the little white bird-第14节

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I　made　this　nurse　the　following　offer：　If　she　would　bring　the

dilatory　boy　to　my　rooms　and　leave　him　there　for　half　an　hour　I

would　look　at　him。　　At　first　Mary；　to　whom　the　offer　was　passed

on；　rejected　it　with　hauteur；　but　presently　she　wavered；　and　the

upshot　was　that　Irene；　looking　scornful　and　anxious；　arrived　one

day　with　the　perambulator。　　Without　casting　eyes　on　its　occupant；

I　pointed　Irene　to　the　door：　〃In　half…an…hour；〃　I　said。



She　begged　permission　to　remain；　and　promised　to　turn　her　back；

and　so　on；　but　I　was　obdurate；　and　she　then　delivered　herself　of

a　passionately　affectionate　farewell　to　her　charge；　which　was

really　all　directed　against　me；　and　ended　with　these　powerful

words：　〃And　if　he　takes　off　your　socks；　my　pretty；　may　he　be

blasted　for　evermore。〃



〃I　shall　probably　take　off　her　socks；〃　I　said　carelessly　to　this。



Her　socks。　　Do　you　see　what　made　Irene　scream？



〃It　is　a　girl；　is　it　not？〃　I　asked；　thus　neatly　depriving　her　of

coherent　speech　as　I　pushed　her　to　the　door。　　I　then　turned　round

toto　begin；　and；　after　reflecting；　I　began　by　sitting　down

behind　the　hood　of　his　carriage。　　My　plan　was　to　accustom　him　to

his　new　surroundings　before　bursting　on　the　scene　myself。



I　had　various　thoughts。　　Was　he　awake？　　If　not；　better　let　him

wake　naturally。　　Half…an…hour　was　a　long　time。　　Why　had　I　not

said　quarter…of…an…hour？　　Anon；　I　saw　that　if　I　was　to　sit　there

much　longer　I　should　have　said　an　hour；　so　I　whistled　softly；　but

he　took　no　notice。　　I　remember　trying　to　persuade　myself　that　if

I　never　budged　till　Irene's　return；　it　would　be　an　amusing

triumph　over　Mary。　　I　coughed；　but　still　there　was　no　response。　

Abruptly；　the　fear　smote　me。　　Perhaps　he　is　not　there。



I　rose　hastily；　and　was　striding　forward；　when　I　distinctly

noticed　a　covert　movement　somewhere　near　the　middle　of　the

carriage；　and　heard　a　low　gurgle；　which　was　instantly　suppressed。

I　stopped　dead　at　this　sharp　reminder　that　I　was　probably　not　the

only　curious　person　in　the　room；　and　for　a　long　moment　we　both

lay　low；　after　which；　I　am　glad　to　remember；　I　made　the　first

advance。　Earlier　in　the　day　I　had　arranged　some　likely　articles

on　a　side…　table：　my　watch　and　chain；　my　bunch　of　keys；　and　two

war…medals　for　plodding　merit；　and　with　a　glance　at　these　（as

something　to　fall　back　upon）；　I　stepped　forward　doggedly；　looking

（I　fear　now）　a　little　like　a　professor　of　legerdemain。　　David　was

sitting　up；　and　he　immediately　fixed　his　eyes　on　me。



It　would　ill　become　me　to　attempt　to　describe　this　dear　boy　to

you；　for　of　course　I　know　really　nothing　about　children；　so　I

shall　say　only　this；　that　I　thought　him　very　like　what　Timothy

would　have　been　had　he　ever　had　a　chance。



I　to　whom　David　had　been　brought　for　judgment；　now　found　myself

being　judged　by　him；　and　this　rearrangement　of　the　pieces　seemed

so　natural　that　I　felt　no　surprise；　I　felt　only　a　humble　craving

to　hear　him　signify　that　I　would　do。　　I　have　stood　up　before

other　keen　judges　and　deceived　them　all；　but　I　made　no　effort　to

deceive　David；　I　wanted　to；　but　dared　not。　　Those　unblinking　eyes

were　too　new　to　the　world　to　be　hooded　by　any　of　its　tricks。　　In

them　I　saw　my　true　self。　　They　opened　for　me　that　pedler's　pack

of　which　I　have　made　so　much　ado；　and　I　found　that　it　was

weighted　less　with　pretty　little　sad　love…tokens　than　with

ignoble　thoughts　and　deeds　and　an　unguided　life。　　I　looked

dejectedly　at　David；　not　so　much；　I　think；　because　I　had　such　a

sorry　display　for　him；　as　because　I　feared　he　would　not　have　me

in　his　service。　　I　seemed　to　know　that　he　was　making　up　his　mind

once　and　for　all。



And　in　the　end　he　smiled；　perhaps　only　because　I　looked　so

frightened；　but　the　reason　scarcely　mattered　to　me；　I　felt　myself

a　fine　fellow　at　once。　　It　was　a　long　smile；　too；　opening　slowly

to　its　fullest　extent　（as　if　to　let　me　in）；　and　then　as　slowly

shutting。



Then；　to　divert　me　from　sad　thoughts；　or　to　rivet　our　friendship；

or　because　the　time　had　come　for　each　of　us　to　show　the　other

what　he　could　do；　he　immediately　held　one　foot　high　in　the　air。　

This　made　him　slide　down　the　perambulator；　and　I　saw　at　once　that

it　was　very　necessary　to　replace　him。　　But　never　before　had　I

come　into　such　close　contact　with　a　child；　the　most　I　had　ever

done　was；　when　they　were　held　up　to　me；　to　shut　my　eyes　and　kiss

a　vacuum。　　David；　of　course；　though　no　doubt　he　was　eternally

being　replaced；　could　tell　as　little　as　myself　how　it　was

contrived；　and　yet　we　managed　it　between　us　quite　easily。　　His

body　instinctively　assumed　a　certain　position　as　I　touched　him；

which　compelled　my　arms　to　fall　into　place；　and　the　thing　was

done。　　I　felt　absurdly　pleased；　but　he　was　already　considering

what　he　should　do　next。



He　again　held　up　his　foot；　which　had　a　gouty　appearance　owing　to

its　being　contained　in　a　dumpy　little　worsted　sock；　and　I　thought

he　proposed　to　repeat　his　first　performance；　but　in　this　I　did

him　an　injustice；　for；　unlike　Porthos；　he　was　one　who　scorned　to

do　the　same　feat　twice；　perhaps；　like　the　conjurors；　he　knew　that

the　audience　were　more　on　the　alert　the　second　time。



I　discovered　that　he　wanted　me　to　take　off　his　sock！



Remembering　Irene's　dread　warnings　on　this　subject　I　must　say

that　I　felt　uneasy。　　Had　he　heard　her；　and　was　he　daring　me？　　And

what　dire　thing　could　happen　if　the　sock　was　removed？　　I　sought

to　reason　with　him；　but　he　signed　to　me　to　look　sharp；　and　I

removed　the　sock。　　The　part　of　him　thus　revealed　gave　David

considerable　pleasure；　but　I　noticed；　as　a　curious　thing；　that　he

seemed　to　have　no　interest　in　the　other　foot。



However；　it　was　not　there　merely　to　be　looked　at；　for　after

giving　me　a　glance　which　said　〃Now　observe！〃　he　raised　his　bare

foot　and　ran　his　mouth　along　the　toes；　like　one　playing　on　a

barbaric　instrument。　　He　then　tossed　his　foot　aside；　smiled　his

long　triumphant　smile　and　intimated　that　it　was　now　my　turn　to　do

something。　　I　thought　the　best　thing　I　could　do　would　be　to　put

his　sock　on　him　again；　but　as　soon　as　I　tried　to　do　so　I

discovered　why　Irene　had　warned　me　so　portentously　against　taking

it　off。　　I　should　say　that　she　had　trouble　in　socking　him　every

morning。



Nevertheless　I　managed　to　slip　it　on　while　he　was　debating　what

to　do　with　my　watch。　　I　bitterly　regretted　that　I　could　do

nothing　with　it　myself；　put　it　under　a　wine…glass；　for　instance；

and　make　it　turn　into　a　rabbit；　which　so　many　people　can　do。　　In

the　meantime　David；　occupied　with　similar　thoughts；　very　nearly

made　it　disappear　altogether；　and　I　was　thankful　to　be　able　to

pull　it　back　by　the　chain。



〃Haw…haw…haw！〃



Thus　he　commented　on　his　new　feat；　but　it　was　also　a　reminder　to

me；　a　trifle　cruel；　that　he　was　not　my　boy。　　After　all；　you　see；

Mary　had　not　given　him　the　whole　of　his　laugh。　　The　watch　said

that　five　and　twenty　minutes　had　passed；　and　looking　out　I　saw

Irene　at　one　end　of　the　street　staring　up　at　my　window；　and　at

the　other　end　Mary's　husband　staring　up　at　my　window；　and　beneath

me　Mary　staring　up　at　my　window。　　They　had　all　broken　their

promise。



I　returned　to　David；　and　asked　him　in　a　low　voice　whether　he

would　give　me　a　kiss。　　He　shook　his　head　about　six　times；　and　I

was　in　despair。　　Then　the　smile　came；　and　I　knew　that　he　was

teasing　me　only。　　He　now　nodded　his　head　about　six　times。



This　was　the　prettiest　of　all　his　exploits。　　It　was　so　pretty

that；　contrary　to　his　rule；　he　repeated　it。　　I　had　held　out　my

arms　to　him；　and　first　he　shook　his　head；　and　then　after　a　long

pause　（to　frighten　me）；　he　nodded　it。



But　no　sooner　was　he　in　my　arms　than　I　seemed　to　see　Mary　and　her

husband　and　Irene　bearing　down　upon　my　chambers　to　take　him　from

me；　and　acting　under　an　impulse　I　whipped　him　into　the

perambulator　and　was　off　with　it　without　a　license　down　the　back

staircase。　　To　the　Kensington　Gardens　we　went；　it　may　have　been

Manitoba　we　started　for；　but　we　arrived　at　the　Kensington

Gardens；　and　it　had　all　been　so　unpremeditated　and　smartly

carried　out　that　I　remember　clapping　my　hand　to　my　head　in　the

street；　to　make　sure　that　I　was　wearing　a　hat。



I　watched　David　to　see　what　he　thought　of　it；　and　he　had　not　yet

made　up　his　mind。　　Strange　to　say；　I　no　longer　felt　shy。　　I　was

grown　suddenly　indifferent　to　public　comment；　and　my　elation

increased　when　I　discovered　that　I　was　being　pursued。　　They　drew

a　cordon　round　me　near　Margot　Meredith's　tree；　but　I　broke

through　it　by　a　strategic　movement　to　the　south；　and　was　next

heard　of　in　the　Baby's　Walk。　　They　held　both　ends　of　this

passage；　and　then　thought　to　close　on　me；　but　I　slipped　through

their　fingers　by　doubling　up　Bunting's　Thumb　into　Picnic　Street。　

Cowering　at　St。　Govor's　Well；　we　saw　them　rush　distractedly　up

the　Hump；　and　when　they　had　crossed　to　the　Round　Pond　we　paraded

gaily　in　the　Broad　Walk；　not　feeling　the　tiniest　bit　sorry　for

anybody。