At the Back of the North Wind | Page 7

at the drawing-room window with the light
shining through its green curtains. He had been in that room once or

twice that he could remember at Christmas times; for the Colemans
were kind people, though they did not care much about children.
All at once the light went nearly out: he could only see a glimmer of
the shape of the window. Then, indeed, he felt that he was left alone. It
was so dreadful to be out in the night after everybody was gone to bed!
That was more than he could bear. He burst out crying in good earnest,
beginning with a wail like that of the wind when it is waking up.
Perhaps you think this was very foolish; for could he not go home to
his own bed again when he liked? Yes; but it looked dreadful to him to
creep up that stair again and lie down in his bed again, and know that
North Wind's window was open beside him, and she gone, and he
might never see her again. He would be just as lonely there as here.
Nay, it would be much worse if he had to think that the window was
nothing but a hole in the wall.
At the very moment when he burst out crying, the old nurse who had
grown to be one of the family, for she had not gone away when Miss
Coleman did not want any more nursing, came to the back door, which
was of glass, to close the shutters. She thought she heard a cry, and,
peering out with a hand on each side of her eyes like Diamond's
blinkers, she saw something white on the lawn. Too old and too wise to
be frightened, she opened the door, and went straight towards the white
thing to see what it was. And when Diamond saw her coming he was
not frightened either, though Mrs. Crump was a little cross sometimes;
for there is a good kind of crossness that is only disagreeable, and there
is a bad kind of crossness that is very nasty indeed. So she came up
with her neck stretched out, and her head at the end of it, and her eyes
foremost of all, like a snail's, peering into the night to see what it could
be that went on glimmering white before her. When she did see, she
made a great exclamation, and threw up her hands. Then without a
word, for she thought Diamond was walking in his sleep, she caught
hold of him, and led him towards the house. He made no objection, for
he was just in the mood to be grateful for notice of any sort, and Mrs.
Crump led him straight into the drawing-room.
Now, from the neglect of the new housemaid, the fire in Miss

Coleman's bedroom had gone out, and her mother had told her to brush
her hair by the drawing-room fire--a disorderly proceeding which a
mother's wish could justify. The young lady was very lovely, though
not nearly so beautiful as North Wind; and her hair was extremely long,
for it came down to her knees--though that was nothing at all to North
Wind's hair. Yet when she looked round, with her hair all about her, as
Diamond entered, he thought for one moment that it was North Wind,
and, pulling his hand from Mrs. Crump's, he stretched out his arms and
ran towards Miss Coleman. She was so pleased that she threw down
her brush, and almost knelt on the floor to receive him in her arms. He
saw the next moment that she was not Lady North Wind, but she
looked so like her he could not help running into her arms and bursting
into tears afresh. Mrs. Crump said the poor child had walked out in his
sleep, and Diamond thought she ought to know, and did not contradict
her for anything he knew, it might be so indeed. He let them talk on
about him, and said nothing; and when, after their astonishment was
over, and Miss Coleman had given him a sponge-cake, it was decreed
that Mrs. Crump should take him to his mother, he was quite satisfied.
His mother had to get out of bed to open the door when Mrs. Crump
knocked. She was indeed surprised to see her, boy; and having taken
him in her arms and carried him to his bed, returned and had a long
confabulation with Mrs. Crump, for they were still talking when
Diamond fell fast asleep, and could hear them no longer.
CHAPTER III
OLD DIAMOND
DIAMOND woke very early in the morning, and thought what a
curious dream he had had. But the memory grew brighter and brighter
in his head, until it did not look altogether