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would be made me. My teacher also told me that one of the leading
merchants had sent me an invitation to repair to his house and to
consider myself his guest for as long a time as I chose. "He is a
delightful man," continued the interpreter, "but has suffered terribly
from" (here there came a long word which I could not quite catch, only it
was much longer than kleptomania), "and has but lately recovered from
embezzling a large sum of money under singularly distressing
circumstances; but he has quite got over it, and the straighteners say
that he has made a really wonderful recovery; you are sure to like him."




CHAPTER IX: TO THE METROPOLIS


With the above words the good man left the room before I had time to
express my astonishment at hearing such extraordinary language from the
lips of one who seemed to be a reputable member of society. "Embezzle a
large sum of money under singularly distressing circumstances!" I
exclaimed to myself, "and ask _me_ to go and stay with him! I shall do
nothing of the sort--compromise myself at the very outset in the eyes of
all decent people, and give the death-blow to my chances of either
converting them if they are the lost tribes of Israel, or making money
out of them if they are not! No. I will do anything rather than that."
And when I next saw my teacher I told him that I did not at all like the
sound of what had been proposed for me, and that I would have nothing to
do with it. For by my education and the example of my own parents, and I
trust also in some degree from inborn instinct, I have a very genuine
dislike for all unhandsome dealings in money matters, though none can
have a greater regard for money than I have, if it be got fairly.

The interpreter was much surprised by my answer, and said that I should
be very foolish if I persisted in my refusal.

Mr. Nosnibor, he continued, "is a man of at least 500,000 horse-power"
(for their way of reckoning and classifying men is by the number of foot
pounds which they have money enough to raise, or more roughly by their
horse-power), "and keeps a capital table; besides, his two daughters are
among the most beautiful women in Erewhon."

When I heard all this, I confess that I was much shaken, and inquired
whether he was favourably considered in the best society.

"Certainly," was the answer; "no man in the country stands higher."

He then went on to say that one would have thought from my manner that my
proposed host had had jaundice or pleurisy or been generally unfortunate,
and that I was in fear of infection.

"I am not much afraid of infection," said I, impatiently, "but I have
some regard for my character; and if I know a man to be an embezzler of
other people's money, be sure of it, I will give him as wide a berth as I
can. If he were ill or poor--"

"Ill or poor!" interrupted the interpreter, with a face of great alarm.
"So that's your notion of propriety! You would consort with the basest

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