安徒生童话- 第16部分

〃Heaven　help　us！〃　cried　the　boy　at　the　helm；　as　the　boat　heeledover　and　lay　on　its　beam　ends。　It　had　struck　on　a　rock；　which　rosefrom　the　depths　of　the　sea；　and　sank　at　once；　like　an　old　shoe　in　apuddle。　〃It　sank　at　once　with　mouse　and　man；〃　as　the　saying　is。There　might　have　been　mice　on　board；　but　only　one　man　and　a　half；the　skipper　and　the　laborer's　boy。　No　one　saw　it　but　the　skimmingsea…gulls　and　the　fishes　beneath　the　water；　and　even　they　did　notsee　it　properly；　for　they　darted　back　with　terror　as　the　boat　filledwith　water　and　sank。　There　it　lay；　scarcely　a　fathom　below　thesurface；　and　those　two　were　provided　for；　buried；　and　forgotten。　Theglass　with　the　foot　of　blue　wood　was　the　only　thing　that　did　not　sink；for　the　wood　floated　and　the　glass　drifted　away　to　be　cast　upon　theshore　and　broken；　where　and　when；　is　indeed　of　no　consequence。　Ithad　served　its　purpose；　and　it　had　been　loved；　which　Anne　Lisbeth'sboy　had　not　been。　But　in　heaven　no　soul　will　be　able　to　say；　〃Neverloved。〃

Anne　Lisbeth　had　now　lived　in　the　town　many　years；　she　wascalled　〃Madame；〃　and　felt　dignified　in　consequence；　she　remembered　theold；　noble　days；　in　which　she　had　driven　in　the　carriage；　and　hadassociated　with　countess　and　baroness。　Her　beautiful；　noble　childhad　been　a　dear　angel；　and　possessed　the　kindest　heart；　he　had　lovedher　so　much；　and　she　had　loved　him　in　return；　they　had　kissed　andloved　each　other；　and　the　boy　had　been　her　joy；　her　second　life。　Nowhe　was　fourteen　years　of　age；　tall；　handsome；　and　clever。　She　hadnot　seen　him　since　she　carried　him　in　her　arms；　neither　had　she　beenfor　years　to　the　count's　palace；　it　was　quite　a　journey　thither　fromthe　town。

〃I　must　make　one　effort　to　go；〃　said　Anne　Lisbeth；　〃to　see　mydarling；　the　count's　sweet　child；　and　press　him　to　my　heart。　Certainlyhe　must　long　to　see　me；　too；　the　young　count；　no　doubt　he　thinks　of　meand　loves　me；　as　in　those　days　when　he　would　fling　his　angel…armsround　my　neck；　and　lisp　'Anne　Liz。'　It　was　music　to　my　ears。　Yes；　Imust　make　an　effort　to　see　him　again。〃　She　drove　across　the　country　ina　grazier's　cart；　and　then　got　out；　and　continued　her　journey　on　foot；and　thus　reached　the　count's　castle。　It　was　as　great　and　magnificentas　it　had　always　been；　and　the　garden　looked　the　same　as　ever；　all　theservants　were　strangers　to　her；　not　one　of　them　knew　Anne　Lisbeth；　norof　what　consequence　she　had　once　been　there；　but　she　felt　sure　thecountess　would　soon　let　them　know　it；　and　her　darling　boy；　too：　howshe　longed　to　see　him！

Now　that　Anne　Lisbeth　was　at　her　journey's　end；　she　was　keptwaiting　a　long　time；　and　for　those　who　wait；　time　passes　slowly。　Butbefore　the　great　people　went　in　to　dinner；　she　was　called　in　andspoken　to　very　graciously。　She　was　to　go　in　again　after　dinner；　andthen　she　would　see　her　sweet　boy　once　more。　How　tall；　and　slender；　andthin　he　had　grown；　but　the　eyes　and　the　sweet　angel　mouth　were　stillbeautiful。　He　looked　at　her；　but　he　did　not　speak；　he　certainly　didnot　know　who　she　was。　He　turned　round　and　was　going　away；　but　sheseized　his　hand　and　pressed　it　to　her　lips。

〃Well；　well；〃　he　said；　and　with　that　he　walked　out　of　the　room。　Hewho　filled　her　every　thought！　he　whom　she　loved　best；　and　who　washer　whole　earthly　pride！

Anne　Lisbeth　went　forth　from　the　castle　into　the　public　road；feeling　mournful　and　sad；　he　whom　she　had　nursed　day　and　night；　andeven　now　carried　about　in　her　dreams；　had　been　cold　and　strange；　andhad　not　a　word　or　thought　respecting　her。　A　great　black　raven　darteddown　in　front　of　her　on　the　high　road；　and　croaked　dismally。

〃Ah；〃　said　she；　〃what　bird　of　ill　omen　art　thou？〃　Presently　shepassed　the　laborer's　hut；　his　wife　stood　at　the　door；　and　the　twowomen　spoke　to　each　other。

〃You　look　well；〃　said　the　woman；　〃you're　fat　and　plump；　you　arewell　off。〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　answered　Anne　Lisbeth。

〃The　boat　went　down　with　them；〃　continued　the　woman；　〃Hans　theskipper　and　the　boy　were　both　drowned；　so　there's　an　end　of　them。　Ialways　thought　the　boy　would　be　able　to　help　me　with　a　few　dollars。He'll　never　cost　you　anything　more；　Anne　Lisbeth。〃

〃So　they　were　drowned；〃　repeated　Anne　Lisbeth；　but　she　said　nomore；　and　the　subject　was　dropped。　She　felt　very　low…spirited；　becauseher　count…child　had　shown　no　inclination　to　speak　to　her　who　loved　himso　well；　and　who　had　travelled　so　far　to　see　him。　The　journey　had　costmoney　too；　and　she　had　derived　no　great　pleasure　from　it。　Still　shesaid　not　a　word　of　all　this；　she　could　not　relieve　her　heart　bytelling　the　laborer's　wife；　lest　the　latter　should　think　she　did　notenjoy　her　former　position　at　the　castle。　Then　the　raven　flew　over　her；screaming　again　as　he　flew。

〃The　black　wretch！〃　said　Anne　Lisbeth；　〃he　will　end　by　frighteningme　today。〃　She　had　brought　coffee　and　chicory　with　her；　for　shethought　it　would　be　a　charity　to　the　poor　woman　to　give　them　to　her　toboil　a　cup　of　coffee；　and　then　she　would　take　a　cup　herself。

The　woman　prepared　the　coffee；　and　in　the　meantime　Anne　Lisbethseated　her　in　a　chair　and　fell　asleep。　Then　she　dreamed　of　somethingwhich　she　had　never　dreamed　before；　singularly　enough　she　dreamed　ofher　own　child；　who　had　wept　and　hungered　in　the　laborer's　hut；　and　hadbeen　knocked　about　in　heat　and　in　cold；　and　who　was　now　lying　in　thedepths　of　the　sea；　in　a　spot　only　known　by　God。　She　fancied　she　wasstill　sitting　in　the　hut；　where　the　woman　was　busy　preparing　thecoffee；　for　she　could　smell　the　coffee…berries　roasting。　Butsuddenly　it　seemed　to　her　that　there　stood　on　the　threshold　abeautiful　young　form；　as　beautiful　as　the　count's　child；　and　thisapparition　said　to　her；　〃The　world　is　passing　away；　hold　fast　to　me；for　you　are　my　mother　after　all；　you　have　an　angel　in　heaven；　holdme　fast；〃　and　the　child…angel　stretched　out　his　hand　and　seized　her。Then　there　was　a　terrible　crash；　as　of　a　world　crumbling　to　pieces；and　the　angel…child　was　rising　from　the　earth；　and　holding　her　bythe　sleeve　so　tightly　that　she　felt　herself　lifted　from　the　ground；but；　on　the　other　hand；　something　heavy　hung　to　her　feet　and　draggedher　down；　and　it　seemed　as　if　hundreds　of　women　were　clinging　toher；　and　crying；　〃If　thou　art　to　be　saved；　we　must　be　saved　too。Hold　fast；　hold　fast。〃　And　then　they　all　hung　on　her；　but　there　weretoo　many；　and　as　they　clung　the　sleeve　was　torn；　and　Anne　Lisbeth　felldown　in　horror；　and　awoke。　Indeed　she　was　on　the　point　of　falling　overin　reality　with　the　chair　on　which　she　sat；　but　she　was　so　startledand　alarmed　that　she　could　not　remember　what　she　had　dreamed；　onlythat　it　was　something　very　dreadful。

They　drank　their　coffee　and　had　a　chat　together；　and　then　AnneLisbeth　went　away　towards　the　little　town　where　she　was　to　meet　thecarrier；　who　was　to　drive　her　back　to　her　own　home。　But　when　shecame　to　him　she　found　that　he　would　not　be　ready　to　start　till　theevening　of　the　next　day。　Then　she　began　to　think　of　the　expense；　andwhat　the　distance　would　be　to　walk。　She　remembered　that　the　route　bythe　sea…shore　was　two　miles　shorter　than　by　the　high　road；　and　asthe　weather　was　clear；　and　there　would　be　moonlight；　she　determined　tomake　her　way　on　foot；　and　to　start　at　once；　that　she　might　reachhome　the　next　day。

The　sun　had　set；　and　the　evening　bells　sounded　through　the　airfrom　the　tower　of　the　vill