at the back of the north wind-第4节

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as　here。　　Nay；　it　would　be　much　worse　if　he　had　to　think　that　the

window　was　nothing　but　a　hole　in　the　wall。



At　the　very　moment　when　he　burst　out　crying；　the　old　nurse　who　had

grown　to　be　one　of　the　family；　for　she　had　not　gone　away　when　Miss

Coleman　did　not　want　any　more　nursing；　came　to　the　back　door；

which　was　of　glass；　to　close　the　shutters。　　She　thought　she　heard

a　cry；　and；　peering　out　with　a　hand　on　each　side　of　her　eyes

like　Diamond's　blinkers；　she　saw　something　white　on　the　lawn。　

Too　old　and　too　wise　to　be　frightened；　she　opened　the　door；

and　went　straight　towards　the　white　thing　to　see　what　it　was。　

And　when　Diamond　saw　her　coming　he　was　not　frightened　either；

though　Mrs。　Crump　was　a　little　cross　sometimes；　for　there　is

a　good　kind　of　crossness　that　is　only　disagreeable；　and　there　is

a　bad　kind　of　crossness　that　is　very　nasty　indeed。　　So　she　came

up　with　her　neck　stretched　out；　and　her　head　at　the　end　of　it；

and　her　eyes　foremost　of　all；　like　a　snail's；　peering　into　the　night

to　see　what　it　could　be　that　went　on　glimmering　white　before　her。　

When　she　did　see；　she　made　a　great　exclamation；　and　threw　up

her　hands。　　Then　without　a　word；　for　she　thought　Diamond　was　walking

in　his　sleep；　she　caught　hold　of　him；　and　led　him　towards　the　house。　

He　made　no　objection；　for　he　was　just　in　the　mood　to　be　grateful

for　notice　of　any　sort；　and　Mrs。　Crump　led　him　straight　into　the

drawing…room。



Now；　from　the　neglect　of　the　new　housemaid；　the　fire　in　Miss

Coleman's　bedroom　had　gone　out；　and　her　mother　had　told　her　to　brush

her　hair　by　the　drawing…room　firea　disorderly　proceeding　which

a　mother's　wish　could　justify。　　The　young　lady　was　very　lovely；

though　not　nearly　so　beautiful　as　North　Wind；　and　her　hair　was

extremely　long；　for　it　came　down　to　her　kneesthough　that　was

nothing　at　all　to　North　Wind's　hair。　　Yet　when　she　looked　round；

with　her　hair　all　about　her；　as　Diamond　entered；　he　thought

for　one　moment　that　it　was　North　Wind；　and；　pulling　his　hand　from

Mrs。　Crump's；　he　stretched　out　his　arms　and　ran　towards　Miss　Coleman。　

She　was　so　pleased　that　she　threw　down　her　brush；　and　almost　knelt

on　the　floor　to　receive　him　in　her　arms。　　He　saw　the　next　moment

that　she　was　not　Lady　North　Wind；　but　she　looked　so　like　her　he　could

not　help　running　into　her　arms　and　bursting　into　tears　afresh。　

Mrs。　Crump　said　the　poor　child　had　walked　out　in　his　sleep；　and　Diamond

thought　she　ought　to　know；　and　did　not　contradict　her　for　anything

he　knew；　it　might　be　so　indeed。　　He　let　them　talk　on　about　him；

and　said　nothing；　and　when；　after　their　astonishment　was　over；

and　Miss　Coleman　had　given　him　a　sponge…cake；　it　was　decreed

that　Mrs。　Crump　should　take　him　to　his　mother；　he　was　quite　satisfied。



His　mother　had　to　get　out　of　bed　to　open　the　door　when　Mrs。　Crump

knocked。　　She　was　indeed　surprised　to　see　her；　boy；　and　having

taken　him　in　her　arms　and　carried　him　to　his　bed；　returned　and

had　a　long　confabulation　with　Mrs。　Crump；　for　they　were　still

talking　when　Diamond　fell　fast　asleep；　and　could　hear　them　no　longer。







CHAPTER　III



OLD　DIAMOND





DIAMOND　woke　very　early　in　the　morning；　and　thought　what　a　curious

dream　he　had　had。　　But　the　memory　grew　brighter　and　brighter

in　his　head；　until　it　did　not　look　altogether　like　a　dream；　and　he

began　to　doubt　whether　he　had　not　really　been　abroad　in　the　wind

last　night。　　He　came　to　the　conclusion　that；　if　he　had　really　been

brought　home　to　his　mother　by　Mrs。　Crump；　she　would　say　something

to　him　about　it；　and　that　would　settle　the　matter。　　Then　he　got

up　and　dressed　himself；　but；　finding　that　his　father　and　mother

were　not　yet　stirring；　he　went　down　the　ladder　to　the　stable。　

There　he　found　that　even　old　Diamond　was　not　awake　yet；　for　he；

as　well　as　young　Diamond；　always　got　up　the　moment　he　woke；　and　now

he　was　lying　as　flat　as　a　horse　could　lie　upon　his　nice　trim　bed

of　straw。



〃I'll　give　old　Diamond　a　surprise；〃　thought　the；　boy；　and　creeping

up　very　softly；　before　the　horse　knew；　he　was　astride　of　his　back。　

Then　it　was　young　Diamond's　turn　to　have　more　of　a　surprise　than　he

had　expected；　for　as　with　an　earthquake；　with　a　rumbling　and　a　rocking

hither　and　thither；　a　sprawling　of　legs　and　heaving　as　of　many　backs；

young　Diamond　found　himself　hoisted　up　in　the　air；　with　both　hands

twisted　in　the　horse's　mane。　　The　next　instant　old　Diamond　lashed

out　with　both　his　hind　legs；　and　giving　one　cry　of　terror　young

Diamond　found　himself　lying　on　his　neck；　with　his　arms　as　far　round

it　as　they　would　go。　　But　then　the　horse　stood　as　still　as　a　stone；

except　that　he　lifted　his　head　gently　up　to　let　the　boy　slip　down

to　his　back。　　For　when　he　heard　young　Diamond's　cry　he　knew　that

there　was　nothing　to　kick　about；　for　young　Diamond　was　a　good　boy；

and　old　Diamond　was　a　good　horse；　and　the　one　was　all　right　on　the

back　of　the　other。



As　soon　as　Diamond　had　got　himself　comfortable　on　the　saddle　place；

the　horse　began　pulling　at　the　hay；　and　the　boy　began　thinking。　

He　had　never　mounted　Diamond　himself　before；　and　he　had　never　got

off　him　without　being　lifted　down。　　So　he　sat；　while　the　horse　ate；

wondering　how　he　was　to　reach　the　ground。



But　while　he　meditated；　his　mother　woke；　and　her　first　thought

was　to　see　her　boy。　　She　had　visited　him　twice　during　the　night；

and　found　him　sleeping　quietly。　　Now　his　bed　was　empty；　and　she

was　frightened。



〃Diamond！　　Diamond！　　Where　are　you；　Diamond？〃　she　called　out。



Diamond　turned　his　head　where　he　sat　like　a　knight　on　his　steed

in　enchanted　stall；　and　cried　aloud；



〃Here；　mother！〃



〃Where；　Diamond？〃　she　returned。



〃Here；　mother；　on　Diamond's　back。〃



She　came　running　to　the　ladder；　and　peeping　down；　saw　him　aloft

on　the　great　horse。



〃Come　down；　Diamond；〃　she　said。



〃I　can't；〃　answered　Diamond。



〃How　did　you　get　up？〃　asked　his　mother。



〃Quite　easily；〃　answered　he；　〃but　when　I　got　up；　Diamond　would　get

up　too；　and　so　here　I　am。〃



His　mother　thought　he　had　been　walking　in　his　sleep　again；　and　hurried

down　the　ladder。　　She　did　not　much　like　going　up　to　the　horse；

for　she　had　not　been　used　to　horses；　but　she　would　have　gone

into　a　lion's　den；　not　to　say　a　horse's　stall；　to　help　her　boy。　

So　she　went　and　lifted　him　off　Diamond's　back；　and　felt　braver

all　her　life　after。　　She　carried　him　in　her　arms　up　to　her　room；

but；　afraid　of　frightening　him　at　his　own　sleep…walking；　as　she

supposed　it；　said　nothing　about　last　night。　　Before　the　next　day

was　over；　Diamond　had　almost　concluded　the　whole　adventure　a　dream。



For　a　week　his　mother　watched　him　very　carefullygoing　into

the　loft　several　times　a　nightas　often；　in　fact；　as　she　woke。　

Every　time　she　found　him　fast　asleep。



All　that　week　it　was　hard　weather。　　The　grass　showed　white　in　the　morning

with　the　hoar…frost　which　clung　like　tiny　comfits　to　every　blade。　

And　as　Diamond's　shoes　were　not　good；　and　his　mother　had　not　quite

saved　up　enough　money　to　get　him　the　new　pair　she　so　much　wanted

for　him；　she　would　not　let　him　run　out。　　He　played　all　his　games

over　and　over　indoors；　especially　that　of　driving　two　chairs

harnessed　to　the　baby's　cradle；　and　if　they　did　not　go　very　fast；

they　went　as　fast　as　could　be　expected　of　the　best　chairs　in　the　world；

although　one　of　them　had　only　three　legs；　and　the　other　only　half

a　back。



At　length　his　mother　brought　home　his　new　shoes；　and　no　sooner

did　she　find　they　fitted　him　than　she　told　him　he　might　run

out　in　the　yard　and　amuse　himself　for　an　hour。



The　sun　was　going　down　when　he　flew　from　the　door　like　a　bird　from

its　cage。　　All　the　world　was　new　to　him。　　A　great　fire　of　sunset

burned　on　the　top　of　the　gate　that　led　from　the　stables　to　the　house；

above　the　fire　in　the　sky　lay　a　large　lake　of　green　light；　above　that

a　golden　cloud；　and　over　that　the　blue　of　the　wintry　heavens。　

And　Diamond　thought　that；　next　to　his　own　home；　he　had　never　seen

any　place　he　would　like　so　much　to　live　in　as　that　sky。　　For　it

is　not　fine　things　that　make　home　a　nice　place；　but　your　mother

and　your　father。



As　he　was　looking　at　the　lovely　colours；　the　gates　were　thrown　open；

and　there　was　old　Diamond　and　his　friend　in　the　carriage；　dancing　with

impatience　to　get　at　their　stalls　and　their　oats。　　And　in　they　came。　

Diamond　was　not　in　the　least　afraid　of　his　father　driving　over　him；

but；　careful　not　to　spoil　the　grand　show　he　made　with　his　fine

horses　and　his　multitudinous　cape；　with　a　red　edge　to　every　fold；

he　slipped　out　of　the　way　and　let　him　dash　right　on　to　the　stables。　

To　be　quite　safe　he　had　to　step　into　the　recess　of　the　door　that　led

from　the　yard　to　the　shrubbery。



As　he　stood　there　he　remembered　how　the　wind　had　driven　him

to　this　same　spot　on　the　night　of　his　dream。　　And　once　more　he

was　almost　sure　that　it　was　no　dream。　　At　all　events；　he　would　go

in　and　see　whether　things　looked　at　all　now　as　they　did　then。