him to the
banquet on the following day--for he had no idea that Hanky and Panky
were staying with the Mayor and Mayoress. Or perhaps the Mayor and his
wife did not like so distinguished a man's having been unable to find a
lodging in Sunch'ston, and wanted him to stay with them. Ill satisfied
as he was with any theory he could form, he nevertheless reflected that
he could not do better than stay where he was for the night, inasmuch as
no one would be likely to look for him a second time at Fairmead. He
therefore ordered his room at once.

It was nearly seven before George got back to Sunch'ston. In the
meantime Yram and the Mayor had considered the question whether anything
was to be said to the Professors or no. They were confident that my
father would not commit himself--why, indeed, should he have dyed his
hair and otherwise disguised himself, if he had not intended to remain
undiscovered? Oh no; the probability was that if nothing was said to the
Professors now, nothing need ever be said, for my father might be
escorted back to the statues by George on the Sunday evening and be told
that he was not to return. Moreover, even though something untoward were
to happen after all, the Professors would have no reason for thinking
that their hostess had known of the Sunchild's being in Sunch'ston.

On the other hand, they were her guests, and it would not be handsome to
keep Hanky, at any rate, in the dark, when the knowledge that the
Sunchild was listening to every word he said might make him modify his
sermon not a little. It might or it might not, but that was a matter for
him, not her. The only question for her was whether or no it would be
sharp practice to know what she knew and say nothing about it. Her
husband hated _finesse_ as much as she did, and they settled it that
though the question was a nice one, the more proper thing to do would be
to tell the Professors what it might so possibly concern one or both of
them to know.

On George's return without news of my father, they found he thought just
as they did; so it was arranged that they should let the Professors dine
in peace, but tell them about the Sunchild's being again in Erewhon as
soon as dinner was over.

"Happily," said George, "they will do no harm. They will wish Higgs's
presence to remain unknown as much as we do, and they will be glad that
he should be got out of the country immediately."

"Not so, my dear," said Yram. "'Out of the