csl.thelionthewitchandthewardrobe-第6部分

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lways　winter　in　Narnia…always　winter；　but　it　never　gets　to　Christmas。　And　she　drives　about　on　a　sledge；　drawn　by　reindeer；　with　her　wand　in　her　hand　and　a　crown　on　her　head。〃
　　
　　Edmund　was　already　feeling　unfortable　from　having　eaten　too　many　sweets；　and　when　he　heard　that　the　Lady　he　had　made　friends　with　was　a　dangerous　witch　he　felt　even　more　unfortable。　But　he　still　wanted　to　taste　that　Turkish　Delight　again　more　than　he　wanted　anything　else。
　　
　　〃Who　told　you　all　that　stuff　about　the　White　Witch？〃　he　asked。
　　
　　〃Mr　Tumnus；　the　Faun；〃　said　Lucy。
　　
　　〃You　can't　always　believe　what　Fauns　say；〃　said　Edmund；　trying　to　sound　as　if　he　knew　far　more　about　them　than　Lucy。
　　
　　〃Who　said　so？〃　asked　Lucy。
　　
　　〃Everyone　knows　it；〃　said　Edmund；　〃ask　anybody　you　like。　But　it's　pretty　poor　sport　standing　here　in　the　snow。　Let's　go　home。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　let's；〃　said　Lucy。　〃Oh；　Edmund；　I　am　glad　you've　got　in　too。　The　others　will　have　to　believe　in　Narnia　now　that　both　of　us　have　been　there。　What　fun　it　will　be！〃
　　
　　But　Edmund　secretly　thought　that　it　would　not　be　as　good　fun　for　him　as　for　her。　He　would　have　to　admit　that　Lucy　had　been　right；　before　all　the　others；　and　he　felt　sure　the　others　would　all　be　on　the　side　of　the　Fauns　and　the　animals；　but　he　was　already　more　than　half　on　the　side　of　the　Witch。　He　did　not　know　what　he　would　say；　or　how　he　would　keep　his　secret　once　they　were　all　talking　about　Narnia。
　　
　　By　this　time　they　had　walked　a　good　way。　Then　suddenly　they　felt　coats　around　them　instead　of　branches　and　next　moment　they　were　both　standing　outside　the　wardrobe　in　the　empty　room。
　　
　　〃I　say；〃　said　Lucy；　〃you　do　look　awful；　Edmund。　Don't　you　feel　well？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　all　right；〃　said　Edmund；　but　this　was　not　true。　He　was　feeling　very　sick。
　　
　　〃e　on　then；〃　said　Lucy；　〃let's　find　the　others。　What　a　lot　we　shall　have　to　tell　them！　And　what　wonderful　adventures　we　shall　have　now　that　we're　all　in　it　together。〃
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　FIVE
　　
　　BACK　ON　THIS　SIDE　OF　THE　DOOR
　　
　　BECAUSE　the　game　of　hide…and…seek　was　still　going　on；　it　took　Edmund　and　Lucy　some　time　to　find　the　others。　But　when　at　last　they　were　all　together　（which　happened　in　the　long　room；　where　the　suit　of　armour　was）　Lucy　burst　out：
　　
　　〃Peter！　Susan！　It's　all　true。　Edmund　has　seen　it　too。　There　is　a　country　you　can　get　to　through　the　wardrobe。　Edmund　and　I　both　got　in。　We　met　one　another　in　there；　in　the　wood。　Go　on；　Edmund；　tell　them　all　about　it。〃
　　
　　〃What's　all　this　about；　Ed？〃　said　Peter。
　　
　　And　now　we　e　to　one　of　the　nastiest　things　in　this　story。　Up　to　that　moment　Edmund　had　been　feeling　sick；　and　sulky；　and　annoyed　with　Lucy　for　being　right；　but　he　hadn't　made　up　his　mind　what　to　do。　When　Peter　suddenly　asked　him　the　question　he　decided　all　at　once　to　do　the　meanest　and　most　spiteful　thing　he　could　think　of。　He　decided　to　let　Lucy　down。
　　
　　〃Tell　us；　Ed；〃　said　Susan。
　　
　　And　Edmund　gave　a　very　superior　look　as　if　he　were　far　older　than　Lucy　（there　was　really　only　a　year's　difference）　and　then　a　little　snigger　and　said；　〃Oh；　yes；　Lucy　and　I　have　been　playing…pretending　that　all　her　story　about　a　country　in　the　wardrobe　is　true。　just　for　fun；　of　course。　There's　nothing　there　really。〃
　　
　　Poor　Lucy　gave　Edmund　one　look　and　rushed　out　of　the　room。
　　
　　Edmund；　who　was　being　a　nastier　person　every　minute；　thought　that　he　had　scored　a　great　success；　and　went　on　at　once　to　say；　〃There　she　goes　again。　What's　the　matter　with　her？　That's　the　worst　of　young　kids；　they　always…〃
　　
　　〃Look　here；〃　said　Peter；　turning　on　him　savagely；　〃shut　up！　You've　been　perfectly　beastly　to　Lu　ever　since　she　started　this　nonsense　about　the　wardrobe；　and　now　you　go　playing　games　with　her　about　it　and　setting　her　off　again。　I　believe　you　did　it　simply　out　of　spite。〃
　　
　　〃But　it's　all　nonsense；〃　said　Edmund；　very　taken　aback。
　　
　　〃Of　course　it's　all　nonsense；〃　said　Peter；　〃that's　just　the　point。　Lu　was　perfectly　all　right　when　we　left　home；　but　since　we've　been　down　here　she　seems　to　be　either　going　queer　in　the　head　or　else　turning　into　a　most　frightful　liar。　But　whichever　it　is；　what　good　do　you　think　you'll　do　by　jeering　and　nagging　at　her　one　day　and　encouraging　her　the　next？〃
　　
　　〃I　thought…I　thought；〃　said　Edmund；　but　he　couldn't　think　of　anything　to　say。
　　
　　〃You　didn't　think　anything　at　all；〃　said　Peter；　〃it's　just　spite。　You've　always　liked　being　beastly　to　anyone　smaller　than　yourself；　we've　seen　that　at　school　before　now。〃
　　
　　〃Do　stop　it；〃　said　Susan；　〃it　won't　make　things　any　better　having　a　row　between　you　two。　Let's　go　and　find　Lucy。〃
　　
　　It　was　not　surprising　that　when　they　found　Lucy；　a　good　deal　later；　everyone　could　see　that　she　had　been　crying。　Nothing　they　could　say　to　her　made　any　difference。　She　stuck　to　her　story　and　said：
　　
　　〃I　don't　care　what　you　think；　and　I　don't　care　what　you　say。　You　can　tell　the　Professor　or　you　can　write　to　Mother　or　you　can　do　anything　you　like。　I　know　I've　met　a　Faun　in　there　and…I　wish　I'd　stayed　there　and　you　are　all　beasts；　beasts。〃
　　
　　It　was　an　unpleasant　evening。　Lucy　was　miserable　and　Edmund　was　beginning　to　feel　that　his　plan　wasn't　working　as　well　as　he　had　expected。　The　two　older　ones　were　really　beginning　to　think　that　Lucy　was　out　of　her　mind。　They　stood　in　the　passage　talking　about　it　in　whispers　long　after　she　had　gone　to　bed。
　　
　　The　result　was　the　next　morning　they　decided　that　they　really　would　go　and　tell　the　whole　thing　to　the　Professor。　〃He'll　write　to　Father　if　he　thinks　there　is　really　something　wrong　with　Lu；〃　said　Peter；　〃it's　getting　beyond　us。〃　So　they　went　and　knocked　at　the　study　door；　and　the　Professor　said　〃e　in；〃　and　got　up　and　found　chairs　for　them　and　said　he　was　quite　at　their　disposal。　Then　he　sat　listening　to　them　with　the　tips　of　his　fingers　pressed　together　and　never　interrupting；　till　they　had　finished　the　whole　story。　After　that　he　said　nothing　for　quite　a　long　time。　Then　he　cleared　his　throat　and　said　the　last　thing　either　of　them　expected：
　　
　　〃How　do　you　know；〃　he　asked；　〃that　your　sister's　story　is　not　true？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　but…〃　began　Susan；　and　then　stopped。　Anyone　could　see　from　the　old　man's　face　that　he　was　perfectly　serious。　Then　Susan　pulled　herself　together　and　said；　〃But　Edmund　said　they　had　only　been　pretending。〃
　　
　　〃That　is　a　point；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃which　certainly　deserves　consideration；　very　careful　consideration。　For　instance…if　you　will　excuse　me　for　asking　the　question…does　your　experience　lead　you　to　regard　your　brother　or　your　sister　as　the　more　reliable？　I　mean；　which　is　the　more　truthful？〃
　　
　　〃That's　just　the　funny　thing　about　it；　sir；〃　said　Peter。　〃Up　till　now；　I'd　have　said　Lucy　every　time。〃
　　
　　〃And　what　do　you　think；　my　dear？〃　said　the　Professor；　turning　to　Susan。
　　
　　〃Well；〃　said　Susan；　〃in　general；　I'd　say　the　same　as　Peter；　but　this　couldn't　be　true…all　this　about　the　wood　and　the　Faun。〃
　　
　　〃That　is　more　than　I　know；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃and　a　charge　of　lying　against　someone　whom　you　have　always　found　truthful　is　a　very　serious　thing；　a　very　serious　thing　indeed。〃
　　
　　〃We　were　afraid　it　mightn't　even　be　lying；〃　said　Susan；　〃we　thought　there　might　be　something　wrong　with　Lucy。〃
　　
　　〃Madness；　you　mean？〃　said　the　Professor　quite　coolly。　〃Oh；　you　can　make　your　minds　easy　about　that。　One　has　only　to　look　at　her　and　talk　to　her　to　see　that　she　is　not　mad。〃
　　
　　〃But　then；〃　said　Susan；　and　stopped。　She　had　never　dreamed　that　a　grown…up　would　talk　like　the　Professor　and　didn't　know　what　to　think。
　　
　　〃Logic！〃　said　the　Professor　half　to　himself。　〃Why　don't　they　teach　logic　at　these　schools？　There　are　only　three　possibilities。　Either　your　sister　is　telling　lies；　or　she　is　mad；　or　she　is　telling　the　truth。　You　know　she　doesn't　tell　lies　and　it　is　obvious　that　she　is　not　mad　For　the　moment　then　and　unless　any　further　evidence　turns　up；　we　must　assume　that　she　is　telling　the　truth。〃
　　
　　Susan　looked　at　him　very　hard　and　was　quite　sure　from　the　expression　on　his　face　that　he　was　no　making　f