the little white bird-第13部分

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to　hear　him　signify　that　I　would　do。　　I　have　stood　up　before

other　keen　judges　and　deceived　them　all；　but　I　made　no　effort　to

deceive　David；　I　wanted　to；　but　dared　not。　　Those　unblinking　eyes

were　too　new　to　the　world　to　be　hooded　by　any　of　its　tricks。　　In

them　I　saw　my　true　self。　　They　opened　for　me　that　pedler's　pack

of　which　I　have　made　so　much　ado；　and　I　found　that　it　was

weighted　less　with　pretty　little　sad　love…tokens　than　with

ignoble　thoughts　and　deeds　and　an　unguided　life。　　I　looked

dejectedly　at　David；　not　so　much；　I　think；　because　I　had　such　a

sorry　display　for　him；　as　because　I　feared　he　would　not　have　me

in　his　service。　　I　seemed　to　know　that　he　was　making　up　his　mind

once　and　for　all。



And　in　the　end　he　smiled；　perhaps　only　because　I　looked　so

frightened；　but　the　reason　scarcely　mattered　to　me；　I　felt　myself

a　fine　fellow　at　once。　　It　was　a　long　smile；　too；　opening　slowly

to　its　fullest　extent　（as　if　to　let　me　in）；　and　then　as　slowly

shutting。



Then；　to　divert　me　from　sad　thoughts；　or　to　rivet　our　friendship；

or　because　the　time　had　come　for　each　of　us　to　show　the　other

what　he　could　do；　he　immediately　held　one　foot　high　in　the　air。　

This　made　him　slide　down　the　perambulator；　and　I　saw　at　once　that

it　was　very　necessary　to　replace　him。　　But　never　before　had　I

come　into　such　close　contact　with　a　child；　the　most　I　had　ever

done　was；　when　they　were　held　up　to　me；　to　shut　my　eyes　and　kiss

a　vacuum。　　David；　of　course；　though　no　doubt　he　was　eternally

being　replaced；　could　tell　as　little　as　myself　how　it　was

contrived；　and　yet　we　managed　it　between　us　quite　easily。　　His

body　instinctively　assumed　a　certain　position　as　I　touched　him；

which　compelled　my　arms　to　fall　into　place；　and　the　thing　was

done。　　I　felt　absurdly　pleased；　but　he　was　already　considering

what　he　should　do　next。



He　again　held　up　his　foot；　which　had　a　gouty　appearance　owing　to

its　being　contained　in　a　dumpy　little　worsted　sock；　and　I　thought

he　proposed　to　repeat　his　first　performance；　but　in　this　I　did

him　an　injustice；　for；　unlike　Porthos；　he　was　one　who　scorned　to

do　the　same　feat　twice；　perhaps；　like　the　conjurors；　he　knew　that

the　audience　were　more　on　the　alert　the　second　time。



I　discovered　that　he　wanted　me　to　take　off　his　sock！



Remembering　Irene's　dread　warnings　on　this　subject　I　must　say

that　I　felt　uneasy。　　Had　he　heard　her；　and　was　he　daring　me？　　And

what　dire　thing　could　happen　if　the　sock　was　removed？　　I　sought

to　reason　with　him；　but　he　signed　to　me　to　look　sharp；　and　I

removed　the　sock。　　The　part　of　him　thus　revealed　gave　David

considerable　pleasure；　but　I　noticed；　as　a　curious　thing；　that　he

seemed　to　have　no　interest　in　the　other　foot。



However；　it　was　not　there　merely　to　be　looked　at；　for　after

giving　me　a　glance　which　said　〃Now　observe！〃　he　raised　his　bare

foot　and　ran　his　mouth　along　the　toes；　like　one　playing　on　a

barbaric　instrument。　　He　then　tossed　his　foot　aside；　smiled　his

long　triumphant　smile　and　intimated　that　it　was　now　my　turn　to　do

something。　　I　thought　the　best　thing　I　could　do　would　be　to　put

his　sock　on　him　again；　but　as　soon　as　I　tried　to　do　so　I

discovered　why　Irene　had　warned　me　so　portentously　against　taking

it　off。　　I　should　say　that　she　had　trouble　in　socking　him　every

morning。



Nevertheless　I　managed　to　slip　it　on　while　he　was　debating　what

to　do　with　my　watch。　　I　bitterly　regretted　that　I　could　do

nothing　with　it　myself；　put　it　under　a　wine…glass；　for　instance；

and　make　it　turn　into　a　rabbit；　which　so　many　people　can　do。　　In

the　meantime　David；　occupied　with　similar　thoughts；　very　nearly

made　it　disappear　altogether；　and　I　was　thankful　to　be　able　to

pull　it　back　by　the　chain。



〃Haw…haw…haw！〃



Thus　he　commented　on　his　new　feat；　but　it　was　also　a　reminder　to

me；　a　trifle　cruel；　that　he　was　not　my　boy。　　After　all；　you　see；

Mary　had　not　given　him　the　whole　of　his　laugh。　　The　watch　said

that　five　and　twenty　minutes　had　passed；　and　looking　out　I　saw

Irene　at　one　end　of　the　street　staring　up　at　my　window；　and　at

the　other　end　Mary's　husband　staring　up　at　my　window；　and　beneath

me　Mary　staring　up　at　my　window。　　They　had　all　broken　their

promise。



I　returned　to　David；　and　asked　him　in　a　low　voice　whether　he

would　give　me　a　kiss。　　He　shook　his　head　about　six　times；　and　I

was　in　despair。　　Then　the　smile　came；　and　I　knew　that　he　was

teasing　me　only。　　He　now　nodded　his　head　about　six　times。



This　was　the　prettiest　of　all　his　exploits。　　It　was　so　pretty

that；　contrary　to　his　rule；　he　repeated　it。　　I　had　held　out　my

arms　to　him；　and　first　he　shook　his　head；　and　then　after　a　long

pause　（to　frighten　me）；　he　nodded　it。



But　no　sooner　was　he　in　my　arms　than　I　seemed　to　see　Mary　and　her

husband　and　Irene　bearing　down　upon　my　chambers　to　take　him　from

me；　and　acting　under　an　impulse　I　whipped　him　into　the

perambulator　and　was　off　with　it　without　a　license　down　the　back

staircase。　　To　the　Kensington　Gardens　we　went；　it　may　have　been

Manitoba　we　started　for；　but　we　arrived　at　the　Kensington

Gardens；　and　it　had　all　been　so　unpremeditated　and　smartly

carried　out　that　I　remember　clapping　my　hand　to　my　head　in　the

street；　to　make　sure　that　I　was　wearing　a　hat。



I　watched　David　to　see　what　he　thought　of　it；　and　he　had　not　yet

made　up　his　mind。　　Strange　to　say；　I　no　longer　felt　shy。　　I　was

grown　suddenly　indifferent　to　public　comment；　and　my　elation

increased　when　I　discovered　that　I　was　being　pursued。　　They　drew

a　cordon　round　me　near　Margot　Meredith's　tree；　but　I　broke

through　it　by　a　strategic　movement　to　the　south；　and　was　next

heard　of　in　the　Baby's　Walk。　　They　held　both　ends　of　this

passage；　and　then　thought　to　close　on　me；　but　I　slipped　through

their　fingers　by　doubling　up　Bunting's　Thumb　into　Picnic　Street。　

Cowering　at　St。　Govor's　Well；　we　saw　them　rush　distractedly　up

the　Hump；　and　when　they　had　crossed　to　the　Round　Pond　we　paraded

gaily　in　the　Broad　Walk；　not　feeling　the　tiniest　bit　sorry　for

anybody。



Here；　however；　it　gradually　came　into　David's　eyes　that；　after

all；　I　was　a　strange　man；　and　they　opened　wider　and　wider；　until

they　were　the　size　of　my　medals；　and　then；　with　the　deliberation

that　distinguishes　his　smile；　he　slowly　prepared　to　howl。　　I　saw

all　his　forces　gathering　in　his　face；　and　I　had　nothing　to　oppose

to　them；　it　was　an　unarmed　man　against　a　regiment。



Even　then　I　did　not　chide　him。　　　He　could　not　know　that　it　was　I

who　had　dropped　the　letter。



I　think　I　must　have　stepped　over　a　grateful　fairy　at　that　moment；

for　who　else　could　have　reminded　me　so　opportunely　of　my　famous

manipulation　of　the　eyebrows；　forgotten　since　I　was　in　the　fifth

form？　　I　alone　of　boys　had　been　able　to　elevate　and　lower　my

eyebrows　separately；　when　the　one　was　climbing　my　forehead　the

other　descended　it；　like　the　two　buckets　in　the　well。



Most　diffidently　did　I　call　this　accomplishment　to　my　aid　now；

and　immediately　David　checked　his　forces　and　considered　my

unexpected　movement　without　prejudice。　　His　face　remained　as　it

was；　his　mouth　open　to　emit　the　howl　if　I　did　not　surpass

expectation。　　I　saw　that；　like　the　fair…minded　boy　he　has　always

been；　he　was　giving　me　my　chance；　and　I　worked　feverishly；　my

chief　fear　being　that；　owing　to　his　youth；　he　might　not　know　how

marvellous　was　this　thing　I　was　doing。　　It　is　an　appeal　to　the

intellect；　as　well　as　to　the　senses；　and　no　one　on　earth　can　do

it　except　myself。



When　I　paused　for　a　moment　exhausted　he　signed　gravely；　with

unchanged　face；　that　though　it　was　undeniably　funny；　he　had　not

yet　decided　whether　it　was　funny　enough；　and；　taking　this　for

encouragement；　at　it　I　went　once　more；　till　I　saw　his　forces

wavering；　when　I　sent　my　left　eyebrow　up　almost　farther　than　I

could　bring　it　back；　and　with　that　I　had　him；　the　smile　broke

through　the　clouds。



In　the　midst　of　my　hard…won　triumph　I　heard　cheering。



I　had　been　vaguely　conscious　that　we　were　not　quite　alone；　but

had　not　dared　to　look　away　from　David；　I　looked　now；　and　found　to

my　annoyance　that　I　was　the　centre　of　a　deeply　interested

gathering　of　children。　　There　was；　in　particular；　one　vulgar

little　street…　boy



However；　if　that　damped　me　in　the　moment　of　victory；　I　was　soon

to　triumph　gloriously　in　what　began　like　defeat。　　I　had　sat　me

down　on　one　of　the　garden…seats　in　the　Figs；　with　one　hand

resting　carelessly　on　the　perambulator；　in　imitation　of　the

nurses；　it　was　so　pleasant　to　assume　the　air　of　one　who　walked

with　David　daily；　when　to　my　chagrin　I　saw　Mary　approaching　with

quick　stealthy　steps；　and　already　so　near　me　that　flight　would

have　been　ignominy。　　Porthos；　of　whom　she　had　hold；　bounded

toward　me；　waving　his　traitorous　tail；　but　she　slowed　on　seeing

that　I　had　observed　her。　　She　had　run　me　down　with　my　own　dog。



I　have　not　mentioned　that　Porthos　had　for　some　time　now　been　a

visitor　at　her　house；　though　never　can　I　forget　the　shock　I　got

the　first　time　I　saw　him　strolling　out　of　it　like　an　afternoon

caller。　　Of　late　he　has　avoided　it；　crossing　to　the　other　side

when　I　go　that　way；　and　rejoining　me　farther　on；　so　I　conclude

that　Mary's　husband　is　painting　him。



I　waited　her　coming　stiffly；　in　great　depression　of　spirits；　and

noted　that　her　first　attentions　were　for　David；　who；　somewhat

shabbily；　gave　her　the　end　of　a　smile　which　had　been　begun　for

me。　It　seemed　to　relieve　her；　for　what　one　may　call　the　wild

maternal　look　left　her　face；　and　trying　to　check　little　gasps　of

breath；　the　result　of　unseemly　running；　she　signed　to　her

confederates　to　remain　in　the　background；　and　turned　curious　eyes

on　me。　　Had　she　spoken　as　she　approached；　I　am　sure　her　words

would　have　been　as　flushed　as　her　face；　but　now　her　mouth

puckered　as　David's　does　before　he　sets　forth　upon　his　smile；　and

I　saw　that　she　thought　she　had　me　in　a　parley　at　last。



〃I　could　not　help　being　a　little　anxious；〃　she　said　c