the little white bird-第3节

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post…　office　and　sees　him。　　Then　she　looks　straight　before　her；

and　now　she　is　observed；　and　he　rushes　across　to　her　in　a　glory；

and　she　startspositively　startsas　if　he　had　taken　her　by

surprise。　Observe　her　hand　rising　suddenly　to　her　wicked　little

heart。　　This　is　the　moment　when　I　stir　my　coffee　violently。　　He

gazes　down　at　her　in　such　rapture　that　he　is　in　everybody's　way；

and　as　she　takes　his　arm　she　gives　it　a　little　squeeze；　and　then

away　they　strut；　Mary　doing　nine…tenths　of　the　talking。　　I　fall

to　wondering　what　they　will　look　like　when　they　grow　up。



What　a　ludicrous　difference　do　these　two　nobodies　make　to　each

other。　　You　can　see　that　they　are　to　be　married　when　he　has

twopence。



Thus　I　have　not　an　atom　of　sympathy　with　this　girl；　to　whom

London　is　famous　only　as　the　residence　of　a　young　man　who

mistakes　her　for　someone　else；　but　her　happiness　had　become　part

of　my　repast　at　two　P。M。；　and　when　one　day　she　walked　down　Pall

Mall　without　gradually　posting　a　letter　I　was　most　indignant。　　It

was　as　if　William　had　disobeyed　orders。　　Her　two　charges　were　as

surprised　as　I；　and　pointed　questioningly　to　the　slit；　at　which

she　shook　her　head。　　She　put　her　finger　to　her　eyes；　exactly　like

a　sad　baby；　and　so　passed　from　the　street。



Next　day　the　same　thing　happened；　and　I　was　so　furious　that　I　bit

through　my　cigarette。　　Thursday　came；　when　I　prayed　that　there

might　be　an　end　of　this　annoyance；　but　no；　neither　of　them

appeared　on　that　acquainted　ground。　　Had　they　changed　their　post…

office？　　No；　for　her　eyes　were　red　every　day；　and　heavy　was　her

foolish　little　heart。　　Love　had　put　out　his　lights；　and　the

little　nursery　governess　walked　in　darkness。



I　felt　I　could　complain　to　the　committee。



Oh；　you　selfish　young　zany　of　a　man；　after　all　you　have　said　to

her；　won't　you　make　it　up　and　let　me　return　to　my　coffee？　　Not

he。



Little　nursery　governess；　I　appeal　to　you。　　Annoying　girl；　be

joyous　as　of　old　during　the　five　minutes　of　the　day　when　you　are

anything　to　me；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　time；　so　far　as　I　am

concerned；　you　may　be　as　wretched　as　you　list。　　Show　some

courage。　I　assure　you　he　must　be　a　very　bad　painter；　only　the

other　day　I　saw　him　looking　longingly　into　the　window　of　a　cheap

Italian　restaurant；　and　in　the　end　he　had　to　crush　down　his

aspirations　with　two　penny　scones。



You　can　do　better　than　that。　　Come；　Mary。



All　in　vain。　　She　wants　to　be　loved；　can't　do　without　love　from

morning　till　night；　never　knew　how　little　a　woman　needs　till　she

lost　that　little。　　They　are　all　like　this。



Zounds；　madam；　if　you　are　resolved　to　be　a　drooping　little　figure

till　you　die；　you　might　at　least　do　it　in　another　street。



Not　only　does　she　maliciously　depress　me　by　walking　past　on

ordinary　days；　but　I　have　discovered　that　every　Thursday　from　two

to　three　she　stands　afar　off；　gazing　hopelessly　at　the　romantic

post…office　where　she　and　he　shall　meet　no　more。　　In　these　windy

days　she　is　like　a　homeless　leaf　blown　about　by　passers…by。



There　is　nothing　I　can　do　except　thunder　at　William。



At　last　she　accomplished　her　unworthy　ambition。　　It　was　a　wet

Thursday；　and　from　the　window　where　I　was　writing　letters　I　saw

the　forlorn　soul　taking　up　her　position　at　the　top　of　the　street：

in　a　blast　of　fury　I　rose　with　the　one　letter　I　had　completed；

meaning　to　write　the　others　in　my　chambers。　　She　had　driven　me

from　the　club。



I　had　turned　out　of　Pall　Mall　into　a　side　street；　when　whom

should　I　strike　against　but　her　false　swain！　　It　was　my　fault；

but　I　hit　out　at　him　savagely；　as　I　always　do　when　I　run　into

anyone　in　the　street。　　Then　I　looked　at　him。　　He　was　hollow…eyed；

he　was　muddy；　there　was　not　a　haw　left　in　him。　　I　never　saw　a

more　abject　young　man；　he　had　not　even　the　spirit　to　resent　the

testy　stab　I　had　given　him　with　my　umbrella。　　But　this　is　the

important　thing：　he　was　glaring　wistfully　at　the　post…office　and

thus　in　a　twink　I　saw　that　he　still　adored　my　little　governess。　

Whatever　had　been　their　quarrel　he　was　as　anxious　to　make　it　up

as　she；　and　perhaps　he　had　been　here　every　Thursday　while　she　was

round　the　corner　in　Pall　Mall；　each　watching　the　post…office　for

an　apparition。　　But　from　where　they　hovered　neither　could　see　the

other。



I　think　what　I　did　was　quite　clever。　　I　dropped　my　letter　unseen

at　his　feet；　and　sauntered　back　to　the　club。　　Of　course；　a

gentleman　who　finds　a　letter　on　the　pavement　feels　bound　to　post

it；　and　I　presumed　that　he　would　naturally　go　to　the　nearest

office。



With　my　hat　on　I　strolled　to　the　smoking…room　window；　and　was

just　in　time　to　see　him　posting　my　letter　across　the　way。　　Then　I

looked　for　the　little　nursery　governess。　　I　saw　her　as　woe…begone

as　ever；　then；　suddenlyoh；　you　poor　little　soul；　and　has　it

really　been　as　bad　as　that！



She　was　crying　outright；　and　he　was　holding　both　her　hands。　　It

was　a　disgraceful　exhibition。　　The　young　painter　would　evidently

explode　if　he　could　not　make　use　of　his　arms。　　She　must　die　if

she　could　not　lay　her　head　upon　his　breast。　　I　must　admit　that　he

rose　to　the　occasion；　he　hailed　a　hansom。



〃William；〃　said　I　gaily；　〃coffee；　cigarette；　and　cherry　brandy。〃







As　I　sat　there　watching　that　old　play　David　plucked　my　sleeve　to

ask　what　I　was　looking　at　so　deedily；　and　when　I　told　him　he　ran

eagerly　to　the　window；　but　he　reached　it　just　too　late　to　see　the

lady　who　was　to　become　his　mother。　　What　I　told　him　of　her

doings；　however；　interested　him　greatly；　and　he　intimated　rather

shyly　that　he　was　acquainted　with　the　man　who　said；

〃Haw…haw…haw。〃　　On　the　other　hand；　he　irritated　me　by　betraying

an　idiotic　interest　in　the　two　children；　whom　he　seemed　to　regard

as　the　hero　and　heroine　of　the　story。　　What　were　their　names？　

How　old　were　they？　Had　they　both　hoops？　　Were　they　iron　hoops；　or

just　wooden　hoops？　Who　gave　them　their　hoops？



〃You　don't　seem　to　understand；　my　boy；〃　I　said　tartly；　〃that　had

I　not　dropped　that　letter；　there　would　never　have　been　a　little

boy　called　David　A。〃　　But　instead　of　being　appalled　by　this　he

asked；　sparkling；　whether　I　meant　that　he　would　still　be　a　bird

flying　about　in　the　Kensington　Gardens。



David　knows　that　all　children　in　our　part　of　London　were　once

birds　in　the　Kensington　Gardens；　and　that　the　reason　there　are

bars　on　nursery　windows　and　a　tall　fender　by　the　fire　is　because

very　little　people　sometimes　forget　that　they　have　no　longer

wings；　and　try　to　fly　away　through　the　window　or　up　the　chimney。



Children　in　the　bird　stage　are　difficult　to　catch。　　David　knows

that　many　people　have　none；　and　his　delight　on　a　summer　afternoon

is　to　go　with　me　to　some　spot　in　the　Gardens　where　these

unfortunates　may　be　seen　trying　to　catch　one　with　small　pieces　of

cake。



That　the　birds　know　what　would　happen　if　they　were　caught；　and

are　even　a　little　undecided　about　which　is　the　better　life；　is

obvious　to　every　student　of　them。　　Thus；　if　you　leave　your　empty

perambulator　under　the　trees　and　watch　from　a　distance；　you　will

see　the　birds　boarding　it　and　hopping　about　from　pillow　to

blanket　in　a　twitter　of　excitement；　they　are　trying　to　find　out

how　babyhood　would　suit　them。



Quite　the　prettiest　sight　in　the　Gardens　is　when　the　babies　stray

from　the　tree　where　the　nurse　is　sitting　and　are　seen　feeding　the

birds；　not　a　grownup　near　them。　　It　is　first　a　bit　to　me　and　then

a　bit　to　you；　and　all　the　time　such　a　jabbering　and　laughing　from

both　sides　of　the　railing。　　They　are　comparing　notes　and

inquiring　for　old　friends；　and　so　on；　but　what　they　say　I　cannot

determine；　for　when　I　approach　they　all　fly　away。



The　first　time　I　ever　saw　David　was　on　the　sward　behind　the

Baby's　Walk。　　He　was　a　missel…thrush；　attracted　thither　that　hot

day　by　a　hose　which　lay　on　the　ground　sending　forth　a　gay　trickle

of　water；　and　David　was　on　his　back　in　the　water；　kicking　up　his

legs。　　He　used　to　enjoy　being　told　of　this；　having　forgotten　all

about　it；　and　gradually　it　all　came　back　to　him；　with　a　number　of

other　incidents　that　had　escaped　my　memory；　though　I　remember

that　he　was　eventually　caught　by　the　leg　with　a　long　string　and　a

cunning　arrangement　of　twigs　near　the　Round　Pond。　　He　never　tires

of　this　story；　but　I　notice　that　it　is　now　he　who　tells　it　to　me

rather　than　I　to　him；　and　when　we　come　to　the　string　he　rubs　his

little　leg　as　if　it　still　smarted。



So　when　David　saw　his　chance　of　being　a　missel…thrush　again　he

called　out　to　me　quickly：　〃Don't　drop　the　letter！〃　and　there　were

tree…tops　in　his　eyes。



〃Think　of　your　mother；〃　I　said　severely。



He　said　he　would　often　fly　in　to　see　her。　　The　first　thing　he

would　do　would　be　to　hug　her。　　No；　he　would　alight　on　the　water…

jug　first；　and　have　a　drink。



〃Tell　her；　father；〃　he　said　with　horrid　heartlessness；　〃always　to

have　plenty　of　water　in　it；　'cos　if　I　had　to　lean　down　too　far　I

might　fall　in　and　be　drownded。〃