at the back of the north wind-第61章

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By　a　shaded　lamp；　a　lady　was　seated　in　a　white　wrapper；

trying　to　read；　but　moaning　every　minute。　　North　Wind　floated　behind

her　chair；　set　Diamond　down；　and　told　him　to　sing　something。　

He　was　a　little　frightened；　but　he　thought　a　while；　and　then　sang：



　　　The　sun　is　gone　down；

　　　And　the　moon's　in　the　sky；

　　　But　the　sun　will　come　up；

　　　And　the　moon　be　laid　by。



　　　The　flower　is　asleep

　　　But　it　is　not　dead；

　　　When　the　morning　shines；

　　　It　will　lift　its　head。



　　　When　winter　comes；

　　　It　will　die　　no；　no；

　　　It　will　only　hide

　　　From　the　frost　and　the　snow。



　　　Sure　is　the　summer；

　　　Sure　is　the　sun；

　　　The　night　and　the　winter

　　　Are　shadows　that　run。



The　lady　never　lifted　her　eyes　from　her　book；　or　her　head　from

her　hand。



As　soon　as　Diamond　had　finished；　North　Wind　lifted　him　and　carried

him　away。



〃Didn't　the　lady　hear　me？〃　asked　Diamond　when　they　were　once　more

floating　down　the　river。



〃Oh；　yes；　she　heard　you；〃　answered　North　Wind。



〃Was　she　frightened　then？〃



〃Oh；　no。〃



〃Why　didn't　she　look　to　see　who　it　was？〃



〃She　didn't　know　you　were　there。〃



〃How　could　she　hear　me　then？〃



〃She　didn't　hear　you　with　her　ears。〃



〃What　did　she　hear　me　with？〃



〃With　her　heart。〃



〃Where　did　she　think　the　words　came　from？〃



〃She　thought　they　came　out　of　the　book　she　was　reading。　　She　will

search　all　through　it　to…morrow　to　find　them；　and　won't　be　able

to　understand　it　at　all。〃



〃Oh；　what　fun！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃What　will　she　do？〃



〃I　can　tell　you　what　she　won't　do：　　she'll　never　forget　the　meaning

of　them；　and　she'll　never　be　able　to　remember　the　words　of　them。〃



〃If　she　sees　them　in　Mr。　Raymond's　book；　it　will　puzzle　her；

won't　it？〃



〃Yes；　that　it　will。　　She　will　never　be　able　to　understand　it。〃



〃Until　she　gets　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃　suggested　Diamond。



〃Until　she　gets　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃　assented　the　lady。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Diamond；　〃I　know　now　where　we　are。　　Oh！　do　let　me　go

into　the　old　garden；　and　into　mother's　room；　and　Diamond's　stall。　

I　wonder　if　the　hole　is　at　the　back　of　my　bed　still。　　I　should　like

to　stay　there　all　the　rest　of　the　night。　　It　won't　take　you　long

to　get　home　from　here；　will　it；　North　Wind？〃



〃No；〃　she　answered；　〃you　shall　stay　as　long　as　you　like。〃



〃Oh；　how　jolly；〃　cried　Diamond；　as　North　Wind　sailed　over　the　house

with　him；　and　set　him　down　on　the　lawn　at　the　back。



Diamond　ran　about　the　lawn　for　a　little　while　in　the　moonlight。　

He　found　part　of　it　cut　up　into　flower…beds；　and　the　little

summer…house　with　the　coloured　glass　and　the　great　elm…tree　gone。　

He　did　not　like　this；　and　ran　into　the　stable。　　There　were　no

horses　there　at　all。　　He　ran　upstairs。　　The　rooms　were　empty。　

The　only　thing　left　that　he　cared　about　was　the　hole　in　the　wall

where　his　little　bed　had　stood；　and　that　was　not　enough　to　make　him

wish　to　stop。　　He　ran　down　the　stair　again；　and　out　upon　the　lawn。　

There　he　threw　himself　down　and　began　to　cry。　　It　was　all　so　dreary

and　lost！



〃I　thought　I　liked　the　place　so　much；〃　said　Diamond　to　himself；

〃but　I　find　I　don't　care　about　it。　　I　suppose　it's　only　the　people

in　it　that　make　you　like　a　place；　and　when　they're　gone；　it's　dead；

and　you　don't　care　a　bit　about　it。　　North　Wind　told　me　I　might　stop

as　long　as　I　liked；　and　I've　stopped　longer　already。　　North　Wind！〃

he　cried　aloud；　turning　his　face　towards　the　sky。



The　moon　was　under　a　cloud；　and　all　was　looking　dull　and　dismal。　

A　star　shot　from　the　sky；　and　fell　in　the　grass　beside　him。　

The　moment　it　lighted；　there　stood　North　Wind。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Diamond；　joyfully；　〃were　you　the　shooting　star？〃



〃Yes；　my　child。〃



〃Did　you　hear　me　call　you　then？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃So　high　up　as　that？〃



〃Yes；　I　heard　you　quite　well。〃



〃Do　take　me　home。〃



〃Have　you　had　enough　of　your　old　home　already？〃



〃Yes；　more　than　enough。　　It　isn't　a　home　at　all　now。〃



〃I　thought　that　would　be　it；〃　said　North　Wind。　　〃Everything；　dreaming

and　all；　has　got　a　soul　in　it；　or　else　it's　worth　nothing；　and　we

don't　care　a　bit　about　it。　　Some　of　our　thoughts　are　worth　nothing；

because　they've　got　no　soul　in　them。　　The　brain　puts　them　into

the　mind；　not　the　mind　into　the　brain。〃



〃But　how　can　you　know　about　that；　North　Wind？　　You　haven't　got

a　body。〃



〃If　I　hadn't　you　wouldn't　know　anything　about　me。　　No　creature　can

know　another　without　the　help　of　a　body。　　But　I　don't　care　to　talk

about　that。　　It　is　time　for　you　to　go　home。〃



So　saying；　North　Wind　lifted　Diamond　and　bore　him　away。







CHAPTER　XXXVIII



AT　THE　BACK　OF　THE　NORTH　WIND





I　DID　not　see　Diamond　for　a　week　or　so　after　this；　and　then　he　told　me

what　I　have　now　told　you。　　I　should　have　been　astonished　at　his　being　able

even　to　report　such　conversations　as　he　said　he　had　had　with　North　Wind；

had　I　not　known　already　that　some　children　are　profound　in　metaphysics。　

But　a　fear　crosses　me；　lest；　by　telling　so　much　about　my　friend；

I　should　lead　people　to　mistake　him　for　one　of　those　consequential；

priggish　little　monsters；　who　are　always　trying　to　say　clever　things；

and　looking　to　see　whether　people　appreciate　them。　　When　a　child

like　that　dies；　instead　of　having　a　silly　book　written　about　him；

he　should　be　stuffed　like　one　of　those　awful　big…headed　fishes　you　see

in　museums。　　But　Diamond　never　troubled　his　head　about　what　people

thought　of　him。　　He　never　set　up　for　knowing　better　than　others。　

The　wisest　things　he　said　came　out　when　he　wanted　one　to　help

him　with　some　difficulty　he　was　in。　　He　was　not　even　offended

with　Nanny　and　Jim　for　calling　him　a　silly。　　He　supposed　there

was　something　in　it；　though　he　could　not　quite　understand　what。　

I　suspect　however　that　the　other　name　they　gave　him；　God's　Baby；

had　some　share　in　reconciling　him　to　it。



Happily　for　me；　I　was　as　much　interested　in　metaphysics　as

Diamond　himself；　and　therefore；　while　he　recounted　his　conversations

with　North　Wind；　I　did　not　find　myself　at　all　in　a　strange　sea；

although　certainly　I　could　not　always　feel　the　bottom；　being　indeed

convinced　that　the　bottom　was　miles　away。



〃Could　it　be　all　dreaming；　do　you　think；　sir？〃　he　asked　anxiously。



〃I　daren't　say；　Diamond；〃　I　answered。　　〃But　at　least　there　is　one

thing　you　may　be　sure　of；　that　there　is　a　still　better　love　than　that

of　the　wonderful　being　you　call　North　Wind。　　Even　if　she　be　a　dream；

the　dream　of　such　a　beautiful　creature　could　not　come　to　you　by　chance。〃



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　returned　Diamond；　〃I　know。〃



Then　he　was　silent；　but；　I　confess；　appeared　more　thoughtful

than　satisfied。



The　next　time　I　saw　him；　he　looked　paler　than　usual。



〃Have　you　seen　your　friend　again？〃　　I　asked　him。



〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　solemnly。



〃Did　she　take　you　out　with　her？〃



〃No。　She　did　not　speak　to　me。　　I　woke　all　at　once；　as　I　generally

do　when　I　am　going　to　see　her；　and　there　she　was　against　the　door

into　the　big　room；　sitting　just　as　I　saw　her　sit　on　her　own　doorstep；

as　white　as　snow；　and　her　eyes　as　blue　as　the　heart　of　an　iceberg。　

She　looked　at　me；　but　never　moved　or　spoke。〃



〃Weren't　you　afraid？〃　　I　asked。



〃No。　Why　should　I　have　been？〃　he　answered。　　〃I　only　felt　a　little　cold。〃



〃Did　she　stay　long？〃



〃I　don't　know。　　I　fell　asleep　again。　　I　think　I　have　been　rather

cold　ever　since　though；〃　he　added　with　a　smile。



I　did　not　quite　like　this；　but　I　said　nothing。



Four　days　after；　I　called　again　at　the　Mound。　　The　maid　who　opened

the　door　looked　grave；　but　I　suspected　nothing。　　When　I　reached

the　drawing…room；　I　saw　Mrs。　Raymond　had　been　crying。



〃Haven't　you　heard？〃　she　said；　seeing　my　questioning　looks。



〃I've　heard　nothing；〃　I　answered。



〃This　morning　we　found　our　dear　little　Diamond　lying　on　the　floor

of　the　big　attic…room；　just　outside　his　own　doorfast　asleep；

as　we　thought。　　B