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！
come with him now； and he was trying bravely not to cry。 But
Maimie was sobbing painfully。
〃If I should be too late；〃 she called in agony； 〃oh； Peter； if
she has got another one already！〃
Again he sprang ashore as if she had called him back。 〃I shall
come and look for you to…night；〃 he said； squeezing close； 〃but
if you hurry away I think you will be in time。〃
Then he pressed a last thimble on her sweet little mouth； and
covered his face with his hands so that he might not see her go。
〃Dear Peter！〃 she cried。
〃Dear Maimie！〃 cried the tragic boy。
She leapt into his arms； so that it was a sort of fairy wedding；
and then she hurried away。 Oh； how she hastened to the gates！
Peter； you may be sure； was back in the Gardens that night as
soon as Lock…out sounded； but he found no Maimie； and so he knew
she had been in time。 For long he hoped that some night she
would come back to him； often he thought he saw her waiting for
him by the shore of the Serpentine as his bark drew to land； but
Maimie never went back。 She wanted to； but she was afraid that
if she saw her dear Betwixt…and…Between again she would linger
with him too long； and besides the ayah now kept a sharp eye on
her。 But she often talked lovingly of Peter and she knitted a
kettle… holder for him； and one day when she was wondering what
Easter present he would like； her mother made a suggestion。
〃Nothing；〃 she said thoughtfully； 〃would be so useful to him as a
goat。〃
〃He could ride on it；〃 cried Maimie； 〃and play on his pipe at the
same time！〃
〃Then；〃 her mother asked； 〃won't you give him your goat； the one
you frighten Tony with at night？〃
〃But it isn't a real goat；〃 Maimie said。
〃It seems very real to Tony；〃 replied her mother。
〃It seems frightfully real to me too；〃 Maimie admitted； 〃but how
could I give it to Peter？〃
Her mother knew a way； and next day； accompanied by Tony （who was
really quite a nice boy； though of course he could not compare）；
they went to the Gardens； and Maimie stood alone within a fairy
ring； and then her mother； who was a rather gifted lady； said；
〃My daughter； tell me； if you can；
What have you got for Peter Pan？〃
To which Maimie replied；
〃I have a goat for him to ride；
Observe me cast it far and wide。〃
She then flung her arms about as if she were sowing seed； and
turned round three times。
Next Tony said；
〃If P。 doth find it waiting here；
Wilt ne'er again make me to fear？〃
And Maimie answered；
〃By dark or light I fondly swear
Never to see goats anywhere。〃
She also left a letter to Peter in a likely place； explaining
what she had done； and begging him to ask the fairies to turn the
goat into one convenient for riding on。 Well； it all happened
just as she hoped； for Peter found the letter； and of course
nothing could be easier for the fairies than to turn the goat
into a real one； and so that is how Peter got the goat on which
he now rides round the Gardens every night playing sublimely on
his pipe。 And Maimie kept her promise and never frightened Tony
with a goat again； though I have heard that she created another
animal。 Until she was quite a big girl she continued to leave
presents for Peter in the Gardens （with letters explaining how
humans play with them）； and she is not the only one who has done
this。 David does it； for instance； and he and I know the
likeliest place for leaving them in； and we shall tell you if you
like； but for mercy's sake don't ask us before Porthos； for were
he to find out the place he would take every one of them。
Though Peter still remembers Maimie he is become as gay as ever；
and often in sheer happiness he jumps off his goat and lies
kicking merrily on the grass。 Oh； he has a joyful time！ But he
has still a vague memory that he was a human once； and it makes
him especially kind to the house…swallows when they revisit the
island； for house…swallows are the spirits of little children who
have died。 They always build in the eaves of the houses where
they lived when they were humans； and sometimes they try to fly
in at a nursery window； and perhaps that is why Peter loves them
best of all the birds。
And the little house？ Every lawful night （that is to say； every
night except ball nights） the fairies now build the little house
lest there should be a human child lost in the Gardens； and Peter
rides the marshes looking for lost ones； and if he finds them he
carries them on his goat to the little house； and when they wake
up they are in it and when they step out they see it。 The
fairies build the house merely because it is so pretty； but Peter
rides round in memory of Maimie and because he still loves to do
just as he believes real boys would do。
But you must not think that； because somewhere among the trees
the little house is twinkling； it is a safe thing to remain in
the Gardens after Lock…out Time。 If the bad ones among the
fairies happen to be out that night they will certainly mischief
you； and even though they are not； you may perish of cold and
dark before Peter Pan comes round。 He has been too late several
times； and when he sees he is too late he runs back to the
Thrush's Nest for his paddle； of which Maimie had told him the
true use； and he digs a grave for the child and erects a little
tombstone and carves the poor thing's initials on it。 He does
this at once because he thinks it is what real boys would do； and
you must have noticed the little stones and that there are always
two together。 He puts them in twos because it seems less lonely。
I think that quite the most touching sight in the Gardens is the
two tombstones of Walter Stephen Matthews and Phoebe Phelps。 They
stand together at the spot where the parishes of Westminster St。
Mary's is said to meet the parish of Paddington。 Here Peter
found the two babes； who had fallen unnoticed from their
perambulators； Phoebe aged thirteen months and Walter probably
still younger； for Peter seems to have felt a delicacy about
putting any age on his stone。 They lie side by side； and the
simple inscriptions read
＋…＋ ＋…＋
｜ ｜ ｜ ｜
｜ W ｜ ｜ 13a。 ｜
｜ ｜ ｜ P。P。 ｜
｜ St。 M ｜ ｜ 1841 ｜
｜ ｜ ｜ ｜
＋…＋ ＋…＋
David sometimes places white flowers on these two innocent
graves。
But how strange for parents； when they hurry into the Gardens at
the opening of the gates looking for their lost one； to find the
sweetest little tombstone instead。 I do hope that Peter is not
too ready with his spade。 It is all rather sad。
XIX
An Interloper
David and I had a tremendous adventure。 It was this； he pas