little lord fauntleroy-第17部分

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



and　had　spent　the　morning　in　his　room；　but　at　noon；　after　he　had



lunched；　he　sent　for　his　grandson。







Fauntleroy　answered　the　summons　at　once。　　He　came　down　the　broad



staircase　with　a　bounding　step；　the　Earl　heard　him　run　across　the



hall；　and　then　the　door　opened　and　he　came　in　with　red　cheeks　and



sparkling　eyes。







〃I　was　waiting　for　you　to　send　for　me；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　ready



a　long　time　ago。　　I'm　EVER　so　much　obliged　to　you　for　all　those



things！　　I'm　EVER　so　much　obliged　to　you！　　I　have　been　playing



with　them　all　the　morning。〃







〃Oh！〃　said　the　Earl；　〃you　like　them；　do　you？〃







〃I　like　them　so　muchwell；　I　couldn't　tell　you　how　much！〃　said



Fauntleroy；　his　face　glowing　with　delight。　　〃There's　one　that's



like　baseball；　only　you　play　it　on　a　board　with　black　and　white



pegs；　and　you　keep　your　score　with　some　counters　on　a　wire。　　I



tried　to　teach　Dawson；　but　she　couldn't　quite　understand　it　just



at　firstyou　see；　she　never　played　baseball；　being　a　lady；　and



I'm　afraid　I　wasn't　very　good　at　explaining　it　to　her。　　But　you



know　all　about　it；　don't　you？〃







〃I'm　afraid　I　don't；〃　replied　the　Earl。　　〃It's　an　American



game；　isn't　it？　　Is　it　something　like　cricket？〃







〃I　never　saw　cricket；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　〃but　Mr。　Hobbs　took　me



several　times　to　see　baseball。　　It's　a　splendid　game。　　You　get　so



excited！　　Would　you　like　me　to　go　and　get　my　game　and　show　it　to



you？　　Perhaps　it　would　amuse　you　and　make　you　forget　about　your



foot。　　Does　your　foot　hurt　you　very　much　this　morning？〃







〃More　than　I　enjoy；〃　was　the　answer。







〃Then　perhaps　you　couldn't　forget　it；〃　said　the　little　fellow



anxiously。　　〃Perhaps　it　would　bother　you　to　be　told　about　the



game。　　Do　you　think　it　would　amuse　you；　or　do　you　think　it　would



bother　you？〃







〃Go　and　get　it；〃　said　the　Earl。







It　certainly　was　a　novel　entertainment　this；making　a　companion



of　a　child　who　offered　to　teach　him　to　play　games；but　the　very



novelty　of　it　amused　him。　　There　was　a　smile　lurking　about　the



Earl's　mouth　when　Cedric　came　back　with　the　box　containing　the



game；　in　his　arms；　and　an　expression　of　the　most　eager　interest



on　his　face。







〃May　I　pull　that　little　table　over　here　to　your　chair？〃　he



asked。







〃Ring　for　Thomas；〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃He　will　place　it　for



you。〃







〃Oh；　I　can　do　it　myself；〃　answered　Fauntleroy。　　〃It's　not　very



heavy。〃







〃Very　well；〃　replied　his　grandfather。　　The　lurking　smile



deepened　on　the　old　man's　face　as　he　watched　the　little　fellow's



preparations；　there　was　such　an　absorbed　interest　in　them。　　The



small　table　was　dragged　forward　and　placed　by　his　chair；　and　the



game　taken　from　its　box　and　arranged　upon　it。







〃It's　very　interesting　when　you　once　begin；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　



〃You　see；　the　black　pegs　can　be　your　side　and　the　white　ones



mine。　　They're　men；　you　know；　and　once　round　the　field　is　a　home



run　and　counts　oneand　these　are　the　outsand　here　is　the　first



base　and　that's　the　second　and　that's　the　third　and　that's　the



home　base。〃







He　entered　into　the　details　of　explanation　with　the　greatest



animation。　　He　showed　all　the　attitudes　of　pitcher　and　catcher



and　batter　in　the　real　game；　and　gave　a　dramatic　description　of　a



wonderful　〃hot　ball〃　he　had　seen　caught　on　the　glorious



occasion　on　which　he　had　witnessed　a　match　in　company　with　Mr。



Hobbs。　　His　vigorous；　graceful　little　body；　his　eager　gestures；



his　simple　enjoyment　of　it　all；　were　pleasant　to　behold。







When　at　last　the　explanations　and　illustrations　were　at　an　end



and　the　game　began　in　good　earnest；　the　Earl　still　found　himself



entertained。　　His　young　companion　was　wholly　absorbed；　he　played



with　all　his　childish　heart；　his　gay　little　laughs　when　he　made　a



good　throw；　his　enthusiasm　over　a　〃home　run；〃　his　impartial



delight　over　his　own　good　luck　and　his　opponent's；　would　have



given　a　flavor　to　any　game。







If；　a　week　before；　any　one　had　told　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　that



on　that　particular　morning　he　would　be　forgetting　his　gout　and



his　bad　temper　in　a　child's　game；　played　with　black　and　white



wooden　pegs；　on　a　gayly　painted　board；　with　a　curly…headed　small



boy　for　a　companion；　he　would　without　doubt　have　made　himself



very　unpleasant；　and　yet　he　certainly　had　forgotten　himself　when



the　door　opened　and　Thomas　announced　a　visitor。







The　visitor　in　question；　who　was　an　elderly　gentleman　in　black；



and　no　less　a　person　than　the　clergyman　of　the　parish；　was　so



startled　by　the　amazing　scene　which　met　his　eye；　that　he　almost



fell　back　a　pace；　and　ran　some　risk　of　colliding　with　Thomas。







There　was；　in　fact；　no　part　of　his　duty　that　the　Reverend　Mr。



Mordaunt　found　so　decidedly　unpleasant　as　that　part　which



compelled　him　to　call　upon　his　noble　patron　at　the　Castle。　　His



noble　patron；　indeed；　usually　made　these　visits　as　disagreeable



as　it　lay　in　his　lordly　power　to　make　them。　　He　abhorred　churches



and　charities；　and　flew　into　violent　rages　when　any　of　his



tenantry　took　the　liberty　of　being　poor　and　ill　and　needing



assistance。　　When　his　gout　was　at　its　worst；　he　did　not　hesitate



to　announce　that　he　would　not　be　bored　and　irritated　by　being



told　stories　of　their　miserable　misfortunes；　when　his　gout



troubled　him　less　and　he　was　in　a　somewhat　more　humane　frame　of



mind；　he　would　perhaps　give　the　rector　some　money；　after　having



bullied　him　in　the　most　painful　manner；　and　berated　the　whole



parish　for　its　shiftlessness　and　imbecility。　　But；　whatsoever　his



mood；　he　never　failed　to　make　as　many　sarcastic　and　embarrassing



speeches　as　possible；　and　to　cause　the　Reverend　Mr。　Mordaunt　to



wish　it　were　proper　and　Christian…like　to　throw　something　heavy



at　him。　　During　all　the　years　in　which　Mr。　Mordaunt　had　been　in



charge　of　Dorincourt　parish；　the　rector　certainly　did　not



remember　having　seen　his　lordship；　of　his　own　free　will；　do　any



one　a　kindness；　or；　under　any　circumstances　whatever；　show　that



he　thought　of　any　one　but　himself。







He　had　called　to…day　to　speak　to　him　of　a　specially　pressing



case；　and　as　he　had　walked　up　the　avenue；　he　had；　for　two



reasons；　dreaded　his　visit　more　than　usual。　　In　the　first　place；



he　knew　that　his　lordship　had　for　several　days　been　suffering



with　the　gout；　and　had　been　in　so　villainous　a　humor　that　rumors



of　it　had　even　reached　the　villagecarried　there　by　one　of　the



young　women　servants；　to　her　sister；　who　kept　a　little　shop　and



retailed　darning…needles　and　cotton　and　peppermints　and　gossip；



as　a　means　of　earning　an　honest　living。　　What　Mrs。　Dibble　did　not



know　about　the　Castle　and　its　inmates；　and　the　farm…houses　and



their　inmates；　and　the　village　and　its　population；　was　really　not



worth　being　talked　about。　　And　of　course　she　knew　everything



about　the　Castle；　because　her　sister；　Jane　Shorts；　was　one　of　the



upper　housemaids；　and　was　very　friendly　and　intimate　with　Thomas。







〃And　the　way　his　lordship　do　go　on！〃　said　Mrs。　Dibble；　over　the



counter；　〃and　the　way　he　do　use　language；　Mr。　Thomas　told　Jane



herself；　no　flesh　and　blood　as　is　in　livery　could　standfor



throw　a　plate　of　toast　at　Mr。　Thomas；　hisself；　he　did；　not　more



than　two　days　since；　and　if　it　weren't　for　other　things　being



agreeable　and　the　society　below　stairs　most　genteel；　warning



would　have　been　gave　within　a'　hour！〃







And　the　rector　had　heard　all　this；　for　somehow　the　Earl　was　a



favorite　black　sheep　in　the　cottages　and　farm…houses；　and　his　bad



behavior　gave　many　a　good　woman　something　to　talk　about　when　she



had　company　to　tea。







And　the　second　reason　was　even　worse；　because　it　was　a　new　one



and　had　been　talked　about　with　the　most　excited　interest。







Who　did　not　know　of　the　old　nobleman's　fury　when　his　handsome　son



the　Captain　had　married　the　American　lady？　　Who　did　not　know　how



cruelly　he　had　treated　the　Captain；　and　how　the　big；　gay；



sweet…smiling　young　man；　who　was　the　only　member　of　the　grand



family　any　one　liked；　had　died　in　a　foreign　land；　poor　and



unforgiven？　　Who　did　not　know　how　fiercely　his　lordship　had　hated



the　poor　young　creature　who　had　been　this　son's　wife；　and　how　he



had　hated　the　thought　of　her　child　and　never　meant　to　see　the



boyuntil　his　two　sons　died　and　left　him　without　an　heir？　　And



then；　who　did　not　know　that　he　had　looked　forward　without　any



affection　or　pleasure　to　his　grandson's　coming；　and　that　he　had



made　up　his　mind　that　he　should　find　the　boy　a　vulgar；　awkward；



pert　American　lad；　more　likely　to　disgrace　his　noble　name　than　to



honor　it？







The　proud；　angry　old　man　thought　he　had　kept　all　his　thoughts



secret。　　He　did　not　suppose　any　one　had　dared　to　guess　at；　much



less　talk　over　what　he　felt；　and　dreaded；　but　his　servants



watched　him；　and　read　his　face　and　his　ill…humors　and　fits　of



gloom；　and　discussed　them　in　the　servants'　hall。　　And　while　he



thought　himself　quite　secure　from　the　common　herd；　Thomas　was



telling　Jane　and　the　cook；　and　the　butler；　and　the　housemaids　and



the　other　footmen　that　it　was　his　opinion　that　〃the　hold　man　was



wuss　than　usual　a…thinkin'　hover　the　Capting's　boy；　an'



hanticipatin'　as　he　won't　be　no　credit　to　the　fambly。　　An'　serve



him　right；〃　added　Thomas；　〃hit's　'is　hown　fault。　　Wot　can　he



iggspect　from　a　child　brought　up　in　pore　circumstances　in　t