at the back of the north wind- 第36部分

of　care；　for　his　father's　watch　was　not　much　to　be　depended　on；

and　had　to　be　watched　itself　by　the　clock　of　St。　George's　church。　

Between　the　two；　however；　he　did　make　a　success　of　it。



After　that　fortnight；　his　father　was　able　to　go　out　again。　

Then　Diamond　went　to　make　inquiries　about　Nanny；　and　this　led

to　something　else。







CHAPTER　XXVII



THE　CHILDREN'S　HOSPITAL





THE　first　day　his　father　resumed　his　work；　Diamond　went　with　him

as　usual。　　In　the　afternoon；　however；　his　father；　having　taken

a　fare　to　the　neighbourhood；　went　home；　and　Diamond　drove　the　cab

the　rest　of　the　day。　　It　was　hard　for　old　Diamond　to　do　all

the　work；　but　they　could　not　afford　to　have　another　horse。　

They　contrived　to　save　him　as　much　as　possible；　and　fed　him　well；

and　he　did　bravely。



The　next　morning　his　father　was　so　much　stronger　that　Diamond

thought　he　might　go　and　ask　Mr。　Raymond　to　take　him　to　see　Nanny。　

He　found　him　at　home。　　His　servant　had　grown　friendly　by　this　time；

and　showed　him　in　without　any　cross…questioning。　Mr。　Raymond　received

him　with　his　usual　kindness；　consented　at　once；　and　walked　with　him

to　the　Hospital；　which　was　close　at　hand。　　It　was　a　comfortable

old…fashioned　house；　built　in　the　reign　of　Queen　Anne；　and　in　her　day；

no　doubt；　inhabited　by　rich　and　fashionable　people：　　now　it　was　a　home

for　poor　sick　children；　who　were　carefully　tended　for　love's　sake。　

There　are　regions　in　London　where　a　hospital　in　every　other　street

might　be　full　of　such　children；　whose　fathers　and　mothers　are　dead；

or　unable　to　take　care　of　them。



When　Diamond　followed　Mr。　Raymond　into　the　room　where　those　children

who　had　got　over　the　worst　of　their　illness　and　were　growing　better　lay；

he　saw　a　number　of　little　iron　bedsteads；　with　their　heads　to　the　walls；

and　in　every　one　of　them　a　child；　whose　face　was　a　story　in　itself。　

In　some；　health　had　begun　to　appear　in　a　tinge　upon　the　cheeks；

and　a　doubtful　brightness　in　the　eyes；　just　as　out　of　the　cold　dreary

winter　the　spring　comes　in　blushing　buds　and　bright　crocuses。　

In　others　there　were　more　of　the　signs　of　winter　left。　　Their　faces

reminded　you　of　snow　and　keen　cutting　winds；　more　than　of　sunshine

and　soft　breezes　and　butterflies；　but　even　in　them　the　signs

of　suffering　told　that　the　suffering　was　less；　and　that　if　the

spring…time　had　but　arrived；　it　had　yet　arrived。



Diamond　looked　all　round；　but　could　see　no　Nanny。　　He　turned

to　Mr。　Raymond　with　a　question　in　his　eyes。



〃Well？〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。



〃Nanny's　not　here；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Oh；　yes；　she　is。〃



〃I　don't　see　her。〃



〃I　do；　though。　　There　she　is。〃



He　pointed　to　a　bed　right　in　front　of　where　Diamond　was　standing。



〃That's　not　Nanny；〃　he　said。



〃It　is　Nanny。　　I　have　seen　her　many　times　since　you　have。　

Illness　makes　a　great　difference。〃



〃Why；　that　girl　must　have　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind！〃

thought　Diamond；　but　he　said　nothing；　only　stared；　and　as　he　stared；

something　of　the　old　Nanny　began　to　dawn　through　the　face　of　the

new　Nanny。　　The　old　Nanny；　though　a　good　girl；　and　a　friendly　girl；

had　been　rough；　blunt　in　her　speech；　and　dirty　in　her　person。　

Her　face　would　always　have　reminded　one　who　had　already　been　to　the　back

of　the　north　wind　of　something　he　had　seen　in　the　best　of　company；

but　it　had　been　coarse　notwithstanding；　partly　from　the　weather；

partly　from　her　living　amongst　low　people；　and　partly　from　having

to　defend　herself：　　now　it　was　so　sweet；　and　gentle；　and　refined；

that　she　might　have　had　a　lady　and　gentleman　for　a　father　and　mother。　

And　Diamond　could　not　help　thinking　of　words　which　he　had　heard

in　the　church　the　day　before：　　〃Surely　it　is　good　to　be　afflicted；〃

or　something　like　that。　　North　Wind；　somehow　or　other；　must　have

had　to　do　with　her！　　She　had　grown　from　a　rough　girl　into　a　gentle

maiden。



Mr。　Raymond；　however；　was　not　surprised；　for　he　was　used　to　see

such　lovely　changessomething　like　the　change　which　passes　upon

the　crawling；　many…footed　creature；　when　it　turns　sick　and　ill；

and　revives　a　butterfly；　with　two　wings　instead　of　many　feet。　

Instead　of　her　having　to　take　care　of　herself；　kind　hands　ministered

to　her；　making　her　comfortable　and　sweet　and　clean；　soothing　her

aching　head；　and　giving　her　cooling　drink　when　she　was　thirsty；

and　kind　eyes；　the　stars　of　the　kingdom　of　heaven；　had　shone　upon　her；

so　that；　what　with　the　fire　of　the　fever　and　the　dew　of　tenderness；

that　which　was　coarse　in　her　had　melted　away；　and　her　whole　face

had　grown　so　refined　and　sweet　that　Diamond　did　not　know　her。　　But　as

he　gazed；　the　best　of　the　old　face；　all　the　true　and　good　part　of　it；

that　which　was　Nanny　herself；　dawned　upon　him；　like　the　moon　coming

out　of　a　cloud；　until　at　length；　instead　of　only　believing　Mr。　Raymond

that　this　was　she；　he　saw　for　himself　that　it　was　Nanny　indeed

very　worn　but　grown　beautiful。



He　went　up　to　her。　　She　smiled。　　He　had　heard　her　laugh；　but　had

never　seen　her　smile　before。



〃Nanny；　do　you　know　me？〃　said　Diamond。



She　only　smiled　again；　as　if　the　question　was　amusing。



She　was　not　likely　to　forget　him；　for　although　she　did　not　yet　know

it　was　he　who　had　got　her　there；　she　had　dreamed　of　him　often；

and　had　talked　much　about　him　when　delirious。　　Nor　was　it　much　wonder；

for　he　was　the　only　boy　except　Joe　who　had　ever　shown　her　kindness。



Meantime　Mr。　Raymond　was　going　from　bed　to　bed；　talking　to　the

little　people。　　Every　one　knew　him；　and　every　one　was　eager

to　have　a　look；　and　a　smile；　and　a　kind　word　from　him。



Diamond　sat　down　on　a　stool　at　the　head　of　Nanny's　bed。　　She　laid

her　hand　in　his。　　No　one　else　of　her　old　acquaintance　had　been

near　her。



Suddenly　a　little　voice　called　aloud



〃Won't　Mr。　Raymond　tell　us　a　story？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　please　do！　please　do！〃　cried　several　little　voices　which

also　were　stronger　than　the　rest。　　For　Mr。　Raymond　was　in　the　habit

of　telling　them　a　story　when　he　went　to　see　them；　and　they　enjoyed

it　far　more　than　the　other　nice　things　which　the　doctor　permitted

him　to　give　them。



〃Very　well；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond；　〃I　will。　　What　sort　of　a　story　shall

it　be？〃



〃A　true　story；〃　said　one　little　girl。



〃A　fairy　tale；〃　said　a　little　boy。



〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond；　〃I　suppose；　as　there　is　a　difference；

I　may　choose。　　I　can't　think　of　any　true　story　just　at　this　moment；

so　I　will　tell　you　a　sort　of　a　fairy　one。〃



〃Oh；　jolly！〃　exclaimed　the　little　boy　who　had　called　out　for

a　fairy　tale。



〃It　came　into　my　head　this　morning　as　I　got　out　of　bed；〃

continued　Mr。　Raymond；　〃and　if　it　turns　out　pretty　well；

I　will　write　it　down；　and　get　somebody　to　print　it　for　me；

and　then　you　shall　read　it　when　you　like。〃



〃Then　nobody　ever　heard　it　before？〃　asked　one　older　child。



〃No；　nobody。〃



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　several；　thinking　it　very　grand　to　have　the　first　telling；

and　I　daresay　there　might　be　a　peculiar　freshness　about　it；

because　everything　would　be　nearly　as　new　to　the　story…teller

himself　as　to　the　listeners。



Some　were　only　sitting　up　and　some　were　lying　down；　so　there　could

not　be　the　same　busy　gathering；　bustling；　and　shifting　to　and　fro

with　which　children　generally　prepare　themselves　to　hear　a　story；

but　their　faces；　and　the　turning　of　their　heads；　and　many　feeble

exclamations　of　expected　pleasure；　showed　that　all　such　preparations

were　making　within　them。



Mr。　Raymond　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　that　he　might　turn　from

side　to　side；　and　give　each　a　share　of　seeing　him。　　Diamond　kept

his　place　by　Nanny's　side；　with　her　hand　in　his。　　I　do　not　know

how　much　of　Mr。　Raymond's　story　the　smaller　children　understood；

indeed；　I　don't　quite　know　how　much　there　was　in　it　to　be　understood；

for　in　such　a　story　every　one　has　just　to　take　what　he　can　get。　

But　they　all　listened　with　apparent　satisfaction；　and　certainly

with　great　attention。　　Mr。　Raymond　wrote　it　down　afterwards；

and　here　it　issomewhat　altered　no　doubt；　for　a　good　story…teller

tries　to　make　his　stories　better　every　time　he　tells　them。　

I　cannot　myself　help　thinking　that　he　was　somewhat　indebted　for　this

one　to　the　old　story　of　The　Sleeping　Beauty。







CHAPTER　XXVIII



LITTLE　DAYLIGHT





NO　HOUSE　of　any　pretension　to　be　called　a　palace　is　in　the　least

worthy　of　the　name；　except　it　has　a　wood　near　itvery　near　it

and　the　nearer　the　better。　　Not　all　round　itI　don't　mean　that；

for　a　palace　ought　to　be　open　to　the　sun　and　wind；　and　stand

high　and　brave；　with　weathercocks　glittering　and　flags　flying；

but　on　one　side　of　every　palace　there　must　be　a　wood。　　And　there

was　a　very　grand　wood　indeed　beside　the　palace　of　the　king　who　was

going　to　be　Daylight's　father；　such　a　grand　wood；　that　nobody　yet

had　ever　got　to　the　other　end　of　it。　　Near　the　house　it　was　kept

very　trim　and　nice；　and　it　was　free　of　brushwood　for　a　long　way　in；

but　by　degrees　it　got　wild；　and　it　grew