If, on the other hand, the poor wretch makes a
disturbance, I can set the crowd on to tear him in pieces."
George was furious, but he remained quite calm, and left everything to
his mother.
"I have nothing to do with the Blue Pool," said Yram drily. "My son, I
doubt not, will know how to do his duty; but if you let the people kill
this man, his body will remain, and an inquest must be held, for the
matter will have been too notorious to be hushed up. All Higgs's
measurements and all marks on his body were recorded, and these alone
would identify him. My father, too, who is still master of the gaol, and
many another, could swear to him. Should the body prove, as no doubt it
would, to be that of the Sunchild, what is to become of Sunchildism?"
Hanky smiled. "It would not be proved. The measurements of a man of
twenty or thereabouts would not correspond with this man's. All we
Professors should attend the inquest, and half Bridgeford is now in
Sunch'ston. No matter though nine-tenths of the marks and measurements
corresponded, so long as there is a tenth that does not do so, we should
not be flesh and blood if we did not ignore the nine points and insist
only on the tenth. After twenty years we shall find enough to serve our
turn. Think of what all the learning of the country is committed to;
think of the change in all our ideas and institutions; think of the King
and of Court influence.
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157