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



〃I don't quite understand that。〃



〃Never mind; you will some day。  There is no hurry about understanding

it now。〃



〃Who blew the wind on me that made me brave?〃



〃I did。〃



〃I didn't see you。〃



〃Therefore you can believe me。〃



〃Yes; yes; of course。  But how was it that such a little breath

could be so strong?〃



〃That I don't know。〃



〃But you made it strong?〃



〃No: I only blew it。  I knew it would make you strong; just as it

did the man in the boat; you remember。  But how my breath has

that power I cannot tell。  It was put into it when I was made。 

That is all I know。  But really I must be going about my work。〃



〃Ah! the poor ship!  I wish you would stop here; and let the poor

ship go。〃



〃That I dare not do。  Will you stop here till I come back?〃



〃Yes。  You won't be long?〃



〃Not longer than I can help。  Trust me; you shall get home before

the morning。〃



In a moment North Wind was gone; and the next Diamond heard

a moaning about the church; which grew and grew to a roaring。 

The storm was up again; and he knew that North Wind's hair was flying。



The church was dark。  Only a little light came through the windows;

which were almost all of that precious old stained glass which

is so much lovelier than the new。  But Diamond could not see

how beautiful they were; for there was not enough of light

in the stars to show the colours of them。  He could only just

distinguish them from the walls; He looked up; but could not see

the gallery along which he had passed。  He could only tell where it

was far up by the faint glimmer of the windows of the clerestory;

whose sills made part of it。  The church grew very lonely about him;

and he began to feel like a child whose mother has forsaken it。 

Only he knew that to be left alone is not always to be forsaken。



He began to feel his way about the place; and for a while went

wandering up and down。  His little footsteps waked little answering

echoes in the great house。  It wasn't too big to mind him。 

It was as if the church knew he was there; and meant to make itself

his house。  So it went on giving back an answer to every step;

until at length Diamond thought he should like to say something out loud;

and see what the church would answer。  But he found he was afraid

to speak。  He could not utter a word for fear of the loneliness。 

Perhaps it was as well that he did not; for the sound of a spoken

word would have made him feel the place yet more deserted and empty。 

But he thought he could sing。  He was fond of singing; and at home he

used to sing; to tunes of his own; all the nursery rhymes he knew。 

So he began to try ‘Hey diddle diddle'; but it wouldn't do。 

Then he tried ‘Little Boy Blue'; but it was no better。  Neither would

‘Sing a Song of Sixpence' sing itself at all。  Then he tried ‘Poor

old Cockytoo'; but he wouldn't do。  They all sounded so silly!

and he had never thought them silly before。  So he was quiet;

and listened to the echoes that came out of the dark corners in answer

to his footsteps。



At last he gave a great sigh; and said; 〃I'm so tired。〃  But he did

not hear the gentle echo that answered from far away over his head;

for at the same moment he came against the lowest of a few steps

that stretched across the church; and fell down and hurt his arm。 

He cried a little first; and then crawled up the steps on his

hands and knees。  At the top he came to a little bit of carpet;

on which he lay down; and there he lay staring at the dull window

that rose nearly a hundred feet above his head。



Now this was the eastern window of the church; and the moon was at

that moment just on the edge of the horizon。  The next; she was peeping

over it。  And lo! with the moon; St。 John and St。 Paul; and the rest

of them; began to dawn in the window in their lovely garments。 

Diamond did not know that the wonder…working moon was behind;

and he thought all the light was coming out of the window itself;

and that the good old men were appearing to help him; growing out

of the night and the darkness; because he had hurt his arm;

and was very tired and lonely; and North Wind was so long in coming。 

So he lay and looked at them backwards over his head; wondering when

they would come down or what they would do next。  They were very dim;

for the moonlight was not strong enough for the colours; and he

had enough to do with his eyes trying to make out their shapes。 

So his eyes grew tired; and more and more tired; and his eyelids

grew so heavy that they would keep tumbling down over his eyes。 

He kept lifting them and lifting them; but every time they were

heavier than the last。  It was no use:  they were too much for him。 

Sometimes before he had got them half up; down they were again;

and at length he gave it up quite; and the moment he gave it up; he was

fast asleep。









CHAPTER VIII



THE EAST WINDOW





THAT Diamond had fallen fast asleep is very evident from the strange

things he now fancied as taking place。  For he thought he heard

a sound as of whispering up in the great window。  He tried to open

his eyes; but he could not。  And the whispering went on and grew

louder and louder; until he could hear every word that was said。 

He thought it was the Apostles talking about him。  But he could not

open his eyes。



〃And how comes he to be lying there; St。 Peter?〃 said one。



〃I think I saw him a while ago up in the gallery; under the

Nicodemus window。  Perhaps he has fallen down。



〃What do you think; St。 Matthew?〃



〃I don't think he could have crept here after falling from such

a height。  He must have been killed。〃



〃What are we to do with him?  We can't leave him lying there。 

And we could not make him comfortable up here in the window: 

it's rather crowded already。  What do you say; St。 Thomas?〃



〃Let's go down and look at him。〃



There came a rustling; and a chinking; for some time; and then

there was a silence; and Diamond felt somehow that all the Apostles

were standing round him and looking down on him。  And still he

could not open his eyes。



〃What is the matter with him; St。 Luke?〃 asked one。



〃There's nothing the matter with him;〃 answered St。 Luke; who must

have joined the company of the Apostles from the next window;

one would think。  〃He's in a sound sleep。〃



〃I have it;〃 cried another。  〃This is one of North Wind's tricks。 

She has caught him up and dropped him at our door; like a withered

leaf or a foundling baby。  I don't understand that woman's conduct;

I must say。  As if we hadn't enough to do with our money;

without going taking care of other people's children!  That's not

what our forefathers built cathedrals for。〃



Now Diamond could not bear to hear such things against North Wind;

who; he knew; never played anybody a trick。  She was far too busy

with her own work for that。  He struggled hard to open his eyes;

but without success。



〃She should consider that a church is not a place for pranks;

not to mention that we live in it;〃 said another。



〃It certainly is disrespectful of her。  But she always is disrespectful。 

What right has she to bang at our windows as she has been doing

the whole of this night?  I daresay there is glass broken somewhere。 

I know my blue robe is in a dreadful mess with the rain first and

the dust after。  It will cost me shillings to clean it。〃



Then Diamond knew that they could not be Apostles; talking like this。 

They could only be the sextons and vergers and such…like; who got

up at night; and put on the robes of deans and bishops; and called

each other grand names; as the foolish servants he had heard his

father tell of call themselves lords and ladies; after their masters

and mistresses。  And he was so angry at their daring to abuse North Wind;

that he jumped up; crying〃North Wind knows best what she is about。 

She has a good right to blow the cobwebs from your windows; for she

was sent to do it。  She sweeps them away from grander places;

I can tell you; for I've been with her at it。〃



This was what he began to say; but as he spoke his eyes came

wide open; and behold; there were neither Apostles nor vergers there

not even a window with the effigies of holy men in it; but a dark heap

of hay all about him; and the little panes in the roof of his loft

glimmering blue in the light of the morning。  Old Diamond was coming

awake down below in the stable。  In a moment more he was on his feet;

and shaking himself so that young Diamond's bed trembled under him。



〃He's grand at shaking himself;〃 said Diamond。  〃I wish I could

shake myself like that。  But then I can wash myself; and he can't。

What fun it would be to see Old Diamond washing his face with his

hoofs and iron shoes!  Wouldn't it be a picture?〃



So saying; he got up and dressed himself。  Then he went out int

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