第55章

withoutsomuchasfallingonce，orgettingmystaffentangled。

Butoh，theachingofmyankles，whenIwenttobedthatnight；Iwasforcedtohelpmyselfupstairswithacoupleofmopsticks!andIrubbedthejointswithneatsfootoil，whichcomfortedthemgreatly。AndlikelyenoughIwouldhaveabandonedanyfurthertrial，butforLizzie’sridicule，andpretendedsympathy；

askingifthestrongJohnRiddwouldhaveoldBettytoleanupon。ThereforeIsettoagain，withafixedresolvenottonoticepainorstiffness，buttowarmthemoutofme。Andsureenough，beforedarkthatday，Icouldgetalongprettyfreely；especiallyimprovingeverytime，afterleavingoffandresting。TheastonishmentofpoorJohnFry，BillDadds，andJemSlocombe，whentheysawmecomingdownthehilluponthem，inthetwilight，wheretheywereclearingthefurzerickandtrussingitforcattle，wasmorethanI

cantellyou；becausetheydidnotletmeseeit，butranawaywithoneaccord，andflounderedintoasnowdrift。Theybelieved，andsodideveryoneelse(especiallywhenIgrewabletoglidealongprettyrapidly)，thatIhadstolenMotherMelldrum’ssieves，onwhichshewassaidtoflyovertheforelandatmidnighteverySaturday。

Uponthefollowingday，Iheldsomecouncilwithmymother；notlikingtogowithoutherpermission，yetscarcelydaringtoaskforit。Buthereshedisappointedme，ontherightsideofdisappointment；

sayingthatshehadseenmypining(whichshenevercouldhavedone；becauseIhadbeentoohardatwork)，andratherthanwatchmegrievingso，forsomebodyorother，whonowwasallinalltome，Imightgouponmycourse，andGod’sprotectiongowithme!AtthisIwasamazed，becauseitwasnotatalllikemother；andknowinghowwellIhadbehaved，eversincethetimeofoursnowingup，Iwasalittlemovedtotellherthatshecouldnotunderstandme。Howevermysenseofdutykeptme，andmyknowledgeofthecatechism，fromsayingsuchathingasthat，oreventhinkingtwiceofit。

AndsoItookheratherword，whichshewasnotpreparedfor；andtellingherhowproudIwasofhertrustinProvidence，andhowIcouldruninmynewsnow-shoes，Itookashortpipeinmymouth，andstartedforthaccordingly。

WhenIstartedonmyroadacrossthehillsandvalleys(whichnowwereprettymuchalike)，theutmostIcouldhopetodowastogainthecrestofhills，andlookintotheDooneGlen。HenceImightatleastdescrywhetherLornastillwassafe，bythesixnestsstillremaining，andtheviewoftheCaptain’shouse。WhenI

wascometotheopencountry，farbeyondtheshelteredhomestead，andinthefullbruntofthewind，thekeenblastofthecoldbrokeonme，andthemightybreadthofsnow。Moorandhighland，fieldandcommon，cliffandvale，andwatercourse，overalltherollingfoldsofmistywhitewereflung。Therewasnothingsquareorjaggedleft，therewasnothingperpendicular；alltheruggedlineswereeased，andallthebreachessmoothlyfilled。Curves，andmounds，androundedheavings，tooktheplaceofrockandstump；andallthecountrylookedasifawoman’shandhadbeenonit。

Throughthesparklingbreadthofwhite，whichseemedtoglancemyeyesaway，andoutsidethehumpsofladentrees，bowingtheirbackslikeawoodman，Icontrivedtogetalong，half-slidingandhalf-walking，inplaceswhereaplain-shoddenmanmusthavesunk，andwaitedfreezingtillthethawshouldcometohim。Foralthoughtherehadbeensuchviolentfrost，everynight，uponthesnow，thesnowitself，havingneverthawed，evenforanhour，hadnevercoatedover。Henceitwasassoftandlightasifallhadfallenyesterday。Inplaceswherenodrifthadbeen，butratheroffthanontothem，threefeetwastheleastofdepth；butwherethewindhadchaseditround，oranydraughtledlikeafunnel，oranythingopposedit；

thereyoumightverysafelysaythatitranuptotwentyfeet，orthirty，orevenfifty，andIbelievesometimesahundred。

AtlastIgottomyspy-hill(asIhadbeguntocallit)，althoughInevershouldhaveknownitbutforwhatitlookedon。Andeventoknowthislastagainrequiredalltheeyesoflove，soeversharpandvigilant。ForallthebeautifulGlenDoone(shapedfromoutthemountains，asifonpurposefortheDoones，andlookinginthesummer-timelikeasharpcutvaseofgreen)nowwasbesnowedhalfupthesides，andateitherendso，thatitwasmorelikethewhitebasinswhere