little lord fauntleroy-第13部分

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〃Glad　to　see　me；　are　you？〃　he　said。







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







There　was　a　chair　near　him；　and　he　sat　down　on　it；　it　was　a



high…backed；　rather　tall　chair；　and　his　feet　did　not　touch　the



floor　when　he　had　settled　himself　in　it；　but　he　seemed　to　be



quite　comfortable　as　he　sat　there；　and　regarded　his　august



relative　intently　but　modestly。







〃I've　kept　wondering　what　you　would　look　like；〃　he　remarked。　



〃I　used　to　lie　in　my　berth　in　the　ship　and　wonder　if　you　would



be　anything　like　my　father。〃







〃Am　I？〃　asked　the　Earl。







〃Well；〃　Cedric　replied；　〃I　was　very　young　when　he　died；　and　I



may　not　remember　exactly　how　he　looked；　but　I　don't　think　you　are



like　him。〃







〃You　are　disappointed；　I　suppose？〃　suggested　his　grandfather。







〃Oh；　no；〃　responded　Cedric　politely。　　〃Of　course　you　would



like　any　one　to　look　like　your　father；　but　of　course　you　would



enjoy　the　way　your　grandfather　looked；　even　if　he　wasn't　like



your　father。　　You　know　how　it　is　yourself　about　admiring　your



relations。〃







The　Earl　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　stared。　　He　could　not　be



said　to　know　how　it　was　about　admiring　his　relations。　　He　had



employed　most　of　his　noble　leisure　in　quarreling　violently　with



them；　in　turning　them　out　of　his　house；　and　applying　abusive



epithets　to　them；　and　they　all　hated　him　cordially。







〃Any　boy　would　love　his　grandfather；〃　continued　Lord



Fauntleroy；　〃especially　one　that　had　been　as　kind　to　him　as　you



have　been。〃







Another　queer　gleam　came　into　the　old　nobleman's　eyes。







〃Oh！〃　he　said；　〃I　have　been　kind　to　you；　have　I？〃







〃Yes；〃　answered　Lord　Fauntleroy　brightly；　〃I'm　ever　so　much



obliged　to　you　about　Bridget；　and　the　apple…woman；　and　Dick。〃







〃Bridget！〃　exclaimed　the　Earl。　　〃Dick！　　The　apple…woman！〃







〃Yes！〃　explained　Cedric；　〃the　ones　you　gave　me　all　that　money



forthe　money　you　told　Mr。　Havisham　to　give　me　if　I　wanted　it。〃







〃Ha！〃　ejaculated　his　lordship。　　〃That's　it；　is　it？　　The　money



you　were　to　spend　as　you　liked。　　What　did　you　buy　with　it？　　I



should　like　to　hear　something　about　that。〃







He　drew　his　shaggy　eyebrows　together　and　looked　at　the　child



sharply。　　He　was　secretly　curious　to　know　in　what　way　the　lad　had



indulged　himself。







〃Oh！〃　said　Lord　Fauntleroy；　〃perhaps　you　didn't　know　about



Dick　and　the　apple…woman　and　Bridget。　　I　forgot　you　lived　such　a



long　way　off　from　them。　　They　were　particular　friends　of　mine。　



And　you　see　Michael　had　the　fever〃







〃Who's　Michael？〃　asked　the　Earl。







〃Michael　is　Bridget's　husband；　and　they　were　in　great　trouble。　



When　a　man　is　sick　and　can't　work　and　has　twelve　children；　you



know　how　it　is。　　And　Michael　has　always　been　a　sober　man。　　And



Bridget　used　to　come　to　our　house　and　cry。　　And　the　evening　Mr。



Havisham　was　there；　she　was　in　the　kitchen　crying；　because　they



had　almost　nothing　to　eat　and　couldn't　pay　the　rent；　and　I　went



in　to　see　her；　and　Mr。　Havisham　sent　for　me　and　he　said　you　had



given　him　some　money　for　me。　　And　I　ran　as　fast　as　I　could　into



the　kitchen　and　gave　it　to　Bridget；　and　that　made　it　all　right；



and　Bridget　could　scarcely　believe　her　eyes。　　That's　why　I'm　so



obliged　to　you。〃







〃Oh！〃　said　the　Earl　in　his　deep　voice；　〃that　was　one　of　the



things　you　did　for　yourself；　was　it？　　What　else？〃







Dougal　had　been　sitting　by　the　tall　chair；　the　great　dog　had



taken　its　place　there　when　Cedric　sat　down。　　Several　times　it　had



turned　and　looked　up　at　the　boy　as　if　interested　in　the



conversation。　　Dougal　was　a　solemn　dog；　who　seemed　to　feel



altogether　too　big　to　take　life's　responsibilities　lightly。　　The



old　Earl；　who　knew　the　dog　well；　had　watched　it　with　secret



interest。　　Dougal　was　not　a　dog　whose　habit　it　was　to　make



acquaintances　rashly；　and　the　Earl　wondered　somewhat　to　see　how



quietly　the　brute　sat　under　the　touch　of　the　childish　hand。　　And；



just　at　this　moment；　the　big　dog　gave　little　Lord　Fauntleroy　one



more　look　of　dignified　scrutiny；　and　deliberately　laid　its　huge；



lion…like　head　on　the　boy's　black…velvet　knee。







The　small　hand　went　on　stroking　this　new　friend　as　Cedric



answered：







〃Well；　there　was　Dick；〃　he　said。　　〃You'd　like　Dick；　he's　so



square。〃







This　was　an　Americanism　the　Earl　was　not　prepared　for。







〃What　does　that　mean？〃　he　inquired。







Lord　Fauntleroy　paused　a　moment　to　reflect。　　He　was　not　very　sure



himself　what　it　meant。　　He　had　taken　it　for　granted　as　meaning



something　very　creditable　because　Dick　had　been　fond　of　using　it。







〃I　think　it　means　that　he　wouldn't　cheat　any　one；〃　he



exclaimed；　〃or　hit　a　boy　who　was　under　his　size；　and　that　he



blacks　people's　boots　very　well　and　makes　them　shine　as　much　as



he　can。　　He's　a　perfessional　bootblack。〃







〃And　he's　one　of　your　acquaintances；　is　he？〃　said　the　Earl。







〃He　is　an　old　friend　of　mine；〃　replied　his　grandson。　　〃Not



quite　as　old　as　Mr。　Hobbs；　but　quite　old。　　He　gave　me　a　present



just　before　the　ship　sailed。〃







He　put　his　hand　into　his　pocket　and　drew　forth　a　neatly　folded



red　object　and　opened　it　with　an　air　of　affectionate　pride。　　It



was　the　red　silk　handkerchief　with　the　large　purple　horse…shoes



and　heads　on　it。







〃He　gave　me　this；〃　said　his　young　lordship。　　〃I　shall　keep　it



always。　　You　can　wear　it　round　your　neck　or　keep　it　in　your



pocket。　　He　bought　it　with　the　first　money　he　earned　after　I



bought　Jake　out　and　gave　him　the　new　brushes。　　It's　a　keepsake。　



I　put　some　poetry　in　Mr。　Hobbs's　watch。　　It　was；　‘When　this　you



see；　remember　me。'　When　this　I　see；　I　shall　always　remember



Dick。〃







The　sensations　of　the　Right　Honorable　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt



could　scarcely　be　described。　　He　was　not　an　old　nobleman　who　was



very　easily　bewildered；　because　he　had　seen　a　great　deal　of　the



world；　but　here　was　something　he　found　so　novel　that　it　almost



took　his　lordly　breath　away；　and　caused　him　some　singular



emotions。　　He　had　never　cared　for　children；　he　had　been　so



occupied　with　his　own　pleasures　that　he　had　never　had　time　to



care　for　them。　　His　own　sons　had　not　interested　him　when　they



were　very　youngthough　sometimes　he　remembered　having　thought



Cedric's　father　a　handsome　and　strong　little　fellow。　　He　had　been



so　selfish　himself　that　he　had　missed　the　pleasure　of　seeing



unselfishness　in　others；　and　he　had　not　known　how　tender　and



faithful　and　affectionate　a　kind…hearted　little　child　can　be；　and



how　innocent　and　unconscious　are　its　simple；　generous　impulses。　



A　boy　had　always　seemed　to　him　a　most　objectionable　little



animal；　selfish　and　greedy　and　boisterous　when　not　under　strict



restraint；　his　own　two　eldest　sons　had　given　their　tutors



constant　trouble　and　annoyance；　and　of　the　younger　one　he　fancied



he　had　heard　few　complaints　because　the　boy　was　of　no　particular



importance。　　It　had　never　once　occurred　to　him　that　he　should



like　his　grandson；　he　had　sent　for　the　little　Cedric　because　his



pride　impelled　him　to　do　so。　　If　the　boy　was　to　take　his　place　in



the　future；　he　did　not　wish　his　name　to　be　made　ridiculous　by



descending　to　an　uneducated　boor。　　He　had　been　convinced　the　boy



would　be　a　clownish　fellow　if　he　were　brought　up　in　America。　　He



had　no　feeling　of　affection　for　the　lad；　his　only　hope　was　that



he　should　find　him　decently　well…featured；　and　with　a　respectable



share　of　sense；　he　had　been　so　disappointed　in　his　other　sons；



and　had　been　made　so　furious　by　Captain　Errol's　American



marriage；　that　he　had　never　once　thought　that　anything　creditable



could　come　of　it。　　When　the　footman　had　announced　Lord



Fauntleroy；　he　had　almost　dreaded　to　look　at　the　boy　lest　he



should　find　him　all　that　he　had　feared。　　It　was　because　of　this



feeling　that　he　had　ordered　that　the　child　should　be　sent　to　him



alone。　　His　pride　could　not　endure　that　others　should　see　his



disappointment　if　he　was　to　be　disappointed。　　His　proud；　stubborn



old　heart　therefore　had　leaped　within　him　when　the　boy　came



forward　with　his　graceful；　easy　carriage；　his　fearless　hand　on



the　big　dog's　neck。　　Even　in　the　moments　when　he　had　hoped　the



most；　the　Earl　had　never　hoped　that　his　grandson　would　look　like



that。　　It　seemed　almost　too　good　to　be　true　that　this　should　be



the　boy　he　had　dreaded　to　seethe　child　of　the　woman　he　so



dislikedthis　little　fellow　with　so　much　beauty　and　such　a



brave；　childish　grace！　　The　Earl's　stern　composure　was　quite



shaken　by　this　startling　surprise。







And　then　their　talk　began；　and　he　was　still　more　curiously　moved；



and　more　and　more　puzzled。　　In　the　first　place；　he　was　so　used　to



seeing　people　rather　afraid　and　embarrassed　before　him；　that　he



had　expected　nothing　else　but　that　his　grandson　would　be　timid　or



shy。　　But　Cedric　was　no　more　afraid　of　the　Earl　than　he　had　been



of　Dougal。　　He　was　not　bold；　he　was　only　innocently　friendly；　and



he　was　not　conscious　that　there　could　be　any　reason　why　he　should



be　awkward　or　afraid。　　The　Earl　could　not　help　seeing　that　the



little　boy　took　him　for　a　friend　and　treated　him　as　one；　without



having　any　doubt　of　him　at　all。　　It　was　quite　plain　as　the　little



fellow　sat　there　in　his　tall　chair　and　talked　in　his　friendly　way



that　it　had　never　occurred　to　him　that　this　large；　fierce…looking



old　man　could　be　anything　but　kind　to　him；　and　rather　pleased