at the back of the north wind- 第7部分

〃I　can't；〃　wailed　the　girl；　〃the　wind　won't　leave　go　of　me。〃



Diamond　could　run　faster　than　she；　and　he　had　no　broom。　　In　a　few

moments　he　had　caught　her　by　the　frock；　but　it　tore　in　his　hand；

and　away　went　the　little　girl。　　So　he　had　to　run　again；　and　this

time　he　ran　so　fast　that　he　got　before　her；　and　turning　round　caught

her　in　his　arms；　when　down　they　went　both　together；　which　made

the　little　girl　laugh　in　the　midst　of　her　crying。



〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　Diamond；　rubbing　the　elbow　that　had

stuck　farthest　out。　　The　arm　it　belonged　to　was　twined　round

a　lamp…post　as　he　stood　between　the　little　girl　and　the　wind。



〃Home；〃　she　said；　gasping　for　breath。



〃Then　I　will　go　with　you；〃　said　Diamond。



And　then　they　were　silent　for　a　while；　for　the　wind　blew　worse

than　ever；　and　they　had　both　to　hold　on　to　the　lamp…post。



〃Where　is　your　crossing？〃　asked　the　girl　at　length。



〃I　don't　sweep；〃　answered　Diamond。



〃What　do　you　do；　then？〃　asked　she。　　〃You　ain't　big　enough

for　most　things。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　I　do　do；〃　answered　he；　feeling　rather　ashamed。　

〃Nothing；　I　suppose。　　My　father's　Mr。　Coleman's　coachman。〃



〃Have　you　a　father？〃　she　said；　staring　at　him　as　if　a　boy　with

a　father　was　a　natural　curiosity。



〃Yes。　　Haven't　you？〃　returned　Diamond。



〃No；　nor　mother　neither。　　Old　Sal's　all　I've　got。〃　　And　she　began

to　cry　again。



〃I　wouldn't　go　to　her　if　she　wasn't　good　to　me；〃　said　Diamond。



〃But　you　must　go　somewheres。〃



〃Move　on；〃　said　the　voice　of　a　policeman　behind　them。



〃I　told　you　so；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃You　must　go　somewheres。　

They're　always　at　it。〃



〃But　old　Sal　doesn't　beat　you；　does　she？〃



〃I　wish　she　would。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Diamond；　quite　bewildered。



〃She　would　if　she　was　my　mother。　　But　she　wouldn't　lie　abed　a…cuddlin'

of　her　ugly　old　bones；　and　laugh　to　hear　me　crying　at　the　door。〃



〃You　don't　mean　she　won't　let　you　in　to…night？〃



〃It'll　be　a　good　chance　if　she　does。〃



〃Why　are　you　out　so　late；　then？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃My　crossing's　a　long　way　off　at　the　West　End；　and　I　had　been　indulgin'

in　door…steps　and　mewses。〃



〃We'd　better　have　a　try　anyhow；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Come　along。〃



As　he　spoke　Diamond　thought　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　North　Wind　turning

a　corner　in　front　of　them；　and　when　they　turned　the　corner　too；

they　found　it　quiet　there；　but　he　saw　nothing　of　the　lady。



〃Now　you　lead　me；〃　he　said；　taking　her　hand；　〃and　I'll　take　care

of　you。〃



The　girl　withdrew　her　hand；　but　only　to　dry　her　eyes　with　her　frock；

for　the　other　had　enough　to　do　with　her　broom。　　She　put　it　in

his　again；　and　led　him；　turning　after　turning；　until　they　stopped

at　a　cellar…door　in　a　very　dirty　lane。　　There　she　knocked。



〃I　shouldn't　like　to　live　here；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Oh；　yes；　you　would；　if　you　had　nowhere　else　to　go　to；〃

answered　the　girl。　　〃I　only　wish　we　may　get　in。〃



〃I　don't　want　to　go　in；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Where　do　you　mean　to　go；　then？〃



〃Home　to　my　home。〃



〃Where's　that？〃



〃I　don't　exactly　know。〃



〃Then　you're　worse　off　than　I　am。〃



〃Oh　no；　for　North　Wind〃　began　Diamond；　and　stopped；　he　hardly

knew　why。



〃What？〃　said　the　girl；　as　she　held　her　ear　to　the　door　listening。



But　Diamond　did　not　reply。　　Neither　did　old　Sal。



〃I　told　you　so；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃She　is　wide　awake　hearkening。　

But　we　don't　get　in。〃



〃What　will　you　do；　then？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃Move　on；〃　she　answered。



〃Where？〃



〃Oh；　anywheres。　　Bless　you；　I'm　used　to　it。〃



〃Hadn't　you　better　come　home　with　me；　then？〃



〃That's　a　good　joke；　when　you　don't　know　where　it　is。　　Come　on。〃



〃But　where？〃



〃Oh；　nowheres　in　particular。　　Come　on。〃



Diamond　obeyed。　　The　wind　had　now　fallen　considerably。　　They　wandered

on　and　on；　turning　in　this　direction　and　that；　without　any　reason

for　one　way　more　than　another；　until　they　had　got　out　of　the　thick

of　the　houses　into　a　waste　kind　of　place。　　By　this　time　they　were　both

very　tired。　　Diamond　felt　a　good　deal　inclined　to　cry；　and　thought

he　had　been　very　silly　to　get　down　from　the　back　of　North　Wind；

not　that　he　would　have　minded　it　if　he　had　done　the　girl　any　good；

but　he　thought　he　had　been　of　no　use　to　her。　　He　was　mistaken　there；

for　she　was　far　happier　for　having　Diamond　with　her　than　if　she　had

been　wandering　about　alone。　　She　did　not　seem　so　tired　as　he　was。



〃Do　let　us　rest　a　bit；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Let's　see；〃　she　answered。　　〃There's　something　like　a　railway　there。　

Perhaps　there's　an　open　arch。〃



They　went　towards　it　and　found　one；　and；　better　still；　there　was

an　empty　barrel　lying　under　the　arch。



〃Hallo！　here　we　are！〃　said　the　girl。　　〃A　barrel's　the　jolliest

bed　goingon　the　tramp；　I　mean。　　We'll　have　forty　winks；　and　then

go　on　again。〃



She　crept　in；　and　Diamond　crept　in　beside　her。　　They　put　their　arms

round　each　other；　and　when　he　began　to　grow　warm；　Diamond's　courage

began　to　come　back。



〃This　is　jolly！〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　so　glad！〃



〃I　don't　think　so　much　of　it；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃I'm　used　to　it；

I　suppose。　　But　I　can't　think　how　a　kid　like　you　comes　to　be　out

all　alone　this　time　o'　night。〃



She　called　him　a　kid；　but　she　was　not　really　a　month　older　than　he　was；

only　she　had　had　to　work　for　her　bread；　and　that　so　soon　makes

people　older。



〃But　I　shouldn't　have　been　out　so　late　if　I　hadn't　got　down

to　help　you；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃North　Wind　is　gone　home　long　ago。〃



〃I　think　you　must　ha'　got　out　o'　one　o'　them　Hidget　Asylms；〃

said　the　girl。　　〃You　said　something　about　the　north　wind　afore

that　I　couldn't　get　the　rights　of。〃



So　now；　for　the　sake　of　his　character；　Diamond　had　to　tell　her

the　whole　story。



She　did　not　believe　a　word　of　it。　　She　said　he　wasn't　such　a　flat

as　to　believe　all　that　bosh。　　But　as　she　spoke　there　came　a　great

blast　of　wind　through　the　arch；　and　set　the　barrel　rolling。　　So　they

made　haste　to　get　out　of　it；　for　they　had　no　notion　of　being　rolled

over　and　over　as　if　they　had　been　packed　tight　and　wouldn't　hurt；

like　a　barrel　of　herrings。



〃I　thought　we　should　have　had　a　sleep；〃　said　Diamond；　〃but　I　can't

say　I'm　very　sleepy　after　all。　　Come；　let's　go　on　again。〃



They　wandered　on　and　on；　sometimes　sitting　on　a　door…step；

but　always　turning　into　lanes　or　fields　when　they　had　a　chance。



They　found　themselves　at　last　on　a　rising　ground　that　sloped　rather

steeply　on　the　other　side。　　It　was　a　waste　kind　of　spot　below；

bounded　by　an　irregular　wall；　with　a　few　doors　in　it。　　Outside　lay

broken　things　in　general；　from　garden　rollers　to　flower…pots　and

wine…bottles。　But　the　moment　they　reached　the　brow　of　the　rising　ground；

a　gust　of　wind　seized　them　and　blew　them　down　hill　as　fast　as　they

could　run。　　Nor　could　Diamond　stop　before　he　went　bang　against　one

of　the　doors　in　the　wall。　　To　his　dismay　it　burst　open。　　When　they

came　to　themselves　they　peeped　in。　　It　was　the　back　door　of　a　garden。



〃Ah；　ah！〃　cried　Diamond；　after　staring　for　a　few　moments；　〃I　thought　so！　

North　Wind　takes　nobody　in！　　Here　I　am　in　master's　garden！　

I　tell　you　what；　little　girl；　you　just　bore　a　hole　in　old　Sal's　wall；

and　put　your　mouth　to　it；　and　say；　〃Please；　North　Wind；　mayn't　I　go

out　with　you？〃　and　then　you'll　see　what'll　come。〃



〃I　daresay　I　shall。　　But　I'm　out　in　the　wind　too　often　already

to　want　more　of　it。〃



〃I　said　with　the　North　Wind；　not　in　it。〃



〃It's　all　one。〃



〃It's　not　all　one。〃



〃It　is　all　one。〃



〃But　I　know　best。〃



〃And　I　know　better。　　I'll　box　your　ears；〃　said　the　girl。



Diamond　got　very　angry。　　But　he　remembered　that　even　if　she　did　box

his　ears；　he　musn't　box　hers　again；　for　she　was　a　girl；　and　all

that　boys　must　do；　if　girls　are　rude；　is　to　go　away　and　leave　them。　

So　he　went　in　at　the　door。



〃Good…bye；　mister〃　said　the　girl。



This　brought　Diamond　to　his　senses。



〃I'm　sorry　I　was　cross；〃　he　said。　　〃Come　in；　and　my　mother　will

give　you　some　breakfast。〃



〃No；　thank　you。　　I　must　be　off　to　my　crossing。　　It's　morning　now。〃



〃I'm　very　sorry　for　you；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Well；　it　is　a　life　to　be　tired　ofwhat　with　old　Sal；　and　so　many

holes　in　my　shoes。〃



〃I　wonder　you're　so　good。　　I　should　kill　myself。〃



〃Oh；　no；　you　wouldn't！　When　I　think　of　it；　I　always　want　to　see　what's

coming　next；　and　so　I　always　wait　till　next　is　over。　　Well！　　I　suppose

there's　somebody　happy　somewheres。　　But　it　ain't　in　them　carriages。　

Oh　my！　how　they　do　look　sometimesfit　to　bite　your　head　off！　　Good…bye！〃



She　ran　up　the　hill　and　disappeared　behind　it。　　Then　Diamond　shut

the　door　as　he　best　could；　and　ran　through　the　kitchen…garden　to

the　stable。　　And　wasn't　he　glad　to　get　into　his　own　blessed　bed　again！









CHAPTER　V



THE　SUMMER…HOUSE





DIAMOND　said　nothing　to　his　mother　about　his　adventures。　　He　had

half　a　notion　that　North　Wind