little lord fauntleroy-第11部分

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



majestically　throughout　the　meal。







When；　later　in　the　evening；　Mr。　Havisham　presented　himself　at　the



Castle；　he　was　taken　at　once　to　the　Earl。　　He　found　him　sitting



by　the　fire　in　a　luxurious　easy…chair；　his　foot　on　a　gout…stool。　



He　looked　at　the　lawyer　sharply　from　under　his　shaggy　eyebrows；



but　Mr。　Havisham　could　see　that；　in　spite　of　his　pretense　at



calmness；　he　was　nervous　and　secretly　excited。







〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃well；　Havisham；　come　back；　have　you？　　What's



the　news？〃







〃Lord　Fauntleroy　and　his　mother　are　at　Court　Lodge；〃　replied



Mr。　Havisham。　　〃They　bore　the　voyage　very　well　and　are　in



excellent　health。〃







The　Earl　made　a　half…impatient　sound　and　moved　his　hand



restlessly。







〃Glad　to　hear　it；〃　he　said　brusquely。　　〃So　far；　so　good。　　Make



yourself　comfortable。　　Have　a　glass　of　wine　and　settle　down。　



What　else？〃







〃His　lordship　remains　with　his　mother　to…night。　　To…morrow　I



will　bring　him　to　the　Castle。〃







The　Earl's　elbow　was　resting　on　the　arm　of　his　chair；　he　put　his



hand　up　and　shielded　his　eyes　with　it。







〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃go　on。　　You　know　I　told　you　not　to　write　to



me　about　the　matter；　and　I　know　nothing　whatever　about　it。　　What



kind　of　a　lad　is　he？　　I　don't　care　about　the　mother；　what　sort　of



a　lad　is　he？〃







Mr。　Havisham　drank　a　little　of　the　glass　of　port　he　had　poured



out　for　himself；　and　sat　holding　it　in　his　hand。







〃It　is　rather　difficult　to　judge　of　the　character　of　a　child　of



seven；〃　he　said　cautiously。







The　Earl's　prejudices　were　very　intense。　　He　looked　up　quickly



and　uttered　a　rough　word。







〃A　fool；　is　he？〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Or　a　clumsy　cub？　　His



American　blood　tells；　does　it？〃







〃I　do　not　think　it　has　injured　him；　my　lord；〃　replied　the



lawyer　in　his　dry；　deliberate　fashion。　　〃I　don't　know　much　about



children；　but　I　thought　him　rather　a　fine　lad。〃







His　manner　of　speech　was　always　deliberate　and　unenthusiastic；



but　he　made　it　a　trifle　more　so　than　usual。　　He　had　a　shrewd



fancy　that　it　would　be　better　that　the　Earl　should　judge　for



himself；　and　be　quite　unprepared　for　his　first　interview　with　his



grandson。







〃Healthy　and　well…grown？〃　asked　my　lord。







〃Apparently　very　healthy；　and　quite　well…grown；〃　replied　the



lawyer。







〃Straight…limbed　and　well　enough　to　look　at？〃　demanded　the



Earl。







A　very　slight　smile　touched　Mr。　Havisham's　thin　lips。　　There　rose



up　before　his　mind's　eye　the　picture　he　had　left　at　Court



Lodge；the　beautiful；　graceful　child's　body　lying　upon　the



tiger…skin　in　careless　comfortthe　bright；　tumbled　hair　spread



on　the　rugthe　bright；　rosy　boy's　face。







〃Rather　a　handsome　boy；　I　think；　my　lord；　as　boys　go；〃　he　said；



〃though　I　am　scarcely　a　judge；　perhaps。　　But　you　will　find　him



somewhat　different　from　most　English　children；　I　dare　say。〃







〃I　haven't　a　doubt　of　that；〃　snarled　the　Earl；　a　twinge　of　gout



seizing　him。　　〃A　lot　of　impudent　little　beggars；　those　American



children；　I've　heard　that　often　enough。〃







〃It　is　not　exactly　impudence　in　his　case；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　



〃I　can　scarcely　describe　what　the　difference　is。　　He　has　lived



more　with　older　people　than　with　children；　and　the　difference



seems　to　be　a　mixture　of　maturity　and　childishness。〃







〃American　impudence！〃　protested　the　Earl。　　〃I've　heard　of　it



before。　　They　call　it　precocity　and　freedom。　　Beastly；　impudent



bad　manners；　that's　what　it　is！〃







Mr。　Havisham　drank　some　more　port。　　He　seldom　argued　with　his



lordly　patron；never　when　his　lordly　patron's　noble　leg　was



inflamed　by　gout。　　At　such　times　it　was　always　better　to　leave



him　alone。　　So　there　was　a　silence　of　a　few　moments。　　It　was　Mr。



Havisham　who　broke　it。







〃I　have　a　message　to　deliver　from　Mrs。　Errol；〃　he　remarked。







〃I　don't　want　any　of　her　messages！〃　growled　his　lordship；　〃the



less　I　hear　of　her　the　better。〃







〃This　is　a　rather　important　one；〃　explained　the　lawyer。　　〃She



prefers　not　to　accept　the　income　you　proposed　to　settle　on　her。〃







The　Earl　started　visibly。







〃What's　that？〃　he　cried　out。　　〃What's　that？〃







Mr。　Havisham　repeated　his　words。







〃She　says　it　is　not　necessary；　and　that　as　the　relations　between



you　are　not　friendly〃







〃Not　friendly！〃　ejaculated　my　lord　savagely；　〃I　should　say



they　were　not　friendly！　　I　hate　to　think　of　her！　　A　mercenary；



sharp…voiced　American！　　I　don't　wish　to　see　her。〃







〃My　lord；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham；　〃you　can　scarcely　call　her



mercenary。　　She　has　asked　for　nothing。　　She　does　not　accept　the



money　you　offer　her。〃







〃All　done　for　effect！〃　snapped　his　noble　lordship。　　〃She　wants



to　wheedle　me　into　seeing　her。　　She　thinks　I　shall　admire　her



spirit。　　I　don't　admire　it！　　It's　only　American　independence！　　I



won't　have　her　living　like　a　beggar　at　my　park　gates。　　As　she's



the　boy's　mother；　she　has　a　position　to　keep　up；　and　she　shall



keep　it　up。　　She　shall　have　the　money；　whether　she　likes　it　or



not！〃







〃She　won't　spend　it；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。







〃I　don't　care　whether　she　spends　it　or　not！〃　blustered　my　lord。　



〃She　shall　have　it　sent　to　her。　　She　sha'n't　tell　people　that



she　has　to　live　like　a　pauper　because　I　have　done　nothing　for



her！　　She　wants　to　give　the　boy　a　bad　opinion　of　me！　　I　suppose



she　has　poisoned　his　mind　against　me　already！〃







〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　　〃I　have　another　message；　which　will



prove　to　you　that　she　has　not　done　that。〃







〃I　don't　want　to　hear　it！〃　panted　the　Earl；　out　of　breath　with



anger　and　excitement　and　gout。







But　Mr。　Havisham　delivered　it。







〃She　asks　you　not　to　let　Lord　Fauntleroy　hear　anything　which



would　lead　him　to　understand　that　you　separate　him　from　her



because　of　your　prejudice　against　her。　　He　is　very　fond　of　her；



and　she　is　convinced　that　it　would　cause　a　barrier　to　exist



between　you。　　She　says　he　would　not　comprehend　it；　and　it　might



make　him　fear　you　in　some　measure；　or　at　least　cause　him　to　feel



less　affection　for　you。　　She　has　told　him　that　he　is　too　young　to



understand　the　reason；　but　shall　hear　it　when　he　is　older。　　She



wishes　that　there　should　be　no　shadow　on　your　first　meeting。〃







The　Earl　sank　back　into　his　chair。　　His　deep…set　fierce　old　eyes



gleamed　under　his　beetling　brows。







〃Come；　now！〃　he　said；　still　breathlessly。　　〃Come；　now！　　You



don't　mean　the　mother　hasn't　told　him？〃







〃Not　one　word；　my　lord；〃　replied　the　lawyer　coolly。　　〃That　I



can　assure　you。　　The　child　is　prepared　to　believe　you　the　most



amiable　and　affectionate　of　grandparents。　　Nothingabsolutely



nothing　has　been　said　to　him　to　give　him　the　slightest　doubt　of



your　perfection。　　And　as　I　carried　out　your　commands　in　every



detail；　while　in　New　York；　he　certainly　regards　you　as　a　wonder



of　generosity。〃







〃He　does；　eh？〃　said　the　Earl。







〃I　give　you　my　word　of　honor；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham；　〃that　Lord



Fauntleroy's　impressions　of　you　will　depend　entirely　upon



yourself。　　And　if　you　will　pardon　the　liberty　I　take　in　making



the　suggestion；　I　think　you　will　succeed　better　with　him　if　you



take　the　precaution　not　to　speak　slightingly　of　his　mother。〃







〃Pooh；　pooh！〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃The　youngster　is　only　seven



years　old！〃







〃He　has　spent　those　seven　years　at　his　mother's　side；〃　returned



Mr。　Havisham；　〃and　she　has　all　his　affection。〃















V







It　was　late　in　the　afternoon　when　the　carriage　containing　little



Lord　Fauntleroy　and　Mr。　Havisham　drove　up　the　long　avenue　which



led　to　the　castle。　　The　Earl　had　given　orders　that　his　grandson



should　arrive　in　time　to　dine　with　him；　and　for　some　reason　best



known　to　himself；　he　had　also　ordered　that　the　child　should　be



sent　alone　into　the　room　in　which　he　intended　to　receive　him。　　As



the　carriage　rolled　up　the　avenue；　Lord　Fauntleroy　sat　leaning



comfortably　against　the　luxurious　cushions；　and　regarded　the



prospect　with　great　interest。　　He　was；　in　fact；　interested　in



everything　he　saw。　　He　had　been　interested　in　the　carriage；　with



its　large；　splendid　horses　and　their　glittering　harness；　he　had



been　interested　in　the　tall　coachman　and　footman；　with　their



resplendent　livery；　and　he　had　been　especially　interested　in　the



coronet　on　the　panels；　and　had　struck　up　an　acquaintance　with　the



footman　for　the　purpose　of　inquiring　what　it　meant。







When　the　carriage　reached　the　great　gates　of　the　park；　he　looked



out　of　the　window　to　get　a　good　view　of　the　huge　stone　lions



ornamenting　the　entrance。　　The　gates　were　opened　by　a　motherly；



rosy…looking　woman；　who　came　out　of　a　pretty；　ivy…covered　lodge。　



Two　children　ran　out　of　the　door　of　the　house　and　stood　looking



with　round；　wide…open　eyes　at　the　little　boy　in　the　carriage；　who



looked　at　them　also。　　Their　mother　stood　courtesying　and　smiling；



and　the　children；　on　receiving　a　sign　from　her；　made　bobbing



little　courtesies　too。







〃Does　she　know　me？〃　asked　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　〃I　think　she　must



think　she　knows　me。〃　And　he　took　off　his　black　velvet　cap　to　her



and　smiled。







〃How　do　you　do？〃　he　said　brightly。　　〃Good…afternoon！〃







The　woman　seemed　pleased；　he　thought。　　The　smile　broadened　on　her



rosy　face