csl.thelionthewitchandthewardrobe-第7部分

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　　Susan　looked　at　him　very　hard　and　was　quite　sure　from　the　expression　on　his　face　that　he　was　no　making　fun　of　them。
　　
　　〃But　how　could　it　be　true；　sir？〃　said　Peter。
　　
　　〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃　asked　the　Professor。
　　
　　〃Well；　for　one　thing；〃　said　Peter；　〃if　it　was　true　why　doesn't　everyone　find　this　country　every　time　they　go　to　the　wardrobe？　I　mean；　there　was　nothing　there　when　we　looked；　even　Lucy　didn't　pretend　the　was。〃
　　
　　〃What　has　that　to　do　with　it？〃　said　the　Professor。
　　
　　〃Well；　sir；　if　things　are　real；　they're　there　all　the　time。〃
　　
　　〃Are　they？〃　said　the　Professor；　and　Peter　did'nt　know　quite　what　to　say。
　　
　　〃But　there　was　no　time；〃　said　Susan。　〃Lucy　had　no　time　to　have　gone　anywhere；　even　if　there　was　such　a　place。　She　came　running　after　us　the　very　moment　we　were　out　of　the　room。　It　was　less　than　minute；　and　she　pretended　to　have　been　away　for　hours。〃
　　
　　〃That　is　the　very　thing　that　makes　her　story　so　likely　to　be　true；〃　said　the　Professor。　〃If　there　really　a　door　in　this　house　that　leads　to　some　other　world　（and　I　should　warn　you　that　this　is　a　very　strange　house；　and　even　I　know　very　little　about　it）…if；　I　say；　she　had　got　into　another　world；　I　should　not　be　at　a　surprised　to　find　that　the　other　world　had　a　separate　time　of　its　own；　so　that　however　long　you　stay　there　it　would　never　take　up　any　of　our　time。　On　the　other　hand；　I　don't　think　many　girls　of　her　age　would　invent　that　idea　for　themselves。　If　she　had　been　pretending；　she　would　have　hidden　for　a　reasonable　time　before　ing　out　and　telling　her　story。〃
　　
　　〃But　do　you　really　mean；　sir；〃　said　Peter；　〃that　there　could　be　other　worlds…all　over　the　place；　just　round　the　corner…like　that？〃
　　
　　〃Nothing　is　more　probable；〃　said　the　Professor；　taking　off　his　spectacles　and　beginning　to　polish　them；　while　he　muttered　to　himself；　〃I　wonder　what　they　do　teach　them　at　these　schools。〃
　　
　　〃But　what　are　we　to　do？〃　said　Susan。　She　felt　that　the　conversation　was　beginning　to　get　off　the　point。
　　
　　〃My　dear　young　lady；〃　said　the　Professor；　suddenly　looking　up　with　a　very　sharp　expression　at　both　of　them；　〃there　is　one　plan　which　no　one　has　yet　suggested　and　which　is　well　worth　trying。〃
　　
　　〃What's　that？〃　said　Susan。
　　
　　〃We　might　all　try　minding　our　own　business；〃　said　he。　And　that　was　the　end　of　that　conversation。
　　
　　After　this　things　were　a　good　deal　better　for　Lucy。　Peter　saw　to　it　that　Edmund　stopped　jeering　at　her；　and　neither　she　nor　anyone　else　felt　inclined　to　talk　about　the　wardrobe　at　all。　It　had　bee　a　rather　alarming　subject。　And　so　for　a　time　it　looked　as　if　all　the　adventures　were　ing　to　an　end；　but　that　was　not　to　be。
　　
　　This　house　of　the　Professor's…which　even　he　knew　so　little　about…was　so　old　and　famous　that　people　from　all　over　England　used　to　e　and　ask　permission　to　see　over　it。　It　was　the　sort　of　house　that　is　mentioned　in　guide　books　and　even　in　histories；　and　well　it　might　be；　for　all　manner　of　stories　were　told　about　it；　some　of　them　even　stranger　than　the　one　I　am　telling　you　now。　And　when　parties　of　sightseers　arrived　and　asked　to　see　the　house；　the　Professor　always　gave　them　permission；　and　Mrs　Macready；　the　housekeeper；　showed　them　round；　telling　them　about　the　pictures　and　the　armour；　and　the　rare　books　in　the　library。　Mrs　Macready　was　not　fond　of　children；　and　did　not　like　to　be　interrupted　when　she　was　telling　visitors　all　the　things　she　knew。　She　had　said　to　Susan　and　Peter　almost　on　the　first　morning　（along　with　a　good　many　other　instructions）；　〃And　please　remember　you're　to　keep　out　of　the　way　whenever　I'm　taking　a　party　over　the　house。〃
　　
　　〃Just　as　if　any　of　us　would　want　to　waste　half　the　morning　trailing　round　with　a　crowd　of　strange　grown…ups！〃　said　Edmund；　and　the　other　three　thought　the　same。　That　was　how　the　adventures　began　for　the　second　time。
　　
　　A　few　mornings　later　Peter　and　Edmund　were　looking　at　the　suit　of　armour　and　wondering　if　they　could　take　it　to　bits　when　the　two　girls　rushed　into　the　room　and　said；　〃Look　out！　Here　es　the　Macready　and　a　whole　gang　with　her。〃
　　
　　〃Sharp's　the　word；〃　said　Peter；　and　all　four　made　off　through　the　door　at　the　far　end　of　the　room。　But　when　they　had　got　out　into　the　Green　Room　and　beyond　it；　into　the　Library；　they　suddenly　heard　voices　ahead　of　them；　and　realized　that　Mrs　Macready　must　be　bringing　her　party　of　sightseers　up　the　back　stairs…instead　of　up　the　front　stairs　as　they　had　expected。　And　after　that…whether　it　was　that　they　lost　their　heads；　or　that　Mrs　Macready　was　trying　to　catch　them；　or　that　some　magic　in　the　house　had　e　to　life　and　was　chasing　them　into　Narnia　they　seemed　to　find　themselves　being　followed　everywhere；　until　at　last　Susan　said；　〃Oh　bother　those　trippers！　Here…let's　get　into　the　Wardrobe　Room　till　they've　passed。　No　one　will　follow　us　in　there。〃　But　the　moment　they　were　inside　they　heard　the　voices　in　the　passage…and　then　someone　fumbling　at　the　door…and　then　they　saw　the　handle　turning。
　　
　　〃Quick！〃　said　Peter；　〃there's　nowhere　else；〃　and　flung　open　the　wardrobe。　All　four　of　them　bundled　inside　it　and　sat　there；　panting；　in　the　dark。　Peter　held　the　door　closed　but　did　not　shut　it；　for；　of　course；　he　remembered；　as　every　sensible　person　does；　that　you　should　never　never　shut　yourself　up　in　a　wardrobe。
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　SIX
　　
　　INTO　THE　FOREST
　　
　　〃I　wish　the　Macready　would　hurry　up　and　take　all　these　people　away；〃　said　Susan　presently；　〃I'm　getting　horribly　cramped。〃
　　
　　〃And　what　a　filthy　smell　of　camphor！〃　said　Edmund。
　　
　　〃I　expect　the　pockets　of　these　coats　are　full　of　it；〃　said　Susan；　〃to　keep　away　the　moths。〃
　　
　　〃There's　something　sticking　into　my　back；〃　said　Peter。
　　
　　〃And　isn't　it　cold？〃　said　Susan。
　　
　　〃Now　that　you　mention　it；　it　is　cold；〃　said　Peter；　〃and　hang　it　all；　it's　wet　too。　What's　the　matter　with　this　place？　I'm　sitting　on　something　wet。　It's　getting　wetter　every　minute。〃　He　struggled　to　his　feet。
　　
　　〃Let's　get　out；〃　said　Edmund；　〃they've　gone。〃
　　
　　〃O…o…oh！〃　said　Susan　suddenly；　and　everyone　asked　her　what　was　the　matter。
　　
　　〃I'm　sitting　against　a　tree；〃　said　Susan；　〃and　look！　It's　getting　light…over　there。〃
　　
　　〃By　Jove；　you're　right；〃　said　Peter；　〃and　look　there…and　there。　It's　trees　all　round。　And　this　wet　stuff　is　snow。　Why；　I　do　believe　we've　got　into　Lucy's　wood　after　all。〃
　　
　　And　now　there　was　no　mistaking　it　and　all　four　children　stood　blinking　in　the　daylight　of　a　winter　day。　Behind　them　were　coats　hanging　on　pegs；　in　front　of　them　were　snow…covered　trees。
　　
　　Peter　turned　at　once　to　Lucy。
　　
　　〃I　apologize　for　not　believing　you；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　sorry。　Will　you　shake　hands？〃
　　
　　〃Of　course；〃　said　Lucy；　and　did。
　　
　　〃And　now；〃　said　Susan；　〃what　do　we　do　next？〃
　　
　　〃Do？〃　said　Peter；　〃why；　go　and　explore　the　wood；　of　course。〃
　　
　　〃Ugh！〃　said　Susan；　stamping　her　feet；　〃it's　pretty　cold。　What　about　putting　on　some　of　these　coats？〃
　　
　　〃They're　not　ours；〃　said　Peter　doubtfully。
　　
　　〃I　am　sure　nobody　would　mind；〃　said　Susan；　〃it　isn't　as　if　we　wanted　to　take　them　out　of　the　house；　we　shan't　take　them　even　out　of　the　wardrobe。〃
　　
　　〃I　never　thought　of　that；　Su；〃　said　Peter。　〃Of　course；　now　you　put　it　that　way；　I　see。　No　one　could　say　you　had　bagged　a　coat　as　long　as　you　leave　it　in　the　wardrobe　where　you　found　it。　And　I　suppose　this　whole　country　is　in　the　wardrobe。〃
　　
　　They　immediately　carried　out　Susan's　very　sensible　plan。　The　coats　were　rather　too　big　for　them　so　that　they　came　down　to　their　heels　and　looked　more　like　royal　robes　than　coats　when　they　had　put　them　on。　But　they　all　felt　a　good　deal　warmer　and　each　thought　the　others　looked　better　in　their　new　get…up　and　more　suitable　to　the　landscape。
　　
　　〃We　can　pretend　we　are　Arctic　explorers；〃　said　Lucy。
　　
　　〃This　is　going　to　be　exciting　enough　without　pretending；〃　said　Peter；　as　he　began　leading　the　way　forward　into　the　forest。　There　were　heavy　darkish　clouds　overhead　and　it　looked　as　if　there　might　be　more　snow　before　night。
　　
　　〃I　say；〃　began　Edmund　presentl