第3部分(第1/5 頁)

It　was　a　children's　Christmas　play。　Merrick　loved　it。　It　was　a　most　wonderful；　exciting　story。　Often　he　laughed；　and　sometimes　he　tried　to　sing　like　the　children　in　the　theatre。　He　was　like　a　child。　For　him；　everything　in　the　story　was　true。

Once　he　was　very　afraid；　because　the　bad　man　in　the　play　was　angry　and　had　a　knife。　At　first　Merrick　wanted　to　leave　the　theatre；　but　I　stopped　him。　Then　he　was　very　angry　with　this　bad　man　in　the　play。　He　hit　his　hand　on　his　chair；　and　stood　up　and　talked　to　the　man。　But　nobody　heard　him。　When 42the　bad　man　went　to　prison；　Merrick　laughed。

Merrick　thought　the　beautiful　young　lady　in　the　play　was　wonderful。　He　wanted　to　talk　to　her　too。　At　the　end　of　the　play　he　was　very　happy　because　she　married　a　good　young　man。

He　remembered　this　play　for　a　long　time；　and　he　talked　a　lot　about　the　people　in　it。　‘What　do　you　think　they　did　after　we　left？’he　asked　me。　‘Where　do　the　young　lady　and　the　young　man　live？　What　are　they　doing　now？’

‘I　don't　know；　I　said。　‘Perhaps　they　live　in　the　country。　’

Merrick　thought　about　this　for　a　long　time。　Then　he　said：‘Dr　Treves；　can　I　go　to　the　country；　please？I　saw　the　country　once　from　a　train；　but　I　never　went　there。　I　often　read　about　it　in　books。　It's　very　beautiful；　isn't　it？I　would　like　to　see　it。　’

The　visit　to　the　theatre　was　difficult　but　a　visit　to　the　country　was　more　difficult。　But　again；　one　of　his　new　friends　helped　us。　She　had　a　small　house　in　the　count