The Wind Boy - Chapter 10 The Secret Door

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter ten of The Wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot.
This Libriox recording is in the public domain. Chapter ten,
The Secret Door. That night, the family in the little
brown house finished their supper before it was time to

(00:21):
light the lamps. The world was just turning violet and
the sky dimming. We are through early to night. Detra said,
I shall have a long evening for the wind Boy.
I am going to break him all up and begin
quite over, for I shall never be satisfied with him

(00:43):
as he is. The children were sorry that their mother
was going to destroy the statuette. It was so almost
like the wind Boy. They knew that they had become
more attached to it than anything their mother had ever
made before. But if I do him better, Dettra said,

(01:03):
you will be glad. Then be sure you keep him
the wind Boy, though Kay begged, he is like that,
you know, only more so. Detra laughed at that, but
in her heart she knew that Kay was right. Yes,
I will keep him the same boy, she promised, only

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I will make him truer. Then she ran upstairs to
bring down the statuette. The children were still at the table,
although they had finished their supper. Outdoors is getting into purple. Now,
Genteen said, it's like the wind boy's eyes. Let's go

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out and see if he is in the cherry tree.
Yet Nan had told them that he watched for the
masker there at twilight. All right, let's but at that
minute came the scratching and rustling at the window that
their children remembered. Quickly they turned their faces. Yes, there

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in the open window showed the mask The horrid pointed ears,
the horrid grin froze their hearts as always before when
they had seen them. They stood staring. Would it jump
over the sill and rush towards them in the room.

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It looked as though it might. It was staring straight
back at them. Then suddenly Nan opened the door from
the kitchen. She was coming in to clear the table.
The masker saw the opening door and dropped down out
of sight. They heard its feet racing away right across

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Kay's own garden plots. Kay forgot his terror at that,
He sprang up and was away out of the door.
After the masker. Gentians stood behind only the briefest instant
screwing up her carriage, and then she too dashed away. Nan,

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looking after them, smiled, for she had no fear that
harm would come to them. Kay reached the door just
in time to glimpse the blue cloak of the Masker
whisking away through the hole in the Lilac hedge. Mother,
of course, did not want the children to go into
the artist's garden, but Kay very well knew that this

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would make a difference. She would be only too proud
of him should he catch the masker and capture the
mask no matter where he went to do it. Seen
from behind, and while it was running away like this,
the masker was not terrifying at all. Far from it.

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It was just a slim little figure, no taller than
Kay himself, in a blue cape to its heels. Gentian
was through the hole in the hedge almost as soon
as Cay, and by the time he had reached the sloping,
long green terrace running right up to the artist's front door,

(04:14):
she was quite up to him. But the fleeing masker
was far ahead, already on the broad gravel drive, running
for dear life. Well, it must turn around when it
reached the house and go in some other direction, then
they would have it. They took hold of hands and
ran on, but the Masker did not turn back when

(04:38):
it reached the house. No, it dashed on and around
a corner and was lost to the children's eyes. To
their delight, now they heard the whir of wings and
saw the wind boy a little way above them, flying
fast through the purple twilight. Oh, splendid, he'll catch it, surely,

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the children thought, and followed on. But the wind boy
did not catch the masker that evening, nor did the children.
For a strange thing happened. The wind boy had followed
around the corner and overtaken the fleeing masker. He had
no thought of failure now and glided to the ground,

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reaching a hand to seize the mask Then suddenly the
masker turned about, just escaping his hand, pushed behind a
syringa bush that grew against the house, threw open a
little low door in the wall, and was gone. The

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wind boy stopped stockstill amazed. Well, he knew that he
could never open a door down here in this land.
His were a wind boy's hands, strong and useful enough
in his own clear land, but quite helpless with anything
so heavy as this door. When Gentian and Kay came

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running up, his face was clouded. Indeed, where did it go? Kay?
Cried in a door behind that syringer bush. The wind
boy said, with deep disgust, right into the house. Yes,
right into the house, of course, else I'd have got

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the mask at last. I've never came so near it before.
Kay was troubled. It'll frighten Rose Marie. Then he cried, Oh,
she'll be terribly frightened. Then he turned and ran. The
wind Boy and Genteean had no idea what he meant

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to do, but they followed to see. Kay was set
on doing a very brave thing. He ran around the
great house and up the wide, shallow marble steps to
the front door. There, standing in the twilight a determined
little boy. He pulled the bell. Gentian and the wind

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Boy followed him. They would stand by. The door was
promptly opened by a maid servant. She stared down at Kay, surprised.
What is it? Why do you come to the front door,
she asked with curiosity. A child at the great front
door was the last thing she had expected to find. Please,

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said Kay, that masker, you know, the horrid thing with
long ears and a queer mouth. Well it has just
now gone right into your house. It will frighten Rose Marie.
The maid, screamed, The masker in this house, she cried,
stepping very quickly out onto the marble step beside. Kay.

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Then not a step. I'll stir back until it's been
got out. But Rosemarie will be frightened, Kay pleaded, you
may be frightened. Now you must go and take care
of her. I do not know whether the maid would
have gone to see Rosemarie or not, for any one
could tell that she was pretty well frightened herself. Had

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the village policeman at that minute not come up the
steps to find what the trouble was about. He had
seen the children at the artist's front door and felt
they did not belong there. What is all this, he asked,
for he had heard Kay's words. What will frighten miss Rosemarie?

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The masker, Kay answered, turning around, glad now of the
policeman's interference, and was not a bit afraid. It came
to our window, and we chased it. We followed it
right up to the house and then around to the side.
It ran in at a door behind the syringa bush.

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There the wind boy saw it go in at the door.
There isn't any door behind the searing a bush. Said
the maid. You must be dreaming. And who saw it,
asked the policeman. The wind boy. He came flying past us,
over our heads and got around the corner first. That

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is why he was in time to see it. Go
in at the little door. Where is the windboy? Now? Why?
Right here by Gentian. The policeman looked down at Gentian,
but he did not see the wind boy. His eyes
were not nearly clear enough for that. He stared at

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Kay and Gentian very suspiciously. Then come show us that door,
he said, gruffly. There just isn't any door there at all?
So why bother? Snapped the maid. She had begun to
get over her fright, and to think the children impudent
and mischievous. The policeman thought them imputed and mischievous too,

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But he remembered Nan and the way he had looked
through her eyes to the mountains. He hesitated. Oh, give
them every chance, he thought. Then that girl certainly thinks
they are all right. Oh, nevertheless, there is something very

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queer about all this. Out loud, he said, come anyway,
we'll make certain about the door. But Kay cried Rose Marie,
what about her? Aren't you going to see that? She's
not frightened. You're right, said the policeman. Then if by
any chance the masker did get into the house, she

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may well be very frightened. Better go in Better, Better
was the maid's name, and see that the little miss
is safe. No, indeed, I'll not go a step, said Better,
frightened again now that she thought the policeman was taking
the children's story seriously. What you afraid of the masker too?

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Then I'll have to go with you, and you children.
Don't move a step from here until we get back.
I mean to go to the bottom of this. Indeed,
it's more my duty than ordinary, since the artist is away.
The great door closed and the children waited. They had

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no temptation to go away. They were only too eager
to stay and learn whether the masker was caught. The
wind boy was on tiptoes with excitement. The three sat
down on the lowest marble step until the great door
should open again. But it was a long time before

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the door opened. The artist's mansion was a very very
big one, indeed, and there were many rooms, corners, passages,
and closets into which the policeman had to look to
make sure that the masker was not hiding. He was
rather cross when at last he did come out, for

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against his reasons, he had hoped to get his hands
on the masker at last. And so when the artist's
praise and reward when he should come home tomorrow, well, youngsters,
he said, shortly, come now and show me that wonderful
door that probably isn't a door at all. Miss Rosemarie

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is busy at her lessons, safe and quiet as you
would be if your mother took proper care of you
and kept you out of mischief evenings. Where are you anyway,
For he did not see them just at first, in
their place on the low step. But Kay jumped up.
Our mother does take proper care of us, cried Kay.

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We just followed the masker to catch it. That was
all she would want us to do. That, luckily enough,
answered the policeman, striding down the steps. But step lively
now and show us that door. So Gentien and Kay
and the wind boy led the way around the house

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to the syringa bush, of course better and the policeman
could not see the wind boy, although it was his
hands that parted the sweet smelling white blossoms that brushed
the hidden door. The policeman and better thought it was
just a little wind stirring on the edge of night

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that did it. But even when the flowers were parted,
they could not see the door. Even Kay and Gentean
could not see the door. Kay and Gentean were startled.
Had the wind boy made a mistake, And what would
the policeman think of that? Oh, he would mistrust them

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more than ever now he would think they had lied.
They were troubled, indeed. But the wind boy said, push
against the wall right here. That's all the masker did,
and it opened just as easy. Kay thought it would
be too silly to push against the wall where the

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wind boy was pointing. It seemed so much like all
the rest of the wall there, just war without a
sign of a door. The policeman could not hear the
wind boy's voice. He only thought to himself, the wind
is rising a little. He began to laugh, not a

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very pleasant laugh, for now he thought what he had
found the children out. They were, truly, in his words,
bold ones and mischief makers. But Gentian stepped forward and
did as the wind boy said. She pushed against the
blank wall with all her strength, and the next she

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knew she was lying flat on her face in a
very dark place. There had been no need to push
so hard, for the door opened at a touch, But
she was not hurt. A bit up, she jumped and
stood alone in the pitchy dark, for the door had
swung too behind her. And now that those outside knew

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that there was a door, they pushed it open again
and let her out. Well, I never, better gasped, poking
her head in at the door that was now held
open by the policeman. I never heard of such a
thing at all. Who'd ever guess it? Why? Was just
nothing to show? The policeman was as surprised as Better.

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It's a secret door, he said, that's what it is.
We'll have to see where it leads. Why it's just
a coat closet under the backstairs, Better exclaimed, craning her neck.
A body coming in could run right up the back
stairs and be seen by nobody. Well, then I shall

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just have to ask the artist when he returns whether
he knows about this door, the policeman said, importantly, And
you better please say nothing about it. But my master
won't be back until tomorrow. Better cried, Until then, am
I to sleep in a house with a secret door?

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And not even a key in it and say nothing
to nobody. Yes, that is just what you are to do.
And you children, you too, say nothing. The children nodded.
It was very exciting and surely very important to be

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sharing a secret with the policeman. But at that minute
Gentian Kay came to come in. Come in. Nan was
standing in the doorway of the little brown house calling them.
So they are looking out for you after all, said
the policeman, but not gruffly. Now. I'm glad to know it.

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But I might have trusted that girl to have an
eye out for you. Anyway, she'd know where you were,
he meant Nan. In all his life, he was never
to forget her and the far off mountains he had
seen through her clear eyes. Are you coming with us,
win boy, do, spered Gentian, But the wind boy shook

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his head no, he said, I'm going to stay around
by this door to make sure the masker doesn't come
out again. Oh if I had only caught it. So
Gentian and Kay had to run home without their new playmate,
for Nan was calling again. When they had gone, the

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policeman said, to better, you better go in too, or
the other maids will be asking you all sorts of questions.
I shall stay here a bit to think things over.
Betta went reluctant and grumbling, but not daring to disobey
the policeman. Then the policeman sat down in front of

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the syringa bush to do his thinking of things over
at his ease. But his eyes were alert and keen
enough as they rested on the hidden door in spite
of all his puzzle thoughts. Beside him, waiting too and watching,
sat the wind boy cross legged, his purple wings folded

(19:10):
down his back. But the policeman knew nothing of the
wind boy now. And then he did hear the rustle
of the wind boy's wings as he changed his position
a little, But if he thought about the sound at all,
it was to him just the night wind among the
syringa flowers. So the purple twilight fell deeper and deeper

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all around them, until they were just the faintest outlines
in the dusk. But as the purple deepened, the policeman,
staying on so carelessly there in the gathering dew, forgot
to puzzle about the masker and the secret door. He
had fallen to thinking about Nan instead, that strange girl

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who had come to work for the foreigners in the
little brown House. It is not every day you can
see far off purple mountains just by looking into a
girl's clear eyes. And the wind boy was thinking about Gentian.
What a brave little girl she had been to run
after the masker. Kay was brave, of course, boys had

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to be. But Gentian was brave because she had promised
to help him. The wind boy he was sure of that.
So the policemen and the wind boy thought their thoughts
without interfering with each other in the Purple Twilight on
Watch at the Secret Door, end of chapter ten