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lie and when not to do so。〃
〃What gift can be more invaluable？〃
My father； knowing that he might not have another chance of seeing
Yram alone； now changed the conversation。
〃I have something；〃 he said； 〃for George； but he must know nothing
about it till after I am gone。〃
As he spoke； he took from his pockets the nine small bags of
nuggets that remained to him。
〃But this；〃 said Yram； 〃being gold； is a large sum： can you indeed
spare it； and do you really wish George to have it all？〃
〃I shall be very unhappy if he does not； but he must know nothing
about it till I am out of Erewhon。〃
My father then explained to her that he was now very rich； and
would have brought ten times as much； if he had known of George's
existence。 〃Then；〃 said Yram； musing； 〃if you are rich； I accept
and thank you heartily on his behalf。 I can see a reason for his
not knowing what you are giving him at present； but it is too long
to tell。〃
The reason was； that if George knew of this gold before he saw the
King； he would be sure to tell him of it； and the King might claim
it； for George would never explain that it was a gift from father
to son； whereas if the King had once pardoned him； he would not be
so squeamish as to open up the whole thing again with a postscript
to his confession。 But of this she said not a word。
My father then told her of the box of sovereigns that he had left
in his saddle…bags。 〃They are coined；〃 he said； 〃and George will
have to melt them down； but he will find some way of doing this。
They will be worth rather more than these nine bags of nuggets。〃
〃The difficulty will be to get him to go down and fetch them； for
it is against his oath to go far beyond the statues。 If you could
be taken faint and say you wanted help； he would see you to your
camping ground without a word； but he would be angry if he found he
had been tricked into breaking his oath in order that money might
be given him。 It would never do。 Besides； there would not be
time； for he must be back here on Tuesday night。 No； if he breaks
his oath he must do it with his eyes openand he will do it later
onor I will go and fetch the money for him myself。 He is in love
with a grand…daughter of Mrs。 Humdrum's； and this sum； together
with what you are now leaving with me； will make him a well…to…do
man。 I have always been unhappy about his having any of the
Mayor's money； and his salary was not quite enough for him to marry
on。 What can I say to thank you？〃
〃Tell me； please； about Mrs。 Humdrum's grand…daughter。 You like
her as a wife for George？〃
〃Absolutely。 She is just such another as her grandmother must have
been。 She and George have been sworn lovers ever since he was ten；
and she eight。 The only drawback is that her mother； Mrs。
Humdrum's second daughter； married for love； and there are many
children； so that there will be no money with her； but what you are
leaving will make everything quite easy； for he will sell the gold
at once。 I am so glad about it。〃
〃Can you ask Mrs。 Humdrum to bring her grand…daughter with her to…
morrow evening？〃
〃I am afraid not； for we shall want to talk freely at dinner； and
she must not know that you are the Sunchild； she shall come to my
house in the afternoon and you can see her then。 You will be quite
happy about her； but of course she must not know that you are her
father…in…law that is to be。〃
〃One thing more。 As George must know nothing about the sovereigns；
I must tell you how I will hide them。 They are in a silver box；
which I will bind to the bough of some tree close to my camp； or if
I can find a tree with a hole in it I will drop the box into the
hole。 He cannot miss my camp； he has only to follow the stream
that runs down from the pass till it gets near a large river； and
on a small triangular patch of flat ground； he will see the ashes
of my camp fire； a few yards away from the stream on his right hand
as he descends。 In whatever tree I may hide the box； I will strew
wood ashes for some yards in a straight line towards it。 I will
then light another fire underneath； and blaze the tree with a knife
that I have left at my camping ground。 He is sure to find it。〃
Yram again thanked him； and then my father； to change the
conversation； asked whether she thought that George really would
have Blue…Pooled the Professors。
〃There is no knowing；〃 said Yram。 〃He is the gentlest creature
living till some great provocation rouses him； and I never saw him
hate and despise any one as he does the Professors。 Much of what
he said was merely put on； for he knew the Professors must yield。
I do not like his ever having to throw any one into that horrid
place； no more does he； but the Rangership is exactly the sort of
thing to suit him； and the opening was too good to lose。 I must
now leave you； and get ready for the Mayor's banquet。 We shall
meet again to…morrow evening。 Try and eat what I have brought you
in this basket。 I hope you will like the wine。〃 She put out her
hand； which my father took； and in another moment she was gone； for
she saw a look in his face as though he would fain have asked her
to let him once more press his lips to hers。 Had he done this；
without thinking about it； it is likely enough she would not have
been ill pleased。 But who can say？
For the rest of the evening my father was left very much to his own
not too comfortable reflections。 He spent part of it in posting up
the notes from which； as well as from his own mouth； my story is in
great part taken。 The good things that Yram had left with him； and
his pipe； which she had told him he might smoke quite freely；
occupied another part； and by ten o'clock he went to bed。
CHAPTER XXII： MAINLY OCCUPIED WITH A VERACIOUS EXTRACT FROM A
SUNCH'STONIAN JOURNAL
While my father was thus wiling away the hours in his cell； the
whole town was being illuminated in his honour； and not more than a
couple of hundred yards off； at the Mayor's banquet； he was being
extolled as a superhuman being。
The banquet； which was at the town hall； was indeed a very
brilliant affair； but the little space that is left me forbids my
saying more than that Hanky made what was considered the speech of
the evening； and betrayed no sign of ill effects from the bad
quarter of an hour which he had spent so recently。 Not a trace was
to be seen of any desire on his part to change his tone as regards
Sunchildismas； for example； to minimize the importance of the
relic； or to remind his hearers that though the chariot and horses
had undoubtedly come down from the sky and carried away my father
and mother； yet that the earlier stage of the ascent had been made
in a balloon。 It almost seemed； so George told my father； as
though he had resolved that he would speak lies； all lies； and
nothing but lies。
Panky； who was also to have spoken； was excused by the Mayor on the
ground that the great heat and the excitement of the day's
proceedings had quite robbed him of his voice。
Dr。 Downie had a jumping cat before his mental vision。 He spoke
quietly and sensibly； dwelling chiefly on the benefits that had
already accrued to the kingdom through the abolition of the edicts
against machinery； and the great developments which he foresaw as
probable in the near future。 He held up the Sunchild's example；
and his ethical teaching； to the imitation and admiration of his
hearers； but he said nothing about the miraculous element in my
father's career； on which he declared that his friend Professor
Hanky had already so eloquently enlarged as to make further
allusion to it superfluous。
The reader knows what was to happen on the following morning。 The
programme concerted at the Mayor's was strictly adhered to。 The
following account； however； which appeared in the Sunch'ston bi…
weekly newspaper two days after my father had left； was given me by
George a year later； on the occasion of that interview to which I
have already more than once referred。 There were other accounts in
other papers； but the one I am giving departs the least widely from
the facts。 It ran：…
〃THE CLOSE OF A DISAGREEABLE INCIDENT。Our readers will remember
that on Sunday last during the solemn inauguration of the temple
now dedicated to the Sunchild； an individual on the front bench of
those set apart for the public suddenly interrupted Professor
Hanky's eloquent sermon by declaring himself to be the Sunchild；
and saying that he had come down from the sun to sanctify by his
presence the glorious fane which the piety of our fellow…citizens
and others has erected in his honour。
〃Wild rumours obtained credence throughout the congregation to the
effect that this person was none other than the Sunchild himself；
and in spite of the fact that his complexion and the colour of his
hair showed this to be impossible； more than one person was carried
away by the excitement of the moment； and by some few points of
resemblance between the stranger and the Sunchild。 Under the
influence of this belief； they were preparing to give him the
honour which they supposed justly due to him； when to the surprise
of every one he was taken into custody by the deser