at the back of the north wind-第14章

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fast　asleep。









CHAPTER　VIII



THE　EAST　WINDOW





THAT　Diamond　had　fallen　fast　asleep　is　very　evident　from　the　strange

things　he　now　fancied　as　taking　place。　　For　he　thought　he　heard

a　sound　as　of　whispering　up　in　the　great　window。　　He　tried　to　open

his　eyes；　but　he　could　not。　　And　the　whispering　went　on　and　grew

louder　and　louder；　until　he　could　hear　every　word　that　was　said。　

He　thought　it　was　the　Apostles　talking　about　him。　　But　he　could　not

open　his　eyes。



〃And　how　comes　he　to　be　lying　there；　St。　Peter？〃　said　one。



〃I　think　I　saw　him　a　while　ago　up　in　the　gallery；　under　the

Nicodemus　window。　　Perhaps　he　has　fallen　down。



〃What　do　you　think；　St。　Matthew？〃



〃I　don't　think　he　could　have　crept　here　after　falling　from　such

a　height。　　He　must　have　been　killed。〃



〃What　are　we　to　do　with　him？　　We　can't　leave　him　lying　there。　

And　we　could　not　make　him　comfortable　up　here　in　the　window：　

it's　rather　crowded　already。　　What　do　you　say；　St。　Thomas？〃



〃Let's　go　down　and　look　at　him。〃



There　came　a　rustling；　and　a　chinking；　for　some　time；　and　then

there　was　a　silence；　and　Diamond　felt　somehow　that　all　the　Apostles

were　standing　round　him　and　looking　down　on　him。　　And　still　he

could　not　open　his　eyes。



〃What　is　the　matter　with　him；　St。　Luke？〃　asked　one。



〃There's　nothing　the　matter　with　him；〃　answered　St。　Luke；　who　must

have　joined　the　company　of　the　Apostles　from　the　next　window；

one　would　think。　　〃He's　in　a　sound　sleep。〃



〃I　have　it；〃　cried　another。　　〃This　is　one　of　North　Wind's　tricks。　

She　has　caught　him　up　and　dropped　him　at　our　door；　like　a　withered

leaf　or　a　foundling　baby。　　I　don't　understand　that　woman's　conduct；

I　must　say。　　As　if　we　hadn't　enough　to　do　with　our　money；

without　going　taking　care　of　other　people's　children！　　That's　not

what　our　forefathers　built　cathedrals　for。〃



Now　Diamond　could　not　bear　to　hear　such　things　against　North　Wind；

who；　he　knew；　never　played　anybody　a　trick。　　She　was　far　too　busy

with　her　own　work　for　that。　　He　struggled　hard　to　open　his　eyes；

but　without　success。



〃She　should　consider　that　a　church　is　not　a　place　for　pranks；

not　to　mention　that　we　live　in　it；〃　said　another。



〃It　certainly　is　disrespectful　of　her。　　But　she　always　is　disrespectful。　

What　right　has　she　to　bang　at　our　windows　as　she　has　been　doing

the　whole　of　this　night？　　I　daresay　there　is　glass　broken　somewhere。　

I　know　my　blue　robe　is　in　a　dreadful　mess　with　the　rain　first　and

the　dust　after。　　It　will　cost　me　shillings　to　clean　it。〃



Then　Diamond　knew　that　they　could　not　be　Apostles；　talking　like　this。　

They　could　only　be　the　sextons　and　vergers　and　such…like；　who　got

up　at　night；　and　put　on　the　robes　of　deans　and　bishops；　and　called

each　other　grand　names；　as　the　foolish　servants　he　had　heard　his

father　tell　of　call　themselves　lords　and　ladies；　after　their　masters

and　mistresses。　　And　he　was　so　angry　at　their　daring　to　abuse　North　Wind；

that　he　jumped　up；　crying〃North　Wind　knows　best　what　she　is　about。　

She　has　a　good　right　to　blow　the　cobwebs　from　your　windows；　for　she

was　sent　to　do　it。　　She　sweeps　them　away　from　grander　places；

I　can　tell　you；　for　I've　been　with　her　at　it。〃



This　was　what　he　began　to　say；　but　as　he　spoke　his　eyes　came

wide　open；　and　behold；　there　were　neither　Apostles　nor　vergers　there

not　even　a　window　with　the　effigies　of　holy　men　in　it；　but　a　dark　heap

of　hay　all　about　him；　and　the　little　panes　in　the　roof　of　his　loft

glimmering　blue　in　the　light　of　the　morning。　　Old　Diamond　was　coming

awake　down　below　in　the　stable。　　In　a　moment　more　he　was　on　his　feet；

and　shaking　himself　so　that　young　Diamond's　bed　trembled　under　him。



〃He's　grand　at　shaking　himself；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　wish　I　could

shake　myself　like　that。　　But　then　I　can　wash　myself；　and　he　can't。

What　fun　it　would　be　to　see　Old　Diamond　washing　his　face　with　his

hoofs　and　iron　shoes！　　Wouldn't　it　be　a　picture？〃



So　saying；　he　got　up　and　dressed　himself。　　Then　he　went　out　into

the　garden。　　There　must　have　been　a　tremendous　wind　in　the　night；

for　although　all　was　quiet　now；　there　lay　the　little　summer…house

crushed　to　the　ground；　and　over　it　the　great　elm…tree；　which

the　wind　had　broken　across；　being　much　decayed　in　the　middle。　

Diamond　almost　cried　to　see　the　wilderness　of　green　leaves；　which　used

to　be　so　far　up　in　the　blue　air；　tossing　about　in　the　breeze；

and　liking　it　best　when　the　wind　blew　it　most；　now　lying　so　near

the　ground；　and　without　any　hope　of　ever　getting　up　into　the　deep

air　again。



〃I　wonder　how　old　the　tree　is！〃　thought　Diamond。　　〃It　must　take

a　long　time　to　get　so　near　the　sky　as　that　poor　tree　was。〃



〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　a　voice　beside　him；　for　Diamond　had　spoken

the　last　words　aloud。



Diamond　started；　and　looking　around　saw　a　clergyman；　a　brother　of

Mrs。　Coleman；　who　happened　to　be　visiting　her。　　He　was　a　great　scholar；

and　was　in　the　habit　of　rising　early。



〃Who　are　you；　my　man？〃　he　added。



〃Little　Diamond；〃　answered　the　boy。



〃Oh！　　I　have　heard　of　you。　　How　do　you　come　to　be　up　so　early？〃



〃Because　the　sham　Apostles　talked　such　nonsense；　they　waked　me　up。〃



The　clergyman　stared。　　Diamond　saw　that　he　had　better　have　held

his　tongue；　for　he　could　not　explain　things。



〃You　must　have　been　dreaming；　my　little　man；〃　said　he。　　〃Dear！　dear！〃

he　went　on；　looking　at　the　tree；　〃there　has　been　terrible　work　here。　

This　is　the　north　wind's　doing。　　What　a　pity！　　I　wish　we　lived　at

the　back　of　it；　I'm　sure。〃



〃Where　is　that　sir？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃Away　in　the　Hyperborean　regions；〃　answered　the　clergyman；　smiling。



〃I　never　heard　of　the　place；〃　returned　Diamond。



〃I　daresay　not；〃　answered　the　clergyman；　〃but　if　this　tree　had

been　there　now；　it　would　not　have　been　blown　down；　for　there

is　no　wind　there。〃



〃But；　please；　sir；　if　it　had　been　there；〃　said　Diamond；　〃we　should

not　have　had　to　be　sorry　for　it。〃



〃Certainly　not。〃



〃Then　we　shouldn't　have　had　to　be　glad　for　it；　either。〃



〃You're　quite　right；　my　boy；〃　said　the　clergyman；　looking　at　him

very　kindly；　as　he　turned　away　to　the　house；　with　his　eyes　bent

towards　the　earth。　　But　Diamond　thought　within　himself；　〃I　will

ask　North　Wind　next　time　I　see　her　to　take　me　to　that　country。　

I　think　she　did　speak　about　it　once　before。〃









CHAPTER　IX



HOW　DIAMOND　GOT　TO　THE　BACK　OF　THE　NORTH　WIND





WHEN　Diamond　went　home　to　breakfast；　he　found　his　father　and　mother

already　seated　at　the　table。　　They　were　both　busy　with　their　bread

and　butter；　and　Diamond　sat　himself　down　in　his　usual　place。　

His　mother　looked　up　at　him；　and；　after　watching　him　for　a　moment；　said：



〃I　don't　think　the　boy　is　looking　well；　husband。〃



〃Don't　you？　　Well；　I　don't　know。　　I　think　he　looks　pretty　bobbish。　

How　do　you　feel　yourself；　Diamond；　my　boy？〃



〃Quite　well；　thank　you；　father；　at　least；　I　think　I've　got

a　little　headache。〃



〃There！　　I　told　you；〃　said　his　father　and　mother　both　at　once。



〃The　child's　very　poorly〃　added　his　mother。



〃The　child's　quite　well；〃　added　his　father。



And　then　they　both　laughed。



〃You　see；〃　said　his　mother；　〃I've　had　a　letter　from　my　sister

at　Sandwich。〃



〃Sleepy　old　hole！〃　said　his　father。



〃Don't　abuse　the　place；　there's　good　people　in　it；〃　said　his　mother。



〃Right；　old　lady；〃　returned　his　father；　〃only　I　don't　believe　there

are　more　than　two　pair　of　carriage…horses　in　the　whole　blessed　place。〃



〃Well；　people　can　get　to　heaven　without　carriagesor　coachmen

either；　husband。　　Not　that　I　should　like　to　go　without　my　coachman；

you　know。　　But　about　the　boy？〃



〃What　boy？〃



〃That　boy；　there；　staring　at　you　with　his　goggle…eyes。〃



〃Have　I　got　goggle…eyes；　mother？〃　asked　Diamond；　a　little　dismayed。



〃Not　too　goggle；〃　said　his　mother；　who　was　quite　proud　of　her

boy's　eyes；　only　did　not　want　to　make　him　vain。



〃Not　too　goggle；　only