at the back of the north wind- 第48部分

the　best　part　of　six　hours　a　day　out　of　him　since；　but　I'm　always

afraid　of　his　coming　to　grief　again；　and　so　I　couldn't　make　the　most

even　of　that。　　I　declare　to　you；　sir；　when　he's　between　the　shafts；

I　sit　on　the　box　as　miserable　as　if　I'd　stolen　him。　　He　looks　all

the　time　as　if　he　was　a　bottling　up　of　complaints　to　make　of　me

the　minute　he　set　eyes　on　you　again。　　There！　look　at　him　now；

squinting　round　at　me　with　one　eye！　　I　declare　to　you；　on　my　word；

I　haven't　laid　the　whip　on　him　more　than　three　times。〃



〃I'm　glad　to　hear　it。　　He　never　did　want　the　whip。〃



〃I　didn't　say　that；　sir。　　If　ever　a　horse　wanted　the　whip；　he　do。　

He's　brought　me　to　beggary　almost　with　his　snail's　pace。　　I'm　very

glad　you've　come　to　rid　me　of　him。〃



〃I　don't　know　that；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃Suppose　I　were　to　ask　you

to　buy　him　of　mecheap。〃



〃I　wouldn't　have　him　in　a　present；　sir。　　I　don't　like　him。　

And　I　wouldn't　drive　a　horse　that　I　didn't　likeno；　not　for　gold。　

It　can't　come　to　good　where　there's　no　love　between　'em。〃



〃Just　bring　out　your　own　horse；　and　let　me　see　what　sort　of　a　pair

they'd　make。〃



Joseph　laughed　rather　bitterly　as　he　went　to　fetch　Diamond。



When　the　two　were　placed　side　by　side；　Mr。　Raymond　could

hardly　keep　his　countenance；　but　from　a　mingling　of　feelings。　

Beside　the　great；　red；　round　barrel；　Ruby；　all　body　and　no　legs；

Diamond　looked　like　a　clothes…horse　with　a　skin　thrown　over　it。　

There　was　hardly　a　spot　of　him　where　you　could　not　descry　some

sign　of　a　bone　underneath。　　Gaunt　and　grim　and　weary　he　stood；

kissing　his　master；　and　heeding　no　one　else。



〃You　haven't　been　using　him　well；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。



〃I　must　say；〃　returned　Joseph；　throwing　an　arm　round　his　horse's　neck；

〃that　the　remark　had　better　have　been　spared；　sir。　　The　horse

is　worth　three　of　the　other　now。〃



〃I　don't　think　so。　　I　think　they　make　a　very　nice　pair。　

If　the　one's　too　fat；　the　other's　too　leanso　that's　all　right。　

And　if　you　won't　buy　my　Ruby；　I　must　buy　your　Diamond。〃



〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　Joseph；　in　a　tone　implying　anything　but　thanks。



〃You　don't　seem　to　like　the　proposal；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。



〃I　don't；〃　returned　Joseph。　　〃I　wouldn't　part　with　my　old　Diamond

for　his　skin　as　full　of　nuggets　as　it　is　of　bones。〃



〃Who　said　anything　about　parting　with　him？〃



〃You　did　now；　sir。〃



〃No；　I　didn't。　I　only　spoke　of　buying　him　to　make　a　pair　with　Ruby。　

We　could　pare　Ruby　and　patch　Diamond　a　bit。　　And　for　height；　they　are

as　near　a　match　as　I　care　about。　　Of　course　you　would　be　the　coachman

if　only　you　would　consent　to　be　reconciled　to　Ruby。〃



Joseph　stood　bewildered；　unable　to　answer。



〃I've　bought　a　small　place　in　Kent；〃　continued　Mr。　Raymond；　〃and　I

must　have　a　pair　to　my　carriage；　for　the　roads　are　hilly　thereabouts。　

I　don't　want　to　make　a　show　with　a　pair　of　high…steppers。　I　think

these　will　just　do。　　Suppose；　for　a　week　or　two；　you　set　yourself

to　take　Ruby　down　and　bring　Diamond　up。　　If　we　could　only　lay　a　pipe

from　Ruby's　sides　into　Diamond's；　it　would　be　the　work　of　a　moment。　

But　I　fear　that　wouldn't　answer。〃



A　strong　inclination　to　laugh　intruded　upon　Joseph's　inclination

to　cry；　and　made　speech　still　harder　than　before。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；〃　he　said　at　length。　　〃I've　been　so　miserable；

and　for　so　long；　that　I　never　thought　you　was　only　a　chaffing　of　me

when　you　said　I　hadn't　used　the　horses　well。　　I　did　grumble　at　you；

sir；　many's　the　time　in　my　trouble；　but　whenever　I　said　anything；

my　little　Diamond　would　look　at　me　with　a　smile；　as　much　as　to　say：　

〃I　know　him　better　than　you；　father；〃　and　upon　my　word；　I　always

thought　the　boy　must　be　right。〃



〃Will　you　sell　me　old　Diamond；　then？〃



〃I　will；　sir；　on　one　conditionthat　if　ever　you　want　to　part

with　him　or　me；　you　give　me　the　option　of　buying　him。　　I　could

not　part　with　him；　sir。　　As　to　who　calls　him　his；　that's　nothing；

for；　as　Diamond　says；　it's　only　loving　a　thing　that　can　make　it　yours

and　I　do　love　old　Diamond；　sir；　dearly。〃



〃Well；　there's　a　cheque　for　twenty　pounds；　which　I　wrote　to　offer

you　for　him；　in　case　I　should　find　you　had　done　the　handsome　thing

by　Ruby。　　Will　that　be　enough？〃



〃It's　too　much；　sir。　　His　body　ain't　worth　itshoes　and　all。　

It's　only　his　heart；　sirthat's　worth　millionsbut　his　heart'll　be

mine　all　the　sameso　it's　too　much；　sir。〃



〃I　don't　think　so。　　It　won't　be；　at　least；　by　the　time　we've　got　him

fed　up　again。　　You　take　it　and　welcome。　　Just　go　on　with　your　cabbing

for　another　month；　only　take　it　out　of　Ruby　and　let　Diamond　rest；

and　by　that　time　I　shall　be　ready　for　you　to　go　down　into　the　country。〃



〃Thank　you；　sir。　　thank　you。　　Diamond　set　you　down　for　a　friend；

sir；　the　moment　he　saw　you。　　I　do　believe　that　child　of　mine

knows　more　than　other　people。〃



〃I　think　so；　too；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond　as　he　walked　away。



He　had　meant　to　test　Joseph　when　he　made　the　bargain　about　Ruby；

but　had　no　intention　of　so　greatly　prolonging　the　trial。　　He　had　been

taken　ill　in　Switzerland；　and　had　been　quite　unable　to　return　sooner。　

He　went　away　now　highly　gratified　at　finding　that　he　had　stood　the　test；

and　was　a　true　man。



Joseph　rushed　in　to　his　wife　who　had　been　standing　at　the　window

anxiously　waiting　the　result　of　the　long　colloquy。　　When　she

heard　that　the　horses　were　to　go　together　in　double　harness；

she　burst　forth　into　an　immoderate　fit　of　laughter。　　Diamond　came

up　with　the　baby　in　his　arms　and　made　big　anxious　eyes　at　her；　saying



〃What　is　the　matter　with　you；　mother　dear？　　Do　cry　a　little。　

It　will　do　you　good。　　When　father　takes　ever　so　small　a　drop　of　spirits；

he　puts　water　to　it。〃



〃You　silly　darling！〃　said　his　mother；　〃how　could　I　but　laugh　at

the　notion　of　that　great　fat　Ruby　going　side　by　side　with　our　poor

old　Diamond？〃



〃But　why　not；　mother？　　With　a　month's　oats；　and　nothing　to　do；

Diamond'll　be　nearer　Ruby's　size　than　you　will　father's。　I　think

it's　very　good　for　different　sorts　to　go　together。　　Now　Ruby　will

have　a　chance　of　teaching　Diamond　better　manners。〃



〃How　dare　you　say　such　a　thing；　Diamond？〃　said　his　father；　angrily。　

〃To　compare　the　two　for　manners；　there's　no　comparison　possible。　

Our　Diamond's　a　gentleman。〃



〃I　don't　mean　to　say　he　isn't；　father；　for　I　daresay　some

gentlemen　judge　their　neighbours　unjustly。　　That's　all　I　mean。　

Diamond　shouldn't　have　thought　such　bad　things　of　Ruby。　　He　didn't

try　to　make　the　best　of　him。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that；　pray？〃



〃I　heard　them　talking　about　it　one　night。〃



〃Who？〃



〃Why　Diamond　and　Ruby。　　Ruby's　an　angel。〃



Joseph　stared　and　said　no　more。　　For　all　his　new　gladness；

he　was　very　gloomy　as　he　re…harnessed　the　angel；　for　he　thought

his　darling　Diamond　was　going　out　of　his　mind。



He　could　not　help　thinking　rather　differently；　however；　when　he　found

the　change　that　had　come　over　Ruby。　　Considering　his　fat；　he　exerted

himself　amazingly；　and　got　over　the　ground　with　incredible　speed。　

So　willing；　even　anxious；　was　he　to　go　now；　that　Joseph　had　to　hold

him　quite　tight。



Then　as　he　laughed　at　his　own　fancies；　a　new　fear　came　upon　him　lest

the　horse　should　break　his　wind；　and　Mr。　Raymond　have　good　cause

to　think　he　had　not　been　using　him　well。　　He　might　even　suppose

that　he　had　taken　advantage　of　his　new　instructions；　to　let　out

upon　the　horse　some　of　his　pent…up　dislike；　whereas　in　truth；

it　had　so　utterly　vanished　that　he　felt　as　if　Ruby；　too；　had　been

his　friend　all　the　time。







CHAPTER　XXXIV



IN　THE　COUNTRY





BEFORE　the　end　of　the　month；　Ruby　had　got　respectably　thin；

and　Diamond　respectably　stout。　　They　really　began　to　look　fit

for　double　harness。



Joseph　and　his　wife　got　their　affairs　in　order；　and　everything　ready

for　migrating　at　the　shortest　notice；　and　they　felt　so　peaceful

and　happy　that　they　judged　all　the　trouble　they　had　gone　through

well　worth　enduring。　　As　for　Nanny；　she　had　been　so　happy　ever

since　she　left　the　hospital；　that　she　expected　nothing　better；

and　saw　nothing　attractive　in　the　notion　of　the　country。　

At　the　same　time；　she　had　not　the　least　idea　of　what　the　word

country　meant；　for　she　had　never　seen　anything　about　her　but　streets

and　gas…lamps。　Besides；　she　was　more　attached　to　Jim　than　to　Diamond：　

Jim　was　a　reasonable　being；　Diamond　in　her　eyes　at　best　only　an　amiable；

over…grown　baby；　whom　no　amount　of　expostulation　would　ever　bring

to　talk　sense；　not　to　say　think　it。　　Now　that　she　could　manage

the　baby　as　well　as　he；　she　judged　herself　altogether　his　superior。　

Towards　his　father　and　mother；　she　was　all　they　could　wish。



Diamond　had　taken　a　great　deal　of　pains　and　trouble　to　find　Jim；

and　had　at　last　succeeded　through　the　help　of　the　tall　policeman；

who　was　glad　to　renew　his　acquaintance　with　the　strange　child。　

Jim　had　moved　his　quarters；　and　had　not　heard　of　Nanny's　illness　till

some　time　after　she　was　t