters；　though　of　a　comparatively　enlightened　kind；
but　here；　as　in　other　things；　there　was　a　discrepancy　between　their
professed　and　actual　belief；　for　they　had　a　genuine　and　potent
faith　which　existed　without　recognition　alongside　of　their　idol
worship。

The　gods　whom　they　worship　openly　are　personifications　of　human
qualities；　as　justice；　strength；　hope；　fear；　love；　&c。；　&c。　　The
people　think　that　prototypes　of　these　have　a　real　objective
existence　in　a　region　far　beyond　the　clouds；　holding；　as　did　the
ancients；　that　they　are　like　men　and　women　both　in　body　and
passion；　except　that　they　are　even　comelier　and　more　powerful；　and
also　that　they　can　render　themselves　invisible　to　human　eyesight。
They　are　capable　of　being　propitiated　by　mankind　and　of　coming　to
the　assistance　of　those　who　ask　their　aid。　　Their　interest　in　human
affairs　is　keen；　and　on　the　whole　beneficent；　but　they　become　very
angry　if　neglected；　and　punish　rather　the　first　they　come　upon；
than　the　actual　person　who　has　offended　them；　their　fury　being
blind　when　it　is　raised；　though　never　raised　without　reason。　　They
will　not　punish　with　any　less　severity　when　people　sin　against　them
from　ignorance；　and　without　the　chance　of　having　had　knowledge；
they　will　take　no　excuses　of　this　kind；　but　are　even　as　the　English
law；　which　assumes　itself　to　be　known　to　every　one。

Thus　they　have　a　law　that　two　pieces　of　matter　may　not　occupy　the
same　space　at　the　same　moment；　which　law　is　presided　over　and
administered　by　the　gods　of　time　and　space　jointly；　so　that　if　a
flying　stone　and　a　man's　head　attempt　to　outrage　these　gods；　by
〃arrogating　a　right　which　they　do　not　possess〃　（for　so　it　is
written　in　one　of　their　books）；　and　to　occupy　the　same　space
simultaneously；　a　severe　punishment；　sometimes　even　death　itself；
is　sure　to　follow；　without　any　regard　to　whether　the　stone　knew
that　the　man's　head　was　there；　or　the　head　the　stone；　this　at　least
is　their　view　of　the　common　accidents　of　life。　　Moreover；　they　hold
their　deities　to　be　quite　regardless　of　motives。　　With　them　it　is
the　thing　done　which　is　everything；　and　the　motive　goes　for
nothing。

Thus　they　hold　it　strictly　forbidden　for　a　man　to　go　without　common
air　in　his　lungs　for　more　than　a　very　few　minutes；　and　if　by　any
chance　he　gets　into　the　water；　the　air…god　is　very　angry；　and　will
not　suffer　it；　no　matter　whether　the　man　got　into　the　water　by
accident　or　on　purpose；　whether　through　the　attempt　to　save　a　child
or　through　presumptuous　contempt　of　the　air…god；　the　air…god　will
kill　him；　unless　he　ke