little lord fauntleroy-第12部分

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



rosy　face　and　a　kind　look　came　into　her　blue　eyes。







〃God　bless　your　lordship！〃　she　said。　　〃God　bless　your　pretty



face！　　Good　luck　and　happiness　to　your　lordship！　　Welcome　to



you！〃







Lord　Fauntleroy　waved　his　cap　and　nodded　to　her　again　as　the



carriage　rolled　by　her。







〃I　like　that　woman；〃　he　said。　　〃She　looks　as　if　she　liked



boys。　　I　should　like　to　come　here　and　play　with　her　children。　　I



wonder　if　she　has　enough　to　make　up　a　company？〃







Mr。　Havisham　did　not　tell　him　that　he　would　scarcely　be　allowed



to　make　playmates　of　the　gate…keeper's　children。　　The　lawyer



thought　there　was　time　enough　for　giving　him　that　information。







The　carriage　rolled　on　and　on　between　the　great；　beautiful　trees



which　grew　on　each　side　of　the　avenue　and　stretched　their　broad；



swaying　branches　in　an　arch　across　it。　　Cedric　had　never　seen



such　trees；they　were　so　grand　and　stately；　and　their　branches



grew　so　low　down　on　their　huge　trunks。　　He　did　not　then　know　that



Dorincourt　Castle　was　one　of　the　most　beautiful　in　all　England；



that　its　park　was　one　of　the　broadest　and　finest；　and　its　trees



and　avenue　almost　without　rivals。　　But　he　did　know　that　it　was



all　very　beautiful。　　He　liked　the　big；　broad…branched　trees；　with



the　late　afternoon　sunlight　striking　golden　lances　through　them。　



He　liked　the　perfect　stillness　which　rested　on　everything。　　He



felt　a　great；　strange　pleasure　in　the　beauty　of　which　he　caught



glimpses　under　and　between　the　sweeping　boughsthe　great；



beautiful　spaces　of　the　park；　with　still　other　trees　standing



sometimes　stately　and　alone；　and　sometimes　in　groups。　　Now　and



then　they　passed　places　where　tall　ferns　grew　in　masses；　and



again　and　again　the　ground　was　azure　with　the　bluebells　swaying



in　the　soft　breeze。　　Several　times　he　started　up　with　a　laugh　of



delight　as　a　rabbit　leaped　up　from　under　the　greenery　and　scudded



away　with　a　twinkle　of　short　white　tail　behind　it。　　Once　a　covey



of　partridges　rose　with　a　sudden　whir　and　flew　away；　and　then　he



shouted　and　clapped　his　hands。







〃It's　a　beautiful　place；　isn't　it？〃　he　said　to　Mr。　Havisham。　



〃I　never　saw　such　a　beautiful　place。　　It's　prettier　even　than



Central　Park。〃







He　was　rather　puzzled　by　the　length　of　time　they　were　on　their



way。







〃How　far　is　it；〃　he　said；　at　length；　〃from　the　gate　to　the



front　door？〃







〃It　is　between　three　and　four　miles；〃　answered　the　lawyer。







〃That's　a　long　way　for　a　person　to　live　from　his　gate；〃



remarked　his　lordship。







Every　few　minutes　he　saw　something　new　to　wonder　at　and　admire。　



When　he　caught　sight　of　the　deer；　some　couched　in　the　grass；　some



standing　with　their　pretty　antlered　heads　turned　with　a



half…startled　air　toward　the　avenue　as　the　carriage　wheels



disturbed　them；　he　was　enchanted。







〃Has　there　been　a　circus？〃　he　cried；　〃or　do　they　live　here



always？　　Whose　are　they？〃







〃They　live　here；〃　Mr。　Havisham　told　him。　　〃They　belong　to　the



Earl；　your　grandfather。〃







It　was　not　long　after　this　that　they　saw　the　castle。　　It　rose　up



before　them　stately　and　beautiful　and　gray；　the　last　rays　of　the



sun　casting　dazzling　lights　on　its　many　windows。　　It　had　turrets



and　battlements　and　towers；　a　great　deal　of　ivy　grew　upon　its



walls；　all　the　broad；　open　space　about　it　was　laid　out　in



terraces　and　lawns　and　beds　of　brilliant　flowers。







〃It's　the　most　beautiful　place　I　ever　saw！〃　said　Cedric；　his



round　face　flushing　with　pleasure。　　〃It　reminds　any　one　of　a



king's　palace。　　I　saw　a　picture　of　one　once　in　a　fairy…book。〃







He　saw　the　great　entrance…door　thrown　open　and　many　servants



standing　in　two　lines　looking　at　him。　　He　wondered　why　they　were



standing　there；　and　admired　their　liveries　very　much。　　He　did　not



know　that　they　were　there　to　do　honor　to　the　little　boy　to　whom



all　this　splendor　would　one　day　belong；the　beautiful　castle



like　the　fairy　king's　palace；　the　magnificent　park；　the　grand　old



trees；　the　dells　full　of　ferns　and　bluebells　where　the　hares　and



rabbits　played；　the　dappled；　large…eyed　deer　couching　in　the　deep



grass。　　It　was　only　a　couple　of　weeks　since　he　had　sat　with　Mr。



Hobbs　among　the　potatoes　and　canned　peaches；　with　his　legs



dangling　from　the　high　stool；　it　would　not　have　been　possible　for



him　to　realize　that　he　had　very　much　to　do　with　all　this



grandeur。　　At　the　head　of　the　line　of　servants　there　stood　an



elderly　woman　in　a　rich；　plain　black　silk　gown；　she　had　gray　hair



and　wore　a　cap。　　As　he　entered　the　hall　she　stood　nearer　than　the



rest；　and　the　child　thought　from　the　look　in　her　eyes　that　she



was　going　to　speak　to　him。　　Mr。　Havisham；　who　held　his　hand；



paused　a　moment。







〃This　is　Lord　Fauntleroy；　Mrs。　Mellon；〃　he　said。　　〃Lord



Fauntleroy；　this　is　Mrs。　Mellon；　who　is　the　housekeeper。〃







Cedric　gave　her　his　hand；　his　eyes　lighting　up。







〃Was　it　you　who　sent　the　cat？〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　much　obliged　to



you；　ma'am。〃







Mrs。　Mellon's　handsome　old　face　looked　as　pleased　as　the　face　of



the　lodge…keeper's　wife　had　done。







〃I　should　know　his　lordship　anywhere；〃　she　said　to　Mr。



Havisham。　　〃He　has　the　Captain's　face　and　way。　　It's　a　great



day；　this；　sir。〃







Cedric　wondered　why　it　was　a　great　day。　　He　looked　at　Mrs。　Mellon



curiously。　　It　seemed　to　him　for　a　moment　as　if　there　were　tears



in　her　eyes；　and　yet　it　was　evident　she　was　not　unhappy。　　She



smiled　down　on　him。







〃The　cat　left　two　beautiful　kittens　here；〃　she　said；　〃they



shall　be　sent　up　to　your　lordship's　nursery。〃







Mr。　Havisham　said　a　few　words　to　her　in　a　low　voice。







〃In　the　library；　sir；〃　Mrs。　Mellon　replied。　　〃His　lordship　is



to　be　taken　there　alone。〃











A　few　minutes　later；　the　very　tall　footman　in　livery；　who　had



escorted　Cedric　to　the　library　door；　opened　it　and　announced：



〃Lord　Fauntleroy；　my　lord；〃　in　quite　a　majestic　tone。　　If　he



was　only　a　footman；　he　felt　it　was　rather　a　grand　occasion　when



the　heir　came　home　to　his　own　land　and　possessions；　and　was



ushered　into　the　presence　of　the　old　Earl；　whose　place　and　title



he　was　to　take。







Cedric　crossed　the　threshold　into　the　room。　　It　was　a　very　large



and　splendid　room；　with　massive　carven　furniture　in　it；　and



shelves　upon　shelves　of　books；　the　furniture　was　so　dark；　and　the



draperies　so　heavy；　the　diamond…paned　windows　were　so　deep；　and



it　seemed　such　a　distance　from　one　end　of　it　to　the　other；　that；



since　the　sun　had　gone　down；　the　effect　of　it　all　was　rather



gloomy。　　For　a　moment　Cedric　thought　there　was　nobody　in　the



room；　but　soon　he　saw　that　by　the　fire　burning　on　the　wide　hearth



there　was　a　large　easy…chair　and　that　in　that　chair　some　one　was



sittingsome　one　who　did　not　at　first　turn　to　look　at　him。







But　he　had　attracted　attention　in　one　quarter　at　least。　　On　the



floor；　by　the　arm…chair；　lay　a　dog；　a　huge　tawny　mastiff；　with



body　and　limbs　almost　as　big　as　a　lion's；　and　this　great　creature



rose　majestically　and　slowly；　and　marched　toward　the　little



fellow　with　a　heavy　step。







Then　the　person　in　the　chair　spoke。　　〃Dougal；〃　he　called；



〃come　back；　sir。〃







But　there　was　no　more　fear　in　little　Lord　Fauntleroy's　heart　than



there　was　unkindnesshe　had　been　a　brave　little　fellow　all　his



life。　　He　put　his　hand　on　the　big　dog's　collar　in　the　most



natural　way　in　the　world；　and　they　strayed　forward　together；



Dougal　sniffing　as　he　went。







And　then　the　Earl　looked　up。　　What　Cedric　saw　was　a　large　old　man



with　shaggy　white　hair　and　eyebrows；　and　a　nose　like　an　eagle's



beak　between　his　deep；　fierce　eyes。　　What　the　Earl　saw　was　a



graceful；　childish　figure　in　a　black　velvet　suit；　with　a　lace



collar；　and　with　love…locks　waving　about　the　handsome；　manly



little　face；　whose　eyes　met　his　with　a　look　of　innocent



good…fellowship。　　If　the　Castle　was　like　the　palace　in　a　fairy



story；　it　must　be　owned　that　little　Lord　Fauntleroy　was　himself



rather　like　a　small　copy　of　the　fairy　prince；　though　he　was　not



at　all　aware　of　the　fact；　and　perhaps　was　rather　a　sturdy　young



model　of　a　fairy。　　But　there　was　a　sudden　glow　of　triumph　and



exultation　in　the　fiery　old　Earl's　heart　as　he　saw　what　a　strong；



beautiful　boy　this　grandson　was；　and　how　unhesitatingly　he　looked



up　as　he　stood　with　his　hand　on　the　big　dog's　neck。　　It　pleased



the　grim　old　nobleman　that　the　child　should　show　no　shyness　or



fear；　either　of　the　dog　or　of　himself。







Cedric　looked　at　him　just　as　he　had　looked　at　the　woman　at　the



lodge　and　at　the　housekeeper；　and　came　quite　close　to　him。







〃Are　you　the　Earl？〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　your　grandson；　you　know；



that　Mr。　Havisham　brought。　　I'm　Lord　Fauntleroy。〃







He　held　out　his　hand　because　he　thought　it　must　be　the　polite　and



proper　thing　to　do　even　with　earls。　　〃I　hope　you　are　very



well；〃　he　continued；　with　the　utmost　friendliness。　　〃I'm　very



glad　to　see　you。〃







The　Earl　shook　hands　with　him；　with　a　curious　gleam　in　his　eyes；



just　at　first；　he　was　so　astonished　that　he　scarcely　knew　what　to



say。　　He　stared　at　the　picturesque　little　apparition　from　under



his　shaggy　brows；　and　took　it　all　in　from　head　to　foot。







〃Glad　to　see　me；　are　you？〃　he　said。







〃Yes；〃　answered　Lord　Fauntleroy；　〃very。〃







Th