dream days-第14章

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not　going　to　waste　any　time　in　reading。　　A　clue；　a　sign…board；　a

finger…post　was　all　I　required。　　To　my　dismay　and　disgust　it　was

all　in　a　stupid　foreign　language！　　Really；　the　perversity　of　some

people　made　one　at　times　almost　despair　of　the　whole　race。　

However；　the　pictures　remained；　pictures　never　lied；　never

shuffled　nor　evaded；　and　as　for　the　story；　I　could　invent　it

myself。



Over　the　page　I　went；　shifting　the　bit　of　coal　to　a　new　position；

and；　as　the　scheme　of　the　picture　disengaged　itself　from　out　the

medley　of　colour　that　met　my　delighted　eyes；　first　there　was　a

warm　sense　of　familiarity；　then　a　dawning　recognition；　and　then

O　then！　along　with　blissful　certainty　came　the　imperious　need　to

clasp　my　stomach　with　both　hands；　in　order　to　repress　the　shout

of　rapture　that　struggled　to　escapeit　was　my　own　little　city！



I　knew　it　well　enough；　I　recognized　it　at　once；　though　I　had

never　been　quite　so　near　it　before。　　Here　was　the　familiar

gateway；　to　the　left　that　strange；　slender　tower　with　its　grim；

square　head　shot　far　above　the　walls；　to　the　right；　outside　the

town；　the　hillas　of　oldbroke　steeply　down　to　the　sea。　

But　to…day　everything　was　bigger　and　fresher　and　clearer；　the

walls　seemed　newly　hewn；　gay　carpets　were　hung　out　over　them；

fair　ladies　and　long…haired　children　peeped　and　crowded　on　the

battlements。　　Better　still；　the　portcullis　was　upI　could　even

catch　a　glimpse　of　the　sunlit　square　withinand　a　dainty　company

was　trooping　through　the　gate　on　horseback；　two　and　two。　　Their

horses；　in　trappings　that　swept　the　ground；　were　gay　as

themselves；　and　THEY　were　the　gayest　crew；　for　dress　and

bearing；　I　had　ever　yet　beheld。　　It　could　mean　nothing　else　but　a

wedding；　I　thought；　this　holiday　attire；　this　festal　and　solemn

entry；　and；　wedding　or　whatever　it　was；　I　meant　to　be　there。　

This　time　I　would　not　be　balked　by　any　grim　portcullis；　this　time

I　would　slip　in　with　the　rest　of　the　crowd；　find　out　just　what　my

little　town　was　like；　within　those　exasperating　walls　that

had　so　long　confronted　me；　and；　moreover；　have　my　share　of　the

fun　that　was　evidently　going　on　inside。　　Confident；　yet

breathless　with　expectation；　I　turned　the　page。



Joy！　　At　last　I　was　in　it；　at　last　I　was　on　the　right　side　of

those　provoking　walls；　and；　needless　to　say；　I　looked　about　me

with　much　curiosity。　　A　public　place；　clearly；　though　not　such　as

I　was　used　to。　　The　houses　at　the　back　stood　on　a　sort　of

colonnade；　beneath　which　the　people　jostled　and　crowded。　　The

upper　stories　were　all　painted　with　wonderful　pictures。　　Above

the　straight　line　of　the　roofs　the　deep　blue　of　a　cloudless　sky

stretched　from　side　to　side。　　Lords　and　ladies　thronged　the

foreground；　while　on　a　dais　in　the　centre　a　gallant　gentleman；

just　alighted　off　his　horse；　stooped　to　the　fingers　of　a　girl　as

bravely　dressed　out　as　Selina's　lady　between　the　saints；　and

round　about　stood　venerable　personages；　robed　in　the　most

variegated　clothing。　　There　were　boys；　too；　in　plenty；　with　tiny

red　caps　on　their　thick　hair；　and　their　shirts　had　bunched　up　and

worked　out　at　the　waist；　just　as　my　own　did　so　often；　after

chasing　anybody；　and　each　boy　of　them　wore　an　odd　pair　of

stockings；　one　blue　and　the　other　red。　　This　system　of　attire

went　straight　to　my　heart。　　I　had　tried　the　same　thing　so　often；

and　had　met　with　so　much　discouragement；　and　here；　at　last；　was

my　justification；　painted　deliberately　in　a　grown…up　book！　　I

looked　about　for　my　saint…friendsthe　armour　man　and　the　other

fellowbut　they　were　not　to　be　seen。　　Evidently　they　were　unable

to　get　off　duty；　even　for　a　wedding；　and　still　stood　on　guard　in

that　green　meadow　down　below。　　I　was　disappointed；　too；　that　not

an　angel　was　visible。　　One　or　two　of　them；　surely；　could　easily

have　been　spared　for　an　hour；　to　run　up　and　see　the　show；

and　they　would　have　been　thoroughly　at　home　here；　in　the　midst　of

all　the　colour　and　the　movement　and　the　fun。



But　it　was　time　to　get　on；　for　clearly　the　interest　was　only　just

beginning。　　Over　went　the　next　page；　and　there　we　were；　the　whole

crowd　of　us；　assembled　in　a　noble　church。　　It　was　not　easy　to

make　out　exactly　what　was　going　on；　but　in　the　throng　I　was

delighted　to　recognize　my　angels　at　last；　happy　and　very　much　at

home。　　They　had　managed　to　get　leave　off；　evidently；　and　must

have　run　up　the　hill　and　scampered　breathlessly　through　the　gate；

and　perhaps　they　cried　a　little　when　they　found　the　square　empty；

and　thought　the　fun　must　be　all　over。　　Two　of　them　had　got　hold

of　a　great　wax　candle　apiece；　as　much　as　they　could　stagger

under；　and　were　tittering　sideways　at　each　other　as　the

grease　ran　bountifully　over　their　clothes。　　A　third　had　strolled

in　among　the　company；　and　was　chatting　to　a　young　gentleman；　with

whom　she　appeared　to　be　on　the　best　of　terms。　　Decidedly；　this

was　the　right　breed　of　angel　for　us。　　None　of　your　sick…bed　or

night　nursery　business　for　them！



Well；　no　doubt　they　were　now　being　married；　He　and　She；　just　as

always　happened。　　And　then；　of　course；　they　were　going　to　live

happily　ever　after；　and　THAT　was　the　part　I　wanted　to　get　to。　

Story…books　were　so　stupid；　always　stopping　at　the　point　where

they　became　really　nice；　but　this　picture…story　was　only　in　its

first　chapters；　and　at　last　I　was　to　have　a　chance　of　knowing

HOW　people　lived　happily　ever　after。　　We　would　all　go　home

together；　He　and　She；　and　the　angels；　and　I；　and　the　armour…man

would　be　invited　to　come　and　stay。　　And　then　the　story　would

really　begin；　at　the　point　where　those　other　ones　always

left　off。　　I　turned　the　page；　and　found　myself　free　of　the　dim

and　splendid　church　and　once　more　in　the　open　country。



This　was　all　right；　this　was　just　as　it　should　be。　　The　sky　was　a

fleckless　blue；　the　flags　danced　in　the　breeze；　and　our　merry

bridal　party；　with　jest　and　laughter；　jogged　down　to　the　water…

side。　　I　was　through　the　town　by　this　time；　and　out　on　the　other

side　of　the　hill；　where　I　had　always　wanted　to　be；　and；　sure

enough；　there　was　the　harbour；　all　thick　with　curly　ships。　　Most

of　them　were　piled　high　with　wedding…presentsbales　of　silk；　and

gold　and　silver　plate；　and　comfortable…looking　bags　suggesting

bullion；　and　the　gayest　ship　of　all　lay　close　up　to　the　carpeted

landing…stage。　　Already　the　bride　was　stepping　daintily　down　the

gangway；　her　ladies　following　primly；　one　by　one；　a　few　minutes

more　and　we　should　all　be　aboard；　the　hawsers　would　splash

in　the　water；　the　sails　would　fill　and　strain。　　From　the　deck　I

should　see　the　little　walled　town　recede　and　sink　and　grow　dim；

while　every　plunge　of　our　bows　brought　us　nearer　to　the　happy

islandit　was　an　island　we　were　bound　for；　I　knew　well！　　Already

I　could　see　the　island…people　waving　hands　on　the　crowded　quay；

whence　the　little　houses　ran　up　the　hill　to　the　castle；　crowning

all　with　its　towers　and　battlements。　　Once　more　we　should　ride

together；　a　merry　procession；　clattering　up　the　steep　street　and

through　the　grim　gateway；　and　then　we　should　have　arrived；　then

we　should　all　dine　together；　then　we　should　have　reached　home！　

And　then



OW！　OW！　OW！



Bitter　it　is　to　stumble　out　of　an　opalescent　dream　into　the　cold

daylight；　cruel　to　lose　in　a　second　a　sea…voyage；　an　island；　and

a　castle　that　was　to　be　practically　your　own；　but　cruellest

and　bitterest　of　all　to　know；　in　addition　to　your　loss；　that　the

fingers　of　an　angry　aunt　have　you　tight　by　the　scruff　of　your

neck。　　My　beautiful　book　was　gone　tooravished　from　my　grasp　by

the　dressy　lady；　who　joined　in　the　outburst　of　denunciation　as

heartily　as　if　she　had　been　a　relativeand　naught　was　left　me

but　to　blubber　dismally；　awakened　of　a　sudden　to　the　harshness　of

real　things　and　the　unnumbered　hostilities　of　the　actual　world。　

I　cared　little　for　their　reproaches；　their　abuse；　but　I　sorrowed

heartily　for　my　lost　ship；　my　vanished　island；　my　uneaten　dinner；

and　for　the　knowledge　that；　if　I　wanted　any　angels　t