the little lame prince-第4节

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d　it　in　the　mausoleum　with　his　parents。

So　Prince　Dolor　was　seen　no　more。　The　country　went　into　deep　mourning　for　him；　and　then　forgot　him；　and　his　uncle　reigned　in　his　stead。　That　illustrious　personage　accepted　his　crown　with　great　decorum；　and　wore　it　with　great　dignity　to　the　last。　But　whether　he　enjoyed　it　or　not　there　is　no　evidence　to　show。



CHAPTER　III

And　what　of　the　little　lame　Prince；　whom　everybody　seemed　so　easily　to　have　forgotten？

Not　everybody。　There　were　a　few　kind　souls；　mothers　of　families；　who　had　heard　his　sad　story；　and　some　servants　about　the　palace；　who　had　been　familiar　with　his　sweet　ways　these　many　a　time　sighed　and　said；　〃Poor　Prince　Dolor！〃　Or；　looking　at　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　which　were　visible　all　over　Nomansland；　though　few　people　ever　visited　them；　〃Well；　perhaps　his　Royal　Highness　is　better　where　he　is　than　even　there。〃

They　did　not　knowindeed；　hardly　anybody　did　knowthat　beyond　the　mountains；　between　them　and　the　sea；　lay　a　tract　of　country；　barren；　level；　bare；　except　for　short；　stunted　grass；　and　here　and　there　a　patch　of　tiny　flowers。　Not　a　bushnot　a　tree　not　a　resting　place　for　bird　or　beast　was　in　that　dreary　plain。　In　summer　the　sunshine　fell　upon　it　hour　after　hour　with　a　blinding　glare；　in　winter　the　winds　and　rains　swept　over　it　unhindered；　and　the　snow　came　down　steadily；　noiselessly；　covering　it　from　end　to　end　in　one　great　white　sheet；　which　lay　for　days　and　weeks　unmarked　by　a　single　footprint。

Not　a　pleasant　place　to　live　inand　nobody　did　live　there；　apparently。　The　only　sign　that　human　creatures　had　ever　been　near　the　spot　was　one　large　round　tower　which　rose　up　in　the　center　of　the　plain；　and　might　be　seen　all　over　itif　there　had　been　anybody　to　see；　which　there　never　was。　Rose　right　up　out　of　the　ground；　as　if　it　had　grown　of　itself；　like　a　mushroom。　But　it　was　not　at　all　mushroom…like；　on　the　contrary；　it　was　very　solidly　built。　In　form　it　resembled　the　Irish　round　towers；　which　have　puzzled　people　for　so　long；　nobody　being　able　to　find　out　when；　or　by　whom；　or　for　what　purpose　they　were　made；　seemingly　for　no　use　at　all；　like　this　tower。　It　was　circular；　of　very　firm　brickwork；　with　neither　doors　nor　windows；　until　near　the　top；　when　you　could　perceive　some　slits　in　the　wall　through　which　one　might　possibly　creep　in　or　look　out。　Its　height　was　nearly　a　hundred　feet；　and　it　had　a　battlemented　parapet　showing　sharp　against　the　sky。

As　the　plain　was　quite　desolatealmost　like　a　desert；　only　without　sand；　and　led　to　nowhere　except　the　still　more　desolate　seacoastnobody　ever　crossed　it。　Whatever　mystery　there　was　about　the　tower；　it　and　the　sky　and　the　plain　kept　their　secret　to　themselves。

It　was　a　very　great　secret　indeed；a　state　secret；which　none　but　so　clever　a　man　as　the　present　King　of　Nomansland　would　ever　have　thought　of。　How　he　carried　it　out；　undiscovered；　I　cannot　tell。　People　said；　long　afterward；　that　it　was　by　means　of　a　gang　of　condemned　criminals；　who　were　set　to　work；　and　executed　immediately　after　they　had　done；　so　that　nobody　knew　anything；　or　in　the　least　suspected　the　real　fact。

And　what　was　the　fact？　Why；　that　this　tower；　which　seemed　a　mere　mass　of　masonry；　utterly　forsaken　and　uninhabited；　was　not　so　at　all。　Within　twenty　feet　of　the　top　some　ingenious　architect　had　planned　a　perfect　little　house；　divided　into　four　roomsas　by　drawing　a　cross　within　a　circle　you　will　see　might　easily　be　done。　By　making　skylights；　and　a　few　slits　in　the　walls　for　windows；　and　raising　a　peaked　roof　which　was　hidden　by　the　parapet；　here　was　a　dwelling　complete；　eighty　feet　from　the　ground；　and　as　inaccessible　as　a　rook's　nest　on　the　top　of　a　tree。

A　charming　place　to　live　in！　if　you　once　got　up　there；and　never　wanted　to　come　down　again。

Insidethough　nobody　could　have　looked　inside　except　a　bird；　and　hardly　even　a　bird　flew　past　that　lonely　towerinside　it　was　furnished　with　all　the　comfort　and　elegance　imaginable；　with　lots　of　books　and　toys；　and　everything　that　the　heart　of　a　child　could　desire。　For　its　only　inhabitant；　except　a　nurse　of　course；　was　a　poor　solitary　child。

One　winter　night；　when　all　the　plain　was　white　with　moonlight；　there　was　seen　crossing　it　a　great　tall　black　horse；　ridden　by　a　man　also　big　and　equally　black；　carrying　before　him　on　the　saddle　a　woman　and　a　child。　The　woman　she　had　a　sad；　fierce　look；　and　no　wonder；　for　she　was　a　criminal　under　sentence　of　death；　but　her　sentence　had　been　changed　to　almost　as　severe　a　punishment。　She　was　to　inhabit　the　lonely　tower　with　the　child；　and　was　allowed　to　live　as　long　as　the　child　livedno　longer。　This　in　order　that　she　might　take　the　utmost　care　of　him；　for　those　who　put　him　there　were　equally　afraid　of　his　dying　and　of　his　living。

Yet　he　was　only　a　little　gentle　boy；　with　a　sweet；　sleepy　smilehe　had　been　very　tired　with　his　long　journeyand　clinging　arms；　which　held　tight　to　the　man's　neck；　for　he　was　rather　frightened；　and　the　face；　black　as　it　was；　looked　kindly　at　him。　And　he　was　very　helpless；　with　his　poor；　small　shriveled　legs；　which　could　neither　stand　nor　run　awayfor　the　little　forlorn　boy　was　Prince　Dolor。

He　had　not　been　dead　at　allor　buried　either。　His　grand　funeral　had　been　a　mere　pretense：　a　wax　figure　having　been　put　in　his　place；　while　he　himself　was　spirited　away　under　charge　of　these　two；　the　condemned　woman　and　the　black　man。　The　latter　was　deaf　and　dumb；　so　could　neither　tell　nor　repeat　anything。

When　they　reached　the　foot　of　the　tower；　there　was　light　enough　to　see　a　huge　chain　dangling　from　the　parapet；　but　dangling　only　halfway。　The　deaf…mute　took　from　his　saddle…　wallet　a　sort　of　ladder；　arranged　in　pieces　like　a　puzzle；　fitted　it　together；　and　lifted　it　up　to　meet　the　chain。　Then　he　mounted　to　the　top　of　the　tower；　and　slung　from　it　a　sort　of　chair；　in　which　the　woman　and　the　child　placed　themselves　and　were　drawn　up；　never　to　come　down　again　as　long　as　they　lived。　Leaving　them　there；　the　man　descended　the　ladder；　took　it　to　pieces　again　and　packed　it　in　his　pack；　mounted　the　horse　and　disappeared　across　the　plain。

Every　month　they　used　to　watch　for　him；　appearing　like　a　speck　in　the　distance。　He　fastened　his　horse　to　the　foot　of　the　tower；　and　climbed　it；　as　before；　laden　with　provisions　and　many　other　things。　He　always　saw　the　Prince；　so　as　to　make　sure　that　the　child　was　alive　and　well；　and　then　went　away　until　the　following　month。

While　his　first　childhood　lasted　Prince　Dolor　was　happy　enough。　He　had　every　luxury　that　even　a　prince　could　need；　and　the　one　thing　wanting；love；never　having　known；　he　did　not　miss。　His　nurse　was　very　kind　to　him　though　she　was　a　wicked　woman。　But　either　she　had　not　been　quite　so　wicked　as　people　said；　or　she　grew　better　through　being　shut　up　continually　with　a　little　innocent　child　who　was　dependent　upon　her　for　every　comfort　and　pleasure　of　his　life。

It　was　not　an　unhappy　life。　There　was　nobody　to　tease　or　ill…use　him；　and　he　was　never　ill。　He　played　about　from　room　to　roomthere　were　four　rooms；　parlor；　kitchen；　his　nurse's　bedroom；　and　his　own；　learned　to　crawl　like　a　fly；　and　to　jump　like　a　frog；　and　to　run　about　on　all…fours　almost　as　fast　as　a　puppy。　In　fact；　he　was　very　much　like　a　puppy　or　a　kitten；　as　thoughtless　and　as　merryscarcely　ever　cross；　though　sometimes　a　little　weary。

As　he　grew　older；　he　occasionally　liked　to　be　quiet　for　a　while；　and　then　he　would　sit　at　the　slits　of　windowswhich　were；　however；　much　bigger　than　they　looked　from　the　bottom　of　the　towerand　watch　the　sky　above　and　the　ground　below；　with　the　storms　sweeping　over　and　the　sunshine　coming　and　going；　and　the　shadows　of　the　clouds　running　races　across　the　blank　plain。

By　and　by　he　began　to　learn　lessonsnot　that　his　nurse　had　been　ordered　to　teach　him；　but　she　did　it　partly　to　amuse　herself。　She　was　not　a　stupid　woman；　and　Prince　Dolor　was　by　no　means　a　stupid　boy；　so　they　got　on　very　well；　and　his　continual　entreaty；　〃What　can　I　do？　what　can　you　find　me　to　do？〃　was　stopped；　at　least　for　an　hour　or　two　in　the　day。

It　was　a　dull　life；　but　he　had　never　known　any　other；　anyhow；　he　remembered　no　other；　and　he　did　not　pity　himself　at　all。　Not　for　a　long　time；　till　he　grew　quite　a　big　little　boy；　and　could　read　quite　easily。　Then　he　suddenly　took　to　books；　which　the　deaf…mute　brought　him　from　time　to　timebooks　which；　not　being　acquainted　with　the　literature　of　Nomansland；　I　cannot　describe；　but　no　doubt　they　were　very　interesting；　and　they　informed　him　of　everything　in　the　outside　world；　and　filled　him　with　an　intense　longing　to　see　it。

From　this　time　a　change　came　over　the　boy。　He　began　to　look　sad　and　thin；　and　to　shut　himself　up　for　hours　without　speaking。　For　his　nurse　hardly　spoke；　and　whatever　questions　he　asked　beyond　their　ordinary　daily　life　she　never　answered。　She　had；　indeed；　been　forbidden；　on　pain　of　death；　to　tell　him　anything　about　himself；　who　he　was；　or　what　he　might　have　been。

He　knew　he　was　Prince　Dolor；　because　she　always　addressed　him　as　〃My　Prince〃　and　〃Your　Royal　Highness；〃　but　what　a　prince　was　he　had　not　the　least　idea。　He　had　no　idea　of　anything　in　the　world；　except　what　he　found　in　his　books。

He　sat　one　day　surrounded　by　them；　having　built　them　up　round　him　like　a　little　castle　wall。　He　had　been　r