The Magician’s Nephew читать онлайн

y.“It isn’t half so funny as Polly,” said Digory.“Yes it is,” said Polly.“No, it isn’t,” said Digory.“At any rate I do wash my face,” said Polly, “Which is what you need to do; especially after—” and then she stopped. She had been going to say “After you’ve been blubbing,” but she thought that wouldn’t be polite.“Alright, I have then,” said Digory in a much louder voice, like a boy who was so miserable that he didn’t care who knew he had been crying. “And so would you,” he went on, “if you’d lived all your life in the country and had a pony, and a river at the bottom of the garden, and then been brought to live in a beastly Hole like this.”“London isn’t a Hole,” said Polly indignantly. But the boy was too wound up to take any notice of her, and he went on “And if your father was away in India—and you had to come and live with an Aunt and an Uncle who’s mad (who would like that?)—and if the reason was that they were looking after your Mother—and if your Mother was ill and was going to—going to—die.” Then his face went the wrong sort of shape as it does if you’re trying to keep back your tears.“I didn’t know. I’m sorry,” said Polly humbly. And then, because she hardly knew what to say, and also to turn Digory’s mind to cheerful subjects, she asked:“Is Mr Ketterley really mad?”“Well either he’s mad,” said Digory, “or there’s some other mystery. He has a study on the top floor and Aunt Letty says I must never go up there. Well, that looks fishy to begin with. And then there’s another thing. Whenever he tries to say anything to me at meal times—he never even tries to talk to her—she always shuts him up. She says, “Don’t worry the boy, Andrew” or “I’m sure Digory doesn’t want to hear about that” or else “Now, Digory, wouldn’t