little lord fauntleroy-第16部分

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bring　him　upstairs；　and　James　lifted　him　up　in　his　arms；　what



with　his　little　innercent　face　all　red　and　rosy；　and　his　little



head　on　James's　shoulder　and　his　hair　hanging　down；　all　curly　an'



shinin'；　a　prettier；　takiner　sight　you'd　never　wish　to　see。　　An'



it's　my　opinion；　my　lord　wasn't　blind　to　it　neither；　for　he



looked　at　him；　and　he　says　to　James；　‘See　you　don't　wake　him！'　he



says。〃







Cedric　moved　on　his　pillow；　and　turned　over；　opening　his　eyes。







There　were　two　women　in　the　room。　　Everything　was　bright　and



cheerful　with　gay…flowered　chintz。　　There　was　a　fire　on　the



hearth；　and　the　sunshine　was　streaming　in　through　the



ivy…entwined　windows。　　Both　women　came　toward　him；　and　he　saw



that　one　of　them　was　Mrs。　Mellon；　the　housekeeper；　and　the　other



a　comfortable；　middle…aged　woman；　with　a　face　as　kind　and



good…humored　as　a　face　could　be。







〃Good…morning；　my　lord；〃　said　Mrs。　Mellon。　　〃Did　you　sleep



well？〃







His　lordship　rubbed　his　eyes　and　smiled。







〃Good…morning；〃　he　said。　　〃I　didn't　know　I　was　here。〃







〃You　were　carried　upstairs　when　you　were　asleep；〃　said　the



housekeeper。　　〃This　is　your　bedroom；　and　this　is　Dawson；　who　is



to　take　care　of　you。〃







Fauntleroy　sat　up　in　bed　and　held　out　his　hand　to　Dawson；　as　he



had　held　it　out　to　the　Earl。







〃How　do　you　do；　ma'am？〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　much　obliged　to　you　for



coming　to　take　care　of　me。〃







〃You　can　call　her　Dawson；　my　lord；〃　said　the　housekeeper　with　a



smile。　　〃She　is　used　to　being　called　Dawson。〃







〃MISS　Dawson；　or　MRS。　Dawson？〃　inquired　his　lordship。







〃Just　Dawson；　my　lord；〃　said　Dawson　herself；　beaming　all　over。　



〃Neither　Miss　nor　Missis；　bless　your　little　heart　！　　Will　you



get　up　now；　and　let　Dawson　dress　you；　and　then　have　your



breakfast　in　the　nursery？〃







〃I　learned　to　dress　myself　many　years　ago；　thank　you；〃　answered



Fauntleroy。　　〃Dearest　taught　me。　　‘Dearest'　is　my　mamma。　　We　had



only　Mary　to　do　all　the　work；washing　and　all；and　so　of　course



it　wouldn't　do　to　give　her　so　much　trouble。　　I　can　take　my　bath；



too；　pretty　well　if　you'll　just　be　kind　enough　to　'zamine　the



corners　after　I'm　done。〃







Dawson　and　the　housekeeper　exchanged　glances。







〃Dawson　will　do　anything　you　ask　her　to；〃　said　Mrs。　Mellon。







〃That　I　will；　bless　him；〃　said　Dawson；　in　her　comforting；



good…humored　voice。　　〃He　shall　dress　himself　if　he　likes；　and



I'll　stand　by；　ready　to　help　him　if　he　wants　me。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　responded　Lord　Fauntleroy；　〃it's　a　little　hard



sometimes　about　the　buttons；　you　know；　and　then　I　have　to　ask



somebody。〃







He　thought　Dawson　a　very　kind　woman；　and　before　the　bath　and　the



dressing　were　finished　they　were　excellent　friends；　and　he　had



found　out　a　great　deal　about　her。　　He　had　discovered　that　her



husband　had　been　a　soldier　and　had　been　killed　in　a　real　battle；



and　that　her　son　was　a　sailor；　and　was　away　on　a　long　cruise；　and



that　he　had　seen　pirates　and　cannibals　and　Chinese　people　and



Turks；　and　that　he　brought　home　strange　shells　and　pieces　of



coral　which　Dawson　was　ready　to　show　at　any　moment；　some　of　them



being　in　her　trunk。　　All　this　was　very　interesting。　　He　also



found　out　that　she　had　taken　care　of　little　children　all　her



life；　and　that　she　had　just　come　from　a　great　house　in　another



part　of　England；　where　she　had　been　taking　care　of　a　beautiful



little　girl　whose　name　was　Lady　Gwyneth　Vaughn。







〃And　she　is　a　sort　of　relation　of　your　lordship's；〃　said



Dawson。　　〃And　perhaps　sometime　you　may　see　her。〃







〃Do　you　think　I　shall？〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　〃I　should　like　that。　



I　never　knew　any　little　girls；　but　I　always　like　to　look　at



them。〃







When　he　went　into　the　adjoining　room　to　take　his　breakfast；　and



saw　what　a　great　room　it　was；　and　found　there　was　another



adjoining　it　which　Dawson　told　him　was　his　also；　the　feeling　that



he　was　very　small　indeed　came　over　him　again　so　strongly　that　he



confided　it　to　Dawson；　as　he　sat　down　to　the　table　on　which　the



pretty　breakfast　service　was　arranged。







〃I　am　a　very　little　boy；〃　he　said　rather　wistfully；　〃to　live



in　such　a　large　castle；　and　have　so　many　big　rooms；don't　you



think　so？〃







〃Oh！　　come！〃　said　Dawson；　〃you　feel　just　a　little　strange　at



first；　that's　all；　but　you'll　get　over　that　very　soon；　and　then



you'll　like　it　here。　　It's　such　a　beautiful　place；　you　know。〃







〃It's　a　very　beautiful　place；　of　course；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　with



a　little　sigh；　〃but　I　should　like　it　better　if　I　didn't　miss



Dearest　so。　　I　always　had　my　breakfast　with　her　in　the　morning；



and　put　the　sugar　and　cream　in　her　tea　for　her；　and　handed　her



the　toast。　　That　made　it　very　sociable；　of　course。〃







〃Oh；　well！〃　answered　Dawson；　comfortingly；　〃you　know　you　can



see　her　every　day；　and　there's　no　knowing　how　much　you'll　have　to



tell　her。　　Bless　you！　　wait　till　you've　walked　about　a　bit　and



seen　things；the　dogs；　and　the　stables　with　all　the　horses　in



them。　　There's　one　of　them　I　know　you'll　like　to　see〃







〃Is　there？〃　exclaimed　Fauntleroy；　〃I'm　very　fond　of　horses。　　I



was　very　fond　of　Jim。　　He　was　the　horse　that　belonged　to　Mr。



Hobbs'　grocery　wagon。　　He　was　a　beautiful　horse　when　he　wasn't



balky。〃







〃Well；〃　said　Dawson；　〃you　just　wait　till　you've　seen　what's　in



the　stables。　　And；　deary　me；　you　haven't　looked　even　into　the



very　next　room　yet！〃







〃What　is　there？〃　asked　Fauntleroy。







〃Wait　until　you've　had　your　breakfast；　and　then　you　shall　see；〃



said　Dawson。







At　this　he　naturally　began　to　grow　curious；　and　he　applied



himself　assiduously　to　his　breakfast。　　It　seemed　to　him　that



there　must　be　something　worth　looking　at；　in　the　next　room；



Dawson　had　such　a　consequential；　mysterious　air。







〃Now；　then；〃　he　said；　slipping　off　his　seat　a　few　minutes



later；　〃I've　had　enough。　　Can　I　go　and　look　at　it？〃







Dawson　nodded　and　led　the　way；　looking　more　mysterious　and



important　than　ever。　　He　began　to　be　very　much　interested　indeed。







When　she　opened　the　door　of　the　room；　he　stood　upon　the　threshold



and　looked　about　him　in　amazement。　　He　did　not　speak；　he　only　put



his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　stood　there　flushing　up　to　his



forehead　and　looking　in。







He　flushed　up　because　he　was　so　surprised　and；　for　the　moment；



excited。　　To　see　such　a　place　was　enough　to　surprise　any　ordinary



boy。







The　room　was　a　large　one；　too；　as　all　the　rooms　seemed　to　be；　and



it　appeared　to　him　more　beautiful　than　the　rest；　only　in　a



different　way。　　The　furniture　was　not　so　massive　and　antique　as



was　that　in　the　rooms　he　had　seen　downstairs；　the　draperies　and



rugs　and　walls　were　brighter；　there　were　shelves　full　of　books；



and　on　the　tables　were　numbers　of　toys；beautiful；　ingenious



things；such　as　he　had　looked　at　with　wonder　and　delight　through



the　shop　windows　in　New　York。







〃It　looks　like　a　boy's　room；〃　he　said　at　last；　catching　his



breath　a　little。　　〃Whom　do　they　belong　to？〃







〃Go　and　look　at　them；〃　said　Dawson。　　〃They　belong　to　you！〃







〃To　me！〃　he　cried；　〃to　me？　　Why　do　they　belong　to　me？　　Who



gave　them　to　me？〃　And　he　sprang　forward　with　a　gay　little　shout。　



It　seemed　almost　too　much　to　be　believed。　　〃It　was　Grandpapa！〃



he　said；　with　his　eyes　as　bright　as　stars。　　〃I　know　it　was



Grandpapa！〃







〃Yes；　it　was　his　lordship；〃　said　Dawson；　〃and　if　you　will　be　a



nice　little　gentleman；　and　not　fret　about　things；　and　will　enjoy



yourself；　and　be　happy　all　the　day；　he　will　give　you　anything　you



ask　for。〃







It　was　a　tremendously　exciting　morning。　　There　were　so　many



things　to　be　examined；　so　many　experiments　to　be　tried；　each



novelty　was　so　absorbing　that　he　could　scarcely　turn　from　it　to



look　at　the　next。　　And　it　was　so　curious　to　know　that　all　this



had　been　prepared　for　himself　alone；　that；　even　before　he　had



left　New　York；　people　had　come　down　from　London　to　arrange　the



rooms　he　was　to　occupy；　and　had　provided　the　books　and　playthings



most　likely　to　interest　him。







〃Did　you　ever　know　any　one；〃　he　said　to　Dawson；　〃who　had　such



a　kind　grandfather！〃







Dawson's　face　wore　an　uncertain　expression　for　a　moment。　　She　had



not　a　very　high　opinion　of　his　lordship　the　Earl。　　She　had　not



been　in　the　house　many　days；　but　she　had　been　there　long　enough



to　hear　the　old　nobleman's　peculiarities　discussed　very　freely　in



the　servants'　hall。







〃An'　of　all　the　wicious；　savage；　hill…tempered　hold　fellows　it



was　ever　my　hill…luck　to　wear　livery　hunder；〃　the　tallest



footman　had　said；　〃he's　the　wiolentest　and　wust　by　a　long



shot。〃







And　this　particular　footman；　whose　name　was　Thomas；　had　also



repeated　to　his　companions　below　stairs　some　of　the　Earl's



remarks　to　Mr。　Havisham；　when　they　had　been　discussing　these　very



preparations。







〃Give　him　his　own　way；　and　fill　his　rooms　with　toys；〃　my　lord



had　said。　　〃Give　him　what　will　amuse　him；　and　he'll　forget　about



his　mother　quickly　enough。　　Amuse　him；　and　fill　his　mind　with



other　things；　and　we　shall　have　no　trouble。　　That's　boy　nature。〃







So；　perhaps；　having　had　this　truly　amiable　object　in　view；　it　did



not　please　him　so　very　much　to　find　it　did　not　seem　to　be　exactly



this　particular　boy's　nature。　　The　Earl　had　passed　a　bad　night



and　had　spent　the　mor