the little white bird-第28部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



tremendous　adventure！〃



〃Are　you　never　to　fall　asleep；　David？〃　I　always　said。



〃When　are　you　coming　to　bed？〃　he　always　replied；　very　brave　but

in　a　whisper；　as　if　he　feared　the　bears　and　wolves　might　have

him。　When　little　boys　are　in　bed　there　is　nothing　between　them

and　bears　and　wolves　but　the　night…light。



I　returned　to　my　chair　to　think；　and　at　last　he　fell　asleep　with

his　face　to　the　wall；　but　even　then　I　stood　many　times　at　the

door；　listening。



Long　after　I　had　gone　to　bed　a　sudden　silence　filled　the　chamber；

and　I　knew　that　David　had　awaked。　　I　lay　motionless；　and；　after

what　seemed　a　long　time　of　waiting；　a　little　far…away　voice　said

in　a　cautious　whisper；　〃Irene！〃



〃You　are　sleeping　with　me　to…night；　you　know；　David；〃　I　said。



〃I　didn't　know；〃　he　replied；　a　little　troubled　but　trying　not　to

be　a　nuisance。



〃You　remember　you　are　with　me？〃　I　asked。



After　a　moment's　hesitation　he　replied；　〃I　nearly　remember；〃　and

presently　he　added　very　gratefully；　as　if　to　some　angel　who　had

whispered　to　him；　〃I　remember　now。〃



I　think　he　had　nigh　fallen　asleep　again　when　he　stirred　and　said；

〃Is　it　going　on　now？〃



〃What？〃



〃The　adventure。〃



〃Yes；　David。〃



Perhaps　this　disturbed　him；　for　by…and…by　I　had　to　inquire；　〃You

are　not　frightened；　are　you？〃



〃Am　I　not？〃　he　answered　politely；　and　I　knew　his　hand　was　groping

in　the　darkness；　so　I　put　out　mine　and　he　held　on　tightly　to　one

finger。



〃I　am　not　frightened　now；〃　he　whispered。



〃And　there　is　nothing　else　you　want？〃



〃Is　there　not？〃　he　again　asked　politely。　　〃Are　you　sure　there's

not？〃　he　added。



〃What　can　it　be；　David？〃



〃I　don't　take　up　very　much　room；〃　the　far…away　voice　said。



〃Why；　David；〃　said　I；　sitting　up；　〃do　you　want　to　come　into　my

bed？〃



〃Mother　said　I　wasn't　to　want　it　unless　you　wanted　it　first；〃　he

squeaked。



〃It　is　what　I　have　been　wanting　all　the　time；〃　said　I；　and　then

without　more　ado　the　little　white　figure　rose　and　flung　itself　at

me。　　For　the　rest　of　the　night　he　lay　on　me　and　across　me；　and

sometimes　his　feet　were　at　the　bottom　of　the　bed　and　sometimes　on

the　pillow；　but　he　always　retained　possession　of　my　finger；　and

occasionally　he　woke　me　to　say　that　he　was　sleeping　with　me。　　I

had　not　a　good　night。　　I　lay　thinking。



Of　this　little　boy；　who；　in　the　midst　of　his　play　while　I

undressed　him；　had　suddenly　buried　his　head　on　my　knees。



Of　the　woman　who　had　been　for　him　who　could　be　sufficiently

daring。



Of　David's　dripping　little　form　in　the　bath；　and　how　when　I

essayed　to　catch　him　he　had　slipped　from　my　arms　like　a　trout。



Of　how　I　had　stood　by　the　open　door　listening　to　his　sweet

breathing；　had　stood　so　long　that　I　forgot　his　name　and　called

him　Timothy。





XX



David　and　Porthos　Compared



But　Mary　spoilt　it　all；　when　I　sent　David　back　to　her　in　the

morning；　by　inquiring　too　curiously　into　his　person　and

discovering　that　I　had　put　his　combinations　on　him　with　the

buttons　to　the　front。　　For　this　I　wrote　her　the　following

insulting　letter。　　When　Mary　does　anything　that　specially　annoys

me　I　send　her　an　insulting　letter。　　I　once　had　a　photograph　taken

of　David　being　hanged　on　a　tree。　　I　sent　her　that。　　You　can't

think　of　all　the　subtle　ways　of　grieving　her　I　have。　　No　woman

with　the　spirit　of　a　crow　would　stand　it。



〃Dear　Madam　＇I　wrote＇；　It　has　come　to　my　knowledge　that　when　you

walk　in　the　Gardens　with　the　boy　David　you　listen　avidly　for

encomiums　of　him　and　of　your　fanciful　dressing　of　him　by　passers…

by；　storing　them　in　your　heart　the　while　you　make　vain　pretence

to　regard　them　not：　wherefore　lest　you　be　swollen　by　these　very

small　things　I；　who　now　know　David　both　by　day　and　by　night；　am

minded　to　compare　him　and　Porthos　the　one　with　the　other；　both　in

this　matter　and　in　other　matters　of　graver　account。　　And　touching

this　matter　of　outward　show；　they　are　both　very　lordly；　and

neither　of　them　likes　it　to　be　referred　to；　but　they　endure　in

different　ways。　　For　David　says　'Oh；　bother！'　and　even　at　times

hits　out；　but　Porthos　droops　his　tail　and　lets　them　have　their

say。　　Yet　is　he　extolled　as　beautiful　and　a　darling　ten　times　for

the　once　that　David　is　extolled。



〃The　manners　of　Porthos　are　therefore　prettier　than　the　manners

of　David；　who　when　he　has　sent　me　to　hide　from　him　behind　a　tree

sometimes　comes　not　in　search；　and　on　emerging　tamely　from　my

concealment　I　find　him　playing　other　games　entirely　forgetful　of

my　existence。　　Whereas　Porthos　always　comes　in　search。　　Also　if

David　wearies　of　you　he　scruples　not　to　say　so；　but　Porthos；　in

like　circumstances；　offers　you　his　paw；　meaning　'Farewell；'　and

to　bearded　men　he　does　this　all　the　time　（I　think　because　of　a

hereditary　distaste　for　goats）；　so　that　they　conceive　him　to　be

enamoured　of　them　when　he　is　only　begging　them　courteously　to　go。

Thus　while　the　manners　of　Porthos　are　more　polite　it　may　be

argued　that　those　of　David　are　more　efficacious。



〃In　gentleness　David　compares　ill　with　Porthos。　　For　whereas　the

one　shoves　and　has　been　known　to　kick　on　slight　provocation；　the

other；　who　is　noisily　hated　of　all　small　dogs　by　reason　of　his

size；　remonstrates　not；　even　when　they　cling　in　froth　and　fury　to

his　chest；　but　carries　them　along　tolerantly　until　they　drop　off

from　fatigue。　　Again；　David　will　not　unbend　when　in　the　company

of　babies；　expecting　them　unreasonably　to　rise　to　his　level；　but

contrariwise　Porthos；　though　terrible　to　tramps；　suffers　all

things　of　babies；　even　to　an　exploration　of　his　mouth　in　an

attempt　to　discover　what　his　tongue　is　like　at　the　other　end。　

The　comings　and　goings　of　David　are　unnoticed　by　perambulators；

which　lie　in　wait　for　the　advent　of　Porthos。　　The　strong　and

wicked　fear　Porthos　but　no　little　creature　fears　him；　not　the

hedgehogs　he　conveys　from　place　to　place　in　his　mouth；　nor　the

sparrows　that　steal　his　straw　from　under　him。



〃In　proof　of　which　gentleness　I　adduce　his　adventure　with　the

rabbit。　　Having　gone　for　a　time　to　reside　in　a　rabbit　country

Porthos　was　elated　to　discover　at　last　something　small　that　ran

from　him；　and　developing　at　once　into　an　ecstatic　sportsman　he

did　pound　hotly　in　pursuit；　though　always　over…shooting　the　mark

by　a　hundred　yards　or　so　and　wondering　very　much　what　had　become

of　the　rabbit。　　There　was　a　steep　path；　from　the　top　of　which　the

rabbit　suddenly　came　into　view；　and　the　practice　of　Porthos　was

to　advance　up　it　on　tiptoe；　turning　near　the　summit　to　give　me　a

knowing　look　and　then　bounding　forward。　　The　rabbit　here　did

something　tricky　with　a　hole　in　the　ground；　but　Porthos　tore

onwards　in　full　faith　that　the　game　was　being　played　fairly；　and

always　returned　panting　and　puzzling　but　glorious。



〃I　sometimes　shuddered　to　think　of　his　perplexity　should　he　catch

the　rabbit；　which　however　was　extremely　unlikely；　nevertheless　he

did　catch　it；　I　know　not　how；　but　presume　it　to　have　been　another

than　the　one　of　which　he　was　in　chase。　　I　found　him　with　it；　his

brows　furrowed　in　the　deepest　thought。　　The　rabbit；　terrified　but

uninjured；　cowered　beneath　him。　　Porthos　gave　me　a　happy　look　and

again　dropped　into　a　weighty　frame　of　mind。　　'What　is　the　next

thing　one　does？'　was　obviously　the　puzzle　with　him；　and　the

position　was　scarcely　less　awkward　for　the　rabbit；　which　several

times　made　a　move　to　end　this　intolerable　suspense。　　Whereupon

Porthos　immediately　gave　it　a　warning　tap　with　his　foot；　and

again　fell　to　pondering。　　The　strain　on　me　was　very　great。



〃At　last　they　seemed　to　hit　upon　a　compromise。　　Porthos　looked

over　his　shoulder　very　self…consciously；　and　the　rabbit　at　first

slowly　and　then　in　a　flash　withdrew。　　Porthos　pretended　to　make　a

search　for　it；　but　you　cannot　think　how　relieved　he　looked。　　He

even　tried　to　brazen　out　his　disgrace　before　me　and　waved　his

tail　appealingly。　　But　he　could　not　look　me　in　the　face；　and　when

he　saw　that　this　was　what　I　insisted　on　he　collapsed　at　my　feet

and　moaned。　　There　were　real　tears　in　his　eyes；　and　I　was

touched；　and　swore　to　him　that　he　had　done　everything　a　dog　could

do；　and　though　he　knew　I　was　lying　he　became　happy　again。　　For　so

long　as　I　am　pleased　with　him；　ma'am；　nothing　else　greatly

matters　to　Porthos。　　I　told　this　story　to　David；　having　first

extracted　a　promise　from　him　that　he　would　not　think　the　less　of

Porthos；　and　now　I　must　demand　the　same　promise　of　you。　　Also；　an

admission　that　in　innocence　of　heart；　for　which　David　has　been

properly　commended；　he　can　nevertheless　teach　Porthos　nothing；

but　on　the　contrary　may　learn　much　from　him。



〃And　now　to　come　to　those　qualities　in　which　David　excels　over

Porthosthe　first　is　that　he　is　no　snob　but　esteems　the　girl

Irene　（pretentiously　called　his　nurse）　more　than　any　fine　lady；

and　envies　every　ragged　boy　who　can　hit　to　leg。　　Whereas　Porthos

would　have　every　class　keep　its　place；　and　though　fond　of　going

down　into　the　kitchen；　always　barks　at　the　top　of　the　stairs　for

a　servile　invitation　before　he　graciously　descends。　　Most　of　the

servants　in　our　street　have　had　the　loan　of　him　to　be

photographed　with；　and　I　have　but　now　seen　him　stalking　off　for

that　purpose　with　a　proud　little　housemaid　who　is　looking　up　to

him　as　if　he　were　a　warrior　for　whom　she　had　paid　a　shilling。



〃Again；　when　David　and　Porthos　are　in　their　bath；　praise　is　due

to　the　one　and　must　be　withheld　from　the　other。　　For　David；　as　I

have　noticed；　loves　to　splash　in　his　bath　and　to　slip　back　into

it　from　the　hands　that　would　transfer　him　to　a　towel。　　But

Porthos　stands　in　his　bath　drooping　abjectly　like　a　shamed　figure

cut　out　of　some　limp　material。



〃Furthermore；　the　inventiveness　of　David　is　beyond　that　of

Porthos；　who　cannot　play　by　himself；　and　knows　not　even　how　to

take　a　solitary　walk；　while　David　invents　playfully　all　day　long。

Lastly；　when　David　is　discovered　of　some　offence