little lord fauntleroy-第15部分

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



not　say　very　much　himself；　but　he　managed　to　make　the　boy　talk。　



He　had　never　imagined　that　he　could　be　entertained　by　hearing　a



child　talk；　but　Lord　Fauntleroy　at　once　puzzled　and　amused　him；



and　he　kept　remembering　how　he　had　let　the　childish　shoulder　feel



his　weight　just　for　the　sake　of　trying　how　far　the　boy's　courage



and　endurance　would　go；　and　it　pleased　him　to　know　that　his



grandson　had　not　quailed　and　had　not　seemed　to　think　even　for　a



moment　of　giving　up　what　he　had　undertaken　to　do。







〃You　don't　wear　your　coronet　all　the　time？〃　remarked　Lord



Fauntleroy　respectfully。







〃No；〃　replied　the　Earl；　with　his　grim　smile；　〃it　is　not



becoming　to　me。〃







〃Mr。　Hobbs　said　you　always　wore　it；〃　said　Cedric；　〃but　after



he　thought　it　over；　he　said　he　supposed　you　must　sometimes　take



it　off　to　put　your　hat　on。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　the　Earl；　〃I　take　it　off　occasionally。〃







And　one　of　the　footmen　suddenly　turned　aside　and　gave　a　singular



little　cough　behind　his　hand。







Cedric　finished　his　dinner　first；　and　then　he　leaned　back　in　his



chair　and　took　a　survey　of　the　room。







〃You　must　be　very　proud　of　your　house；〃　he　said；　〃it's　such　a



beautiful　house。　　I　never　saw　anything　so　beautiful；　but；　of



course；　as　I'm　only　seven；　I　haven't　seen　much。〃







〃And　you　think　I　must　be　proud　of　it；　do　you？〃　said　the　Earl。







〃I　should　think　any　one　would　be　proud　of　it；〃　replied　Lord



Fauntleroy。　　〃I　should　be　proud　of　it　if　it　were　my　house。　



Everything　about　it　is　beautiful。　　And　the　park；　and　those



trees；how　beautiful　they　are；　and　how　the　leaves　rustle！〃







Then　he　paused　an　instant　and　looked　across　the　table　rather



wistfully。







〃It's　a　very　big　house　for　just　two　people　to　live　in；　isn't



it？〃　he　said。







〃It　is　quite　large　enough　for　two；〃　answered　the　Earl。　　〃Do



you　find　it　too　large？〃







His　little　lordship　hesitated　a　moment。







〃I　was　only　thinking；〃　he　said；　〃that　if　two　people　lived　in



it　who　were　not　very　good　companions；　they　might　feel　lonely



sometimes。〃







〃Do　you　think　I　shall　make　a　good　companion？〃　inquired　the



Earl。







〃Yes；〃　replied　Cedric；　〃I　think　you　will。　　Mr。　Hobbs　and　I



were　great　friends。　　He　was　the　best　friend　I　had　except



Dearest。〃







The　Earl　made　a　quick　movement　of　his　bushy　eyebrows。







〃Who　is　Dearest？〃







〃She　is　my　mother；〃　said　Lord　Fauntleroy；　in　a　rather　low；



quiet　little　voice。







Perhaps　he　was　a　trifle　tired；　as　his　bed…time　was　nearing；　and



perhaps　after　the　excitement　of　the　last　few　days　it　was　natural



he　should　be　tired；　so　perhaps；　too；　the　feeling　of　weariness



brought　to　him　a　vague　sense　of　loneliness　in　the　remembrance



that　to…night　he　was　not　to　sleep　at　home；　watched　over　by　the



loving　eyes　of　that　〃best　friend〃　of　his。　　They　had　always　been



〃best　friends；〃　this　boy　and　his　young　mother。　　He　could　not



help　thinking　of　her；　and　the　more　he　thought　of　her　the　less　was



he　inclined　to　talk；　and　by　the　time　the　dinner　was　at　an　end　the



Earl　saw　that　there　was　a　faint　shadow　on　his　face。　　But　Cedric



bore　himself　with　excellent　courage；　and　when　they　went　back　to



the　library；　though　the　tall　footman　walked　on　one　side　of　his



master；　the　Earl's　hand　rested　on　his　grandson's　shoulder；　though



not　so　heavily　as　before。







When　the　footman　left　them　alone；　Cedric　sat　down　upon　the



hearth…rug　near　Dougal。　　For　a　few　minutes　he　stroked　the　dog's



ears　in　silence　and　looked　at　the　fire。







The　Earl　watched　him。　　The　boy's　eyes　looked　wistful　and



thoughtful；　and　once　or　twice　he　gave　a　little　sigh。　　The　Earl



sat　still；　and　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　grandson。







〃Fauntleroy；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃what　are　you　thinking　of？〃







Fauntleroy　looked　up　with　a　manful　effort　at　a　smile。







〃I　was　thinking　about　Dearest；〃　he　said；　〃andand　I　think　I'd



better　get　up　and　walk　up　and　down　the　room。〃







He　rose　up；　and　put　his　hands　in　his　small　pockets；　and　began　to



walk　to　and　fro。　　His　eyes　were　very　bright；　and　his　lips　were



pressed　together；　but　he　kept　his　head　up　and　walked　firmly。　



Dougal　moved　lazily　and　looked　at　him；　and　then　stood　up。　　He



walked　over　to　the　child；　and　began　to　follow　him　uneasily。　



Fauntleroy　drew　one　hand　from　his　pocket　and　laid　it　on　the　dog's



head。







〃He's　a　very　nice　dog；〃　he　said。　　〃He's　my　friend。　　He　knows



how　I　feel。〃







〃How　do　you　feel？〃　asked　the　Earl。







It　disturbed　him　to　see　the　struggle　the　little　fellow　was　having



with　his　first　feeling　of　homesickness；　but　it　pleased　him　to　see



that　he　was　making　so　brave　an　effort　to　bear　it　well。　　He　liked



this　childish　courage。







〃Come　here；〃　he　said。







Fauntleroy　went　to　him。







〃I　never　was　away　from　my　own　house　before；〃　said　the　boy；　with



a　troubled　look　in　his　brown　eyes。　　〃It　makes　a　person　feel　a



strange　feeling　when　he　has　to　stay　all　night　in　another　person's



castle　instead　of　in　his　own　house。　　But　Dearest　is　not　very　far



away　from　me。　　She　told　me　to　remember　thatandand　I'm



sevenand　I　can　look　at　the　picture　she　gave　me。〃







He　put　his　hand　in　his　pocket；　and　brought　out　a　small　violet



velvet…covered　case。







〃This　is　it；〃　he　said。　　〃You　see；　you　press　this　spring　and　it



opens；　and　she　is　in　there！〃







He　had　come　close　to　the　Earl's　chair；　and；　as　he　drew　forth　the



little　case；　he　leaned　against　the　arm　of　it；　and　against　the　old



man's　arm；　too；　as　confidingly　as　if　children　had　always　leaned



there。







〃There　she　is；〃　he　said；　as　the　case　opened；　and　he　looked　up



with　a　smile。







The　Earl　knitted　his　brows；　he　did　not　wish　to　see　the　picture；



but　he　looked　at　it　in　spite　of　himself；　and　there　looked　up　at



him　from　it　such　a　pretty　young　facea　face　so　like　the　child's



at　his　sidethat　it　quite　startled　him。







〃I　suppose　you　think　you　are　very　fond　of　her；〃　he　said。







〃Yes；〃　answered　Lord　Fauntleroy；　in　a　gentle　tone；　and　with



simple　directness；　〃I　do　think　so；　and　I　think　it's　true。　　You



see；　Mr。　Hobbs　was　my　friend；　and　Dick　and　Bridget　and　Mary　and



Michael；　they　were　my　friends；　too；　but　Dearestwell；　she　is　my



CLOSE　friend；　and　we　always　tell　each　other　everything。　　My



father　left　her　to　me　to　take　care　of；　and　when　I　am　a　man　I　am



going　to　work　and　earn　money　for　her。〃







〃What　do　you　think　of　doing？〃　inquired　his　grandfather。







His　young　lordship　slipped　down　upon　the　hearth…rug；　and　sat



there　with　the　picture　still　in　his　hand。　　He　seemed　to　be



reflecting　seriously；　before　he　answered。







〃I　did　think　perhaps　I　might　go　into　business　with　Mr。　Hobbs；〃



he　said；　〃but　I　should　LIKE　to　be　a　President。〃







〃We'll　send　you　to　the　House　of　Lords　instead；〃　said　his



grandfather。







〃Well；〃　remarked　Lord　Fauntleroy；　〃if　I　COULDN'T　be　a



President；　and　if　that　is　a　good　business；　I　shouldn't　mind。　　The



grocery　business　is　dull　sometimes。〃







Perhaps　he　was　weighing　the　matter　in　his　mind；　for　he　sat　very



quiet　after　this；　and　looked　at　the　fire　for　some　time。







The　Earl　did　not　speak　again。　　He　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and



watched　him。　　A　great　many　strange　new　thoughts　passed　through



the　old　nobleman's　mind。　　Dougal　had　stretched　himself　out　and



gone　to　sleep　with　his　head　on　his　huge　paws。　　There　was　a　long



silence。











In　about　half　an　hour's　time　Mr。　Havisham　was　ushered　in。　　The



great　room　was　very　still　when　he　entered。　　The　Earl　was　still



leaning　back　in　his　chair。　　He　moved　as　Mr。　Havisham　approached；



and　held　up　his　hand　in　a　gesture　of　warningit　seemed　as　if　he



had　scarcely　intended　to　make　the　gestureas　if　it　were　almost



involuntary。　　Dougal　was　still　asleep；　and　close　beside　the　great



dog；　sleeping　also；　with　his　curly　head　upon　his　arm；　lay　little



Lord　Fauntleroy。















VI







When　Lord　Fauntleroy　wakened　in　the　morning；he　had　not　wakened



at　all　when　he　had　been　carried　to　bed　the　night　before；the



first　sounds　he　was　conscious　of　were　the　crackling　of　a　wood



fire　and　the　murmur　of　voices。







〃You　will　be　careful；　Dawson；　not　to　say　anything　about　it；〃　he



heard　some　one　say。　　〃He　does　not　know　why　she　is　not　to　be　with



him；　and　the　reason　is　to　be　kept　from　him。〃







〃If　them's　his　lordship's　orders；　mem；〃　another　voice　answered；



they'll　have　to　be　kep'；　I　suppose。　　But；　if　you'll　excuse　the



liberty；　mem；　as　it's　between　ourselves；　servant　or　no　servant；



all　I　have　to　say　is；　it's　a　cruel　thing；parting　that　poor；



pretty；　young　widdered　cre'tur'　from　her　own　flesh　and　blood；　and



him　such　a　little　beauty　and　a　nobleman　born。　　James　and　Thomas；



mem；　last　night　in　the　servants'　hall；　they　both　of　'em　say　as



they　never　see　anythink　in　their　two　livesnor　yet　no　other



gentleman　in　liverylike　that　little　fellow's　ways；　as　innercent



an'　polite　an'　interested　as　if　he'd　been　sitting　there　dining



with　his　best　friend；and　the　temper　of　a'　angel；　instead　of　one



（if　you'll　excuse　me；　mem）；　as　it's　well　known；　is　enough　to



curdle　your　blood　in　your　veins　at　times。　　And　as　to　looks；　mem；



when　we　was　rung　for；　James　and　me；　to　go　into　the　library　and



bring　him　upstairs；　and　James　lifted　him　up　in　his　arm