at the back of the north wind-第34章

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Mr。　Raymond　proceeded；　〃she　might　get　a　place　as　a　nurse　somewhere；

you　know。　　People　do　give　money　for　that。〃



〃Then　I'll　ask　mother；〃　said　Diamond。



〃But　you'll　have　to　give　her　her　food　then；　and　your　father；

not　being　strong；　has　enough　to　do　already　without　that。〃



〃But　here's　me；〃　said　Diamond：　　〃I　help　him　out　with　it。　　When　he's　tired

of　driving；　up　I　get。　　It　don't　make　any　difference　to　old　Diamond。　

I　don't　mean　he　likes　me　as　well　as　my　fatherof　course　he　can't；

you　knownobody　could；　but　he　does　his　duty　all　the　same。　

It's　got　to　be　done；　you　know；　sir；　and　Diamond's　a　good　horse

isn't　he；　sir？〃



〃From　your　description　I　should　say　certainly；　but　I　have　not

the　pleasure　of　his　acquaintance　myself。〃



〃Don't　you　think　he　will　go　to　heaven；　sir？〃



〃That　I　don't　know　anything　about；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃I　confess

I　should　be　glad　to　think　so；〃　he　added；　smiling　thoughtfully。



〃I'm　sure　he'll　get　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；　anyhow；〃

said　Diamond　to　himself；　but　he　had　learned　to　be　very　careful

of　saying　such　things　aloud。



〃Isn't　it　rather　too　much　for　him　to　go　in　the　cab　all　day

and　every　day？〃　resumed　Mr。　Raymond。



〃So　father　says；　when　he　feels　his　ribs　of　a　morning。　　But　then　he

says　the　old　horse　do　eat　well；　and　the　moment　he's　had　his　supper；

down　he　goes；　and　never　gets　up　till　he's　called；　and；　for　the　legs

of　him；　father　says　that　makes　no　end　of　a　differ。　　Some　horses；　sir！　they

won't　lie　down　all　night　long；　but　go　to　sleep　on　their　four　pins；

like　a　haystack；　father　says。　　I　think　it's　very　stupid　of　them；

and　so　does　old　Diamond。　　But　then　I　suppose　they　don't　know　better；

and　so　they　can't　help　it。　　We　mustn't　be　too　hard　upon　them；

father　says。〃



〃Your　father　must　be　a　good　man；　Diamond。〃　　Diamond　looked　up

in　Mr。　Raymond's　face；　wondering　what　he　could　mean。



〃I　said　your　father　must　be　a　good　man；　Diamond。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃How　could　he　drive　a　cab　if　he　wasn't？〃



〃There　are　some　men　who　drive　cabs　who　are　not　very　good；〃

objected　Mr。　Raymond。



Diamond　remembered　the　drunken　cabman；　and　saw　that　his　friend

was　right。



〃Ah；　but；〃　he　returned；　〃he　must　be；　you　know；　with　such　a　horse

as　old　Diamond。〃



〃That　does　make　a　difference；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。　　〃But　it　is　quite

enough　that　he　is　a　good　man　without　our　trying　to　account　for　it。　

Now；　if　you　like；　I　will　give　you　a　proof　that　I　think　him　a　good　man。　

I　am　going　away　on　the　Continent　for　a　whilefor　three　months；

I　believeand　I　am　going　to　let　my　house　to　a　gentleman　who　does

not　want　the　use　of　my　brougham。　　My　horse　is　nearly　as　old；　I　fancy；

as　your　Diamond；　but　I　don't　want　to　part　with　him；　and　I　don't

want　him　to　be　idle；　for　nobody；　as　you　say；　ought　to　be　idle；

but　neither　do　I　want　him　to　be　worked　very　hard。　　Now；　it　has　come

into　my　head　that　perhaps　your　father　would　take　charge　of　him；

and　work　him　under　certain　conditions。〃



〃My　father　will　do　what's　right；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I'm　sure　of　that。〃



〃Well；　so　I　think。　　Will　you　ask　him　when　he　comes　home　to　call

and　have　a　little　chat　with　meto…day；　some　time？〃



〃He　must　have　his　dinner　first；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃No；　he's　got

his　dinner　with　him　to…day。　It　must　be　after　he's　had　his　tea。〃



〃Of　course；　of　course。　　Any　time　will　do。　　I　shall　be　at　home

all　day。〃



〃Very　well；　sir。　　I　will　tell　him。　　You　may　be　sure　he　will　come。　

My　father　thinks　you　a　very　kind　gentleman；　and　I　know　he　is　right；

for　I　know　your　very　own　self；　sir。〃



Mr。　Raymond　smiled；　and　as　they　had　now　reached　his　door；

they　parted；　and　Diamond　went　home。　　As　soon　as　his　father　entered

the　house；　Diamond　gave　him　Mr。　Raymond's　message；　and　recounted

the　conversation　that　had　preceded　it。　　His　father　said　little；

but　took　thought…sauce　to　his　bread　and　butter；　and　as　soon　as　he

had　finished　his　meal；　rose；　saying：



〃I　will　go　to　your　friend　directly；　Diamond。　　It　would　be　a　grand　thing

to　get　a　little　more　money。　　We　do　want　it。〃　　Diamond　accompanied

his　father　to　Mr。　Raymond's　door；　and　there　left　him。



He　was　shown　at　once　into　Mr。　Raymond's　study；　where　he　gazed　with

some　wonder　at　the　multitude　of　books　on　the　walls；　and　thought

what　a　learned　man　Mr。　Raymond　must　be。



Presently　Mr。　Raymond　entered；　and　after　saying　much　the　same

about　his　old　horse；　made　the　following　distinct　proposal

one　not　over…advantageous　to　Diamond's　father；　but　for　which　he

had　reasonsnamely；　that　Joseph　should　have　the　use　of　Mr。　Raymond's

horse　while　he　was　away；　on　condition　that　he　never　worked　him

more　than　six　hours　a　day；　and　fed　him　well；　and　that；　besides；

he　should　take　Nanny　home　as　soon　as　she　was　able　to　leave

the　hospital；　and　provide　for　her　as　one　of　his　own　children；

neither　better　nor　worseso　long；　that　is；　as　he　had　the　horse。



Diamond's　father　could　not　help　thinking　it　a　pretty　close　bargain。　

He　should　have　both　the　girl　and　the　horse　to　feed；　and　only　six　hours'

work　out　of　the　horse。



〃It　will　save　your　own　horse；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond。



〃That　is　true；〃　answered　Joseph；　〃but　all　I　can　get　by　my　own　horse

is　only　enough　to　keep　us；　and　if　I　save　him　and　feed　your　horse

and　the　girldon't　you　see；　sir？〃



〃Well；　you　can　go　home　and　think　about　it；　and　let　me　know

by　the　end　of　the　week。　　I　am　in　no　hurry　before　then。〃



So　Joseph　went　home　and　recounted　the　proposal　to　his　wife；

adding　that　he　did　not　think　there　was　much　advantage　to　be　got

out　of　it。



〃Not　much　that　way；　husband；〃　said　Diamond's　mother；　〃but　there

would　be　an　advantage；　and　what　matter　who　gets　it！〃



〃I　don't　see　it；〃　answered　her　husband。　　〃Mr。　Raymond　is　a　gentleman

of　property；　and　I　don't　discover　any　much　good　in　helping　him　to　save

a　little　more。　　He　won't　easily　get　one　to　make　such　a　bargain；　and　I

don't　mean　he　shall　get　me。　　It　would　be　a　loss　rather　than　a　gain

I　do　thinkat　least　if　I　took　less　work　out　of　our　own　horse。〃



〃One　hour　would　make　a　difference　to　old　Diamond。　　But　that's

not　the　main　point。　　You　must　think　what　an　advantage　it　would

be　to　the　poor　girl　that　hasn't　a　home　to　go　to！〃



〃She　is　one　of　Diamond's　friends；〃　thought　his　father。



〃I　could　be　kind　to　her；　you　know；〃　the　mother　went　on；　〃and　teach

her　housework；　and　how　to　handle　a　baby；　and；　besides；　she　would

help　me；　and　I　should　be　the　stronger　for　it；　and　able　to　do　an　odd

bit　of　charing　now　and　then；　when　I　got　the　chance。〃



〃I　won't　hear　of　that；〃　said　her　husband。　　〃Have　the　girl　by　all　means。　

I'm　ashamed　I　did　not　think　of　both　sides　of　the　thing　at　once。　

I　wonder　if　the　horse　is　a　great　eater。　　To　be　sure；　if　I　gave　Diamond

two　hours'　additional　rest；　it　would　be　all　the　better　for　the　old　bones

of　him；　and　there　would　be　four　hours　extra　out　of　the　other　horse。　

That　would　give　Diamond　something　to　do　every　day。　　He　could　drive

old　Diamond　after　dinner；　and　I　could　take　the　other　horse　out　for

six　hours　after　tea；　or　in　the　morning；　as　I　found　best。　　It　might

pay　for　the　keep　of　both　of　them；that　is；　if　I　had　good　luck。　

I　should　like　to　oblige　Mr。　Raymond；　though　he　be　rather　hard；

for　he　has　been　very　kind　to　our　Diamond；　wife。　　Hasn't　he　now？〃



〃He　has　indeed；　Joseph；〃　said　his　wife；　and　there　the　conversation　ended。



Diamond's　father　went　the　very　next　day　to　Mr。　Raymond；　and　accepted

his　proposal；　so　that　the　week　after　having　got　another　stall　in

the　same　stable；　he　had　two　horses　instead　of　one。　　Oddly　enough；

the　name　of　the　new　horse　was　Ruby；　for　he　was　a　very　red　chestnut。　

Diamond's　name　came　from　a　white　lozenge　on　his　forehead。　

Young　Diamond　said　they　were　rich　now；　with　such　a　big　diamond　and

such　a　big　ruby。







CHAPTER　XXX



NANNY'S　DREAM





NANNY　was　not　fit　to　be　moved　for　some　time　yet；　and　Diamond　went

to　see　her　as　often　as　he　could。　　But　being　more　regularly　engaged　now；

seeing　he　went　out　every　day　for　a　few　hours　with　old　Diamond；

and　had　his　baby　to　mind；　and　one　of　the　horses　to　attend　to；

he　could　not　go　so　often　as　he　would　have　liked。



One　evening；　as　he　sat　by　her　bedside；　she　said　to　him：



〃I've　had　such　a　beautiful　dream；　Diamond！　　I　should　like　to　tell

it　you。〃



〃Oh！　do；〃　said　Diamond；　〃I　am　so　fond　of　dreams！〃



〃She　must　have　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃　he　said　to　himself。



〃It　was　a　very　foolish　dream；　you　know。　　But　somehow　it　was　so　pleasant！　

What　a　good　thing　it　is　that　you　believe　the　dream　all　the　time

you　are　in　it！〃



My　readers　must　not　suppose　that　poor　Nanny　was　able　to　say　what　she

meant　so　well　as　I　put　it　down　here。　　She　had　never　been　to　school；

and　had　heard　very　little　else　than　vulgar　speech　until　she

came　to　the　hospital。　　But　I　have　been　to　school；　and　although

that　could　never　make　me　able　to　dream　so　well　as　Nanny；　it　has

made　me　able　to　tell　her　dream　better　than　she　could　herself。　

And　I　am　the　more　desirous　of　doing　this　for　her　that　I　have　already

done　the　best　I　could　for　Diamond's　dream；　and　it　would　be　a　shame

to　give　the　boy　all　the　advantage。



〃I　will　tell　you　all　I　know　about　it；〃　said　Nanny。　　〃The　day

before　yesterday；　a　lady　came　to　see　usa　very　beautiful　lady；

and　very　beautifully　dressed。　　I　heard　the　matron　say　to　her　that　it

was　very　kind　of　her　to　come　in　blue　and　gold；　and　she　answered　that　she

knew　we　didn't　like　dull　colours。　　She　had　such　a　lovely　shawl　on；

just　like　redness　dipped　in　milk；　and　all　worked　over　with　flowers

of　the　same　colour。　　It　didn't　shine　much；　it　was　silk；　but　it　kept

in　the　shine。　　When　she　came　to　my　bedside；　she　sat　down；　just　where

you　are　sitting；　Diamond；　and　laid　her　hand　on　the　counterpane。　

I　was　sitting　up；　with　my　table　before　me　ready　for　my　tea。　　Her　hand

looked　so　pretty　in　its　blue　glove；　that　I　was　tempted　to　stroke　it。　

I　thought　she　wouldn't　be　angry；　for　everybody　that　comes　to　the

hospital　is　kind。　　It's　only　in　the　streets　they　ain't　kind。　

But　she　drew　her　hand　away；　and　I　almost　cried；　for　I　thought　I

had　been　rude。　　Instead　of　that；　however；　it　was　only　that　she

didn't　like　giving　me　her　glove　to　stroke；　for　she　drew　it　off；

and　then　laid　her　hand　where　it　was　before。　　I　wasn't　sure；　but　I

ventured　to　put　out　my　ugly　hand。〃



〃Your　hand　ain't　ugly；　Nanny；〃　said　Diamond；　but　Nanny　went　on



〃And　I　stroked　it　again；　and　then　she　stroked　mine；think　of　that！　

And　there　was　a　ring　on　her　finger；　and　I　looked　down　to　see　what　it

was　like。　　And　she　drew　it　off；　and　put　it　upon　one　of　my　fingers。　

It　was　a　red　stone；　and　she　told　me　they　called　it　a　ruby。〃



〃Oh；　that　is　funny！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Our　new　horse　is　called　Ruby。　

We've　got　another　horsea　red　onesuch　a　beauty！〃



But　Nanny　went　on　with　her　story。



〃I　looked　at　the　ruby　all　the　time　the　lady　was　talking　to　me；

it　was　so　beautiful！　　And　as　she　talked　I　kept　seeing　deeper　and　deeper

into　the　stone。　　At　las