at the back of the north wind-第49节

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Jim　had　moved　his　quarters；　and　had　not　heard　of　Nanny's　illness　till

some　time　after　she　was　taken　to　the　hospital；　where　he　was　too　shy

to　go　and　inquire　about　her。　　But　when　at　length　she　went　to　live

with　Diamond's　family；　Jim　was　willing　enough　to　go　and　see　her。　

It　was　after　one　of　his　visits；　during　which　they　had　been　talking

of　her　new　prospects；　that　Nanny　expressed　to　Diamond　her　opinion　of

the　country。



〃There　ain't　nothing　in　it　but　the　sun　and　moon；　Diamond。〃



〃There's　trees　and　flowers；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Well；　they　ain't　no　count；〃　returned　Nanny。



〃Ain't　they？　　They're　so　beautiful；　they　make　you　happy　to　look

at　them。〃



〃That's　because　you're　such　a　silly。〃



Diamond　smiled　with　a　far…away　look；　as　if　he　were　gazing

through　clouds　of　green　leaves　and　the　vision　contented　him。　

But　he　was　thinking　with　himself　what　more　he　could　do　for　Nanny；

and　that　same　evening　he　went　to　find　Mr。　Raymond；　for　he　had　heard

that　he　had　returned　to　town。



〃Ah！　how　do　you　do；　Diamond？〃　said　Mr。　Raymond；　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you。〃



And　he　was　indeed；　for　he　had　grown　very　fond　of　him。　　His　opinion

of　him　was　very　different　from　Nanny's。



〃What　do　you　want　now；　my　child？〃　he　asked。



〃I'm　always　wanting　something；　sir；〃　answered　Diamond。



〃Well；　that's　quite　right；　so　long　as　what　you　want　is　right。　

Everybody　is　always　wanting　something；　only　we　don't　mention　it　in

the　right　place　often　enough。　　What　is　it　now？〃



〃There's　a　friend　of　Nanny's；　a　lame　boy；　called　Jim。〃



〃I've　heard　of　him；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃Well？〃



〃Nanny　doesn't　care　much　about　going　to　the　country；　sir。〃



〃Well；　what　has　that　to　do　with　Jim？〃



〃You　couldn't　find　a　corner　for　Jim　to　work　incould　you；　sir？〃



〃I　don't　know　that　I　couldn't。　That　is；　if　you　can　show　good　reason

for　it。〃



〃He's　a　good　boy；　sir。〃



〃Well；　so　much　the　better　for　him。〃



〃I　know　he　can　shine　boots；　sir。〃



〃So　much　the　better　for　us。〃



〃You　want　your　boots　shined　in　the　countrydon't　you；　sir？〃



〃Yes；　to　be　sure。〃



〃It　wouldn't　be　nice　to　walk　over　the　flowers　with　dirty　boots

would　it；　sir？〃



〃No；　indeed。〃



〃They　wouldn't　like　itwould　they？〃



〃No；　they　wouldn't。〃



〃Then　Nanny　would　be　better　pleased　to　go；　sir。〃



〃If　the　flowers　didn't　like　dirty　boots　to　walk　over　them；

Nanny　wouldn't　mind　going　to　the　country？　　Is　that　it？　　I　don't

quite　see　it。〃



〃No；　sir；　I　didn't　mean　that。　　I　meant；　if　you　would　take　Jim　with

you　to　clean　your　boots；　and　do　odd　jobs；　you　know；　sir；　then　Nanny

would　like　it　better。　　She's　so　fond　of　Jim！〃



〃Now　you　come　to　the　point；　Diamond。　　I　see　what　you　mean；　exactly。　

I　will　turn　it　over　in　my　mind。　　Could　you　bring　Jim　to　see　me？〃



〃I'll　try；　sir。　　But　they　don't　mind　me　much。　　They　think　I'm　silly；〃

added　Diamond；　with　one　of　his　sweetest　smiles。



What　Mr。　Raymond　thought；　I　dare　hardly　attempt　to　put　down　here。　

But　one　part　of　it　was；　that　the　highest　wisdom　must　ever　appear　folly

to　those　who　do　not　possess　it。



〃I　think　he　would　come　thoughafter　dark；　you　know；〃　Diamond　continued。　

〃He　does　well　at　shining　boots。　　People's　kind　to　lame　boys；

you　know；　sir。　　But　after　dark；　there　ain't　so　much　doing。〃



Diamond　succeeded　in　bringing　Jim　to　Mr。　Raymond；　and　the　consequence

was　that　he　resolved　to　give　the　boy　a　chance。　　He　provided

new　clothes　for　both　him　and　Nanny；　and　upon　a　certain　day；

Joseph　took　his　wife　and　three　children；　and　Nanny　and　Jim；

by　train　to　a　certain　station　in　the　county　of　Kent；　where　they

found　a　cart　waiting　to　carry　them　and　their　luggage　to　The　Mound；

which　was　the　name　of　Mr。　Raymond's　new　residence。　　I　will　not

describe　the　varied　feelings　of　the　party　as　they　went；　or　when

they　arrived。　　All　I　will　say　is；　that　Diamond；　who　is　my　only　care；

was　full　of　quiet　delighta　gladness　too　deep　to　talk　about。



Joseph　returned　to　town　the　same　night；　and　the　next　morning　drove

Ruby　and　Diamond　down；　with　the　carriage　behind　them；　and　Mr。　Raymond

and　a　lady　in　the　carriage。　　For　Mr。　Raymond　was　an　old　bachelor

no　longer：　　he　was　bringing　his　wife　with　him　to　live　at　The　Mound。　

The　moment　Nanny　saw　her；　she　recognised　her　as　the　lady　who　had　lent

her　the　ruby…ring。　That　ring　had　been　given　her　by　Mr。　Raymond。



The　weather　was　very　hot；　and　the　woods　very　shadowy。　　There　were　not

a　great　many　wild　flowers；　for　it　was　getting　well　towards　autumn；

and　the　most　of　the　wild　flowers　rise　early　to　be　before　the　leaves；

because　if　they　did　not；　they　would　never　get　a　glimpse　of　the　sun

for　them。　　So　they　have　their　fun　over；　and　are　ready　to　go　to　bed

again　by　the　time　the　trees　are　dressed。　　But　there　was　plenty　of

the　loveliest　grass　and　daisies　about　the　house；　and　Diamond's　chief

pleasure　seemed　to　be　to　lie　amongst　them；　and　breathe　the　pure　air。　

But　all　the　time；　he　was　dreaming　of　the　country　at　the　back　of　the

north　wind；　and　trying　to　recall　the　songs　the　river　used　to　sing。　

For　this　was　more　like　being　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind　than

anything　he　had　known　since　he　left　it。　　Sometimes　he　would　have

his　little　brother；　sometimes　his　little　sister；　and　sometimes

both　of　them　in　the　grass　with　him；　and　then　he　felt　just　like

a　cat　with　her　first　kittens；　he　said；　only　he　couldn't　purr

all　he　could　do　was　to　sing。



These　were　very　different　times　from　those　when　he　used　to　drive

the　cab；　but　you　must　not　suppose　that　Diamond　was　idle。　

He　did　not　do　so　much　for　his　mother　now；　because　Nanny　occupied

his　former　place；　but　he　helped　his　father　still；　both　in　the　stable

and　the　harness…room；　and　generally　went　with　him　on　the　box　that　he

might　learn　to　drive　a　pair；　and　be　ready　to　open　the　carriage…door。

Mr。　Raymond　advised　his　father　to　give　him　plenty　of　liberty。



〃A　boy　like　that；〃　he　said；　〃ought　not　to　be　pushed。〃



Joseph　assented　heartily；　smiling　to　himself　at　the　idea　of

pushing　Diamond。　　After　doing　everything　that　fell　to　his　share；

the　boy　had　a　wealth　of　time　at　his　disposal。　　And　a　happy；

sometimes　a　merry　time　it　was。　　Only　for　two　months　or　so；

he　neither　saw　nor　heard　anything　of　North　Wind。







CHAPTER　XXXV



I　MAKE　DIAMOND'S　ACQUAINTANCE





MR。　　RAYMOND'S　house　was　called　The　Mound；　because　it　stood　upon

a　little　steep　knoll；　so　smooth　and　symmetrical　that　it　showed

itself　at　once　to　be　artificial。　　It　had；　beyond　doubt；　been　built

for　Queen　Elizabeth　as　a　hunting　towera　place；　namely；　from　the

top　of　which　you　could　see　the　country　for　miles　on　all　sides；

and　so　be　able　to　follow　with　your　eyes　the　flying　deer　and　the

pursuing　hounds　and　horsemen。　　The　mound　had　been　cast　up　to　give

a　good　basement…advantage　over　the　neighbouring　heights　and　woods。　

There　was　a　great　quarry…hole　not　far　off；　brim…full　of　water；

from　which；　as　the　current　legend　stated；　the　materials　forming

the　heart　of　the　mounda　kind　of　stone　unfit　for　building

had　been　dug。　　The　house　itself　was　of　brick；　and　they　said　the

foundations　were　first　laid　in　the　natural　level；　and　then　the

stones　and　earth　of　the　mound　were　heaped　about　and　between　them；

so　that　its　great　height　should　be　well　buttressed。



Joseph　and　his　wife　lived　in　a　little　cottage　a　short　way　from　the　house。　

It　was　a　real　cottage；　with　a　roof　of　thick　thatch；　which；　in　June

and　July；　the　wind　sprinkled　with　the　red　and　white　petals　it　shook

from　the　loose　topmost　sprays　of　the　rose…trees　climbing　the　walls。　

At　first　Diamond　had　a　nest　under　this　thatcha　pretty　little　room

with　white　muslin　curtains；　but　afterwards　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Raymond

wanted　to　have　him　for　a　page　in　the　house；　and　his　father　and　mother

were　quite　pleased　to　have　him　employed　without　his　leaving　them。　

So　he　was　dressed　in　a　suit　of　blue；　from　which　his　pale　face

and　fair　hair　came　out　like　the　loveliest　blossom；　and　took　up　his

abode　in　the　house。



〃Would　you　be　afraid　to　sleep　alone；　Diamond？〃　asked　his　mistress。



〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean；　ma'am；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　never　was

afraid　of　anything　that　I　can　recollectnot　much；　at　least。〃



〃There's　a　little　room　at　the　top　of　the　houseall　alone；〃

she　returned；　〃perhaps　you　would　not　mind　sleeping　there？〃



〃I　can　sleep　anywhere；　and　I　like　best　to　be　high　up。　　Should　I

be　able　to　see　out？〃



〃I　will　show　you　the　place；〃　she　answered；　and　taking　him　by　the　hand；

she　led　him　up　and　up　the　oval…winding　stair　in　one　of　the　two　towers。



Near　the　top　they　entered　a　tiny　little　room；　with　two　windows

from　which　you　could　see　over　the　whole　country。　　Diamond　clapped

his　hands　with　delight。



〃You　would　like　this　room；　then；　Diamond？〃　said　his　mistress。



〃It's　the　grandest　room　in　the　house；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　shall

be　near　the　stars；　and　yet　not　far　from　the　tops　of　the　trees。　

That's　just　what　I　like。〃



I　daresay　he　thought；　also；　that　it　would　be　a　nice　place　for　North

Wind　to　call　at