Page 152 - erewhon

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 respect-
able 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. Per-
haps, 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 faces—nomina-
tive case verb and accusative being all in their right places,
and doubt impossible—they 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 sim-
plified; but I was met with a look of horror if ever I dared

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