at the back of the north wind-第29节

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his　mind；　he　went　straight　for　the　cellar　of　old　Sal。



〃He's　a　sharp　little　kid；　anyhow；　for　as　simple　as　he　looks；〃

said　the　man　to　himself。　　〃Not　a　wrong　turn　does　he　take！　

But　old　Sal's　a　rum　un　for　such　a　child　to　pay　a　morning　visit　to。　

She's　worse　when　she's　sober　than　when　she's　half　drunk。　　I've　seen

her　when　she'd　have　torn　him　in　pieces。〃



Happily　then　for　Diamond；　old　Sal　had　gone　out　to　get　some　gin。　

When　he　came　to　her　door　at　the　bottom　of　the　area…stair　and　knocked；

he　received　no　answer。　　He　laid　his　ear　to　the　door；　and　thought　he　heard

a　moaning　within。　　So　he　tried　the　door；　and　found　it　was　not　locked！　

It　was　a　dreary　place　indeed；and　very　dark；　for　the　window　was　below

the　level　of　the　street；　and　covered　with　mud；　while　over　the　grating

which　kept　people　from　falling　into　the　area；　stood　a　chest　of　drawers；

placed　there　by　a　dealer　in　second…hand　furniture；　which　shut　out

almost　all　the　light。　　And　the　smell　in　the　place　was　dreadful。　

Diamond　stood　still　for　a　while；　for　he　could　see　next　to　nothing；

but　he　heard　the　moaning　plainly　enough　now；　When　he　got　used

to　the　darkness；　he　discovered　his　friend　lying　with　closed　eyes

and　a　white　suffering　face　on　a　heap　of　little　better　than　rags　in

a　corner　of　the　den。　　He　went　up　to　her　and　spoke；　but　she　made　him

no　answer。　　Indeed；　she　was　not　in　the　least　aware　of　his　presence；

and　Diamond　saw　that　he　could　do　nothing　for　her　without　help。　

So　taking　a　lump　of　barley…sugar　from　his　pocket；　which　he　had　bought

for　her　as　he　came　along；　and　laying　it　beside　her；　he　left　the　place；

having　already　made　up　his　mind　to　go　and　see　the　tall　gentleman；

Mr。　Raymond；　and　ask　him　to　do　something　for　Sal's　Nanny；　as　the　girl

was　called。



By　the　time　he　got　up　the　area…steps；　three　or　four　women　who　had

seen　him　go　down　were　standing　together　at　the　top　waiting　for　him。　

They　wanted　his　clothes　for　their　children；　but　they　did　not　follow

him　down　lest　Sal　should　find　them　there。　　The　moment　he　appeared；

they　laid　their　hands　on　him；　and　all　began　talking　at　once；

for　each　wanted　to　get　some　advantage　over　her　neighbours。　

He　told　them　quite　quietly；　for　he　was　not　frightened；　that　he

had　come　to　see　what　was　the　matter　with　Nanny。



〃What　do　you　know　about　Nanny？〃　said　one　of　them　fiercely。　　〃Wait　till

old　Sal　comes　home；　and　you'll　catch　it；　for　going　prying　into　her

house　when　she's　out。　　If　you　don't　give　me　your　jacket　directly；

I'll　go　and　fetch　her。〃



〃I　can't　give　you　my　jacket；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃It　belongs　to　my

father　and　mother；　you　know。　　It's　not　mine　to　give。　　Is　it　now？　

You　would　not　think　it　right　to　give　away　what　wasn't　yours

would　you　now？〃



〃Give　it　away！　　No；　that　I　wouldn't；　I'd　keep　it；〃　she　said；

with　a　rough　laugh。　　〃But　if　the　jacket　ain't　yours；　what　right　have

you　to　keep　it？　　Here；　Cherry；　make　haste。　　It'll　be　one　go　apiece。〃



They　all　began　to　tug　at　the　jacket；　while　Diamond　stooped　and　kept

his　arms　bent　to　resist　them。　　Before　they　had　done　him　or　the　jacket

any　harm；　however；　suddenly　they　all　scampered　away；　and　Diamond；

looking　in　the　opposite　direction；　saw　the　tall　policeman　coming

towards　him。



〃You　had　better　have　let　me　come　with　you；　little　man；〃　he　said；

looking　down　in　Diamond's　face；　which　was　flushed　with　his　resistance。



〃You　came　just　in　the　right　time；　thank　you；〃　returned　Diamond。　

〃They've　done　me　no　harm。〃



〃They　would　have　if　I　hadn't　been　at　hand；　though。〃



〃Yes；　but　you　were　at　hand；　you　know；　so　they　couldn't。〃



Perhaps　the　answer　was　deeper　in　purport　than　either　Diamond

or　the　policeman　knew。　　They　walked　away　together；　Diamond　telling

his　new　friend　how　ill　poor　Nanny　was；　and　that　he　was　going　to　let

the　tall　gentleman　know。　　The　policeman　put　him　in　the　nearest　way

for　Bloomsbury；　and　stepping　out　in　good　earnest；　Diamond　reached

Mr。　Raymond's　door　in　less　than　an　hour。　　When　he　asked　if　he

was　at　home；　the　servant；　in　return；　asked　what　he　wanted。



〃I　want　to　tell　him　something。〃



〃But　I　can't　go　and　trouble　him　with　such　a　message　as　that。〃



〃He　told　me　to　come　to　himthat　is；　when　I　could　readand　I　can。〃



〃How　am　I　to　know　that？〃



Diamond　stared　with　astonishment　for　one　moment；　then　answered：



〃Why；　I've　just　told　you。　　That's　how　you　know　it。〃



But　this　man　was　made　of　coarser　grain　than　the　policeman；

and；　instead　of　seeing　that　Diamond　could　not　tell　a　lie；

he　put　his　answer　down　as　impudence；　and　saying；　〃Do　you

think　I'm　going　to　take　your　word　for　it？〃　shut　the　door　in　his　face。



Diamond　turned　and　sat　down　on　the　doorstep；　thinking　with　himself

that　the　tall　gentleman　must　either　come　in　or　come　out；　and　he

was　therefore　in　the　best　possible　position　for　finding　him。　

He　had　not　waited　long　before　the　door　opened　again；　but　when　he

looked　round；　it　was　only　the　servant　once　more。



〃Get；　away〃　he　said。　　〃What　are　you　doing　on　the　doorstep？〃



〃Waiting　for　Mr。　Raymond；〃　answered　Diamond；　getting　up。



〃He's　not　at　home。〃



〃Then　I'll　wait　till　he　comes；〃　returned　Diamond；　sitting　down　again

with　a　smile。



What　the　man　would　have　done　next　I　do　not　know；　but　a　step

sounded　from　the　hall；　and　when　Diamond　looked　round　yet　again；

there　was　the　tall　gentleman。



〃Who's　this；　John？〃　he　asked。



〃I　don't　know；　sir。　　An　imperent　little　boy　as　will　sit　on　the　doorstep。〃



〃Please　sir〃　said　Diamond；　〃he　told　me　you　weren't　at　home；　and　I

sat　down　to　wait　for　you。〃



〃Eh；　what！〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃John！　　John！　　This　won't　do。　

Is　it　a　habit　of　yours　to　turn　away　my　visitors？　　There'll　be　some

one　else　to　turn　away；　I'm　afraid；　if　I　find　any　more　of　this　kind

of　thing。　　Come　in；　my　little　man。　　I　suppose　you've　come　to　claim

your　sixpence？〃



〃No；　sir；　not　that。〃



〃What！　can't　you　read　yet？〃



〃Yes；　I　can　now；　a　little。　　But　I'll　come　for　that　next　time。　

I　came　to　tell　you　about　Sal's　Nanny。〃



〃Who's　Sal's　Nanny？〃



〃The　girl　at　the　crossing　you　talked　to　the　same　day。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　I　remember。　　What's　the　matter？　　Has　she　got　run　over？〃



Then　Diamond　told　him　all。



Now　Mr。　Raymond　was　one　of　the　kindest　men　in　London。　　He　sent　at

once　to　have　the　horse　put　to　the　brougham；　took　Diamond　with　him；

and　drove　to　the　Children's　Hospital。　　There　he　was　well　known

to　everybody；　for　he　was　not　only　a　large　subscriber；　but　he　used

to　go　and　tell　the　children　stories　of　an　afternoon。　　One　of　the

doctors　promised　to　go　and　find　Nanny；　and　do　what　could　be　done

have　her　brought　to　the　hospital；　if　possible。



That　same　night　they　sent　a　litter　for　her；　and　as　she　could

be　of　no　use　to　old　Sal　until　she　was　better；　she　did　not　object

to　having　her　removed。　　So　she　was　soon　lying　in　the　fever　ward

for　the　first　time　in　her　life　in　a　nice　clean　bed。　　But　she　knew

nothing　of　the　whole　affair。　　She　was　too　ill　to　know　anything。







CHAPTER　XXII



MR。　　RAYMOND'S　RIDDLE





MR。　　RAYMOND　took　Diamond　home　with　him；　stopping　at　the　Mews

to　tell　his　mother　that　he　would　send　him　back　soon。　　Diamond　ran

in　with　the　message　himself；　and　when　he　reappeared　he　had　in　his

hand　the　torn　and　crumpled　book　which　North　Wind　had　given　him。



〃Ah！　　I　see；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond：　　〃you　are　going　to　claim　your

sixpence　now。〃



〃I　wasn't　thinking　of　that　so　much　as　of　another　thing；〃　said　Diamond。　

〃There's　a　rhyme　in　this　book　I　can't　quite　understand。　　I　want　you

to　tell　me　what　it　means；　if　you　please。〃



〃I　will　if　I　can；〃　answered　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃You　shall　read　it　to　me

when　we　get　home；　and　then　I　shall　see。〃



Still　with　a　good　many　blunders；　Diamond　did　read　it　after　a　fashion。　

Mr。　Raymond　took　the　little　book　and　read　it　over　again。



Now　Mr。　Raymond　was　a　poet　himself；　and　so；　although　he　had　never

been　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind；　he　was　able　to　understand　the

poem　pretty　well。　　But　before　saying　anything　about　it；　he　read　it

over　aloud；　and　Diamond　thought　he　understood　it　much　better　already。



〃I'll　tell　you　what　I　think　it　means；〃　he　then　said。　　〃It　means

that　people　may　have　their　way　for　a　while；　if　they　like；　but　it

will　get　them　into　such　troubles　they'll　wish　they　hadn't　had　it。〃



〃I　know；　I　know！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Like　the　poor　cabman　next　door。　

He　drinks　too　much。〃



〃Just　so；〃　returned　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃But　when　people　want　to　do　right；

things　about　them　will　try　to　help　them。　　Only　they　must　kill

the　snake；　you　know。〃



〃I　was　sure　the　snake　had　something　to　do　with　it；〃

cried　Diamond　triumphantly。



A　good　deal　more　talk　followed；　and　Mr。　Raymond　gave　Diamond

his　sixpence。



〃What　will　you　do　with　it？〃　he　asked。



〃Take　it　home　to　my　mother；〃　he　answered。　　〃She　has　a　teapot

such　a　black　one！with　a　broken　spout；　and　she　keeps　all　her　money

in　it。　　It　ain't　much；　but　she　saves　it　up　to　buy　shoes　for　me。　

And　there's　baby　coming　on　famously；　and　he'll　want