at the back of the north wind-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃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