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profits　by　way　of　bonus　on　the　original　shares　once　in　every　thirty
thousand　years；　and　as　it　was　now　only　two　thousand　years　since
there　had　been　one　of　these　distributions；　people　felt　that　they
could　not　hope　for　another　in　their　own　time　and　preferred
investments　whereby　they　got　some　more　tangible　return；　all　which；
she　said；　was　very　melancholy　to　think　of。

Having　made　these　last　admissions；　she　returned　to　her　original
statement；　namely；　that　every　one　in　the　country　really　supported
these　banks。　　As　to　the　fewness　of　the　people；　and　the　absence　of
the　able…bodied；　she　pointed　out　to　me　with　some　justice　that　this
was　exactly　what　we　ought　to　expect。　　The　men　who　were　most
conversant　about　the　stability　of　human　institutions；　such　as　the
lawyers；　men　of　science；　doctors；　statesmen；　painters；　and　the
like；　were　just　those　who　were　most　likely　to　be　misled　by　their
own　fancied　accomplishments；　and　to　be　made　unduly　suspicious　by
their　licentious　desire　for　greater　present　return；　which　was　at
the　root　of　nine…tenths　of　the　opposition；　by　their　vanity；　which
would　prompt　them　to　affect　superiority　to　the　prejudices　of　the
vulgar；　and　by　the　stings　of　their　own　conscience；　which　was
constantly　upbraiding　them　in　the　most　cruel　manner　on　account　of
their　bodies；　which　were　generally　diseased。

Let　a　person's　intellect　（she　continued）　be　never　so　sound；　unless
his　body　is　in　absolute　health；　he　can　form　no　judgement　worth
having　on　matters　of　this　kind。　　The　body　is　everything：　　it　need
not　perhaps　be　such　a　strong　body　（she　said　this　because　she　saw
that　I　was　thinking　of　the　old　and　infirm…looking　folks　whom　I　had
seen　in　the　bank）；　but　it　must　be　in　perfect　health；　in　this　case；
the　less　active　strength　it　had　the　more　free　would　be　the　working
of　the　intellect；　and　therefore　the　sounder　the　conclusion。　　The
people；　then；　whom　I　had　seen　at　the　bank　were　in　reality　the　very
ones　whose　opinions　were　most　worth　having；　they　declared　its
advantages　to　be　incalculable；　and　even　professed　to　consider　the
immediate　return　to　be　far　larger　than　they　were　entitled　to；　and
so　she　ran　on；　nor　did　she　leave　off　till　we　had　got　back　to　the
house。

She　might　say　what　she　pleased；　but　her　manner　carried　no
conviction；　and　later　on　I　saw　signs　of　general　indifference　to
these　banks　that　were　not　to　be　mistaken。　　Their　supporters　often
denied　it；　but　the　denial　was　generally　so　couched　as　to　add
another　proof　of　its　existence。　　In　commercial　panics；　and　in　times
of　general　distress；　the　people　as　a　mass　did　not　so　much　as　even
think　of　turning　to　these　banks。　　A　few　might　do　so；　some　from
habit　and　early　training；　some　from　the　instinct　that　prompts　us　to
catch　at　any　straw　when　we　think　ourselves　drowning；　but　few　from　a
genuine　belief　that　the　Musical　Banks　could　save　them　from
financial　ruin；　if　they　were　unable　to　meet　their　engagements　in
the　other　kind　of　currency。

In　conversation　with　one　of　the　Musical　Bank　managers　I　ventured　to
hint　this　as　plainly　as　politeness　would　allow。　　He　said　that　it
had　been　more　or　less　true　till　lately；　but　that　now　they　had　put
fresh　stained　glass　windows　into　all　the　banks　in　the　country；　and
repaired　the　buildings；　and　enlarged　the　organs；　the　presidents；
moreover；　had　taken　to　riding　in　omnibuses　and　talking　nicely　to
people　in　the　streets；　and　to　remembering　the　ages　of　their
children；　and　giving　them　things　when　they　were　naughty；　so　that
all　would　henceforth　go　smoothly。

〃But　haven't　you　done　anything　to　the　money　itself？〃　said　I；
timidly。

〃It　is　not　necessary；〃　he　rejoined；　〃not　in　the　least　necessary；　I
assure　you。〃

And　yet　any　one　could　see　that　the　money　given　out　at　these　banks
was　not　that　with　which　people　bought　their　bread；　meat；　and
clothing。　　It　was　like　it　at　a　first　glance；　and　was　stamped　with
designs　that　were　often　of　great　beauty；　it　was　not；　again；　a
spurious　coinage；　made　with　the　intention　that　it　should　be
mistaken　for　the　money　in　actual　use；　it　was　more　like　a　toy　money；
or　the　counters　used　for　certain　games　at　cards；　for；
notwithstanding　the　beauty　of　the　designs；　the　material　on　which
they　were　stamped　was　as　nearly　valueless　as　possible。　　Some　were
covered　with　tin　foil；　but　the　greater　part　were　frankly　of　a　cheap
base　metal　the　exact　nature　of　which　I　was　not　able　to　determine。
Indeed　they　were　made　of　a　great　variety　of　metals；　or；　perhaps
more　accurately；　alloys；　some　of　which　were　hard；　while　others
would　bend　easily　and　assume　almost　any　form　which　their　possessor
might　desire　at　the　moment。

Of　course　every　one　knew　that　their　commercial　value　was　nil；　but
all　those　who　wished　to　be　considered　respectable　thought　it
incumbent　upon　them　to　retain　a　few　coins　in　their　possession；　and
to　let　them　be　seen　from　time　to　time　in　their　hands　and　purses。
Not　only　this；　but　they　would　stick　to　it　that　the　current　coin　of
the　realm　was　dross　in　comparison　with　the　Musical　Bank　coinage。
Perhaps；　however；　the　strangest　thing　of　all　was　that　these　very
people　would　at　times　make　fun　in　small　ways　of　the　whole　system；
indeed；　there　was　hardly　any　insinuation　against　it　which　they
would　not　tolerate　and　even　applaud　in　their　daily　newspapers　if
written　anonymously；　while　if　the　same　thing　were　said　without
ambiguity　to　their　facesnominative　case　verb　and　accusative　being
all　in　their　right　places；　and　doubt　impossiblethey　would
consider　themselves　very　seriously　and　justly　outraged；　and　accuse
the　speaker　of　being　unwell。

I　never　could　understand　（neither　can　I　quite　do　so　now；　though　I
begin　to　see　better　what　they　mean）　why　a　single　currency　should
not　suffice　them；　it　would　seem　to　me　as　though　all　their　dealings
would　have　been　thus　greatly　simplified；　but　I　was　met　with　a　look
of　horror　if　ever　I　dared　to　hint　at　it。　　Even　those　who　to　my
certain　knowledge　kept　only　just　enough　money　at　the　Musical　Banks
to　swear　by；　would　call　the　other　banks　（where　their　securities
really　lay）　cold；　deadening；　paralysing；　and　the　like。

I　noticed　another　thing；　moreover；　which　struck　me　greatly。　　I　was
taken　to　the　opening　of　one　of　these　banks　in　a　neighbouring　town；
and　saw　a　large　assemblage　of　cashiers　and　managers。　　I　sat
opposite　them　and　scanned　their　faces　attentively。　　They　did　not
please　me；　they　lacked；　with　few　exceptions；　the　true　Erewhonian
frankness；　and　an　equal　number　from　any　other　class　would　have
looked　happier　and　better　men。　　When　I　met　them　in　the　streets　they
did　not　seem　like　other　people；　but　had；　as　a　general　rule；　a
cramped　expression　upon　their　faces　which　pained　and　depressed　me。

Those　who　came　from　the　country　were　better；　they　seemed　to　have
lived　less　as　a　separate　class；　and　to　be　freer　and　healthier；　but
in　spite　of　my　seeing　not　a　few　whose　looks　were　benign　and　noble；
I　could　not　help　asking　myself　concerning　the　greater　number　of
those　whom　I　met；　whether　Erewhon　would　be　a　better　country　if
their　expression　were　to　be　transferred　to　the　people　in　general。
I　answered　myself　emphatically；　no。　　The　expression　on　the　faces　of
the　high　Ydgrunites　was　that　which　one　would　wish　to　diffuse；　and
not　that　of　the　cashiers。

A　man's　expression　is　his　sacrament；　it　is　the　outward　and　visible
sign　of　his　inward　and　spiritual　grace；　or　want　of　grace；　and　as　I
looked　at　the　a　majority　of　these　men；　I　could　not　help　feeling
that　there　must　be　a　something　in　their　lives　which　had　stunted
their　natural　development；　and　that　they　would　have　been　more
healthily　minded　in　any　other　profession。　　I　was　always　sorry　for
them；　for　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　they　were　well…meaning　persons；
they　were　in　the　main　very　poorly　paid；　their　constitutions　were　as
a　rule　above　suspicion；　and　there　were　recorded　numberless
instances　of　their　self…sacrifice　and　generosity；　but　they　had　had
the　misfortune　to　have　been　betrayed　into　a　false　position　at　an
age　for　the　most　part　when　their　judgement　was　not　matured；　and
after　having　been　kept　in　studied　ignorance　of　the　real
difficulties　of　the　system。　　But　this　did　not　make　their　position
the　less　a　false　one；　and　its　bad　effects　upon　themselves　were
unmistakable。

Few　people　would　speak　quite　openly　and　freely　before　them；　which
struck　me　as　a　very　bad　sign。　　When　they　were　in　the　room　every　one
would　talk　as　though　all　currency　save　that　of　the　Musical　Banks
should　be　abolished；　and　yet　they　knew　perfectly　well　that　even　the
cashiers　themselves　hardly　used　the　Musical　Bank　money　more　than
other　people。　　It　was　expected　of　them　that　they　should　appear　to
do　so；　but　this　was　all。　　The　less　thoughtful　of　them　did　not　seem
particularly　unhappy；　but　many　were　plainly　sick　at　heart；　though
perhaps　they　hardly　knew　it；　and　would　not　have　owned　to　being　so。
Some　few　were　opponents　of　the　whole　system；　but　these　were　liable
to　be　dismissed　from　their　employment　at　any　moment；　and　this
rendered　them　very　careful；　for　a　man　who　had　once　been　cashier　at
a　Musical　Bank　was　out　of　the　field　for　other　employment；　and　was
generally　unfitted　for　it　by　reason　of　that　course　of　treatment
which　was　commonly　called　his　education。　　In　fact　it　was　a　career
from　which　retreat　was　virtually　impossible；　and　into　which　young
men　were　generally　induced　to　enter　before　they　could　be　reasonably
expected；　considering　their　training；　to　have　formed　any　opinions
of　their　own。　　Not　unfrequently；　indeed；　they　were　induced；　by　what
we　in　England　should　call　undue　influence；　concealment；　and　fraud。
Few　indeed　were　those　who　had　the　courage　to　insist　on　seeing　both
sides　of　the　question　before　they　committed　themselves　to　what　was
practically　a　leap　in　the　dark。　　One　would　have　thought　that
caution　in　this　respect　was　an　elementary　principle；one　of　the
first　things　that　an　honourable　man　would　teach　his　boy　to
understand；　but　in　practice　it　was　not　so。

I　even　saw　cases　in　which　parents　bought　the　right　of　presenting　to
the　office　of　cashier　at　one　of　these　banks；　with　the　fixed
determination　that　some　one　of　their　sons　（perhaps　a　mere　child）
should　fill　it。　　There　was　the　lad　himselfgrowing　up　with　every
promise　of　becoming　a　good　and　honourable　manbut　utterly　without
warning　concerning　the　iron　shoe　which　hi