at the back of the north wind-第12章

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dashing　against　each　other　in　their　haste　to　fill　the　hollow

scooped　out　by　the　lightning；　now　it　took　his　breath　quite　away

by　sucking　it　from　his　body　with　the　speed　of　its　rush。　　But　he　did

not　mind　it。　　He　only　gasped　first　and　then　laughed；　for　the　arm

of　North　Wind　was　about　him；　and　he　was　leaning　against　her　bosom。　

It　is　quite　impossible　for　me　to　describe　what　he　saw。　　Did　you　ever

watch　a　great　wave　shoot　into　a　winding　passage　amongst　rocks？　

If　you　ever　did；　you　would　see　that　the　water　rushed　every　way

at　once；　some　of　it　even　turning　back　and　opposing　the　rest；

greater　confusion　you　might　see　nowhere　except　in　a　crowd　of

frightened　people。　　Well；　the　wind　was　like　that；　except　that　it

went　much　faster；　and　therefore　was　much　wilder；　and　twisted

and　shot　and　curled　and　dodged　and　clashed　and　raved　ten　times

more　madly　than　anything　else　in　creation　except　human　passions。　

Diamond　saw　the　threads　of　the　lady's　hair　streaking　it　all。　

In　parts　indeed　he　could　not　tell　which　was　hair　and　which　was

black　storm　and　vapour。　　It　seemed　sometimes　that　all　the　great

billows　of　mist…muddy　wind　were　woven　out　of　the　crossing　lines

of　North　Wind's　infinite　hair；　sweeping　in　endless　intertwistings。　

And　Diamond　felt　as　the　wind　seized　on　his　hair；　which　his　mother

kept　rather　long；　as　if　he　too　was　a　part　of　the　storm；　and　some

of　its　life　went　out　from　him。　　But　so　sheltered　was　he　by　North

Wind's　arm　and　bosom　that　only　at　times；　in　the　fiercer　onslaught

of　some　curl…billowed　eddy；　did　he　recognise　for　a　moment　how　wild

was　the　storm　in　which　he　was　carried；　nestling　in　its　very　core　and

formative　centre。



It　seemed　to　Diamond　likewise　that　they　were　motionless　in　this　centre；

and　that　all　the　confusion　and　fighting　went　on　around　them。　

Flash　after　flash　illuminated　the　fierce　chaos；　revealing　in　varied

yellow　and　blue　and　grey　and　dusky　red　the　vapourous　contention；

peal　after　peal　of　thunder　tore　the　infinite　waste；　but　it　seemed

to　Diamond　that　North　Wind　and　he　were　motionless；　all　but　the　hair。　

It　was　not　so。　　They　were　sweeping　with　the　speed　of　the　wind　itself

towards　the　sea。









CHAPTER　VII



THE　CATHEDRAL





I　MUST　not　go　on　describing　what　cannot　be　described；　for　nothing

is　more　wearisome。



Before　they　reached　the　sea；　Diamond　felt　North　Wind's　hair　just

beginning　to　fall　about　him。



〃Is　the　storm　over；　North　Wind？〃　he　called　out。



〃No；　Diamond。　　I　am　only　waiting　a　moment　to　set　you　down。　

You　would　not　like　to　see　the　ship　sunk；　and　I　am　going　to　give　you

a　place　to　stop　in　till　I　come　back　for　you。〃



〃Oh！　thank　you；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　shall　be　sorry　to　leave　you；

North　Wind；　but　I　would　rather　not　see　the　ship　go　down。　　And　I'm

afraid　the　poor　people　will　cry；　and　I　should　hear　them。　　Oh；　dear！〃



〃There　are　a　good　many　passengers　on　board；　and　to　tell　the　truth；

Diamond；　I　don't　care　about　your　hearing　the　cry　you　speak　of。　

I　am　afraid　you　would　not　get　it　out　of　your　little　head　again

for　a　long　time。〃



〃But　how　can　you　bear　it　then；　North　Wind？　　For　I　am　sure　you　are　kind。　

I　shall　never　doubt　that　again。〃



〃I　will　tell　you　how　I　am　able　to　bear　it；　Diamond：　　I　am　always　hearing；

through　every　noise；　through　all　the　noise　I　am　making　myself　even；

the　sound　of　a　far…off　song。　　I　do　not　exactly　know　where　it　is；

or　what　it　means；　and　I　don't　hear　much　of　it；　only　the　odour　of

its　music；　as　it　were；　flitting　across　the　great　billows　of　the　ocean

outside　this　air　in　which　I　make　such　a　storm；　but　what　I　do　hear　is

quite　enough　to　make　me　able　to　bear　the　cry　from　the　drowning　ship。　

So　it　would　you　if　you　could　hear　it。〃



〃No；　it　wouldn't；〃　returned　Diamond；　stoutly。　　〃For　they　wouldn't

hear　the　music　of　the　far…away　song；　and　if　they　did；　it　wouldn't

do　them　any　good。　　You　see　you　and　I　are　not　going　to　be　drowned；

and　so　we　might　enjoy　it。〃



〃But　you　have　never　heard　the　psalm；　and　you　don't　know　what　it

is　like。　　Somehow；　I　can't　say　how；　it　tells　me　that　all　is　right；

that　it　is　coming　to　swallow　up　all　cries。〃



〃But　that　won't　do　them　any　goodthe　people；　I　mean；〃　persisted　Diamond。



〃It　must。　　It　must；〃　said　North　Wind；　hurriedly。　　〃It　wouldn't

be　the　song　it　seems　to　be　if　it　did　not　swallow　up　all　their　fear

and　pain　too；　and　set　them　singing　it　themselves　with　the　rest。　

I　am　sure　it　will。　　And　do　you　know；　ever　since　I　knew　I　had　hair；

that　is；　ever　since　it　began　to　go　out　and　away；　that　song　has　been

coming　nearer　and　nearer。　　Only　I　must　say　it　was　some　thousand　years

before　I　heard　it。〃



〃But　how　can　you　say　it　was　coming　nearer　when　you　did　not　hear　it？〃

asked　doubting　little　Diamond。



〃Since　I　began　to　hear　it；　I　know　it　is　growing　louder；　therefore　I

judge　it　was　coming　nearer　and　nearer　until　I　did　hear　it　first。　

I'm　not　so　very　old；　you　knowa　few　thousand　years　onlyand　I　was

quite　a　baby　when　I　heard　the　noise　first；　but　I　knew　it　must　come

from　the　voices　of　people　ever　so　much　older　and　wiser　than　I　was。　

I　can't　sing　at　all；　except　now　and　then；　and　I　can　never　tell　what　my

song　is　going　to　be；　I　only　know　what　it　is　after　I　have　sung　it。

But　this　will　never　do。　　Will　you　stop　here？〃



〃I　can't　see　anywhere　to　stop；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Your　hair　is　all

down　like　a　darkness；　and　I　can't　see　through　it　if　I　knock　my　eyes

into　it　ever　so　much。〃



〃Look；　then；〃　said　North　Wind；　and；　with　one　sweep　of　her　great

white　arm；　she　swept　yards　deep　of　darkness　like　a　great　curtain

from　before　the　face　of　the　boy。



And　lo！　it　was　a　blue　night；　lit　up　with　stars。　　Where　it　did

not　shine　with　stars　it　shimmered　with　the　milk　of　the　stars；

except　where；　just　opposite　to　Diamond's　face；　the　grey　towers

of　a　cathedral　blotted　out　each　its　own　shape　of　sky　and　stars。



〃Oh！　what's　that？〃　cried　Diamond；　struck　with　a　kind　of　terror；

for　he　had　never　seen　a　cathedral；　and　it　rose　before　him　with　an

awful　reality　in　the　midst　of　the　wide　spaces；　conquering　emptiness

with　grandeur。



〃A　very　good　place　for　you　to　wait　in；〃　said　North　Wind。　　〃But　we

shall　go　in；　and　you　shall　judge　for　yourself。〃



There　was　an　open　door　in　the　middle　of　one　of　the　towers；　leading　out

upon　the　roof；　and　through　it　they　passed。　　Then　North　Wind　set

Diamond　on　his　feet；　and　he　found　himself　at　the　top　of　a　stone　stair；

which　went　twisting　away　down　into　the　darkness　for　only　a　little

light　came　in　at　the　door。　　It　was　enough；　however；　to　allow　Diamond

to　see　that　North　Wind　stood　beside　him。　　He　looked　up　to　find

her　face；　and　saw　that　she　was　no　longer　a　beautiful　giantess；

but　the　tall　gracious　lady　he　liked　best　to　see。　　She　took　his　hand；

and；　giving　him　the　broad　part　of　the　spiral　stair　to　walk　on；　led　him

down　a　good　way；　then；　opening　another　little　door；　led　him　out　upon

a　narrow　gallery　that　ran　all　round　the　central　part　of　the　church；

on　the　ledges　of　the　windows　of　the　clerestory；　and　through　openings

in　the　parts　of　the　wall　that　divided　the　windows　from　each　other。　

It　was　very　narrow；　and　except　when　they　were　passing　through　the　wall；

Diamond　saw　nothing　to　keep　him　from　falling　into　the　church。　

It　lay　below　him　like　a　great　silent　gulf　hollowed　in　stone；

and　he　held　his　breath　for　fear　as　he　looked　down。



〃What　are　you　trembling　for；　little　Diamond？〃　said　the　lady；　as　she

walked　gently　along；　with　her　hand　held　out　behind　her　leading　him；

for　there　was　not　breadth　enough　for　them　to　walk　side　by　side。



〃I　am　afraid　of　falling　down　there；〃　answered　Diamond。　　〃It　is

so　deep　down。〃



〃Yes；　rather；〃　answered　North　Wind；　〃but　you　were　a　hundred　times

higher　a　few　minutes　ago。〃



〃Ah；　yes；　but　somebody's　arm　was　about　me　then；〃　said　Diamond；

putting　his　little　mouth　to　the　beautiful　cold　hand　that　had　a　hold

of　his。



〃What　a　dear　little　warm　mouth　you've　got！〃　said　North　Wind。　

〃It　is　a　pity　you　should　talk　nonsense　with　it。　　Don't　you　know　I

have　a　hol