So while Digory was staring out of the dining-room window, Polly was lying in bed, and both were thinking how terribly slowly the time could go.
I think, myself, I would rather have been in Polly's position. She had only to wait for the end of her two hours: but every few minutes Digory would hear a cab or a baker's van (货车) or a butcher's (屠夫) boy coming round the corner and think "Here she comes", and then find it wasn't.
And in between these false alarms, for what seemed hours and hours, the clock ticked on and one big fly (苍蝇)- high up and far out of reach buzzed (发出嗡嗡声) against the window.
It was one of those houses that get very quiet and dull in the afternoon and always seem to smell of mutton (羊肉).
During his long watching and waiting one small thing happened which I shall have to mention because something important came of it later on.
A lady called with some grapes for Digory's Mother; and as the dining-room door was open, Digory couldn't help overhearing (无意中听到) Aunt Letty and the lady as they talked in the hall.
"What lovely grapes!" came Aunt Letty's voice. "I'm sure if anything could do her good these would. But poor, dear little Mabel! I'm afraid it would need fruit from the land of youth to help her now.
Nothing in this world will do much." Then they both lowered their voices and said a lot more that he could not hear.
If he had heard that bit about the land of youth a few days ago he would have thought Aunt Letty was just talking without meaning anything in particular, the way grown-ups do, and it wouldn't have interested him.
He almost thought so now. But suddenly it flashed upon his mind that he now knew (even if Aunt Letty didn't) that there really were other worlds and that he himself had been in one of them. At that rate there might be a real Land of Youth somewhere.
There might be almost anything. There might be fruit in some other world that would really cure (治愈) his mother!
And oh, oh - Well, you know how it feels if you begin hoping for something that you want desperately (极度地) badly; you almost fight against the hope because it is too good to be true; you've been disappointed so often before.
That was how Digory felt. But it was no good trying to throttle (扼杀) this hope. It might really, really, it just might be true. So many odd (古怪的) things had happened already. And he had the magic rings.
There must be worlds you could get to through every pool in the wood. He could hunt through them all. And then Mother well again. Everything right again.
He forgot all about watching for the Witch. His hand was already going into the pocket where he kept the yellow ring, when all at once he heard a sound of galloping (疾驰).
"Hullo! What's that?" thought Digory. "Fire-engine (消防车)? I wonder what house is on fire. Great Scott, it's coming here. Why, it's Her."
I needn't tell you who he meant by Her.
First came the hansom (双轮马车). There was no one in the driver's seat. On the roof - not sitting, but standing on the roof swaying (摇晃) with superb (极好的) balance as it came at full speed round the corner with one wheel in the air - was Jadis, the Queen of Queens and the Terror of Charn.{1}
Her teeth were bared, her eyes shone like fire, and her long hair streamed out behind her like a comet's (彗星) tail. She was flogging (鞭打) the horse without mercy.
Its nostrils (鼻孔) were wide and red and its sides were spotted (满是斑点) with foam (泡沫). It galloped madly up to the front door, missing the lamp-post (灯柱) by an inch, and then reared up (用后腿站立) on its hind legs. {2}
The hansom crashed into the lamp-post and shattered (打碎) into several pieces. The Witch, with a magnificent (华丽的) jump, had sprung (弹起) clear just in time and landed on the horse's back.
She settled herself astride (跨着) and leaned forward, whispering things in its ear. They must have been things meant not to quiet it but to madden it.
It was on its hind legs again in a moment, and its neigh was like a scream (呼啸); it was all hoofs (蹄) and teeth and eyes and tossing mane (鬃毛). Only a splendid (出色的) rider could have stayed on its back.
Before Digory had recovered his breath a good many other things began to happen. A second hansom dashed up close behind the first: out of it there jumped a fat man in a frock-coat (男士大衣) and a policeman.
Then came a third hansom with two more policemen in it. After it, came about twenty people (mostly errand boys (童仆) on bicycles, all ringing their bells and letting out cheers and cat-calls (嘘声).
Last of all came a crowd of people on foot: all very hot with running, but obviously (明显地) enjoying themselves. Windows shot up in all the houses of that street and a housemaid or a butler (男管家) appeared at every front door. They wanted to see the fun.
Meanwhile (同时) an old gentleman had begun to struggle (挣扎) shakily out of the ruins of the first hansom. Several people rushed forward to help him; but as one pulled him one way and another another, perhaps he would have got out quite as quickly on his own.
Digory guessed that the old gentleman must be Uncle Andrew but you couldn't see his face; his tall hat had been bashed down over it.
Digory rushed out and joined the crowd.
"That's the woman, that's the woman," cried the fat man, pointing at Jadis. "Do your duty, Constable (治安官).
Hundreds and thousands of pounds' worth she's taken out of my shop. Look at that rope (项链) of pearls round her neck. That's mine. And she's given me a black eye too, what's more."
"That she 'as, guv'nor," said one of the crowd. "And as lovely a black eye as I'd wish to see. Beautiful bit of work that must 'ave been. Gor! ain't she strong then!"{3}
"You ought to put a nice raw beefsteak (牛排) on it, Mister, that's what it wants," said a butcher's boy.
"Now then," said the most important of the policemen, "what's all this 'ere?"
"I tell you she -" began the fat man, when someone else called out:
"Don't let the old cove in the cab get away. 'E put 'er up to it."{4}
The old gentleman, who was certainly Uncle Andrew, had just succeeded in standing up and was rubbing his bruises (擦伤). "Now then," said the policeman, turning to him, "What's all this?"
"Womfle - pomfy - shomf," came Uncle Andrew's voice from inside the hat.
"None of that now," said the policeman sternly. "You'll find this is no laughing matter. Take that 'at off, see?"
This was more easily said than done. But after Uncle Andrew had struggled in vain with the hat for some time, two other policemen seized it by the brim (边缘) and forced it off.
"Thank you, thank you," said Uncle Andrew in a faint voice. "Thank you. Dear me, I'm terribly shaken. If someone could give me a small glass of brandy -"
"Now you attend to me, if you please," said the policeman, taking out a very large note book and a very small pencil. "Are you in charge of that there young woman?"
"Look out!" called several voices, and the policeman jumped a step backwards just in time. The horse had aimed a kick (踢) at him which would probably have killed him.
Then the Witch wheeled the horse round so that she faced the crowd and its hind-legs were on the footpath (人行道). She had a long, bright knife in her hand and had been busily cutting the horse free from the wreck (残骸) of the hansom.