at the back of the north wind-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

but　you　can't　stand　in　this　wind。〃



Half　stupid　with　fatigue　and　want　of　food；　Mr。　Evans　yielded

to　the　boy's　suggestion；　and　walked　in　at　the　door　which　the　maid

held　with　difficulty　against　the　wind。　　She　took　Mr。　Evans

for　a　visitor；　as　indeed　he　was；　and　showed　him　into　the　room

on　the　ground…floor。　Diamond；　who　had　followed　into　the　hall；

whispered　to　her　as　she　closed　the　door



〃Tell　Miss　Coleman。　　It's　Miss　Coleman　he　wants　to　see。〃



〃I　don't　know〃　said　the　maid。　　〃He　don't　look　much　like　a　gentleman。〃



〃He　is；　though；　and　I　know　him；　and　so　does　Miss　Coleman。〃



The　maid　could　not　but　remember　Diamond；　having　seen　him　when　he

and　his　father　brought　the　ladies　home。　　So　she　believed　him；

and　went　to　do　what　he　told　her。



What　passed　in　the　little　parlour　when　Miss　Coleman　came　down

does　not　belong　to　my　story；　which　is　all　about　Diamond。　

If　he　had　known　that　Miss　Coleman　thought　Mr。　Evans　was　dead；

perhaps　he　would　have　managed　differently。　　There　was　a　cry

and　a　running　to　and　fro　in　the　house；　and　then　all　was　quiet　again。



Almost　as　soon　as　Mr。　Evans　went　in；　the　wind　began　to　cease；

and　was　now　still。　　Diamond　found　that　by　making　the　breeching

just　a　little　tighter　than　was　quite　comfortable　for　the　old

horse　he　could　do　very　well　for　the　present；　and；　thinking　it

better　to　let　him　have　his　bag　in　this　quiet　place；　he　sat

on　the　box　till　the　old　horse　should　have　eaten　his　dinner。　

In　a　little　while　Mr。　Evans　came　out；　and　asked　him　to　come　in。　

Diamond　obeyed；　and　to　his　delight　Miss　Coleman　put　her　arms　round

him　and　kissed　him；　and　there　was　payment　for　him！　　Not　to　mention

the　five　precious　shillings　she　gave　him；　which　he　could　not　refuse

because　his　mother　wanted　them　so　much　at　home　for　his　father。　

He　left　them　nearly　as　happy　as　they　were　themselves。



The　rest　of　the　day　he　did　better；　and；　although　he　had　not　so

much　to　take　home　as　the　day　before；　yet　on　the　whole　the　result

was　satisfactory。　　And　what　a　story　he　had　to　tell　his　father

and　mother　about　his　adventures；　and　how　he　had　done；　and　what　was

the　result！　　They　asked　him　such　a　multitude　of　questions！　some

of　which　he　could　answer；　and　some　of　which　he　could　not　answer；

and　his　father　seemed　ever　so　much　better　from　finding　that　his　boy

was　already　not　only　useful　to　his　family　but　useful　to　other　people；

and　quite　taking　his　place　as　a　man　who　judged　what　was　wise；

and　did　work　worth　doing。



For　a　fortnight　Diamond　went　on　driving　his　cab；　and　keeping　his　family。　

He　had　begun　to　be　known　about　some　parts　of　London；　and　people　would

prefer　taking　his　cab　because　they　liked　what　they　heard　of　him。　

One　gentleman　who　lived　near　the　mews　engaged　him　to　carry　him

to　the　City　every　morning　at　a　certain　hour；　and　Diamond　was

punctual　as　clockworkthough　to　effect　that　required　a　good　deal

of　care；　for　his　father's　watch　was　not　much　to　be　depended　on；

and　had　to　be　watched　itself　by　the　clock　of　St。　George's　church。　

Between　the　two；　however；　he　did　make　a　success　of　it。



After　that　fortnight；　his　father　was　able　to　go　out　again。　

Then　Diamond　went　to　make　inquiries　about　Nanny；　and　this　led

to　something　else。







CHAPTER　XXVII



THE　CHILDREN'S　HOSPITAL





THE　first　day　his　father　resumed　his　work；　Diamond　went　with　him

as　usual。　　In　the　afternoon；　however；　his　father；　having　taken

a　fare　to　the　neighbourhood；　went　home；　and　Diamond　drove　the　cab

the　rest　of　the　day。　　It　was　hard　for　old　Diamond　to　do　all

the　work；　but　they　could　not　afford　to　have　another　horse。　

They　contrived　to　save　him　as　much　as　possible；　and　fed　him　well；

and　he　did　bravely。



The　next　morning　his　father　was　so　much　stronger　that　Diamond

thought　he　might　go　and　ask　Mr。　Raymond　to　take　him　to　see　Nanny。　

He　found　him　at　home。　　His　servant　had　grown　friendly　by　this　time；

and　showed　him　in　without　any　cross…questioning。　Mr。　Raymond　received

him　with　his　usual　kindness；　consented　at　once；　and　walked　with　him

to　the　Hospital；　which　was　close　at　hand。　　It　was　a　comfortable

old…fashioned　house；　built　in　the　reign　of　Queen　Anne；　and　in　her　day；

no　doubt；　inhabited　by　rich　and　fashionable　people：　　now　it　was　a　home

for　poor　sick　children；　who　were　carefully　tended　for　love's　sake。　

There　are　regions　in　London　where　a　hospital　in　every　other　street

might　be　full　of　such　children；　whose　fathers　and　mothers　are　dead；

or　unable　to　take　care　of　them。



When　Diamond　followed　Mr。　Raymond　into　the　room　where　those　children

who　had　got　over　the　worst　of　their　illness　and　were　growing　better　lay；

he　saw　a　number　of　little　iron　bedsteads；　with　their　heads　to　the　walls；

and　in　every　one　of　them　a　child；　whose　face　was　a　story　in　itself。　

In　some；　health　had　begun　to　appear　in　a　tinge　upon　the　cheeks；

and　a　doubtful　brightness　in　the　eyes；　just　as　out　of　the　cold　dreary

winter　the　spring　comes　in　blushing　buds　and　bright　crocuses。　

In　others　there　were　more　of　the　signs　of　winter　left。　　Their　faces

reminded　you　of　snow　and　keen　cutting　winds；　more　than　of　sunshine

and　soft　breezes　and　butterflies；　but　even　in　them　the　signs

of　suffering　told　that　the　suffering　was　less；　and　that　if　the

spring…time　had　but　arrived；　it　had　yet　arrived。



Diamond　looked　all　round；　but　could　see　no　Nanny。　　He　turned

to　Mr。　Raymond　with　a　question　in　his　eyes。



〃Well？〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。



〃Nanny's　not　here；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Oh；　yes；　she　is。〃



〃I　don't　see　her。〃



〃I　do；　though。　　There　she　is。〃



He　pointed　to　a　bed　right　in　front　of　where　Diamond　was　standing。



〃That's　not　Nanny；〃　he　said。



〃It　is　Nanny。　　I　have　seen　her　many　times　since　you　have。　

Illness　makes　a　great　difference。〃



〃Why；　that　girl　must　have　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind！〃

thought　Diamond；　but　he　said　nothing；　only　stared；　and　as　he　stared；

something　of　the　old　Nanny　began　to　dawn　through　the　face　of　the

new　Nanny。　　The　old　Nanny；　though　a　good　girl；　and　a　friendly　girl；

had　been　rough；　blunt　in　her　speech；　and　dirty　in　her　person。　

Her　face　would　always　have　reminded　one　who　had　already　been　to　the　back

of　the　north　wind　of　something　he　had　seen　in　the　best　of　company；

but　it　had　been　coarse　notwithstanding；　partly　from　the　weather；

partly　from　her　living　amongst　low　people；　and　partly　from　having

to　defend　herself：　　now　it　was　so　sweet；　and　gentle；　and　refined；

that　she　might　have　had　a　lady　and　gentleman　for　a　father　and　mother。　

And　Diamond　could　not　help　thinking　of　words　which　he　had　heard

in　the　church　the　day　before：　　〃Surely　it　is　good　to　be　afflicted；〃

or　something　like　that。　　North　Wind；　somehow　or　other；　must　have

had　to　do　with　her！　　She　had　grown　from　a　rough　girl　into　a　gentle

maiden。



Mr。　Raymond；　however；　was　not　surprised；　for　he　was　used　to　see

such　lovely　changessomething　like　the　change　which　passes　upon

the　crawling；　many…footed　creature；　when　it　turns　sick　and　ill；

and　revives　a　butterfly；　with　two　wings　instead　of　many　feet。　

Instead　of　her　having　to　take　care　of　herself；　kind　hands　ministered

to　her；　making　her　comfortable　and　sweet　and　clean；　soothing　her

aching　head；　and　giving　her　cooling　drink　when　she　was　thirsty；

and　kind　eyes；　the　stars　of　the　kingdom　of　heaven；　had　shone　upon　her；

so　that；　what　with　the　fire　of　the　fever　and　the　dew　of　tenderness；

that　which　was　coarse　in　her　had　melted　away；　and　her　whole　face

had　grown　so　refined　and　sweet　that　Diamond　did　not　know　her。　　But　as

he　gazed；　the　best　of　the　old　face；　all　the　true　and　good　part　of　it；

that　which　was　Nanny　herself；　dawned　upon　him；　like　the　moon　coming

out　of　a　cloud；　until　at　length；　instead　of　only　believing　Mr。　Raymond

that　this　was　she；　he　saw　for　himself　that　it　was　Nanny　indeed

very　worn　but　grown　beautiful。



He　went　up　to　her。　　She　smiled。　　He　had　heard　her　laugh；　but　had

never　seen　her　smile　before。



〃Nanny；　do　you　k