erewhon revisited-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


gold　nuggets；　which　he　had　intended　to　sell　in　Erewhon　so　as　to
provide　himself　with　money　when　he　got　there。

I　should　explain　that　these　nuggets　would　be　worth　in　Erewhon　fully
ten　times　as　much　as　they　would　in　Europe；　owing　to　the　great
scarcity　of　gold　in　that　country。　　The　Erewhonian　coinage　is
entirely　silverwhich　is　abundant；　and　worth　much　what　it　is　in
Englandor　copper；　which　is　also　plentiful；　but　what　we　should
call　five　pounds'　worth　of　silver　money　would　not　buy　more　than　one
of　our　half…sovereigns　in　gold。

He　had　put　his　nuggets　into　ten　brown　holland　bags；　and　he　had　had
secret　pockets　made　for　the　old　Erewhonian　dress　which　he　had　worn
when　he　escaped；　so　that　he　need　never　have　more　than　one　bag　of
nuggets　accessible　at　a　time。　　He　was　not　likely；　therefore；　to
have　been　robbed。　　His　passage　to　the　port　above　referred　to　had
been　paid　before　he　started；　and　it　seemed　impossible　that　a　man　of
his　very　inexpensive　habits　should　have　spent　two　hundred　pounds　in
a　single　monthfor　the　nuggets　would　be　immediately　convertible　in
an　English　colony。　　There　was　nothing；　however；　to　be　done　but　to
cable　out　the　money　and　wait　my　father's　arrival。

Returning　for　a　moment　to　my　father's　old　Erewhonian　dress；　I
should　say　that　he　had　preserved　it　simply　as　a　memento　and　without
any　idea　that　he　should　again　want　it。　　It　was　not　the　court　dress
that　had　been　provided　for　him　on　the　occasion　of　his　visit　to　the
king　and　queen；　but　the　everyday　clothing　that　he　had　been　ordered
to　wear　when　he　was　put　in　prison；　though　his　English　coat；
waistcoat；　and　trousers　had　been　allowed　to　remain　in　his　own
possession。　　These；　I　had　seen　from　his　book；　had　been　presented　by
him　to　the　queen　（with　the　exception　of　two　buttons；　which　he　had
given　to　Yram　as　a　keepsake）；　and　had　been　preserved　by　her
displayed　upon　a　wooden　dummy。　　The　dress　in　which　he　escaped　had
been　soiled　during　the　hours　that　he　and　my　mother　had　been　in　the
sea；　and　had　also　suffered　from　neglect　during　the　years　of　his
poverty；　but　he　wished　to　pass　himself　off　as　a　common　peasant　or
working…man；　so　he　preferred　to　have　it　set　in　order　as　might　best
be　done；　rather　than　copied。

So　cautious　was　he　in　the　matter　of　dress　that　he　took　with　him　the
boots　he　had　worn　on　leaving　Erewhon；　lest　the　foreign　make　of　his
English　boots　should　arouse　suspicion。　　They　were　nearly　new；　and
when　he　had　had　them　softened　and　well　greased；　he　found　he　could
still　wear　them　quite　comfortably。

But　to　return。　　He　reached　home　late　at　night　one　day　at　the
beginning　of　February；　and　a　glance　was　enough　to　show　that　he　was
an　altered　man。　　〃What　is　the　matter？〃　said　I；　shocked　at　his
appearance。　　〃Did　you　go　to　Erewhon；　and　were　you　ill…treated
there？〃

〃I　went　to　Erewhon；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　was　not　ill…treated　there；　but
I　have　been　so　shaken　that　I　fear　I　shall　quite　lose　my　reason。　　Do
not　ask　me　more　now。　　I　will　tell　you　about　it　all　to…morrow。　　Let
me　have　something　to　eat；　and　go　to　bed。〃

When　we　met　at　breakfast　next　morning；　he　greeted　me　with　all　his
usual　warmth　of　affection；　but　he　was　still　taciturn。　　〃I　will
begin　to　tell　you　about　it；〃　he　said；　〃after　breakfast。　　Where　is
your　dear　mother？　　How　was　it　that　I　have　。　。　。　〃

Then　of　a　sudden　his　memory　returned；　and　he　burst　into　tears。

I　now　saw；　to　my　horror；　that　his　mind　was　gone。　　When　he
recovered；　he　said：　　〃It　has　all　come　back　again；　but　at　times　now
I　am　a　blank；　and　every　week　am　more　and　more　so。　　I　daresay　I
shall　be　sensible　now　for　several　hours。　　We　will　go　into　the　study
after　breakfast；　and　I　will　talk　to　you　as　long　as　I　can　do　so。〃

Let　the　reader　spare　me；　and　let　me　spare　the　reader　any
description　of　what　we　both　of　us　felt。

When　we　were　in　the　study；　my　father　said；　〃My　dearest　boy；　get　pen
and　paper　and　take　notes　of　what　I　tell　you。　　It　will　be　all
disjointed；　one　day　I　shall　remember　this；　and　another　that；　but
there　will　not　be　many　more　days　on　which　I　shall　remember　anything
at　all。　　I　cannot　write　a　coherent　page。　　You；　when　I　am　gone；　can
piece　what　I　tell　you　together；　and　tell　it　as　I　should　have　told
it　if　I　had　been　still　sound。　　But　do　not　publish　it　yet；　it　might
do　harm　to　those　dear　good　people。　　Take　the　notes　now；　and　arrange
them　the　sooner　the　better；　for　you　may　want　to　ask　me　questions；
and　I　shall　not　be　here　much　longer。　　Let　publishing　wait　till　you
are　confident　that　publication　can　do　no　harm；　and　above　all；　say
nothing　to　betray　the　whereabouts　of　Erewhon；　beyond　admitting
（which　I　fear　I　have　already　done）　that　it　is　in　the　Southern
hemisphere。〃

These　instructions　I　have　religiously　obeyed。　　For　the　first　days
after　his　return；　my　father　had　few　attacks　of　loss　of　memory；　and
I　was　in　hopes　that　his　former　health　of　mind　would　return　when　he
found　himself　in　his　old　surroundings。　　During　these　days　he　poured
forth　the　story　of　his　adventures　so　fast；　that　if　I　had　not　had　a
fancy　for　acquiring　shorthand；　I　should　not　have　been　able　to　keep
pace　with　him。　　I　repeatedly　urged　him　not　to　overtax　his　strength；
but　he　was　oppressed　by　the　fear　that　if　he　did　not　speak　at　once；
he　might　never　be　able　to　tell　me　all　he　had　to　say；　I　had；
therefore；　to　submit；　though　seeing　plainly　enough　that　he　was　only
hastening　the　complete　paralysis　which　he　so　greatly　feared。

Sometimes　his　narrative　would　be　coherent　for　pages　together；　and
he　could　answer　any　questions　without　hesitation；　at　others；　he　was
now　here　and　now　there；　and　if　I　tried　to　keep　him　to　the　order　of
events　he　would　say　that　he　had　forgotten　intermediate　incidents；
but　that　they　would　probably　come　back　to　him；　and　I　should　perhaps
be　able　to　put　them　in　their　proper　places。

After　about　ten　days　he　seemed　satisfied　that　I　had　got　all　the
facts；　and　that　with　the　help　of　the　pamphlets　which　he　had　brought
with　him　I　should　be　able　to　make　out　a　connected　story。
〃Remember；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　thought　I　was　quite　well　so　long　as　I
was　in　Erewhon；　and　do　not　let　me　appear　as　anything　else。〃

When　he　had　fully　delivered　himself；　he　seemed　easier　in　his　mind；
but　before　a　month　had　passed　he　became　completely　paralysed；　and
though　he　lingered　till　the　beginning　of　June；　he　was　seldom　more
than　dimly　conscious　of　what　was　going　on　around　him。

His　death　robbed　me　of　one　who　had　been　a　very　kind　and　upright
elder　brother　rather　than　a　father；　and　so　strongly　have　I　felt　his
influence　still　present；　living　and　working；　as　I　believe　for
better　within　me；　that　I　did　not　hesitate　to　copy　the　epitaph　which
he　saw　in　the　Musical　Bank　at　Fairmead；　｛1｝　and　to　have　it
inscribed　on　the　very　simple　monument　which　he　desired　should　alone
mark　his　grave。

*　*　*

The　foregoing　was　written　in　the　summer　of　1891；　what　I　now　add
should　be　dated　December　3；　1900。　　If；　in　the　course　of　my　work；　I
have　misrepresented　my　father；　as　I　fear　I　may　have　sometimes　done；
I　would　ask　my　readers　to　remember　that　no　man　can　tell　another's
story　without　some　involuntary　misrepresentation　both　of　facts　and
characters。　　They　will；　of　course；　see　that　〃Erewhon　Revisited〃　is
written　by　one　who　has　far　less　literary　skill　than　the　author　of
〃Erewhon；〃　but　again　I　would　ask　indulgence　on　the　score　of　youth；
and　the　fact　that　this　is　my　first　book。　　It　was　written　nearly　ten
years　ago；　i。e。　in　the　months　from　March　to　August　1891；　but　for
reasons　already　given　it　could　not　then　be　made　public。　　I　have　now
received　permission；　and　therefore　publish　the　following　chapters；
exactly；　or　very　nearly　exactly；　as　they　were　left　when　I　had
finished　editing　my　father's　diaries；　and　the　notes　I　took　down
from　his　own　mouthwith　the　exception；　of　course；　of　these　last
few　lines；　hurriedly　written　as　I　am　on　the　point　of　leaving
England；　of　the　additions　I　made　in　1892；　on　returning　from　my　own
three　hours'　stay　in　Erewhon；　and　of　the　Postscript。



CHAPTER　II：　　TO　THE　FOOT　OF　THE　PASS　INTO　EREWHON



When　my　father　reached　the　colony　for　which　he　had　left　England
some　twenty…two　years　previously；　he　bought　a　horse；　and　started　up
country　on　the　evening　of　the　day　after　his　arrival；　which　was；　as
I　have　said；　on　one　of　the　last　days　of　November　1890。　　He　had
taken　an　English　saddle　with　him；　and　a　couple　of　roomy　and
strongly　made　saddle…bags。　　In　these　he　packed　his　money；　his
nuggets；　some　tea；　sugar；　tobacco；　salt；　a　flask　of　brandy；
matches；　and　as　many　ship's　biscuits　as　he　thought　he　was　likely　to
want；　he　took　no　meat；　for　he　could　supply　himself　from　some
accommodation…house　or　sheep…station；　when　nearing　the　point　after
which　he　would　have　to　begin　camping　out。　　He　rolled　his　Erewhonian
dress　and　small　toilette　necessaries　inside　a　warm　red　blanket；　and
strapped　the　roll　on　to　the　front　part　of　his　saddle。　　On　to　other
D's；　with　which　his　saddle　was　amply　provided；　he　strapped　his
Erewhonian　boots；　a　tin　pannikin；　and　a　billy　that　would　hold　about
a　quart。　　I　should；　perhaps；　explain　to　English　readers　that　a
billy　is　a　tin　can；　the　name　for　which　（doubtless　of　French
Canadian　origin）　is　derived　from　the　words　〃faire　bouillir。〃　　He
also　took　with　him　a　pair　of　hobbles　and　a　small　hatchet。

He　spent　three　whole　days　in　riding　across　the　plains；　and　was
struck　with　the　very　small　signs　of　change　that　he　could　detect；
but　the　fall　in　wool；　and　the　failure；　so　far；　to　establish　a
frozen　meat　trade；　had　prevented　any　material　development　of　the
resources　of　the　country。　　When　he　had　got　to　the　front　ranges；　he
followed　up　the　river　next　to　the　north　of　the　one　that　he　had
explored　years　ago；　and　from　the　head　waters　of　which　he　had　been
led　to　discover　the　only　practicable　pass　into　Erewhon。　　He　did
this；　partly　to　avoid　the　terribly　dangerous　descent　on　to　the　bed
of　the　more　northern　river；　and　partly　to　escape　being　seen　by
shepherds　or　bullock…drivers　who　might　remember　him。

If　he　had　attempted　to　get　through　the　gorge　of　this　river　in　1870；
he　would　have　found　it　impassable；　but　a　few　river…bed　flats　had
been　discovered　above　the　gorge；　on　which　there　was　now　a
shepherd's　hut；　and　on　the　discovery　of　these　flats　a　narrow　horse
track　had　been　made　from　one　end　of　the　gorge　to　the　other。

He　w