erewhon-第34节

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strongly　are　the　Erewhonians　impressed　with　this；　that　if　a　man　has
made　a　fortune　of　over　20；000　pounds　a　year　they　exempt　him　from
all　taxation；　considering　him　as　a　work　of　art；　and　too　precious　to
be　meddled　with；　they　say；　〃How　very　much　he　must　have　done　for
society　before　society　could　have　been　prevailed　upon　to　give　him
so　much　money；〃　so　magnificent　an　organisation　overawes　them；　they
regard　it　as　a　thing　dropped　from　heaven。

〃Money；〃　they　say；　〃is　the　symbol　of　duty；　it　is　the　sacrament　of
having　done　for　mankind　that　which　mankind　wanted。　　Mankind　may　not
be　a　very　good　judge；　but　there　is　no　better。〃　　This　used　to　shock
me　at　first；　when　I　remembered　that　it　had　been　said　on　high
authority　that　they　who　have　riches　shall　enter　hardly　into　the
kingdom　of　heaven；　but　the　influence　of　Erewhon　had　made　me　begin
to　see　things　in　a　new　light；　and　I　could　not　help　thinking　that
they　who　have　not　riches　shall　enter　more　hardly　still。

People　oppose　money　to　culture；　and　imply　that　if　a　man　has　spent
his　time　in　making　money　he　will　not　be　cultivatedfallacy　of
fallacies！　　As　though　there　could　be　a　greater　aid　to　culture　than
the　having　earned　an　honourable　independence；　and　as　though　any
amount　of　culture　will　do　much　for　the　man　who　is　penniless；　except
make　him　feel　his　position　more　deeply。　　The　young　man　who　was　told
to　sell　all　his　goods　and　give　to　the　poor；　must　have　been　an
entirely　exceptional　person　if　the　advice　was　given　wisely；　either
for　him　or　for　the　poor；　how　much　more　often　does　it　happen　that　we
perceive　a　man　to　have　all　sorts　of　good　qualities　except　money；
and　feel　that　his　real　duty　lies　in　getting　every　half…penny　that
he　can　persuade　others　to　pay　him　for　his　services；　and　becoming
rich。　　It　has　been　said　that　the　love　of　money　is　the　root　of　all
evil。　　The　want　of　money　is　so　quite　as　truly。

The　above　may　sound　irreverent；　but　it　is　conceived　in　a　spirit　of
the　most　utter　reverence　for　those　things　which　do　alone　deserve
itthat　is；　for　the　things　which　are；　which　mould　us　and　fashion
us；　be　they　what　they　may；　for　the　things　that　have　power　to　punish
us；　and　which　will　punish　us　if　we　do　not　heed　them；　for　our
masters　therefore。　　But　I　am　drifting　away　from　my　story。

They　have　another　plan　about　which　they　are　making　a　great　noise
and　fuss；　much　as　some　are　doing　with　women's　rights　in　England。　　A
party　of　extreme　radicals　have　professed　themselves　unable　to
decide　upon　the　superiority　of　age　or　youth。　　At　present　all　goes
on　the　supposition　that　it　is　desirable　to　make　the　young　old　as
soon　as　possible。　　Some　would　have　it　that　this　is　wrong；　and　that
the　object　of　education　should　be　to　keep　the　old　young　as　long　as
possible。　　They　say　that　each　age　should　take　it　turn　in　turn
about；　week　by　week；　one　week　the　old　to　be　topsawyers；　and　the
other　the　young；　drawing　the　line　at　thirty…five　years　of　age；　but
they　insist　that　the　young　should　be　allowed　to　inflict　corporal
chastisement　on　the　old；　without　which　the　old　would　be　quite
incorrigible。　　In　any　European　country　this　would　be　out　of　the
question；　but　it　is　not　so　there；　for　the　straighteners　are
constantly　ordering　people　to　be　flogged；　so　that　they　are　familiar
with　the　notion。　　I　do　not　suppose　that　the　idea　will　be　ever　acted
upon；　but　its　having　been　even　mooted　is　enough　to　show　the　utter
perversion　of　the　Erewhonian　mind。



CHAPTER　XXI：　　THE　COLLEGES　OF　UNREASON



I　had　now　been　a　visitor　with　the　Nosnibors　for　some　five　or　six
months；　and　though　I　had　frequently　proposed　to　leave　them　and　take
apartments　of　my　own；　they　would　not　hear　of　my　doing　so。　　I
suppose　they　thought　I　should　be　more　likely　to　fall　in　love　with
Zulora　if　I　remained；　but　it　was　my　affection　for　Arowhena　that
kept　me。

During　all　this　time　both　Arowhena　and　myself　had　been　dreaming；
and　drifting　towards　an　avowed　attachment；　but　had　not　dared　to
face　the　real　difficulties　of　the　position。　　Gradually；　however；
matters　came　to　a　crisis　in　spite　of　ourselves；　and　we　got　to　see
the　true　state　of　the　case；　all　too　clearly。

One　evening　we　were　sitting　in　the　garden；　and　I　had　been　trying　in
every　stupid　roundabout　way　to　get　her　to　say　that　she　should　be　at
any　rate　sorry　for　a　man；　if　he　really　loved　a　woman　who　would　not
marry　him。　　I　had　been　stammering　and　blushing；　and　been　as　silly
as　any　one　could　be；　and　I　suppose　had　pained　her　by　fishing　for
pity　for　myself　in　such　a　transparent　way；　and　saying　nothing　about
her　own　need　of　it；　at　any　rate；　she　turned　all　upon　me　with　a
sweet　sad　smile　and　said；　〃Sorry？　　I　am　sorry　for　myself；　I　am
sorry　for　you；　and　I　am　sorry　for　every　one。〃　　The　words　had　no
sooner　crossed　her　lips　than　she　bowed　her　head；　gave　me　a　look　as
though　I　were　to　make　no　answer；　and　left　me。

The　words　were　few　and　simple；　but　the　manner　with　which　they　were
uttered　was　ineffable：　　the　scales　fell　from　my　eyes；　and　I　felt
that　I　had　no　right　to　try　and　induce　her　to　infringe　one　of　the
most　inviolable　customs　of　her　country；　as　she　needs　must　do　if　she
were　to　marry　me。　　I　sat　for　a　long　while　thinking；　and　when　I
remembered　the　sin　and　shame　and　misery　which　an　unrighteous
marriagefor　as　such　it　would　be　held　in　Erewhonwould　entail；　I
became　thoroughly　ashamed　of　myself　for　having　been　so　long　self…
blinded。　　I　write　coldly　now；　but　I　suffered　keenly　at　the　time；
and　should　probably　retain　a　much　more　vivid　recollection　of　what　I
felt；　had　not　all　ended　so　happily。

As　for　giving　up　the　idea　of　marrying　Arowhena；　it　never　so　much　as
entered　my　head　to　do　so：　　the　solution　must　be　found　in　some　other
direction　than　this。　　The　idea　of　waiting　till　somebody　married
Zulora　was　to　be　no　less　summarily　dismissed。　　To　marry　Arowhena　at
once　in　Erewhonthis　had　already　been　abandoned：　　there　remained
therefore　but　one　alternative；　and　that　was　to　run　away　with　her；
and　get　her　with　me　to　Europe；　where　there　would　be　no　bar　to　our
union　save　my　own　impecuniosity；　a　matter　which　gave　me　no
uneasiness。

To　this　obvious　and　simple　plan　I　could　see　but　two　objections　that
deserved　the　name；the　first；　that　perhaps　Arowhena　would　not
come；　the　second；　that　it　was　almost　impossible　for　me　to　escape
even　alone；　for　the　king　had　himself　told　me　that　I　was　to　consider
myself　a　prisoner　on　parole；　and　that　the　first　sign　of　my
endeavouring　to　escape　would　cause　me　to　be　sent　to　one　of　the
hospitals　for　incurables。　　Besides；　I　did　not　know　the　geography　of
the　country；　and　even　were　I　to　try　and　find　my　way　back；　I　should
be　discovered　long　before　I　had　reached　the　pass　over　which　I　had
come。　　How　then　could　I　hope　to　be　able　to　take　Arowhena　with　me？
For　days　and　days　I　turned　these　difficulties　over　in　my　mind；　and
at　last　hit　upon　as　wild　a　plan　as　was　ever　suggested　by　extremity。
This　was　to　meet　the　second　difficulty：　　the　first　gave　me　less
uneasiness；　for　when　Arowhena　and　I　next　met　after　our　interview　in
the　garden　I　could　see　that　she　had　suffered　not　less　acutely　than
myself。

I　resolved　that　I　would　have　another　interview　with　herthe　last
for　the　presentthat　I　would　then　leave　her；　and　set　to　work　upon
maturing　my　plan　as　fast　as　possible。　　We　got　a　chance　of　being
alone　together；　and　then　I　gave　myself　the　loose　rein；　and　told　her
how　passionately　and　devotedly　I　loved　her。　　She　said　little　in
return；　but　her　tears　（which　I　could　not　refrain　from　answering
with　my　own）　and　the　little　she　did　say　were　quite　enough　to　show
me　that　I　should　meet　with　no　obstacle　from　her。　　Then　I　asked　her
whether　she　would　run　a　terrible　risk　which　we　should　share　in
common；　if；　in　case　of　success；　I　could　take　her　to　my　own　people；
to　the　home　of　my　mother　and　sisters；　who　would　welcome　her　very
gladly。　　At　the　same　time　I　pointed　out　that　the　chances　of　failure
were　far　greater　than　those　of　success；　and　that　the　probability
was　that　even　though　I　could　get　so　far　as　to　carry　my　design　into
execution；　it　would　end　in　death　to　us　both。

I　was　not　mistaken　in　her；　she　said　that　she　believed　I　loved　her
as　much　as　she　loved　me；　and　that　she　would　brave　anything　if　I
could　only　assure　her　that　what　I　proposed　would　not　be　thought
dishonourable　in　England；　she　could　not　live　without　me；　and　would
rather　die　with　me　than　alone；　that　death　was　perhaps　the　best　for
us　both；　that　I　must　plan；　and　that　when　the　hour　came　I　was　to
send　for　her；　and　trust　her　not　to　fail　me；　and　so　after　many　tears
and　embraces；　we　tore　ourselves　away。

I　then　left　the　Nosnibors；　took　a　lodging　in　the　town；　and　became
melancholy　to　my　heart's　content。　　Arowhena　and　I　used　to　see　each
other　sometimes；　for　I　had　taken　to　going　regularly　to　the　Musical
Banks；　but　Mrs。　Nosnibor　and　Zulora　both　treated　me　with
considerable　coldness。　　I　felt　sure　that　they　suspected　me。
Arowhena　looked　miserable；　and　I　saw　that　her　purse　was　now　always
as　full　as　she　could　fill　it　with　the　Musical　Bank　moneymuch
fuller　than　of　old。　　Then　the　horrible　thought　occurred　to　me　that
her　health　might　break　down；　and　that　she　might　be　subjected　to　a
criminal　prosecution。　　Oh！　how　I　hated　Erewhon　at　that　time。

I　was　still　received　at　court；　but　my　good　looks　were　beginn