On this the Ranger took him away at once, and for the man's
own protection hurried him off to prison.
"Professor Hanky was so much shocked at such outrageous conduct, that for
the moment he failed to recognise the offender; after a few seconds,
however, he grasped the situation, and knew him to be one who on previous
occasions, near Bridgeford, had done what he was now doing. It seems
that he is notorious in the neighbourhood of Bridgeford, as a monomaniac
who is so deeply impressed with the beauty of the Sunchild's
character--and we presume also of his own--as to believe that he is
himself the Sunchild.
"Recovering almost instantly from the shock the interruption had given
him, the learned Professor calmed his hearers by acquainting them with
the facts of the case, and continued his sermon to the delight of all who
heard it. We should say, however, that the gentleman who twenty years
ago instructed the Sunchild in the Erewhonian language, was so struck
with some few points of resemblance between the stranger, and his former
pupil, that he acclaimed him, and was removed forcibly by the vergers.
"On Monday morning the prisoner was brought up before the Mayor. We
cannot say whether it was the sobering effect of prison walls, or whether
he had been drinking before he entered the temple, and had now had time
enough to recover himself--at any rate for some reason or other he was
abjectly penitent when his case came on for hearing.
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