little lord fauntleroy-第1部分

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LITTLE　LORD　FAUNTLEROY



BY　FRANCES　HODGSON　BURNETT



















I







Cedric　himself　knew　nothing　whatever　about　it。　　It　had　never　been



even　mentioned　to　him。　　He　knew　that　his　papa　had　been　an



Englishman；　because　his　mamma　had　told　him　so；　but　then　his　papa



had　died　when　he　was　so　little　a　boy　that　he　could　not　remember



very　much　about　him；　except　that　he　was　big；　and　had　blue　eyes



and　a　long　mustache；　and　that　it　was　a　splendid　thing　to　be



carried　around　the　room　on　his　shoulder。　　Since　his　papa's　death；



Cedric　had　found　out　that　it　was　best　not　to　talk　to　his　mamma



about　him。　　When　his　father　was　ill；　Cedric　had　been　sent　away；



and　when　he　had　returned；　everything　was　over；　and　his　mother；



who　had　been　very　ill；　too；　was　only　just　beginning　to　sit　in　her



chair　by　the　window。　　She　was　pale　and　thin；　and　all　the　dimples



had　gone　from　her　pretty　face；　and　her　eyes　looked　large　and



mournful；　and　she　was　dressed　in　black。







〃Dearest；〃　said　Cedric　（his　papa　had　called　her　that　always；



and　so　the　little　boy　had　learned　to　say　it）；〃dearest；　is　my



papa　better？〃　







He　felt　her　arms　tremble；　and　so　he　turned　his　curly　head　and



looked　in　her　face。　　There　was　something　in　it　that　made　him　feel



that　he　was　going　to　cry。







〃Dearest；〃　he　said；　〃is　he　well？〃







Then　suddenly　his　loving　little　heart　told　him　that　he'd　better



put　both　his　arms　around　her　neck　and　kiss　her　again　and　again；



and　keep　his　soft　cheek　close　to　hers；　and　he　did　so；　and　she



laid　her　face　on　his　shoulder　and　cried　bitterly；　holding　him　as



if　she　could　never　let　him　go　again。







〃Yes；　he　is　well；〃　she　sobbed；　〃he　is　quite；　quite　well；　but



wewe　have　no　one　left　but　each　other。　　No　one　at　all。〃







Then；　little　as　he　was；　he　understood　that　his　big；　handsome



young　papa　would　not　come　back　any　more；　that　he　was　dead；　as　he



had　heard　of　other　people　being；　although　he　could　not　comprehend



exactly　what　strange　thing　had　brought　all　this　sadness　about。　



It　was　because　his　mamma　always　cried　when　he　spoke　of　his　papa



that　he　secretly　made　up　his　mind　it　was　better　not　to　speak　of



him　very　often　to　her；　and　he　found　out；　too；　that　it　was　better



not　to　let　her　sit　still　and　look　into　the　fire　or　out　of　the



window　without　moving　or　talking。　　He　and　his　mamma　knew　very　few



people；　and　lived　what　might　have　been　thought　very　lonely　lives；



although　Cedric　did　not　know　it　was　lonely　until　he　grew　older



and　heard　why　it　was　they　had　no　visitors。　　Then　he　was　told　that



his　mamma　was　an　orphan；　and　quite　alone　in　the　world　when　his



papa　had　married　her。　　She　was　very　pretty；　and　had　been　living



as　companion　to　a　rich　old　lady　who　was　not　kind　to　her；　and　one



day　Captain　Cedric　Errol；　who　was　calling　at　the　house；　saw　her



run　up　the　stairs　with　tears　on　her　eyelashes；　and　she　looked　so



sweet　and　innocent　and　sorrowful　that　the　Captain　could　not



forget　her。　　And　after　many　strange　things　had　happened；　they



knew　each　other　well　and　loved　each　other　dearly；　and　were



married；　although　their　marriage　brought　them　the　ill…will　of



several　persons。　　The　one　who　was　most　angry　of　all；　however；　was



the　Captain's　father；　who　lived　in　England；　and　was　a　very　rich



and　important　old　nobleman；　with　a　very　bad　temper　and　a　very



violent　dislike　to　America　and　Americans。　　He　had　two　sons　older



than　Captain　Cedric；　and　it　was　the　law　that　the　elder　of　these



sons　should　inherit　the　family　title　and　estates；　which　were　very



rich　and　splendid；　if　the　eldest　son　died；　the　next　one　would　be



heir；　so；　though　he　was　a　member　of　such　a　great　family；　there



was　little　chance　that　Captain　Cedric　would　be　very　rich　himself。







But　it　so　happened　that　Nature　had　given　to　the　youngest　son



gifts　which　she　had　not　bestowed　upon　his　elder　brothers。　　He　had



a　beautiful　face　and　a　fine；　strong；　graceful　figure；　he　had　a



bright　smile　and　a　sweet；　gay　voice；　he　was　brave　and　generous；



and　had　the　kindest　heart　in　the　world；　and　seemed　to　have　the



power　to　make　every　one　love　him。　　And　it　was　not　so　with　his



elder　brothers；　neither　of　them　was　handsome；　or　very　kind；　or



clever。　　When　they　were　boys　at　Eton；　they　were　not　popular；　when



they　were　at　college；　they　cared　nothing　for　study；　and　wasted



both　time　and　money；　and　made　few　real　friends。　　The　old　Earl；



their　father；　was　constantly　disappointed　and　humiliated　by　them；



his　heir　was　no　honor　to　his　noble　name；　and　did　not　promise　to



end　in　being　anything　but　a　selfish；　wasteful；　insignificant　man；



with　no　manly　or　noble　qualities。　　It　was　very　bitter；　the　old



Earl　thought；　that　the　son　who　was　only　third；　and　would　have



only　a　very　small　fortune；　should　be　the　one　who　had　all　the



gifts；　and　all　the　charms；　and　all　the　strength　and　beauty。　



Sometimes　he　almost　hated　the　handsome　young　man　because　he



seemed　to　have　the　good　things　which　should　have　gone　with　the



stately　title　and　the　magnificent　estates；　and　yet；　in　the　depths



of　his　proud；　stubborn　old　heart；　he　could　not　help　caring　very



much　for　his　youngest　son。　　It　was　in　one　of　his　fits　of



petulance　that　he　sent　him　off　to　travel　in　America；　he　thought



he　would　send　him　away　for　a　while；　so　that　he　should　not　be　made



angry　by　constantly　contrasting　him　with　his　brothers；　who　were



at　that　time　giving　him　a　great　deal　of　trouble　by　their　wild



ways。







But；　after　about　six　months；　he　began　to　feel　lonely；　and　longed



in　secret　to　see　his　son　again；　so　he　wrote　to　Captain　Cedric　and



ordered　him　home。　　The　letter　he　wrote　crossed　on　its　way　a



letter　the　Captain　had　just　written　to　his　father；　telling　of　his



love　for　the　pretty　American　girl；　and　of　his　intended　marriage；



and　when　the　Earl　received　that　letter　he　was　furiously　angry。　



Bad　as　his　temper　was；　he　had　never　given　way　to　it　in　his　life



as　he　gave　way　to　it　when　he　read　the　Captain's　letter。　　His



valet；　who　was　in　the　room　when　it　came；　thought　his　lordship



would　have　a　fit　of　apoplexy；　he　was　so　wild　with　anger。　　For　an



hour　he　raged　like　a　tiger；　and　then　he　sat　down　and　wrote　to　his



son；　and　ordered　him　never　to　come　near　his　old　home；　nor　to



write　to　his　father　or　brothers　again。　　He　told　him　he　might　live



as　he　pleased；　and　die　where　he　pleased；　that　he　should　be　cut



off　from　his　family　forever；　and　that　he　need　never　expect　help



from　his　father　as　long　as　he　lived。







The　Captain　was　very　sad　when　he　read　the　letter；　he　was　very



fond　of　England；　and　he　dearly　loved　the　beautiful　home　where　he



had　been　born；　he　had　even　loved　his　ill…tempered　old　father；　and



had　sympathized　with　him　in　his　disappointments；　but　he　knew　he



need　expect　no　kindness　from　him　in　the　future。　　At　first　he



scarcely　knew　what　to　do；　he　had　not　been　brought　up　to　work；　and



had　no　business　experience；　but　he　had　courage　and　plenty　of



determination。　　So　he　sold　his　commission　in　the　English　army；



and　after　some　trouble　found　a　situation　in　New　York；　and



married。　　The　change　from　his　old　life　in　England　was　very　great；



but　he　was　young　and　happy；　and　he　hoped　that　hard　work　would　do



great　things　for　him　in　the　future。　　He　had　a　small　house　on　a



quiet　street；　and　his　little　boy　was　born　there；　and　everything



was　so　gay　and　cheerful；　in　a　simple　way；　that　he　was　never　sorry



for　a　moment　that　he　had　married　the　rich　old　lady's　pretty



companion　just　because　she　was　so　sweet　and　he　loved　her　and　she



loved　him。　　She　was　very　sweet；　indeed；　and　her　little　boy　was



like　both　her　and　his　father。　　Though　he　was　born　in　so　quiet　and



cheap　a　little　home；　it　seemed　as　if　there　never　had　been　a　more



fortunate　baby。　　In　the　first　place；　he　was　always　well；　and　so



he　never　gave　any　one　trouble；　in　the　second　place；　he　had　so



sweet　a　temper　and　ways　so　charming　that　he　was　a　pleasure　to



every　one；　and　in　the　third　place；　he　was　so　beautiful　to　look　at



that　he　was　quite　a　picture。　　Instead　of　being　a　bald…headed



baby；　he　started　in　life　with　a　quantity　of　soft；　fine；



gold…colored　hair；　which　curled　up　at　the　ends；　and　went　into



loose　rings　by　the　time　he　was　six　months　old；　he　had　big　brown



eyes　and　long　eyelashes　and　a　darling　little　face；　he　had　so



strong　a　back　and　such　splendid　sturdy　legs；　that　at　nine　months



he　learned　suddenly　to　walk；　his　manners　were　so　good；　for　a



baby；　that　it　was　delightful　to　make　his　acquaintance。　　He　seemed



to　feel　that　every　one　was　his　friend；　and　when　any　one　spoke　to



him；　when　he　was　in　his　carriage　in　the　street；　he　would　give　the



stranger　one　sweet；　serious　look　with　the　brown　eyes；　and　then



follow　it　with　a　lovely；　friendly　smile；　and　the　consequence　was；



that　there　was　not　a　person　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　quiet



street　where　he　livedeven　to　the　groceryman　at　the　corner；　who



was　considered　the　crossest　creature　alivewho　was　not　pleased



to　see　him　and　speak　to　him。　　And　every　month　of　his　life　he　grew



handsomer　and　more　interesting。







When　he　was　old　enough　to　walk　out　with　his　nurse；　dragging　a



small　wagon　and　wearing　a　short　white　kilt　skirt；　and　a　big　white



hat　set　back　on　his　curly　yellow　hair；　he　was　so　handsome　and



strong　and　rosy　that　he　attracted　every　one's　attention；　and　his



nurse　would　come　home　and　tell　his　mamma　stories　of　the　ladies



who　had　stopped　their　carriages　to　look　at　and　speak　to　him；　and



of　how　pleased　they　were　when　he　talked　to　them