The Wind Boy - Chapter 15 Rosemarie is Waked by the Little Silver Bell

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fifteen of The wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot.
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter fifteen,
Rosemarie is waked by the little Silver Bell. As for Rosemarie,
Miss Prine scolded her all the way back to the house.

(00:23):
She scolded her for leaving her lessons to run out
to play. She scolded her for going out in the
twilight alone and with ampermission. She scolded her for stealing
and abusing Miss Prine's own best cape. But most of all,
she scolded her for not being sorry. For Rosemarie refused

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to be sorry, she did not drop her head, and
whenever Miss Prine turned to look down into her face,
she saw a happiness there that there was no accounting for,
and was indeed a fence under the circumstances. Of course,
the thing that was keeping Rosemary happy in spite of

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the disgrace that was her due was the memory of
k Why for half an hour or so she had
had a real playmate when he chased her in the mask.
That had been a sort of game of tag, hadn't it.
Rosemary had seen other children playing tag before, but she

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had never played it. For you can't play tag alone,
And then they had talked in the tulip garden and
he had told her all that fairy storysh thing about
the wind boy. Only it wasn't a fairy story at all.
He had said it was true, and he looked true

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enough when he said it. All. She had only met
fairies in books, but those two Kay and Genteeen knew
them in real life and had them for free when
they had each other. Was it fair that they should
have the fairies too? Miss Prine's voice was getting lower

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and lower in its golden tones the nearer they came
to the house, for she did not mean the artist
to know how very naughty Rosemarie had been. He might
think it was in some way her fault that she
had not kept careful watch enough, and that would be unjust,

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for no one could be more watchful than Miss Prine.
It was just that she had been eating her supper
with the housekeeper and thought Rosemary would be safe with
her lesson books. So very quietly now she hurried Rosemary
up the back stairs to her high nursery. There she

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brushed and brushed her dark dancing curls with quick, firm
strokes until they stopped dancing. And shone instead. Then very hurriedly,
she slipped her into a fresh frock, a white frock
with pink rosebuds and a wide white muslin sash. This

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should have been Polly's work, but Polly was still hunting
somewhere in the grounds. There had not been time to
tell her that Rosemary was found. Now Rosemarie stood prim
and sweet and clean, ready to be seen by her grandfather.
And they were only just in time, for there was

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his knock at the door. He had unexpectedly come up
to the nursery instead of waiting for her to be
brought down. Rosemary was glad to see her grandfather, for
she loved him with her whole heart. At least it
would have been her whole heart until Kay and Gentie

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and had moved in next door, and from a distance
she had begun loving them too. But she was a
little in awe of him for all her love, And
then Miss Prine always appeared a little afraid of him.
That had had its effect on Rosemrie from her babyhood.

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His first words to night amazed her, well have you
been having a good time with that little girl and
boy next door? Better than playing always alone? Eh? But
miss Prine interrupted quickly and nervously, before Rosemary could answer, Oh,

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we haven't begun that yet, she said, you did not
say there was any hurry about it in your telegram,
And right on top of your telegram came the news
from the policeman that both those foreign children were mischievous
beyond the ordinary, and that he suspected the of being

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the masker. So but at the word masker, the artist
had sternly motioned, Miss Pride silent. We will not discuss
this before, Rosemarie, if you please, sir, I'm sorry for
the slip. Miss Pride went out of the room, leaving

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Rosemary alone with her grandfather. Oh, grandfather, did you tell
her I might play with them? Rosemarie asked, with clasped
hands and delight in her face. Yes. I did mention
something of the sort in a wire to Miss Prine,
But I shall have to talk with her now before

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it's definitely decided. We will say no more until that time.
Only tell me what you've been doing while I was away.
Rosemarie was surprised at his request. Usually, her famous grandfather
was too absorbed in his work and his books and
his clever friends to give thought to her adventures, but

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Miss Bryan had trained her so well that she was
ready for the social emergency. She sat down on a
footstool at her grandfather's knee and told him her days.
That is, she told him of everything but the masquerading.
She dared, not, of course, tell him that. But he

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scarcely heard her words. He was looking at her in
amusing troubled fashion. You see, he had been thinking of
Gentian in the time he was away, and of what
she had said of Rosemarie. It was Gentian who had
set him to thinking. Right in the middle of the
account of Rosemarie's lonely adventures, came a knock at the door,

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and there was Miss Prine again. If you please, now
the village policeman is down the hall again. It's the
third time this evening. Shall we say you're still busy? No,
I'll come and we will finish this to morrow, the
artist promised Rosemarie. It is bedtime now anyway, good night

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and sleep well. But out in the passage, she asked
of Miss Pride in a low voice, quickly tell me
you spoke of the mask before the child. Has she
been allowed to hear anything about it? That was against
my strictest orders. Has she been frightened? No, indeed she

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has heard nothing. Miss Prian assured him. It was just
in my eagerness not to let you think that I
had acted in advisedly in not allowing her to play
with those dreadful children, that I let the words slip.
Aside from this single time, she has not heard a word.
Why do you call them dreadful children? I liked the

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little girl ever so much. I had quite a talk
with her in the tulip garden. Yes, I I daresay
you would notice nothing. Oh, they are quiet enough and
well spoken, clean too. But the policeman has a tale
for you about them that may make you change your
mind as to letting Rosemarie have them for playmates. Is

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that what the policeman wants now? To complain about those youngsters? Yes,
he caught the boy with the mask. He's come about that.
The artist's face grew more sober and more sober all
the way down the stairs as he thought about this.
You know all that the policeman had to tell him,

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And so you shall hear what happened to Rosemarie that night.
For a wonderful thing did happen? She went to bed
with a glad heart, for had not her grand father
hinted that she might be allowed to play with Kay
and gente in Oh If only she were let do that,

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she would try never to be naughty again. She wondered
if Kay had got the mask safely to the wind Boy,
and was the wind Boy back with his comrades, now
one of them again in the clear land, perhaps she
herself would see the wind Boy sometime. Kay had said
that he liked to take his naps in the tulip garden.

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Tomorrow she would go softly there and watch. She would
make Miss Prine sit on the lowest stone step and
wait for her, for Rosemarie was not supposed to go
so far as the tulip garden by herself. Yes, she
would surely look for the wind Boy in the tulip

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garden tomorrow. In the midst of these happy thoughts, she
fell asleep. On a stand. At the head of Rosemarie's
bed stood a little silver bell. This was for her
to ring if she should wake in the night and
want anything. She never did ring it, for she always

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slept right through the night, as healthy children should. But
to night a strange thing happened. The silver bell at
the head of her bed was rung ever so lightly,
but not by Rosemarie. It was rung so softly that
Miss Prine, sleeping in the next room with the door ajar,

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did not hear it at all, but being right at
Rosemarie's ear, it woke her. She sat up in bed.
Who had rung it? The room was silvery with starlight,
and Rosemarie could see about in it quite well. Over
by one of the windows, the window the big dollhouse

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stood was something brighter than starlight. When Rosemarie looked at
it hard, she saw that it was a person. Who
are you? She whispered through the room, for she was
not sure at first that it was not just a dream.
The person did not answer at once, but moved toward

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her in starry brightness. She came to the edge of
Rosemary's bed and sat down there on the silk Coverlet
don't you know who I am? The starry person asked? Then,
why your Nan? The maid next door? Yes, I am Nan.

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But what a beautiful robe you're wearing. It's like the sky.
It makes you like a fairy, no nicer than any fairy.
Do you like it so? Much Gentian does too, and
now she has made herself one like it Gentian has.
Oh if I am allowed to play with her, will

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she let me see it? Is it really as beautiful
as yours? I thought she had only shabby, faded clothes,
rather funny ones. Will she show me her starry one? Yes?
I think she would if you were allowed to play
with her. But now you will not be allowed, for

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your grandfather will think it dangerous. Oh, but he has
promised that perhaps I may only to night. Truly. That
was before he saw the policeman. They were whispering their
faces close. NaN's eyes were more skylight than her nightgown,

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and her face was shining too. There was a smell
of pine needles about her, and spruce green leaves, and
a beautifous blows. Rosemary's breath was stopped with wonder you
smell like the woods? She said, forgetting NaN's words of

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the policemen and what they might mean. I have just
come from the mountains, not just to night. How could
you get way there and back just to night? I
saw you from my window at supper time, all in
my starry brightness. That's what Gentian caused this nightgown I

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can do that easily enough. Rosemarie reached her hand to
touch the starry stuff, but her fingers felt nothing at all.
She might as well have tried to touch starlight. Are
you a dream? She cried? Then? Am I asleep? Nan

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laughed merrily at that strange that that laugh did not
waken Miss Prine, not at all, Rosemarie? Could the dream
ring your bell? Do you think you did ring my bell?
Didn't you? That was what woke me. But if you
did ring it, then how did you get way over

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to the window there before I could open my eyes?
Nan laughed again, but more softly. If you will promise
not to think me a dream, I will tell you,
she said, leaning close until Rosemarie saw deep into her eyes. Well,
then I rang the bell while I was still in

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the mountains. Can you believe that I came all the
way in the instant while you were waking? After I
had rung the bell, Rosemarie gasped. Truly, she asked, But
really she did not mean to ask, for she knew

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very well that it was truly truly, it was only
her surprise, But to come all the way from the
mountains in the instant waking took after she heard the
bell at her ear, And how could Nan ever have
rung the bell when she was way off out there.

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It was too strange to understand, but never too strange
to believe when Nan said it, Why can't I touch you?
Since you're real and not a dream, Rosemary asked, because
I'm in my starry brightness? Oh is your night robe magic? No,

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of course not. Miss Prine should teach you not to
be so superstitious. There's no such thing as magic. That's
what Miss Prinor says too. But I thought now she
must be wrong. What else but magic? And help me
from touching you? And let you travel so fast and

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ring a bell from all that way away. Dear Rosemarie,
if I could tell you that, I would be very wonderful.
I myself don't know the howls of it, but I
do know it is not magic. They were silent for

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a while while Rosemarie wandered, but she kept her gaze
on NaN's eyes of sky and knew it was no dream.
Then she remembered what Nan had said of the policeman.
What about the policeman? How can he stop me from
playing with Genteene and Kay? She asked, Well, you see,

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he came to night to tell your grandfather that Kay
is the masker. Your grandfather will not like that in Kay.
He will think him bad and mischievous. But Kay isn't
the masker. He isn't bad and mischievous. He is brave
and splendid. Yes, But so long as your grandfather thinks

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he was the masker, he will think him bad and mischievous.
And if I tell him I was the masker, Rosemary
whispered ruefully, he will think I am bad and mischievous?
And what will he do to me? I don't know that,
but I do know, for the policeman has told me

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that he is going to shame Kay before all the
village tomorrow morning. He is to be expelled from school
for a week, and his mother will be very sad.
Oh bother, Why doesn't Kate tell him it was I, Rosemarie.
He must surely do that, and then I'll get the punishment. No,

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Kay won't say it was you. He didn't even tell
me that. How did you know? I only guessed? Oh dear,
what shall I do? Why won't Kay tell? He doesn't
want you to be scolded? He must be fond of you.

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What can I do? What do you think you can do?
There was a silence. Then Rosemarie said, but I am
afraid of grandfather. Nan did not answer that. Well, must
I tell him? Nan did not answer that either, And

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when I do, I suppose I'll never be allowed to
play with Kay and Genyen. Ever, that would be the
biggest punishment he could make. I didn't know I was
being naughty, truly. I didn't know about the little boy
who was made sick until Kay told me it was
only a game. Yes, I know. With Kay's eyes of

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sky so close to hers, Rosemarie suddenly had to stop
feeling sorry for herself self. Pity faded into nothingness. When
shall I tell him? She asked, now, so that you
can sleep well? He is sitting up late in his study.

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I saw the light as I came toward the house.
Oh did you come in through the secret door? Rosemary asked, then,
delighted by the sudden thought, It is my secret door.
You know? How did you find it? Not by the
secret door, you mean, But it was a secret door,

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and I found it for myself. Indeed, it was the
only way I could come to you tonight, wasn't it?
The door behind the sewringa bush. That's the only secret
door I know of. Rosemarie's eyes were sparkling at the
mystery of it. No, not the door behind the syringa bush.

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Where where is there another? Rosemary was all eagerness. My
secret door was a little one I found waiting ajar,
a little door into your mind. Rosemary shook her head
at that. She did not try to understand. I'll go

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to grandfather, then, she said, putting her feet out on
the polished floor. Do you suppose he will be terribly angry?
I don't know. I hope not, for I don't think
that you are really being very naughty. But when Rosemarie
had opened the door into the passage, she looked back
at Nan. It's pitchy dark, she whispered. All the lights

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are out and everyone in It was true. The passage
and the stairs were in utter darkness, except for a thin,
pale starlight that came from a high window somewhere. Rosemary
ran back to Nan, but in the middle of the
room she stopped. You could not be a coward before

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those eyes, But she asked, will you be waiting here
when I get back to tuck me in? Nan, Yes,
I'll be waiting here, Nan promised. So Rosemarie took heart
and went out into the dark passage. There she felt
her way along the wall to the stairs. No starlight

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reached the stairs, and all was utter darkness. Rosemary had
her eyes tight shut all the way down, but that
made no difference. She could have seen nothing with them open.
There was more starlight in the hall beneath, and that
helped her to the second flight of stairs. They were

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long and turning, but at their foot was her grandfather's
library door. Rosemarie to her mingled relief and fear, saw
the light shining through a crack at the bottom. She knocked,
ever so softly. Who is there? I Rosemarie? The artist

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came in quick strides to the door and flung it open.
He looked down in amazement at Rosemarie there in the darkness,
in her little white nightgown and bare feet. Oh, grandfather,
there is something I must tell you. Couldn't it wait
until the morning, my dear child. No, at least, Nan

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thought I couldn't sleep well till you knew who is Nan?
The girl from the mountains. But it's the masker I've
got to tell you about, oh, grandfather, It was I
all the time, never kay kay only caught me and
took the mask away to the wind boy. The artist's

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brows knit into a puzzled frown. What was all this about?
A girl from the mountains and the wind boy? Was
it Gentian's wind boy? And rose Marie the masker? And
what was she doing here? His perfectly cared for little
granddaughter standing in the dark, drafty hall in her nightgown

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and bare feet. Where was miss Pride anyway? What was
it all about? He ran his hand through his clustering
gray curls, curls so like the wind boys. Then he
laid Rosemarie into the room and made her sit on
the sofa. He wrapped her round and round, bare feet,

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and all in a gaze, striped Roman's shawl, Then, pulling
a chair up in front of her, he sat down
in it. Now, Rosemary, begin at the very beginning and
tell me everything. Don't cry. Rosemary had not known. There
were tears in her eyes. How could you be the masker?

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That's absurd? So Rosemary wiped away the surprising tears with
the corner of the shawl and did tell her grandfather everything.
When she had come to an end. He sat silent
for many minutes. Then he said, slowly, wonderingly, Nan, in

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starry brightness in your room must have been a dream.
And the wind boy, well, perhaps he's a dream of
Gentian and Kay's, but all the rest seems real enough.
And then, to Rosemary's utter surprise, her grandfather suddenly took
her upon his knee, Roman s all and all, and

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leaned her head against his shoulder. How lonely you have been,
he said, in the saddest, kindest voice. It is all
your selfish old grandfather's fault. You should have had playmates
all this while mea cowper. They sat that way for
a long time, not speaking more, and after a time Rosemary,

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in spite of the deliciousness of being loved by her grandfather,
fell asleep. When she woke, it was morning and she
was back in her bed in her high nursery room.
But it was still very early and Miss Prime was
not yet stirring. Rosemary lay the only one awake in

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the great still house right at once, though she knew
that last night had not been a dream, for she
was still wrapped around in the Roman shawl from the
sofa in her grandfather's library. Oh, wouldn't miss Prine be
surprised when she found her? So? But she couldn't scold grandfather,

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wouldn't let her? Rosemarie sat up. There was sunlight instead
of starlight at the windows now, but over the silk
coverlet and through the room hung faintly the smell of
pine and spruce and green leaves and arbutus, Oh, why

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hadn't she kept herself awake to say good night to Nan?
End of chapter fifteen.