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The Princess and Curdie-Part16_George MacDonald(1824-1905)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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In a few minutes she came to him where he stood under the lamp.



'Well, Curdie, what is it?' she said.

'Princess,' he replied, 'I want to tell you that I have found why



your grandmother sent me.'

'Come this way, then, she answered, 'where I can see the face of my



king.'

Curdie placed a chair for her in the spot she chose, where she



would be near enough to mark any slightest change on her father's

countenance, yet where their low-voiced talk would not disturb him.



There he sat down beside her and told her all the story - how her

grandmother had sent her good pigeon for him, and how she had



instructed him, and sent him there without telling him what he had

to do. Then he told her what he had discovered of the state of



things generally in Gwyntystorm, and especially what he had heard

and seen in the palace that night.



'Things are in a bad state enough,' he said in conclusion - 'lying

and selfishness and inhospitality and dishonesty everywhere; and to



crown all, they speak with disrespect of the good king, and not a

man knows he is ill.'



'You frighten me dreadfully,' said Irene, trembling.

'You must be brave for your king's sake,' said Curdie.



'Indeed I will,' she replied, and turned a long loving look upon

the beautiful face of her father. 'But what is to be done? And



how am I to believe such horrible things of Dr Kelman?'

'my dear Princess,' replied Curdie, 'you know nothing of him but



his face and his tongue, and they are both false. Either you must

beware of him, or you must doubt your grandmother and me; for I



tell you, by the gift she gave me of testing hands, that this man

is a snake. That round body he shows is but the case of a serpent.



Perhaps the creature lies there, as in its nest, coiled round and

round inside.'



'Horrible!' said Irene.

'Horrible indeed; but we must not try to get rid of horrible things



by refusing to look at them, and saying they are not there. Is not

your beautiful father sleeping better since he had the wine?'



'Yes.'

'Does he always sleep better after having it?'



She reflected an instant.

'No; always worse - till tonight,' she answered.



'Then remember that was the wine I got him - not what the butler

drew. Nothing that passes through any hand in the house except



yours or mine must henceforth, till he is well, reach His Majesty's

lips.'



'But how, dear Curdie?' said the princess, almost crying.

'That we must contrive,' answered Curdie. 'I know how to take care



of the wine; but for his food - now we must think.'

'He takes hardly any,' said the princess, with a pathetic shake of



her little head which Curdie had almost learned to look for.

'The more need,' he replied, 'there should be no poison in it.'



Irene shuddered. 'As soon as he has honest food he will begin to

grow better. And you must be just as careful with yourself,



Princess,' Curdie went on, 'for you don't know when they may begin

to poison you, too.'



'There's no fear of me; don't talk about me,' said Irene. 'The

good food! How are we to get it, Curdie? That is the whole



question.'

'I am thinking hard,' answered Curdie. 'The good food? Let me see



- let me see! Such servants as I saw below are sure to have the

best of everything for themselves: I will go an see what I can find



on their table.'

'The chancellor sleeps in the house, and he and the master of the



king's horse always have their supper together in a room off the

great hall, to the right as you go down the stairs,' said Irene.



'I would go with you, but I dare not leave my father. Alas! He

scarcely ever takes more than a mouthful. I can't think how he



lives! And the very thing he would like, and often asks for - a

bit of bread - I can hardly ever get for him: Dr Kelman has



forbidden it, and says it is nothing less than poison to him.'

'Bread at least he shall have,' said Curdie; 'and that, with the



honest wine, will do as well as anything, I do believe. I will go

at once and look for some. But I want you to see Lina first, and



know her, lest, coming upon her by accident at any time, you should

be frightened.'



'I should like much to see her,' said the princess.

Warning her not to be startled by her ugliness, he went to the door



and called her.




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