at the back of the north wind-第21节

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horse's　neck　in　a　moment；　and　he　fairly　broke　down　and　cried。　

The　cab…master　had　never　been　so　fond　of　a　horse　himself　as　to　hug

him　like　that；　but　he　saw　in　a　moment　how　it　was。　　And　he　must

have　been　a　good…hearted　fellow；　for　I　never　heard　of　such　an　idea

coming　into　the　head　of　any　other　man　with　a　horse　to　sell：　

instead　of　putting　something　on　to　the　price　because　he　was　now

pretty　sure　of　selling　him；　he　actually　took　a　pound　off　what　he

had　meant　to　ask　for　him；　saying　to　himself　it　was　a　shame　to　part

old　friends。



Diamond's　father；　as　soon　as　he　came　to　himself；　turned　and　asked

how　much　he　wanted　for　the　horse。



〃I　see　you're　old　friends；〃　said　the　owner。



〃It's　my　own　old　Diamond。　　I　liked　him　far　the　best　of　the　pair；

though　the　other　was　good。　　You　ain't　got　him　too；　have　you？〃



〃No；　nothing　in　the　stable　to　match　him　there。〃



〃I　believe　you；〃　said　the　coachman。　　〃But　you'll　be　wanting　a　long

price　for　him；　I　know。〃



〃No；　not　so　much。　　I　bought　him　cheap；　and　as　I　say；　he　ain't

for　my　work。〃



The　end　of　it　was　that　Diamond's　father　bought　old　Diamond　again；

along　with　a　four…wheeled　cab。　　And　as　there　were　some　rooms　to　be

had　over　the　stable；　he　took　them；　wrote　to　his　wife　to　come　home；

and　set　up　as　a　cabman。







CHAPTER　XV



THE　MEWS





IT　WAS　late　in　the　afternoon　when　Diamond　and　his　mother　and　the　baby

reached　London。　　I　was　so　full　of　Diamond　that　I　forgot　to　tell　you

a　baby　had　arrived　in　the　meantime。　　His　father　was　waiting　for　them

with　his　own　cab；　but　they　had　not　told　Diamond　who　the　horse　was；

for　his　father　wanted　to　enjoy　the　pleasure　of　his　surprise　when　he

found　it　out。　　He　got　in　with　his　mother　without　looking　at　the　horse；

and　his　father　having　put　up　Diamond's　carpet…bag　and　his　mother's

little　trunk；　got　upon　the　box　himself　and　drove　off；　and　Diamond

was　quite　proud　of　riding　home　in　his　father's　own　carriage。　

But　when　he　got　to　the　mews；　he　could　not　help　being　a　little　dismayed

at　first；　and　if　he　had　never　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；

I　am　afraid　he　would　have　cried　a　little。　　But　instead　of　that；

he　said　to　himself　it　was　a　fine　thing　all　the　old　furniture　was　there。　

And　instead　of　helping　his　mother　to　be　miserable　at　the　change；

he　began　to　find　out　all　the　advantages　of　the　place；　for　every

place　has　some　advantages；　and　they　are　always　better　worth　knowing

than　the　disadvantages。　　Certainly　the　weather　was　depressing；

for　a　thick；　dull；　persistent　rain　was　falling　by　the　time　they

reached　home。　　But　happily　the　weather　is　very　changeable；

and　besides；　there　was　a　good　fire　burning　in　the　room；　which　their

neighbour　with　the　drunken　husband　had　attended　to　for　them；　and　the

tea…things　were　put　out；　and　the　kettle　was　boiling　on　the　fire。　

And　with　a　good　fire；　and　tea　and　bread　and　butter；　things　cannot

be　said　to　be　miserable。



Diamond's　father　and　mother　were；　notwithstanding；　rather　miserable；

and　Diamond　began　to　feel　a　kind　of　darkness　beginning　to　spread

over　his　own　mind。　　But　the　same　moment　he　said　to　himself；

〃This　will　never　do。　　I　can't　give　in　to　this。　　I've　been　to　the　back

of　the　north　wind。　　Things　go　right　there；　and　so　I　must　try　to　get

things　to　go　right　here。　　I've　got　to　fight　the　miserable　things。　

They　shan't　make　me　miserable　if　I　can　help　it。〃　　I　do　not　mean

that　he　thought　these　very　words。　　They　are　perhaps　too　grown…up

for　him　to　have　thought；　but　they　represent　the　kind　of　thing　that

was　in　his　heart　and　his　head。　　And　when　heart　and　head　go　together；

nothing　can　stand　before　them。



〃What　nice　bread　and　butter　this　is！〃　said　Diamond。



〃I'm　glad　you　like　it；　my　dear〃　said　his　father。　　〃I　bought

the　butter　myself　at　the　little　shop　round　the　corner。〃



〃It's　very　nice；　thank　you；　father。　　Oh；　there's　baby　waking！　

I'll　take　him。〃



〃Sit　still；　Diamond；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃Go　on　with　your　bread

and　butter。　　You're　not　strong　enough　to　lift　him　yet。〃



So　she　took　the　baby　herself；　and　set　him　on　her　knee。　　Then　Diamond

began　to　amuse　him；　and　went　on　till　the　little　fellow　was　shrieking

with　laughter。　　For　the　baby's　world　was　his　mother's　arms；

and　the　drizzling　rain；　and　the　dreary　mews；　and　even　his　father's

troubled　face　could　not　touch　him。　　What　cared　baby　for　the　loss

of　a　hundred　situations？　　Yet　neither　father　nor　mother　thought

him　hard…hearted　because　he　crowed　and　laughed　in　the　middle

of　their　troubles。　　On　the　contrary；　his　crowing　and　laughing

were　infectious。　　His　little　heart　was　so　full　of　merriment　that　it

could　not　hold　it　all；　and　it　ran　over　into　theirs。　　Father　and

mother　began　to　laugh　too；　and　Diamond　laughed　till　he　had　a　fit

of　coughing　which　frightened　his　mother；　and　made　them　all　stop。　

His　father　took　the　baby；　and　his　mother　put　him　to　bed。



But　it　was　indeed　a　change　to　them　all；　not　only　from　Sandwich；

but　from　their　old　place；　instead　of　the　great　river　where　the　huge

barges　with　their　mighty　brown　and　yellow　sails　went　tacking

from　side　to　side　like　little　pleasure…skiffs；　and　where　the　long

thin　boats　shot　past　with　eight　and　sometimes　twelve　rowers；

their　windows　now　looked　out　upon　a　dirty　paved　yard。　　And　there

was　no　garden　more　for　Diamond　to　run　into　when　he　pleased；　with　gay

flowers　about　his　feet；　and　solemn　sun…filled　trees　over　his　head。　

Neither　was　there　a　wooden　wall　at　the　back　of　his　bed　with　a　hole

in　it　for　North　Wind　to　come　in　at　when　she　liked。　　Indeed；　there　was

such　a　high　wall；　and　there　were　so　many　houses　about　the　mews；

that　North　Wind　seldom　got　into　the　place　at　all；　except　when　something

must　be　done；　and　she　had　a　grand　cleaning　out　like　other　housewives；

while　the　partition　at　the　head　of　Diamond's　new　bed　only　divided

it　from　the　room　occupied　by　a　cabman　who　drank　too　much　beer；

and　came　home　chiefly　to　quarrel　with　his　wife　and　pinch　his　children。　

It　was　dreadful　to　Diamond　to　hear　the　scolding　and　the　crying。　

But　it　could　not　make　him　miserable；　because　he　had　been　at　the　back　of

the　north　wind。



If　my　reader　find　it　hard　to　believe　that　Diamond　should　be　so　good；

he　must　remember　that　he　had　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind。　

If　he　never　knew　a　boy　so　good；　did　he　ever　know　a　boy　that　had　been

to　the　back　of　the　north　wind？　　It　was　not　in　the　least　strange

of　Diamond　to　behave　as　he　did；　on　the　contrary；　it　was　thoroughly

sensible　of　him。



We　shall　see　how　he　got　on。







CHAPTER　XVI



DIAMOND　MAKES　A　BEGINNING





THE　wind　blew　loud；　but　Diamond　slept　a　deep　sleep；　and　never　heard　it。　

My　own　impression　is　that　every　time　when　Diamond　slept　well　and

remembered　nothing　about　it　in　the　morning；　he　had　been　all　that　night

at　the　back　of　the　north　wind。　　I　am　almost　sure　that　was　how　he

woke　so　refreshed；　and　felt　so　quiet　and　hopeful　all　the　day。　

Indeed　he　said　this　much；　though　not　to　methat　always　when　he

woke　from　such　a　sleep　there　was　a　something　in　his　mind；　he　could

not　tell　whatcould　not　tell　whether　it　was　the　last　far…off　sounds

of　the　river　dying　away　in　the　distance；　or　some　of　the　words

of　the　endless　song　his　mother　had　read　to　him　on　the　sea…shore。

Sometimes　he　thought　it　must　have　been　the　twittering　of　the　swallows

over　the　shallows；　you；　know；　but　it　may　have　been　the　chirping

of　the　dingy　sparrows　picking　up　their　breakfast　in　the　yard

how　can　I　tell？　　I　don't　know　what　I　know；　I　only　know　what　I　think；

and　to　tell　the　truth；　I　am　more　for　the　swallows　than　the　sparrows。　

When　he　knew　he　was　coming　awake；　he　would　sometimes　try　hard

to　keep　hold　of　the　words　of　what　seemed　a　new　song；　one　he　had

not　heard　beforea　song　in　which　the　words　and　the　music　somehow

appeared　to　be　all　one；　but　even　when　he　thought　he　had　got　them

well　fixed　in　his　mind；　ever　as　he　came　awakeras　he　would　say

one　line　faded　away　out　of　it；　and　then　another；　and　then　another；

till　at　last　there　was　nothing　left　but　some　lovely　picture　of　water

or　grass　or　daisies；　or　something　else　very　common；　but　with　all　the

commonness　polished　off　it；　and　the　lovely　soul　of　it；　which　people

so　seldom　see；　and；　alas！　yet　seldomer　believe　in；　shining　out。　

But　after　that　he　would　sing　the　oddest；　loveliest　little　songs

to　the　babyof　his　own　making；　his　mother　said；　but　Diamond　said　he

did　not　make　them；　they　were　made　somewhere　inside　him；　and　he　knew

nothing　about　them　till　they　were　coming　out。



When　he　woke　that　first　morning　he　got　up　at　once；　saying　to　himself；

〃I've　been　ill　long　enough；　and　have　given　a　great　deal　of　trouble；

I　must　try　and　be　of　use　now；　and　help　my　mother。〃　　When　he　went　into

her　room　he　found　her　lighting　the　fire；　and　his　father　just　getting

out　of　bed。　　They　had　only　the　one　room；　besides　the　little　one；

not　much　more　than　a　closet；　in　which　Diamond　slept。　　He　began　at

once　to　set　things　to　rights；　but　the　baby　waking　up；　he　took　him；

and　nursed　him　till　his　mother　had　got　the