at the back of the north wind-第20章

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it's　the　law；　but　mayhap　they　may　get　more　law　than　they　like　some

day　themselves。〃



As　it　was　very　hot；　Diamond's　father　got　down　to　have　a　glass

of　beer　himself；　and　give　another　to　the　old　waterman。　　He　left

Diamond　on　the　box。



A　sudden　noise　got　up；　and　Diamond　looked　round　to　see　what　was

the　matter。



There　was　a　crossing　near　the　cab…stand；　where　a　girl　was　sweeping。　

Some　rough　young　imps　had　picked　a　quarrel　with　her；　and　were

now　hauling　at　her　broom　to　get　it　away　from　her。　　But　as　they

did　not　pull　all　together；　she　was　holding　it　against　them；

scolding　and　entreating　alternately。



Diamond　was　off　his　box　in　a　moment；　and　running　to　the　help　of　the　girl。　

He　got　hold　of　the　broom　at　her　end　and　pulled　along　with　her。　

But　the　boys　proceeded　to　rougher　measures；　and　one　of　them　hit

Diamond　on　the　nose；　and　made　it　bleed；　and　as　he　could　not　let

go　the　broom　to　mind　his　nose；　he　was　soon　a　dreadful　figure。　

But　presently　his　father　came　back；　and　missing　Diamond；　looked　about。　

He　had　to　look　twice；　however；　before　he　could　be　sure　that　that

was　his　boy　in　the　middle　of　the　tumult。　　He　rushed　in；　and　sent

the　assailants　flying　in　all　directions。　　The　girl　thanked　Diamond；

and　began　sweeping　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　while　his　father

led　him　away。　　With　the　help　of　old　Tom；　the　waterman；　he　was　soon

washed　into　decency；　and　his　father　set　him　on　the　box　again；

perfectly　satisfied　with　the　account　he　gave　of　the　cause　of　his　being

in　a　fray。



〃I　couldn't　let　them　behave　so　to　a　poor　girlcould　I；　father？〃

he　said。



〃Certainly　not；　Diamond；〃　said　his　father；　quite　pleased；

for　Diamond's　father　was　a　gentleman。



A　moment　after；　up　came　the　girl；　running；　with　her　broom　over

her　shoulder；　and　calling；　〃Cab；　there！　cab！〃



Diamond's　father　turned　instantly；　for　he　was　the　foremost　in　the　rank；

and　followed　the　girl。　　One　or　two　other　passing　cabs　heard　the　cry；

and　made　for　the　place；　but　the　girl　had　taken　care　not　to　call

till　she　was　near　enough　to　give　her　friends　the　first　chance。　

When　they　reached　the　curbstonewho　should　it　be　waiting　for　the　cab

but　Mrs。　and　Miss　Coleman！　　They　did　not　look　at　the　cabman；　however。　

The　girl　opened　the　door　for　them；　they　gave　her　the　address；

and　a　penny；　she　told　the　cabman；　and　away　they　drove。



When　they　reached　the　house；　Diamond's　father　got　down　and　rang

the　bell。　　As　he　opened　the　door　of　the　cab；　he　touched　his　hat

as　he　had　been　wont　to　do。　　The　ladies　both　stared　for　a　moment；

and　then　exclaimed　together：



〃Why；　Joseph！　can　it　be　you？〃



〃Yes；　ma'am；　yes；　miss；〃　answered　he；　again　touching　his　hat；

with　all　the　respect　he　could　possibly　put　into　the　action。　

〃It's　a　lucky　day　which　I　see　you　once　more　upon　it。〃



〃Who　would　have　thought　it？〃　said　Mrs。　Coleman。　　〃It's　changed

times　for　both　of　us；　Joseph；　and　it's　not　very　often　we　can

have　a　cab　even；　but　you　see　my　daughter　is　still　very　poorly；

and　she　can't　bear　the　motion　of　the　omnibuses。　　Indeed　we　meant

to　walk　a　bit　first　before　we　took　a　cab；　but　just　at　the　corner；

for　as　hot　as　the　sun　was；　a　cold　wind　came　down　the　street；

and　I　saw　that　Miss　Coleman　must　not　face　it。　　But　to　think

we　should　have　fallen　upon　you；　of　all　the　cabmen　in　London！　

I　didn't　know　you　had　got　a　cab。〃



〃Well；　you　see；　ma'am；　I　had　a　chance　of　buying　the　old　horse；

and　I　couldn't　resist　him。　　There　he　is；　looking　at　you；　ma'am。　Nobody

knows　the　sense　in　that　head　of　his。〃



The　two　ladies　went　near　to　pat　the　horse；　and　then　they　noticed

Diamond　on　the　box。



〃Why；　you've　got　both　Diamonds　with　you；〃　said　Miss　Coleman。　

〃How　do　you　do；　Diamond？〃



Diamond　lifted　his　cap；　and　answered　politely。



〃He'll　be　fit　to　drive　himself　before　long；〃　said　his　father；

proudly。　　〃The　old　horse　is　a…teaching　of　him。〃



〃Well；　he　must　come　and　see　us；　now　you've　found　us　out。　

Where　do　you　live？〃



Diamond's　father　gave　the　ladies　a　ticket　with　his　name　and　address

printed　on　it；　and　then　Mrs。　Coleman　took　out　her　purse；　saying：



〃And　what's　your　fare；　Joseph？〃



〃No；　thank　you；　ma'am；〃　said　Joseph。　　〃It　was　your　own　old　horse

as　took　you；　and　me　you　paid　long　ago。〃



He　jumped　on　his　box　before　she　could　say　another　word；

and　with　a　parting　salute　drove　off；　leaving　them　on　the　pavement；

with　the　maid　holding　the　door　for　them。



It　was　a　long　time　now　since　Diamond　had　seen　North　Wind；

or　even　thought　much　about　her。　　And　as　his　father　drove　along；

he　was　thinking　not　about　her；　but　about　the　crossing…sweeper；

and　was　wondering　what　made　him　feel　as　if　he　knew　her　quite　well；

when　he　could　not　remember　anything　of　her。　　But　a　picture　arose

in　his　mind　of　a　little　girl　running　before　the　wind　and　dragging

her　broom　after　her；　and　from　that；　by　degrees；　he　recalled　the

whole　adventure　of　the　night　when　he　got　down　from　North　Wind's

back　in　a　London　street。　　But　he　could　not　quite　satisfy　himself

whether　the　whole　affair　was　not　a　dream　which　he　had　dreamed

when　he　was　a　very　little　boy。　　Only　he　had　been　to　the　back　of

the　north　wind　sincethere　could　be　no　doubt　of　that；　for　when　he

woke　every　morning；　he　always　knew　that　he　had　been　there　again。　

And　as　he　thought　and　thought；　he　recalled　another　thing　that　had

happened　that　morning；　which；　although　it　seemed　a　mere　accident；

might　have　something　to　do　with　what　had　happened　since。　　His　father

had　intended　going　on　the　stand　at　King's　Cross　that　morning；　and　had

turned　into　Gray's　Inn　Lane　to　drive　there；　when　they　found　the　way

blocked　up；　and　upon　inquiry　were　informed　that　a　stack　of　chimneys

had　been　blown　down　in　the　night；　and　had　fallen　across　the　road。　

They　were　just　clearing　the　rubbish　away。　　Diamond's　father　turned；

and　made　for　Charing　Cross。



That　night　the　father　and　mother　had　a　great　deal　to　talk　about。



〃Poor　things！〃　said　the　mother。　　〃it's　worse　for　them　than　it

is　for　us。　　You　see　they've　been　used　to　such　grand　things；

and　for　them　to　come　down　to　a　little　poky　house　like　that

it　breaks　my　heart　to　think　of　it。〃



〃I　don't　know〃　said　Diamond　thoughtfully；　〃whether　Mrs。　Coleman

had　bells　on　her　toes。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　child？〃　said　his　mother。



〃She　had　rings　on　her　fingers；　anyhow；〃　returned　Diamond。



〃Of　course　she　had；　as　any　lady　would。　　What　has　that　to　do　with　it？〃



〃When　we　were　down　at　Sandwich；〃　said　Diamond；　〃you　said　you　would

have　to　part　with　your　mother's　ring；　now　we　were　poor。〃



〃Bless　the　child；　he　forgets　nothing；〃　said　his　mother。　

〃Really；　Diamond；　a　body　would　need　to　mind　what　they　say　to　you。〃



〃Why？〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　only　think　about　it。〃



〃That's　just　why；〃　said　the　mother。



〃Why　is　that　why？〃　persisted　Diamond；　for　he　had　not　yet　learned

that　grown…up　people　are　not　often　so　much　grown　up　that　they

never　talk　like　childrenand　spoilt　ones　too。



〃Mrs。　Coleman　is　none　so　poor　as　all　that　yet。　　No；　thank　Heaven！

she's　not　come　to　that。〃



〃Is　it　a　great　disgrace　to　be　poor？〃　asked　Diamond；　because　of

the　tone　in　which　his　mother　had　spoken。



But　his　mother；　whether　conscience…stricken　I　do　not　know　hurried

him　away　to　bed；　where　after　various　attempts　to　understand　her；

resumed　and　resumed　again　in　spite　of　invading　sleep；　he　was

conquered　at　last；　and　gave　in；　murmuring　over　and　over　to　himself；

〃Why　is　why？〃　but　getting　no　answer　to　the　question。







CHAPTER　XVIII



THE　DRUNKEN　CABMAN





A　FEW　nights　after　this；　Diamond　woke　up　suddenly；　believing　he　heard

North　Wind　thundering　along。　　But　it　was　something　quite　different。　

South　Wind　was　moaning　round　the　chimneys；　to　be　sure；　for　she

was　not　very　happy　that　night；　but　it　was　not　her　voice　that　had

wakened　Diamond。　　Her　voice　would　only　have　lulled　him　the　deeper　asleep。　

It　was　a　loud；　angry　voice；　now　growling　like　that　of　a　beast；

now　raving　like　that　of　a　madman；　and　when　Diamond　came　a　little

wider　awake；　he　knew　that　it　was　the　voice　of　the　drunken　cabman；

the　wall　of　whose　room　was　at　the　head　of　his　bed。　　It　was　anything

but　pleasant　to　hear；　but　he　could　not　help　hearing　it。　　At　length

there　came　a　cry　from　the　woman；　and　then　a　scream　from　the　baby。　

Thereupon　Diamond　thought　it　time　that　somebody　did　something；

and　as　himself　was　the　only　somebody　at　hand；　he　must　go　and　see

whether　he　could　not　do　something。　　So　he　got　up　and　put　on　part

of　his　clothes；　and　went　down　the　stair；　for　the　cabman's　room　did

not　open　upon　their　stair；　and　he　had　to　go　out　into　the　yard；

and　in　at　the　next　door。　　This；　fortunately；　the　cabman；　being　drunk；

had　left　open。　　By　the　time　he　reached　their　stair；　all　was　still　except

the　voice　of　the　crying　baby；　which　guided　him　to　the　right　door。　

He　opened　it　softly；　and　peeped　in。　　There；　leaning　back　in　a　chair；

with　his　arms　hanging　down　by　his　sides；　and　his　legs　stretched

out　before　him　and　supported　on　his　heels；　sat　the　drunken　cabman。　

His　wife　lay　in　her　clothes　upon　the　bed；　sobbing；　and　the　baby　was

wailing　in　the　cradle。　　It　was　very　miserable　altogether。



Now　the　way　most　people　do　when　they　see　anything　very　miserable

is　to　turn　away　from　the　sight；　and　try　to　forget　it。　　But　Diamond

began　as　usual　to　try　to　destroy　the　misery。　　The　little　boy　was　just

as　much　one　of　God's　messengers　as　if　he　had　been　an　angel　with　a

flaming　sword；　going　out　to　fight　the　devil。　　The　devil　he　had　to　fight

just　then　was　Misery。　　And　the　way　he　fought　him　was　the　very　best。　

Like　a　wise　soldier；　he　attacked　him　first　in　his　weakest　point

that　was　the；　baby；　for　Misery　can　never　get　such　a　hold　of　a　baby

as　of　a　grown　person。　　Diamond　was　knowing　in　babies；　and　he　knew　he

could　do　something　to　make　the　baby；　happy；　for　although　he　had　only

known　one　baby　as　yet；　and　although　not　one　baby　is　the　same　as　another；

yet　they　are　so　very　much　alike　in　some　things；　and　he　knew　that　one

baby　so　thoroughly；　that　he　had　good　reason　to　believe　he　could　do

something　for　any　other。　　I　have　known　people　who　would　have　begun

to　fight　the　devil　in　a　very　different　and　a　very　stupid　way。　

They　would　have　begun　by　scolding　the　idiotic　cabman；　and　next　they

would　make　his　wife　angry　by　saying　it　must　be　her　fault　as　well

as　his；　and　by　leaving　ill…bred　though　well…meant　shabby　little

books　for　them　to　read；　which　they　were　sure　to　hate　the　sight　of；

while　all　the　time　they　would　not　have　put　out　a　finger　to　touch

the　wailing　baby。　　But　Diamond　had　him　out　of　the　cradle　in　a　moment；

set　him　up　on　his　knee；　and　told　him　to　look　at　the　light。　

Now　all　the　light　there　was　came　only　from　a　lamp　in　the　yard；

and　it　was　a　very　dingy　and　yellow　light；　for　the　glass　of　the　lamp

was　dirty；　and　the　gas　was　bad；　but　the　light　that　came　from

it　was；　notwithstanding；　as　certainly　light　as　if　it　had　come

from　the　sun　itself；　and　the　baby　knew　that；　and　smiled　to　it；

and　although　i