at the back of the north wind-第20章

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that　it　was　not　a　spider；　but　a　weasel；　and　away　glided　the　weasel；

and　away　went　Diamond　after　it；　and　it　took　all　the　run　there　was

in　him　to　keep　up　with　the　weasel。　　And　the　weasel　grew；　and　grew；

and　grew；　till　all　at　once　Diamond　saw　that　the　weasel　was　not

a　weasel　but　a　cat。　　And　away　went　the　cat；　and　Diamond　after　it。　

And　when　he　had　run　half　a　mile；　he　found　the　cat　waiting　for　him；

sitting　up　and　washing　her　face　not　to　lose　time。　　And　away　went

the　cat　again；　and　Diamond　after　it。　　But　the　next　time　he　came

up　with　the　cat；　the　cat　was　not　a　cat；　but　a　hunting…leopard。

And　the　hunting…leopard　grew　to　a　jaguar；　all　covered　with　spots

like　eyes。　　And　the　jaguar　grew　to　a　Bengal　tiger。　　And　at　none

of　them　was　Diamond　afraid；　for　he　had　been　at　North　Wind's　back；

and　he　could　be　afraid　of　her　no　longer　whatever　she　did　or　grew。　

And　the　tiger　flew　over　the　snow　in　a　straight　line　for　the　south；

growing　less　and　less　to　Diamond's　eyes　till　it　was　only　a　black

speck　upon　the　whiteness；　and　then　it　vanished　altogether。　

And　now　Diamond　felt　that　he　would　rather　not　run　any　farther；

and　that　the　ice　had　got　very　rough。　　Besides；　he　was　near　the

precipices　that　bounded　the　sea；　so　he　slackened　his　pace　to　a　walk；

saying　aloud　to　himself：



〃When　North　Wind　has　punished　me　enough　for　making　game　of　her；

she　will　come　back　to　me；　I　know　she　will；　for　I　can't　go　much

farther　without　her。〃



〃You　dear　boy！　　It　was　only　in　fun。　　Here　I　am！〃　said　North　Wind's

voice　behind　him。



Diamond　turned；　and　saw　her　as　he　liked　best　to　see　her；

standing　beside　him；　a　tall　lady。



〃Where's　the　tiger？〃　he　asked；　for　he　knew　all　the　creatures　from

a　picture　book　that　Miss　Coleman　had　given　him。　　〃But；　of　course；〃

he　added；　〃you　were　the　tiger。　　I　was　puzzled　and　forgot。　　I　saw

it　such　a　long　way　off　before　me；　and　there　you　were　behind　me。　

It's　so　odd；　you　know。〃



〃It　must　look　very　odd　to　you；　Diamond：　　I　see　that。　　But　it

is　no　more　odd　to　me　than　to　break　an　old　pine　in　two。〃



〃Well；　that's　odd　enough；〃　remarked　Diamond。



〃So　it　is！　　I　forgot。　　Well；　none　of　these　things　are　odder　to　me

than　it　is　to　you　to　eat　bread　and　butter。〃



〃Well；　that's　odd　too；　when　I　think　of　it；〃　persisted　Diamond。　

〃I　should　just　like　a　slice　of　bread　and　butter！　　I'm　afraid　to　say

how　long　it　ishow　long　it　seems　to　me；　that　issince　I　had　anything

to　eat。〃



〃Come　then；〃　said　North　Wind；　stooping　and　holding　out　her　arms。　

〃You　shall　have　some　bread　and　butter　very　soon。　　I　am　glad　to　find

you　want　some。〃



Diamond　held　up　his　arms　to　meet　hers；　and　was　safe　upon　her　bosom。　

North　Wind　bounded　into　the　air。　　Her　tresses　began　to　lift　and

rise　and　spread　and　stream　and　flow　and　flutter；　and　with　a　roar

from　her　hair　and　an　answering　roar　from　one　of　the　great　glaciers

beside　them；　whose　slow　torrent　tumbled　two　or　three　icebergs

at　once　into　the　waves　at　their　feet；　North　Wind　and　Diamond　went

flying　southwards。







CHAPTER　XII



WHO　MET　DIAMOND　AT　SANDWICH





As　THEY　flew；　so　fast　they　went　that　the　sea　slid　away　from　under

them　like　a　great　web　of　shot　silk；　blue　shot　with　grey；　and　green

shot　with　purple。　　They　went　so　fast　that　the　stars　themselves

appeared　to　sail　away　past　them　overhead；　〃like　golden　boats；〃

on　a　blue　sea　turned　upside　down。　　And　they　went　so　fast　that　Diamond

himself　went　the　other　way　as　fastI　mean　he　went　fast　asleep

in　North　Wind's　arms。



When　he　woke；　a　face　was　bending　over　him；　but　it　was　not　North　Wind's；

it　was　his　mother's。　He　put　out　his　arms　to　her；　and　she　clasped　him

to　her　bosom　and　burst　out　crying。　　Diamond　kissed　her　again　and　again

to　make　her　stop。　　Perhaps　kissing　is　the　best　thing　for　crying；

but　it　will　not　always　stop　it。



〃What　is　the　matter；　mother？〃　he　said。



〃Oh；　Diamond；　my　darling！　you　have　been　so　ill！〃　she　sobbed。



〃No；　mother　dear。　　I've　only　been　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃

returned　Diamond。



〃I　thought　you　were　dead；〃　said　his　mother。



But　that　moment　the　doctor　came　in。



〃Oh！　there！〃　said　the　doctor　with　gentle　cheerfulness；　〃we're　better

to…day；　I　see。〃



Then　he　drew　the　mother　aside；　and　told　her　not　to　talk　to　Diamond；

or　to　mind　what　he　might　say；　for　he　must　be　kept　as　quiet　as　possible。　

And　indeed　Diamond　was　not　much　inclined　to　talk；　for　he　felt

very　strange　and　weak；　which　was　little　wonder；　seeing　that　all

the　time　he　had　been　away　he　had　only　sucked　a　few　lumps　of　ice；

and　there　could　not　be　much　nourishment　in　them。



Now　while　he　is　lying　there；　getting　strong　again　with　chicken

broth　and　other　nice　things；　I　will　tell　my　readers　what　had　been

taking　place　at　his　home；　for　they　ought　to　be　told　it。



They　may　have　forgotten　that　Miss　Coleman　was　in　a　very　poor

state　of　health。　　Now　there　were　three　reasons　for　this。　

In　the　first　place；　her　lungs　were　not　strong。　　In　the　second　place；

there　was　a　gentleman　somewhere　who　had　not　behaved　very　well　to　her。　

In　the　third　place；　she　had　not　anything　particular　to　do。　

These　three　nots　together　are　enough　to　make　a　lady　very　ill　indeed。　

Of　course　she　could　not　help　the　first　cause；　but　if　the　other　two

causes　had　not　existed；　that　would　have　been　of　little　consequence；

she　would　only　have　to　be　a　little　careful。　　The　second　she　could　not

help　quite；　but　if　she　had　had　anything　to　do；　and　had　done　it　well；

it　would　have　been　very　difficult　for　any　man　to　behave　badly　to　her。　

And　for　this　third　cause　of　her　illness；　if　she　had　had　anything

to　do　that　was　worth　doing；　she　might　have　borne　his　bad　behaviour

so　that　even　that　would　not　have　made　her　ill。　　It　is　not　always　easy；

I　confess；　to　find　something　to　do　that　is　worth　doing；　but　the

most　difficult　things　are　constantly　being　done；　and　she　might

have　found　something　if　she　had　tried。　　Her　fault　lay　in　this；

that　she　had　not　tried。　　But；　to　be　sure；　her　father　and　mother

were　to　blame　that　they　had　never　set　her　going。　　Only　then　again；

nobody　had　told　her　father　and　mother　that　they　ought　to　set　her　going

in　that　direction。　　So　as　none　of　them　would　find　it　out　of　themselves；

North　Wind　had　to　teach　them。



We　know　that　North　Wind　was　very　busy　that　night　on　which　she

left　Diamond　in　the　cathedral。　　She　had　in　a　sense　been　blowing

through　and　through　the　Colemans'　house　the　whole　of　the　night。　

First；　Miss　Coleman's　maid　had　left　a　chink　of　her　mistress's

window　open；　thinking　she　had　shut　it；　and　North　Wind　had　wound

a　few　of　her　hairs　round　the　lady's　throat。　　She　was　considerably

worse　the　next　morning。　　Again；　the　ship　which　North　Wind　had　sunk

that　very　night　belonged　to　Mr。　Coleman。　　Nor　will　my　readers

understand　what　a　heavy　loss　this　was　to　him　until　I　have　informed

them　that　he　had　been　getting　poorer　and　poorer　for　some　time。　

He　was　not　so　successful　in　his　speculations　as　he　had　been；　for　he

speculated　a　great　deal　more　than　was　right；　and　it　was　time　he

should　be　pulled　up。　　It　is　a　hard　thing　for　a　rich　man　to　grow　poor；

but　it　is　an　awful　thing　for　him　to　grow　dishonest；　and　some　kinds

of　speculation　lead　a　man　deep　into　dishonesty　before　he　thinks

what　he　is　about。　　Poverty　will　not　make　a　man　worthlesshe　may　be

worth　a　great　deal　more　when　he　is　poor　than　he　was　when　he　was　rich；

but　dishonesty　goes　very　far　indeed　to　make　a　man　of　no　value

a　thing　to　be　thrown　out　in　the　dust…hole　of　the　creation；

like　a　bit　of　a　broken　basin；　or　a　dirty　rag。　　So　North　Wind　had

to　look　after　Mr。　Coleman；　and　try　to　make　an　honest　man　of　him。　

So　she　sank　the　ship　which　was　his　last　venture；　and　he　was　what

himself　and　his　wife　and　the　world　called　ruined。



Nor　was　this　all　yet。　　For　on　board　that　vessel　Miss　Coleman's

lover　was　a　passenger；　and　when　the　news　came　that　the　vessel　had

gone　down；　and　that　all　on　board　had　perished；　we　may　be　sure　she

did　not　think　the　loss　of　their　fine　house　and　garden　and　furniture

the　greatest　misfo