第8章

With one bound she was on the top of the wall. Diamond was left at the foot.

"Stop, stop!" he cried. "Please, I can't jump like that.""You don't try" said North Wind, who from the top looked down a foot taller than before.

"Give me your hand again, and I will, try" said Diamond.

She reached down, Diamond laid hold of her hand, gave a great spring, and stood beside her.

"This is nice!" he said.

Another bound, and they stood in the road by the river.

It was full tide, and the stars were shining clear in its depths, for it lay still, waiting for the turn to run down again to the sea.

They walked along its side. But they had not walked far before its surface was covered with ripples, and the stars had vanished from its bosom.

And North Wind was now tall as a full-grown girl. Her hair was flying about her head, and the wind was blowing a breeze down the river.

But she turned aside and went up a narrow lane, and as she went her hair fell down around her.

"I have some rather disagreeable work to do to-night," she said, "before I get out to sea, and I must set about it at once.

The disagreeable work must be looked after first."So saying, she laid hold of Diamond and began to run, gliding along faster and faster. Diamond kept up with her as well as he could.

She made many turnings and windings, apparently because it was not quite easy to get him over walls and houses. Once they ran through a hall where they found back and front doors open. At the foot of the stair North Wind stood still, and Diamond, hearing a great growl, started in terror, and there, instead of North Wind, was a huge wolf by his side. He let go his hold in dismay, and the wolf bounded up the stair. The windows of the house rattled and shook as if guns were firing, and the sound of a great fall came from above.

Diamond stood with white face staring up at the landing.

"Surely," he thought, "North Wind can't be eating one of the children!"Coming to himself all at once, he rushed after her with his little fist clenched. There were ladies in long trains going up and down the stairs, and gentlemen in white neckties attending on them, who stared at him, but none of them were of the people of the house, and they said nothing. Before he reached the head of the stair, however, North Wind met him, took him by the hand, and hurried down and out of the house.

"I hope you haven't eaten a baby, North Wind!" said Diamond, very solemnly.

North Wind laughed merrily, and went tripping on faster. Her grassy robe swept and swirled about her steps, and wherever it passed over withered leaves, they went fleeing and whirling in spirals, and running on their edges like wheels, all about her feet.

"No," she said at last, "I did not eat a baby. You would not have had to ask that foolish question if you had not let go your hold of me.

You would have seen how I served a nurse that was calling a child bad names, and telling her she was wicked. She had been drinking.

I saw an ugly gin bottle in a cupboard."

"And you frightened her?" said Diamond.

"I believe so!" answered North Wind laughing merrily. "I flew at her throat, and she tumbled over on the floor with such a crash that they ran in. She'll be turned away to-morrow--and quite time, if they knew as much as I do.""But didn't you frighten the little one?""She never saw me. The woman would not have seen me either if she had not been wicked.""Oh!" said Diamond, dubiously.

"Why should you see things," returned North Wind, "that you wouldn't understand or know what to do with? Good people see good things;bad people, bad things."

"Then are you a bad thing?"

"No. For you see me, Diamond, dear," said the girl, and she looked down at him, and Diamond saw the loving eyes of the great lady beaming from the depths of her falling hair.

"I had to make myself look like a bad thing before she could see me.

If I had put on any other shape than a wolf's she would not have seen me, for that is what is growing to be her own shape inside of her.""I don't know what you mean," said Diamond, "but I suppose it's all right."They were now climbing the slope of a grassy ascent. It was Primrose Hill, in fact, although Diamond had never heard of it.

The moment they reached the top, North Wind stood and turned her face towards London The stars were still shining clear and cold overhead.

There was not a cloud to be seen. The air was sharp, but Diamond did not find it cold.

"Now," said the lady, "whatever you do, do not let my hand go.

I might have lost you the last time, only I was not in a hurry then:

now I am in a hurry."

Yet she stood still for a moment.