“I could not do it, sir,” answered my father.  “I would not do it, no, not for—­” and he named a sum equivalent to about five pounds of our money.  For he wanted Erewhonian money, and thought it worth his while to sacrifice his ten pounds’ worth of nuggets in order to get a supply of current coin.

Hanky tried to beat him down, assuring him that no curiosity dealer would give half as much, and my father so far yielded as to take 4 pounds, 10s. in silver, which, as I have already explained, would not be worth more than half a sovereign in gold.  At this figure a bargain was struck, and the Professors paid up without offering him a single Musical Bank coin.  They wanted to include the boots in the purchase, but here my father stood out.

But he could not stand out as regards another matter, which caused him some anxiety.  Panky insisted that my father should give them a receipt for the money, and there was an altercation between the Professors on this point, much longer than I can here find space to give.  Hanky argued that a receipt was useless, inasmuch as it would be ruin to my father ever to refer to the subject again.  Panky, however, was anxious, not lest my father should again claim the money, but (though he did not say so outright) lest Hanky should claim the whole purchase as his own.  In so the end Panky, for a wonder, carried the day, and a receipt was drawn up to the effect that the undersigned acknowledged to have received from Professors Hanky and Panky the sum of 4 pounds, 10s. (I translate the amount), as joint purchasers of certain pieces of yellow ore, a blanket, and sundry articles found without an owner in the King’s preserves.  This paper was dated, as the permit had been, XIX. xii. 29.

My father, generally so ready, was at his wits’ end for a name, and could think of none but Mr. Nosnibor’s.  Happily, remembering that this gentleman had also been called Senoj—­a name common enough in Erewhon—­he signed himself “Senoj, Under-ranger.”

Panky was now satisfied.  “We will put it in the bag,” he said, “with the pieces of yellow ore.”

“Put it where you like,” said Hanky contemptuously; and into the bag it was put.

When all was now concluded, my father laughingly said, “If you have dealt unfairly by me, I forgive you.  My motto is, ’Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.’”

“Repeat those last words,” said Panky eagerly.  My father was alarmed at his manner, but thought it safer to repeat them.

“You hear that, Hanky?  I am convinced; I have not another word to say.  The man is a true Erewhonian; he has our corrupt reading of the Sunchild’s prayer.”

“Please explain.”