登陆注册
15418600000043

第43章

The Old Lady and Curdie Up the stair then they went, and the next and the next, and through the long rows of empty rooms, and up the little tower stair, Irene growing happier and happier as she ascended.There was no answer when she knocked at length at the door of the workroom, nor could she hear any sound of the spinning-wheel, and once more her heart sank within her, but only for one moment, as she turned and knocked at the other door.

'Come in,' answered the sweet voice of her grandmother, and Irene opened the door and entered, followed by Curdie.

'You darling!' cried the lady, who was seated by a fire of red roses mingled with white.'I've been waiting for you, and indeed getting a little anxious about you, and beginning to think whether I had not better go and fetch you myself.'

As she spoke she took the little princess in her arms and placed her upon her lap.She was dressed in white now, and looking if possible more lovely than ever.

'I've brought Curdie, grandmother.He wouldn't believe what I told him and so I've brought him.'

'Yes - I see him.He is a good boy, Curdie, and a brave boy.

Aren't you glad you've got him out?'

'Yes, grandmother.But it wasn't very good of him not to believe me when I was telling him the truth.'

'People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard upon those who believe less.I doubt if you would have believed it all yourself if you hadn't seen some of it.'

'Ah! yes, grandmother, I dare say.I'm sure you are right.But he'll believe now.'

'I don't know that,' replied her grandmother.

'Won't you, Curdie?' said Irene, looking round at him as she asked the question.He was standing in the middle of the floor, staring, and looking strangely bewildered.This she thought came of his astonishment at the beauty of the lady.

'Make a bow to my grandmother, Curdie,' she said.

'I don't see any grandmother,' answered Curdie rather gruffly.

'Don't see my grandmother, when I'm sitting in her lap?' exclaimed the princess.

'No, I don't,' reiterated Curdie, in an offended tone.

'Don't you see the lovely fire of roses - white ones amongst them this time?' asked Irene, almost as bewildered as he.

'No, I don't,' answered Curdie, almost sulkily.

'Nor the blue bed? Nor the rose-coloured counterpane? - Nor the beautiful light, like the moon, hanging from the roof?'

'You're making game of me, Your Royal Highness; and after what we have come through together this day, I don't think it is kind of you,' said Curdie, feeling very much hurt.

'Then what do you see?' asked Irene, who perceived at once that for her not to believe him was at least as bad as for him not to believe her.

'I see a big, bare, garret-room - like the one in mother's cottage, only big enough to take the cottage itself in, and leave a good margin all round,' answered Curdie.

'And what more do you see?'

'I see a tub, and a heap of musty straw, and a withered apple, and a ray of sunlight coming through a hole in the middle of the roof and shining on your head, and making all the place look a curious dusky brown.I think you had better drop it, princess, and go down to the nursery, like a good girl.'

'But don't you hear my grandmother talking to me?' asked Irene, almost crying.

'No.I hear the cooing of a lot of pigeons.If you won't come down, I will go without you.I think that will be better anyhow, for I'm sure nobody who met us would believe a word we said to them.They would think we made it all up.I don't expect anybody but my own father and mother to believe me.They know I wouldn't tell a story.'

'And yet you won't believe me, Curdie?' expostulated the princess, now fairly crying with vexation and sorrow at the gulf between her and Curdie.

'No.I can't, and I can't help it,' said Curdie, turning to leave the room.

'What SHALL I do, grandmother?' sobbed the princess, turning her face round upon the lady's bosom, and shaking with suppressed sobs.

'You must give him time,' said her grandmother; 'and you must be content not to be believed for a while.It is very hard to bear;but I have had to bear it, and shall have to bear it many a time yet.I will take care of what Curdie thinks of you in the end.

You must let him go now.'

'You're not coming, are you?' asked Curdie.

'No, Curdie; my grandmother says I must let you go.Turn to the right when you get to the bottom of all the stairs, and that will take you to the hall where the great door is.'

'Oh! I don't doubt I can find my way - without you, princess, or your old grannie's thread either,' said Curdie quite rudely.

'Oh, Curdie! Curdie!'

'I wish I had gone home at once.I'm very much obliged to you, Irene, for getting me out of that hole, but I wish you hadn't made a fool of me afterwards.'

He said this as he opened the door, which he left open, and, without another word, went down the stair.Irene listened with dismay to his departing footsteps.Then turning again to the lady:

'What does it all mean, grandmother?' she sobbed, and burst into fresh tears.

'It means, my love, that I did not mean to show myself.Curdie is not yet able to believe some things.Seeing is not believing - it is only seeing.You remember I told you that if Lootie were to see me, she would rub her eyes, forget the half she saw, and call the other half nonsense.'

同类推荐
  • 五代春秋

    五代春秋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 渚宫秋思

    渚宫秋思

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 华严五教止观

    华严五教止观

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 云蕉馆纪谈

    云蕉馆纪谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 劝行乐

    劝行乐

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 非萌不娶

    非萌不娶

    一岁就认识她,凭什么不能娶来做老婆?“两年躲着不见我,功夫全用在别的男人身上了是吧?嗯?”皇甫卫澈握着商萌萌手腕的手往她身后一背,揽腰一带,商萌萌整个身子就贴在了皇甫卫澈的身上。“你瞎说什么啊?什么用在男人身上,这么难听话你也能说出来,真无耻。”商萌萌看着嘴角有点流血的皇甫卫澈,偏过头不看他。…
  • BOSS情难控:斩不断的情是你

    BOSS情难控:斩不断的情是你

    七年可以改变很多.七年前她出国只为逃避事实。七年后回国却发现自己真的变了,但是唯一不变的可能就是她的那颗心。他对她的爱始于初见终于白头,可是她却又苦恋另一个人。到最后是修成正果还是无缘到老?
  • 除灵少女之傀儡娃娃

    除灵少女之傀儡娃娃

    冥王有令,枉死之人再不得入轮回,从此,百鬼夜行,人间大乱。后有荼家除灵师用毕生心血创十二个傀儡娃娃封印恶灵,才又复人间安宁。百年之后,封印松动,恶灵再生祸端。荼柒是荼家最后一任除灵师,存在于这世间的唯一意义,就是将恶灵和那十二个傀儡娃娃一起,送入地狱!
  • 青衣飞扬

    青衣飞扬

    我本是一缕游魂,有幸在异时空获得重生。遵父之命进入青衣司,开始我间谍的一生。
  • 遮天之王腾

    遮天之王腾

    遮天二王腾,天纵之姿,北斗古星北原王家的少族长,北原青年一代第一人,号称古帝转世,被称为北帝,又有化名狼神。……往姬家求亲,却被登门挑战的叶凡斩杀,后依靠不死山古皇力量复活,但却被残念污染。随后王腾一败再败,道心几乎崩溃,渐渐癫狂。最终,在袭击安妙依时,叶凡降临,所有人【以为】他被叶凡击杀……王腾借助遗策天机逃过一劫,在黑暗乱流中降落天心大陆,却修为尽废,沦为北安国繁华街头的一名乞丐……
  • 瀚海大陆之药王

    瀚海大陆之药王

    他本是同仁堂少总却意外穿越;失踪两年的哥哥竟同样身在异世。为寻找兄长他努力修炼,却因属性原因不能达到顶峰,一度失望的他在一次意外中却因祸得福,改变了他的修行之途,在异世他究竟是平凡一世还是正道为仙。感谢腾讯文学书评团提供书评支持
  • 婚然天成:惹火娇妻别想逃

    婚然天成:惹火娇妻别想逃

    新婚夜,婚房里面阵阵哭声:“王八蛋,你不是说了我们不来真的吗?”他嘴角带笑层层逼近,声如鬼魅:“那个时候不来真的,这个时候又没有说不来真的?证都领了总要实至名归吧。”第二天.第三天,第四天……“你这个混蛋,我的老腰哇!我还在做报表。”“你做你的,我保证不耽误你。”她很想知道究竟有什么办法不耽误她工作,还能嗯嗯啊啊。这个男人外表这么冷,为什么里面这么热呢……
  • 九天符神

    九天符神

    玄宗门位于云痕大陆之南,这里巫术是第一法术,当然在大陆的其他地方,有着不同法力的人类,或者兽类。李沐有着坚强的毅力,任何困难和不公都不能将其打到。在不断的历险中,李沐逐渐强大为整个云痕大陆都为之颤抖的强者。
  • 暴走的天堂

    暴走的天堂

    那一天,世界毁灭了!幸存下来的人们,却开始意识到,有一种新的恐惧在他们之中蔓延开来。这是末世?不,是天堂!在“生存”这一巨大的障碍面前,人性的丑恶被毫无保留的展现了出来,随着最初的混乱之后,天堂——降临了!从此,“天堂”之中只有一句话广为流传!“Nevertrustanyone!”(不要相信任何人!)
  • 熠玄天尊

    熠玄天尊

    天雷劈,封灵根,开神脉,得神器,家族亡,从此为报仇,踏上强者之路。