at the back of the north wind-第32章

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him　the　way　if　he　had　asked　itall　but　the　snake。　　He　followed

the　snake；　you　know；　and　he　took　him　farther　away。　　I　suppose　it

was　a　young　one　of　the　same　serpent　that　tempted　Adam　and　Eve。　

Father　was　telling　us　about　it　last　Sunday；　you　remember。〃



〃Bless　the　child！〃　said　his　mother　to　herself；　and　then　added　aloud；

finding　that　Diamond　did　not　go　on；　〃Well；　what　next？〃



〃I　don't　know；　mother。　　I'm　sure　there's　a　great　deal　more；

but　what　it　is　I　can't　say。　　I　only　know　that　he　killed　the　snake。　

I　suppose　that's　what　he　had　a　drumstick　for。　　He　couldn't　do　it

with　his　horn。〃



〃But　surely　you're　not　such　a　silly　as　to　take　it　all　for　true；　Diamond？〃



〃I　think　it　must　be。　　It　looks　true。　　That　killing　of　the　snake

looks　true。　　It's　what　I've　got　to　do　so　often。〃



His　mother　looked　uneasy。　　Diamond　smiled　full　in　her　face；

and　added



〃When　baby　cries　and　won't　be　happy；　and　when　father　and　you　talk

about　your　troubles；　I　mean。〃



This　did　little　to　reassure　his　mother；　and　lest　my　reader　should

have　his　qualms　about　it　too；　I　venture　to　remind　him　once　more

that　Diamond　had　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind。



Finding　she　made　no　reply；　Diamond　went　on



〃In　a　week　or　so；　I　shall　be　able　to　go　to　the　tall　gentleman

and　tell　him　I　can　read。　　And　I'll　ask　him　if　he　can　help

me　to　understand　the　rhyme。〃



But　before　the　week　was　out；　he　had　another　reason　for　going

to　Mr。　Raymond。



For　three　days；　on　each　of　which；　at　one　time　or　other；　Diamond's

father　was　on　the　same　stand　near　the　National　Gallery；　the　girl

was　not　at　her　crossing；　and　Diamond　got　quite　anxious　about　her；

fearing　she　must　be　ill。　　On　the　fourth　day；　not　seeing　her　yet；

he　said　to　his　father；　who　had　that　moment　shut　the　door　of　his　cab

upon　a　fare



〃Father；　I　want　to　go　and　look　after　the　girl；　She　can't　be　well。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　his　father。　　〃Only　take　care　of　yourself；　Diamond。〃



So　saying　he　climbed　on　his　box　and　drove　off。



He　had　great　confidence　in　his　boy；　you　see；　and　would　trust

him　anywhere。　　But　if　he　had　known　the　kind　of　place　in　which

the　girl　lived；　he　would　perhaps　have　thought　twice　before　he

allowed　him　to　go　alone。　　Diamond；　who　did　know　something　of　it；

had　not；　however；　any　fear。　　From　talking　to　the　girl　he　had

a　good　notion　of　where　about　it　was；　and　he　remembered　the

address　well　enough；　so　by　asking　his　way　some　twenty　times；

mostly　of　policemen；　he　came　at　length　pretty　near　the　place。　

The　last　policeman　he　questioned　looked　down　upon　him　from　the　summit

of　six　feet　two　inches；　and　replied　with　another　question；　but　kindly：



〃What　do　you　want　there；　my　small　kid？　　It　ain't　where　you　was　bred；

I　guess。〃



〃No　sir〃　answered　Diamond。　　〃I　live　in　Bloomsbury。〃



〃That's　a　long　way　off；〃　said　the　policeman。



〃Yes；　it's　a　good　distance；〃　answered　Diamond；　〃but　I　find　my　way

about　pretty　well。　　Policemen　are　always　kind　to　me。〃



〃But　what　on　earth　do　you　want　here？〃



Diamond　told　him　plainly　what　he　was　about；　and　of　course　the　man

believed　him；　for　nobody　ever　disbelieved　Diamond。　　People　might

think　he　was　mistaken；　but　they　never　thought　he　was　telling　a　story。



〃It's　an　ugly　place；〃　said　the　policeman。



〃Is　it　far　off？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃No。　It's　next　door　almost。　　But　it's　not　safe。〃



〃Nobody　hurts　me；〃　said　Diamond。



〃I　must　go　with　you；　I　suppose。〃



〃Oh；　no！　please　not；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃They　might　think　I　was　going

to　meddle　with　them；　and　I　ain't；　you　know。〃



〃Well；　do　as　you　please；〃　said　the　man；　and　gave　him　full　directions。



Diamond　set　off；　never　suspecting　that　the　policeman；　who　was　a

kind…hearted　man；　with　children　of　his　own；　was　following　him　close；

and　watching　him　round　every　corner。　　As　he　went　on；　all　at　once

he　thought　he　remembered　the　place；　and　whether　it　really　was　so；

or　only　that　he　had　laid　up　the　policeman's　instructions　well　in

his　mind；　he　went　straight　for　the　cellar　of　old　Sal。



〃He's　a　sharp　little　kid；　anyhow；　for　as　simple　as　he　looks；〃

said　the　man　to　himself。　　〃Not　a　wrong　turn　does　he　take！　

But　old　Sal's　a　rum　un　for　such　a　child　to　pay　a　morning　visit　to。　

She's　worse　when　she's　sober　than　when　she's　half　drunk。　　I've　seen

her　when　she'd　have　torn　him　in　pieces。〃



Happily　then　for　Diamond；　old　Sal　had　gone　out　to　get　some　gin。　

When　he　came　to　her　door　at　the　bottom　of　the　area…stair　and　knocked；

he　received　no　answer。　　He　laid　his　ear　to　the　door；　and　thought　he　heard

a　moaning　within。　　So　he　tried　the　door；　and　found　it　was　not　locked！　

It　was　a　dreary　place　indeed；and　very　dark；　for　the　window　was　below

the　level　of　the　street；　and　covered　with　mud；　while　over　the　grating

which　kept　people　from　falling　into　the　area；　stood　a　chest　of　drawers；

placed　there　by　a　dealer　in　second…hand　furniture；　which　shut　out

almost　all　the　light。　　And　the　smell　in　the　place　was　dreadful。　

Diamond　stood　still　for　a　while；　for　he　could　see　next　to　nothing；

but　he　heard　the　moaning　plainly　enough　now；　When　he　got　used

to　the　darkness；　he　discovered　his　friend　lying　with　closed　eyes

and　a　white　suffering　face　on　a　heap　of　little　better　than　rags　in

a　corner　of　the　den。　　He　went　up　to　her　and　spoke；　but　she　made　him

no　answer。　　Indeed；　she　was　not　in　the　least　aware　of　his　presence；

and　Diamond　saw　that　he　could　do　nothing　for　her　without　help。　

So　taking　a　lump　of　barley…sugar　from　his　pocket；　which　he　had　bought

for　her　as　he　came　along；　and　laying　it　beside　her；　he　left　the　place；

having　already　made　up　his　mind　to　go　and　see　the　tall　gentleman；

Mr。　Raymond；　and　ask　him　to　do　something　for　Sal's　Nanny；　as　the　girl

was　called。



By　the　time　he　got　up　the　area…steps；　three　or　four　women　who　had

seen　him　go　down　were　standing　together　at　the　top　waiting　for　him。　

They　wanted　his　clothes　for　their　children；　but　they　did　not　follow

him　down　lest　Sal　should　find　them　there。　　The　moment　he　appeared；

they　laid　their　hands　on　him；　and　all　began　talking　at　once；

for　each　wanted　to　get　some　advantage　over　her　neighbours。　

He　told　them　quite　quietly；　for　he　was　not　frightened；　that　he

had　come　to　see　what　was　the　matter　with　Nanny。



〃What　do　you　know　about　Nanny？〃　said　one　of　them　fiercely。　　〃Wait　till

old　Sal　comes　home；　and　you'll　catch　it；　for　going　prying　into　her

house　when　she's　out。　　If　you　don't　give　me　your　jacket　directly；

I'll　go　and　fetch　her。〃



〃I　can't　give　you　my　jacket；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃It　belongs　to　my

father　and　mother；　you　know。　　It's　not　mine　to　give。　　Is　it　now？　

You　would　not　think　it　right　to　give　away　what　wasn't　yours

would　you　now？〃



〃Give　it　away！　　No；　that　I　wouldn't；　I'd　keep　it；〃　she　said；

with　a　rough　laugh。　　〃But　if　the　jacket　ain't　yours；　what　right　have

you　to　keep　it？　　Here；　Cherry；　make　haste。　　It'll　be　one　go　apiece。〃



They　all　began　to　tug　at　the　jacket；　while　Diamond　stooped　and　kept

his　arms　bent　to　resist　them。　　Before　they　had　done　him　or　the　jacket

any　harm；　however；　suddenly　they　all　scampered　away；　and　Diamond；

looking　in　the　opposite　direction；　saw　the　tall　policeman　coming

towards　him。



〃You　had　better　have　let　me　come　with　you；　little　man；〃　he　said；

looking　down　in　Diamond's　face；　which　was　flushed　with　his　resistance。



〃You　came　just　in　the　right　time；　thank　you；〃　returned　Diamond。　

〃They've　done　me　no　harm。〃



〃They　would　have　if　I　hadn't　been　at　hand；　though。〃



〃Yes；　but　you　were　at　hand；　you　know；　so　they　couldn't。〃



Perhaps　the　answer　was　deeper　in　purport　than　either　Diamond

or　the　policeman　knew。　　They　walked　away　together；　Diamond　telling

his　new　friend　how　ill　poor　Nanny　was；　and　that　he　was　going　to　let

the　tall　gentleman　know。　　The　policeman　put　him　in　the　nearest　way

for　Bloomsbury；　and　stepping　out　in　good　earnest；　Diamond　reached

Mr。　Raymond's　door　in　less　than　an　hour。　　When　he　asked　if　he

was　at　home；　the　servant；　in　return；　asked　what　he　wanted。



〃I　want　to　tell