heidi-第58章

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At　this　moment　a　slight　rustling　was　heard　behind　the　fir　trees。　It　was　Peter；　who　had　just　arrived。　He　had　made　a　long　round；　having　seen　from　the　distance　who　it　was　standing　beside　Uncle　in　front　of　the　hut；　and　he　was　trying　to　slip　by　unobserved。　But　grandmamma　had　seen　and　recognized　him；　and　suddenly　the　thought　struck　her　that　it　might　be　Peter　who　had　brought　the　flowers　and　that　he　was　now　trying　to　get　away　unseen；　feeling　shy　about　it；　but　she　could　not　let　him　go　off　like　that；　he　must　have　some　little　reward。

〃Come　along；　boy；　come　here；　do　not　be　afraid；〃　she　called　to　him。

Peter　stood　still；　petrified　with　fear。　After　all　he　had　gone　through　that　day　he　felt　he　had　no　longer　any　power　of　resistance　left。　All　he　could　think　was；　〃It's　all　up　with　me　now。〃　Every　hair　of　his　head　stood　on　end；　and　he　stepped　forth　from　behind　the　fir　trees；　his　face　pale　and　distorted　with　terror。

〃Courage；　boy；〃　said　grandmamma　in　her　effort　to　dispel　his　shyness；　〃tell　me　now　straight　out　without　hesitation；　was　it　you　who　did　it？〃

Peter　did　not　lift　his　eyes　and　therefore　did　not　see　at　what　grandmamma　was　pointing。　But　he　knew　that　Uncle　was　standing　at　the　corner　of　the　hut；　fixing　him　with　his　grey　eyes；　while　beside　him　stood　the　most　terrible　person　that　Peter　could　conceive　the　police…constable　from　Frankfurt。　Quaking　in　every　limb；　and　with　trembling　lips　he　muttered　a　low；　〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　and　what　is　there　dreadful　about　that？　said　grandmamma。

〃Becausebecauseit　is　all　broken　to　pieces　and　no　one　can　put　it　together　again。〃　Peter　brought　out　his　words　with　difficulty；　and　his　knees　knocked　together　so　that　he　could　hardly　stand。

Grandmamma　went　up　to　Uncle。　〃Is　that　poor　boy　a　little　out　of　his　mind？〃　she　asked　sympathisingly。

〃Not　in；　the　least；〃　Uncle　assured　her；　〃it　is　only　that　he　was　the　wind　that　sent　the　chair　rolling　down　the　slope；　and　he　is　expecting　his　well…deserved　punishment。〃

Grandmamma　found　this　hard　to　believe；　for　in　her　opinion　Peter　did　not　look　an　entirely　bad　boy；　nor　could　he　have　any　reason　for　destroying　such　a　necessary　thing　as　the　chair。　But　Uncle　had　only　given　expression　to　the　suspicion　that　he　had　from　the　moment　the　accident　happened。　The　angry　looks　which　Peter　had　from　the　beginning　cast　at　Clara；　and　the　other　signs　of　his　dislike　to　what　had　been　taking　place　on　the　mountain；　had　not　escaped　Uncle's　eye。　Putting　two　and　two　together　he　had　come　to　the　right　conclusion　as　to　the　cause　of　the　disaster；　and　he　therefore　spoke　without　hesitation　when　he　accused　Peter。　The　lady　broke　into　lively　expostulations　on　hearing　this。

〃No；　no；　dear　Uncle；　we　will　not　punish　the　poor　boy　any　further。　One　must　be　fair　to　him。　Here　are　all　these　strangers　from　Frankfurt　who　come　and　carry　away　Heidi；　his　one　sole　possession；　and　a　possession　well　worth　having　too；　and　he　is　left　to　sit　alone　day　after　day　for　weeks；　with　nothing　to　do　but　brood　over　his　wrongs。　No；　no；　let　us　be　fair　to　him；　his　anger　got　the　upper　hand　and　drove　him　an　act　of　revengea　foolish　one；　I　own；　but　then　we　all　behave　foolishly　when　we　are　angry。〃　And　saying　this　she　went　back　to　Peter；　who　still　stood　frightened　and　trembling。　She　sat　down　on　the　seat　under　the　fir　trees　and　called　him　to　her　kindly；

〃Come　here；　boy；　and　stand　in　front　of　me；　for　I　have　something　to　say　to　you。　Leave　off　shaking　and　trembling；　for　I　want　you　to　listen　to　me。　You　sent　the　chair　rolling　down　the　mountain　so　that　it　was　broken　to　pieces。　That　was　a　very　wrong　thing　to　do；　as　you　yourself　knew　very　well　at　the　time；　and　you　also　knew　that　you　deserved　to　be　punished　for　it；　and　in　order　to　escape　this　you　have　been　doing　all　you　can　to　hide　the　truth　from　everybody。　But　be　sure　of　this；　Peter：　that　those　who　do　wrong　make　a　mistake　when　they　think　no　one　knows　anything　about　it。　For　God　sees　and　hears　everything；　and　when　the　wicked　doer　tries　to　hide　what　he　has　done；

then　God　wakes　up　a　little　watchman　that　He　places　inside　us　all　when　we　are　born　and　who　sleeps　on　quietly　till　we　do　something　wrong。　And　the　little　watchman　has　a　small　goad　in　his　hand；　And　when　he　wakes　up　he　keeps　on　pricking　us　with　it；　so　that　we　have　not　a　moment's　peace。　And　the　watchman　torments　us　still　further；　for　he　keeps　on　calling　out；　'Now　you　will　be　found　out！　Now　they　will　drag　you　off　to　punishment！'　And　so　we　pass　our　life　in　fear　and　trouble；　and　never　know　a　moment's　happiness　or　peace。　Have　you　not　felt　something　like　that　lately；　Peter？〃

Peter　gave　a　contrite　nod　of　the　head；　as　one　who　knew　all　about　it；　for　grandmamma　had　described　his　own　feelings　exactly。

〃And　you　calculated　wrongly　also　in　another　way；〃　continued　grandmamma；　〃for　you　see　the　harm　you　intended　has　turned　out　for　the　best　for　those　you　wished　to　hurt。　As　Clara　had　no　chair　to　go　in　and　yet　wanted　so　much　to　see　the　flowers；　she　made　the　effort　to　walk；　and　every　day　since　she　has　been　walking　better　and　better；　and　if　she　remains　up　here　she　will　in　time　be　able　to　go　up　the　mountain　every　day；　much　oftener　than　she　would　have　done　in　her　chair。　So　you　see；　Peter；　God　is　able　to　bring　good　out　of　evil　for　those　whom　you　meant　to　injure；　and　you　who　did　the　evil　were　left　to　suffer　the　unhappy　consequences　of　it。　Do　you　thoroughly　understand　all　I　have　said　to　you；　Peter？　If　so；　do　not　forget　my　words；　and　whenever　you　feel　inclined　to　do　anything　wrong；　think　of　the　little　watchman　inside　you　with　his　goad　and　his　disagreeable　voice。　Will　you　remember　all　this？〃

〃Yes；　I　will；〃　answered　Peter；　still　very　subdued；　for　he　did　not　yet　know　how　the　matter　was　going　to　end；　as　the　police　constable　was　still　standing　with　the　Uncle。

〃That's　right；　and　now　the　thing　is　over　and　done　for；〃　said　grandmamma。　〃But　I　should　like　you　to　have　something　for　a　pleasant　reminder　of　the　visitors　from　Frankfurt。　Can　you　tell　me　anything　that　you　have　wished　very　much　to　have？　What　would　you　like　best　as　a　present？〃

Peter　lifted　his　head　at　this；　and　stared　open…eyed　at　grandmamma。　Up　to　the　last　minute　he　had　been　expecting　something　dreadful　to　happen；　and　now　he　might　have　anything　that　he　wanted。　His　mind　seemed　all　of　a　whirl。

〃I　mean　what　I　say；〃　went　on　grandmamma。　〃You　shall　choose　what　you　would　like　to　have　as　a　remembrance　from　the　Frankfurt　visitors；　and　as　a　token　that　they　will　not　think　any　more　of　the　wrong　thing　you　did。　Now　do　you　understand　me；　boy？〃

The　fact　began　at　last　to　dawn　upon　Peter's　mind　that　he　had　no　further　punishment　to　fear；　and　that　the　kind　lady　sitting　in　front　of　him　had　delivered　him　from　the　police　constable。　He　suddenly　felt　as　if　the　weight　of　a　mountain　had　fallen　off　him。　He　had　also　by　this　time　awakened　to　the　further　conviction　that　it　was　better　to　make　a　full　confession　at　once　of　anything　he　had　done　wrong　or　had　left　undone；　and　so　he　said；　〃And　I　lost　the　paper；　too。〃

Grandmamma　had　to　consider　a　moment　what　he　meant；　but　soon　recalled　his　connection　with　her　telegram；　and　answered　kindly；

〃You　are　a　good　boy　to　tell　me！　Never　conceal　anything　you　have　done　wrong；　and　then　all　will　come　right　again。　And　now　what　would　you　like　me　to　give　you？〃

Peter　grew　almost　giddy　with　the　thought　that　he　could　have　anything　in　the　world　that　he　wished　for。　He　had　a　vision　of　the　yearly　fair　at　Mayenfeld　with　the　glittering　stalls　and　all　the　lovely　things　that　he　had　stood　gazing　at　for　hours；　without　a　hope　of　ever　possessing　one　of　them；　for　Peter's　purse　never　held　more　than　a　halfpenny；　and　all　these　fascinating　objects　cost　double　that　amount。　There　were　the　pretty　little　red　whistles　that　he　could　use　to　call　his　goats；　and　the　splendid　knives　with　rounded　handles；　known　as　toad…strikers；　with　which　one　could　do　such　famous　work　among　the　hazel　bushes。

Peter　remained　pondering；　he　was　trying　to　think　which　of　these　two　desirable　objects　he　should　best　like　to　have；　and　he　found　it　difficult　to　decide。　Then　a　bright　thought　occurred　to　him；　he　would　then　be　able　to　think　over　the　matter　between　now　and　next　year's　fair。

〃A　penny；〃　answered　Peter；　who　was　no　longer　in　doubt。

Grandmamma　could　not　help　laughing。　〃That　is　not　an　extravagant　request。　Come　here　then！〃　and　she　pulled　out　her　purse