csl.themagiciansnephew-第1部分

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　　THE　WRONG　DOOR
　　
　　This　is　a　story　about　something　that　happened　long　ago　when　your　grandfather　was　a　child。　It　is　a　very　important　story　because　it　shows　how　all　the　ings　and　goings　between　our　own　world　and　the　land　of　Narnia　first　began。
　　
　　In　those　days　Mr　Sherlock　Holmes　was　still　living　in　Baker　Street　and　the　Bastables　were　looking　for　treasure　in　the　Lewisham　Road。　In　those　days；　if　you　were　a　boy　you　had　to　wear　a　stiff　Eton　collar　every　day；　and　schools　were　usually　nastier　than　now。　But　meals　were　nicer；　and　as　for　sweets；　I　won't　tell　you　how　cheap　and　good　they　were；　because　it　would　only　make　your　mouth　water　in　vain。　And　in　those　days　there　lived　in　London　a　girl　called　Polly　Plummer。
　　
　　She　lived　in　one　of　a　long　row　of　houses　which　were　all　joined　together。　One　morning　she　was　out　in　the　back　garden　when　a　boy　scrambled　up　from　the　garden　next　door　and　put　his　face　over　the　wall。　Polly　was　very　surprised　because　up　till　now　there　had　never　been　any　children　in　that　house；　but　only　Mr　Ketterley　and　Miss　Ketterley；　a　brother　and　sister；　old　bachelor　and　old　maid；　living　together。　So　she　looked　up；　full　of　curiosity。　The　face　of　the　strange　boy　was　very　grubby。　It　could　hardly　have　been　grubbier　if　he　had　first　rubbed　his　hands　in　the　earth；　and　then　had　a　good　cry；　and　then　dried　his　face　with　his　hands。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　this　was　very　nearly　what　he　had　been　doing。
　　
　　〃Hullo；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃Hullo；〃　said　the　boy。　〃What's　your　name？〃
　　
　　〃Polly；〃　said　Polly。　〃What's　yours？〃
　　
　　〃Digory；〃　said　the　boy。
　　
　　〃I　say；　what　a　funny　name！〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃It　isn't　half　so　funny　as　Polly；〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃Yes　it　is；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃No；　it　isn't；〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃At　any　rate　I　do　wash　my　face；〃　said　Polly；　〃Which　is　what　you　need　to　do；　especially　after…〃　and　then　she　stopped。　She　had　been　going　to　say　〃After　you've　been　blubbing；〃　but　she　thought　that　wouldn't　be　polite。
　　
　　〃Alright；　I　have　then；〃　said　Digory　in　a　much　louder　voice；　like　a　boy　who　was　so　miserable　that　he　didn't　care　who　knew　he　had　been　crying。　〃And　so　would　you；〃　he　went　on；　〃if　you'd　lived　all　your　life　in　the　country　and　had　a　pony；　and　a　river　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden；　and　then　been　brought　to　live　in　a　beastly　Hole　like　this。〃
　　
　　〃London　isn't　a　Hole；〃　said　Polly　indignantly。　But　the　boy　was　too　wound　up　to　take　any　notice　of　her；　and　he　went　on　〃And　if　your　father　was　away　in　India…and　you　had　to　e　and　live　with　an　Aunt　and　an　Uncle　who's　mad　（who　would　like　that？）…and　if　the　reason　was　that　they　were　looking　after　your　Mother…and　if　your　Mother　was　ill　and　was　going　to…going　to…die。〃　Then　his　face　went　the　wrong　sort　of　shape　as　it　does　if　you're　trying　to　keep　back　your　tears。
　　
　　〃I　didn't　know。　I'm　sorry；〃　said　Polly　humbly。　And　then；　because　she　hardly　knew　what　to　say；　and　also　to　turn　Digory's　mind　to　cheerful　subjects；　she　asked：
　　
　　〃Is　Mr　Ketterley　really　mad？〃
　　
　　〃Well　either　he's　mad；〃　said　Digory；　〃or　there's　some　other　mystery。　He　has　a　study　on　the　top　floor　and　Aunt　Letty　says　I　must　never　go　up　there。　Well；　that　looks　fishy　to　begin　with。　And　then　there's　another　thing。　Whenever　he　tries　to　say　anything　to　me　at　meal　times…he　never　even　tries　to　talk　to　her…she　always　shuts　him　up。　She　says；　〃Don't　worry　the　boy；　Andrew〃　or　〃I'm　sure　Digory　doesn't　want　to　hear　about　that〃　or　else　〃Now；　Digory；　wouldn't　you　like　to　go　out　and　play　in　the　garden？〃
　　
　　〃What　sort　of　things　does　he　try　to　say？〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know。　He　never　gets　far　enough。　But　there's　more　than　that。　One　night…it　was　last　night　in　fact…as　I　was　going　past　the　foot　of　the　attic…stairs　on　my　way　to　bed　（and　I　don't　much　care　for　going　past　them　either）　I'm　sure　I　heard　a　yell。〃
　　
　　〃Perhaps　he　keeps　a　mad　wife　shut　up　there。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　I've　thought　of　that。〃
　　
　　〃Or　perhaps　he's　a　coiner。〃
　　
　　〃Or　he　might　have　been　a　pirate；　like　the　man　at　the　beginning　of　Treasure　Island；　and　be　always　hiding　from　his　old　shipmates。〃
　　
　　〃How　exciting！〃　said　Polly；　〃I　never　knew　your　house　was　so　interesting。〃　。
　　
　　〃You　may　think　it　interesting；〃　said　Digory。　〃But　you　wouldn't　like　it　if　you　had　to　sleep　there。　How　would　you　like　to　lie　awake　listening　for　Uncle　Andrew's　step　to　e　creeping　along　the　passage　to　your　room？　And　he　has　such　awful　eyes。〃
　　
　　That　was　how　Polly　and　Digory　got　to　know　one　another：　and　as　it　was　just　the　beginning　of　the　summer　holidays　and　neither　of　them　was　going　to　the　sea　that　year；　they　met　nearly　every　day。
　　
　　Their　adventures　began　chiefly　because　it　was　one　of　the　wettest　and　coldest　summers　there　had　been　for　years。　That　drove　them　to　do　indoor　things：　you　might　say；　indoor　exploration。　It　is　wonderful　how　much　exploring　you　can　do　with　a　stump　of　candle　in　a　big　house；　or　in　a　row　of　houses。　Polly　had　discovered　long　ago　that　if　you　opened　a　certain　little　door　in　the　box…room　attic　of　her　house　you　would　find　the　cistern　and　a　dark　place　behind　it　which　you　could　get　into　by　a　little　careful　climbing。　The　dark　place　was　like　a　long　tunnel　with　brick　wall　on　one　side　and　sloping　roof　on　the　other。　In　the　roof　there　were　little　chunks　of　light　between　the　slates。　There　was　no　floor　in　this　tunnel：　you　had　to　step　from　rafter　to　rafter；　and　between　them　there　was　only　plaster。　If　you　stepped　on　this　you　would　find　yourself　falling　through　the　ceiling　of　the　room　below。　Polly　had　used　the　bit　of　the　tunnel　just　beside　the　cistern　as　a　smugglers'　cave。　She　had　brought　up　bits　of　old　packing　cases　and　the　seats　of　broken　kitchen　chairs；　and　things　of　that　sort；　and　spread　them　across　from　rafter　to　rafter　so　as　to　make　a　bit　of　floor。　Here　she　kept　a　cash…box　containing　various　treasures；　and　a　story　she　was　writing　and　usually　a　few　apples。　She　had　often　drunk　a　quiet　bottle　of　ginger…beer　in　there：　the　old　bottles　made　it　look　more　like　a　smugglers'　cave。
　　
　　Digory　quite　liked　the　cave　（she　wouldn't　let　him　see　the　story）　but　he　was　more　interested　in　exploring。
　　
　　〃Look　here；〃　he　said。　〃How　long　does　this　tunnel　go　on　for？　I　mean；　does　it　stop　where　your　house　ends？〃
　　
　　〃No；〃　said　Polly。　〃The　walls　don't　go　out　to　the　roof。　It　goes　on。　I　don't　know　how　far。〃
　　
　　〃Then　we　could　get　the　length　of　the　whole　row　of　houses。〃
　　
　　〃So　we　could；〃　said　Polly；　〃And　oh；　I　say！〃
　　
　　〃What？〃
　　
　　〃We　could　get　into　the　other　houses。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　and　get　taken　up　for　burglars！　No　thanks。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　be　so　jolly　clever。　I　was　thinking　of　the　house　beyond　yours。〃　；
　　
　　〃What　about　it？〃
　　
　　〃Why；　it's　the　empty　one。　Daddy　says　it's　always　been　empty　since　we　came　here。〃
　　
　　〃I　suppose　we　ought　to　have　a　look　at　it　then；〃　said　Digory。　He　was　a　good　deal　more　excited　than　you'd　have　thought　from　the　way　he　spoke。　For　of　course　he　was　thinking；　just　as　you　would　have　been；　of　all　the　reasons　why　the　house　might　have　been　empty　so　long。　So　was　Polly。　Neither　of　them　said　the　word　〃haunted〃。　And　both　felt　that　once　the　thing　had　been　suggested；　it　would　be　feeble　not　to　do　it。
　　
　　〃Shall　we　go　and　try　it　now？〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃Alright；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃Don't　if　you'd　rather　not；〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃I'm　game　if　you　are；〃　said　she。
　　
　　〃How　are　we　to　know　we're　in　the　next　house　but　one？〃　They　decided　they　would　have　to　go　out　into　the　boxroom　and　walk　across　it　taking　steps　as　long　as　the　steps　from　one　rafter　to　the　next。　That　would　give　them　an　idea　of　how　many　rafters　went　to　a　room。　Then　they　would　allow　about　four　more　for　the　passage　between　the　two　attics　in　Polly's　house；　and　then　the　same　number　for　the　maid's　bedroom　as　for　the　box…room。　That　would　give　them　the　length　of　the　house。　When　they　had　done　that　distance　twice　they　would　be　at　the　end　of　Digory's　house；　any　door　they　came　to　after　that　would　let　them　into　an　attic　of　the　empty　house。
　　
　　〃But　I　don't　expect　it's　really　empty　at　all；〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃What　do　you　expect？〃
　　
　　〃I　expect　someone　lives　there　in　secret；　only　ing　in　and　out　at　night；　with　a　dark　lantern。　We　shall　probably　discover　a　gang　of　desperate　criminals　and　get　a　reward。　It's　all　rot　to　say　a　house　would　be　empty　all　those　years　unless　there　was　some　mystery。〃
　　
　　〃Daddy　thought　it　must　be　the　drains；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃Pooh！　Grown…ups　are　always　thinking　of　uninteresting　explanations；〃　said　Digory。　Now　that　they　were　talking　by　daylight　in　the　attic　instead　of　by　candlelight　in　the　Smugglers'　Cave　it　seemed　much　less　likely　that　the　empty　house　would　be　haunted。
　　
　　When　they　had　measured　the　attic　they　had　to　get　a　pencil　and　do　a　sum。　They　both　got　different　answers　to　it　at　first；　and　even　when　they　agreed　I　am　not　sure　they　got　it　right。　They　were　in　a　hurry　to　start　on　the　exploration。
　　
　　〃We　mustn't　make　a　sound；〃　said　Polly　as　they　climbed　in　again　behind　the　cistern。　Because　it　was　such　an　important　occasion　they　took　a　candle　each　（Polly　had　a　good　store　of　them　in　her　cave）。
　　
　　It　was　very　dark　and　dusty　and　draughty　and　they　stepped　from　rafter　to　rafter　without　a　word　except　when　they　whispered　to　one　another；　〃We're　opposite　your　attic　now〃　or　〃this　must　be　halfway　through　our　house〃。　And　neither　of　them　stumbled　and　the　candles　didn't　go　out；　and　at　last　they　came　where　they　could　see　a　little　door　in　the　brick　wall　on　their　right。　There　was　no　bolt　or　handle　on　this　side　of　it；　of　course；　for　the　door　had　been　made　for　getting　in；　not　for　getting　out；　but　there　was　a　catch　（as　there　often　is　on　the　inside　of　a　cupboard　door）　which　they　felt　sure　they　would　be　able　to　turn。
　　
　　〃Shall　I？〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃I'm　game　if　you　are；〃　said　Polly；　just　as　she　had　said　before。　Both　felt　that　it　was　being　very　serious；　but　neither　would　draw　back。　Digory　pushed　round　the　catch　with　some　difficultly。　The　door　swung　open　and　the　sudden　daylight　made　them　blink。　Then；　with　a　great　shock；　they　saw　that　they　were　looking；　not　into　a　deserted　attic；　but　into　a　furnished　room。　But　it　seemed　empty　enough。　It　was　dead　silent。　Polly's　curiosity　go