《THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER》第28章

in　and　out　of　her　open　window　and　the　lawn　outside　looking　very　like　somewhere　in england。
she　got　up　and　dressed　and　tried　to　talk　and　eat　ordinarily　at　breakfast。 then；　after　being　instructed　by　the　chief　voice　about　what　she　was　to　do　upstairs；　she　bid goodbye　to　the　others；　said　nothing；　walked　to　the　bottom　of　the　stairs；　and　began　going up　them　without　once　looking　back。
it　was　quite　light；　that　was　one　good　thing。　there　was；　indeed；　a　window straight　ahead　of　her　at　the　top　of　the　first　flight。　as　long　as　she　was　9n　that　flight　she could　hear　the　tick…tock…tick…tock　of　a　grandfather　clock　in　the　hall　below。　then　she　came　to the　landing　and　had　to　turn　to　her　left　up　the　next　flight；　after　that　she　couldnt　hear the　clock　any　more。
now　she　had　e　to　the　top　of　the　stairs。　lucy　looked　and　saw　a　long；　wide passage　with　a　large　window　at　the　far　end。　apparently　the　passage　ran　the　whole length　of　the　house。　it　was　carved　and　panelled　and　carpeted　and　very　many　doors　opened off　it　on　each　side。　she　stood　still　and　couldnt　hear　the　squeak　of　a　mouse；　or　the buzzing　of　a　fly；　or　the　swaying　of　a　curtain；　or　anything　…　except　the　beating　of　her　own heart。
〃the　last　doorway　on　the　left；〃　she　said　to　herself。　it　did　seem　a　bit　hard that　it　should　be　the　last。　to　reach　it　she　would　have　to　walk　past　room　after　room。　and　in any　room　there　might　be　the　magician　…　asleep；　or　awake；　or　invisible；　or　even　dead。　but it　wouldnt　do　to　think　about　that。　she　set　out　on　her　journey。　the　carpet　was　so　thick　that her　feet　made　no　noise。
〃theres　nothing　whatever　to　be　afraid　of　yet；〃　lucy　told　herself。　and certainly　it　was　a　quiet；　sunlit　passage；　perhaps　a　bit　too　quiet。　it　would　have　been　nicer　if there　had　not　been　strange　signs　painted　in　scarlet　on　the　doors　twisty；　plicated things　which　obviously　had　a　meaning　and　it　mightnt　be　a　very　nice　meaning　either。　it would　have　been　nicer　still　if　there　werent　those　masks　hanging　on　the　wall。　not　that they　were　exactly　ugly　…　or　not　so　very　ugly　…　but　the　empty　eye…holes　did　look queer；　and　if　you　let　yourself　you　would　soon　start　imagining　that　the　masks　were　doing　things　as soon　as　your　back　was　turned　to　them。
after　about　the　sixth　door　she　got　her　first　real　fright。　for　one　second she　felt　almost　certain　that　a　wicked　little　bearded　face　had　popped　out　of　the　wall　and made　a　grimace　at　her。　she　forced　herself　to　stop　and　look　at　it。　and　it　was　not　a　face　at all。　it　was　a　little　mirror　just　the　size　and　shape　of　her　own　face；　with　hair　on　the　top　of　it and　a　beard　hanging　down　from　it；　so　that　when　you　looked　in　the　mirror　your　own　face fitted　into　the　hair　and　beard　and　it　looked　as　if　they　belonged　to　you。　〃i　just　caught　my own　reflection　with　the　tail　of　my　eye　as　i　went　past；〃　said　lucy　to　herself。　〃that　was all　it　was。　its　quite
harmless。〃　but　she　didnt　like　the　look　of　her　own　face　with　that　hair　and beard；　and　went　on。　（i　dont　know　what　the　bearded　glass　was　for　because　i　am　not　a magician。）
before　she　reached　the　last　door　on　the　left；　lucy　was　beginning　to　wonder whether　the　corridor　had　grown　longer　since　she　began　her　journey　and　whether　this　was part　of　the　magic　of　the　house。　but　she　got　to　it　at　last。　and　the　door　was　open。
it　was　a　large　room　with　three　big　windows　and　it　was　lined　from　floor　to ceiling　with　books；　more　books　than　lucy　had　ever　seen　before；　tiny　little　books；　fat and　dumpy　books；　and　books　bigger　than　any　church　bible　you　have　ever　seen；　all　bound in　leather　and　smelling　old　and　learned　and　magical。　but　she　knew　from　her instructions　that　she　need　not　bother　about　any　of　these。　for　the　book；　the　magic　book；　was　lying on　a　reading…desk　in　the　very　middle　of　the　room。　she　saw　she　would　have　to　read it　standing　（and　anyway　there　were　no　chairs）　and　also　that　she　would　have　to　stand with　her　back　to　the　door　while　she　read　it。　so　at　once　she　turned　to　shut　the　door。
it　wouldnt　shut。
some　people　may　disagree　with　lucy　about　this；　but　i　think　she　was　quite right。　she　said　she　wouldnt　have　minded　if　she　could　have　shut　the　door；　but　that　it　was unpleasant　to　have　to　stand　in　a　place　like　that　with　an　open　doorway　right　behind　your back。　i　should　have　felt　just　the　same。　but　there　was　nothing　else　to　be　done。
one　thing　that　worried　her　a　good　deal　was　the　size　of　the　book。　the　chief voice　had　not　been　able　to　give　her　any　idea　whereabouts　in　the　book　the　spell　for　making things　visible　came。　he　even　seemed　rather　surprised　at　her　asking。　he　expected her　to　begin　at　the　beginning　and　go　on　till　she　came　to　it；　obviously　he　had　never　thought that　there　was　any　other　way　of　finding　a　place　in　a　book。　〃but　it　might　take　me　days　and weeks！〃　said　lucy；　looking　at　the　huge　volume；　〃and　i　feel　already　as　if　id　been　in this　place　for　hours。”
she　went　up　to　the　desk　and　laid　her　hand　on　the　book；　her　fingers　tingled when　she　touched　it　as　if　it　were　full　of　electricity。　she　tried　to　open　it　but couldnt　at　first；　this；　however；　was　only　because　it　was　fastened　by　two　leaden　clasps；　and　when she　had　undone　these　it　opened　easily　enough。　and　what　a　book　it　was！
it　was　written；　not　printed；　written　in　a　clear；　even　hand；　with　thick downstrokes　and　thin　upstrokes；　very　large；　easier　than　print；　and　so　beautiful　that　lucy　stared at　it　for　a　whole　minute　and　forgot　about　reading　it。　the　paper　was　crisp　and　smooth　and　a nice　smell　came　from　it；　and　in　the　margins；　and　round　the　big　coloured　capital letters　at　the　beginning　of　each　spell；　there　were　pictures。
there　was　no　title　page　or　title；　the　spells　began　straight　away；　and　at first　there　was　nothing　very　important　in　them。　they　were　cures　for　warts　（by　washing　your hands　in　moonlight　in　a　silver　basin）　and　toothache　and　cramp；　and　a　spell　for taking　a　swarm　of　bees。　the　picture　of　the　man　with　toothache　was　so　lifelike　that　it　would have　set　your
own　teeth　aching　if　you　looked　at　it　too　long；　and　the　golden　bees　which were　dotted　all　round　the　fourth　spell　looked　for　a　moment　as　if　they　were　really　flying。
lucy　could　hardly　tear　herself　away　from　that　first　page；　but　when　she turned　over；　the　next　was　just　as　interesti