at the back of the north wind-第39章

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and　although　he　had　never　been　so　tired　as　he　was　the　night　before；

he　started　quite　fresh　this　morning。　　It　was　a　cloudy　day；

and　the　wind　blew　hard　from　the　northso　hard　sometimes　that；

perched　on　the　box　with　just　his　toes　touching　the　ground；

Diamond　wished　that　he　had　some　kind　of　strap　to　fasten　himself

down　with　lest　he　should　be　blown　away。　　But　he　did　not　really

mind　it。



His　head　was　full　of　the　dream　he　had　dreamed；　but　it　did　not　make

him　neglect　his　work；　for　his　work　was　not　to　dig　stars　but　to　drive

old　Diamond　and　pick　up　fares。　　There　are　not　many　people　who　can

think　about　beautiful　things　and　do　common　work　at　the　same　time。　

But　then　there　are　not　many　people　who　have　been　to　the　back　of　the

north　wind。



There　was　not　much　business　doing。　　And　Diamond　felt　rather　cold；

notwithstanding　his　mother　had　herself　put　on　his　comforter

and　helped　him　with　his　greatcoat。　　But　he　was　too　well　aware

of　his　dignity　to　get　inside　his　cab　as　some　do。　　A　cabman　ought

to　be　above　minding　the　weatherat　least　so　Diamond　thought。　

At　length　he　was　called　to　a　neighbouring　house；　where　a　young　woman

with　a　heavy　box　had　to　be　taken　to　Wapping　for　a　coast…steamer。



He　did　not　find　it　at　all　pleasant；　so　far　east　and　so　near　the　river；

for　the　roughs　were　in　great　force。　　However；　there　being　no　block；

not　even　in　Nightingale　Lane；　he　reached　the　entrance　of　the　wharf；

and　set　down　his　passenger　without　annoyance。　　But　as　he　turned

to　go　back；　some　idlers；　not　content　with　chaffing　him；　showed　a

mind　to　the　fare　the　young　woman　had　given　him。　　They　were　just

pulling　him　off　the　box；　and　Diamond　was　shouting　for　the　police；

when　a　pale…faced　man；　in　very　shabby　clothes；　but　with　the　look

of　a　gentleman　somewhere　about　him；　came　up；　and　making　good　use　of

his　stick；　drove　them　off。



〃Now；　my　little　man；〃　he　said；　〃get　on　while　you　can。　　Don't　lose

any　time。　　This　is　not　a　place　for　you。〃



But　Diamond　was　not　in　the　habit　of　thinking　only　of　himself。　

He　saw　that　his　new　friend　looked　weary；　if　not　ill；　and　very　poor。



〃Won't　you　jump　in；　sir？〃　he　said。　　〃I　will　take　you　wherever

you　like。〃



〃Thank　you；　my　man；　but　I　have　no　money；　so　I　can't。〃



〃Oh！　　I　don't　want　any　money。　　I　shall　be　much　happier　if　you　will

get　in。　　You　have　saved　me　all　I　had。　　I　owe　you　a　lift；　sir。〃



〃Which　way　are　you　going？〃



〃To　Charing　Cross；　but　I　don't　mind　where　I　go。〃



〃Well；　I　am　very　tired。　　If　you　will　take　me　to　Charing　Cross；

I　shall　be　greatly　obliged　to　you。　　I　have　walked　from　Gravesend；

and　had　hardly　a　penny　left　to　get　through　the　tunnel。〃



So　saying；　he　opened　the　door　and　got　in；　and　Diamond　drove　away。



But　as　he　drove；　he　could　not　help　fancying　he　had　seen　the　gentleman

for　Diamond　knew　he　was　a　gentlemanbefore。　　Do　all　he　could；

however；　he　could　not　recall　where　or　when。　　Meantime　his　fare；

if　we　may　call　him　such；　seeing　he　was　to　pay　nothing；　whom　the　relief

of　being　carried　had　made　less　and　less　inclined　to　carry　himself；

had　been　turning　over　things　in　his　mind；　and；　as　they　passed

the　Mint；　called　to　Diamond；　who　stopped　the　horse；　got　down

and　went　to　the　window。



〃If　you　didn't　mind　taking　me　to　Chiswick；　I　should　be　able

to　pay　you　when　we　got　there。　　It's　a　long　way；　but　you　shall

have　the　whole　fare　from　the　Docksand　something　over。〃



〃Very　well；　sir〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　shall　be　most　happy。〃



He　was　just　clambering　up　again；　when　the　gentleman　put　his　head

out　of　the　window　and　said



〃It's　The　WildernessMr。　Coleman's　place；　but　I'll　direct　you

when　we　come　into　the　neighbourhood。〃



It　flashed　upon　Diamond　who　he　was。　　But　he　got　upon　his　box

to　arrange　his　thoughts　before　making　any　reply。



The　gentleman　was　Mr。　Evans；　to　whom　Miss　Coleman　was　to　have　been

married；　and　Diamond　had　seen　him　several　times　with　her　in　the　garden。　

I　have　said　that　he　had　not　behaved　very　well　to　Miss　Coleman。　

He　had　put　off　their　marriage　more　than　once　in　a　cowardly　fashion；

merely　because　he　was　ashamed　to　marry　upon　a　small　income；

and　live　in　a　humble　way。　　When　a　man　thinks　of　what　people　will　say

in　such　a　case；　he　may　love；　but　his　love　is　but　a　poor　affair。　

Mr。　Coleman　took　him　into　the　firm　as　a　junior　partner；　and　it

was　in　a　measure　through　his　influence　that　he　entered　upon　those

speculations　which　ruined　him。　　So　his　love　had　not　been　a　blessing。　

The　ship　which　North　Wind　had　sunk　was　their　last　venture；

and　Mr。　Evans　had　gone　out　with　it　in　the　hope　of　turning　its

cargo　to　the　best　advantage。　　He　was　one　of　the　single　boat…load

which　managed　to　reach　a　desert　island；　and　he　had　gone　through

a　great　many　hardships　and　sufferings　since　then。　　But　he　was　not

past　being　taught；　and　his　troubles　had　done　him　no　end　of　good；

for　they　had　made　him　doubt　himself；　and　begin　to　think；　so　that

he　had　come　to　see　that　he　had　been　foolish　as　well　as　wicked。　

For；　if　he　had　had　Miss　Coleman　with　him　in　the　desert　island；

to　build　her　a　hut；　and　hunt　for　her　food；　and　make　clothes　for　her；

he　would　have　thought　himself　the　most　fortunate　of　men；　and　when　he

was　at　home；　he　would　not　marry　till　he　could　afford　a　man…servant。

Before　he　got　home　again；　he　had　even　begun　to　understand　that　no　man

can　make　haste　to　be　rich　without　going　against　the　will　of　God；

in　which　case　it　is　the　one　frightful　thing　to　be　successful。　

So　he　had　come　back　a　more　humble　man；　and　longing　to　ask　Miss　Coleman

to　forgive　him。　　But　he　had　no　idea　what　ruin　had　fallen　upon　them；

for　he　had　never　made　himself　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the

firm's　affairs。　　Few　speculative　people　do　know　their　own　affairs。　

Hence　he　never　doubted　he　should　find　matters　much　as　he　left　them；

and　expected　to　see　them　all　at　The　Wilderness　as　before。　　But　if　he

had　not　fallen　in　with　Diamond；　he　would　not　have　thought　of　going

there　first。



What　was　Diamond　to　do？　　He　had　heard　his　father　and　mother　drop

some　remarks　concerning　Mr。　Evans　which　made　him　doubtful　of　him。　

He　understood　that　he　had　not　been　so　considerate　as　he　might　have　been。　

So　he　went　rather　slowly　till　he　should　make　up　his　mind。　　It　was；

of　course；　of　no　use　to　drive　Mr。　Evans　to　Chiswick。　　But　if　he

should　tell　him　what　had　befallen　them；　and　where　they　lived　now；

he　might　put　off　going　to　see　them；　and　he　was　certain　that　Miss　Coleman；

at　least；　must　want　very　much　to　see　Mr。　Evans。　　He　was　pretty　sure

also　that　the　best　thing　in　any　case　was　to　bring　them　together；

and　let　them　set　matters　right　for　themselves。



The　moment　he　came　to　this　conclusion；　he　changed　his　course　from

westward　to　northward；　and　went　straight　for　Mr。　Coleman's　poor

little　house　in　Hoxton。　　Mr。　Evans　was　too　tired　and　too　much

occupied　with　his　thoughts　to　take　the　least　notice　of　the　streets

they　passed　through；　and　had　no　suspicion；　therefore；　of　the　change

of　direction。



By　this　time　the　wind　had　increased　almost　to　a　hurricane；　and　as　they

had　often　to　head　it；　it　was　no　joke　for　either　of　the　Diamonds。　

The　distance；　however；　was　not　great。　　Before　they　reached　the　street

where　Mr。　Coleman　lived　it　blew　so　tremendously；　that　when　Miss　Coleman；

who　was　going　out　a　little　way；　opened　the　door；　it　dashed　against

the　wall　with　such　a　bang；　that　she　was　afraid　to　venture；　and　went

in　again。　　In　five　minutes　after；　Diamond　drew　up　at　the　door。　

As　soon　as　he　had　entered　the　street；　however；　the　wind　blew

right　behind　them；　and　when　he　pulled　up；　old　Diamond　had　so　much

ado　to　stop　the　cab　against　it；　that　the　breeching　broke。　

Young　Diamond　jumped　off　his　box；　knocked　loudly　at　the　door；

then　turned　to　the　cab　and　saidbefore　Mr。　Evans　had　quite　begun

to　think　something　must　be　amiss：



〃Please；　sir；　my　harness　has　given　away。　　Would　you　mind　stepping

in　here　for　a　few　minutes？　　They're　friends　of　mine。　　I'll　take　you

where　you　like　after　I've　got　it　mended。　　I　shan't　be　many　minutes；

but　you　can't　stand