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the little white bird-第31章

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tremendous adventure!〃



〃Are you never to fall asleep; David?〃 I always said。



〃When are you coming to bed?〃 he always replied; very brave but

in a whisper; as if he feared the bears and wolves might have

him。 When little boys are in bed there is nothing between them

and bears and wolves but the night…light。



I returned to my chair to think; and at last he fell asleep with

his face to the wall; but even then I stood many times at the

door; listening。



Long after I had gone to bed a sudden silence filled the chamber;

and I knew that David had awaked。  I lay motionless; and; after

what seemed a long time of waiting; a little far…away voice said

in a cautious whisper; 〃Irene!〃



〃You are sleeping with me to…night; you know; David;〃 I said。



〃I didn't know;〃 he replied; a little troubled but trying not to

be a nuisance。



〃You remember you are with me?〃 I asked。



After a moment's hesitation he replied; 〃I nearly remember;〃 and

presently he added very gratefully; as if to some angel who had

whispered to him; 〃I remember now。〃



I think he had nigh fallen asleep again when he stirred and said;

〃Is it going on now?〃



〃What?〃



〃The adventure。〃



〃Yes; David。〃



Perhaps this disturbed him; for by…and…by I had to inquire; 〃You

are not frightened; are you?〃



〃Am I not?〃 he answered politely; and I knew his hand was groping

in the darkness; so I put out mine and he held on tightly to one

finger。



〃I am not frightened now;〃 he whispered。



〃And there is nothing else you want?〃



〃Is there not?〃 he again asked politely。  〃Are you sure there's

not?〃 he added。



〃What can it be; David?〃



〃I don't take up very much room;〃 the far…away voice said。



〃Why; David;〃 said I; sitting up; 〃do you want to come into my

bed?〃



〃Mother said I wasn't to want it unless you wanted it first;〃 he

squeaked。



〃It is what I have been wanting all the time;〃 said I; and then

without more ado the little white figure rose and flung itself at

me。  For the rest of the night he lay on me and across me; and

sometimes his feet were at the bottom of the bed and sometimes on

the pillow; but he always retained possession of my finger; and

occasionally he woke me to say that he was sleeping with me。  I

had not a good night。  I lay thinking。



Of this little boy; who; in the midst of his play while I

undressed him; had suddenly buried his head on my knees。



Of the woman who had been for him who could be sufficiently

daring。



Of David's dripping little form in the bath; and how when I

essayed to catch him he had slipped from my arms like a trout。



Of how I had stood by the open door listening to his sweet

breathing; had stood so long that I forgot his name and called

him Timothy。





XX



David and Porthos Compared



But Mary spoilt it all; when I sent David back to her in the

morning; by inquiring too curiously into his person and

discovering that I had put his combinations on him with the

buttons to the front。  For this I wrote her the following

insulting letter。  When Mary does anything that specially annoys

me I send her an insulting letter。  I once had a photograph taken

of David being hanged on a tree。  I sent her that。  You can't

think of all the subtle ways of grieving her I have。  No woman

with the spirit of a crow would stand it。



〃Dear Madam 'I wrote'; It has come to my knowledge that when you

walk in the Gardens with the boy David you listen avidly for

encomiums of him and of your fanciful dressing of him by passers…

by; storing them in your heart the while you make vain pretence

to regard them not: wherefore lest you be swollen by these very

small things I; who now know David both by day and by night; am

minded to compare him and Porthos the one with the other; both in

this matter and in other matters of graver account。  And touching

this matter of outward show; they are both very lordly; and

neither of them likes it to be referred to; but they endure in

different ways。  For David says 'Oh; bother!' and even at times

hits out; but Porthos droops his tail and lets them have their

say。  Yet is he extolled as beautiful and a darling ten times for

the once that David is extolled。



〃The manners of Porthos are therefore prettier than the manners

of David; who when he has sent me to hide from him behind a tree

sometimes comes not in search; and on emerging tamely from my

concealment I find him playing other games entirely forgetful of

my existence。  Whereas Porthos always comes in search。  Also if

David wearies of you he scruples not to say so; but Porthos; in

like circumstances; offers you his paw; meaning 'Farewell;' and

to bearded men he does this all the time (I think because of a

hereditary distaste for goats); so that they conceive him to be

enamoured of them when he is only begging them courteously to go。

Thus while the manners of Porthos are more polite it may be

argued that those of David are more efficacious。



〃In gentleness David compares ill with Porthos。  For whereas the

one shoves and has been known to kick on slight provocation; the

other; who is noisily hated of all small dogs by reason of his

size; remonstrates not; even when they cling in froth and fury to

his chest; but carries them along tolerantly until they drop off

from fatigue。  Again; David will not unbend when in the company

of babies; expecting them unreasonably to rise to his level; but

contrariwise Porthos; though terrible to tramps; suffers all

things of babies; even to an exploration of his mouth in an

attempt to discover what his tongue is like at the other end。 

The comings and goings of David are unnoticed by perambulators;

which lie in wait for the advent of Porthos。  The strong and

wicked fear Porthos but no little creature fears him; not the

hedgehogs he conveys from place to place in his mouth; nor the

sparrows that steal his straw from under him。



〃In proof of which gentleness I adduce his adventure with the

rabbit。  Having gone for a time to reside in a rabbit country

Porthos was elated to discover at last something small that ran

from him; and developing at once into an ecstatic sportsman he

did pound hotly in pursuit; though always over…shooting the mark

by a hundred yards or so and wondering very much what had become

of the rabbit。  There was a steep path; from the top of which the

rabbit suddenly came into view; and the practice of Porthos was

to advance up it on tiptoe; turning near the summit to give me a

knowing look and then bounding forward。  The rabbit here did

something tricky with a hole in the ground; but Porthos tore

onwards in full faith that the game was being played fairly; and

always returned panting and puzzling but glorious。



〃I sometimes shuddered to think of his perplexity should he catch

the rabbit; which however was extremely unlikely; nevertheless he

did catch it; I know not how; but presume it to have been another

than the one of which he was in chase。  I found him with it; his

brows furrowed in the deepest thought。  The rabbit; terrified but

uninjured; cowered beneath him。  Porthos gave me a happy look and

again dropped into a weighty frame of mind。  'What is the next

thing one does?' was obviously the puzzle with him; and the

position was scarcely less awkward for the rabbit; which several

times made a move to end this intolerable suspense。  Whereupon

Porthos immediately gave it a warning tap with his foot; and

again fell to pondering。  The strain on me was very great。



〃At last they seemed to hit upon a compromise。  Porthos looked

over his shoulder very self…consciously; and the rabbit at first

slowly and then in a flash withdrew。  Porthos pretended to make a

search for it; but you cannot think how relieved he looked。  He

even tried to brazen out his disgrace before me and waved his

tail appealingly。  But he could not look me in the face; and when

he saw that this was what I insisted on he collapsed at my feet

and moaned。  There were real tears in his eyes; and I was

touched; and swore to him that he had done everything a dog could

do; and though he knew I was lying he became happy again。  For so

long as I am pleased with him; ma'am; nothing else greatly

matters to Porthos。  I told this story to David; having first

extracted a promise from him that he would not think the less of

Porthos; and now I must demand the same promise of you。  Also; an

admission that in innocence of heart; for which David has been

properly commended; he can nevertheless teach Porthos nothing;

but on the contrary may learn much from him。



〃And now to come to those qualities in which David excels over

Porthosthe first is that he is no snob but esteems the girl

Irene (pretentiously called his nurse) more than any fine lady;

and envies every ragged boy who can hit to leg。  Whereas Porthos

would have every class keep its place; and though fond o
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