csl.themagiciansnephew-第6部分

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　　〃We　can　get　away　the　moment　we　want　to；〃　said　Digory。　〃Let's　take　off　our　green　rings　and　put　them　in　our　right…hand　pockets。　All　we've　got　to　do　is　to　remember　that　our　yellow　are　in　our　left…hand　pockets。　You　can　keep　your　hand　as　near　your　pocket　as　you　like；　but　don't　put　it　in　or　you'll　touch　your　yellow　and　vanish。〃
　　
　　They　did　this　and　went　quietly　up　to　one　of　the　big　arched　doorways　which　led　into　the　inside　of　the　building。　And　when　they　stood　on　the　threshold　and　could　look　in；　they　saw　it　was　not　so　dark　inside　as　they　had　thought　at　first。　It　led　into　a　vast；　shadowy　hall　which　appeared　to　be　empty；　but　on　the　far　side　there　was　a　row　of　pillars　with　arches　between　them　and　through　those　arches　there　streamed　in　some　more　of　the　same　tired…looking　light。　They　crossed　the　hall；　walking　very　carefully　for　fear　of　holes　in　the　floor　or　of　anything　lying　about　that　they　might　trip　over。　It　seemed　a　long　walk。　When　they　had　reached　the　other　side　they　came　out　through　the　arches　and　found　themselves　in　another　and　larger　courtyard。
　　
　　〃That　doesn't　look　very　safe；〃　said　Polly；　pointing　at　a　place　where　the　wall　bulged　outward　and　looked　as　if　it　were　ready　to　fall　over　into　the　courtyard。　In　one　place　a　pillar　was　missing　between　two　arches　and　the　bit　that　came　down　to　where　the　top　of　the　pillar　ought　to　have　been　hung　there　with　nothing　to　support　it。　Clearly；　the　place　had　been　deserted　for　hundreds；　perhaps　thousands；　of　years。
　　
　　〃If　it's　lasted　till　now；　I　suppose　it'll　last　a　bit　longer；〃　said　Digory。　〃But　we　must　be　very　quiet。　You　know　a　noise　sometimes　brings　things　down…like　an　avalanche　in　the　Alps。〃
　　
　　They　went　on　out　of　that　courtyard　into　another　doorway；　and　up　a　great　flight　of　steps　and　through　vast　rooms　that　opened　out　of　one　another　till　you　were　dizzy　with　the　mere　size　of　the　place。　Every　now　and　then　they　thought　they　were　going　to　get　out　into　the　open　and　see　what　sort　of　country　lay　around　the　enormous　palace。　But　each　time　they　only　got　into　another　courtyard。　They　must　have　been　magnificent　places　when　people　were　still　living　there。　In　one　there　had　once　been　a　fountain。　A　great　stone　monster　with　wide…spread　wings　stood　with　its　mouth　open　and　you　could　still　see　a　bit　of　piping　at　the　back　of　its　mouth；　out　of　which　the　water　used　to　pour。　Under　it　was　a　wide　stone　basin　to　hold　the　water；　but　it　was　as　dry　as　a　bone。　In　other　places　there　were　the　dry　sticks　of　some　sort　of　climbing　plant　which　had　wound　itself　round　the　pillars　and　helped　to　pull　some　of　them　down。　But　it　had　died　long　ago。　And　there　were　no　ants　or　spiders　or　any　of　the　other　living　things　you　expect　to　see　in　a　ruin；　and　where　the　dry　earth　showed　between　the　broken　flagstones　there　was　no　grass　or　moss。
　　
　　It　was　all　so　dreary　and　all　so　much　the　same　that　even　Digory　was　thinking　they　had　better　put　on　their　yellow　rings　and　get　back　to　the　warm；　green；　living　forest　of　the　In…between　place；　when　they　came　to　two　huge　doors　of　some　metal　that　might　possibly　be　gold。　One　stood　a　little　ajar。　So　of　course　they　went　to　look　in。　Both　started　back　and　drew　a　long　breath：　for　here　at　last　was　something　worth　seeing。
　　
　　For　a　second　they　thought　the　room　was　full　of　people…hundreds　of　people；　all　seated；　and　all　perfectly　still。　Polly　and　Digory；　as　you　may　guess；　stood　perfectly　still　themselves　for　a　good　long　time；　looking　in。　But　presently　they　decided　that　what　they　were　looking　at　could　not　be　real　people。　There　was　not　a　movement　nor　the　sound　of　a　breath　among　them　all。　They　were　like　the　most　wonderful　waxworks　you　ever　saw。
　　
　　This　time　Polly　took　the　lead。　There　was　something　in　this　room　which　interested　her　more　than　it　interested　Digory：　all　the　figures　were　wearing　magnificent　clothes。　If　you　were　interested　in　clothes　at　all；　you　could　hardly　help　going　in　to　see　them　closer。　And　the　blaze　of　their　colours　made　this　room　look；　not　exactly　cheerful；　but　at　any　rate　rich　and　majestic　after　all　the　dust　and　emptiness　of　the　others。　It　had　more　windows；　too；　and　was　a　good　deal　lighter。
　　
　　I　can　hardly　describe　the　clothes。　The　figures　were　all　robed　and　had　crowns　on　their　heads。　Their　robes　were　of　crimson　and　silvery　grey　and　deep　purple　and　vivid　green：　and　there　were　patterns；　and　pictures　of　flowers　and　strange　beasts；　in　needlework　all　over　them。　Precious　stones　of　astonishing　size　and　brightness　stared　from　their　crowns　and　hung　in　chains　round　their　necks　and　peeped　out　from　all　the　places　where　anything　was　fastened。
　　
　　〃Why　haven't　these　clothes　all　rotted　away　long　ago？〃　asked　Polly。
　　
　　〃Magic；〃　whispered　Digory。　〃Can't　you　feel　it？　I　bet　this　whole　room　is　just　stiff　with　enchantments。　I　could　feel　it　the　moment　we　came　in。〃
　　
　　〃Any　one　of　these　dresses　would　cost　hundreds　of　pounds；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　But　Digory　was　more　interested　in　the　faces；　and　indeed　these　were　well　worth　looking　at。　The　people　sat　in　their　stone　chairs　on　each　side　of　the　room　and　the　floor　was　left　free　down　the　middle。　You　could　walk　down　and　look　at　the　faces　in　turn。
　　
　　〃They　were　nice　people；　I　think；〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　Polly　nodded。　All　the　faces　they　could　see　were　certainly　nice。　Both　the　men　and　women　looked　kind　and　wise；　and　they　seemed　to　e　of　a　handsome　race。　But　after　the　children　had　gone　a　few　steps　down　the　room　they　came　to　faces　that　looked　a　little　different。　These　were　very　solemn　faces。　You　felt　you　would　have　to　mind　your　P's　and　Q's；　if　you　ever　met　living　people　who　looked　like　that。　When　they　had　gone　a　little　further；　they　found　themselves　among　faces　they　didn't　like：　this　was　about　the　middle　of　the　room。　The　faces　here　looked　very　strong　and　proud　and　happy；　but　they　looked　cruel。　A　little　further　on　they　looked　crueller。　Further　on　again；　they　were　still　cruel　but　they　no　longer　looked　happy。　They　were　even　despairing　faces：　as　if　the　people　they　belonged　to　had　done　dreadful　things　and　also　suffered　dreadful　things。　The　last　figure　of　all　was　the　most　interesting…a　woman　even　more　richly　dressed　than　the　others；　very　tall　（but　every　figure　in　that　room　was　taller　than　the　people　of　our　world）；　with　a　look　of　such　fierceness　and　pride　that　it　took　your　breath　away。　Yet　she　was　beautiful　too。　Years　afterwards　when　he　was　an　old　man；　Digory　said　he　had　never　in　all　his　life　known　a　woman　so　beautiful。　It　is　only　fair　to　add　that　Polly　always　said　she　couldn't　see　anything　specially　beautiful　about　her。
　　
　　This　woman；　as　I　said；　was　the　last：　but　there　were　plenty　of　empty　chairs　beyond　her；　as　if　the　room　had　been　intended　for　a　much　larger　collection　of　images。
　　
　　〃I　do　wish　we　knew　the　story　that's　behind　all　this；〃　said　Digory。　〃Let's　go　back　and　look　at　that　table　sort　of　thing　in　the　middle　of　the　room。〃
　　
　　The　thing　in　the　middle　of　the　room　was　not　exactly　a　table。　It　was　a　square　pillar　about　four　feet　high　and　on　it　there　rose　a　little　golden　arch　from　which　there　hung　a　little　golden　bell；　and　beside　this　there　lay　a　little　golden　hammer　to　hit　the　bell　with。
　　
　　〃I　wonder。。。　I　wonder。。。　I　wonder。。。〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃There　seems　to　be　something　written　here；〃　said　Polly；　stooping　down　and　looking　at　the　side　of　the　pillar。
　　
　　〃By　gum；　so　there　is；〃　said　Digory。　〃But　of　course　we　shan't　be　able　to　read　it。〃
　　
　　〃Shan't　we？　I'm　not　so　sure；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　They　both　looked　at　it　hard　and；　as　you　might　have　expected；　the　letters　cut　in　the　stone　were　strange。　But　now　a　great　wonder　happened：　for；　as　they　looked；　though　the　shape　of　the　strange　letters　never　altered；　they　found　that　they　could　understand　them。　If　only　Digory　had　remembered　what　he　himself　had　said　a　few　minutes　ago；　that　this　was　an　enchanted　room；　he　might　have　guessed　that　the　enchantment　was　beginning　to　work。　But　he　was　too　wild　with　curiosity　to　think　about　that。　He　was　longing　more　and　more　to　know　what　was　written　on　the　pillar。　And　very　soon　they　both　knew。　What　it　said　was　something　like　this…at　least　this　is　the　sense　of　it　though　the　poetry；　when　you　read　it　there；　was　better：
　　
　　Make　your　choice；　adventurous　Stranger；　　Strike　the　bell　and　bide　the　danger；　　Or　wonder；　till　it　drives　you　mad；　　What　would　have　followed　if　you　had。
　　
　　〃No　fear！〃　said　Polly。　〃We　don't　want　any　danger。〃
　　
　　〃Oh　but　don't　you　see　it's　no　good！〃　said　Digory。　〃We　can't　get　out　of　it　now。　We　shall　always　be　wondering　what　else　would　have　happened　if　we　had　struck　the　bell。　I'm　not　going　home　to　be　driven　mad　by　always　thinking　of　that。　No　fear！〃
　　
　　〃Don't　be　so　silly；〃　said　Polly。　〃As　if　anyone　would！　What　does　it　matter　what　would　have　happened？〃
　　
　　〃I　expect　anyone　who's　e　as　far　as　this　is　bound　to　go　on　wondering　till　it　sends　him　dotty。　That's　the　Magic　of　it；　you　see。　I　can　feel　it　beginning　to　work　on　me　already。〃
　　
　　〃Well　I　don't；〃　said　Polly　crossly。　〃And　I　don't　believe　you　do　either。　You're　just　putting　it　on。〃
　　
　　〃That's　all　you　know；〃　said　Digory。　〃It's　because　you're　a　girl。　Girls　never　want　to　know　anything　but　gossip　and　rot　about　people　getting　engaged。〃
　　
　　〃You　looked　exactly　like　your　Uncle　when　you　said　that；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃Why　can't　you　keep　to　the　point？〃　said　Digory。　〃What　we're　talking　about　is…〃
　　
　　〃How　exactly　like　a　man！〃　said　Polly　in　a　very　grownup　voice；　but　she　added　hastily；　in　her　real　voice；　〃And　don't　say　I'm　just　like　a　woman；　or　you'll　be　a　beastly　copy…cat。〃
　　
　　〃I　should　never　dream　of　calling　a　kid　like　you　a　woman；〃　said　Digory　loftily。
　　
　　〃Oh；　I'm　a　kid；　am　I？〃　said　Polly　who　was　now　in　a　real　rage。　〃Well　you　needn't　be　bothered　by　having　a　kid　with　you　any　longer　then。　I'm　off。　I've　had　enough　of　this　place。　And　I've　had　enough　of　you　too…you　beastly；　stuck…up；　obstinate　pig！〃
　　
　　〃None　of　that！〃　said　Digory　in　a　voice　even　nastier　than　he　meant　it　to　be；　for　he　saw　Polly's　hand　moving　to　her　pocket　to　get　hold　of　her　yellow　ring。　I　can't　excuse　what　he　did　next　except　by　saying　that　he　was　very　sorry　for　it　afterwards　（and　so　were　a　good　many　other　people）。　Before　Polly's　hand　reached　her　pocket；　he　grabbed　her　wrist；　leaning　acro