at the back of the north wind-第49章

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She　seemed　rather　sad；　and　I　was　sorry　for　her；　and　stood　staring

at　her。



〃‘You　didn't　think　I　had　such　a　beautiful　mistress　as　that！'

said　the　queer　little　man。　　‘No；　indeed！'　　I　answered：　　‘who　would　have

thought　it？'　　‘Ah！　who　indeed？　　But　you　see　you　don't　know　everything。'　

The　little　man　closed　the　door；　and　began　to　pull　at　a　rope　which　hung

behind　it　with　a　weight　at　the　end。　　After　he　had　pulled　a　while；

he　said‘There；　that　will　do；　we're　all　right　now。'　　Then　he　took

me　by　the　hand　and　opened　a　little　trap　in　the　floor；　and　led　me

down　two　or　three　steps；　and　I　saw　like　a　great　hole　below　me。　

‘Don't　be　frightened；'　said　the　tittle　man。　　‘It's　not　a　hole。　

It's　only　a　window。　　Put　your　face　down　and　look　through。'　　I　did　as　he

told　me；　and　there　was　the　garden　and　the　summer…house；　far　away；

lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　moonlight。　　‘There！'　said　the　little　man；

‘we've　brought　you　off！　　Do　you　see　the　little　dog　barking　at　us

down　there　in　the　garden？'　　I　told　him　I　couldn't　see　anything

so　far。　　‘Can　you　see　anything　so　small　and　so　far　off？'　　I　said。　

‘Bless　you；　child！'　said　the　little　man；　‘I　could　pick　up　a　needle

out　of　the　grass　if　I　had　only　a　long　enough　arm。　　There's　one

lying　by　the　door　of　the　summer…house　now。'　　I　looked　at　his　eyes。　

They　were　very　small；　but　so　bright　that　I　think　he　saw　by　the　light

that　went　out　of　them。　　Then　he　took　me　up；　and　up　again　by　a　little

stair　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　through　another　trapdoor；

and　there　was　one　great　round　window　above　us；　and　I　saw　the　blue

sky　and　the　clouds；　and　such　lots　of　stars；　all　so　big　and　shining

as　hard　as　ever　they　could！〃



〃The　little　girl…angels　had　been　polishing　them；〃　said　Diamond。



〃What　nonsense　you　do　talk！〃　said　Nanny。



〃But　my　nonsense　is　just　as　good　as　yours；　Nanny。　　When　you　have　done；

I'll　tell　you　my　dream。　　The　stars　are　in　itnot　the　moon；　though。　

She　was　away　somewhere。　　Perhaps　she　was　gone　to　fetch　you　then。　

I　don't　think　that；　though；　for　my　dream　was　longer　ago　than　yours。　

She　might　have　been　to　fetch　some　one　else；　though；　for　we　can't

fancy　it's　only　us　that　get　such　fine　things　done　for　them。　

But　do　tell　me　what　came　next。〃



Perhaps　one　of　my　child…readers　may　remember　whether　the　moon　came

down　to　fetch　him　or　her　the　same　night　that　Diamond　had　his　dream。　

I　cannot　tell；　of　course。　　I　know　she　did　not　come　to　fetch　me；

though　I　did　think　I　could　make　her　follow　me　when　I　was　a　boy

not　a　very　tiny　one　either。



〃The　little　man　took　me　all　round　the　house；　and　made　me　look

out　of　every　window。　　Oh；　it　was　beautiful！　　There　we　were；

all　up　in　the　air；　in　such　a　nice；　clean　little　house！　　‘Your　work

will　be　to　keep　the　windows　bright；'　said　the　little　man。　

‘You　won't　find　it　very　difficult；　for　there　ain't　much　dust　up　here。　

Only；　the　frost　settles　on　them　sometimes；　and　the　drops　of　rain

leave　marks　on　them。'　　‘I　can　easily　clean　them　inside；'　I　said；

‘but　how　am　I　to　get　the　frost　and　rain　off　the　outside　of　them？'　

‘Oh！'　he　said；　‘it's　quite　easy。　　There　are　ladders　all　about。　

You've　only　got　to　go　out　at　the　door；　and　climb　about。　　There　are

a　great　many　windows　you　haven't　seen　yet；　and　some　of　them　look　into

places　you　don't　know　anything　about。　　I　used　to　clean　them　myself；

but　I'm　getting　rather　old；　you　see。　　Ain't　I　now？'　　‘I　can't　tell；'

I　answered。　　‘You　see　I　never　saw　you　when　you　were　younger。'　

‘Never　saw　the　man　in　the　moon？'　said　he。　　‘Not　very　near；'

I　answered；　‘not　to　tell　how　young　or　how　old　he　looked。　　I　have

seen　the　bundle　of　sticks　on　his　back。'　　For　Jim　had　pointed　that

out　to　me。　　Jim　was　very　fond　of　looking　at　the　man　in　the　moon。　

Poor　Jim！　　I　wonder　he　hasn't　been　to　see　me。　　I'm　afraid　he's

ill　too。〃



〃I'll　try　to　find　out；〃　said　Diamond；　〃and　let　you　know。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Nanny。　　〃You　and　Jim　ought　to　be　friends。〃



〃But　what　did　the　man　in　the　moon　say；　when　you　told　him　you　had

seen　him　with　the　bundle　of　sticks　on　his　back？〃



〃He　laughed。　　But　I　thought　he　looked　offended　too。　　His　little

nose　turned　up　sharper；　and　he　drew　the　corners　of　his　mouth　down

from　the　tips　of　his　ears　into　his　neck。　　But　he　didn't　look　cross；

you　know。〃



〃Didn't　he　say　anything？〃



〃Oh；　yes！　　He　said：　　‘That's　all　nonsense。　　What　you　saw　was　my　bundle

of　dusters。　　I　was　going　to　clean　the　windows。　　It　takes　a　good　many；

you　know。　　Really；　what　they　do　say　of　their　superiors　down　there！'　

‘It's　only　because　they　don't　know　better；'　I　ventured　to　say。　

‘Of　course；　of　course；'　said　the　little　man。　　‘Nobody　ever　does

know　better。　　Well；　I　forgive　them；　and　that　sets　it　all　right；

I　hope。'　　‘It's　very　good　of　you；'　I　said。　　‘No！'　said　he；　‘it's　not

in　the　least　good　of　me。　　I　couldn't　be　comfortable　otherwise。'　

After　this　he　said　nothing　for　a　while；　and　I　laid　myself　on　the　floor

of　his　garret；　and　stared　up　and　around　at　the　great　blue　beautifulness。　

I　had　forgotten　him　almost；　when　at　last　he　said：　　‘Ain't　you　done　yet？'　

‘Done　what？'　　I　asked。　　‘Done　saying　your　prayers；'　says　he。　

'I　wasn't　saying　my　prayers；'　I　answered。　　‘Oh；　yes；　you　were；'

said　he；　‘though　you　didn't　know　it！　　And　now　I　must　show　you

something　else。'



〃He　took　my　hand　and　led　me　down　the　stair　again；　and　through

a　narrow　passage；　and　through　another；　and　another；　and　another。　

I　don't　know　how　there　could　be　room　for　so　many　passages　in　such

a　little　house。　　The　heart　of　it　must　be　ever　so　much　farther　from

the　sides　than　they　are　from　each　other。　　How　could　it　have　an

inside　that　was　so　independent　of　its　outside？　　There's　the　point。　

It　was　funnywasn't　it；　Diamond？〃



〃No；〃　said　Diamond。　　He　was　going　to　say　that　that　was　very　much

the　sort　of　thing　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind；　but　he　checked

himself　and　only　added；　〃All　right。　　I　don't　see　it。　　I　don't　see

why　the　inside　should　depend　on　the　outside。　　It　ain't　so　with

the　crabs。　　They　creep　out　of　their　outsides　and　make　new　ones。　

Mr。　Raymond　told　me　so。〃



〃I　don't　see　what　that　has　got　to　do　with　it；〃　said　Nanny。



〃Then　go　on　with　your　story；　please；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃What　did

you　come　to；　after　going　through　all　those　winding　passages　into

the　heart　of　the　moon？〃



〃I　didn't　say　they　were　winding　passages。　　I　said　they　were　long

and　narrow。　　They　didn't　wind。　　They　went　by　corners。〃



〃That's　worth　knowing；〃　remarked　Diamond。　　〃For　who　knows　how　soon

he　may　have　to　go　there？　　But　the　main　thing　is；　what　did　you　come

to　at　last？〃



〃We　came　to　a　small　box　against　the　wall　of　a　tiny　room。　

The　little　man　told　me　to　put　my　ear　against　it。　　I　did　so；

and　heard　a　noise　something　like　the　purring　of　a　cat；　only　not

so　loud；　and　much　sweeter。　　‘What　is　it？'　　I　asked。　　‘Don't　you

know　the　sound？'　returned　the　little　man。　　‘No；'　I　answered。　

‘Don't　you　know　the　sound　of　bees？'　he　said。　　I　had　never　heard　bees；

and　could　not　know　the　sound　of　them。　　‘Those　are　my　lady's　bees；'

he　went　on。　　I　had　heard　that　bees　gather　honey　from　the　flowers。　

‘But　where　are　the　flowers　for　them？'　　I　asked。　　‘My　lady's　bees

gather　their　honey　from　the　sun　and　the　stars；'　said　the　little　man。　

‘Do　let　me　see　them；'　I　said。　　‘No。　I　daren't　do　that；'　he　answered。　

‘I　have　no　business　with　them。　　I　don't　understand　them。　

Besides；　they　are　so　bright　that　if　one　were　to　fly　into　your　eye；

it　would　blind　you　altogether。'　　‘Then　you　have　seen　them？'　

‘Oh；　yes！　　Once　or　twice；　I　think。　　But　I　don't　quite　know：　

they　are　so　very　brightlike　buttons　of　lightning。　　Now　I've

showed　you　all　I　can　to…night；　and　we'll　go　back　to　the　room。'　

I　followed　him；　and　he　made　me　sit　down　under　a　lamp　that　hung　from

the　roof；　and　gave　me　some　bread　and　honey。



〃The　lady　had　never　moved。　　She　sat　with　her　forehead　leaning

on　her　hand；　gazing　out　of　the　little　window；　hung　like　the　rest

with　white　cloudy　curtains。　　From　where　I　was　sitting　I　looked　out

of　it　too；　but　I　could　see　nothing。　　Her　fa