at the back of the north wind-第15章

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is　no　more　odd　to　me　than　to　break　an　old　pine　in　two。〃



〃Well；　that's　odd　enough；〃　remarked　Diamond。



〃So　it　is！　　I　forgot。　　Well；　none　of　these　things　are　odder　to　me

than　it　is　to　you　to　eat　bread　and　butter。〃



〃Well；　that's　odd　too；　when　I　think　of　it；〃　persisted　Diamond。　

〃I　should　just　like　a　slice　of　bread　and　butter！　　I'm　afraid　to　say

how　long　it　ishow　long　it　seems　to　me；　that　issince　I　had　anything

to　eat。〃



〃Come　then；〃　said　North　Wind；　stooping　and　holding　out　her　arms。　

〃You　shall　have　some　bread　and　butter　very　soon。　　I　am　glad　to　find

you　want　some。〃



Diamond　held　up　his　arms　to　meet　hers；　and　was　safe　upon　her　bosom。　

North　Wind　bounded　into　the　air。　　Her　tresses　began　to　lift　and

rise　and　spread　and　stream　and　flow　and　flutter；　and　with　a　roar

from　her　hair　and　an　answering　roar　from　one　of　the　great　glaciers

beside　them；　whose　slow　torrent　tumbled　two　or　three　icebergs

at　once　into　the　waves　at　their　feet；　North　Wind　and　Diamond　went

flying　southwards。







CHAPTER　XII



WHO　MET　DIAMOND　AT　SANDWICH





As　THEY　flew；　so　fast　they　went　that　the　sea　slid　away　from　under

them　like　a　great　web　of　shot　silk；　blue　shot　with　grey；　and　green

shot　with　purple。　　They　went　so　fast　that　the　stars　themselves

appeared　to　sail　away　past　them　overhead；　〃like　golden　boats；〃

on　a　blue　sea　turned　upside　down。　　And　they　went　so　fast　that　Diamond

himself　went　the　other　way　as　fastI　mean　he　went　fast　asleep

in　North　Wind's　arms。



When　he　woke；　a　face　was　bending　over　him；　but　it　was　not　North　Wind's；

it　was　his　mother's。　He　put　out　his　arms　to　her；　and　she　clasped　him

to　her　bosom　and　burst　out　crying。　　Diamond　kissed　her　again　and　again

to　make　her　stop。　　Perhaps　kissing　is　the　best　thing　for　crying；

but　it　will　not　always　stop　it。



〃What　is　the　matter；　mother？〃　he　said。



〃Oh；　Diamond；　my　darling！　you　have　been　so　ill！〃　she　sobbed。



〃No；　mother　dear。　　I've　only　been　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃

returned　Diamond。



〃I　thought　you　were　dead；〃　said　his　mother。



But　that　moment　the　doctor　came　in。



〃Oh！　there！〃　said　the　doctor　with　gentle　cheerfulness；　〃we're　better

to…day；　I　see。〃



Then　he　drew　the　mother　aside；　and　told　her　not　to　talk　to　Diamond；

or　to　mind　what　he　might　say；　for　he　must　be　kept　as　quiet　as　possible。　

And　indeed　Diamond　was　not　much　inclined　to　talk；　for　he　felt

very　strange　and　weak；　which　was　little　wonder；　seeing　that　all

the　time　he　had　been　away　he　had　only　sucked　a　few　lumps　of　ice；

and　there　could　not　be　much　nourishment　in　them。



Now　while　he　is　lying　there；　getting　strong　again　with　chicken

broth　and　other　nice　things；　I　will　tell　my　readers　what　had　been

taking　place　at　his　home；　for　they　ought　to　be　told　it。



They　may　have　forgotten　that　Miss　Coleman　was　in　a　very　poor

state　of　health。　　Now　there　were　three　reasons　for　this。　

In　the　first　place；　her　lungs　were　not　strong。　　In　the　second　place；

there　was　a　gentleman　somewhere　who　had　not　behaved　very　well　to　her。　

In　the　third　place；　she　had　not　anything　particular　to　do。　

These　three　nots　together　are　enough　to　make　a　lady　very　ill　indeed。　

Of　course　she　could　not　help　the　first　cause；　but　if　the　other　two

causes　had　not　existed；　that　would　have　been　of　little　consequence；

she　would　only　have　to　be　a　little　careful。　　The　second　she　could　not

help　quite；　but　if　she　had　had　anything　to　do；　and　had　done　it　well；

it　would　have　been　very　difficult　for　any　man　to　behave　badly　to　her。　

And　for　this　third　cause　of　her　illness；　if　she　had　had　anything

to　do　that　was　worth　doing；　she　might　have　borne　his　bad　behaviour

so　that　even　that　would　not　have　made　her　ill。　　It　is　not　always　easy；

I　confess；　to　find　something　to　do　that　is　worth　doing；　but　the

most　difficult　things　are　constantly　being　done；　and　she　might

have　found　something　if　she　had　tried。　　Her　fault　lay　in　this；

that　she　had　not　tried。　　But；　to　be　sure；　her　father　and　mother

were　to　blame　that　they　had　never　set　her　going。　　Only　then　again；

nobody　had　told　her　father　and　mother　that　they　ought　to　set　her　going

in　that　direction。　　So　as　none　of　them　would　find　it　out　of　themselves；

North　Wind　had　to　teach　them。



We　know　that　North　Wind　was　very　busy　that　night　on　which　she

left　Diamond　in　the　cathedral。　　She　had　in　a　sense　been　blowing

through　and　through　the　Colemans'　house　the　whole　of　the　night。　

First；　Miss　Coleman's　maid　had　left　a　chink　of　her　mistress's

window　open；　thinking　she　had　shut　it；　and　North　Wind　had　wound

a　few　of　her　hairs　round　the　lady's　throat。　　She　was　considerably

worse　the　next　morning。　　Again；　the　ship　which　North　Wind　had　sunk

that　very　night　belonged　to　Mr。　Coleman。　　Nor　will　my　readers

understand　what　a　heavy　loss　this　was　to　him　until　I　have　informed

them　that　he　had　been　getting　poorer　and　poorer　for　some　time。　

He　was　not　so　successful　in　his　speculations　as　he　had　been；　for　he

speculated　a　great　deal　more　than　was　right；　and　it　was　time　he

should　be　pulled　up。　　It　is　a　hard　thing　for　a　rich　man　to　grow　poor；

but　it　is　an　awful　thing　for　him　to　grow　dishonest；　and　some　kinds

of　speculation　lead　a　man　deep　into　dishonesty　before　he　thinks

what　he　is　about。　　Poverty　will　not　make　a　man　worthlesshe　may　be

worth　a　great　deal　more　when　he　is　poor　than　he　was　when　he　was　rich；

but　dishonesty　goes　very　far　indeed　to　make　a　man　of　no　value

a　thing　to　be　thrown　out　in　the　dust…hole　of　the　creation；

like　a　bit　of　a　broken　basin；　or　a　dirty　rag。　　So　North　Wind　had

to　look　after　Mr。　Coleman；　and　try　to　make　an　honest　man　of　him。　

So　she　sank　the　ship　which　was　his　last　venture；　and　he　was　what

himself　and　his　wife　and　the　world　called　ruined。



Nor　was　this　all　yet。　　For　on　board　that　vessel　Miss　Coleman's

lover　was　a　passenger；　and　when　the　news　came　that　the　vessel　had

gone　down；　and　that　all　on　board　had　perished；　we　may　be　sure　she

did　not　think　the　loss　of　their　fine　house　and　garden　and　furniture

the　greatest　misfortune　in　the　world。



Of　course；　the　trouble　did　not　end　with　Mr。　Coleman　and　his　family。　

Nobody　can　suffer　alone。　　When　the　cause　of　suffering　is　most　deeply

hidden　in　the　heart；　and　nobody　knows　anything　about　it　but　the

man　himself；　he　must　be　a　great　and　a　good　man　indeed；　such　as　few

of　us　have　known；　if　the　pain　inside　him　does　not　make　him　behave

so　as　to　cause　all　about　him　to　be　more　or　less　uncomfortable。　

But　when　a　man　brings　money…troubles　on　himself　by　making　haste

to　be　rich；　then　most　of　the　people　he　has　to　do　with　must　suffer

in　the　same　way　with　himself。　　The　elm…tree　which　North　Wind　blew

down　that　very　night；　as　if　small　and　great　trials　were　to　be

gathered　in　one　heap；　crushed　Miss　Coleman's　pretty　summer…house：

just　so　the　fall　of　Mr。　Coleman　crushed　the　little　family　that

lived　over　his　coach…house　and　stable。　　Before　Diamond　was　well

enough　to　be　taken　home；　there　was　no　home　for　him　to　go　to。　

Mr。　Colemanor　his　creditors；　for　I　do　not　know　the　particulars

had　sold　house；　carriage；　horses；　furniture；　and　everything。　

He　and　his　wife　and　daughter　and　Mrs。　Crump　had　gone　to　live

in　a　small　house　in　Hoxton；　where　he　would　be　unknown；

and　whence　he　could　walk　to　his　place　of　business　in　the　City。　

For　he　was　not　an　old　man；　and　hoped　yet　to　retrieve　his　fortunes。　

Let　us　hope　that　he　lived　to　retrieve　his　honesty；　the　tail

of　which　had　slipped　through　his　fingers　to　the　very　last　joint；

if　not　beyond　it。



Of　course；　Diamond's　father　had　nothing　to　do　for　a　time；　but　it　was

not　so　hard　for　him　to　have　nothing　to　do　as　it　was　for　Miss　Coleman。　

He　wrote　to　his　wife　that；　if　her　sister　would　keep　her　there　till

he　got　a　place；　it　would　be　better　for　them；　and　he　would　be　greatly

obliged　to　her。　　Meantime；　the　gentleman　who　had　bought　the　house

had　allowed　his　furniture　to　remain　where　it　was　for　a　little　while。



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；　the