the little lame prince-第2节

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or　the　King　shall　be　informed　immediately。〃

〃The　King　knows　nothing　of　me；　more's　the　pity；〃　replied　the　old　woman；　with　an　indifferent　air；　as　if　she　thought　the　loss　was　more　on　his　Majesty's　side　than　hers。　〃My　friend　in　the　palace　is　the　King's　wife。〃

〃King's　have　not　wives；　but　queens；〃　said　the　lady　nurse；　with　a　contemptuous　air。

〃You　are　right；〃　replied　the　old　woman。　〃Nevertheless　I　know　her　Majesty　well；　and　I　love　her　and　her　child。　Andsince　you　dropped　him　on　the　marble　stairs　（this　she　said　in　a　mysterious　whisper；　which　made　the　young　lady　tremble　in　spite　of　her　anger）I　choose　to　take　him　for　my　own；　and　be　his　godmother；　ready　to　help　him　whenever　he　wants　me。〃

〃You　help　him！〃　cried　all　the　group　breaking　into　shouts　of　laughter；　to　which　the　little　old　woman　paid　not　the　slightest　attention。　Her　soft　gray　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　Prince；　who　seemed　to　answer　to　the　look；　smiling　again　and　again　in　the　causeless；　aimless　fashion　that　babies　do　smile。

〃His　Majesty　must　hear　of　this；〃　said　a　gentleman…in…waiting。

〃His　Majesty　will　hear　quite　enough　news　in　a　minute　or　two；〃　said　the　old　woman　sadly。　And　again　stretching　up　to　the　little　Prince；　she　kissed　him　on　the　forehead　solemnly。

〃Be　called　by　a　new　name　which　nobody　has　ever　thought　of。　Be　Prince　Dolor；　in　memory　of　your　mother　Dolorez。〃

〃In　memory　of！〃　Everybody　started　at　the　ominous　phrase；　and　also　at　a　most　terrible　breach　of　etiquette　which　the　old　woman　had　committed。　In　Nomansland；　neither　the　king　nor　the　queen　was　supposed　to　have　any　Christian　name　at　all。　They　dropped　it　on　their　coronation　day；　and　it　never　was　mentioned　again　till　it　was　engraved　on　their　coffins　when　they　died。

〃Old　woman；　you　are　exceedingly　ill…bred；〃　cried　the　eldest　lady…in…waiting；　much　horrified。　〃How　you　could　know　the　fact　passes　my　comprehension。　But　even　if　you　did　know　it；　how　dared　you　presume　to　hint　that　her　most　gracious　Majesty　is　called　Dolorez？〃

〃WAS　called　Dolorez；〃　said　the　old　woman；　with　a　tender　solemnity。

The　first　gentleman；　called　the　Gold…stick…in…　waiting；　raised　it　to　strike　her；　and　all　the　rest　stretched　out　their　hands　to　seize　her；　but　the　gray　mantle　melted　from　between　their　fingers　like　air；　and；　before　anybody　had　time　to　do　anything　more；　there　came　a　heavy；　muffled；　startling　sound。

The　great　bell　of　the　palace　the　bell　which　was　only　heard　on　the　death　of　some　one　of　the　royal　family；　and　for　as　many　times　as　he　or　she　was　years　oldbegan　to　toll。　They　listened；　mute　and　horror…stricken。　Some　one　counted：　onetwothreefourup　to　nine…and…twenty　just　the　Queen's　age。

It　was；　indeed；　the　Queen。　Her　Majesty　was　dead！　In　the　midst　of　the　festivities　she　had　slipped　away　out　of　her　new　happiness　and　her　old　sufferings；　not　few　nor　small。　Sending　away　all　her　women　to　see　the　grand　sight；at　least　they　said　afterward；　in　excuse；　that　she　had　done　so；　and　it　was　very　like　her　to　do　it；she　had　turned　with　her　face　to　the　window；　whence　one　could　just　see　the　tops　of　the　distant　mountains　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　as　they　were　called　where　she　was　born。　So　gazing；　she　had　quietly　died。

When　the　little　Prince　was　carried　back　to　his　mother's　room；　there　was　no　mother　to　kiss　him。　And；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　there　would　be　for　him　no　mother's　kiss　any　more。　As　for　his　godmother；the　little　old　woman　in　gray　who　called　herself　so；whether　she　melted　into　air；　like　her　gown　when　they　touched　it；　or　whether　she　flew　out　of　the　chapel　window；　or　slipped　through　the　doorway　among　the　bewildered　crowd；　nobody　knewnobody　ever　thought　about　her。

Only　the　nurse；　the　ordinary　homely　one；　coming　out　of　the　Prince's　nursery　in　the　middle　of　the　night　in　search　of　a　cordial　to　quiet　his　continual　moans；　saw；　sitting　in　the　doorway；　something　which　she　would　have　thought　a　mere　shadow；　had　she　not　seen　shining　out　of　it　two　eyes；　gray　and　soft　and　sweet。　She　put　her　hand　before　her　own；　screaming　loudly。　When　she　took　them　away　the　old　woman　was　gone。



CHAPTER　II

Everybody　was　very　kind　to　the　poor　little　prince。　I　think　people　generally　are　kind　to　motherless　children；　whether　princes　or　peasants。　He　had　a　magnificent　nursery　and　a　regular　suite　of　attendants；　and　was　treated　with　the　greatest　respect　and　state。　Nobody　was　allowed　to　talk　to　him　in　silly　baby　language；　or　dandle　him；　or；　above　all　to　kiss　him；　though　perhaps　some　people　did　it　surreptitiously；　for　he　was　such　a　sweet　baby　that　it　was　difficult　to　help　it。

It　could　not　be　said　that　the　Prince　missed　his　motherchildren　of　his　age　cannot　do　that；　but　somehow　after　she　died　everything　seemed　to　go　wrong　with　him。　From　a　beautiful　baby　he　became　sickly　and　pale；　seeming　to　have　almost　ceased　growing；　especially　in　his　legs；　which　had　been　so　fat　and　strong。

But　after　the　day　of　his　christening　they　withered　and　shrank；　he　no　longer　kicked　them　out　either　in　passion　or　play；　and　when；　as　he　got　to　be　nearly　a　year　old；　his　nurse　tried　to　make　him　stand　upon　them；　he　only　tumbled　down。

This　happened　so　many　times　that　at　last　people　began　to　talk　about　it。　A　prince；　and　not　able　to　stand　on　his　own　legs！　What　a　dreadful　thing！　What　a　misfortune　for　the　country！

Rather　a　misfortune　to　him　also；　poor　little　boy！　but　nobody　seemed　to　think　of　that。　And　when；　after　a　while；　his　health　revived；　and　the　old　bright　look　came　back　to　his　sweet　little　face；　and　his　body　grew　larger　and　stronger；　though　still　his　legs　remained　the　same；　people　continued　to　speak　of　him　in　whispers；　and　with　grave　shakes　of　the　head。　Everybody　knew；　though　nobody　said　it；　that　something；　it　was　impossible　to　guess　what；　was　not　quite　right　with　the　poor　little　Prince。

Of　course；　nobody　hinted　this　to　the　King　his　father：　it　does　not　do　to　tell　great　people　anything　unpleasant。　And　besides；　his　Majesty　took　very　little　notice　of　his　son；　or　of　his　other　affairs；　beyond　the　necessary　duties　of　his　kingdom。

People　had　said　he　would　not　miss　the　Queen　at　all；　she　having　been　so　long　an　invalid；　but　he　did。　After　her　death　he　never　was　quite　the　same。　He　established　himself　in　her　empty　rooms；　the　only　rooms　in　the　palace　whence　one　could　see　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　and　was　often　observed　looking　at　them　as　if　he　thought　she　had　flown　away　thither；　and　that　his　longing　could　bring　her　back　again。　And　by　a　curious　coincidence；　which　nobody　dared　inquire　into；　he　desired　that　the　Prince　might　be　called；　not　by　any　of　the　four…and…twenty　grand　names　given　him　by　his　godfathers　and　godmothers；　but　by　the　identical　name　mentioned　by　the　little　old　woman　in　grayDolor；　after　his　mother　Dolorez。

Once　a　week；　according　to　established　state　custom；　the　Prince；　dressed　in　his　very　best；　was　brought　to　the　King　his　father　for　half　an　hour；　but　his　Majesty　was　generally　too　ill　and　too　melancholy　to　pay　much　heed　to　the　child。

Only　once；　when　he　and　the　Crown…Prince；　who　was　exceedingly　attentive　to　his　royal　brother；　were　sitting　together；　with　Prince　Dolor　playing　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　dragging　himself　about　with　his　arms　rather　than　his　legs；　and　sometimes　trying　feebly　to　crawl　from　one　chair　to　another；　it　seemed　to　strike　the　father　that　all　was　not　right　with　his　son。

〃How　old　is　his　Royal　Highness？〃　said　he　suddenly　to　the　nurse。

〃Two　years；　three　months；　and　five　days；　please　your　Majesty。〃

〃It　does　not　please　me；〃　said　the　King；　with　a　sigh。　〃He　ought　to　be　far　more　forward　than　he　is　now　ought　he　not；　brother？　You；　who　have　so　many　children；　must　know。　Is　there　not　something　wrong　about　him？〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　Crown…Prince；　exchanging　meaning　looks　with　the　nurse；　who　did　not　understand　at　all；　but　stood　frightened　and　trembling　with　the　tears　in　her　eyes。　〃Nothing　to　make　your　Majesty　at　all　uneasy。　No　doubt　his　Royal　Highness　will　outgrow　it　in　time。〃

〃Outgrowwhat？〃

〃A　slight　delicacyahem！in　the　spine；　something　inherited；　perhaps；　from　his　dear　mother。〃

〃Ah；　she　was　always　delicate；　but　she　was　the　sweetest　woman　that　ever　lived。　Come　here；　my　little　son。〃

And　as　the　Prince　turned　round　upon　his　father　a　small；　sweet；　grave　face；so　like　his　mother's；his　Majesty　the　King　smiled　and　held　out　his　arms。　But　when　the　boy　came　to　him；　not　running　like　a　boy；　but　wriggling　awkwardly　along　the　floor；　the　royal　countenance　clouded　over。

〃I　ought　to　have　been　told　of　this。　It　is　terribleterrible！　And　for　a　prince　too。　Send　for　all　the　doctors　in　my　kingdom　immediately。〃

They　came；　and　each　gave　a　different　opinion　and　ordered　a　different　mode　of　treatment。　The　only　thing　they　agreed　in　was　what　had　been　pretty　well　known　before；　that　the　Prince　must　have　been　hurt　when　he　was　an　infantlet　fall；　perhaps；　so　as　to　injure　his　spine　and　lower　limbs。　Did　nobody　remember？

No；　nobody。　Indignantly；　all　the　nurses　denied　that　any　such　accident　had　happened；　was　possible　to　have　happened；　until　the　faithful　country　nurse　recollected　that　it　really　had　happened　on　the　day　of　the　christening。　For　which　unluckily　good　memory　all　the　others　scolded　her　so　severely　that　she　had　no　peace　of　her　life；　and　soon　after；　by　the　influence　of　the　young　lady　nurse　who　had　carried　the　baby　that　fatal　day；　and　who　was　a　sort　of　connection　of　the　Crown…　Princebeing　his　wi