《The Lion, the Witch and the War》第8章

and　edmund　gave　a　very　superior　look　as　if　he　were　far　older　than　lucy （there　was　really　only　a　years　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。　theres　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。　whats the　matter　with　her？　thats　the　worst　of　young　kids；　they　always　…”
〃look　here；〃　said　peter；　turning　on　him　savagely；　〃shut　up！　youve　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　its　all　nonsense；〃　said　edmund；　very　taken　aback。
〃of　course　its　all　nonsense；〃　said　peter；　〃thats　just　the　point。　lu　was perfectly　all　right　when　we　left　home；　but　since　weve　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　youll　do　by　jeering　and　nagging　at　her　one　day　and　encouraging　her the　next？”
〃i　thought　…　i　thought；〃　said　edmund；　but　he　couldnt　think　of　anything　to say。
〃you　didnt　think　anything　at　all；〃　said　peter；　〃its　just　spite。　youve always　liked　being　beastly　to　anyone　smaller　than　yourself；　weve　seen　that　at　school　before now。”
〃do　stop　it；〃　said　susan；　〃it　wont　make　things　any　better　having　a　row between　you　two。
lets　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　dont　care　what　you　think；　and　i　dont　care　what　you　say。　you　can　tell the　professor　or　you　can　write　to　mother　or　you　can　do　anything　you　like。　i　know　ive　met　a faun　in　there　and　…　i　wish　id　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　wasnt　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。　〃hell　write　to　father　if　he　thinks　there　is　really something　wrong　with　lu；〃　said　peter；　〃its　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　sisters　story　is　not　true？”
〃oh；　but　…〃　began　susan；　and　then　stopped。　anyone　could　see　from　the　old mans　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？”
〃thats　just　the　funny　thing　about　it；　sir；〃　said　peter。　〃up　till　now；　id have　said　lucy　every　time。”
〃and　what　do　you　think；　my　dear？〃　said　the　professor；　turning　to　susan。
〃well；〃　said　susan；　〃in　general；　id　say　the　same　as　peter；　but　this couldnt　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　mightnt　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　didnt　know　what　to　think。
〃logic！〃　said　the　professor　half　to　himself。　〃why　dont　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　doesnt　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　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　doesnt　everyone find　this　country　every　time　they　go　to　the　wardrobe？　i　mean；　there　was　nothing　there　when　we looked；　even　lucy　didnt　pretend　the　was。”
〃what　has　that　to　do　with　it？〃　said　the　professor。
〃well；　sir；　if　things　are　real；　theyre　there　all　the　time。”
〃are　they？〃　said　the　professor；　and　peter　didnt　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