little lord fauntleroy-第14部分

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



see　him　there。　　And　it　was　plain；　too；　that；　in　his　childish　way；



he　wished　to　please　and　interest　his　grandfather。　　Cross；　and



hard…hearted；　and　worldly　as　the　old　Earl　was；　he　could　not　help



feeling　a　secret　and　novel　pleasure　in　this　very　confidence。　



After　all；　it　was　not　disagreeable　to　meet　some　one　who　did　not



distrust　him　or　shrink　from　him；　or　seem　to　detect　the　ugly　part



of　his　nature；　some　one　who　looked　at　him　with　clear；



unsuspecting　eyes；if　it　was　only　a　little　boy　in　a　black　velvet



suit。







So　the　old　man　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　led　his　young



companion　on　to　telling　him　still　more　of　himself；　and　with　that



odd　gleam　in　his　eyes　watched　the　little　fellow　as　he　talked。　



Lord　Fauntleroy　was　quite　willing　to　answer　all　his　questions　and



chatted　on　in　his　genial　little　way　quite　composedly。　　He　told



him　all　about　Dick　and　Jake；　and　the　apple…woman；　and　Mr。　Hobbs；



he　described　the　Republican　Rally　in　all　the　glory　of　its　banners



and　transparencies；　torches　and　rockets。　　In　the　course　of　the



conversation；　he　reached　the　Fourth　of　July　and　the　Revolution；



and　was　just　becoming　enthusiastic；　when　he　suddenly　recollected



something　and　stopped　very　abruptly。







〃What　is　the　matter？〃　demanded　his　grandfather。　　〃Why　don't



you　go　on？〃







Lord　Fauntleroy　moved　rather　uneasily　in　his　chair。　　It　was



evident　to　the　Earl　that　he　was　embarrassed　by　the　thought　which



had　just　occurred　to　him。







〃I　was　just　thinking　that　perhaps　you　mightn't　like　it；〃　he



replied。　　〃Perhaps　some　one　belonging　to　you　might　have　been



there。　　I　forgot　you　were　an　Englishman。〃







〃You　can　go　on；〃　said　my　lord。　　〃No　one　belonging　to　me　was



there。　　You　forgot　you　were　an　Englishman；　too。〃







〃Oh！　　no；〃　said　Cedric　quickly。　　〃I'm　an　American！〃







〃You　are　an　Englishman；〃　said　the　Earl　grimly。　　〃Your　father



was　an　Englishman。〃







It　amused　him　a　little　to　say　this；　but　it　did　not　amuse　Cedric。　



The　lad　had　never　thought　of　such　a　development　as　this。　　He　felt



himself　grow　quite　hot　up　to　the　roots　of　his　hair。







〃I　was　born　in　America；〃　he　protested。　　〃You　have　to　be　an



American　if　you　are　born　in　America。　　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　with



serious　politeness　and　delicacy；　〃for　contradicting　you。　　Mr。



Hobbs　told　me；　if　there　were　another　war；　you　know；　I　should　have



toto　be　an　American。〃







The　Earl　gave　a　grim　half　laughit　was　short　and　grim；　but　it



was　a　laugh。







〃You　would；　would　you？〃　he　said。







He　hated　America　and　Americans；　but　it　amused　him　to　see　how



serious　and　interested　this　small　patriot　was。　　He　thought　that



so　good　an　American　might　make　a　rather　good　Englishman　when　he



was　a　man。







They　had　not　time　to　go　very　deep　into　the　Revolution　againand



indeed　Lord　Fauntleroy　felt　some　delicacy　about　returning　to　the



subjectbefore　dinner　was　announced。







Cedric　left　his　chair　and　went　to　his　noble　kinsman。　　He　looked



down　at　his　gouty　foot。







〃Would　you　like　me　to　help　you？〃　he　said　politely。　　〃You　could



lean　on　me；　you　know。　　Once　when　Mr。　Hobbs　hurt　his　foot　with　a



potato…barrel　rolling　on　it；　he　used　to　lean　on　me。〃







The　big　footman　almost　periled　his　reputation　and　his　situation



by　smiling。　　He　was　an　aristocratic　footman　who　had　always　lived



in　the　best　of　noble　families；　and　he　had　never　smiled；　indeed；



he　would　have　felt　himself　a　disgraced　and　vulgar　footman　if　he



had　allowed　himself　to　be　led　by　any　circumstance　whatever　into



such　an　indiscretion　as　a　smile。　　But　he　had　a　very　narrow



escape。　　He　only　just　saved　himself　by　staring　straight　over　the



Earl's　head　at　a　very　ugly　picture。







The　Earl　looked　his　valiant　young　relative　over　from　head　to



foot。







〃Do　you　think　you　could　do　it？〃　he　asked　gruffly。







〃I　THINK　I　could；〃　said　Cedric。　　〃I'm　strong。　　I'm　seven；　you



know。　　You　could　lean　on　your　stick　on　one　side；　and　on　me　on　the



other。　　Dick　says　I've　a　good　deal　of　muscle　for　a　boy　that's



only　seven。〃







He　shut　his　hand　and　moved　it　upward　to　his　shoulder；　so　that　the



Earl　might　see　the　muscle　Dick　had　kindly　approved　of；　and　his



face　was　so　grave　and　earnest　that　the　footman　found　it　necessary



to　look　very　hard　indeed　at　the　ugly　picture。







〃Well；〃　said　the　Earl；　〃you　may　try。〃







Cedric　gave　him　his　stick　and　began　to　assist　him　to　rise。　



Usually；　the　footman　did　this；　and　was　violently　sworn　at　when



his　lordship　had　an　extra　twinge　of　gout。　　The　Earl　was　not　a



very　polite　person　as　a　rule；　and　many　a　time　the　huge　footmen



about　him　quaked　inside　their　imposing　liveries。







But　this　evening　he　did　not　swear；　though　his　gouty　foot　gave　him



more　twinges　than　one。　　He　chose　to　try　an　experiment。　　He　got　up



slowly　and　put　his　hand　on　the　small　shoulder　presented　to　him



with　so　much　courage。　　Little　Lord　Fauntleroy　made　a　careful　step



forward；　looking　down　at　the　gouty　foot。







〃Just　lean　on　me；〃　he　said；　with　encouraging　good　cheer。　



〃I'll　walk　very　slowly。〃







If　the　Earl　had　been　supported　by　the　footman　he　would　have



rested　less　on　his　stick　and　more　on　his　assistant's　arm。　　And



yet　it　was　part　of　his　experiment　to　let　his　grandson　feel　his



burden　as　no　light　weight。　　It　was　quite　a　heavy　weight　indeed；



and　after　a　few　steps　his　young　lordship's　face　grew　quite　hot；



and　his　heart　beat　rather　fast；　but　he　braced　himself　sturdily；



remembering　his　muscle　and　Dick's　approval　of　it。







〃Don't　be　afraid　of　leaning　on　me；〃　he　panted。　　〃I'm　all



rightifif　it　isn't　a　very　long　way。〃







It　was　not　really　very　far　to　the　dining…room；　but　it　seemed



rather　a　long　way　to　Cedric；　before　they　reached　the　chair　at　the



head　of　the　table。　　The　hand　on　his　shoulder　seemed　to　grow



heavier　at　every　step；　and　his　face　grew　redder　and　hotter；　and



his　breath　shorter；　but　he　never　thought　of　giving　up；　he



stiffened　his　childish　muscles；　held　his　head　erect；　and



encouraged　the　Earl　as　he　limped　along。







〃Does　your　foot　hurt　you　very　much　when　you　stand　on　it？〃　he



asked。　　〃Did　you　ever　put　it　in　hot　water　and　mustard？　　Mr。



Hobbs　used　to　put　his　in　hot　water。　　Arnica　is　a　very　nice　thing；



they　tell　me。〃







The　big　dog　stalked　slowly　beside　them；　and　the　big　footman



followed；　several　times　he　looked　very　queer　as　he　watched　the



little　figure　making　the　very　most　of　all　its　strength；　and



bearing　its　burden　with　such　good…will。　　The　Earl；　too；　looked



rather　queer；　once；　as　he　glanced　sidewise　down　at　the　flushed



little　face。　　When　they　entered　the　room　where　they　were　to　dine；



Cedric　saw　it　was　a　very　large　and　imposing　one；　and　that　the



footman　who　stood　behind　the　chair　at　the　head　of　the　table



stared　very　hard　as　they　came　in。







But　they　reached　the　chair　at　last。　　The　hand　was　removed　from



his　shoulder；　and　the　Earl　was　fairly　seated。







Cedric　took　out　Dick's　handkerchief　and　wiped　his　forehead。







〃It's　a　warm　night；　isn't　it？〃　he　said。　　〃Perhaps　you　need　a



fire　becausebecause　of　your　foot；　but　it　seems　just　a　little



warm　to　me。〃







His　delicate　consideration　for　his　noble　relative's　feelings　was



such　that　he　did　not　wish　to　seem　to　intimate　that　any　of　his



surroundings　were　unnecessary。







〃You　have　been　doing　some　rather　hard　work；〃　said　the　Earl。







〃Oh；　no！〃　said　Lord　Fauntleroy；　〃it　wasn't　exactly　hard；　but　I



got　a　little　warm。　　A　person　will　get　warm　in　summer　time。〃







And　he　rubbed　his　damp　curls　rather　vigorously　with　the　gorgeous



handkerchief。　　His　own　chair　was　placed　at　the　other　end　of　the



table；　opposite　his　grandfather's。　　It　was　a　chair　with　arms；　and



intended　for　a　much　larger　individual　than　himself；　indeed；



everything　he　had　seen　so　far；the　great　rooms；　with　their　high



ceilings；　the　massive　furniture；　the　big　footman；　the　big　dog；



the　Earl　himself；were　all　of　proportions　calculated　to　make



this　little　lad　feel　that　he　was　very　small；　indeed。　　But　that



did　not　trouble　him；　he　had　never　thought　himself　very　large　or



important；　and　he　was　quite　willing　to　accommodate　himself　even



to　circumstances　which　rather　overpowered　him。







Perhaps　he　had　never　looked　so　little　a　fellow　as　when　seated　now



in　his　great　chair；　at　the　end　of　the　table。　　Notwithstanding　his



solitary　existence；　the　Earl　chose　to　live　in　some　state。　　He　was



fond　of　his　dinner；　and　he　dined　in　a　formal　style。　　Cedric



looked　at　him　across　a　glitter　of　splendid　glass　and　plate；　which



to　his　unaccustomed　eyes　seemed　quite　dazzling。　　A　stranger



looking　on　might　well　have　smiled　at　the　picture；the　great



stately　room；　the　big　liveried　servants；　the　bright　lights；　the



glittering　silver　and　glass；　the　fierce…looking　old　nobleman　at



the　head　of　the　table　and　the　very　small　boy　at　the　foot。　　Dinner



was　usually　a　very　serious　matter　with　the　Earland　it　was　a



very　serious　matter　with　the　cook；　if　his　lordship　was　not



pleased　or　had　an　indifferent　appetite。　　To…day；　however；　his



appetite　seemed　a　trifle　better　than　usual；　perhaps　because　he



had　something　to　think　of　beside　the　flavor　of　the　entrees　and



the　management　of　the　gravies。　　His　grandson　gave　him　something



to　think　of。　　He　kept　looking　at　him　across　the　table。　　He　did



not　say　very　much　himself；　but　he　managed