little lord fauntleroy-第10部分

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played　with　the　children；　there　was　always　magnificent　fun　on



hand。　　Among　the　sailors　he　had　the　heartiest　friends；　he　heard



miraculous　stories　about　pirates　and　shipwrecks　and　desert



islands；　he　learned　to　splice　ropes　and　rig　toy　ships；　and　gained



an　amount　of　information　concerning　〃tops'ls〃　and　〃mains'ls；〃



quite　surprising。　　His　conversation　had；　indeed；　quite　a　nautical



flavor　at　times；　and　on　one　occasion　he　raised　a　shout　of



laughter　in　a　group　of　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　were　sitting　on



deck；　wrapped　in　shawls　and　overcoats；　by　saying　sweetly；　and



with　a　very　engaging　expression：







〃Shiver　my　timbers；　but　it's　a　cold　day！〃







It　surprised　him　when　they　laughed。　　He　had　picked　up　this



sea…faring　remark　from　an　〃elderly　naval　man〃　of　the　name　of



Jerry；　who　told　him　stories　in　which　it　occurred　frequently。　　To



judge　from　his　stories　of　his　own　adventures；　Jerry　had　made　some



two　or　three　thousand　voyages；　and　had　been　invariably



shipwrecked　on　each　occasion　on　an　island　densely　populated　with



bloodthirsty　cannibals。　　Judging；　also；　by　these　same　exciting



adventures；　he　had　been　partially　roasted　and　eaten　frequently



and　had　been　scalped　some　fifteen　or　twenty　times。







〃That　is　why　he　is　so　bald；〃　explained　Lord　Fauntleroy　to　his



mamma。　　〃After　you　have　been　scalped　several　times　the　hair



never　grows　again。　　Jerry's　never　grew　again　after　that　last



time；　when　the　King　of　the　Parromachaweekins　did　it　with　the



knife　made　out　of　the　skull　of　the　Chief　of　the　Wopslemumpkies。　



He　says　it　was　one　of　the　most　serious　times　he　ever　had。　　He　was



so　frightened　that　his　hair　stood　right　straight　up　when　the　king



flourished　his　knife；　and　it　never　would　lie　down；　and　the　king



wears　it　that　way　now；　and　it　looks　something　like　a　hair…brush。　



I　never　heard　anything　like　the　asperiences　Jerry　has　had！　　I



should　so　like　to　tell　Mr。　Hobbs　about　them！〃







Sometimes；　when　the　weather　was　very　disagreeable　and　people　were



kept　below　decks　in　the　saloon；　a　party　of　his　grown…up　friends



would　persuade　him　to　tell　them　some　of　these　〃asperiences〃　of



Jerry's；　and　as　he　sat　relating　them　with　great　delight　and



fervor；　there　was　certainly　no　more　popular　voyager　on　any　ocean



steamer　crossing　the　Atlantic　than　little　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　He



was　always　innocently　and　good…naturedly　ready　to　do　his　small



best　to　add　to　the　general　entertainment；　and　there　was　a　charm



in　the　very　unconsciousness　of　his　own　childish　importance。







〃Jerry's　stories　int'rust　them　very　much；〃　he　said　to　his



mamma。　　〃For　my　partyou　must　excuse　me；　Dearestbut　sometimes



I　should　have　thought　they　couldn't　be　all　quite　true；　if　they



hadn't　happened　to　Jerry　himself；　but　as　they　all　happened　to



Jerry　well；　it's　very　strange；　you　know；　and　perhaps　sometimes



he　may　forget　and　be　a　little　mistaken；　as　he's　been　scalped　so



often。　　Being　scalped　a　great　many　times　might　make　a　person



forgetful。〃







It　was　eleven　days　after　he　had　said　good…bye　to　his　friend　Dick



before　he　reached　Liverpool；　and　it　was　on　the　night　of　the



twelfth　day　that　the　carriage　in　which　he　and　his　mother　and　Mr。



Havisham　had　driven　from　the　station　stopped　before　the　gates　of



Court　Lodge。　　They　could　not　see　much　of　the　house　in　the



darkness。　　Cedric　only　saw　that　there　was　a　drive…way　under　great



arching　trees；　and　after　the　carriage　had　rolled　down　this



drive…way　a　short　distance；　he　saw　an　open　door　and　a　stream　of



bright　light　coming　through　it。







Mary　had　come　with　them　to　attend　her　mistress；　and　she　had



reached　the　house　before　them。　　When　Cedric　jumped　out　of　the



carriage　he　saw　one　or　two　servants　standing　in　the　wide；　bright



hall；　and　Mary　stood　in　the　door…way。







Lord　Fauntleroy　sprang　at　her　with　a　gay　little　shout。







〃Did　you　get　here；　Mary？〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　Mary；　Dearest；〃



and　he　kissed　the　maid　on　her　rough　red　cheek。







〃I　am　glad　you　are　here；　Mary；〃　Mrs。　Errol　said　to　her　in　a　low



voice。　　〃It　is　such　a　comfort　to　me　to　see　you。　　It　takes　the



strangeness　away。〃　And　she　held　out　her　little　hand；　which　Mary



squeezed　encouragingly。　　She　knew　how　this　first　〃strangeness〃



must　feel　to　this　little　mother　who　had　left　her　own　land　and　was



about　to　give　up　her　child。







The　English　servants　looked　with　curiosity　at　both　the　boy　and



his　mother。　　They　had　heard　all　sorts　of　rumors　about　them　both；



they　knew　how　angry　the　old　Earl　had　been；　and　why　Mrs。　Errol　was



to　live　at　the　lodge　and　her　little　boy　at　the　castle；　they　knew



all　about　the　great　fortune　he　was　to　inherit；　and　about　the



savage　old　grandfather　and　his　gout　and　his　tempers。







〃He'll　have　no　easy　time　of　it；　poor　little　chap；〃　they　had



said　among　themselves。







But　they　did　not　know　what　sort　of　a　little　lord　had　come　among



them；　they　did　not　quite　understand　the　character　of　the　next



Earl　of　Dorincourt。







He　pulled　off　his　overcoat　quite　as　if　he　were　used　to　doing



things　for　himself；　and　began　to　look　about　him。　　He　looked　about



the　broad　hall；　at　the　pictures　and　stags'　antlers　and　curious



things　that　ornamented　it。　　They　seemed　curious　to　him　because　he



had　never　seen　such　things　before　in　a　private　house。







〃Dearest；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　a　very　pretty　house；　isn't　it？　　I



am　glad　you　are　going　to　live　here。　　It's　quite　a　large　house。〃







It　was　quite　a　large　house　compared　to　the　one　in　the　shabby　New



York　street；　and　it　was　very　pretty　and　cheerful。　　Mary　led　them



upstairs　to　a　bright　chintz…hung　bedroom　where　a　fire　was



burning；　and　a　large　snow…white　Persian　cat　was　sleeping



luxuriously　on　the　white　fur　hearth…rug。







〃It　was　the　house…kaper　up　at　the　Castle；　ma'am；　sint　her　to



yez；〃　explained　Mary。　　〃It's　herself　is　a　kind…hearted　lady　an'



has　had　iverything　done　to　prepar'　fur　yez。　　I　seen　her　meself　a



few　minnits；　an'　she　was　fond　av　the　Capt'in；　ma'am；　an'　graivs



fur　him；　and　she　said　to　say　the　big　cat　slapin'　on　the　rug



moight　make　the　room　same　homeloike　to　yez。　　She　knowed　Capt'in



Errol　whin　he　was　a　byean'　a　foine　handsum'　bye　she　ses　he　was；



an'　a　foine　young　man　wid　a　plisint　word　fur　every　one；　great　an'



shmall。　　An'　ses　I　to　her；　ses　I：　‘He's　lift　a　bye　that's　loike



him；　ma'am；　fur　a　foiner　little　felly　niver　sthipped　in



shoe…leather。〃'







When　they　were　ready；　they　went　downstairs　into　another　big



bright　room；　its　ceiling　was　low；　and　the　furniture　was　heavy　and



beautifully　carved；　the　chairs　were　deep　and　had　high　massive



backs；　and　there　were　queer　shelves　and　cabinets　with　strange；



pretty　ornaments　on　them。　　There　was　a　great　tiger…skin　before



the　fire；　and　an　arm…chair　on　each　side　of　it。　　The　stately　white



cat　had　responded　to　Lord　Fauntleroy's　stroking　and　followed　him



downstairs；　and　when　he　threw　himself　down　upon　the　rug；　she



curled　herself　up　grandly　beside　him　as　if　she　intended　to　make



friends。　　Cedric　was　so　pleased　that　he　put　his　head　down　by



hers；　and　lay　stroking　her；　not　noticing　what　his　mother　and　Mr。



Havisham　were　saying。







They　were；　indeed；　speaking　in　a　rather　low　tone。　　Mrs。　Errol



looked　a　little　pale　and　agitated。







〃He　need　not　go　to…night？〃　she　said。　　〃He　will　stay　with　me



to…night？〃







〃Yes；〃　answered　Mr。　Havisham　in　the　same　low　tone；　〃it　will



not　be　necessary　for　him　to　go　to…night。　　I　myself　will　go　to　the



Castle　as　soon　as　we　have　dined；　and　inform　the　Earl　of　our



arrival。〃







Mrs。　Errol　glanced　down　at　Cedric。　　He　was　lying　in　a　graceful；



careless　attitude　upon　the　black…and…yellow　skin；　the　fire　shone



on　his　handsome；　flushed　little　face；　and　on　the　tumbled；　curly



hair　spread　out　on　the　rug；　the　big　cat　was　purring　in　drowsy



content；she　liked　the　caressing　touch　of　the　kind　little　hand



on　her　fur。







Mrs。　Errol　smiled　faintly。







〃His　lordship　does　not　know　all　that　he　is　taking　from　me；〃　she



said　rather　sadly。　　Then　she　looked　at　the　lawyer。　　〃Will　you



tell　him；　if　you　please；〃　she　said；　〃that　I　should　rather　not



have　the　money？〃







〃The　money！〃　Mr。　Havisham　exclaimed。　　〃You　can　not　mean　the



income　he　proposed　to　settle　upon　you！〃







〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　quite　simply；　〃I　think　I　should　rather



not　have　it。　　I　am　obliged　to　accept　the　house；　and　I　thank　him



for　it；　because　it　makes　it　possible　for　me　to　be　near　my　child；



but　I　have　a　little　money　of　my　own；enough　to　live　simply



upon；and　I　should　rather　not　take　the　other。　　As　he　dislikes　me



so　much；　I　should　feel　a　little　as　if　I　were　selling　Cedric　to



him。　　I　am　giving　him　up　only　because　I　love　him　enough　to　forget



myself　for　his　good；　and　because　his　father　would　wish　it　to　be



so。〃







Mr。　Havisham　rubbed　his　chin。







〃This　is　very　strange；〃　he　said。　　〃He　will　be　very　angry。　　He



won't　understand　it。〃







〃I　think　he　will　understand　it　after　he　thinks　it　over；〃　she



said。　　〃I　do　not　really　need　the　money；　and　why　should　I　accept



luxuries　from　the　man　who　hates　me　so　much　that　he　takes　my



little　boy　from　mehis　son's　child？〃







Mr。　Havisham　looked　reflective　for　a　few　moments。







〃I　will　deliver　your　message；〃　he　said　afterward。







And　then　the　dinner　was　brought　in　and　they　sat　down　together；



the　big　cat　taking　a　seat　on　a　chair　near　Cedric's　and　purring



majestically　throughout　the　meal。







Whe