erewhon-第50节

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Hope　there　seemed　none　whateveryet；　strangely　enough　we　were
neither　of　us　utterly　hopeless；　and　even　when　the　evil　that　we
dreaded　was　upon　us；　and　that　which　we　greatly　feared　had　come；　we
sat　in　the　car　of　the　balloon　with　the　waters　up　to　our　middle；　and
still　smiled　with　a　ghastly　hopefulness　to　one　another。

*　*　*

He　who　has　crossed　the　St。　Gothard　will　remember　that　below
Andermatt　there　is　one　of　those　Alpine　gorges　which　reach　the　very
utmost　limits　of　the　sublime　and　terrible。　　The　feelings　of　the
traveller　have　become　more　and　more　highly　wrought　at　every　step；
until　at　last　the　naked　and　overhanging　precipices　seem　to　close
above　his　head；　as　he　crosses　a　bridge　hung　in　mid…air　over　a
roaring　waterfall；　and　enters　on　the　darkness　of　a　tunnel；　hewn　out
of　the　rock。

What　can　be　in　store　for　him　on　emerging？　　Surely　something　even
wilder　and　more　desolate　than　that　which　he　has　seen　already；　yet
his　imagination　is　paralysed；　and　can　suggest　no　fancy　or　vision　of
anything　to　surpass　the　reality　which　he　had　just　witnessed。　　Awed
and　breathless　he　advances；　when　lo！　the　light　of　the　afternoon　sun
welcomes　him　as　he　leaves　the　tunnel；　and　behold　a　smiling　valley
a　babbling　brook；　a　village　with　tall　belfries；　and　meadows　of
brilliant　greenthese　are　the　things　which　greet　him；　and　he
smiles　to　himself　as　the　terror　passes　away　and　in　another　moment
is　forgotten。

So　fared　it　now　with　ourselves。　　We　had　been　in　the　water　some　two
or　three　hours；　and　the　night　had　come　upon　us。　　We　had　said
farewell　for　the　hundredth　time；　and　had　resigned　ourselves　to　meet
the　end；　indeed　I　was　myself　battling　with　a　drowsiness　from　which
it　was　only　too　probable　that　I　should　never　wake；　when　suddenly；
Arowhena　touched　me　on　the　shoulder；　and　pointed　to　a　light　and　to
a　dark　mass　which　was　bearing　right　upon　us。　　A　cry　for　helploud
and　clear　and　shrillbroke　forth　from　both　of　us　at　once；　and　in
another　five　minutes　we　were　carried　by　kind　and　tender　hands　on　to
the　deck　of　an　Italian　vessel。



CHAPTER　XXIX：　　CONCLUSION



The　ship　was　the　Principe　Umberto；　bound　from　Callao　to　Genoa；　she
had　carried　a　number　of　emigrants　to　Rio；　had　gone　thence　to
Callao；　where　she　had　taken　in　a　cargo　of　guano；　and　was　now　on　her
way　home。　　The　captain　was　a　certain　Giovanni　Gianni；　a　native　of
Sestri；　he　has　kindly　allowed　me　to　refer　to　him　in　case　the　truth
of　my　story　should　be　disputed；　but　I　grieve　to　say　that　I　suffered
him　to　mislead　himself　in　some　important　particulars。　　I　should　add
that　when　we　were　picked　up　we　were　a　thousand　miles　from　land。

As　soon　as　we　were　on　board；　the　captain　began　questioning　us　about
the　siege　of　Paris；　from　which　city　he　had　assumed　that　we　must
have　come；　notwithstanding　our　immense　distance　from　Europe。　　As
may　be　supposed；　I　had　not　heard　a　syllable　about　the　war　between
France　and　Germany；　and　was　too　ill　to　do　more　than　assent　to　all
that　he　chose　to　put　into　my　mouth。　　My　knowledge　of　Italian　is
very　imperfect；　and　I　gathered　little　from　anything　that　he　said；
but　I　was　glad　to　conceal　the　true　point　of　our　departure；　and
resolved　to　take　any　cue　that　he　chose　to　give　me。

The　line　that　thus　suggested　itself　was　that　there　had　been　ten　or
twelve　others　in　the　balloon；　that　I　was　an　English　Milord；　and
Arowhena　a　Russian　Countess；　that　all　the　others　had　been　drowned；
and　that　the　despatches　which　we　had　carried　were　lost。　　I　came
afterwards　to　learn　that　this　story　would　not　have　been　credible；
had　not　the　captain　been　for　some　weeks　at　sea；　for　I　found　that
when　we　were　picked　up；　the　Germans　had　already　long　been　masters
of　Paris。　　As　it　was；　the　captain　settled　the　whole　story　for　me；
and　I　was　well　content。

In　a　few　days　we　sighted　an　English　vessel　bound　from　Melbourne　to
London　with　wool。　　At　my　earnest　request；　in　spite　of　stormy
weather　which　rendered　it　dangerous　for　a　boat　to　take　us　from　one
ship　to　the　other；　the　captain　consented　to　signal　the　English
vessel；　and　we　were　received　on　board；　but　we　were　transferred　with
such　difficulty　that　no　communication　took　place　as　to　the　manner
of　our　being　found。　　I　did　indeed　hear　the　Italian　mate　who　was　in
charge　of　the　boat　shout　out　something　in　French　to　the　effect　that
we　had　been　picked　up　from　a　balloon；　but　the　noise　of　the　wind　was
so　great；　and　the　captain　understood　so　little　French　that　he
caught　nothing　of　the　truth；　and　it　was　assumed　that　we　were　two
persons　who　had　been　saved　from　shipwreck。　　When　the　captain　asked
me　in　what　ship　I　had　been　wrecked；　I　said　that　a　party　of　us　had
been　carried　out　to　sea　in　a　pleasure…boat　by　a　strong　current；　and
that　Arowhena　（whom　I　described　as　a　Peruvian　lady）　and　I　were
alone　saved。

There　were　several　passengers；　whose　goodness　towards　us　we　can
never　repay。　　I　grieve　to　think　that　they　cannot　fail　to　discover
that　we　did　not　take　them　fully　into　our　confidence；　but　had　we
told　them　all；　they　would　not　have　believed　us；　and　I　was
determined　that　no　one　should　hear　of　Erewhon；　or　have　the　chance
of　getting　there　before　me；　as　long　as　I　could　prevent　it。　　Indeed；
the　recollection　of　the　many　falsehoods　which　I　was　then　obliged　to
tell；　would　render　my　life　miserable　were　I　not　sustained　by　the
consolations　of　my　religion。　　Among　the　passengers　there　was　a　most
estimable　clergyman；　by　whom　Arowhena　and　I　were　married　within　a
very　few　days　of　our　coming　on　board。

After　a　prosperous　voyage　of　about　two　months；　we　sighted　the
Land's　End；　and　in　another　week　we　were　landed　at　London。　　A
liberal　subscription　was　made　for　us　on　board　the　ship；　so　that　we
found　ourselves　in　no　immediate　difficulty　about　money。　　I
accordingly　took　Arowhena　down　into　Somersetshire；　where　my　mother
and　sisters　had　resided　when　I　last　heard　of　them。　　To　my　great
sorrow　I　found　that　my　mother　was　dead；　and　that　her　death　had　been
accelerated　by　the　report　of　my　having　been　killed；　which　had　been
brought　to　my　employer's　station　by　Chowbok。　　It　appeared　that　he
must　have　waited　for　a　few　days　to　see　whether　I　returned；　that　he
then　considered　it　safe　to　assume　that　I　should　never　do　so；　and
had　accordingly　made　up　a　story　about　my　having　fallen　into　a
whirlpool　of　seething　waters　while　coming　down　the　gorge　homeward。
Search　was　made　for　my　body；　but　the　rascal　had　chosen　to　drown　me
in　a　place　where　there　would　be　no　chance　of　its　ever　being
recovered。

My　sisters　were　both　married；　but　neither　of　their　husbands　was
rich。　　No　one　seemed　overjoyed　on　my　return；　and　I　soon　discovered
that　when　a　man's　relations　have　once　mourned　for　him　as　dead；　they
seldom　like　the　prospect　of　having　to　mourn　for　him　a　second　time。

Accordingly　I　returned　to　London　with　my　wife；　and　through　the
assistance　of　an　old　friend　supported　myself　by　writing　good　little
stories　for　the　magazines；　and　for　a　tract　society。　　I　was　well
paid；　and　I　trust　that　I　may　not　be　considered　presumptuous　in
saying　that　some　of　the　most　popular　of　the　brochures　which　are
distributed　in　the　streets；　and　which　are　to　be　found　in　the
waiting…rooms　of　the　railway　stations；　have　proceeded　from　my　pen。
During　the　time　that　I　could　spare；　I　arranged　my　notes　and　diary
till　they　assumed　their　present　shape。　　There　remains　nothing　for
me　to　add；　save　to　unfold　the　scheme　which　I　propose　for　the
conversion　of　Erewhon。

That　scheme　has　only　been　quite　recently　decided　upon　as　the　one
which　seems　most　likely　to　be　successful。

It　will　be　seen　at　once　that　it　would　be　madness　for　me　to　go　with
ten　or　a　dozen　subordinate　missionaries　by　the　same　way　as　that
which　led　me　to　discover　Erewhon。　　I　should　be　imprisoned　for
typhus；　besides　being　handed　over　to　the　straighteners　for　having
run　away　with　Arowhena：　　an　even　darker　fate；　to　which　I　dare
hardly　again　allude；　would　be　reserved　for　my　devoted　fellow…
labourers。　　It　is　plain；　therefore；　that　some　other　way　must　be
found　for　getting　at　the　Erewhonians；　and　I　am　thankful　to　say　that
such　another　way　is　not　wanting。　　One　of　the　rivers　which　descends
from　the　Snowy　Mountains；　and　passes　through　Erewhon；　is　known　to
be　navigable　for　several　hundred　miles　from　its　mouth。　　Its　upper
waters　have　never　yet　been　explored；　but　I　feel　little　doubt　that
it　will　be　found　possible　to　take　a　light　gunboat　（for　we　must
protect　ourselves）　to　the　outskirts　of　the　Erewhonian　country。

I　propose；　therefore；　that　one　of　those　associations　should　be
formed　in　which　the　risk　of　each　of　the　members　is　confined　to　the
amount　of　his　stake　in　the　concern。　　The　first　step　would　be　to
draw　up　a　prospectus。　　In　this　I　would　advise　that　no　mention
should　be　made　of　the　fact　that　the　Erewhonians　are　the　lost
tribes。　　The　discovery　is　one　of　absorbing　interest　to　myself；　but
it　is　of　a　sentimental　rather　than　commercial　value；　and　business
is　business。　　The　capital　to　be　raised　should　not　be　less　than
fifty　thousand　pounds；　and　might　be　either　in　five　or　ten　pound
shares　as　hereafter　determined。　　This　should　be　amply　sufficient
for　the　expenses　of　an　experimental　voyage。

When　the　money　had　been　subscribed；　it　would　be　our　duty　to　charter
a　steamer　of　some　twelve　or　fourteen　hundred　tons　burden；　and　with