At the Back of the North Wind | Page 9

a bird from
its cage. All the world was new to him. A great fire of sunset burned on
the top of the gate that led from the stables to the house; above the fire
in the sky lay a large lake of green light, above that a golden cloud, and
over that the blue of the wintry heavens. And Diamond thought that,
next to his own home, he had never seen any place he would like so
much to live in as that sky. For it is not fine things that make home a
nice place, but your mother and your father.
As he was looking at the lovely colours, the gates were thrown open,
and there was old Diamond and his friend in the carriage, dancing with
impatience to get at their stalls and their oats. And in they came.
Diamond was not in the least afraid of his father driving over him, but,
careful not to spoil the grand show he made with his fine horses and his
multitudinous cape, with a red edge to every fold, he slipped out of the
way and let him dash right on to the stables. To be quite safe he had to
step into the recess of the door that led from the yard to the shrubbery.
As he stood there he remembered how the wind had driven him to this
same spot on the night of his dream. And once more he was almost sure
that it was no dream. At all events, he would go in and see whether
things looked at all now as they did then. He opened the door, and
passed through the little belt of shrubbery. Not a flower was to be seen
in the beds on the lawn. Even the brave old chrysanthemums and
Christmas roses had passed away before the frost. What? Yes! There
was one! He ran and knelt down to look at it.
It was a primrose--a dwarfish thing, but perfect in shape-- a
baby-wonder. As he stooped his face to see it close, a little wind began
to blow, and two or three long leaves that stood up behind the flower
shook and waved and quivered, but the primrose lay still in the green
hollow, looking up at the sky, and not seeming to know that the wind
was blowing at all. It was just a one eye that the dull black wintry earth
had opened to look at the sky with. All at once Diamond thought it was

saying its prayers, and he ought not to be staring at it so. He ran to the
stable to see his father make Diamond's bed. Then his father took him
in his arms, carried him up the ladder, and set him down at the table
where they were going to have their tea.
"Miss is very poorly," said Diamond's father. "Mis'ess has been to the
doctor with her to-day, and she looked very glum when she came out
again. I was a-watching of them to see what doctor had said."
"And didn't Miss look glum too?" asked his mother.
"Not half as glum as Mis'ess," returned the coachman. "You see--"
But he lowered his voice, and Diamond could not make out more than a
word here and there. For Diamond's father was not only one of the
finest of coachmen to look at, and one of the best of drivers, but one of
the most discreet of servants as well. Therefore he did not talk about
family affairs to any one but his wife, whom he had proved better than
himself long ago, and was careful that even Diamond should hear
nothing he could repeat again concerning master and his family.
It was bed-time soon, and Diamond went to bed and fell fast asleep.
He awoke all at once, in the dark.
"Open the window, Diamond," said a voice.
Now Diamond's mother had once more pasted up North Wind's
window.
"Are you North Wind?" said Diamond: "I don't hear you blowing."
"No; but you hear me talking. Open the window, for I haven't
overmuch time."
"Yes," returned Diamond. "But, please, North Wind, where's the use?
You left me all alone last time."
He had got up on his knees, and was busy with his nails once more at

the paper over the hole in the wall. For now that North Wind spoke
again, he remembered all that had taken place before as distinctly as if
it had happened only last night.
"Yes, but that was your fault," returned North Wind. "I had work to do;
and, besides, a gentleman should never keep a lady waiting."
"But I'm not a gentleman," said Diamond, scratching away at the paper.
"I hope you won't say so ten years after this."
"I'm going to be a