the little lame prince-第2章

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〃WAS　called　Dolorez；〃　said　the　old　woman；　with　a　tender　solemnity。

The　first　gentleman；　called　the　Gold…stick…in…　waiting；　raised　it　to　strike　her；　and　all　the　rest　stretched　out　their　hands　to　seize　her；　but　the　gray　mantle　melted　from　between　their　fingers　like　air；　and；　before　anybody　had　time　to　do　anything　more；　there　came　a　heavy；　muffled；　startling　sound。

The　great　bell　of　the　palace　the　bell　which　was　only　heard　on　the　death　of　some　one　of　the　royal　family；　and　for　as　many　times　as　he　or　she　was　years　oldbegan　to　toll。　They　listened；　mute　and　horror…stricken。　Some　one　counted：　onetwothreefourup　to　nine…and…twenty　just　the　Queen's　age。

It　was；　indeed；　the　Queen。　Her　Majesty　was　dead！　In　the　midst　of　the　festivities　she　had　slipped　away　out　of　her　new　happiness　and　her　old　sufferings；　not　few　nor　small。　Sending　away　all　her　women　to　see　the　grand　sight；at　least　they　said　afterward；　in　excuse；　that　she　had　done　so；　and　it　was　very　like　her　to　do　it；she　had　turned　with　her　face　to　the　window；　whence　one　could　just　see　the　tops　of　the　distant　mountains　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　as　they　were　called　where　she　was　born。　So　gazing；　she　had　quietly　died。

When　the　little　Prince　was　carried　back　to　his　mother's　room；　there　was　no　mother　to　kiss　him。　And；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　there　would　be　for　him　no　mother's　kiss　any　more。　As　for　his　godmother；the　little　old　woman　in　gray　who　called　herself　so；whether　she　melted　into　air；　like　her　gown　when　they　touched　it；　or　whether　she　flew　out　of　the　chapel　window；　or　slipped　through　the　doorway　among　the　bewildered　crowd；　nobody　knewnobody　ever　thought　about　her。

Only　the　nurse；　the　ordinary　homely　one；　coming　out　of　the　Prince's　nursery　in　the　middle　of　the　night　in　search　of　a　cordial　to　quiet　his　continual　moans；　saw；　sitting　in　the　doorway；　something　which　she　would　have　thought　a　mere　shadow；　had　she　not　seen　shining　out　of　it　two　eyes；　gray　and　soft　and　sweet。　She　put　her　hand　before　her　own；　screaming　loudly。　When　she　took　them　away　the　old　woman　was　gone。



CHAPTER　II

Everybody　was　very　kind　to　the　poor　little　prince。　I　think　people　generally　are　kind　to　motherless　children；　whether　princes　or　peasants。　He　had　a　magnificent　nursery　and　a　regular　suite　of　attendants；　and　was　treated　with　the　greatest　respect　and　state。　Nobody　was　allowed　to　talk　to　him　in　silly　baby　language；　or　dandle　him；　or；　above　all　to　kiss　him；　though　perhaps　some　people　did　it　surreptitiously；　for　he　was　such　a　sweet　baby　that　it　was　difficult　to　help　it。

It　could　not　be　said　that　the　Prince　missed　his　motherchildren　of　his　age　cannot　do　that；　but　somehow　after　she　died　everything　seemed　to　go　wrong　with　him。　From　a　beautiful　baby　he　became　sickly　and　pale；　seeming　to　have　almost　ceased　growing；　especially　in　his　legs；　which　had　been　so　fat　and　strong。

But　after　the　day　of　his　christening　they　withered　and　shrank；　he　no　longer　kicked　them　out　either　in　passion　or　play；　and　when；　as　he　got　to　be　nearly　a　year　old；　his　nurse　tried　to　make　him　stand　upon　them；　he　only　tumbled　down。

This　happened　so　many　times　that　at　last　people　began　to　talk　about　it。　A　prince；　and　not　able　to　stand　on　his　own　legs！　What　a　dreadful　thing！　What　a　misfortune　for　the　country！

Rather　a　misfortune　to　him　also；　poor　little　boy！　but　nobody　seemed　to　think　of　that。　And　when；　after　a　while；　his　health　revived；　and　the　old　bright　look　came　back　to　his　sweet　little　face；　and　his　body　grew　larger　and　stronger；　though　still　his　legs　remained　the　same；　people　continued　to　speak　of　him　in　whispers；　and　with　grave　shakes　of　the　head。　Everybody　knew；　though　nobody　said　it；　that　something；　it　was　impossible　to　guess　what；　was　not　quite　right　with　the　poor　little　Prince。

Of　course；　nobody　hinted　this　to　the　King　his　father：　it　does　not　do　to　tell　great　people　anything　unpleasant。　And　besides；　his　Majesty　took　very　little　notice　of　his　son；　or　of　his　other　affairs；　beyond　the　necessary　duties　of　his　kingdom。

People　had　said　he　would　not　miss　the　Queen　at　all；　she　having　been　so　long　an　invalid；　but　he　did。　After　her　death　he　never　was　quite　the　same。　He　established　himself　in　her　empty　rooms；　the　only　rooms　in　the　palace　whence　one　could　see　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　and　was　often　observed　looking　at　them　as　if　he　thought　she　had　flown　away　thither；　and　that　his　longing　could　bring　her　back　again。　And　by　a　curious　coincidence；　which　nobody　dared　inquire　into；　he　desired　that　the　Prince　might　be　called；　not　by　any　of　the　four…and…twenty　grand　names　given　him　by　his　godfathers　and　godmothers；　but　by　the　identical　name　mentioned　by　the　little　old　woman　in　grayDolor；　after　his　mother　Dolorez。

Once　a　week；　according　to　established　state　custom；　the　Prince；　dressed　in　his　very　best；　was　brought　to　the　King　his　father　for　half　an　hour；　but　his　Majesty　was　generally　too　ill　and　too　melancholy　to　pay　much　heed　to　the　child。

Only　once；　when　he　and　the　Crown…Prince；　who　was　exceedingly　attentive　to　his　royal　brother；　were　sitting　together；　with　Prince　Dolor　playing　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　dragging　himself　about　with　his　arms　rather　than　his　legs；　and　sometimes　trying　feebly　to　crawl　from　one　chair　to　another；　it　seemed　to　strike　the　father　that　all　was　not　right　with　his　son。

〃How　old　is　his　Royal　Highness？〃　said　he　suddenly　to　the　nurse。

〃Two　years；　three　months；　and　five　days；　please　your　Majesty。〃

〃It　does　not　please　me；〃　said　the　King；　with　a　sigh。　〃He　ought　to　be　far　more　forward　than　he　is　now　ought　he　not；　brother？　You；　who　have　so　many　children；　must　know。　Is　there　not　something　wrong　about　him？〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　Crown…Prince；　exchanging　meaning　looks　with　the　nurse；　who　did　not　understand　at　all；　but　stood　frightened　and　trembling　with　the　tears　in　her　eyes。　〃Nothing　to　make　your　Majesty　at　all　uneasy。　No　doubt　his　Royal　Highness　will　outgrow　it　in　time。〃

〃Outgrowwhat？〃

〃A　slight　delicacyahem！in　the　spine；　something　inherited；　perhaps；　from　his　dear　mother。〃

〃Ah；　she　was　always　delicate；　but　she　was　the　sweetest　woman　that　ever　lived。　Come　here；　my　little　son。〃

And　as　the　Prince　turned　round　upon　his　father　a　small；　sweet；　grave　face；so　like　his　mother's；his　Majesty　the　King　smiled　and　held　out　his　arms。　But　when　the　boy　came　to　him；　not　running　like　a　boy；　but　wriggling　awkwardly　along　the　floor；　the　royal　countenance　clouded　over。

〃I　ought　to　have　been　told　of　this。　It　is　terribleterrible！　And　for　a　prince　too。　Send　for　all　the　doctors　in　my　kingdom　immediately。〃

They　came；　and　each　gave　a　different　opinion　and　ordered　a　different　mode　of　treatment。　The　only　thing　they　agreed　in　was　what　had　been　pretty　well　known　before；　that　the　Prince　must　have　been　hurt　when　he　was　an　infantlet　fall；　perhaps；　so　as　to　injure　his　spine　and　lower　limbs。　Did　nobody　remember？

No；　nobody。　Indignantly；　all　the　nurses　denied　that　any　such　accident　had　happened；　was　possible　to　have　happened；　until　the　faithful　country　nurse　recollected　that　it　really　had　happened　on　the　day　of　the　christening。　For　which　unluckily　good　memory　all　the　others　scolded　her　so　severely　that　she　had　no　peace　of　her　life；　and　soon　after；　by　the　influence　of　the　young　lady　nurse　who　had　carried　the　baby　that　fatal　day；　and　who　was　a　sort　of　connection　of　the　Crown…　Princebeing　his　wife's　second　cousin　once　removedthe　poor　woman　was　pensioned　off　and　sent　to　the　Beautiful　Mountains　from　whence　she　came；　with　orders　to　remain　there　for　the　rest　of　her　days。

But　of　all　this　the　King　knew　nothing；　for；　indeed；　after　the　first　shock　of　finding　out　that　his　son　could　not　walk；　and　seemed　never　likely　to　he　interfered　very　little　concerning　him。　　The　whole　thing　was　too　painful；　and　his　Majesty　never　liked　painful　things。　Sometimes　he　inquired　after　Prince　Dolor；　and　they　told　him　his　Royal　Highness　was　going　on　as　well　as　could　be　expected；　which　really　was　the　case。　For；　after　worrying　the　poor　child　and　perplexing　themselves　with　one　remedy　after　another；　the　Crown…　Prince；　not　wishing　to　offend　any　of　the　differing　doctors；　had　proposed　leaving　him　to　Nature；　and　Nature；　the　safest　doctor　of　all；　had　come　to　his　help　and　done　her　best。

He　could　not　walk；　it　is　true；　his　limbs　were　mere　useless　appendages　to　his　body；　but　the　body　itself　was　strong　and　sound。　And　his　face　was　the　same　as　everjust　his　mother's　face；　one　of　the　sweetest　in　the　world。

Even　the　King；　indifferent　as　he　was；　sometimes　looked　at　the　little　fellow　with　sad　tenderness；　noticing　how　cleverly　he　learned　to　crawl　and　swing　himself　about　by　his　arms；　so　that　in　his　own　awkward　way　he　was　as　active　in　motion　as　most　children　of　his　age。

〃Poor　little　man！　he　does　his　best；　and　he　is　not　unhappynot　half　so　unhappy　as　I；　brother；〃　addressing　the　Crown…Prince；　who　was　more　constant　than　ever　in　his　attendance　upon　the　sick　monarch。　〃If　anything　should　befall　me；　I　have　appointed　you　Regent。　In　case　of　my　death；　you　will　take　care　of　my　poor　little　boy？〃

〃Certainly；　certainly；　but　do　not　let　us　imagine　any　such　misfortune。　I　assure　your　Majesty　everybody　will　assure　youthat　it　is　not　in　the　least　likely。〃

He　knew；　however；　and　everybody　knew；　that　it　was　likely；　and　soon　after　it　actually　did　happen。　The　King　died　as　suddenly　and　quietly　as　the　Queen　had　doneindeed；　in　her　very　room　and　bed；　and　Prince　Dolor　was　left　without　either　father　or　motheras　sad　a　thing　as　could　happen；　even　to　a　prince。

He　was　more　than　that　now；　though。　He　was　a　king。　In　Nomansland；　as　in　other　countries；　the　people　were　struck　with　grief　one　day　and　revived　the　next。　〃The　king　is　deadlong　live　the　king！〃　was　the　cry　that　rang　through　the　nation；　and　almost　before　his　late　Majesty　had　been　laid　beside　the　Queen　in　their　splendid　mausoleum；　crowds　came　thronging　from　all　parts　to　the　royal　palace；　eager　to　see　the　new　monarch。

They　did　see　him；the　Prince　Regent　took　care　they　should；sitting　on　the　floor　of　the　council　chamber；　sucking　his　thumb！　And　when　one　of　the　gentlemen…in…waiting　lifted　him　up　and　carried　himfancy　carrying　a　king！to　the　chair　of　state；　and　put　the　crown　on　his　head；　he　shook　it　off　again；　it　was　so　heavy　and　uncomfortable。　Sliding　down　to　the　foot　of　the　throne　he　began　playing　with　the　golden　lions　that　supported　it；　stroking　their　paws　and　putting　his　tiny　fingers　into　their　eyes；　and　laughing　laughing　as　if　he　had　at　last　found　something　to　amuse　him。

〃There's　a　fine　king　for　you！〃　said　the　first　lord…in…waiting；　a　friend　of　the　Prince　Regent's　（the　Crown…Prince　that　used　to　be；　who；　in　the　deepest　mourning；　stood　silently　beside　the　throne　of　his　young　nephew。　He　was　a　handsome　man；　very　grand　and　clever…looking）。　〃What　a　king！　who　can　never　stand　to　receive　his　subjects；　never　walk　in　processions；　who　to　the　last　day　of　his　life　will　have　to　be　carried　about　like　a　baby。　Very　unfortunate！〃

〃Exceedingly　unfortunate；〃　repeated　the　second　lord。　〃It　is　always　bad　for　a　nation　when　its　king　is　a　child；　but　such　a　childa　permanent　cripple；　if　not　worse。〃

〃Let　us　hope　not　worse；〃　said　the　first　lord　in　a　very　hopeless　tone；　and　looking　toward　the　Regent；　who　stood　erect　and　pretended　to　hear　nothing。　〃I　have　heard　that　these　sort　of　children　with　very　large　heads；　and　great　broad　fore…　heads　and　staring　eyes；　arewell；　well；　let　us　hope