at the back of the north wind- 第10部分

Her　voice　was　like　the　bass　of　a　deep　organ；　without　the　groan　in　it；

like　the　most　delicate　of　violin　tones　without　the　wail　in　it；

like　the　most　glorious　of　trumpet…ejaculations　without　the　defiance

in　it；　like　the　sound　of　falling　water　without　the　clatter　and　clash

in　it：　　it　was　like　all　of　them　and　neither　of　themall　of　them

without　their　faults；　each　of　them　without　its　peculiarity：　

after　all；　it　was　more　like　his　mother's　voice　than　anything　else　in

the　world。



〃Diamond；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃be　a　man。　　What　is　fearful　to　you

is　not　the　least　fearful　to　me。〃



〃But　it　can't　hurt　you；〃　murmured　Diamond；　〃for　you're　it。〃



〃Then　if　I'm　it；　and　have　you　in　my　arms；　how　can　it　hurt　you？〃



〃Oh　yes！　　I　see；〃　whispered　Diamond。　　〃But　it　looks　so　dreadful；

and　it　pushes　me　about　so。〃



〃Yes；　it　does；　my　dear。　　That　is　what　it　was　sent　for。〃



At　the　same　moment；　a　peal　of　thunder　which　shook　Diamond's　heart

against　the　sides　of　his　bosom　hurtled　out　of　the　heavens：　

I　cannot　say　out　of　the　sky；　for　there　was　no　sky。　　Diamond　had

not　seen　the　lightning；　for　he　had　been　intent　on　finding　the　face

of　North　Wind。　　Every　moment　the　folds　of　her　garment　would　sweep

across　his　eyes　and　blind　him；　but　between；　he　could　just　persuade

himself　that　he　saw　great　glories　of　woman's　eyes　looking　down

through　rifts　in　the　mountainous　clouds　over　his　head。



He　trembled　so　at　the　thunder；　that　his　knees　failed　him；　and　he　sunk

down　at　North　Wind's　feet；　and　clasped　her　round　the　column　of　her　ankle。　

She　instantly　stooped；　lifted　him　from　the　roofupup　into　her　bosom；

and　held　him　there；　saying；　as　if　to　an　inconsolable　child



〃Diamond；　dear；　this　will　never　do。〃



〃Oh　yes；　it　will；〃　answered　Diamond。　　〃I　am　all　right　now

quite　comfortable；　I　assure　you；　dear　North　Wind。　　If　you　will

only　let　me　stay　here；　I　shall　be　all　right　indeed。〃



〃But　you　will　feel　the　wind　here；　Diamond。〃



〃I　don't　mind　that　a　bit；　so　long　as　I　feel　your　arms　through　it；〃

answered　Diamond；　nestling　closer　to　her　grand　bosom。



〃Brave　boy！〃　returned　North　Wind；　pressing　him　closer。



〃No；〃　said　Diamond；　〃I　don't　see　that。　　It's　not　courage　at　all；

so　long　as　I　feel　you　there。〃



〃But　hadn't　you　better　get　into　my　hair？　　Then　you　would　not　feel

the　wind；　you　will　here。〃



〃Ah；　but；　dear　North　Wind；　you　don't　know　how　nice　it　is　to　feel

your　arms　about　me。　　It　is　a　thousand　times　better　to　have　them

and　the　wind　together；　than　to　have　only　your　hair　and　the　back

of　your　neck　and　no　wind　at　all。〃



〃But　it　is　surely　more　comfortable　there？〃



〃Well；　perhaps；　but　I　begin　to　think　there　are　better　things　than

being　comfortable。〃



〃Yes；　indeed　there　are。　　Well；　I　will　keep　you　in　front　of　me。　

You　will　feel　the　wind；　but　not　too　much。　　I　shall　only　want　one

arm　to　take　care　of　you；　the　other　will　be　quite　enough　to　sink

the　ship。〃



〃Oh；　dear　North　Wind！　how　can　you　talk　so？〃



〃My　dear　boy；　I　never　talk；　I　always　mean　what　I　say。〃



〃Then　you　do　mean　to　sink　the　ship　with　the　other　hand？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃It's　not　like　you。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃



〃Quite　easily。　　Here　you　are　taking　care　of　a　poor　little　boy

with　one　arm；　and　there　you　are　sinking　a　ship　with　the　other。　

It　can't　be　like　you。〃



〃Ah！　but　which　is　me？　　I　can't　be　two　mes；　you　know。〃



〃No。　Nobody　can　be　two　mes。〃



〃Well；　which　me　is　me？〃



〃Now　I　must　think。　　There　looks　to　be　two。〃



〃Yes。　　That's　the　very　point。You　can't　be　knowing　the　thing　you

don't　know；　can　you？〃



〃No。〃



〃Which　me　do　you　know？〃



〃The　kindest；　goodest；　best　me　in　the　world；〃　answered　Diamond；

clinging　to　North　Wind。



〃Why　am　I　good　to　you？〃



〃I　don't　know。〃



〃Have　you　ever　done　anything　for　me？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　I　must　be　good　to　you　because　I　choose　to　be　good　to　you。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Why　should　I　choose？〃



〃Becausebecausebecause　you　like。〃



〃Why　should　I　like　to　be　good　to　you？〃



〃I　don't　know；　except　it　be　because　it's　good　to　be　good　to　me。〃



〃That's　just　it；　I　am　good　to　you　because　I　like　to　be　good。〃



〃Then　why　shouldn't　you　be　good　to　other　people　as　well　as　to　me？〃



〃That's　just　what　I　don't　know。　　Why　shouldn't　I？〃



〃I　don't　know　either。　　Then　why　shouldn't　you？〃



〃Because　I　am。〃



〃There　it　is　again；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　don't　see　that　you　are。　

It　looks　quite　the　other　thing。〃



〃Well；　but　listen　to　me；　Diamond。　　You　know　the　one　me；　you　say；

and　that　is　good。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Do　you　know　the　other　me　as　well？〃



〃No。　I　can't。　I　shouldn't　like　to。〃



〃There　it　is。　　You　don't　know　the　other　me。　　You　are　sure　of　one

of　them？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　you　are　sure　there　can't　be　two　mes？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　the　me　you　don't　know　must　be　the　same　as　the　me　you　do　know；

else　there　would　be　two　mes？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　the　other　me　you　don't　know　must　be　as　kind　as　the　me　you

do　know？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Besides；　I　tell　you　that　it　is　so；　only　it　doesn't　look　like　it。　

That　I　confess　freely。　　Have　you　anything　more　to　object？〃



〃No；　no；　dear　North　Wind；　I　am　quite　satisfied。〃



〃Then　I　will　tell　you　something　you　might　object。　　You　might　say

that　the　me　you　know　is　like　the　other　me；　and　that　I　am　cruel

all　through。〃



〃I　know　that　can't　be；　because　you　are　so　kind。〃



〃But　that　kindness　might　be　only　a　pretence　for　the　sake　of　being

more　cruel　afterwards。〃



Diamond　clung　to　her　tighter　than　ever；　crying



〃No；　no；　dear　North　Wind；　I　can't　believe　that。　　I　don't　believe　it。　

I　won't　believe　it。　　That　would　kill　me。　　I　love　you；　and　you

must　love　me；　else　how　did　I　come　to　love　you？　　How　could　you

know　how　to　put　on　such　a　beautiful　face　if　you　did　not　love

me　and　the　rest？　　No。　You　may　sink　as　many　ships　as　you　like；

and　I　won't　say　another　word。　　I　can't　say　I　shall　like　to　see　it；

you　know。〃



〃That's　quite　another　thing；〃　said　North　Wind；　and　as　she　spoke

she　gave　one　spring　from　the　roof　of　the　hay…loft；　and　rushed　up

into　the　clouds；　with　Diamond　on　her　left　arm　close　to　her　heart。　

And　as　if　the　clouds　knew　she　had　come；　they　burst　into　a　fresh

jubilation　of　thunderous　light。　　For　a　few　moments；　Diamond　seemed

to　be　borne　up　through　the　depths　of　an　ocean　of　dazzling　flame；

the　next；　the　winds　were　writhing　around　him　like　a　storm　of　serpents。　

For　they　were　in　the　midst　of　the　clouds　and　mists；　and　they

of　course　took　the　shapes　of　the　wind；　eddying　and　wreathing　and

whirling　and　shooting　and　dashing　about　like　grey　and　black　water；

so　that　it　was　as　if　the　wind　itself　had　taken　shape；　and　he　saw

the　grey　and　black　wind　tossing　and　raving　most　madly　all　about　him。　

Now　it　blinded　him　by　smiting　him　upon　the　eyes；　now　it　deafened

him　by　bellowing　in　his　ears；　for　even　when　the　thunder　came　he

knew　now　that　it　was　the　billows　of　the　great　ocean　of　the　air

dashing　against　each　other　in　their　haste　to　fill　the　hollow

scooped　out　by　the　lightning；　now　it　took　his　breath　quite　away

by　sucking　it　from　his　body　with　the　speed　of　its　rush。　　But　he　did

not　mind　it。　　He　only　gasped　first　and　then　laughed；　for　the　arm

of　North　Wind　was　about　him；　and　he　was　leaning　against　her　bosom。　

It　is　quite　impossible　for　me　to　describe　what　he　saw。　　Did　you　ever

watch　a　great　wave　shoot　into　a　winding　passage　amongst　rocks？　

If　you　ever　did；　you　would　see　that　the　water　rushed　every　way

at　once；　some　of　it　even　turning　back　and　opposing　the　rest；

greater　confusion　you　might　see　nowhere　except　in　a　crowd　of

frightened　people。　　Well；　the　wind　was　like　that；　except　that　it

went　much　faster；　and　therefore　was　much　wilder；　and　twisted

and　shot　and　curled　and　dodged　and　clashed　and　raved　ten　times

more　madly　than　anything　else　in　creation　except　human　passions。　

Diamond　saw　the　threads　of　the　lady's　hair　streaking　it　all。　

In　parts　indeed　he　could　not　tell　which　was　hair　and　which　was

black　storm　and　vapour。　　It　seemed　sometimes　that　all　the　great

billows　of　mist…muddy　wind　were　woven　out　of　the　crossing　lines

of　North　Wind's　infinite　hair；　sweeping　in　endless　intertwistings。　

And　Diamond　felt　as　the　wind　seized　on　his　hair；　which　his　mother

kept　rather　long；　as　if　he　too　was　a　part　of　the　storm；　and　some

of　its　life　went　out　from　him。　　But　so　sheltered　was　he　by　North

Wind's　arm　and　bosom　that　only　at　times；　in　the　fiercer　onslaught

of　some　curl…billowed　eddy；　did　he　recognise　for　a　moment　how　wild

was　the　storm　in　which　he　was　carried；　nestling　in　its　very　core　and

formative　centre。



It　seemed　to　Diamond　likewise　that　they　were　motionless　in　this　centre；

and　that　all　the　confusion　and　fighting　went　on　around　them。　

Flash　after　flash　illuminated　the　fierce　chaos；　revealing　in　varied

yellow　and　blue　and　grey　and　dusky　red　the　vapourous　contention；

peal　after　peal　of　thunder　tore　the　infinite　waste；　but　it　seemed

to　Diamond　that　North　Wind　and　he　wer