at the back of the north wind-第19部分

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Diamond's　aunt　was　quite　willing　to　keep　them　as　long　as　she　could。　

And　indeed　Diamond　was　not　yet　well　enough　to　be　moved　with　safety。



When　he　had　recovered　so　far　as　to　be　able　to　go　out；　one　day　his

mother　got　her　sister's　husband；　who　had　a　little　pony…cart；　to　carry

them　down　to　the　sea…shore；　and　leave　them　there　for　a　few　hours。　

He　had　some　business　to　do　further　on　at　Ramsgate；　and　would　pick　them

up　as　he　returned。　　A　whiff　of　the　sea…air　would　do　them　both　good；

she　said；　and　she　thought　besides　she　could　best　tell　Diamond

what　had　happened　if　she　had　him　quite　to　herself。







CHAPTER　XIII



THE　SEASIDE





DIAMOND　and　his　mother　sat　down　upon　the　edge　of　the　rough　grass

that　bordered　the　sand。　　The　sun　was　just　far　enough　past　its

highest　not　to　shine　in　their　eyes　when　they　looked　eastward。　

A　sweet　little　wind　blew　on　their　left　side；　and　comforted　the

mother　without　letting　her　know　what　it　was　that　comforted　her。　

Away　before　them　stretched　the　sparkling　waters　of　the　ocean；

every　wave　of　which　flashed　out　its　own　delight　back　in　the　face

of　the　great　sun；　which　looked　down　from　the　stillness　of　its　blue

house　with　glorious　silent　face　upon　its　flashing　children。　

On　each　hand　the　shore　rounded　outwards；　forming　a　little　bay。　

There　were　no　white　cliffs　here；　as　further　north　and　south；　and　the

place　was　rather　dreary；　but　the　sky　got　at　them　so　much　the　better。　

Not　a　house；　not　a　creature　was　within　sight。　　Dry　sand　was　about

their　feet；　and　under　them　thin　wiry　grass；　that　just　managed　to　grow

out　of　the　poverty…stricken　shore。



〃Oh　dear！〃　said　Diamond's　mother；　with　a　deep　sigh；　〃it's　a　sad　world！〃



〃Is　it？〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　didn't　know。〃



〃How　should　you　know；　child？　　You've　been　too　well　taken　care　of；

I　trust。〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　have；〃　returned　Diamond。　　〃I'm　sorry！　　I　thought　you

were　taken　care　of　too。　　I　thought　my　father　took　care　of　you。　

I　will　ask　him　about　it。　　I　think　he　must　have　forgotten。〃



〃Dear　boy！〃　said　his　mother。　　〃your　father's　the　best　man　in　the　world。〃



〃So　I　thought！〃　returned　Diamond　with　triumph。　　〃I　was　sure

of　it！Well；　doesn't　he　take　very　good　care　of　you？〃



〃Yes；　yes；　he　does；〃　answered　his　mother；　bursting　into　tears。　

〃But　who's　to　take　care　of　him？　　And　how　is　he　to　take　care　of　us

if　he's　got　nothing　to　eat　himself？〃



〃Oh　dear！〃　said　Diamond　with　a　gasp；　〃hasn't　he　got　anything

to　eat？　　Oh！　　I　must　go　home　to　him。〃



〃No；　no；　child。　　He's　not　come　to　that　yet。　　But　what's　to　become

of　us；　I　don't　know。〃



〃Are　you　very　hungry；　mother？　　There's　the　basket。　　I　thought　you

put　something　to　eat　in　it。〃



〃O　you　darling　stupid！　　I　didn't　say　I　was　hungry；〃　returned　his　mother；

smiling　through　her　tears。



〃Then　I　don't　understand　you　at　all；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Do　tell　me

what's　the　matter。〃



〃There　are　people　in　the　world　who　have　nothing　to　eat；　Diamond。〃



〃Then　I　suppose　they　don't　stop　in　it　any　longer。　　Theythey

what　you　calldiedon't　they？〃



〃Yes；　they　do。　　How　would　you　like　that？〃



〃I　don't　know。　　I　never　tried。　　But　I　suppose　they　go　where　they

get　something　to　eat。〃



〃Like　enough　they　don't　want　it；〃　said　his　mother；　petulantly。



〃That's　all　right　then；〃　said　Diamond；　thinking　I　daresay　more

than　he　chose　to　put　in　words。



〃Is　it　though？　　Poor　boy！　how　little　you　know　about　things！　

Mr。　Coleman's　lost　all　his　money；　and　your　father　has　nothing　to　do；

and　we　shall　have　nothing　to　eat　by　and　by。〃



〃Are　you　sure；　mother？〃



〃Sure　of　what？〃



〃Sure　that　we　shall　have　nothing　to　eat。〃



〃No；　thank　Heaven！　　I'm　not　sure　of　it。　　I　hope　not。〃



〃Then　I　can't　understand　it；　mother。　　There's　a　piece　of　gingerbread

in　the　basket；　I　know。〃



〃O　you　little　bird！　　You　have　no　more　sense　than　a　sparrow　that　picks

what　it　wants；　and　never　thinks　of　the　winter　and　the　frost　and；

the　snow。〃



〃AhyesI　see。　　But　the　birds　get　through　the　winter；　don't　they？〃



〃Some　of　them　fall　dead　on　the　ground。〃



〃They　must　die　some　time。　　They　wouldn't　like　to　be　birds　always。　

Would　you；　mother？〃



〃What　a　child　it　is！〃　thought　his　mother；　but　she　said　nothing。



〃Oh！　now　I　remember；〃　Diamond　went　on。　　〃Father　told　me　that　day　I　went

to　Epping　Forest　with　him；　that　the　rose…bushes；　and　the　may…bushes；

and　the　holly…bushes　were　the　bird's　barns；　for　there　were　the　hips；

and　the　haws；　and　the　holly…berries；　all　ready　for　the　winter。〃



〃Yes；　that's　all　very　true。　　So　you　see　the　birds　are　provided　for。　

But　there　are　no　such　barns　for　you　and　me；　Diamond。〃



〃Ain't　there？〃



〃No。　We've　got　to　work　for　our　bread。〃



〃Then　let's　go　and　work；〃　said　Diamond；　getting　up。



〃It's　no　use。　　We've　not　got　anything　to　do。〃



〃Then　let's　wait。〃



〃Then　we　shall　starve。〃



〃No。　There's　the　basket。　　Do　you　know；　mother；　I　think　I　shall　call

that　basket　the　barn。〃



〃It's　not　a　very　big　one。　　And　when　it's　emptywhere　are　we　then？〃



〃At　auntie's　cupboard；〃　returned　Diamond　promptly。



〃But　we　can't　eat　auntie's　things　all　up　and　leave　her　to　starve。〃



〃No；　no。　　We'll　go　back　to　father　before　that。　　He'll　have　found

a　cupboard　somewhere　by　that　time。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃



〃I　don't　know　it。　　But　I　haven't　got　even　a　cupboard；　and　I've　always

had　plenty　to　eat。　　I've　heard　you　say　I　had　too　much；　sometimes。〃



〃But　I　tell　you　that's　because　I've　had　a　cupboard　for　you；　child。〃



〃And　when　yours　was　empty；　auntie　opened　hers。〃



〃But　that　can't　go　on。〃



〃How　do　you　know？　　I　think　there　must　be　a　big　cupboard　somewhere；

out　of　which　the　little　cupboards　are　filled；　you　know；　mother。〃



〃Well；　I　wish　I　could　find　the　door　of　that　cupboard；〃　said　his　mother。　

But　the　same　moment　she　stopped；　and　was　silent　for　a　good　while。　

I　cannot　tell　whether　Diamond　knew　what　she　was　thinking；　but　I

think　I　know。　　She　had　heard　something　at　church　the　day　before；

which　came　back　upon　hersomething　like　this；　that　she　hadn't

to　eat　for　tomorrow　as　well　as　for　to…day；　and　that　what　was　not

wanted　couldn't　be　missed。　　So；　instead　of　saying　anything　more；

she　stretched　out　her　hand　for　the　basket；　and　she　and　Diamond　had

their　dinner。



And　Diamond　did　enjoy　it。　　For　the　drive　and　the　fresh　air　had　made

him　quite　hungry；　and　he　did　not；　like　his　mother；　trouble　himself

about　what　they　should　dine　off　that　day　week。　　The　fact　was　he　had

lived　so　long　without　any　food　at　all　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind；

that　he　knew　quite　well　that　food　was　not　essential　to　existence；

that　in　fact；　under　certain　circumstances；　people　could　live　without

it　well　enough。



His　mother　did　not　speak　much　during　their　dinner。　　After　it　was

over　she　helped　him　to　walk　about　a　little；　but　he　was　not　able

for　much　and　soon　got　tired。　　He　did　not　get　fretful；　though。　

He　was　too　glad　of　having　the　sun　and　the　wind　again；　to　fret

because　he　could　not　run　about。　　He　lay　down　on　the　dry　sand；

and　his　mother　covered　him　with　a　shawl。　　She　then　sat　by　his　side；

and　took　a　bit　of　work　from　her　pocket。　　But　Diamond　felt　rather

sleepy；　and　turned　on　his　side　and　gazed　sleepily　over　the　sand。　

A　few　yards　off　he　saw　something　fluttering。



〃What　is　that；　mother？〃　he　said。



〃Only　a　bit　of　paper；〃　she　answered。



〃It　flutters　more　than　a　bit　of　paper　would；　I　think；〃　said　Diamond。



〃I'll　go　and　see　if　you　like；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃My　eyes　are　none

of　the　best。〃



So　she　rose　and　went　and　found　that　they　were　both　right；　for　it

was　a　little　book；　partly　buried　in　the　sand。　　But　several　of　its

leaves　were　clear　of　the　sand；　and　these　the　wind　kept　blowing　about

in　a　very　flutterful　manner。　　She　took　it　up　and　brought　it　to　Diamond。



〃What　is　it；　mother？〃　he　asked。



〃Some　nursery　rhymes；　I　think；〃　she　answered。



〃I'm　too　sleepy；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Do　read　some　of　them　to　me。〃



〃Yes；　I　will；〃　she　said；　and　began　one。〃But　this　is　such　nonsense！〃

she　said　again。　　〃I　will　try　to　find　a　better　one。〃



She　turned　the　leaves　searching；　but　three　times；　with　sudden　puffs；

the　wind　blew　the　leaves　rustling　back　to　the　same　verses。



〃Do　read　that　one；〃　said　Diamond；　who　seemed　to　be　of　the　same　mind

as　the　wind。　　〃It　sounded　very　nice。　　I　am　sure　it　is　a　good　one。〃



So　his　mother　thought　it　might　amuse　him；　though　she　couldn't

find　any　sense　in　it。　　She　never　thought　he　might　understand　it；

although　she　could　not。



Now　I　do　not　exactly　know　what　the　mother　read；　but　this　is

what　Diamond　heard；　or　thought　afterwards　that　he　had　heard。　

He　was；　however；　as　I　have　said；　very　sleepy。　　And　when　he　thought　he

understood　the　verses　he　may　have　been　only　dreaming　better　ones。　

This　is　how　they　went



I　know　a　river　whose　waters　run　asleep　run　run　ever　singing　in　the

shallows　dumb　in　the　hollows　sleeping　so　deep　and　all　the　swallows

that　dip　their　feathers　in　the　hollows　or　i