david elginbrod-第41章

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we　were　till　I　got　up　here。〃

〃Whereabouts　are　we；　then？〃

〃Close　to　the　end　of　the　Ghost's　Walk。〃

〃But　you　don't　mind　that　now；　surely；　Harry？〃

〃No；　sir；　that　is；　not　so　much　as　I　used。〃

〃Shall　I　take　all　this　down　again；　and　build　our　nest　somewhere
else？〃

〃Oh；　no；　if　you　don't　think　it　matters。　　It　would　be　a　great　pity；
after　you　have　taken　so　much　trouble　with　it。　　Besides；　I　shall
never　be　here　without　you；　and　I　do　not　think　I　should　be　afraid　of
the　ghost　herself；　if　you　were　with　me。〃

Yet　Harry　shuddered　involuntarily　at　the　thought　of　his　own　daring
speech。

〃Very　well；　Harry；　my　boy；　we　will　finish　it　here。　　Now；　if　you
stand　there；　I　will　fasten　a　plank　across　here　between　these　two
stumpsno；　that　won't　do　exactly。　　I　must　put　a　piece　on　to　this
one；　to　raise　it　to　a　level　with　the　otherthen　we　shall　have　a
seat　in　a　few　minutes。〃

Hammer　and　nails　were　busy　again；　and　in　a　few　minutes　they　sat　down
to　enjoy　the　〃soft　pipling　cold〃　which　swung　all　the　leaves　about
like　little　trap…doors　that　opened　into　the　Infinite。　　Harry　was
highly　contented。　　He　drew　a　deep　breath　of　satisfaction　as；　looking
above　and　beneath　and　all　about　him；　he　saw　that　they　were　folded　in
an　almost　impenetrable　net　of　foliage；　through　which　nothing　could
steal　into　their　sanctuary；　save　〃the　chartered　libertine；　the　air；〃
and　a　few　stray　beams　of　the　setting　sun；　filtering　through　the
multitudinous　leaves；　from　which　they　caught　a　green　tint　as　they
passed。

〃Fancy　yourself　a　fish；〃　said　Hugh；　〃in　the　depth　of　a　cavern　of　sea
weed；　which　floats　about　in　the　slow　swinging　motion　of　the　heavy
waters。〃

〃What　a　funny　notion！〃

〃Not　so　absurd　as　you　may　think；　Harry；　for　just　as　some　fishes
crawl　about　on　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　so　do　we　men　at　the　bottom　of
an　ocean　of　air；　which；　if　it　be　a　thinner　one；　is　certainly　a
deeper　one。〃

〃Then　the　birds　are　the　swimming　fishes；　are　they　not？〃

〃Yes；　to　be　sure。〃

〃And　you　and　I　are　two　mermendoing　what？　　Waiting　for　mother
mermaid　to　give　us　our　dinner。　　I　am　getting　hungry。　　But　it　will　be
a　long　time　before　a　mermaid　gets　up　here；　I　am　afraid。〃

〃That　reminds　me；〃　said　Hugh；　〃that　I　must　build　a　stair　for　you；
Master　Harry；　for　you　are　not　merman　enough　to　get　up　with　a　stroke
of　your　scaly　tail。　　So　here　goes。　　You　can　sit　there　till　I　fetch
you。〃

Nailing　a　little　rude　bracket　here　and　there　on　the　stem　of　the
tree；　just　where　Harry　could　avail　himself　of　hand…hold　as　well；
Hugh　had　soon　finished　a　strangely　irregular　staircase；　which　it
took　Harry　two　or　three　times　trying；　to　learn　quite　off。




CHAPTER　IX。

GEOGRAPHY　POINT。

I　will　fetch　you　a　tooth…picker　now　from　the　farthest　inch　of　Asia；
bring　you　the　length　of　Prester　John's　foot；　fetch　you　a　hair　off
the　great　Cham's　beard；　do　you　any　embassage　to　the　Pigmies。

Much　Ado　about　Nothing。


The　next　day；　after　dinner；　Mr。　Arnold　said　to　the　tutor：

〃Well；　Mr。　Sutherland；　how　does　Harry　get　on　with　his　geography？〃

Mr。　Arnold；　be　it　understood；　had　a　weakness　for　geography。

〃We　have　not　done　anything　at　that　yet；　Mr。　Arnold。〃

〃Not　done　anything　at　geography！　　And　the　boy　getting　quite　robust
now！　　I　am　astonished；　Mr。　Sutherland。　　Why；　when　he　was　a　mere
child；　he　could　repeat　all　the　counties　of　England。〃

〃Perhaps　that　may　be　the　reason　for　the　decided　distaste　he　shows
for　it　now；　Mr。　Arnold。　　But　I　will　begin　to　teach　him　at　once；　if
you　desire　it。〃

〃I　do　desire　it；　Mr。　Sutherland。　　A　thorough　geographical　knowledge
is　essential　to　the　education　of　a　gentleman。　　Ask　me　any　question
you　please；　Mr。　Sutherland；　on　the　map　of　the　world；　or　any　of　its
divisions。〃

Hugh　asked　a　few　questions；　which　Mr。　Arnold　answered　at　once。

〃Pooh！　pooh！〃　said　he；　〃this　is　mere　child's　play。　　Let　me　ask　you
some；　Mr。　Sutherland。〃

His　very　first　question　posed　Hugh；　whose　knowledge　in　this　science
was　not　by　any　means　minute。

〃I　fear　I　am　no　gentleman；〃　said　he；　laughing；　〃but　I　can　at　least
learn　as　well　as　teach。　　We　shall　begin　to…morrow。〃

〃What　books　have　you？〃

〃Oh！　no　books；　if　you　please；　just　yet。　　If　you　are　satisfied　with
Harry's　progress　so　far；　let　me　have　my　own　way　in　this　too。〃

〃But　geography　does　not　seem　your　strong　point。〃

〃No；　but　I　may　be　able　to　teach　it　all　the　better　from　feeling　the
difficulties　of　a　learner　myself。〃

〃Well；　you　shall　have　a　fair　trial。〃

Next　morning　Hugh　and　Harry　went　out　for　a　walk　to　the　top　of　a　hill
in　the　neighbourhood。　　When　they　reached　it；　Hugh　took　a　small
compass　from　his　pocket；　and　set　it　on　the　ground；　contemplating　it
and　the　horizon　alternately。

〃What　are　you　doing；　Mr。　Sutherland？〃

〃I　am　trying　to　find　the　exact　line　that　would　go　through　my　home；〃
said　he。

〃Is　that　funny　little　thing　able　to　tell　you？〃

〃Yes；　this　along　with　other　things。　　Isn't　it　curious；　Harry；　to
have　in　my　pocket　a　little　thing　with　a　kind　of　spirit　in　it；　that
understands　the　spirit　that　is　in　the　big　world；　and　always　points
to　its　North　Pole？〃

〃Explain　it　to　me。〃

〃It　is　nearly　as　much　a　mystery　to　me　as　to　you。〃

〃Where　is　the　North　Pole？〃

〃Look；　the　little　thing　points　to　it。〃

〃But　I　will　turn　it　away。　　Oh！　it　won't　go。　　It　goes　back　and　back；
do　what　I　will。〃

〃Yes；　it　will；　if　you　turn　it　away　all　day　long。　　Look；　Harry；　if
you　were　to　go　straight　on　in　this　direction；　you　would　come　to　a
Laplander；　harnessing　his　broad…horned　reindeer　to　his　sledge。　　He's
at　it　now；　I　daresay。　　If　you　were　to　go　in　this　line　exactly；　you
would　go　through　the　smoke　and　fire　of　a　burning　mountain　in　a　land
of　ice。　　If　you　were　to　go　this　way；　straight　on；　you　would　find
yourself　in　the　middle　of　a　forest　with　a　lion　glaring　at　your　feet；
for　it　is　dark　night　there　now；　and　so　hot！　　And　over　there；
straight　on；　there　is　such　a　lovely　sunset。　　The　top　of　a　snowy
mountain　is　all　pink　with　light；　though　the　sun　is　downoh！　such
colours　all　about；　like　fairyland！　　And　there；　there　is　a　desert　of
sand；　and　a　camel　dying；　and　all　his　companions　just　disappearing　on
the　horizon。　　And　there；　there　is　an　awful　sea；　without　a　boat　to　be
seen　on　it；　dark　and　dismal；　with　huge　rocks　all　about　it；　and　waste
borders　of　sandso　dreadful！〃

〃How　do　you　know　all　this；　Mr。　Sutherland？　　You　have　never　walked
along　those　lines；　I　know；　for　you　couldn't。〃

〃Geography　has　taught　me。〃

〃No；　Mr。　Sutherland！〃　said　Harry；　incredulously。
〃Well；　shall　we　travel　along　this　line；　just　across　that　crown　of
trees　on　the　hill？〃

〃Yes；　do　let　us。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Hugh；　drawing　a　telescope　from　his　pocket；　〃this　hill
is　henceforth　Geography　Point；　and　all　the　world　lies　round　about
it。　　Do　you　know　we　are　in　the　very　middle　of　the　earth？〃

〃Are　we；　indeed？〃

〃Yes。　Don't　you　know　any　point　you　like　to　choose　on　a　ball　is　the
middle　of　it？〃

〃Oh！　yesof　course。〃

〃Very　well。　　What　lies　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill　down　there？〃

〃Arnstead；　to　be　sure。〃

〃And　what　beyond　there？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃Look　through　here。〃

〃Oh！　that　must　be　the　village　we　rode　to　yesterdayI　forget　the
name　of　it。〃

Hugh　told　him　the　name；　and　then　made　him　look　with　the　telescope
all　along　the　receding　line　to　the　trees　on　the　opposite　hill。　　Just
as　he　caught　them；　a　voice　beside　them　said：

〃What　are　you　about；　Harry？〃

Hugh　felt　a　glow　of　pleasure　as　the　voice　fell　on　his　ear。

It　was　Euphra's。

〃Oh！〃　replied　Harry；　〃Mr。　Sutherland　is　teaching　me　geography　with　a
telescope。　　It's　such　fun！〃

〃He's　a　wonderful　tutor；　that　of　yours；　Harry！〃

〃Yes；　isn't　he　just？　　But；〃　Harry　went　on；　turning　to　Hugh；　〃what
are　we　to　do　now？　　We　can't　get　farther　for　that　hill。〃

〃Ah！　we　must　apply　to　your　papa　now；　to　lend　us　some　of　his
beautiful　maps。　　They　will　teach　us　what　lies　beyond　that　hill。　　And
then　we　can　read　in　some　of　his　books　about　the　places；　and　so　go　on
and　on；　till　we　reach　the　beautiful；　wide；　restless　sea；　over　which
we　must　sail　in　spite　of　wind　and　tidestraight　on　and　on；　till　we
come　to　land　again。　　But　we　must　make　a　great　many　such　journeys
before　we　really　know　what　sort　of　a　place　we　are　living　in；　and　we
shall　have　ever　so　many　things　to　learn　that　will