at the back of the north wind-第31部分

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I　suppose　with　our　shovelling　and　handling　we　spoil　them　a　bit；

and　I　daresay　the　clouds　that　come　up　from　below　make　them　smoky

and　dull　sometimes。　　They　saymind；　I　say　they　saythese　other

angels　take　them　out　one　by　one；　and　pass　each　round　as　we　do；

and　breathe　over　it；　and　rub　it　with　their　white　hands；　which　are

softer　than　ours；　because　they　don't　do　any　pick…and…spade　work；

and　smile　at　it；　and　put　it　in　again：　　and　that　is　what　keeps　them　from

growing　dark。〃



〃How　jolly！〃　thought　Diamond。　　〃I　should　like　to　see　them　at　their

work　too。When　do　you　go　to　sleep？〃　he　asked　the　captain。



〃When　we　grow　sleepy；〃　answered　the　captain。　　〃They　do　saybut　mind

I　say　they　saythat　it　is　when　those　otherswhat　do　you　call　them？　

I　don't　know　if　that　is　their　name；　I　am　only　guessing　that　may　be

the　sort　you　meanwhen　they　are　on　their　rounds　and　come　near　any

troop　of　us　we　fall　asleep。　　They　live　on　the　west　side　of　the　hill。　

None　of　us　have　ever　been　to　the　top　of　it　yet。〃



Even　as　he　spoke；　he　dropped　his　spade。　　He　tumbled　down　beside　it；

and　lay　fast　asleep。　　One　after　the　other　each　of　the　troop　dropped

his　pickaxe　or　shovel　from　his　listless　hands；　and　lay　fast　asleep

by　his　work。



〃Ah！〃　thought　Diamond　to　himself；　with　delight；　〃now　the　girl…angels

are　coming；　and　I；　not　being　an　angel；　shall　not　fall　asleep

like　the　rest；　and　I　shall　see　the　girl…angels。〃



But　the　same　moment　he　felt　himself　growing　sleepy。　　He　struggled

hard　with　the　invading　power。　　He　put　up　his　fingers　to　his　eyelids

and　pulled　them　open。　　But　it　was　of　no　use。　　He　thought　he　saw

a　glimmer　of　pale　rosy　light　far　up　the　green　hill；　and　ceased

to　know。



When　he　awoke；　all　the　angels　were　starting　up　wide　awake　too。　

He　expected　to　see　them　lift　their　tools；　but　no；　the　time　for　play

had　come。　　They　looked　happier　than　ever；　and　each　began　to　sing

where　he　stood。　　He　had　not　heard　them　sing　before。



〃Now；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　know　what　kind　of　nonsense　the　angels

sing　when　they　are　merry。　　They　don't　drive　cabs；　I　see；　but　they

dig　for　stars；　and　they　work　hard　enough　to　be　merry　after　it。〃



And　he　did　hear　some　of　the　angels'　nonsense；　for　if　it　was　all

sense　to　them；　it　had　only　just　as　much　sense　to　Diamond　as　made

good　nonsense　of　it。　　He　tried　hard　to　set　it　down　in　his　mind；

listening　as　closely　as　he　could；　now　to　one；　now　to　another；

and　now　to　all　together。　　But　while　they　were　yet　singing　he　began；

to　his　dismay；　to　find　that　he　was　coming　awakefaster　and　faster。　

And　as　he　came　awake；　he　found　that；　for　all　the　goodness　of　his　memory；

verse　after　verse　of　the　angels'　nonsense　vanished　from　it。　

He　always　thought　he　could　keep　the　last；　but　as　the　next　began　he

lost　the　one　before　it；　and　at　length　awoke；　struggling　to　keep　hold

of　the　last　verse　of　all。　　He　felt　as　if　the　effort　to　keep　from

forgetting　that　one　verse　of　the　vanishing　song　nearly　killed　him。　

And　yet　by　the　time　he　was　wide　awake　he　could　not　be　sure　of　that　even。　

It　was　something　like　this：





　　　　　　　　　White　hands　of　whiteness

　　　　　　　　　　　Wash　the　stars'　faces；

　　　　　　　　　Till　glitter；　glitter；　glit；　goes　their　brightness

　　　　　　　　　　　Down　to　poor　places。





This；　however；　was　so　near　sense　that　he　thought　it　could　not　be

really　what　they　did　sing。







CHAPTER　XXVI



DIAMOND　TAKES　A　FARE　THE　WRONG　WAY　RIGHT





THE　next　morning　Diamond　was　up　almost　as　early　as　before。　　He　had　nothing

to　fear　from　his　mother　now；　and　made　no　secret　of　what　he　was　about。　

By　the　time　he　reached　the　stable；　several　of　the　men　were　there。　

They　asked　him　a　good　many　questions　as　to　his　luck　the　day　before；

and　he　told　them　all　they　wanted　to　know。　　But　when　he　proceeded

to　harness　the　old　horse；　they　pushed　him　aside　with　rough　kindness；

called　him　a　baby；　and　began　to　do　it　all　for　him。　　So　Diamond

ran　in　and　had　another　mouthful　of　tea　and　bread　and　butter；

and　although　he　had　never　been　so　tired　as　he　was　the　night　before；

he　started　quite　fresh　this　morning。　　It　was　a　cloudy　day；

and　the　wind　blew　hard　from　the　northso　hard　sometimes　that；

perched　on　the　box　with　just　his　toes　touching　the　ground；

Diamond　wished　that　he　had　some　kind　of　strap　to　fasten　himself

down　with　lest　he　should　be　blown　away。　　But　he　did　not　really

mind　it。



His　head　was　full　of　the　dream　he　had　dreamed；　but　it　did　not　make

him　neglect　his　work；　for　his　work　was　not　to　dig　stars　but　to　drive

old　Diamond　and　pick　up　fares。　　There　are　not　many　people　who　can

think　about　beautiful　things　and　do　common　work　at　the　same　time。　

But　then　there　are　not　many　people　who　have　been　to　the　back　of　the

north　wind。



There　was　not　much　business　doing。　　And　Diamond　felt　rather　cold；

notwithstanding　his　mother　had　herself　put　on　his　comforter

and　helped　him　with　his　greatcoat。　　But　he　was　too　well　aware

of　his　dignity　to　get　inside　his　cab　as　some　do。　　A　cabman　ought

to　be　above　minding　the　weatherat　least　so　Diamond　thought。　

At　length　he　was　called　to　a　neighbouring　house；　where　a　young　woman

with　a　heavy　box　had　to　be　taken　to　Wapping　for　a　coast…steamer。



He　did　not　find　it　at　all　pleasant；　so　far　east　and　so　near　the　river；

for　the　roughs　were　in　great　force。　　However；　there　being　no　block；

not　even　in　Nightingale　Lane；　he　reached　the　entrance　of　the　wharf；

and　set　down　his　passenger　without　annoyance。　　But　as　he　turned

to　go　back；　some　idlers；　not　content　with　chaffing　him；　showed　a

mind　to　the　fare　the　young　woman　had　given　him。　　They　were　just

pulling　him　off　the　box；　and　Diamond　was　shouting　for　the　police；

when　a　pale…faced　man；　in　very　shabby　clothes；　but　with　the　look

of　a　gentleman　somewhere　about　him；　came　up；　and　making　good　use　of

his　stick；　drove　them　off。



〃Now；　my　little　man；〃　he　said；　〃get　on　while　you　can。　　Don't　lose

any　time。　　This　is　not　a　place　for　you。〃



But　Diamond　was　not　in　the　habit　of　thinking　only　of　himself。　

He　saw　that　his　new　friend　looked　weary；　if　not　ill；　and　very　poor。



〃Won't　you　jump　in；　sir？〃　he　said。　　〃I　will　take　you　wherever

you　like。〃



〃Thank　you；　my　man；　but　I　have　no　money；　so　I　can't。〃



〃Oh！　　I　don't　want　any　money。　　I　shall　be　much　happier　if　you　will

get　in。　　You　have　saved　me　all　I　had。　　I　owe　you　a　lift；　sir。〃



〃Which　way　are　you　going？〃



〃To　Charing　Cross；　but　I　don't　mind　where　I　go。〃



〃Well；　I　am　very　tired。　　If　you　will　take　me　to　Charing　Cross；

I　shall　be　greatly　obliged　to　you。　　I　have　walked　from　Gravesend；

and　had　hardly　a　penny　left　to　get　through　the　tunnel。〃



So　saying；　he　opened　the　door　and　got　in；　and　Diamond　drove　away。



But　as　he　drove；　he　could　not　help　fancying　he　had　seen　the　gentleman

for　Diamond　knew　he　was　a　gentlemanbefore。　　Do　all　he　could；

however；　he　could　not　recall　where　or　when。　　Meantime　his　fare；

if　we　may　call　him　such；　seeing　he　was　to　pay　nothing；　whom　the　relief

of　being　carried　had　made　less　and　less　inclined　to　carry　himself；

had　been　turning　over　things　in　his　mind；　and；　as　they　passed

the　Mint；　called　to　Diamond；　who　stopped　the　horse；　got　down

and　went　to　the　window。



〃If　you　didn't　mind　taking　me　to　Chiswick；　I　should　be　able

to　pay　you　when　we　got　there。　　It's　a　long　way；　but　you　shall

have　the　whole　fare　from　the　Docksand　something　over。〃



〃Very　well；　sir〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　shall　be　most　happy。〃



He　was　just　clambering　up　again；　when　the　gentleman　put　his　head

out　of　the　window　and　said



〃It's　The　WildernessMr。　Coleman's　place；　but　I'll　direct　you

when　we　come　into　the　neighbourhood。〃



It　flashed　upon　Diamond　who　he　was。　　But　he　got　upon　his　box

to　arrange　his　thoughts　before　making　any　reply。



The　gentleman　was　Mr。　Evans；　to　whom　Miss　Coleman　was　to　have　been

married；　and　Diamond　had　seen　him　several　times　with　her　in　the　garden。　

I　have　said　that　he　had　not　behaved　very　well　to　Miss　Coleman。　

He　had　put　off　their　marriage　more　than　once　in　a　cowardly　fashion；

merely　because　he　was　ashamed　to　marry　upon　a　small　income；

and　live　in　a　humble　way。　　When　a　man　thinks　of　what　people　will　say

in　such　a　case；　he　may　love；　but　his　love　is　but　a　poor　affair。　

Mr。　Coleman　took　him　into　the　firm　as　a　junior　partner；　and　it

was　in　a　measure　through　his　influence　that　he　entered　upon　those

speculations　which　ruined　him。　　So　his　love　had　not　been　a　blessing。　

The　ship　which　North　Wind　had　sunk　was　their　last　venture；

and　Mr。　Evans　had　gone　out　with　it　in　the　hope　of　turning　its

cargo　to　the　best　advantage。　　He　was　one　of　the　single　boat…load

which　managed　to　reach　a　desert　island；　and　he　had　gone　through

a　great　many　hardships　and　sufferings　since　then。　　But　he　was　not

past　being　taught；　and　his　troubles　had　done　him　no　end　of　good；

for　they　had　made　him　doubt　himself；　and　begin　to　think；　so　that

he　had　come　to　see　that　he　had　been　foolish　as　well　as　wicked。　

For；　if　he　had　had　Miss　Coleman　with　him　in　the　desert　island；

to　build　her　a　hut；　and　hunt　for　her　food；　and　make　clothes　for　her；

he　would　have　thought　himself　the　most　fortunate　of　men；　and　when　he

was　at　home；　he　would　not　marry　till　he　could　afford　a　man…servant。

Before　he　got　home　again；　he　had　even　begun　to　understand　that　no　man

can　make　haste　to　be　rich　without　going　against　the　will　of　God；

in　which　case　it　is　the　one　frightful　thing　to　be　successful。　

So　he　had　come　back　a　more　humble　man；　and　longing　to　ask　Miss　Coleman

to　forgive　him。　　But　he　had　no　idea　what　ruin　had　fallen　upon　them；

for　he　had　never　made　himself　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the

firm's　affairs。　　Few　speculative　people　do　know　their　own　affairs。　

Hence　he　never　doubted　he　should　find　matters　much　as　he　left　them；

and　expected　to　see　them　all　at　The　Wilderness　as　before。　　But　if　he

had　not　fallen　in　with　Diamond；　he　would　not　have　thought　of　going

there　first。



What　was　Diamond　to　do？　　He　had　heard　his　father　and　mother　drop

some　remarks　concerning　Mr。　Evans　wh