THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　and　out　of　her　open　window　and　the　lawn　outside　looking　very　like　somewhere　in　　england。

she　got　up　and　dressed　and　tried　to　talk　and　eat　ordinarily　at　breakfast。　　then；　after　being　instructed　by　the　chief　voice　about　what　she　was　to　do　upstairs；　she　bid　　goodbye　to　the　others；　said　nothing；　walked　to　the　bottom　of　the　stairs；　and　began　going　　up　them　without　once　looking　back。

it　was　quite　light；　that　was　one　good　thing。　there　was；　indeed；　a　window　　straight　ahead　of　her　at　the　top　of　the　first　flight。　as　long　as　she　was　9n　that　flight　she　　could　hear　the　tick…tock…tick…tock　of　a　grandfather　clock　in　the　hall　below。　then　she　came　to　　the　landing　and　had　to　turn　to　her　left　up　the　next　flight；　after　that　she　couldnt　hear　　the　clock　any　more。

now　she　had　e　to　the　top　of　the　stairs。　lucy　looked　and　saw　a　long；　wide　　passage　with　a　large　window　at　the　far　end。　apparently　the　passage　ran　the　whole　　length　of　the　house。　it　was　carved　and　panelled　and　carpeted　and　very　many　doors　opened　　off　it　on　each　side。　she　stood　still　and　couldnt　hear　the　squeak　of　a　mouse；　or　the　　buzzing　of　a　fly；　or　the　swaying　of　a　curtain；　or　anything　…　except　the　beating　of　her　own　　heart。

〃the　last　doorway　on　the　left；〃　she　said　to　herself。　it　did　seem　a　bit　hard　　that　it　should　be　the　last。　to　reach　it　she　would　have　to　walk　past　room　after　room。　and　in　　any　room　there　might　be　the　magician　…　asleep；　or　awake；　or　invisible；　or　even　dead。　but　　it　wouldnt　do　to　think　about　that。　she　set　out　on　her　journey。　the　carpet　was　so　thick　that　　her　feet　made　no　noise。

〃theres　nothing　whatever　to　be　afraid　of　yet；〃　lucy　told　herself。　and　　certainly　it　was　a　quiet；　sunlit　passage；　perhaps　a　bit　too　quiet。　it　would　have　been　nicer　if　　there　had　not　been　strange　signs　painted　in　scarlet　on　the　doors　twisty；　plicated　　things　which　obviously　had　a　meaning　and　it　mightnt　be　a　very　nice　meaning　either。　it　　would　have　been　nicer　still　if　there　werent　those　masks　hanging　on　the　wall。　not　that　　they　were　exactly　ugly　…　or　not　so　very　ugly　…　but　the　empty　eye…holes　did　look　　queer；　and　if　you　let　yourself　you　would　soon　start　imagining　that　the　masks　were　doing　things　as　　soon　as　your　back　was　turned　to　them。

after　about　the　sixth　door　she　got　her　first　real　fright。　for　one　second　　she　felt　almost　certain　that　a　wicked　little　bearded　face　had　popped　out　of　the　wall　and　　made　a　grimace　at　her。　she　forced　herself　to　stop　and　look　at　it。　and　it　was　not　a　face　at　　all。　it　was　a　little　mirror　just　the　size　and　shape　of　her　own　face；　with　hair　on　the　top　of　it　　and　a　beard　hanging　down　from　it；　so　that　when　you　looked　in　the　mirror　your　own　face　　fitted　into　the　hair　and　beard　and　it　looked　as　if　they　belonged　to　you。　〃i　just　caught　my　　own　reflection　with　the　tail　of　my　eye　as　i　went　past；〃　said　lucy　to　herself。　〃that　was　　all　it　was。　its　quite　　

harmless。〃　but　she　didnt　like　the　look　of　her　own　face　with　that　hair　and　　beard；　and　went　on。　（i　dont　know　what　the　bearded　glass　was　for　because　i　am　not　a　　magician。）

before　she　reached　the　last　door　on　the　left；　lucy　was　beginning　to　wonder　　whether　the　corridor　had　grown　longer　since　she　began　her　journey　and　whether　this　was　　part　of　the　magic　of　the　house。　but　she　got　to　it　at　last。　and　the　door　was　open。

it　was　a　large　room　with　three　big　windows　and　it　was　lined　from　floor　to　　ceiling　with　books；　more　books　than　lucy　had　ever　seen　before；　tiny　little　books；　fat　　and　dumpy　books；　and　books　bigger　than　any　church　bible　you　have　ever　seen；　all　bound　　in　leather　and　smelling　old　and　learned　and　magical。　but　she　knew　from　her　　instructions　that　she　need　not　bother　about　any　of　these。　for　the　book；　the　magic　book；　was　lying　　on　a　reading…desk　in　the　very　middle　of　the　room。　she　saw　she　would　have　to　read　　it　standing　（and　anyway　there　were　no　chairs）　and　also　that　she　would　have　to　stand　　with　her　back　to　the　door　while　she　read　it。　so　at　once　she　turned　to　shut　the　door。

it　wouldnt　shut。

some　people　may　disagree　with　lucy　about　this；　but　i　think　she　was　quite　　right。　she　said　she　wouldnt　have　minded　if　she　could　have　shut　the　door；　but　that　it　was　　unpleasant　to　have　to　stand　in　a　place　like　that　with　an　open　doorway　right　behind　your　　back。　i　should　have　felt　just　the　same。　but　there　was　nothing　else　to　be　done。

one　thing　that　worried　her　a　good　deal　was　the　size　of　the　book。　the　chief　　voice　had　not　been　able　to　give　her　any　idea　whereabouts　in　the　book　the　spell　for　making　　things　visible　came。　he　even　seemed　rather　surprised　at　her　asking。　he　expected　　her　to　begin　at　the　beginning　and　go　on　till　she　came　to　it；　obviously　he　had　never　thought　　that　there　was　any　other　way　of　finding　a　place　in　a　book。　〃but　it　might　take　me　days　and　　weeks！〃　said　lucy；　looking　at　the　huge　volume；　〃and　i　feel　already　as　if　id　been　in　　this　place　for　hours。”

she　went　up　to　the　desk　and　laid　her　hand　on　the　book；　her　fingers　tingled　　when　she　touched　it　as　if　it　were　full　of　electricity。　she　tried　to　open　it　but　　couldnt　at　first；　this；　however；　was　only　because　it　was　fastened　by　two　leaden　clasps；　and　when　　she　had　undone　these　it　opened　easily　enough。　and　what　a　book　it　was！

it　was　written；　not　printed；　written　in　a　clear；　even　hand；　with　thick　　downstrokes　and　thin　upstrokes；　very　large；　easier　than　print；　and　so　beautiful　that　lucy　stared　　at　it　for　a　whole　minute　and　forgot　about　reading　it。　the　paper　was　crisp　and　smooth　and　a　　nice　smell　came　from　it；　and　in　the　margins；　and　round　the　big　coloured　capital　　letters　at　the　beginning　of　each　spell；　there　were　pictures。

there　was　no　title　page　or　title；　the　spells　began　straight　away；　and　at　　first　there　was　nothing　very　important　in　them。　they　were　cures　for　warts　（by　washing　your　　hands　in　moonlight　in　a　silver　basin）　and　toothache　and　cramp；　and　a　spell　for　　taking　a　swarm　of　bees。　the　picture　of　the　man　with　toothache　was　so　lifelike　that　it　would　　have　set　your　　

own　teeth　aching　if　you　looked　at　it　too　long；　and　the　golden　bees　which　　were　dotted　all　round　the　fourth　spell　looked　for　a　moment　as　if　they　were　really　flying。

lucy　could　hardly　tear　herself　away　from　that　first　page；　but　when　she　　turned　over；　the　next　was　just　as　interesting。　〃but　i　must　get　on；〃　she　told　herself。　and　on　　she　went　for　about　thirty　pages　which；　if　she　could　have　remembered　them；　would　have　　taught　her　how　to　find　buried　treasure；　how　to　remember　things　forgotten；　how　to　　forget　things　you　wanted　to　forget；　how　to　tell　whether　anyone　was　speaking　the　truth；　how　to　　call　up　（or　prevent）　wind；　fog；　snow；　sleet　or　rain；　how　to　produce　enchanted　sleeps　　and　how　to　give　a　man　an　asss　head　（as　they　did　to　poor　bottom）。　and　the　longer　she　read　　the　more　wonderful　and　more　real　the　pictures　became。

then　she　came　to　a　page　which　was　such　a　blaze　of　pictures　that　one　hardly　　noticed　the　writing。　hardly　…　but　she　did　notice　the　first　words。　they　were；　an　　infallible　spell　to　make　beautiful　her　that　uttereth　it　beyond　the　lot　of　mortals。　lucy　peered　　at　the　pictures　with　her　face　close　to　the　page；　and　though　they　had　seemed　crowded　and　　muddlesome　before；　she　found　she　could　now　see　them　quite　clearly。　the　first　was　a　　picture　of　a　girl　standing　at　a　reading…desk　reading　in　a　huge　book。　and　the　girl　was　dressed　　exactly　like　lucy。　in　the　next　picture　lucy　（for　the　girl　in　the　picture　was　lucy　　herself）　was　standing　up　with　her　mouth　open　and　a　rather　terrible　expression　on　her　face；　　chanting　or　reciting　something。　in　the　third　picture　the　beauty　beyond　the　lot　of　mortals　had　　e　to　her。　it　was　strange；　considering　how　small　the　pictures　had　looked　at　first；　that　　the　lucy　in　the　picture　now　seemed　quite　as　big　as　the　real　lucy；　and　they　looked　into　each　　others　eyes　and　the　real　lucy　looked　away　after　a　few　minutes　because　she　was　dazzled　　by　the　beauty　of　the　other　lucy；　though　she　could　still　see　a　sort　of　likeness　to　herself　　in　that　beautiful　face。　and　now　the　pictures　came　crowding　on　her　thick　and　fast。　she　saw　　herself　throned　on　high　at　a　great　tournament　in　calormen　and　all　the　kings　of　the　world　　fought　because　of　her　beauty。　after　that　it　turned　from　tournaments　to　real　wars；　and　all　　narnia　and　archenland；　telmar　and　calormen；　galma　and　terebinthia；　were　laid　waste　　with　the　fury　of　the　kings　and　dukes　and　great　lords　who　fought　for　her　favour。　then　it　　changed　and　lucy；　still　beautiful　beyond　the　lot　of　mortals；　was　back　in　england。　and　　susan　（who　had　always　been　the　beauty　of　the　family）　came　home　from　america。　the　susan　in　　the　picture　looked　exactly　like　the　real　susan　only　plainer　and　with　a　nasty　　expression。　and　susan　was　jealous　of　the　dazzling　beauty　of　lucy；　but　that　didnt　matter　a　bit　　because　no　one　cared　anything　about　susan　now。

〃i　will　say　the　spell；〃　said　lucy。　〃i　dont　care。　i　will。”

she　said　i　dont　care　because　she　had　a　strong　feeling　that　she　mustnt。

but　when　she　looked　back　at　the　opening　words　of　the　spell；　there　in　the　　middle　of　the　writing；　where　she　felt　quite　sure　there　had　been　no　picture　before；　she　　found　the　great　face　of　a　lion；　of　the　lion；　aslan　himself；　staring　into　hers。　it　was　　painted　such　a　bright　gold　that　it　seemed　to　be　ing　towards　her　out　of　the　page；　and　indeed　　she　never　was　quite　sure　afterwards　that　it　hadnt　r