ld share in common, if, in case of success, I could take her to my
own people, to the home of my mother and sisters, who would welcome her
very gladly. At the same time I pointed out that the chances of failure
were far greater than those of success, and that the probability was that
even though I could get so far as to carry my design into execution, it
would end in death to us both.

I was not mistaken in her; she said that she believed I loved her as much
as she loved me, and that she would brave anything if I could only assure
her that what I proposed would not be thought dishonourable in England;
she could not live without me, and would rather die with me than alone;
that death was perhaps the best for us both; that I must plan, and that
when the hour came I was to send for her, and trust her not to fail me;
and so after many tears and embraces, we tore ourselves away.

I then left the Nosnibors, took a lodging in the town, and became
melancholy to my heart's content. Arowhena and I used to see each other
sometimes, for I had taken to going regularly to the Musical Banks, but
Mrs. Nosnibor and Zulora both treated me with considerable coldness. I
felt sure that they suspected me. Arowhena looked miserable, and I saw
that her purse was now always as full as she could fill it with the
Musical Bank money--much fuller than of old. Then the horrible thought
occurred to me that her health might break down, and that she might be
subjected to a criminal prosecution. Oh! how I hated Erewhon at that
time.

I was still received at court, but my good looks were beginning to fail
me, and I was not such an adept at concealing the effects of pain as the
Erewhonians are. I could see that my friends began to look concerned
about me, and was obliged to take a leaf out of Mahaina's book, and
pretend to have developed a taste for drinking. I even consulted a
straightener as though this were so, and submitted to much discomfort.
This made matters better for a time, but I could see that my friends
thought less highly of my constitution as my flesh began to fall away.

I was told that the poor made an outcry about my pension, and I saw a
stinging article in an anti-ministerial paper, in which the writer went
so far as to say that my having light hair reflected little credit upon
me, inasmuch as I had been reported to have said that it was a common
thing in the country from which I came. I have reason to believe that
Mr. Nosnib