at the back of the north wind-第56章

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and　fair　hair　came　out　like　the　loveliest　blossom；　and　took　up　his

abode　in　the　house。



〃Would　you　be　afraid　to　sleep　alone；　Diamond？〃　asked　his　mistress。



〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean；　ma'am；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　never　was

afraid　of　anything　that　I　can　recollectnot　much；　at　least。〃



〃There's　a　little　room　at　the　top　of　the　houseall　alone；〃

she　returned；　〃perhaps　you　would　not　mind　sleeping　there？〃



〃I　can　sleep　anywhere；　and　I　like　best　to　be　high　up。　　Should　I

be　able　to　see　out？〃



〃I　will　show　you　the　place；〃　she　answered；　and　taking　him　by　the　hand；

she　led　him　up　and　up　the　oval…winding　stair　in　one　of　the　two　towers。



Near　the　top　they　entered　a　tiny　little　room；　with　two　windows

from　which　you　could　see　over　the　whole　country。　　Diamond　clapped

his　hands　with　delight。



〃You　would　like　this　room；　then；　Diamond？〃　said　his　mistress。



〃It's　the　grandest　room　in　the　house；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　shall

be　near　the　stars；　and　yet　not　far　from　the　tops　of　the　trees。　

That's　just　what　I　like。〃



I　daresay　he　thought；　also；　that　it　would　be　a　nice　place　for　North

Wind　to　call　at　in　passing；　but　he　said　nothing　of　that　sort。　

Below　him　spread　a　lake　of　green　leaves；　with　glimpses　of　grass

here　and　there　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　As　he　looked　down；　he　saw

a　squirrel　appear　suddenly；　and　as　suddenly　vanish　amongst　the

topmost　branches。



〃Aha！　little　squirrel；〃　he　cried；　〃my　nest　is　built　higher　than　yours。〃



〃You　can　be　up　here　with　your　books　as　much　as　you　like；〃

said　his　mistress。　　〃I　will　have　a　little　bell　hung　at　the　door；

which　I　can　ring　when　I　want　you。　　Half…way　down　the　stair　is

the　drawing…room。〃



So　Diamond　was　installed　as　page；　and　his　new　room　got　ready　for　him。



It　was　very　soon　after　this　that　I　came　to　know　Diamond。　

I　was　then　a　tutor　in　a　family　whose　estate　adjoined　the　little

property　belonging　to　The　Mound。　　I　had　made　the　acquaintance

of　Mr。　Raymond　in　London　some　time　before；　and　was　walking　up

the　drive　towards　the　house　to　call　upon　him　one　fine　warm　evening；

when　I　saw　Diamond　for　the　first　time。　　He　was　sitting　at　the　foot

of　a　great　beech…tree；　a　few　yards　from　the　road；　with　a　book

on　his　knees。　　He　did　not　see　me。　　I　walked　up　behind　the　tree；

and　peeping　over　his　shoulder；　saw　that　he　was　reading　a　fairy…book。



〃What　are　you　reading？〃　　I　said；　and　spoke　suddenly；　with　the　hope

of　seeing　a　startled　little　face　look　round　at　me。　　Diamond　turned

his　head　as　quietly　as　if　he　were　only　obeying　his　mother's　voice；

and　the　calmness　of　his　face　rebuked　my　unkind　desire　and　made　me

ashamed　of　it。



〃I　am　reading　the　story　of　the　Little　Lady　and　the　Goblin　Prince；〃

said　Diamond。



〃I　am　sorry　I　don't　know　the　story；〃　I　returned。　　〃Who　is　it　by？〃



〃Mr。　Raymond　made　it。〃



〃Is　he　your　uncle？〃　　I　asked　at　a　guess。



〃No。　He's　my　master。〃



〃What　do　you　do　for　him？〃　　I　asked　respectfully。



〃Anything　he　wishes　me　to　do；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　am　busy　for　him　now。　

He　gave　me　this　story　to　read。　　He　wants　my　opinion　upon　it。〃



〃Don't　you　find　it　rather　hard　to　make　up　your　mind？〃



〃Oh　dear　no！　　Any　story　always　tells　me　itself　what　I'm　to　think

about　it。　　Mr。　Raymond　doesn't　want　me　to　say　whether　it　is　a

clever　story　or　not；　but　whether　I　like　it；　and　why　I　like　it。　

I　never　can　tell　what　they　call　clever　from　what　they　call　silly；

but　I　always　know　whether　I　like　a　story　or　not。〃



〃And　can　you　always　tell　why　you　like　it　or　not？〃



〃No。　Very　often　I　can't　at　all。　　Sometimes　I　can。　　I　always　know；

but　I　can't　always　tell　why。　　Mr。　Raymond　writes　the　stories；

and　then　tries　them　on　me。　　Mother　does　the　same　when　she　makes　jam。　

She's　made　such　a　lot　of　jam　since　we　came　here！　　And　she　always　makes

me　taste　it　to　see　if　it'll　do。　　Mother　knows　by　the　face　I　make

whether　it　will　or　not。〃



At　this　moment　I　caught　sight　of　two　more　children　approaching。　

One　was　a　handsome　girl；　the　other　a　pale…faced；　awkward…looking　boy；

who　limped　much　on　one　leg。　　I　withdrew　a　little；　to　see　what

would　follow；　for　they　seemed　in　some　consternation。　　After　a　few

hurried　words；　they　went　off　together；　and　I　pursued　my　way　to

the　house；　where　I　was　as　kindly　received　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Raymond

as　I　could　have　desired。　　From　them　I　learned　something　of　Diamond；

and　was　in　consequence　the　more　glad　to　find　him；　when　I　returned；

seated　in　the　same　place　as　before。



〃What　did　the　boy　and　girl　want　with　you；　Diamond？〃　　I　asked。



〃They　had　seen　a　creature　that　frightened　them。〃



〃And　they　came　to　tell　you　about　it？〃



〃They　couldn't　get　water　out　of　the　well　for　it。　　So　they　wanted

me　to　go　with　them。〃



〃They're　both　bigger　than　you。〃



〃Yes；　but　they　were　frightened　at　it。〃



〃And　weren't　you　frightened　at　it？〃



〃No。〃



〃Why？〃



〃Because　I'm　silly。　　I'm　never　frightened　at　things。〃



I　could　not　help　thinking　of　the　old　meaning　of　the　word　silly。



〃And　what　was　it？〃　　I　asked。



〃I　think　it　was　a　kind　of　an　angela　very　little　one。　　It　had　a　long

body　and　great　wings；　which　it　drove　about　it　so　fast　that　they　grew

a　thin　cloud　all　round　it。　　It　flew　backwards　and　forwards　over

the　well；　or　hung　right　in　the　middle；　making　a　mist　of　its　wings；

as　if　its　business　was　to　take　care　of　the　water。〃



〃And　what　did　you　do　to　drive　it　away？〃



〃I　didn't　drive　it　away。　　I　knew；　whatever　the　creature　was；

the　well　was　to　get　water　out　of。　　So　I　took　the　jug；　dipped　it　in；

and　drew　the　water。〃



〃And　what　did　the　creature　do？〃



〃Flew　about。〃



〃And　it　didn't　hurt　you？〃



〃No。　Why　should　it？　　I　wasn't　doing　anything　wrong。〃



〃What　did　your　companions　say　then？〃



〃They　said‘Thank　you；　Diamond。　　What　a　dear　silly　you　are！'〃



〃And　weren't　you　angry　with　them？〃



〃No！　　Why　should　I？　　I　should　like　if　they　would　play　with　me　a　little；

but　they　always　like　better　to　go　away　together　when　their　work

is　over。　　They　never　heed　me。　　I　don't　mind　it　much；　though。　

The　other　creatures　are　friendly。　　They　don't　run　away　from　me。　

Only　they're　all　so　busy　with　their　own　work；　they　don't　mind

me　much。〃



〃Do　you　feel　lonely；　then？〃



〃Oh；　no！　　When　nobody　minds　me；　I　get　into　my　nest；　and　look　up。　

And　then　the　sky　does　mind　me；　and　thinks　about　me。〃



〃Where　is　your　nest？〃



He　rose；　saying；　〃I　will　show　you；〃　and　led　me　to　the　other　side

of　the　tree。



There　hung　a　little　rope…ladder　from　one　of　the　lower　boughs。　

The　boy　climbed　up　the　ladder　and　got　upon　the　bough。　　Then　he　climbed

farther　into　the　leafy　branches；　and　went　out　of　sight。



After　a　little　while；　I　heard　his　voice　coming　down　out　of　the　tree。



〃I　am　in　my　nest　now；〃　said　the　voice。



〃I　can't　see　you；〃　I　returned。



〃I　can't　see　you　either；　but　I　can　see　the　first　star　peeping

out　of　the　sky。　　I　should　like　to　get　up　into　the　sky。　　Don't　you

think　I　shall；　some　day？〃



〃Yes；　I　do。　　Tell　me　what　more　you　see　up　there。〃



〃I　don't　see　anything　more；　except　a　few　leaves；　and　the　big　sky

over　me。　　It　goes　swinging　about。　　The　earth　is　all　behind　my　back。　

There　comes　another　star！　　The　wind　is　like　kisses　from　a　big　lady。　

When　I　get　up　here　I　feel　as　if　I　were　in　North　Wind's　arms。〃



This　was　the　first　I　heard　of　North　Wind。



The　whole　ways　and　look　of　the　child；　so　full　of　quiet　wisdom；

yet　so　ready　to　accept　the　judgment　of　others　in　his　own　dispraise；

took　hold　of　my　heart；　and　I　felt　myself　wonderfully　drawn　towards　him。　

It　seemed　to　me；　somehow；　as　if　little　Diamond　possessed　the　secret

of　life；　and　was　himself　what　he　was　so　ready　to　think　the　lowest

living　thingan　angel　of　God　with　something　special　to　say　or　do。　

A　gush　of　reverence　came　over　me；　and　with　a　single　goodnight；

I　turned　and　left　him　in　his　nest。



I　saw　him　often　after　this；　and　gained　so　much　of　his　confidence

that　he　told　me　all　I　have　told　you。　　I　cannot　pretend　to　account

for　it。　　I