Дети железной дороги
Prisoners and captives.
"Notit;theInfirmarymorelike—"
ThenthevoiceoftheStationMasterwasheard,firmandofficial:—
"Now,then—movealongthere.I’llattendtothis,ifYOUplease."
Butthecrowddidnotmove.Andthencameavoicethatthrilledthechildrenthroughandthrough.Foritspokeinaforeignlanguage.And,whatismore,itwasalanguagethattheyhadneverheard.TheyhadheardFrenchspokenandGerman.AuntEmmaknewGerman,andusedtosingasongaboutbedeutenandzeitenandbinandsin.NorwasitLatin.PeterhadbeeninLatinforfourterms.
Itwassomecomfort,anyhow,tofindthatnoneofthecrowdunderstoodtheforeignlanguageanybetterthanthechildrendid.
"What’sthathe’ssaying?"askedthefarmer,heavily.
"SoundslikeFrenchtome,"saidtheStationMaster,whohadoncebeentoBoulognefortheday.
"Itisn’tFrench!"criedPeter.
"Whatisit,then?"askedmorethanonevoice.Thecrowdfellbackalittletoseewhohadspoken,andPeterpressedforward,sothatwhenthecrowdclosedupagainhewasinthefrontrank.
"Idon’tknowwhatitis,"saidPeter,"butitisn’tFrench.Iknowthat."Thenhesawwhatitwasthatthecrowdhadforitscentre.Itwasaman—theman,Peterdidnotdoubt,whohadspokeninthatstrangetongue.
