Ходячий замок
Chapter 12
ItexplainedJaneFarrier’sCountWhatsit.ItpossiblyexplainedthejealouslyoftheWitchoftheWaste.ItwasasifSophiehadalwaysknownthis.Butshehadthoughtitwasnotpropertohaveamagicgiftbecauseshewastheeldestofthree.Lettiehadbeenfarmoresensibleaboutsuchthings.
Thenshethoughtofthegray-and-scarletsuitandnearlyfelldownstairswithdismay.Shewastheonewhohadputthecharmonthat.Shecouldhearherselfnow,murmuringtoit.“Builttopullinthegirls!”shehadtoldit.Andofcourseitdid.IthadcharmedLettiethatdayintheorchard.Yesterday,somewhatdisguised,itmusthavehaditseffectonMissAngoriantoo.
Oh,dear!Sophiethought.I’vegoneanddoubledthenumberofheartshe’llhavebroken!Imustgetthatsuitoffhimsomehow!
Howl,inthatsamesuit,waswaitinginthecoolblack-and-whitehallwithMichael.MichaelnudgedHowlinaworriedwayasSophiecameslowlydownthestairsbehindthepageboy.Howllookedsaddened.“Youseemabitragged,”hesaid.“Ithinkwe’dbetterskipseeingtheKing.I’llgoblackenmyownnamewhenImakeyourexcuses.Icansaymywickedwayshavemadeyouill.Thatcouldbetrue,fromthelookofyou.”
SophiecertainlydidnotwishtoseetheKing.ButshethoughtofwhatCalciferhadsaid.IftheKingcommandedHowltogointotheWasteandtheWitchcaughthim,Sophie’sownchanceofbeingyoungagainwouldhavegonetoo.
Sheshookherhead.“AfterMrs.Pentstemmon,”shesaid,“theKingofIngarywillseemjustlikeanordinaryperson.”
