AFTER AN AMENDMENT BY GEORGE, IS CARRIED NEM. CON.
They returned in about ten minutes, and Dr. Downie asked Mrs. Humdrum to
say what they had agreed to recommend.
“We think,” said she very demurely, “that the strict course would be to
drop the charge of poaching, and Blue-Pool both the Professors and the
prisoner without delay.
“We also think that the proper thing would be to place on record that the
prisoner is the Sunchild--about which neither Dr. Downie nor I have a
shadow of doubt.
“These measures we hold to be the only legal ones, but at the same time
we do not recommend them. We think it would offend the public conscience
if it came to be known, as it certainly would, that the Sunchild was
violently killed, on the very day that had seen us dedicate a temple in
his honour, and perhaps at the very hour when laudatory speeches were
being made about him at the Mayor’s banquet; we think also that we should
strain a good many points rather than Blue-Pool the Professors.
“Nothing is perfect, and Truth makes her mistakes like other people; when
she goes wrong and reduces herself to such an absurdity as she has here
done, those who love her must save her from herself, correct her, and
rehabilitate her.
“Our conclusion, therefore, is this:-
“The prisoner must recant on oath his statement that he is the Sunchild.
The interpreter must be squared, or convinced of his mistake. The
Mayoress, Dr. Downie, I, and the gaoler (with the interpreter if we can
manage him), must depose on oath that the prisoner is not Higgs. This
must be our contribution to the rehabilitation of Truth.
“The Professors must contribute as follows: They must swear that the
prisoner is not the man they met with quails in his possession on
Thursday night. They must further swear that they have one or both of
them known him, off and on, for many years past, as a monomaniac with
Sunchildism on the brain but otherwise harmless. If they will do this,
no proceedings are to be taken against them.
“The Mayor’s contribution shall be to reprimand the prisoner, and order
him to repeat his recantation in the new temple before the Manager and
Head Cashier, and to confirm his statement on oath by kissing the
reliquary containing the newly found relic.
“The Ranger and the Master of the Gaol must contribute that the
prisoner’s measurements, and the marks found on his body, negative all
possibility of his identity with the Sunchild, and that all the hair on
the covered as well as the uncovered parts of his body was found to be
jet black.
“We advise further that the prisoner should have his nuggets and his kit
returned to him, and that the receipt given by the Professors together
with Professor Hanky’s handkerchief be given back to the Professors.
“Furthermore, seeing that we should all of us like to have a quiet
evening with the prisoner, we should petition the Mayor and Mayoress to
ask him to meet all here present at dinner to-morrow evening, after his
discharge, on the plea that Professors Hanky and Panky and Dr. Downie may
give him counsel, convince him of his folly, and if possible free him
henceforth from the monomania under which he now suffers.
“The prisoner shall give his word of honour, never to return to Erewhon,
nor to encourage any of his countrymen to do so. After the dinner to
which we hope the Mayoress will invite us, the Ranger, if the night is
fair, shall escort the prisoner as far as the statues, whence he will
find his own way home.
“Those who are in favour of this compromise hold up their hands.”
The Mayor and Yram held up theirs. “Will you hold up yours, Professor
Hanky,” said George, “if I release you?”
“Yes,” said Hanky with a gruff laugh, whereon George released him and he
held up both his hands.
Panky did not hold up his, whereon Hanky said, “Hold up your hands,
Panky, can’t you? We are really very well out of it.”
Panky, hardly lifting his head, sobbed out, “I think we ought to have our
f-f-fo-fo-four pounds ten returned to us.”
“I am afraid, sir,” said George, “that the prisoner must have spent the
greater part of this money.”
Every one smiled, indeed it was all George could do to prevent himself
from laughing outright. The Mayor brought out his purse, counted the
money, and handed it good-humouredly to Panky, who gratefully received
it, and said he would divide it with Hanky. He then held up his hands,
“But,” he added, turning to his brother Professor, “so long as I live,
Hanky, I will never go out anywhere again with you.”
George then turned to Hanky and said, “I am afraid I must now trouble you
and Professor Panky to depose on oath to the facts which Mrs. Humdrum and
Dr. Downie propose you should swear to in open court to-morrow. I knew
you would do so, and have brought an ordinary form, duly filled up, which
declares that the prisoner is not the poacher you met on Thursday; and
also, that he has been long known to both of you as a harmless
monomaniac.”
As he spoke he brought out depositions to the above effect which he had
just written in his office; he shewed the Professors that the form was
this time an innocent one, whereon they made no demur to signing and
swearing in the presence of the Mayor, who attested.
“The former depositions,” said Hanky, “had better be destroyed at once.”
“That,” said George, “may hardly be, but so long as you stick to what you
have just sworn to, they will not be used against you.”
Hanky scowled, but knew that he was powerless and said no more.
* * * * *
The knowledge of what ensued did not reach me from my father. George and
his mother, seeing how ill he looked, and what a shock the events of the
last few days had given him, resolved that he should not know of the risk
that George was about to run; they therefore said nothing to him about
it. What I shall now tell, I learned on the occasion already referred to
when I had the happiness to meet George. I am in some doubt whether it
is more fitly told here, or when I come to the interview between him and
me; on the whole, however, I suppose chronological order is least
outraged by dealing with it here.
As soon as the Professors had signed the second depositions, George said,
“I have not yet held up my hands, but I will hold them up if Mrs. Humdrum
and Dr. Downie will approve of what I propose. Their compromise does not
go far enough, for swear as we may, it is sure to get noised abroad, with
the usual exaggerations, that the Sunchild has been here, and that he has
been spirited away either by us, or by the sun his father. For one
person whom we know of as having identified him, there will be five, of
whom we know nothing, and whom we cannot square. Reports will reach the
King sooner or later, and I shall be sent for. Meanwhile the Professors
will be living in fear of intrigue on my part, and I, however
unreasonably, shall fear the like on theirs. This should not be. I
mean, therefore, on the day following my return from escorting the
prisoner, to set out for the capital, see the King, and make a clean
breast of the whole matter. To this end I must have the nuggets, the
prisoner’s kit, his receipt, Professor Hanky’s handkerchief, and, of
course, the two depositions just sworn to by the Professors. I hope and
think that the King will pardon us all round; but whatever he may do I
shall tell him everything.”
Hanky was up in arms at once. “Sheer madness,” he exclaimed. Yram and
the Mayor looked anxious; Dr. Downie eyed George as though he were some
curious creature, which he heard of but had never seen, and was rather
disposed to like. Mrs. Humdrum nodded her head approvingly.
“Quite right, George,” said she, “tell his Majesty everything.”
Dr. Downie then said, “Your son, Mayoress, is a very sensible fellow. I
will go with him, and with the Professors--for they had better come too:
each will hear what the other says, and we will tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth. I am, as you know, a _persona grata_
at Court; I will say that I advised your son’s action. The King has
liked him ever since he was a boy, and I am not much afraid about what he
will do. In public, no doubt we had better hush things up, but in
private the King must be told.”
Hanky fought hard for some time, but George told him that it did not
matter whether he agreed or no. “You can come,” he said, “or stop away,
just as you please. If you come, you can hear and speak; if you do not,
you will not hear, but these two depositions will speak for you. Please
yourself.”
“Very well,” he said at last, “I suppose we had better go.”
Every one having now understood what his or her part was to be, Yram said
they had better shake hands all round and take a couple of hours’ rest
before getting ready for the banquet. George said that the Professors
did not shake hands with him very cordially, but the farce was gone
through. When the hand-shaking was over, Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum
left the house, and the Professors retired grumpily to their own room.
I will say here that no harm happened either to George or the Professors
in consequence of his having told the King, but will reserve particulars
for my concluding chapter.