the little white bird-第26节

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ayah！　she　is　the　one　who　laughs　continuously　because　there　are　so

many　white　children　in　the　world；　but　she　was　not　to　laugh　much

more　that　day。



Well；　they　went　up　the　Baby　Walk　and　back；　and　when　they　returned

to　the　time…board　she　was　surprised　to　see　that　it　now　read　five

o'clock　for　closing　time。　　But　she　was　unacquainted　with　the

tricky　ways　of　the　fairies；　and　so　did　not　see　（as　Maimie　and

Tony　saw　at　once）　that　they　had　changed　the　hour　because　there

was　to　be　a　ball　to…night。　　She　said　there　was　only　time　now　to

walk　to　the　top　of　the　Hump　and　back；　and　as　they　trotted　along

with　her　she　little　guessed　what　was　thrilling　their　little

breasts。　　You　see　the　chance　had　come　of　seeing　a　fairy　ball。　

Never；　Tony　felt；　could　he　hope　for　a　better　chance。



He　had　to　feel　this；　for　Maimie　so　plainly　felt　it　for　him。　　Her

eager　eyes　asked　the　question；　〃Is　it　to…day？〃　and　he　gasped　and

then　nodded。　　Maimie　slipped　her　hand　into　Tony's；　and　hers　was

hot；　but　his　was　cold。　　She　did　a　very　kind　thing；　she　took　off

her　scarf　and　gave　it　to　him！　　〃In　case　you　should　feel　cold；〃

she　whispered。　　Her　face　was　aglow；　but　Tony's　was　very　gloomy。



As　they　turned　on　the　top　of　the　Hump　he　whispered　to　her；　〃I'm

afraid　Nurse　would　see　me；　so　I　sha'n't　be　able　to　do　it。〃



Maimie　admired　him　more　than　ever　for　being　afraid　of　nothing　but

their　ayah；　when　there　were　so　many　unknown　terrors　to　fear；　and

she　said　aloud；　〃Tony；　I　shall　race　you　to　the　gate；〃　and　in　a

whisper；　〃Then　you　can　hide；〃　and　off　they　ran。



Tony　could　always　outdistance　her　easily；　but　never　had　she　known

him　speed　away　so　quickly　as　now；　and　she　was　sure　he　hurried

that　he　might　have　more　time　to　hide。　　〃Brave；　brave！〃　her　doting

eyes　were　crying　when　she　got　a　dreadful　shock；　instead　of

hiding；　her　hero　had　run　out　at　the　gate！　　At　this　bitter　sight

Maimie　stopped　blankly；　as　if　all　her　lapful　of　darling　treasures

were　suddenly　spilled；　and　then　for　very　disdain　she　could　not

sob；　in　a　swell　of　protest　against　all　puling　cowards　she　ran　to

St。　Govor's　Well　and　hid　in　Tony's　stead。



When　the　ayah　reached　the　gate　and　saw　Tony　far　in　front　she

thought　her　other　charge　was　with　him　and　passed　out。　　Twilight

came　on；　and　scores　and　hundreds　of　people　passed　out；　including

the　last　one；　who　always　has　to　run　for　it；　but　Maimie　saw　them

not。　　She　had　shut　her　eyes　tight　and　glued　them　with　passionate

tears。　　When　she　opened　them　something　very　cold　ran　up　her　legs

and　up　her　arms　and　dropped　into　her　heart。　　It　was　the　stillness

of　the　Gardens。　　Then　she　heard　clang；　then　from　another　part

clang；　then　clang；　clang　far　away。　　It　was　the　Closing　of　the

Gates。



Immediately　the　last　clang　had　died　away　Maimie　distinctly　heard

a　voice　say；　〃So　that's　all　right。〃　　It　had　a　wooden　sound　and

seemed　to　come　from　above；　and　she　looked　up　in　time　to　see　an

elm　tree　stretching　out　its　arms　and　yawning。



She　was　about　to　say；　〃I　never　knew　you　could　speak！〃　when　a

metallic　voice　that　seemed　to　come　from　the　ladle　at　the　well

remarked　to　the　elm；　〃I　suppose　it　is　a　bit　coldish　up　there？〃

and　the　elm　replied；　〃Not　particularly；　but　you　do　get　numb

standing　so　long　on　one　leg；〃　and　he　flapped　his　arms　vigorously

just　as　the　cabmen　do　before　they　drive　off。　　Maimie　was　quite

surprised　to　see　that　a　number　of　other　tall　trees　were　doing　the

same　sort　of　thing；　and　she　stole　away　to　the　Baby　Walk　and

crouched　observantly　under　a　Minorca　Holly　which　shrugged　its

shoulders　but　did　not　seem　to　mind　her。



She　was　not　in　the　least　cold。　　She　was　wearing　a　russet…coloured

pelisse　and　had　the　hood　over　her　head；　so　that　nothing　of　her

showed　except　her　dear　little　face　and　her　curls。　　The　rest　of

her　real　self　was　hidden　far　away　inside　so　many　warm　garments

that　in　shape　she　seemed　rather　like　a　ball。　　She　was　about　forty

round　the　waist。



There　was　a　good　deal　going　on　in　the　Baby　Walk；　when　Maimie

arrived　in　time　to　see　a　magnolia　and　a　Persian　lilac　step　over

the　railing　and　set　off　for　a　smart　walk。　　They　moved　in　a　jerky

sort　of　way　certainly；　but　that　was　because　they　used　crutches。

An　elderberry　hobbled　across　the　walk；　and　stood　chatting　with

some　young　quinces；　and　they　all　had　crutches。　　The　crutches　were

the　sticks　that　are　tied　to　young　trees　and　shrubs。　　They　were

quite　familiar　objects　to　Maimie；　but　she　had　never　known　what

they　were　for　until　to…night。



She　peeped　up　the　walk　and　saw　her　first　fairy。　　He　was　a　street

boy　fairy　who　was　running　up　the　walk　closing　the　weeping　trees。

The　way　he　did　it　was　this；　he　pressed　a　spring　in　the　trunk　and

they　shut　like　umbrellas；　deluging　the　little　plants　beneath　with

snow。　　〃Oh；　you　naughty；　naughty　child！〃　Maimie　cried

indignantly；　for　she　knew　what　it　was　to　have　a　dripping　umbrella

about　your　ears。



Fortunately　the　mischievous　fellow　was　out　of　earshot；　but　the

chrysanthemums　heard　her；　and　they　all　said　so　pointedly　〃Hoity…

toity；　what　is　this？〃　that　she　had　to　come　out　and　show　herself。

Then　the　whole　vegetable　kingdom　was　rather　puzzled　what　to　do。



〃Of　course　it　is　no　affair　of　ours；〃　a　spindle　tree　said　after

they　had　whispered　together；　〃but　you　know　quite　well　you　ought

not　to　be　here；　and　perhaps　our　duty　is　to　report　you　to　the

fairies；　what　do　you　think　yourself？〃



〃I　think　you　should　not；〃　Maimie　replied；　which　so　perplexed　them

that　they　said　petulantly　there　was　no　arguing　with　her。　　〃I

wouldn't　ask　it　of　you；〃　she　assured　them；　〃if　I　thought　it　was

wrong；〃　and　of　course　after　this　they　could　not　well　carry　tales。

They　then　said；　〃Well…a…day；〃　and　〃Such　is　life！〃　for　they　can　be

frightfully　sarcastic；　but　she　felt　sorry　for　those　of　them　who

had　no　crutches；　and　she　said　good…naturedly；　〃Before　I　go　to　the

fairies'　ball；　I　should　like　to　take　you　for　a　walk　one　at　a

time；　you　can　lean　on　me；　you　know。〃



At　this　they　clapped　their　hands；　and　she　escorted　them　up　to　the

Baby　Walk　and　back　again；　one　at　a　time；　putting　an　arm　or　a

finger　round　the　very　frail；　setting　their　leg　right　when　it　got

too　ridiculous；　and　treating　the　foreign　ones　quite　as

courteously　as　the　English；　though　she　could　not　understand　a

word　they　said。



They　behaved　well　on　the　whole；　though　some　whimpered　that　she

had　not　taken　them　as　far　as　she　took　Nancy　or　Grace　or　Dorothy；

and　others　jagged　her；　but　it　was　quite　unintentional；　and　she

was　too　much　of　a　lady　to　cry　out。　　So　much　walking　tired　her　and

she　was　anxious　to　be　off　to　the　ball；　but　she　no　longer　felt

afraid。　　The　reason　she　felt　no　more　fear　was　that　it　was　now

night…time；　and　in　the　dark；　you　remember；　Maimie　was　always

rather　strange。



They　were　now　loath　to　let　her　go；　for；　〃If　the　fairies　see　you；〃

they　warned　her；　〃they　will　mischief　you；　stab　you　to　death　or

compel　you　to　nurse　their　children　or　turn　you　into　something

tedious；　like　an　evergreen　oak。〃　　As　they　said　this　they　looked

with　affected　pity　at　an　evergreen　oak；　for　in　winter　they　are

very　envious　of　the　evergreens。



〃Oh；　la！〃　replied　the　oak　bitingly；　〃how　deliciously　cosy　it　is

to　stand　here　buttoned　to　the　neck　and　watch　you　poor　naked

creatures　shivering！〃



This　made　them　sulky　though　they　had　really　brought　it　on

themselves；　and　they　drew　for　Maimie　a　very　gloomy　picture　of　the

perils　that　faced　her　if　she　insisted　on　going　to　the　ball。



She　learned　from　a　purple　filbert　that　the　court　was　not　in　its

usual　good　temper　at　present；　the　cause　being　the　tantalising

heart　of　the　Duke　of　Christmas　Daisies。　　He　was　an　Oriental

fairy；　very　poorly　of　a　dreadful　complaint；　namely；　inability　to

love；　and　though　he　had　tried　many　ladies　in　many　lands　he　could

not　fall　in　love　with　one　of　them。　　Queen　Mab；　who　rules　in　the

Gardens；　had　been　confident　that　her　girls　would　bewitch　him；　but

alas；　his　heart；　the　doctor　said；　remained　cold。　　This　rather

irritating　doctor；　who　was　his　private　physician；　felt　the　Duke's

heart　immediately　after　any　lady　was　presented；　and　then　always

shook　his　bald　head　and　murmured；　〃Cold；　quite　cold！〃　　Naturally

Queen　Mab　felt　disgraced；　and　first　she　tried　the　effect　of

ordering　the　court　into　tears　for　nine　minutes；　and　then　she

blamed　the　Cupids　and　decreed　that　they　should　wear　fools'　caps

until　they　thawed　the　Duke's　frozen　heart。



〃How　I　should　love　to　see　the　Cupids　in　their　dear　little　fools'

caps！〃　Maimie　cried；　and　away　she　ran　to　look　for　them　very

recklessly；　for　the　Cupids　hate　to　be　laughed　at。



It　is　always　easy　to　discover　where　a　fairies'　ball　is　being

held；　as　ribbons　are　stretched　between　it　and　all　the　populous

parts　of　the　Gardens；　on　which　those　invited　may　walk　to　the

dance　without　wetting　their　pumps。　　This　night　the　ribbons　were

red　and　looked　very　pretty　on　the　snow。



Maimie　walked　alongside　one　of　them　for　some　distance　without

meeting　anybody；　but　at　last　she　saw　a　fairy　cavalcade

appro