the little white bird-第24部分

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chrysanthemums　heard　her；　and　they　all　said　so　pointedly　〃Hoity…

toity；　what　is　this？〃　that　she　had　to　come　out　and　show　herself。

Then　the　whole　vegetable　kingdom　was　rather　puzzled　what　to　do。



〃Of　course　it　is　no　affair　of　ours；〃　a　spindle　tree　said　after

they　had　whispered　together；　〃but　you　know　quite　well　you　ought

not　to　be　here；　and　perhaps　our　duty　is　to　report　you　to　the

fairies；　what　do　you　think　yourself？〃



〃I　think　you　should　not；〃　Maimie　replied；　which　so　perplexed　them

that　they　said　petulantly　there　was　no　arguing　with　her。　　〃I

wouldn't　ask　it　of　you；〃　she　assured　them；　〃if　I　thought　it　was

wrong；〃　and　of　course　after　this　they　could　not　well　carry　tales。

They　then　said；　〃Well…a…day；〃　and　〃Such　is　life！〃　for　they　can　be

frightfully　sarcastic；　but　she　felt　sorry　for　those　of　them　who

had　no　crutches；　and　she　said　good…naturedly；　〃Before　I　go　to　the

fairies'　ball；　I　should　like　to　take　you　for　a　walk　one　at　a

time；　you　can　lean　on　me；　you　know。〃



At　this　they　clapped　their　hands；　and　she　escorted　them　up　to　the

Baby　Walk　and　back　again；　one　at　a　time；　putting　an　arm　or　a

finger　round　the　very　frail；　setting　their　leg　right　when　it　got

too　ridiculous；　and　treating　the　foreign　ones　quite　as

courteously　as　the　English；　though　she　could　not　understand　a

word　they　said。



They　behaved　well　on　the　whole；　though　some　whimpered　that　she

had　not　taken　them　as　far　as　she　took　Nancy　or　Grace　or　Dorothy；

and　others　jagged　her；　but　it　was　quite　unintentional；　and　she

was　too　much　of　a　lady　to　cry　out。　　So　much　walking　tired　her　and

she　was　anxious　to　be　off　to　the　ball；　but　she　no　longer　felt

afraid。　　The　reason　she　felt　no　more　fear　was　that　it　was　now

night…time；　and　in　the　dark；　you　remember；　Maimie　was　always

rather　strange。



They　were　now　loath　to　let　her　go；　for；　〃If　the　fairies　see　you；〃

they　warned　her；　〃they　will　mischief　you；　stab　you　to　death　or

compel　you　to　nurse　their　children　or　turn　you　into　something

tedious；　like　an　evergreen　oak。〃　　As　they　said　this　they　looked

with　affected　pity　at　an　evergreen　oak；　for　in　winter　they　are

very　envious　of　the　evergreens。



〃Oh；　la！〃　replied　the　oak　bitingly；　〃how　deliciously　cosy　it　is

to　stand　here　buttoned　to　the　neck　and　watch　you　poor　naked

creatures　shivering！〃



This　made　them　sulky　though　they　had　really　brought　it　on

themselves；　and　they　drew　for　Maimie　a　very　gloomy　picture　of　the

perils　that　faced　her　if　she　insisted　on　going　to　the　ball。



She　learned　from　a　purple　filbert　that　the　court　was　not　in　its

usual　good　temper　at　present；　the　cause　being　the　tantalising

heart　of　the　Duke　of　Christmas　Daisies。　　He　was　an　Oriental

fairy；　very　poorly　of　a　dreadful　complaint；　namely；　inability　to

love；　and　though　he　had　tried　many　ladies　in　many　lands　he　could

not　fall　in　love　with　one　of　them。　　Queen　Mab；　who　rules　in　the

Gardens；　had　been　confident　that　her　girls　would　bewitch　him；　but

alas；　his　heart；　the　doctor　said；　remained　cold。　　This　rather

irritating　doctor；　who　was　his　private　physician；　felt　the　Duke's

heart　immediately　after　any　lady　was　presented；　and　then　always

shook　his　bald　head　and　murmured；　〃Cold；　quite　cold！〃　　Naturally

Queen　Mab　felt　disgraced；　and　first　she　tried　the　effect　of

ordering　the　court　into　tears　for　nine　minutes；　and　then　she

blamed　the　Cupids　and　decreed　that　they　should　wear　fools'　caps

until　they　thawed　the　Duke's　frozen　heart。



〃How　I　should　love　to　see　the　Cupids　in　their　dear　little　fools'

caps！〃　Maimie　cried；　and　away　she　ran　to　look　for　them　very

recklessly；　for　the　Cupids　hate　to　be　laughed　at。



It　is　always　easy　to　discover　where　a　fairies'　ball　is　being

held；　as　ribbons　are　stretched　between　it　and　all　the　populous

parts　of　the　Gardens；　on　which　those　invited　may　walk　to　the

dance　without　wetting　their　pumps。　　This　night　the　ribbons　were

red　and　looked　very　pretty　on　the　snow。



Maimie　walked　alongside　one　of　them　for　some　distance　without

meeting　anybody；　but　at　last　she　saw　a　fairy　cavalcade

approaching。　　To　her　surprise　they　seemed　to　be　returning　from

the　ball；　and　she　had　just　time　to　hide　from　them　by　bending　her

knees　and　holding　out　her　arms　and　pretending　to　be　a　garden

chair。　There　were　six　horsemen　in　front　and　six　behind；　in　the

middle　walked　a　prim　lady　wearing　a　long　train　held　up　by　two

pages；　and　on　the　train；　as　if　it　were　a　couch；　reclined　a　lovely

girl；　for　in　this　way　do　aristocratic　fairies　travel　about。　　She

was　dressed　in　golden　rain；　but　the　most　enviable　part　of　her　was

her　neck；　which　was　blue　in　colour　and　of　a　velvet　texture；　and

of　course　showed　off　her　diamond　necklace　as　no　white　throat

could　have　glorified　it。　　The　high…born　fairies　obtain　this

admired　effect　by　pricking　their　skin；　which　lets　the　blue　blood

come　through　and　dye　them；　and　you　cannot　imagine　anything　so

dazzling　unless　you　have　seen　the　ladies'　busts　in　the　jewellers'

windows。



Maimie　also　noticed　that　the　whole　cavalcade　seemed　to　be　in　a

passion；　tilting　their　noses　higher　than　it　can　be　safe　for　even

fairies　to　tilt　them；　and　she　concluded　that　this　must　be　another

case　in　which　the　doctor　had　said　〃Cold；　quite　cold！〃



Well；　she　followed　the　ribbon　to　a　place　where　it　became　a　bridge

over　a　dry　puddle　into　which　another　fairy　had　fallen　and　been

unable　to　climb　out。　　At　first　this　little　damsel　was　afraid　of

Maimie；　who　most　kindly　went　to　her　aid；　but　soon　she　sat　in　her

hand　chatting　gaily　and　explaining　that　her　name　was　Brownie；　and

that　though　only　a　poor　street　singer　she　was　on　her　way　to　the

ball　to　see　if　the　Duke　would　have　her。



〃Of　course；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　rather　plain；〃　and　this　made　Maimie

uncomfortable；　for　indeed　the　simple　little　creature　was　almost

quite　plain　for　a　fairy。



It　was　difficult　to　know　what　to　reply。



〃I　see　you　think　I　have　no　chance；〃　Brownie　said　falteringly。



〃I　don't　say　that；〃　Maimie　answered　politely；　〃of　course　your

face　is　just　a　tiny　bit　homely；　but〃　　Really　it　was　quite

awkward　for　her。



Fortunately　she　remembered　about　her　father　and　the　bazaar。　　He

had　gone　to　a　fashionable　bazaar　where　all　the　most　beautiful

ladies　in　London　were　on　view　for　half…a…crown　the　second　day；

but　on　his　return　home　instead　of　being　dissatisfied　with

Maimie's　mother　he　had　said；　〃You　can't　think；　my　dear；　what　a

relief　it　is　to　see　a　homely　face　again。〃



Maimie　repeated　this　story；　and　it　fortified　Brownie

tremendously；　indeed　she　had　no　longer　the　slightest　doubt　that

the　Duke　would　choose　her。　　So　she　scudded　away　up　the　ribbon；

calling　out　to　Maimie　not　to　follow　lest　the　Queen　should

mischief　her。



But　Maimie's　curiosity　tugged　her　forward；　and　presently　at　the

seven　Spanish　chestnuts；　she　saw　a　wonderful　light。　　She　crept

forward　until　she　was　quite　near　it；　and　then　she　peeped　from

behind　a　tree。



The　light；　which　was　as　high　as　your　head　above　the　ground；　was

composed　of　myriads　of　glow…worms　all　holding　on　to　each　other；

and　so　forming　a　dazzling　canopy　over　the　fairy　ring。　　There　were

thousands　of　little　people　looking　on；　but　they　were　in　shadow

and　drab　in　colour　compared　to　the　glorious　creatures　within　that

luminous　circle　who　were　so　bewilderingly　bright　that　Maimie　had

to　wink　hard　all　the　time　she　looked　at　them。



It　was　amazing　and　even　irritating　to　her　that　the　Duke　of

Christmas　Daisies　should　be　able　to　keep　out　of　love　for　a

moment：　yet　out　of　love　his　dusky　grace　still　was：　you　could　see

it　by　the　shamed　looks　of　the　Queen　and　court　（though　they

pretended　not　to　care）；　by　the　way　darling　ladies　brought　forward

for　his　approval　burst　into　tears　as　they　were　told　to　pass　on；

and　by　his　own　most　dreary　face。



Maimie　could　also　see　the　pompous　doctor　feeling　the　Duke's　heart

and　hear　him　give　utterance　to　his　parrot　cry；　and　she　was

particularly　sorry　for　the　Cupids；　who　stood　in　their　fools'　caps

in　obscure　places　and；　every　time　they　heard　that　〃Cold；　quite

cold；〃　bowed　their　disgraced　little　heads。



She　was　disappointed　not　to　see　Peter　Pan；　and　I　may　as　well　tell

you　now　why　he　was　so　late　that　night。　　It　was　because　his　boat

had　got　wedged　on　the　Serpentine　between　fields　of　floating　ice；

through　which　he　had　to　break　a　perilous　passage　with　his　trusty

paddle。



The　fairies　had　as　yet　scarcely　missed　him；　for　they　could　not

dance；　so　heavy　were　their　hearts。　　They　forget　all　the　steps

when　they　are　sad　and　remember　them　again　when　they　are　merry。　

David　tells　me　that　fairies　never　say　〃We　feel　happy〃：　what　they

say　is；　〃We　feel　dancey。〃



Well；　they　were　looking　very　undancey　indeed；　when　sudden

laughter　broke　out　among　the　onlookers；　caused　by　Brownie；　who

had　just　arrived　and　was　insisting　on　her　right　to　be　presented

to　the　Duke。



Maimie　craned　forward　eagerly　to　see　how　her　friend　fared；　though

she　had　really　no　hope；　no　one　seemed　to　have　the　least　hope

except　Brownie　herself；　who；　however；　was　absolutely　confident。

She　was　led　before　his　grace；　and　the　doctor　putting　a　finger

carelessly　on　the　ducal　heart；　which　for　convenience　sake　was

reached　by　a　little　trapdoor　in　his　diamond　shirt；　had　begun　to

say　mechanically；　〃Cold；　qui；〃　when　he　stopped　abruptly。



〃What's　this？〃　he　cried；　and　first　he　shook　the　heart　like　a

watch；　and　then　put　his　ear　to　it。



〃Bless　my　soul！〃　cried　the　doctor；　and　by　this　time　of　course　the

excitement　among　the　spectators　was　tremendous；　fairies　fainting

right　and　left。



Everybody　stared　breathlessly　at　the　Duke；　who　was　very　much

startled　and　looked　as　if　he　would　like　to　run　away。　　〃Good

gracious　me！〃　the　doctor　was　heard　muttering；　and　now　the　heart

was　evidently　on　fire；　for　he　had　to　jerk　his　fingers　away　from

it　and　put　them　in　his　mouth。



The　suspense　was　awful！



Then　in　a　loud　voice；　and　bowing　low；　〃My　Lord　Duke；〃　said　the

physician　elatedly；　〃I　have　the　honour　to　inform　your　exce