dream days- 第25部分

〃Here's　something　with　sharp　corners；〃　said　Harold；　presently。　

〃Must　be　Leotard；　I　think。　　Better　let　HIM　go。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　we　can't　save　Leotard；〃　assented　Charlotte；

limply。



Poor　old　Leotard！　　I　said　nothing；　of　course；　I　was　not　on　in

this　piece。　　But；　surely；　had　Leotard　heard　and　rightly

understood　all　that　was　going　on　above　him；　he　must　have　sent　up

one　feeble；　strangled　cry；　one　faint　appeal　to　be　rescued　from

unfamiliar　little　Annies　and　retained　for　an　audience　certain　to

appreciate　and　never　unduly　critical。



〃Now　I've　got　to　the　Noah's　Ark；〃　panted　Harold；　still　groping

blindly。



〃Try　and　shove　the　lid　back　a　bit；〃　said　Charlotte；　〃and　pull　out

a　dove　or　a　zebra　or　a　giraffe　if　there's　one　handy。〃



Harold　toiled　on　with　grunts　and　contortions；　and　presently

produced　in　triumph　a　small　grey　elephant　and　a　large　beetle　with

a　red　stomach。



〃They're　jammed　in　too　tight；〃　he　complained。　　〃Can't　get　any

more　out。　　But　as　I　came　up　I'm　sure　I　felt　Potiphar！〃　　And　down

he　dived　again。



Potiphar　was　a　finely　modelled　bull　with　a　suede　skin；　rough

and　comfortable　and　warm　in　bed。　　He　was　my　own　special　joy　and

pride；　and　I　thrilled　with　honest　emotion　when　Potiphar　emerged

to　light　once　more；　stout…necked　and　stalwart　as　ever。



〃That'll　have　to　do；〃　said　Charlotte；　getting　up。　　〃We　dursn't

take　any　more；　'cos　we'll　be　found　out　if　we　do。　　Make　the　box

all　right；　and　bring　'em　along。〃



Harold　rammed　down　the　wads　of　paper　and　twists　of　straw　he　had

disturbed；　replaced　the　lid　squarely　and　innocently；　and　picked

up　his　small　salvage；　and　we　sneaked　off　for　the　window　most

generally　in　use　for　prison…breakings　and　nocturnal　escapades。　　A

few　seconds　later　and　we　were　hurrying　silently　in　single　file

along　the　dark　edge　of　the　lawn。



Oh；　the　riot；　the　clamour；　the　crowding　chorus；　of　all　silent

things　that　spoke　by　scent　and　colour　and　budding　thrust　and

foison；　that　moonlit　night　of　June！　　Under　the　laurel…shade　all

was　still　ghostly　enough；　brigand…haunted；　crackling；　whispering

of　night　and　all　its　possibilities　of　terror。　　But　the　open

garden；　when　once　we　were　in　ithow　it　turned　a　glad　new　face　to

welcome　us；　glad　as　of　old　when　the　sunlight　raked　and　searched

it；　new　with　the　unfamiliar　night…aspect　that　yet　welcomed　us　as

guests　to　a　hall　where　the　horns　blew　up　to　a　new；　strange

banquet！　　Was　this　the　same　grass；　could　these　be　the　same

familiar　flower…beds；　alleys；　clumps　of　verdure；　patches　of

sward？　　At　least　this　full　white　light　that　was　flooding　them　was

new；　and　accounted　for　all。　　It　was　Moonlight　Land；　and　Past…Ten…

o'clock　Land；　and　we　were　in　it　and　of　it；　and　all　its　other

denizens　fully　understood；　and；　tongue…free　and　awakened　at　last；

responded　and　comprehended　and　knew。　　The　other　two；　doubtless；

hurrying　forward　full　of　their　mission；　noted　little　of　all

this。　　I；　who　was　only　a　super；　had　leisure　to　take　it　all　in；

and；　though　the　language　and　the　message　of　the　land　were　not　all

clear　to　me　then；　long　afterwards　I　remembered　and　understood。



Under　the　farthest　hedge；　at　the　loose　end　of　things；　where　the

outer　world　began　with　the　paddock；　there　was　darkness　once

againnot　the　blackness　that　crouched　so　solidly　under　the

crowding　laurels；　but　a　duskiness　hung　from　far…spread　arms　of

high…standing　elms。　　There；　where　the　small　grave　made　a　darker

spot　on　the　grey；　I　overtook　them；　only　just　in　time　to　see　Rosa

laid　stiffly　out；　her　cherry　cheeks　pale　in　the　moonlight；　but

her　brave　smile　triumphant　and　undaunted　as　ever。　　It　was　a　tiny

grave　and　a　shallow　one；　to　hold　so　very　much。　　Rosa　once　in；

Potiphar；　who　had　hitherto　stood　erect；　stout…necked；　through　so

many　days　and　such　various　weather；　must　needs　bow　his　head

and　lie　down　meekly　on　his　side。　　The　elephant　and　the　beetle；

equal　now　in　a　silent　land　where　a　vertebra　and　a　red　circulation

counted　for　nothing；　had　to　snuggle　down　where　best　they　might；

only　a　little　less　crowded　than　in　their　native　Ark。



The　earth　was　shovelled　in　and　stamped　down；　and　I　was　glad　that

no　orisons　were　said　and　no　speechifying　took　place。　　The　whole

thing　was　natural　and　right　and　self…explanatory；　and　needed　no

justifying　or　interpreting　to　our　audience　of　stars　and　flowers。　

The　connexion　was　not　entirely　broken　nowone　link　remained

between　us　and　them。　　The　Noah's　Ark；　with　its　cargo　of　sad…faced

emigrants；　might　be　hull　down　on　the　horizon；　but　two　of　its

passengers　had　missed　the　boat　and　would　henceforth　be　always

near　us；　and；　as　we　played　above　them；　an　elephant　would

understand；　and　a　beetle　would　hear；　and　crawl　again　in

spirit　along　a　familiar　floor。　　Henceforth　the　spotty　horse　would

scour　along　far…distant　plains　and　know　the　homesickness　of　alien

stables；　but　Potiphar；　though　never　again　would　he　paw　the　arena

when　bull…fights　were　on　the　bill；　was　spared　maltreatment　by

town…bred　strangers；　quite　capable　of　mistaking　him　for　a　cow。　

Jerry　and　Esmeralda　might　shed　their　limbs　and　their　stuffing；　by

slow　or　swift　degrees；　in　uttermost　parts　and　unguessed　corners

of　the　globe；　but　Rosa's　book　was　finally　closed；　and　no　worse

fate　awaited　her　than　natural　dissolution　almost　within　touch　and

hail　of　familiar　faces　and　objects　that　had　been　friendly　to　her

since　first　she　opened　her　eyes　on　a　world　where　she　had　never

been　treated　as　a　stranger。



As　we　turned　to　go；　the　man　in　the　moon；　tangled　in　elm…boughs；

caught　my　eye　for　a　moment；　and　I　thought　that　never　had　he

looked　so　friendly。　　He　was　going　to　see　after　them；　it　was

evident；　for　he　was　always　there；　more　or　less；　and　it　was　no

trouble　to　him　at　all；　and　he　would　tell　them　how　things　were

still　going；　up　here；　and　throw　in　a　story　or　two　of　his　own

whenever　they　seemed　a　trifle　dull。　　It　made　the　going　away

rather　easier；　to　know　one　had　left　somebody　behind　on　the　spot；

a　good　fellow；　too；　cheery；　comforting；　with　a　fund　of　anecdote；

a　man　in　whom　one　had　every　confidence。







End