at the back of the north wind-第34节

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other　and　peep　through　the　hole；　but　they　always　stood　back　to　give

Diamond　the　first　look。　　All　that　diamond　could　report；　however；　was；

that　through　the　star…holes　he　saw　a　great　many　things　and　places

and　people　he　knew　quite　well；　only　somehow　they　were　different

there　was　something　marvellous　about　themhe　could　not　tell　what。　

Every　time　he　rose　from　looking　through　a　star…hole；　he　felt　as　if　his

heart　would　break　for；　joy；　and　he　said　that　if　he　had　not　cried；

he　did　not　know　what　would　have　become　of　him。



As　soon　as　all　had　looked；　the　star　was　carefully　fitted　in　again；

a　little　mould　was　strewn　over　it；　and　the　rest　of　the　heap　left

as　a　sign　that　the　star　had　been　discovered。



At　length　one　dug　up　a　small　star　of　a　most　lovely　coloura　colour

Diamond　had　never　seen　before。　　The　moment　the　angel　saw　what　it　was；

instead　of　showing　it　about；　he　handed　it　to　one　of　his　neighbours；

and　seated　himself　on　the　edge　of　the　hole；　saying：



〃This　will　do　for　me。　　Good…bye。　I'm　off。〃



They　crowded　about　him；　hugging　and　kissing　him；　then　stood　back

with　a　solemn　stillness；　their　wings　lying　close　to　their　shoulders。　

The　little　fellow　looked　round　on　them　once　with　a　smile；　and　then

shot　himself　headlong　through　the　star…hole。　Diamond；　as　privileged；

threw　himself　on　the　ground　to　peep　after　him；　but　he　saw　nothing。　

〃It's　no　use；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃I　never　saw　anything　more　of　one

that　went　that　way。〃



〃His　wings　can't　be　much　use；〃　said　Diamond；　concerned　and　fearful；

yet　comforted　by　the　calm　looks　of　the　rest。



〃That's　true；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃He's　lost　them　by　this　time。　

They　all　do　that　go　that　way。　　You　haven't　got　any；　you　see。〃



〃No；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　never　did　have　any。〃



〃Oh！　didn't　you？〃　said　the　captain。



〃Some　people　say；〃　he　added；　after　a　pause；　〃that　they　come　again。　

I　don't　know。　　I've　never　found　the　colour　I　care　about　myself。　

I　suppose　I　shall　some　day。〃



Then　they　looked　again　at　the　star；　put　it　carefully　into　its　hole；

danced　around　it　and　over　itbut　solemnly；　and　called　it　by　the　name

of　the　finder。



〃Will　you　know　it　again？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃Oh；　yes。　　We　never　forget　a　star　that's　been　made　a　door　of。〃



Then　they　went　on　with　their　searching　and　digging。



Diamond　having　neither　pickaxe　nor　spade；　had　the　more　time　to　think。



〃I　don't　see　any　little　girls；〃　he　said　at　last。



The　captain　stopped　his　shovelling；　leaned　on　his　spade；　rubbed　his

forehead　thoughtfully　with　his　left　handthe　little　angels　were

all　left…handedrepeated　the　words　〃little　girls；〃　and　then；

as　if　a　thought　had　struck　him；　resumed　his　work；　saying



〃I　think　I　know　what　you　mean。　　I've　never　seen　any　of　them；　of　course；

but　I　suppose　that's　the　sort　you　mean。　　I'm　toldbut　mind　I　don't

say　it　is　so；　for　I　don't　knowthat　when　we　fall　asleep；　a　troop

of　angels　very　like　ourselves；　only　quite　different；　goes　round

to　all　the　stars　we　have　discovered；　and　discovers　them　after　us。　

I　suppose　with　our　shovelling　and　handling　we　spoil　them　a　bit；

and　I　daresay　the　clouds　that　come　up　from　below　make　them　smoky

and　dull　sometimes。　　They　saymind；　I　say　they　saythese　other

angels　take　them　out　one　by　one；　and　pass　each　round　as　we　do；

and　breathe　over　it；　and　rub　it　with　their　white　hands；　which　are

softer　than　ours；　because　they　don't　do　any　pick…and…spade　work；

and　smile　at　it；　and　put　it　in　again：　　and　that　is　what　keeps　them　from

growing　dark。〃



〃How　jolly！〃　thought　Diamond。　　〃I　should　like　to　see　them　at　their

work　too。When　do　you　go　to　sleep？〃　he　asked　the　captain。



〃When　we　grow　sleepy；〃　answered　the　captain。　　〃They　do　saybut　mind

I　say　they　saythat　it　is　when　those　otherswhat　do　you　call　them？　

I　don't　know　if　that　is　their　name；　I　am　only　guessing　that　may　be

the　sort　you　meanwhen　they　are　on　their　rounds　and　come　near　any

troop　of　us　we　fall　asleep。　　They　live　on　the　west　side　of　the　hill。　

None　of　us　have　ever　been　to　the　top　of　it　yet。〃



Even　as　he　spoke；　he　dropped　his　spade。　　He　tumbled　down　beside　it；

and　lay　fast　asleep。　　One　after　the　other　each　of　the　troop　dropped

his　pickaxe　or　shovel　from　his　listless　hands；　and　lay　fast　asleep

by　his　work。



〃Ah！〃　thought　Diamond　to　himself；　with　delight；　〃now　the　girl…angels

are　coming；　and　I；　not　being　an　angel；　shall　not　fall　asleep

like　the　rest；　and　I　shall　see　the　girl…angels。〃



But　the　same　moment　he　felt　himself　growing　sleepy。　　He　struggled

hard　with　the　invading　power。　　He　put　up　his　fingers　to　his　eyelids

and　pulled　them　open。　　But　it　was　of　no　use。　　He　thought　he　saw

a　glimmer　of　pale　rosy　light　far　up　the　green　hill；　and　ceased

to　know。



When　he　awoke；　all　the　angels　were　starting　up　wide　awake　too。　

He　expected　to　see　them　lift　their　tools；　but　no；　the　time　for　play

had　come。　　They　looked　happier　than　ever；　and　each　began　to　sing

where　he　stood。　　He　had　not　heard　them　sing　before。



〃Now；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　know　what　kind　of　nonsense　the　angels

sing　when　they　are　merry。　　They　don't　drive　cabs；　I　see；　but　they

dig　for　stars；　and　they　work　hard　enough　to　be　merry　after　it。〃



And　he　did　hear　some　of　the　angels'　nonsense；　for　if　it　was　all

sense　to　them；　it　had　only　just　as　much　sense　to　Diamond　as　made

good　nonsense　of　it。　　He　tried　hard　to　set　it　down　in　his　mind；

listening　as　closely　as　he　could；　now　to　one；　now　to　another；

and　now　to　all　together。　　But　while　they　were　yet　singing　he　began；

to　his　dismay；　to　find　that　he　was　coming　awakefaster　and　faster。　

And　as　he　came　awake；　he　found　that；　for　all　the　goodness　of　his　memory；

verse　after　verse　of　the　angels'　nonsense　vanished　from　it。　

He　always　thought　he　could　keep　the　last；　but　as　the　next　began　he

lost　the　one　before　it；　and　at　length　awoke；　struggling　to　keep　hold

of　the　last　verse　of　all。　　He　felt　as　if　the　effort　to　keep　from

forgetting　that　one　verse　of　the　vanishing　song　nearly　killed　him。　

And　yet　by　the　time　he　was　wide　awake　he　could　not　be　sure　of　that　even。　

It　was　something　like　this：





　　　　　　　　　White　hands　of　whiteness

　　　　　　　　　　　Wash　the　stars'　faces；

　　　　　　　　　Till　glitter；　glitter；　glit；　goes　their　brightness

　　　　　　　　　　　Down　to　poor　places。





This；　however；　was　so　near　sense　that　he　thought　it　could　not　be

really　what　they　did　sing。







CHAPTER　XXVI



DIAMOND　TAKES　A　FARE　THE　WRONG　WAY　RIGHT





THE　next　morning　Diamond　was　up　almost　as　early　as　before。　　He　had　nothing

to　fear　from　his　mother　now；　and　made　no　secret　of　what　he　was　about。　

By　the　time　he　reached　the　stable；　several　of　the　men　were　there。　

They　asked　him　a　good　many　questions　as　to　his　luck　the　day　before；

and　he　told　them　all　they　wanted　to　know。　　But　when　he　proceeded

to　harness　the　old　horse；　they　pushed　him　aside　with　rough　kindness；

called　him　a　baby；　and　began　to　do　it　all　for　him。　　So　Diamond

ran　in　and　had　another　mouthful　of　tea　and　bread　and　butter；

and　although　he　had　never　been　so　tired　as　he　was　the　night　before；

he　started　quite　fresh　this　morning。　　It　was　a　cloudy　day；

and　the　wind　blew　hard　from　the　northso　hard　sometimes　that；

perched　on　the　box　with　just　his　toes　touching　the　ground；

Diamond　wished　that　he　had　some　kind　of　strap　to　fasten　himself

down　with　lest　he　should　be　blown　away。　　But　he　did　not　really

mind　it。



His　head　was　full　of　the　dream　he　had　dreamed；　but　it　did　not　make

him　neglect　his　work；　for　his　work　was　not　to　dig　stars　but　to　drive

old　Diamond　and　pick　up　fares。　　There　are　not　many　people　who　can

think　about　beautiful　things　and　do　common　work　at　the　same　time。　

But　then　there　are　not　many　people　who　have　been　to　the　back　of　the

north　wind。



There　was　not　much　business　doing。　　And　Diamond　felt　rather　cold；

notwithstanding　his　mother　had　herself　put　on　his　comforter

and　helped　him　with　his　greatcoat。　　But　he　was　too　well　aware

of　his　dignity　to　get　inside　his　cab　as　some　do。　　A　cabman　ought

to　be　above　minding　the　weatherat　least　so　Diamond　thought。　

At　length　he　was　called　to　a　neighbouring　house；　where　a　young　woman

with　a　heavy　box　had　to　be　taken　to　Wapping　for　a　coast…steamer。



He　did　not　find　it　at　all　pleasant；　so　far　east　and　so　near　the　river；

for　the　roughs　were　in　great　force。　　However；　there　being　no　block；

not　even　in　Nightingale　Lane；　he　reached　the　entrance　of　the　wharf；

and　set　down　his　passenger　without　annoyance。　　But　as　he　turned

to　go　back；　some　idlers；　not　content　with　chaffing　him；　showed　a

mind　to　the　fare　the　young　woman　had　given　him。　　They　were　just

pulling　him　off　the　box；　and　Diamond　was　shouting　for　the　police；

when　a　pale…faced　man；　in　very　shabby　clothes；　but　with　the　look

of　a　gentleman　somewhere　about　him；　came　up；　and　making　good　use　of

his　stick；　drove　them　off。



〃Now；　my　little　man；〃　he　said；　〃get　on　while　you　can。　　Don't　lose

any　time。　　This　is　not　a　place　for　you。〃



But　Diamond　was　not　in　the　habit　of　thinking　only　of　himself。