dream days-第7章

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〃Chocolate…room！〃



〃It's　got　every　sort　of　chocolate　you　can　think　of；〃　I　went　on：

〃soft　chocolate；　with　sticky　stuff　inside；　white　and　pink；　what

girls　like；　and　hard　shiny　chocolate；　that　cracks　when　you　bite

it；　and　takes　such　a　nice　long　time　to　suck！〃



〃I　like　the　soft　stuff　best；〃　she　said：　〃'cos　you　can　eat　such　a

lot　more　of　it！〃



This　was　to　me　a　new　aspect　of　the　chocolate　question；　and　I

regarded　her　with　interest　and　some　respect。　　With　us；　chocolate

was　none　too　common　a　thing；　and；　whenever　we　happened　to　come

by　any；　we　resorted　to　the　quaintest　devices　in　order　to　make

it　last　out。　　Still；　legends　had　reached　us　of　children　who

actually　had；　from　time　to　time；　as　much　chocolate　as　they　could

possibly　eat；　and　here；　apparently；　was　one　of　them。



〃You　can　have　all　the　creams；〃　I　said　magnanimously；　〃and　I'll

eat　the　hard　sticks；　'cos　I　like　'em　best。〃



〃Oh；　but　you　mustn't！〃　she　cried　impetuously。　　〃You　must　eat　the

same　as　I　do！　　It　isn't　nice　to　want　to　eat　different。　　I'll　tell

you　whatyou　must　give　ME　all　the　chocolate；　and　then　I'll

give　YOUI'll　give　you　what　you　ought　to　have！〃



〃Oh；　all　right；〃　I　said；　in　a　subdued　sort　of　way。　　It　seemed　a

little　hard　to　be　put　under　a　sentimental　restriction　like　this

in　one's　own　Chocolate…room。



〃In　the　next　room　you　come　to；〃　I　proceeded；　〃there's　fizzy

drinks！　　There's　a　marble…slab　business　all　round　the　room；

and　little　silver　taps；　and　you　just　turn　the　right　tap；　and　have

any　kind　of　fizzy　drink　you　want。〃



〃What　fizzy　drinks　are　there？〃　she　inquired。



〃Oh；　all　sorts；〃　I　answered　hastily；　hurrying　on。　　（She　might

restrict　my　eatables；　but　I'd　be　hanged　if　I　was　going　to　have

her　meddle　with　my　drinks。）〃　　Then　you　go　down　the　corridor；　and

at　the　back　of　the　palace　there's　a　great　big　parkthe　finest

park　you　ever　saw。　　And　there's　ponies　to　ride　on；　and　carriages

and　carts；　and　a　little　railway；　all　complete；　engine　and　guard's

van　and　all；　and　you　work　it　yourself；　and　you　can　go　first…

class；　or　in　the　van；　or　on　the　engine；　just　whichever　you

choose。〃



〃I'd　go　on　the　engine；〃　she　murmured　dreamily。　　〃No；　I　wouldn't；

I'd〃



〃Then　there's　all　the　soldiers；〃　I　struck　in。　　Really　the　line

had　to　be　drawn　somewhere；　and　I　could　not　have　my　railway

system　disorganised　and　turned　upside　down　by　a　mere　girl。　

〃There's　any　quantity　of　'em；　fine　big　soldiers；　and　they　all

belong　to　me。　　And　a　row　of　brass　cannons　all　along　the　terrace！　

And　every　now　and　then　I　give　the　order；　and　they　fire　off　all

the　guns！〃



〃No；　they　don't；〃　she　interrupted　hastily。　　〃I　won't　have　'em

fire　off　any　guns！　　You　must　tell　'em　not　to。　　I　hate　guns；　and

as　soon　as　they　begin　firing　I　shall　run　right　away！〃



〃Butbut　that's　what　they're　THERE　for；〃　I　protested；　aghast。



〃I　don't　care；〃　she　insisted。　　〃They　mustn't　do　it。　　They　can

walk　about　behind　me　if　they　like；　and　talk　to　me；　and　carry

things。　　But　they　mustn't　fire　off　any　guns。〃



I　was　sadly　conscious　by　this　time　that　in　this　brave　palace　of

mine；　wherein　I　was　wont　to　swagger　daily；　irresponsible　and

unquestioned；　I　was　rapidly　becomingso　to　speaka　mere　lodger。



The　idea　of　my　fine　big　soldiers　being　told　off　to　〃carry

things〃！　　I　was　not　inclined　to　tell　her　any　more；　though　there

still　remained　plenty　more　to　tell。



〃Any　other　boys　there？〃　she　asked　presently；　in　a　casual　sort　of

way。



〃Oh　yes；〃　I　unguardedly　replied。　　〃Nice　chaps；　too。　　We'll　have

great〃　　Then　I　recollected　myself。　　〃We'll　play　with　them；　of

course；〃　I　went　on。　　〃But　you　are　going　to　be　MY　friend；

aren't　you？　　And　you'll　come　in　my　boat；　and　we'll　travel　in　the

guard's　van　together；　and　I'll　stop　the　soldiers　firing　off　their

guns！〃



But　she　looked　mischievously　away；　anddo　what　I　wouldI　could

not　get　her　to　promise。



Just　then　the　striking　of　the　village　clock　awoke　within　me

another　clamorous　timepiece；　reminding　me　of　mid…day　mutton　a

good　half…mile　away；　and　of　penalties　and　curtailments　attaching

to　a　late　appearance。　　We　took　a　hurried　farewell　of　each　other；

and　before　we　parted　I　got　from　her　an　admission　that　she　might

be　gardening　again　that　afternoon；　if　only　the　worms　would　be

less　aggressive　and　give　her　a　chance。



〃Remember；〃　I　said　as　I　turned　to　go；　〃you　mustn't　tell　anybody

about　what　I've　been　telling　you！〃



She　appeared　to　hesitate；　swinging　one　leg　to　and　fro　while　she

regarded　me　sideways　with　half…shut　eyes。



〃It's　a　dead　secret；〃　I　said　artfully。　　〃A　secret　between　us　two；

and　nobody　knows　it　except　ourselves！〃



Then　she　promised；　nodding　violently；　big…eyed；　her　mouth　pursed

up　small。　　The　delight　of　revelation；　and　the　bliss　of　possessing

a　secret；　run　each　other　very　close。　　But　the　latter

generally　winsfor　a　time。



I　had　passed　the　mutton　stage　and　was　weltering　in　warm　rice

pudding；　before　I　found　leisure　to　pause　and　take　in　things

generally；　and　then　a　glance　in　the　direction　of　the　window　told

me；　to　my　dismay；　that　it　was　raining　hard。　　This　was　annoying　in

every　way；　for；　even　if　it　cleared　up　later；　the　wormsI　knew

well　from　experiencewould　be　offensively　numerous　and　frisky。　

Sulkily　I　said　grace　and　accompanied　the　others　upstairs　to　the

schoolroom；　where　I　got　out　my　paint…box　and　resolved　to　devote

myself　seriously　to　Art；　which　of　late　I　had　much　neglected。　

Harold　got　hold　of　a　sheet　of　paper　and　a　pencil；　retired　to　a

table　in　the　corner；　squared　his　elbows；　and　protruded　his

tongue。　　Literature　had　always　been　HIS　form　of　artistic

expression。



Selina　had　a　fit　of　the　fidgets；　bred　of　the　unpromising　weather；

and；　instead　of　settling　down　to　something　on　her　own　account；

must　needs　walk　round　and　annoy　us　artists；　intent　on　embodying

our　conceptions　of　the　ideal。　　She　had　been　looking　over　my

shoulder　some　minutes　before　I　knew　of　it；　or　I　would　have　had　a

word　or　two　to　say　upon　the　subject。



〃I　suppose　you　call　that　thing　a　ship；〃　she　remarked

contemptuously。　　〃Who　ever　heard　of　a　pink　ship？　　Hoo…hoo！〃



I　stifled　my　wrath；　knowing　that　in　order　to　score　properly　it

was　necessary　to　keep　a　cool　head。



〃There　is　a　pink　ship；〃　I　observed　with　forced　calmness；　〃lying

in　the　toy…shop　window　now。　　You　can　go　and　look　at　it　if　you

like。　　D'you　suppose　you　know　more　about　ships　than　the　fellows

who　make　'em？〃



Selina；　baffled　for　the　moment；　returned　to　the　charge　presently。



〃Those　are　funny　things；　too；〃　she　observed。　　〃S'pose　they're

meant　to　be　trees。　　But　they're　BLUE。〃



〃They　ARE　trees；〃　I　replied　with　severity；　〃and　they　ARE

blue。　　They've　got　to　be　blue；　'cos　you　stole　my　gamboge　last

week；　so　I　can't　mix　up　any　green。〃



〃DIDN'T　steal　your　gamboge；〃　declared　Selina；　haughtily；

edging　away；　however；　in　the　direction　of　Harold。　　〃And　I

wouldn't　tell　lies；　either；　if　I　was　you；　about　a　dirty　little

bit　of　gamboge。〃



I　preserved　a　discreet　silence。　　After　all；　I　knew　SHE　knew

she　stole　my　gamboge。



The　moment　Harold　became　conscious　of　Selina's　stealthy　approach；

he　dropped　his　pencil　and　flung　himself　flat　upon　the　table；

protecting　thus　his　literary　efforts　from　chilling　criticism　by

the　interposed　thickness　of　his　person。　　From　somewhere　in

his　interior　proceeded　a　heart　rending　compound　of　squeal　and

whistle；　as　of　escaping　steam；long…drawn；　ear　piercing；

unvarying　in　note。



〃I　only　just　want　to　see；〃　protested　Selina；　struggling　to　uproot

his　small　body　from　the　scrawl　it　guarded。　　But　Harold　clung

limpet…like　to　the　table　edge；　and　his　shrill　protest　continued

to　deafen　humanity　and　to　threaten　even　the　serenities　of

Olympus。　　The　time　seemed　come　for　a　demonstration　in　force。　

Personally　I　cared　little　what　soul…outpourings　of　Harold　were

pirated　by　Selinashe　was　pretty　sure　to　get　hold　of　them　sooner

or　laterand　indeed　I　rather　welcomed　the　diversion　as

favourable　to　the　undisturbed　pursuit　of　Art。　　But　the