at the back of the north wind-第47章

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He　should　have　both　the　girl　and　the　horse　to　feed；　and　only　six　hours'

work　out　of　the　horse。



〃It　will　save　your　own　horse；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。



〃That　is　true；〃　answered　Joseph；　〃but　all　I　can　get　by　my　own　horse

is　only　enough　to　keep　us；　and　if　I　save　him　and　feed　your　horse

and　the　girldon't　you　see；　sir？〃



〃Well；　you　can　go　home　and　think　about　it；　and　let　me　know

by　the　end　of　the　week。　　I　am　in　no　hurry　before　then。〃



So　Joseph　went　home　and　recounted　the　proposal　to　his　wife；

adding　that　he　did　not　think　there　was　much　advantage　to　be　got

out　of　it。



〃Not　much　that　way；　husband；〃　said　Diamond's　mother；　〃but　there

would　be　an　advantage；　and　what　matter　who　gets　it！〃



〃I　don't　see　it；〃　answered　her　husband。　　〃Mr。　Raymond　is　a　gentleman

of　property；　and　I　don't　discover　any　much　good　in　helping　him　to　save

a　little　more。　　He　won't　easily　get　one　to　make　such　a　bargain；　and　I

don't　mean　he　shall　get　me。　　It　would　be　a　loss　rather　than　a　gain

I　do　thinkat　least　if　I　took　less　work　out　of　our　own　horse。〃



〃One　hour　would　make　a　difference　to　old　Diamond。　　But　that's

not　the　main　point。　　You　must　think　what　an　advantage　it　would

be　to　the　poor　girl　that　hasn't　a　home　to　go　to！〃



〃She　is　one　of　Diamond's　friends；〃　thought　his　father。



〃I　could　be　kind　to　her；　you　know；〃　the　mother　went　on；　〃and　teach

her　housework；　and　how　to　handle　a　baby；　and；　besides；　she　would

help　me；　and　I　should　be　the　stronger　for　it；　and　able　to　do　an　odd

bit　of　charing　now　and　then；　when　I　got　the　chance。〃



〃I　won't　hear　of　that；〃　said　her　husband。　　〃Have　the　girl　by　all　means。　

I'm　ashamed　I　did　not　think　of　both　sides　of　the　thing　at　once。　

I　wonder　if　the　horse　is　a　great　eater。　　To　be　sure；　if　I　gave　Diamond

two　hours'　additional　rest；　it　would　be　all　the　better　for　the　old　bones

of　him；　and　there　would　be　four　hours　extra　out　of　the　other　horse。　

That　would　give　Diamond　something　to　do　every　day。　　He　could　drive

old　Diamond　after　dinner；　and　I　could　take　the　other　horse　out　for

six　hours　after　tea；　or　in　the　morning；　as　I　found　best。　　It　might

pay　for　the　keep　of　both　of　them；that　is；　if　I　had　good　luck。　

I　should　like　to　oblige　Mr。　Raymond；　though　he　be　rather　hard；

for　he　has　been　very　kind　to　our　Diamond；　wife。　　Hasn't　he　now？〃



〃He　has　indeed；　Joseph；〃　said　his　wife；　and　there　the　conversation　ended。



Diamond's　father　went　the　very　next　day　to　Mr。　Raymond；　and　accepted

his　proposal；　so　that　the　week　after　having　got　another　stall　in

the　same　stable；　he　had　two　horses　instead　of　one。　　Oddly　enough；

the　name　of　the　new　horse　was　Ruby；　for　he　was　a　very　red　chestnut。　

Diamond's　name　came　from　a　white　lozenge　on　his　forehead。　

Young　Diamond　said　they　were　rich　now；　with　such　a　big　diamond　and

such　a　big　ruby。







CHAPTER　XXX



NANNY'S　DREAM





NANNY　was　not　fit　to　be　moved　for　some　time　yet；　and　Diamond　went

to　see　her　as　often　as　he　could。　　But　being　more　regularly　engaged　now；

seeing　he　went　out　every　day　for　a　few　hours　with　old　Diamond；

and　had　his　baby　to　mind；　and　one　of　the　horses　to　attend　to；

he　could　not　go　so　often　as　he　would　have　liked。



One　evening；　as　he　sat　by　her　bedside；　she　said　to　him：



〃I've　had　such　a　beautiful　dream；　Diamond！　　I　should　like　to　tell

it　you。〃



〃Oh！　do；〃　said　Diamond；　〃I　am　so　fond　of　dreams！〃



〃She　must　have　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃　he　said　to　himself。



〃It　was　a　very　foolish　dream；　you　know。　　But　somehow　it　was　so　pleasant！　

What　a　good　thing　it　is　that　you　believe　the　dream　all　the　time

you　are　in　it！〃



My　readers　must　not　suppose　that　poor　Nanny　was　able　to　say　what　she

meant　so　well　as　I　put　it　down　here。　　She　had　never　been　to　school；

and　had　heard　very　little　else　than　vulgar　speech　until　she

came　to　the　hospital。　　But　I　have　been　to　school；　and　although

that　could　never　make　me　able　to　dream　so　well　as　Nanny；　it　has

made　me　able　to　tell　her　dream　better　than　she　could　herself。　

And　I　am　the　more　desirous　of　doing　this　for　her　that　I　have　already

done　the　best　I　could　for　Diamond's　dream；　and　it　would　be　a　shame

to　give　the　boy　all　the　advantage。



〃I　will　tell　you　all　I　know　about　it；〃　said　Nanny。　　〃The　day

before　yesterday；　a　lady　came　to　see　usa　very　beautiful　lady；

and　very　beautifully　dressed。　　I　heard　the　matron　say　to　her　that　it

was　very　kind　of　her　to　come　in　blue　and　gold；　and　she　answered　that　she

knew　we　didn't　like　dull　colours。　　She　had　such　a　lovely　shawl　on；

just　like　redness　dipped　in　milk；　and　all　worked　over　with　flowers

of　the　same　colour。　　It　didn't　shine　much；　it　was　silk；　but　it　kept

in　the　shine。　　When　she　came　to　my　bedside；　she　sat　down；　just　where

you　are　sitting；　Diamond；　and　laid　her　hand　on　the　counterpane。　

I　was　sitting　up；　with　my　table　before　me　ready　for　my　tea。　　Her　hand

looked　so　pretty　in　its　blue　glove；　that　I　was　tempted　to　stroke　it。　

I　thought　she　wouldn't　be　angry；　for　everybody　that　comes　to　the

hospital　is　kind。　　It's　only　in　the　streets　they　ain't　kind。　

But　she　drew　her　hand　away；　and　I　almost　cried；　for　I　thought　I

had　been　rude。　　Instead　of　that；　however；　it　was　only　that　she

didn't　like　giving　me　her　glove　to　stroke；　for　she　drew　it　off；

and　then　laid　her　hand　where　it　was　before。　　I　wasn't　sure；　but　I

ventured　to　put　out　my　ugly　hand。〃



〃Your　hand　ain't　ugly；　Nanny；〃　said　Diamond；　but　Nanny　went　on



〃And　I　stroked　it　again；　and　then　she　stroked　mine；think　of　that！　

And　there　was　a　ring　on　her　finger；　and　I　looked　down　to　see　what　it

was　like。　　And　she　drew　it　off；　and　put　it　upon　one　of　my　fingers。　

It　was　a　red　stone；　and　she　told　me　they　called　it　a　ruby。〃



〃Oh；　that　is　funny！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Our　new　horse　is　called　Ruby。　

We've　got　another　horsea　red　onesuch　a　beauty！〃



But　Nanny　went　on　with　her　story。



〃I　looked　at　the　ruby　all　the　time　the　lady　was　talking　to　me；

it　was　so　beautiful！　　And　as　she　talked　I　kept　seeing　deeper　and　deeper

into　the　stone。　　At　last　she　rose　to　go　away；　and　I　began　to　pull

the　ring　off　my　finger；　and　what　do　you　think　she　said？〃Wear

it　all　night；　if　you　like。　　Only　you　must　take　care　of　it。　

I　can't　give　it　you；　for　some　one　gave　it　to　me；　but　you　may　keep　it

till　to…morrow。〃　Wasn't　it　kind　of　her？　　I　could　hardly　take　my　tea；

I　was　so　delighted　to　hear　it；　and　I　do　think　it　was　the　ring

that　set　me　dreaming；　for；　after　I　had　taken　my　tea；　I　leaned　back；

half　lying　and　half　sitting；　and　looked　at　the　ring　on　my　finger。　

By　degrees　I　began　to　dream。　　The　ring　grew　larger　and　larger；

until　at　last　I　found　that　I　was　not　looking　at　a　red　stone；

but　at　a　red　sunset；　which　shone　in　at　the　end　of　a　long　street

near　where　Grannie　lives。　　I　was　dressed　in　rags　as　I　used　to　be；

and　I　had　great　holes　in　my　shoes；　at　which　the　nasty　mud　came

through　to　my　feet。　　I　didn't　use　to　mind　it　before；　but　now　I　thought

it　horrid。　　And　there　was　the　great　red　sunset；　with　streaks　of　green

and　gold　between；　standing　looking　at　me。　　Why　couldn't　I　live　in

the　sunset　instead　of　in　that　dirt？　　Why　was　it　so　far　away　always？　

Why　did　it　never　come　into　our　wretched　street？　　It　faded　away；

as　the　sunsets　always　do；　and　at　last　went　out　altogether。　

Then　a　cold　wind　began　to　blow；　and　flutter　all　my　rags　about〃



〃That　was　North　Wind　herself；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Eh？〃　said　Nanny；　and　went　on　with　her　story。



〃I　turned　my　back　to　it；　and　wandered　away。　　I　did　not　know　where　I

was　going；　only　it　was　warmer　to　go　that　way。　　I　don't　think　it

was　a　north　wind；　for　I　found　myself　in　the　west　end　at　last。　

But　it　doesn't　matter　in　a　dream　which　wind　it　was。〃



〃I　don't　know　that；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　believe　North　Wind　can　get

into　our　dreamsyes；　and　blow　in　them。　　Sometimes　she　has　blown

me　out　of　a　dream　altogether。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean；　Diamond；〃　said　Nanny。



〃Never　mind；〃　answered　Diamond。　　〃Two　people　can't　always　understand

each　other。　　They'd　both　be　at　the　bac