the little white bird-第29节

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are；　and　he　replied；　〃Thank　you；〃　and　held　out　his　hand；　thinking

she　had　offered　to　put　something　into　it。　　This　was　a　great　shock

to　her；　but　she　felt　she　could　not　explain　without　shaming　him；

so　with　charming　delicacy　she　gave　Peter　a　thimble　which　happened

to　be　in　her　pocket；　and　pretended　that　it　was　a　kiss。　　Poor

little　boy！　he　quite　believed　her；　and　to　this　day　he　wears　it　on

his　finger；　though　there　can　be　scarcely　anyone　who　needs　a

thimble　so　little。　　You　see；　though　still　a　tiny　child；　it　was

really　years　and　years　since　he　had　seen　his　mother；　and　I

daresay　the　baby　who　had　supplanted　him　was　now　a　man　with

whiskers。



But　you　must　not　think　that　Peter　Pan　was　a　boy　to　pity　rather

than　to　admire；　if　Maimie　began　by　thinking　this；　she　soon　found

she　was　very　much　mistaken。　　Her　eyes　glistened　with　admiration

when　he　told　her　of　his　adventures；　especially　of　how　he　went　to

and　fro　between　the　island　and　the　Gardens　in　the　Thrush's　Nest。



〃How　romantic；〃　Maimie　exclaimed；　but　it　was　another　unknown

word；　and　he　hung　his　head　thinking　she　was　despising　him。



〃I　suppose　Tony　would　not　have　done　that？〃　he　said　very　humbly。



〃Never；　never！〃　she　answered　with　conviction；　〃he　would　have　been

afraid。〃



〃What　is　afraid？〃　asked　Peter　longingly。　　He　thought　it　must　be

some　splendid　thing。　　〃I　do　wish　you　would　teach　me　how　to　be

afraid；　Maimie；〃　he　said。



〃I　believe　no　one　could　teach　that　to　you；〃　she　answered

adoringly；　but　Peter　thought　she　meant　that　he　was　stupid。　　She

had　told　him　about　Tony　and　of　the　wicked　thing　she　did　in　the

dark　to　frighten　him　（she　knew　quite　well　that　it　was　wicked）；

but　Peter　misunderstood　her　meaning　and　said；　〃Oh；　how　I　wish　I

was　as　brave　as　Tony。〃



It　quite　irritated　her。　　〃You　are　twenty　thousand　times　braver

than　Tony；〃　she　said；　〃you　are　ever　so　much　the　bravest　boy　I

ever　knew！〃



He　could　scarcely　believe　she　meant　it；　but　when　be　did　believe

he　screamed　with　joy。



〃And　if　you　want　very　much　to　give　me　a　kiss；〃　Maimie　said；　〃you

can　do　it。〃



Very　reluctantly　Peter　began　to　take　the　thimble　off　his　finger。

He　thought　she　wanted　it　back。



〃I　don't　mean　a　kiss；〃　she　said　hurriedly；　〃I　mean　a　thimble。〃



〃What's　that？〃　Peter　asked。



〃It's　like　this；〃　she　said；　and　kissed　him。



〃I　should　love　to　give　you　a　thimble；〃　Peter　said　gravely；　so　he

gave　her　one。　　He　gave　her　quite　a　number　of　thimbles；　and　then　a

delightful　idea　came　into　his　head！　　〃Maimie；〃　he　said；　〃will　you

marry　me？〃



Now；　strange　to　tell；　the　same　idea　had　come　at　exactly　the　same

time　into　Maimie's　head。　　〃I　should　like　to；〃　she　answered；　〃but

will　there　be　room　in　your　boat　for　two？〃



〃If　you　squeeze　close；〃　he　said　eagerly。



〃Perhaps　the　birds　would　be　angry？〃



He　assured　her　that　the　birds　would　love　to　have　her；　though　I　am

not　so　certain　of　it　myself。　　Also　that　there　were　very　few　birds

in　winter。　　〃Of　course　they　might　want　your　clothes；〃　he　had　to

admit　rather　falteringly。



She　was　somewhat　indignant　at　this。



〃They　are　always　thinking　of　their　nests；〃　he　said

apologetically；　〃and　there　are　some　bits　of　you〃he　stroked　the

fur　on　her　pelisse〃that　would　excite　them　very　much。〃



〃They　sha'n't　have　my　fur；〃　she　said　sharply。



〃No；〃　he　said；　still　fondling　it；　however；　〃no！　　Oh；　Maimie；〃　he

said　rapturously；　〃do　you　know　why　I　love　you？　　It　is　because　you

are　like　a　beautiful　nest。〃



Somehow　this　made　her　uneasy。　　〃I　think　you　are　speaking　more

like　a　bird　than　a　boy　now；〃　she　said；　holding　back；　and　indeed

he　was　even　looking　rather　like　a　bird。　　〃After　all；〃　she　said；

〃you　are　only　a　Betwixt…and…Between。〃　　But　it　hurt　him　so　much

that　she　immediately　added；　〃It　must　be　a　delicious　thing　to　be。〃



〃Come　and　be　one　then；　dear　Maimie；〃　he　implored　her；　and　they

set　off　for　the　boat；　for　it　was　now　very　near　Open…Gate　time。　

〃And　you　are　not　a　bit　like　a　nest；〃　he　whispered　to　please　her。



〃But　I　think　it　is　rather　nice　to　be　like　one；〃　she　said　in　a

woman's　contradictory　way。　　〃And；　Peter；　dear；　though　I　can't

give　them　my　fur；　I　wouldn't　mind　their　building　in　it。　　Fancy　a

nest　in　my　neck　with　little　spotty　eggs　in　it！　　Oh；　Peter；　how

perfectly　lovely！〃



But　as　they　drew　near　the　Serpentine；　she　shivered　a　little；　and

said；　〃Of　course　I　shall　go　and　see　mother　often；　quite　often。　

It　is　not　as　if　I　was　saying　good…bye　for　ever　to　mother；　it　is

not　in　the　least　like　that。〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　answered　Peter；　but　in　his　heart　he　knew　it　was　very

like　that；　and　he　would　have　told　her　so　had　he　not　been　in　a

quaking　fear　of　losing　her。　　He　was　so　fond　of　her；　he　felt　he

could　not　live　without　her。　　〃She　will　forget　her　mother　in　time；

and　be　happy　with　me；〃　he　kept　saying　to　himself；　and　he　hurried

her　on；　giving　her　thimbles　by　the　way。



But　even　when　she　had　seen　the　boat　and　exclaimed　ecstatically

over　its　loveliness；　she　still　talked　tremblingly　about　her

mother。　　〃You　know　quite　well；　Peter；　don't　you；〃　she　said；　〃that

I　wouldn't　come　unless　I　knew　for　certain　I　could　go　back　to

mother　whenever　I　want　to？　　Peter；　say　it！〃



He　said　it；　but　he　could　no　longer　look　her　in　the　face。



〃If　you　are　sure　your　mother　will　always　want　you；〃　he　added

rather　sourly。



〃The　idea　of　mother's　not　always　wanting　me！〃　Maimie　cried；　and

her　face　glistened。



〃If　she　doesn't　bar　you　out；〃　said　Peter　huskily。



〃The　door；〃　replied　Maimie；　〃will　always；　always　be　open；　and

mother　will　always　be　waiting　at　it　for　me。〃



〃Then；〃　said　Peter；　not　without　grimness；　〃step　in；　if　you　feel

so　sure　of　her；〃　and　he　helped　Maimie　into　the　Thrush's　Nest。



〃But　why　don't　you　look　at　me？〃　she　asked；　taking　him　by　the　arm。



Peter　tried　hard　not　to　look；　he　tried　to　push　off；　then　he　gave

a　great　gulp　and　jumped　ashore　and　sat　down　miserably　in　the

snow。



She　went　to　him。　　〃What　is　it；　dear；　dear　Peter？〃　she　said；

wondering。



〃Oh；　Maimie；〃　he　cried；　〃it　isn't　fair　to　take　you　with　me　if　you

think　you　can　go　back。　　Your　mother〃he　gulped　again〃you　don't

know　them　as　well　as　I　do。〃



And　then　he　told　her　the　woful　story　of　how　he　had　been　barred

out；　and　she　gasped　all　the　time。　　〃But　my　mother；〃　she　said；　〃my

mother〃



〃Yes；　she　would；〃　said　Peter；　〃they　are　all　the　same。　　I　daresay

she　is　looking　for　another　one　already。〃



Maimie　said　aghast；　〃I　can't　believe　it。　　You　see；　when　you　went

away　your　mother　had　none；　but　my　mother　has　Tony；　and　surely

they　are　satisfied　when　they　have　one。〃



Peter　replied　bitterly；　〃You　should　see　the　letters　Solomon　gets

from　ladies　who　have　six。〃



Just　then　they　heard　a　grating　creak；　followed　by　creak；　creak；

all　round　the　Gardens。　　It　was　the　Opening　of　the　Gates；　and

Peter　jumped　nervously　into　his　boat。　　He　knew　Maimie　would　not

come　with　him　now；　and　he　was　trying　bravely　not　to　cry。　　But

Maimie　was　sobbing　painfully。



〃If　I　should　be　too　late；〃　she　called　in　agony；　〃oh；　Peter；　if

she　has　got　another　one　already！〃



Again　he　sprang　ashore　as　if　she　had　called　him　back。　　〃I　shall

come　and　look　for　you　to…night；〃　he　said；　squeezing　close；　〃but

if　you　hurry　away　I　think　you　will　be　in　time。〃



Then　he　pressed　a　last　thimble　on　her　sweet　little　mouth；　and

covered　his　face　with　his　hands　so　that　he　might　not　see　her　go。



〃Dear　Peter！〃　she　cried。



〃Dear　Maimie！〃　cried　the　tragic　boy。



She　leapt　into　his　arms；　so　that　it　was　a　sort　of　fairy　wedding；

and　then　she　hurried　away。　　Oh；　how　she　hastened　to　the　gates！

Peter；　you　may　be　sure；　was　back　in　the　Gardens　that　night　as

soon　as　Lock…out　sounded；　but　he　found　no　Maimie；　and　so　he　knew

she　had　been　in　time。　　For　long　he　hoped　that　some　night　she

would　come　back　to　him；　often　he　thought　he　saw　her　waiting　for

him　by　the　shore　of　the　Serpentine　as　his　bark　drew　to　land；　but

Maimie　never　went　back。　　She　wanted　to；　but　she　was　afraid　that

if　she　saw　her　dear　Betwixt…and…Between　again　she　would　linger

with　him　too　long；　and　besides　the　ayah　now　kept　a　sharp　eye　on

her。　　But　she　often　talked　lovingly　of　Peter　and　she　knitted　a

kettle…　holder　for　him；　and　one　day　when　she　was　wondering　what

Easter　present　he　would　like；　her　mother　made　a　suggestion。



〃Nothing；〃　she　said　thoughtfully；　〃would　be　so　useful　to　him　as　a

goat。〃



〃He　could　ride　on　it；〃　cried　Maimie；　〃and　play　on　his　pipe　at　the

same　time！〃



〃Then；〃　her　mother　asked；　〃won't　you　give　him　your　goat；　the　one

you　frighten　Tony　with　at　night？〃



〃But　it　isn't　a　real　goat；〃　Maimie　said。



〃It　seems　very　real　to　Tony；〃　replied　her　mother。



〃It　seems　frightfully　real　to　me　too；〃　Maimie　admitted；　〃but　how

could　I　give　it　to　Peter？〃



Her　mother　knew　a　way；　and　next　day；　accompanied　by　Tony　（who　was

really　quite　a　nice　boy；　though　of　course　he　could　not　compare）；

they　went　to　the　Gardens；　and　Maimie　stood　alone　within　a　fairy

ring；