at the back of the north wind-第11节

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peal　after　peal　of　thunder　tore　the　infinite　waste；　but　it　seemed

to　Diamond　that　North　Wind　and　he　were　motionless；　all　but　the　hair。　

It　was　not　so。　　They　were　sweeping　with　the　speed　of　the　wind　itself

towards　the　sea。









CHAPTER　VII



THE　CATHEDRAL





I　MUST　not　go　on　describing　what　cannot　be　described；　for　nothing

is　more　wearisome。



Before　they　reached　the　sea；　Diamond　felt　North　Wind's　hair　just

beginning　to　fall　about　him。



〃Is　the　storm　over；　North　Wind？〃　he　called　out。



〃No；　Diamond。　　I　am　only　waiting　a　moment　to　set　you　down。　

You　would　not　like　to　see　the　ship　sunk；　and　I　am　going　to　give　you

a　place　to　stop　in　till　I　come　back　for　you。〃



〃Oh！　thank　you；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　shall　be　sorry　to　leave　you；

North　Wind；　but　I　would　rather　not　see　the　ship　go　down。　　And　I'm

afraid　the　poor　people　will　cry；　and　I　should　hear　them。　　Oh；　dear！〃



〃There　are　a　good　many　passengers　on　board；　and　to　tell　the　truth；

Diamond；　I　don't　care　about　your　hearing　the　cry　you　speak　of。　

I　am　afraid　you　would　not　get　it　out　of　your　little　head　again

for　a　long　time。〃



〃But　how　can　you　bear　it　then；　North　Wind？　　For　I　am　sure　you　are　kind。　

I　shall　never　doubt　that　again。〃



〃I　will　tell　you　how　I　am　able　to　bear　it；　Diamond：　　I　am　always　hearing；

through　every　noise；　through　all　the　noise　I　am　making　myself　even；

the　sound　of　a　far…off　song。　　I　do　not　exactly　know　where　it　is；

or　what　it　means；　and　I　don't　hear　much　of　it；　only　the　odour　of

its　music；　as　it　were；　flitting　across　the　great　billows　of　the　ocean

outside　this　air　in　which　I　make　such　a　storm；　but　what　I　do　hear　is

quite　enough　to　make　me　able　to　bear　the　cry　from　the　drowning　ship。　

So　it　would　you　if　you　could　hear　it。〃



〃No；　it　wouldn't；〃　returned　Diamond；　stoutly。　　〃For　they　wouldn't

hear　the　music　of　the　far…away　song；　and　if　they　did；　it　wouldn't

do　them　any　good。　　You　see　you　and　I　are　not　going　to　be　drowned；

and　so　we　might　enjoy　it。〃



〃But　you　have　never　heard　the　psalm；　and　you　don't　know　what　it

is　like。　　Somehow；　I　can't　say　how；　it　tells　me　that　all　is　right；

that　it　is　coming　to　swallow　up　all　cries。〃



〃But　that　won't　do　them　any　goodthe　people；　I　mean；〃　persisted　Diamond。



〃It　must。　　It　must；〃　said　North　Wind；　hurriedly。　　〃It　wouldn't

be　the　song　it　seems　to　be　if　it　did　not　swallow　up　all　their　fear

and　pain　too；　and　set　them　singing　it　themselves　with　the　rest。　

I　am　sure　it　will。　　And　do　you　know；　ever　since　I　knew　I　had　hair；

that　is；　ever　since　it　began　to　go　out　and　away；　that　song　has　been

coming　nearer　and　nearer。　　Only　I　must　say　it　was　some　thousand　years

before　I　heard　it。〃



〃But　how　can　you　say　it　was　coming　nearer　when　you　did　not　hear　it？〃

asked　doubting　little　Diamond。



〃Since　I　began　to　hear　it；　I　know　it　is　growing　louder；　therefore　I

judge　it　was　coming　nearer　and　nearer　until　I　did　hear　it　first。　

I'm　not　so　very　old；　you　knowa　few　thousand　years　onlyand　I　was

quite　a　baby　when　I　heard　the　noise　first；　but　I　knew　it　must　come

from　the　voices　of　people　ever　so　much　older　and　wiser　than　I　was。　

I　can't　sing　at　all；　except　now　and　then；　and　I　can　never　tell　what　my

song　is　going　to　be；　I　only　know　what　it　is　after　I　have　sung　it。

But　this　will　never　do。　　Will　you　stop　here？〃



〃I　can't　see　anywhere　to　stop；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Your　hair　is　all

down　like　a　darkness；　and　I　can't　see　through　it　if　I　knock　my　eyes

into　it　ever　so　much。〃



〃Look；　then；〃　said　North　Wind；　and；　with　one　sweep　of　her　great

white　arm；　she　swept　yards　deep　of　darkness　like　a　great　curtain

from　before　the　face　of　the　boy。



And　lo！　it　was　a　blue　night；　lit　up　with　stars。　　Where　it　did

not　shine　with　stars　it　shimmered　with　the　milk　of　the　stars；

except　where；　just　opposite　to　Diamond's　face；　the　grey　towers

of　a　cathedral　blotted　out　each　its　own　shape　of　sky　and　stars。



〃Oh！　what's　that？〃　cried　Diamond；　struck　with　a　kind　of　terror；

for　he　had　never　seen　a　cathedral；　and　it　rose　before　him　with　an

awful　reality　in　the　midst　of　the　wide　spaces；　conquering　emptiness

with　grandeur。



〃A　very　good　place　for　you　to　wait　in；〃　said　North　Wind。　　〃But　we

shall　go　in；　and　you　shall　judge　for　yourself。〃



There　was　an　open　door　in　the　middle　of　one　of　the　towers；　leading　out

upon　the　roof；　and　through　it　they　passed。　　Then　North　Wind　set

Diamond　on　his　feet；　and　he　found　himself　at　the　top　of　a　stone　stair；

which　went　twisting　away　down　into　the　darkness　for　only　a　little

light　came　in　at　the　door。　　It　was　enough；　however；　to　allow　Diamond

to　see　that　North　Wind　stood　beside　him。　　He　looked　up　to　find

her　face；　and　saw　that　she　was　no　longer　a　beautiful　giantess；

but　the　tall　gracious　lady　he　liked　best　to　see。　　She　took　his　hand；

and；　giving　him　the　broad　part　of　the　spiral　stair　to　walk　on；　led　him

down　a　good　way；　then；　opening　another　little　door；　led　him　out　upon

a　narrow　gallery　that　ran　all　round　the　central　part　of　the　church；

on　the　ledges　of　the　windows　of　the　clerestory；　and　through　openings

in　the　parts　of　the　wall　that　divided　the　windows　from　each　other。　

It　was　very　narrow；　and　except　when　they　were　passing　through　the　wall；

Diamond　saw　nothing　to　keep　him　from　falling　into　the　church。　

It　lay　below　him　like　a　great　silent　gulf　hollowed　in　stone；

and　he　held　his　breath　for　fear　as　he　looked　down。



〃What　are　you　trembling　for；　little　Diamond？〃　said　the　lady；　as　she

walked　gently　along；　with　her　hand　held　out　behind　her　leading　him；

for　there　was　not　breadth　enough　for　them　to　walk　side　by　side。



〃I　am　afraid　of　falling　down　there；〃　answered　Diamond。　　〃It　is

so　deep　down。〃



〃Yes；　rather；〃　answered　North　Wind；　〃but　you　were　a　hundred　times

higher　a　few　minutes　ago。〃



〃Ah；　yes；　but　somebody's　arm　was　about　me　then；〃　said　Diamond；

putting　his　little　mouth　to　the　beautiful　cold　hand　that　had　a　hold

of　his。



〃What　a　dear　little　warm　mouth　you've　got！〃　said　North　Wind。　

〃It　is　a　pity　you　should　talk　nonsense　with　it。　　Don't　you　know　I

have　a　hold　of　you？〃



〃Yes；　but　I'm　walking　on　my　own　legs；　and　they　might　slip。　

I　can't　trust　myself　so　well　as　your　arms。〃



〃But　I　have　a　hold　of　you；　I　tell　you；　foolish　child。〃



〃Yes；　but　somehow　I　can't　feel　comfortable。〃



〃If　you　were　to　fall；　and　my　hold　of　you　were　to　give　way；　I　should

be　down　after　you　in　a　less　moment　than　a　lady's　watch　can　tick；

and　catch　you　long　before　you　had　reached　the　ground。〃



〃I　don't　like　it　though；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Oh！　oh！　oh！〃　he　screamed　the　next　moment；　bent　double　with　terror；

for　North　Wind　had　let　go　her　hold　of　his　hand；　and　had　vanished；

leaving　him　standing　as　if　rooted　to　the　gallery。



She　left　the　words；　〃Come　after　me；〃　sounding　in　his　ears。



But　move　he　dared　not。　　In　a　moment　more　he　would　from　very　terror

have　fallen　into　the　church；　but　suddenly　there　came　a　gentle

breath　of　cool　wind　upon　his　face；　and　it　kept　blowing　upon　him　in

little　puffs；　and　at　every　puff　Diamond　felt　his　faintness　going　away；

and　his　fear　with　it。　　Courage　was　reviving　in　his　little　heart；

and　still　the　cool　wafts　of　the　soft　wind　breathed　upon　him；

and　the　soft　wind　was　so　mighty　and　strong　within　its　gentleness；

that　in　a　minute　more　Diamond　was　marching　along　the　narrow　ledge

as　fearless　for　the　time　as　North　Wind　herself。



He　walked　on　and　on；　with　the　windows　all　in　a　row　on　one　side　of　him；

and　the　great　empty　nave　of　the　church　echoing　to　every　one　of　his

brave　strides　on　the　other；　until　at　last　he　came　to　a　little

open　door；　from　which　a　broader　stair　led　him　down　and　down　and　down；

till　at　last　all　at　once　he　found　himself　in　the　arms　of　North　Wind；

who　held　him　close　to　her；　and　kissed　him　on　the　forehead。　

Diamond　nestled　to　her；　and　murmured　into　her　bosom；〃Why　did　you

leave　me；　dear　North　Wind？〃



〃Because　I　wanted　you　to　walk　alone；〃　she　answered。



〃But　it　is　so　much　nicer　here！〃　said　Diamond。



〃I　daresay；　but　I　couldn't　hold　a　little　coward　to　my　heart。　

It　would　make　me　so　cold！〃



〃But　I　wasn't　brave　of　myself；〃　said　Diamond；　whom　my　older　readers

will　have　already　discovered　to　be　a　true　child　in　this；　that　he

was　given　to　metaphysics。　　〃It　was　the　wind　that　blew　in　my　face

that　made　me　brave。　　Wasn't　it　now；　North　Wind？〃



〃Yes：　　I　know　that。　　You　had　to　be　taught　what　courage　was。　

And　you　couldn't　know　what　it　was　without　feeling　it：　　therefore　it

was　given　you。　　But　don't　you　feel　as　if　you　would　try　to　be　brave

yourself　next　time？〃



〃Yes；　I　do。　　But　trying　is　not　much。〃



〃Yes；　it　isa　very　great　deal；　for　it　is　a　beginning。　　And　a　beginning

is　the　greatest　thing　of　all。　　To　try　to　be　brave　is　to　be　brave。　

The　coward　who　tries　to　be　brave　is　before　the　man　who　is　brave

because　he　is　made　so；　and　never　had　to　try。〃



〃How　kind　you　are；　North　Wind！〃



〃I　am　only　just。　　All　kindness　is　but　justice。　　We　owe　it。〃



〃I　don't　quite　unde