erewhon revisited-第6部分

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what　a　far　greater　mass　did　he　not　see　that　he　must　get　hold　of　ere
he　could　reconstruct　his　plans　intelligently。

〃The　year　three；〃　indeed；　and　XIX。　　xii。　29；　in　Roman　and　Arabic
characters！　　There　were　no　such　characters　when　he　was　in　Erewhon
before。　　It　flashed　upon　him　that　he　had　repeatedly　shewn　them　to
the　Nosnibors；　and　had　once　even　written　them　down。　　It　could　not
be　that　。　。　。　No；　it　was　impossible；　and　yet　there　was　the　European
dress；　aimed　at　by　the　one　Professor；　and　attained　by　the　other。
Again　〃XIX。〃　what　was　that？　〃xii。〃　might　do　for　December；　but　it
was　now　the　4th　of　December　not　the　29th。　　〃Afforested〃　too？　　Then
that　was　why　he　had　seen　no　sheep　tracks。　　And　how　about　the　quails
he　had　so　innocently　killed？　　What　would　have　happened　if　he　had
tried　to　sell　them　in　Coldharbour？　　What　other　like　fatal　error
might　he　not　ignorantly　commit？　　And　why　had　Coldharbour　become
Sunchildston？

These　thoughts　raced　through　my　poor　father's　brain　as　he　slowly
perused　the　paper　handed　to　him　by　the　Professors。　　To　give　himself
time　he　feigned　to　be　a　poor　scholar；　but　when　he　had　delayed　as
long　as　he　dared；　he　returned　it　to　the　one　who　had　given　it　him。
Without　changing　a　muscle　he　said　…

〃Your　permit；　sir；　is　quite　regular。　　You　can　either　stay　here　the
night　or　go　on　to　Sunchildston　as　you　think　fit。　　May　I　ask　which
of　you　two　gentlemen　is　Professor　Hanky；　and　which　Professor
Panky？〃

〃My　name　is　Panky；〃　said　the　one　who　had　the　watch；　who　wore　his
clothes　reversed；　and　who　had　thought　my　father　might　be　a　poacher。

〃And　mine　Hanky；〃　said　the　other。

〃What　do　you　think；　Panky；〃　he　added；　turning　to　his　brother
Professor；　〃had　we　not　better　stay　here　till　sunrise？　　We　are　both
of　us　tired；　and　this　fellow　can　make　us　a　good　fire。　　It　is　very
dark；　and　there　will　be　no　moon　this　two　hours。　　We　are　hungry；　but
we　can　hold　out　till　we　get　to　Sunchildston；　it　cannot　be　more　than
eight　or　nine　miles　further　down。〃

Panky　assented；　but　then；　turning　sharply　to　my　father；　he　said；
〃My　man；　what　are　you　doing　in　the　forbidden　dress？　　Why　are　you
not　in　ranger's　uniform；　and　what　is　the　meaning　of　all　those
quails？〃　　For　his　seedling　idea　that　my　father　was　in　reality　a
poacher　was　doing　its　best　to　grow。

Quick　as　thought　my　father　answered；　〃The　Head　Ranger　sent　me　a
message　this　morning　to　deliver　him　three　dozen　quails　at
Sunchildston　by　to…morrow　afternoon。　　As　for　the　dress；　we　can　run
the　quails　down　quicker　in　it；　and　he　says　nothing　to　us　so　long　as
we　only　wear　out　old　clothes　and　put　on　our　uniforms　before　we　near
the　town。　　My　uniform　is　in　the　ranger's　shelter　an　hour　and　a　half
higher　up　the　valley。〃

〃See　what　comes；〃　said　Panky；　〃of　having　a　whippersnapper　not　yet
twenty　years　old　in　the　responsible　post　of　Head　Ranger。　　As　for
this　fellow；　he　may　be　speaking　the　truth；　but　I　distrust　him。〃

〃The　man　is　all　right；　Panky；〃　said　Hanky；　〃and　seems　to　be　a
decent　fellow　enough。〃　　Then　to　my　father；　〃How　many　brace　have　you
got？〃　　And　he　looked　at　them　a　little　wistfully。

〃I　have　been　at　it　all　day；　sir；　and　I　have　only　got　eight　brace。
I　must　run　down　ten　more　brace　to…morrow。〃

〃I　see；　I　see。〃　　Then；　turning　to　Panky；　he　said；　〃Of　course；　they
are　wanted　for　the　Mayor's　banquet　on　Sunday。　　By　the　way；　we　have
not　yet　received　our　invitation；　I　suppose　we　shall　find　it　when　we
get　back　to　Sunchildston。〃

〃Sunday；　Sunday；　Sunday！〃　groaned　my　father　inwardly；　but　he
changed　not　a　muscle　of　his　face；　and　said　stolidly　to　Professor
Hanky；　〃I　think　you　must　be　right；　sir；　but　there　was　nothing　said
about　it　to　me；　I　was　only　told　to　bring　the　birds。〃

Thus　tenderly　did　he　water　the　Professor's　second　seedling。　　But
Panky　had　his　seedling　too；　and；　Cain…like；　was　jealous　that
Hanky's　should　flourish　while　his　own　was　withering。

〃And　what；　pray；　my　man；〃　he　said　somewhat　peremptorily　to　my
father；　〃are　those　two　plucked　quails　doing？　　Were　you　to　deliver
them　plucked？　　And　what　bird　did　those　bones　belong　to　which　I　see
lying　by　the　fire　with　the　flesh　all　eaten　off　them？　　Are　the
under…rangers　allowed　not　only　to　wear　the　forbidden　dress　but　to
eat　the　King's　quails　as　well？〃

The　form　in　which　the　question　was　asked　gave　my　father　his　cue。
He　laughed　heartily；　and　said；　〃Why；　sir；　those　plucked　birds　are
landrails；　not　quails；　and　those　bones　are　landrail　bones。　　Look　at
this　thigh…bone；　was　there　ever　a　quail　with　such　a　bone　as　that？〃

I　cannot　say　whether　or　no　Professor　Panky　was　really　deceived　by
the　sweet　effrontery　with　which　my　father　proffered　him　the　bone。
If　he　was　taken　in；　his　answer　was　dictated　simply　by　a　donnish
unwillingness　to　allow　any　one　to　be　better　informed　on　any　subject
than　he　was　himself。

My　father；　when　I　suggested　this　to　him；　would　not　hear　of　it。　　〃Oh
no；〃　he　said；　〃the　man　knew　well　enough　that　I　was　lying。〃　　However
this　may　be；　the　Professor's　manner　changed。

〃You　are　right；〃　he　said；　〃I　thought　they　were　landrail　bones；　but
was　not　sure　till　I　had　one　in　my　hand。　　I　see；　too；　that　the
plucked　birds　are　landrails；　but　there　is　little　light；　and　I　have
not　often　seen　them　without　their　feathers。〃

〃I　think；〃　said　my　father　to　me；　〃that　Hanky　knew　what　his　friend
meant；　for　he　said；　'Panky；　I　am　very　hungry。'〃

〃Oh；　Hanky；　Hanky；〃　said　the　other；　modulating　his　harsh　voice　till
it　was　quite　pleasant。　　〃Don't　corrupt　the　poor　man。〃

〃Panky；　drop　that；　we　are　not　at　Bridgeford　now；　I　am　very　hungry；
and　I　believe　half　those　birds　are　not　quails　but　landrails。〃

My　father　saw　he　was　safe。　　He　said；　〃Perhaps　some　of　them　might
prove　to　be　so；　sir；　under　certain　circumstances。　　I　am　a　poor　man；
sir。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　said　Hanky；　and　he　slipped　a　sum　equal　to　about　half…
a…crown　into　my　father's　hand。

〃I　do　not　know　what　you　mean；　sir；〃　said　my　father；　〃and　if　I　did；
half…a…crown　would　not　be　nearly　enough。〃

〃Hanky；〃　said　Panky；　〃you　must　get　this　fellow　to　give　you
lessons。〃



CHAPTER　IV：　　MY　FATHER　OVERHEARS　MORE　OF　HANKY　AND　PANKY'S
CONVERSATION



My　father；　schooled　under　adversity；　knew　that　it　was　never　well　to
press　advantage　too　far。　　He　took　the　equivalent　of　five　shillings
for　three　brace；　which　was　somewhat　less　than　the　birds　would　have
been　worth　when　things　were　as　he　had　known　them。　　Moreover；　he
consented　to　take　a　shilling's　worth　of　Musical　Bank　money；　which
（as　he　has　explained　in　his　book）　has　no　appreciable　value　outside
these　banks。　　He　did　this　because　he　knew　that　it　would　be
respectable　to　be　seen　carrying　a　little　Musical　Bank　money；　and
also　because　he　wished　to　give　some　of　it　to　the　British　Museum；
where　he　knew　that　this　curious　coinage　was　unrepresented。　　But　the
coins　struck　him　as　being　much　thinner　and　smaller　than　he　had
remembered　them。

It　was　Panky；　not　Hanky；　who　had　given　him　the　Musical　Bank　money。
Panky　was　the　greater　humbug　of　the　two；　for　he　would　humbug　even
himselfa　thing；　by　the　way；　not　very　hard　to　do；　and　yet　he　was
the　less　successful　humbug；　for　he　could　humbug　no　one　who　was
worth　humbuggingnot　for　long。　　Hanky's　occasional　frankness　put
people　off　their　guard。　　He　was　the　mere　common；　superficial；
perfunctory　Professor；　who；　being　a　Professor；　would　of　course
profess；　but　would　not　lie　more　than　was　in　the　bond；　he　was　log…
rolled　and　log…rolling；　but　still；　in　a　robust　wolfish　fashion；
human。

Panky；　on　the　other　hand；　was　hardly　human；　he　had　thrown　himself
so　earnestly　into　his　work；　that　he　had　become　a　living　lie。　　If　he
had　had　to　play　the　part　of　Othello　he　would　have　blacked　himself
all　over；　and　very　likely　smothered　his　Desdemona　in　good　earnest。
Hanky　would　hardly　have　blacked　himself　behind　the　ears；　and　his
Desdemona　would　have　been　quite　safe。

Philosophers　are　like　quails　in　the　respect　that　they　can　take　two
or　three　flights　of　imagination；　but　rarely　more　without　an
interval　of　repose。　　The　Professors　had　imagined　my　father　to　be　a
poacher　and　a　ranger；　they　had　imagined　the　quails　to　be　wanted　for
Sunday's　banquet；　they　had　imagined　that　they　imagined　（at　least
Panky　had）　that　they　were　about　to　eat　landrails；　they　were　now
exhausted；　and　cowered　down　into　the　grass　of　their　ordinary
conversation；　paying　no　more　attention　to　my　father　than　if　he　had
been　a　log。　　He；　poor　man；　drank　in　every　word　they　said；　while
seemingly　intent　on　nothing　but　his　quails；　each　one　of　which　he
cut　up　with　a　knife　borrowed　from　Hanky。　　Two　had　been　plucked
already；　so　he　laid　these　at　once　upon　the　clear　embers。

〃I　do　not　know　what　we　are　to　do　with　ourselves；〃　said　Hanky；　〃till
Sunday。　　To…day　is　Thursdayit　is　the　twenty…ninth；　is　it　not？
Yes；　of　course　it　isSunday　is　the　first。　　Besides；　it　is　on　our
permit。　　To…morrow　we　can　rest；　what；　I　wonder；　can　we　do　on
Saturday？　　But　the　others　will　be　here　then；　and　we　can　tell　them
about　the　statues。〃

〃Yes；　but　mind　you　do　not　blurt　out　anything　about　the　landrails。〃

〃I　think　we　may　tell　Dr。　Downie。〃

〃Tell　nobody；〃　said　Panky。

They　then　talked　about　the　statues；　concerning　which　it　was　plain
that　nothing　was　known。　　But　my　father　soon　broke　in　upon　their
conversation　with　the　first　instalment　of　quails；　which　a　few
minutes　had　sufficed　to　cook。

〃What　a　delicious　bird　a　quail　is；〃　said　Hanky。

〃Landrail；　Hanky；　landrail；〃　said　the　other　reproachfully。

Having　finished　the　first　birds　in　a　very　few　minutes　they　returned
to　the　statues。

〃Old　Mrs。　Nosnibor；〃　said　Panky；　〃says　the　Sunchild　told　her　they
were　symbolic　of　ten　tribes　who　had　incurred　the　displeasure　of　the
sun；　his　father。〃

I　make　no　comment　on　my　father's　feelings。

〃Of　the　sun！　his　fiddlesticks'　ends；〃　retorted　Hanky。　　〃He　never
called　the　sun　his　father。　　Besides；　from　all　I　have　heard　about
him；　I　take　it　he　was　a　precious　idiot。〃

〃O　Hanky；　Hanky！　you　will　wreck　the　whole　thing　if　you　ever　allow
yourself　to　talk　in　that　way。〃

〃You　are　more　likely　to　wreck　it　yourself；　Panky；　by　never　doing
so。　　People　like　being　deceived；　but　they　like　also　to　have　an
inkling　of　their　own　deception；　and　you　never　inkle　them。〃

〃The　Queen；〃　said　Panky；　returning　to　the　statues；　〃sticks　to　it
that　。　。　。　〃

〃Here　comes　another