dream days-第13节

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But　it　was　time　to　get　on；　for　clearly　the　interest　was　only　just

beginning。　　Over　went　the　next　page；　and　there　we　were；　the　whole

crowd　of　us；　assembled　in　a　noble　church。　　It　was　not　easy　to

make　out　exactly　what　was　going　on；　but　in　the　throng　I　was

delighted　to　recognize　my　angels　at　last；　happy　and　very　much　at

home。　　They　had　managed　to　get　leave　off；　evidently；　and　must

have　run　up　the　hill　and　scampered　breathlessly　through　the　gate；

and　perhaps　they　cried　a　little　when　they　found　the　square　empty；

and　thought　the　fun　must　be　all　over。　　Two　of　them　had　got　hold

of　a　great　wax　candle　apiece；　as　much　as　they　could　stagger

under；　and　were　tittering　sideways　at　each　other　as　the

grease　ran　bountifully　over　their　clothes。　　A　third　had　strolled

in　among　the　company；　and　was　chatting　to　a　young　gentleman；　with

whom　she　appeared　to　be　on　the　best　of　terms。　　Decidedly；　this

was　the　right　breed　of　angel　for　us。　　None　of　your　sick…bed　or

night　nursery　business　for　them！



Well；　no　doubt　they　were　now　being　married；　He　and　She；　just　as

always　happened。　　And　then；　of　course；　they　were　going　to　live

happily　ever　after；　and　THAT　was　the　part　I　wanted　to　get　to。　

Story…books　were　so　stupid；　always　stopping　at　the　point　where

they　became　really　nice；　but　this　picture…story　was　only　in　its

first　chapters；　and　at　last　I　was　to　have　a　chance　of　knowing

HOW　people　lived　happily　ever　after。　　We　would　all　go　home

together；　He　and　She；　and　the　angels；　and　I；　and　the　armour…man

would　be　invited　to　come　and　stay。　　And　then　the　story　would

really　begin；　at　the　point　where　those　other　ones　always

left　off。　　I　turned　the　page；　and　found　myself　free　of　the　dim

and　splendid　church　and　once　more　in　the　open　country。



This　was　all　right；　this　was　just　as　it　should　be。　　The　sky　was　a

fleckless　blue；　the　flags　danced　in　the　breeze；　and　our　merry

bridal　party；　with　jest　and　laughter；　jogged　down　to　the　water…

side。　　I　was　through　the　town　by　this　time；　and　out　on　the　other

side　of　the　hill；　where　I　had　always　wanted　to　be；　and；　sure

enough；　there　was　the　harbour；　all　thick　with　curly　ships。　　Most

of　them　were　piled　high　with　wedding…presentsbales　of　silk；　and

gold　and　silver　plate；　and　comfortable…looking　bags　suggesting

bullion；　and　the　gayest　ship　of　all　lay　close　up　to　the　carpeted

landing…stage。　　Already　the　bride　was　stepping　daintily　down　the

gangway；　her　ladies　following　primly；　one　by　one；　a　few　minutes

more　and　we　should　all　be　aboard；　the　hawsers　would　splash

in　the　water；　the　sails　would　fill　and　strain。　　From　the　deck　I

should　see　the　little　walled　town　recede　and　sink　and　grow　dim；

while　every　plunge　of　our　bows　brought　us　nearer　to　the　happy

islandit　was　an　island　we　were　bound　for；　I　knew　well！　　Already

I　could　see　the　island…people　waving　hands　on　the　crowded　quay；

whence　the　little　houses　ran　up　the　hill　to　the　castle；　crowning

all　with　its　towers　and　battlements。　　Once　more　we　should　ride

together；　a　merry　procession；　clattering　up　the　steep　street　and

through　the　grim　gateway；　and　then　we　should　have　arrived；　then

we　should　all　dine　together；　then　we　should　have　reached　home！　

And　then



OW！　OW！　OW！



Bitter　it　is　to　stumble　out　of　an　opalescent　dream　into　the　cold

daylight；　cruel　to　lose　in　a　second　a　sea…voyage；　an　island；　and

a　castle　that　was　to　be　practically　your　own；　but　cruellest

and　bitterest　of　all　to　know；　in　addition　to　your　loss；　that　the

fingers　of　an　angry　aunt　have　you　tight　by　the　scruff　of　your

neck。　　My　beautiful　book　was　gone　tooravished　from　my　grasp　by

the　dressy　lady；　who　joined　in　the　outburst　of　denunciation　as

heartily　as　if　she　had　been　a　relativeand　naught　was　left　me

but　to　blubber　dismally；　awakened　of　a　sudden　to　the　harshness　of

real　things　and　the　unnumbered　hostilities　of　the　actual　world。　

I　cared　little　for　their　reproaches；　their　abuse；　but　I　sorrowed

heartily　for　my　lost　ship；　my　vanished　island；　my　uneaten　dinner；

and　for　the　knowledge　that；　if　I　wanted　any　angels　to　play　with；

I　must　henceforth　put　up　with　the　anaemic；　night…gowned

nonentities　that　hovered　over　the　bed　of　the　Sunday…school　child

in　the　pages　of　the　Sabbath　Improver。



I　was　led　ignominiously　out　of　the　house；　in　a　pulpy；　watery

state；　while　the　butler　handled　his　swing　doors　with　a

stony；　impassive　countenance；　intended　for　the　deception　of　the

very　elect；　though　it　did　not　deceive　me。　　I　knew　well　enough

that　next　time　he　was　off　duty；　and　strolled　around　our　way；　we

should　meet　in　our　kitchen　as　man　to　man；　and　I　would　punch　him

and　ask　him　riddles；　and　he　would　teach　me　tricks　with　corks　and

bits　of　string。　　So　his　unsympathetic　manner　did　not　add　to　my

depression。



I　maintained　a　diplomatic　blubber　long　after　we　had　been　packed

into　our　pony…carriage　and　the　lodge…gate　had　clicked　behind　us；

because　it　served　as　a　sort　of　armour…plating　against　heckling

and　argument　and　abuse；　and　I　was　thinking　hard　and　wanted　to　be

let　alone。　　And　the　thoughts　that　I　was　thinking　were　two。



First　I　thought；　〃I've　got　ahead　of　Charlotte　THIS　time！〃



And　next　I　thought；　〃When　I've　grown　up　big；　and　have　money

of　my　own；　and　a　full…sized　walking…stick；　I　will　set　out　early

one　morning；　and　never　stop　till　I　get　to　that　little　walled

town。〃　　There　ought　to　be　no　real　difficulty　in　the　task。　　It

only　meant　asking　here　and　asking　there；　and　people　were　very

obliging；　and　I　could　describe　every　stick　and　stone　of　it。



As　for　the　island　which　I　had　never　even　seen；　that　was　not　so

easy。　　Yet　I　felt　confident　that　somehow；　at　some　time；　sooner　or

later；　I　was　destined　to　arrive。







A　SAGA　OF　THE　SEAS



It　happened　one　day　that　some　ladies　came　to　call；　who　were　not

at　all　the　sort　I　was　used　to。　　They　suffered　from　a　grievance；

so　far　as　I　could　gather；　and　the　burden　of　their　plaint　was

ManMen　in　general　and　Man　in　particular。　　（Though　the　words

were　but　spoken；　I　could　clearly　discern　the　capital　M　in　their

acid　utterance。）



Of　course　I　was　not　present　officially；　so　to　speak。　　Down　below；

in　my　sub…world　of　chair…legs　and　hearthrugs　and　the　undersides

of　sofas；　I　was　working　out　my　own　floor…problems；　while　they

babbled　on　far　above　my　head；　considering　me　as　but　a　chair…leg；

or　even　something　lower　in　the　scale。　　Yet　I　was　listening　hard

all　the　time；　with　that　respectful　consideration　one　gives　to

all　grown…up　people's　remarks；　so　long　as　one　knows　no　better。



It　seemed　a　serious　indictment　enough；　as　they　rolled　it　out。　　In

tact；　considerateness；　and　right　appreciation；　as　well　as　in

taste　and　aesthetic　sensibilitieswe　failed　at　every　point；　we

breeched　and　bearded　prentice…jobs　of　Nature；　and　I　began　to　feel

like　collapsing　on　the　carpet　from　sheer　spiritual　anaemia。　　But

when　one　of　them；　with　a　swing　of　her　skirt；　prostrated　a　whole

regiment　of　my　brave　tin　soldiers；　and　never　apologized　nor　even

offered　her　aid　toward　revivifying　the　battle…line；　I　could　not

help　feeling　that　in　tactfulness　and　consideration　for　others　she

was　still　a　little　to　seek。　　And　I　said　as　much；　with　some

directness　of　language。



That　was　the　end　of　me；　from　a　society　point　of　view。　　Rudeness

to　visitors　was　the　unpardonable　sin；　and　in　two　seconds　I

had　my　marching　orders；　and　was　sullenly　wending　my　way　to　the

St。　Elelena　of　the　nursery。　　As　I　climbed　the　stair；　my　thoughts

reverted　somehow　to　a　game　we　had　been　playing　that　very　morning。



It　was　the　good　old　game　of　Rafts；a　game　that　will　be　played

till　all　the　oceans　are　dry　and　all　the　trees　in　the　world　are

felledand　after。　　And　we　were　all　crowded　together　on　the

precarious　little　platform；　and　Selina　occupied　every　bit　as　much

room　as　I　did；　and　Charlotte's　legs　didn't　dangle　over　any　more

than　Harold's。　　The　pitiless　sun　overhead　beat　on　us　all　with

tropic　impartiality；　and　the　hungry　sharks；　whose　fins　scored　the

limitless　Pacific　stretching　out　on　every　side；　were　impelled　by

an　appetite　that　made　no　exceptions　as　to　sex。　　When　we　shared

the　ultimate　biscuit　and　circulated　the　last　water…keg；　the　girls

got　an　absolute　fourth　apiece；　and　neither　more　nor　less；　and

the　only　partiality　shown　was　entirely　in　favour　of

Charlotte；　who　was　allowed　to　perceive　and　to　hail　the　saviour…

sail　on　the　horizon。　　And　this　was　only　because　it　was　her　turn

to　do　so；　not　because　she　happened　to　be　this　or　that。　　Surely；

the　rules　of　the　raft　were　the　rules　of　life；　and　in　what；　then；

did　these　visitor…ladies'　grievance　consist？



Puzzled　and　a　little　sulky；　I　pushed　open　the　door　of　the

deserted　nursery；　where　the　raft　that　had　rocked　beneath　so　many

hopes　and　fears　still　occupied　the　ocean…floor。　　To　the　dull　eye；

that　merely　tarries　upon　the　outsides　of　things；　it　might　have

appeared　unromantic　and　even　unraftlike；　consisting　only　as　it

did　of　a　round　sponge…bath　on　a　bald　deal　towel…horse　placed　flat

on　the　floor。　　Even　to　myself　much　of　the　recent