She had the best mind to tell her father, only that she was
afraid the consequences would be so very serious for me. Her manner was
so injured and decided, and her anger so evidently unfeigned, that I
forgot my cold upon the spot, begging her by all means to tell her father
if she wished to do so, and telling her that I had no idea of being
shielded by her from anything whatever; presently mollifying, after
having said as many biting things as I could, I asked her what it was
that I had done amiss, and promised amendment as soon as ever I became
aware of it. She saw that I was really ignorant, and had had no
intention of being rude to her; whereon it came out that illness of any
sort was considered in Erewhon to be highly criminal and immoral; and
that I was liable, even for catching cold, to be had up before the
magistrates and imprisoned for a considerable period--an announcement
which struck me dumb with astonishment.
I followed up the conversation as well as my imperfect knowledge of the
language would allow, and caught a glimmering of her position with regard
to ill-health; but I did not even then fully comprehend it, nor had I as
yet any idea of the other extraordinary perversions of thought which
existed among the Erewhonians, but with which I was soon to become
familiar.
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