csl.themagiciansnephew-第10部分

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　〃superb　creature〃：　he　felt　as　if　he　himself　by　his　Magic　had　called　her　out　of　unknown　worlds。
　　
　　〃Andrew；　my　boy；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　looked　in　the　glass；　〃you're　a　devilish　well　preserved　fellow　for　your　age。　A　distinguished…looking　man；　sir。〃
　　
　　You　see；　the　foolish　old　man　was　actually　beginning　to　imagine　the　Witch　would　fall　in　love　with　him。　The　two　drinks　probably　had　something　to　do　with　it；　and　so　had　his　best　clothes。　But　he　was；　in　any　case；　as　vain　as　a　peacock；　that　was　why　he　had　bee　a　Magician。
　　
　　He　unlocked'　the　door；　went　downstairs；　sent　the　housemaid　out　to　fetch　a　hansom　（everyone　had　lots　of　servants　in　those　days）　and　looked　into　the　drawingroom。　There；　as　he　expected；　he　found　Aunt　Letty。　She　was　busily　mending　a　mattress。　It　lay　on　the　floor　near　the　window　and　she　was　kneeling　on　it。
　　
　　〃Ah；　Letitia　my　dear；〃　said　Uncle　Andrew；　〃I…ah　have　to　go　out。　Just　lend　me　five　pounds　or　so；　there's　a　good　gel。〃　（〃Gel〃　was　the　way　he　pronounced　girl。）
　　
　　〃No；　Andrew　dear；〃　said　Aunty　Letty　in　her　firm；　quiet　voice；　without　looking　up　from　her　work。　〃I've　told　you　times　without　number　that　I　will　not　lend　you　money。〃
　　
　　〃Now　pray　don't　be　troublesome；　my　dear　gel；〃　said　Uncle　Andrew。　〃It's　most　important。　You　will　put　me　in　a　deucedly　awkward　position　if　you　don't。〃
　　
　　〃Andrew；〃　said　Aunt　Letty；　looking　him　straight　in　the　face；　〃I　wonder　you　are　not　ashamed　to　ask　me　for　money。〃
　　
　　There　was　a　long；　dull　story　of　a　grown…up　kind　behind　these　words。　All　you　need　to　know　about　it　is　that　Uncle　Andrew；　what　with　〃managing　dear　Letty's　business　matters　for　her〃；　and　never　doing　any　work；　and　running　up　large　bills　for　brandy　and　cigars　（which　Aunt　Letty　had　paid　again　and　again）　had　made　her　a　good　deal　poorer　than　she　had　been　thirty　years　ago。
　　
　　〃My　dear　gel；〃　said　Uncle　Andrew；　〃you　don't　understand。　I　shall　have　some　quite　unexpected　expenses　today。　I　have　to　do　a　little　entertaining。　e　now；　don't　be　tiresome。〃
　　
　　〃And　who；　pray；　are　you　going　to　entertain；　Andrew？〃　asked　Aunt　Letty。
　　
　　〃A…a　most　distinguished　visitor　has　just　arrived。〃
　　
　　〃Distinguished　fiddlestick！〃　said　Aunt　Letty。　〃There　hasn't　been　a　ring　at　the　hell　for　the　last　hour。〃
　　
　　At　that　moment　the　door　was　suddenly　flung　open。　Aunt　Letty　looked　round　and　saw　with　amazement　that　an　enormous　woman；　splendidly　dressed；　with　bare　arms　and　flashing　eyes；　stood　in　the　doorway。　It　was　the　Witch。
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　SEVEN
　　
　　WHAT　HAPPENED　AT　THE　FRONT　DOOR
　　
　　〃Now；　slave；　how　long　am　I　to　wait　for　my　chariot？〃　thundered　the　Witch。　Uncle　Andrew　cowered　away　from　her。　Now　that　she　was　really　present；　all　the　silly　thoughts　he　had　had　while　looking　at　himself　in　the　glass　were　oozing　out　of　him。　But　Aunt　Letty　at　once　got　up　from　her　knees　and　came　over　to　the　centre　of　the　room。
　　
　　〃And　who　is　this　young　person；　Andrew；　may　I　ask？〃　said　Aunt　Letty　in　icy　tones。
　　
　　〃Distinguished　foreigner…v…very　important　p…person；〃　he　stammered。
　　
　　〃Rubbish！〃　said　Aunt　Letty；　and　then；　turning　to　the　Witch；　〃Get　out　of　my　house　this　moment；　you　shameless　hussy；　or　I'll　send　for　the　police。〃　She　thought　the　Witch　must　be　someone　out　of　a　circus　and　she　did　not　approve　of　bare　arms。
　　
　　〃What　woman　is　this？〃　said　Jadis。　〃Down　on　your　knees；　minion；　before　I　blast　you。〃
　　
　　〃No　strong　language　in　this　house　if　you　please；　young　woman；〃　said　Aunt　Letty。
　　
　　Instantly；　as　it　seemed　to　Uncle　Andrew；　the　Queen　towered　up　to　an　even　greater　height。　Fire　flashed　from　her　eyes：　she　flung　out　her　arm　with　the　same　gesture　and　the　same　horrible…sounding　words　that　had　lately　turned　the　palacegates　of　Charn　to　dust。　But　nothing　happened　except　that　Aunt　Letty；　thinking　that　those　horrible　words　were　meant　to　be　ordinary　English；　said：
　　
　　〃I　thought　as　much。　The　woman　is　drunk。　Drunk！　She　can't　even　speak　clearly。〃
　　
　　It　must　have　been　a　terrible　moment　for　the　Witch　when　she　suddenly　realized　that　her　power　of　turning　people　into　dust；　which　had　been　quite　real　in　her　own　world；　was　not　going　to　work　in　ours。　But　she　did　not　lose　her　nerve　even　for　a　second。　Without　wasting　a　thought　on　her　disappointment；　she　lunged　forward；　caught　Aunt　Letty　round　the　neck　and　the　knees；　raised　her　high　above　her　head　as　if　she　had　been　no　heavier　than　a　doll；　and　threw　her　across　the　room。　While　Aunt　Letty　was　still　hurtling　through　the　air；　the　housemaid　（who　was　having　a　beautifully　exciting　morning）　put　her　head　in　at　the　door　and　said；　〃If　you　please；　sir；　the　'ansom's　e。〃
　　
　　〃Lead　on；　Slave；〃　said　the　Witch　to　Uncle　Andrew。　He　began　muttering　something　about　〃regrettable　violence　must　really　protest〃；　but　at　a　single　glance　from　Jadis　he　became　speechless。　She　drove　him　out　of　the　room　and　out　of　the　house；　and　Digory　came　running　down　the　stairs　just　in　time　to　see　the　front　door　close　behind　them。
　　
　　〃Jiminy！〃　he　said。　〃She's　loose　in　London。　And　with　Uncle　Andrew。　I　wonder　what　on　earth　is　going　to　happen　now。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　Master　Digory；〃　said　the　housemaid　（who　was　really　having　a　wonderful　day）；　〃I　think　Miss　Ketterley's　hurt　herself　somehow。〃　So　they　both　rushed　into　the　drawing…room　to　find　out　what　had　happened。
　　
　　If　Aunt　Letty　had　fallen　on　bare　boards　or　even　on　the　carpet；　I　suppose　all　her　bones　would　have　been　broken：　but　by　great　good　luck　she　had　fallen　on　the　mattress。　Aunt　Letty　was　a　very　tough　old　lady：　aunts　often　were　in　those　days。　After　she　had　had　some　sal　volatile　and　sat　still　for　a　few　minutes；　she　said　there　was　nothing　the　matter　with　her　except　a　few　bruises。　Very　soon　she　was　taking　charge　of　the　situation。
　　
　　〃Sarah；〃　she　said　to　the　housemaid　（who　had　never　had　such　a　day　before）；　〃go　around　to　the　police　station　at　once　and　tell　them　there　is　a　dangerous　lunatic　at　large。　I　will　take　Mrs　Kirke's　lunch　up　myself。〃　Mrs　Kirke　was；　of　course；　Digory's　mother。
　　
　　When　Mother's　lunch　had　been　seen　to；　Digory　and　Aunt　Letty　had　their　own。　After　that　he　did　some　hard　thinking。
　　
　　The　problem　was　how　to　get　the　Witch　back　to　her　own　world；　or　at　any　rate　out　of　ours；　as　soon　as　possible。　Whatever　happened；　she　must　not　be　allowed　to　go　rampaging　about　the　house。　Mother　must　not　see　her。
　　
　　And；　if　possible；　she　must　not　be　allowed　to　go　rampaging　about　London　either。　Digory　had　not　been　in　the　drawingroom　when　she　tried　to　〃blast〃　Aunt　Letty；　but　he　had　seen　her　〃blast〃　the　gates　at　Charn：　so　he　knew　her　terrible　powers　and　did　not　know　that　she　had　lost　any　of　them　by　ing　into　our　world。　And　he　knew　she　meant　to　conquer　our　world。　At　the　present　moment；　as　far　as　he　could　see；　she　might　be　blasting　Buckingham　Palace　or　the　Houses　of　Parliament：　and　it　was　almost　certain　that　quite　a　number　of　policemen　had　by　now　been　reduced　to　little　heaps　of　dust。　And　there　didn't　seem　to　be　anything　he　could　do　about　that。　〃But　the　rings　seem　to　work　like　magnets；〃　thought　Digory。　〃If　I　can　only　touch　her　and　then　slip　on　my　yellow；　we　shall　both　go　into　the　Wood　between　the　Worlds。　I　wonder　will　she　go　all　faint　again　there？　Was　that　something　the　place　does　to　her；　or　was　it　only　the　shock　of　being　pulled　out　of　her　own　world？　But　I　suppose　I'll　have　to　risk　that。　And　how　am　I　to　find　the　beast？　I　don't　suppose　Aunt　Letty　would　let　me　go　out；　not　unless　I　said　where　I　was　going。　And　I　haven't　got　more　than　twopence。　I'd　need　any　amount　of　money　for　buses　and　trams　if　I　went　looking　all　over　London。　Anyway；　I　haven't　the　faintest　idea　where　to　look。　I　wonder　if　Uncle　Andrew　is　still　with　her。〃
　　
　　It　seemed　in　the　end　that　the　only　thing　he　could　do　was　to　wait　and　hope　that　Uncle　Andrew　and　the　Witch　would　e　back。　If　they　did；　he　must　rush　out　and　get　hold　of　the　Witch　and　put　on　his　yellow　Ring　before　she　had　a　chance　to　get　into　the　house。　This　meant　that　he　must　watch　the　front　door　like　a　cat　watching　a　mouse's　hole；　he　dared　not　leave　his　post　for　a　moment。　So　he　went　into　the　dining…room　and　〃glued　his　face〃　as　they　say；　to　the　window。　It　was　a　bow…window　from　which　you　could　see　the　steps　up　to　the　front　door　and　see　up　and　down　the　street；　so　that　no　one　could　reach　the　front　door　without　your　knowing。　〃I　wonder　what　Polly's　doing？〃　thought　Digory。
　　
　　He　wondered　about　this　a　good　deal　as　the　first　slow　half…hour　ticked　on。　But　you　need　not　wonder；　for　I　am　going　to　tell　you。　She　had　got　home　late　for　her　dinner；　with　her　shoes　and　stockings　very　wet。　And　when　they　asked　her　where　she　had　been　and　what　on　earth　she　had　been　doing；　she　said　she　had　been　out　with　Digory　Kirke。　Under　further　questioning　she　said　she　had　got　her　feet　wet　in　a　pool　of　water；　and　that　the　pool　was　in　a　wood。　Asked　where　the　wood　was；　she　said　she　didn't　know。　Asked　if　it　was　in　one　of　the　parks；　she　said　truthfully　enough　that　she　supposed　it　might　be　a　sort　of　park。　From　all　of　this　Polly's　mother　got　the　idea　that　Polly　had　gone　off；　without　telling　anyone；　to　some　part　of　London　she　didn't　know；　and　gone　into　a　strange　park　and　amused　herself　jumping　into　puddles。　As　a　result　she　was　told　that　she　had　been　very　naughty　indeed　and　that　she　wouldn't　be　allowed　to　play　with　〃that　Kirke　boy〃　any　more　if　anything　of　the　sort　ever　happened　again。　Then　she　was　given　dinner　with　all　the　nice　parts　left　out　and　sent　to　bed　for　two　solid　hours。　It　was　a　thing　that　happened　to　one　quite　often　in　those　days。
　　
　　So　while　Digory　was　staring　out　of　the　dining…room　window；　Polly　was　lying　in　bed；　and　both　were　thinking　how　terribly　slowly　the　time　could　go。　I　think；　myself；　I　would　rather　have　been　in　Polly's　position。　She　had　only　to　wait　for　the　end　of　her　two　hours：　but　every　few　minutes　Digory　would　hear　a　cab　or　a　baker's　van　or　a　butcher's　boy　ing　round　the　corner　and　think　〃Here　she　es〃；　and　then　find　it　wasn't。　And　in　between　these　false　alarms；　for　what　seemed　hours　and　hours；　the　clock　ticked　on　and　one　big　fly…high　up　and　far　out　of　reach　buzzed　against　the　window。　It　was　one　of　those　houses　that　get　very　quiet　and　dull　in　the　afternoon　and　always　seem　to　smell　of　mutton。
　　
　　During　his　long　watching　and　waiting　one　small　thi