little lord fauntleroy-第19部分

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would　be　allowed　to　do　his　worst。







The　Earl　paused　a　moment；　still　looking　at　him。　　〃Can　you



write？〃　he　asked。







〃Yes；〃　answered　Cedric；　〃but　not　very　well。〃







〃Move　the　things　from　the　table；〃　commanded　my　lord；　〃and



bring　the　pen　and　ink；　and　a　sheet　of　paper　from　my　desk。〃







Mr。　Mordaunt's　interest　began　to　increase。　　Fauntleroy　did　as　he



was　told　very　deftly。　　In　a　few　moments；　the　sheet　of　paper；　the



big　inkstand；　and　the　pen　were　ready。







〃There！〃　he　said　gayly；　〃now　you　can　write　it。〃







〃You　are　to　write　it；〃　said　the　Earl。







〃I！〃　exclaimed　Fauntleroy；　and　a　flush　overspread　his　forehead。　



〃Will　it　do　if　I　write　it？　　I　don't　always　spell　quite　right



when　I　haven't　a　dictionary；　and　nobody　tells　me。〃







〃It　will　do；〃　answered　the　Earl。　　〃Higgins　will　not　complain



of　the　spelling。　　I'm　not　the　philanthropist；　you　are。　　Dip　your



pen　in　the　ink。〃







Fauntleroy　took　up　the　pen　and　dipped　it　in　the　ink…bottle；　then



he　arranged　himself　in　position；　leaning　on　the　table。







〃Now；〃　he　inquired；　〃what　must　I　say？〃







〃You　may　say；　‘Higgins　is　not　to　be　interfered　with；　for　the



present；'　and　sign　it；　‘Fauntleroy；'〃　said　the　Earl。







Fauntleroy　dipped　his　pen　in　the　ink　again；　and　resting　his　arm；



began　to　write。　　It　was　rather　a　slow　and　serious　process；　but　he



gave　his　whole　soul　to　it。　　After　a　while；　however；　the



manuscript　was　complete；　and　he　handed　it　to　his　grandfather　with



a　smile　slightly　tinged　with　anxiety。







〃Do　you　think　it　will　do？〃　he　asked。







The　Earl　looked　at　it；　and　the　corners　of　his　mouth　twitched　a



little。







〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　〃Higgins　will　find　it　entirely



satisfactory。〃　And　he　handed　it　to　Mr。　Mordaunt。







What　Mr。　Mordaunt　found　written　was　this：











〃Dear　mr。　　Newik　if　you　pleas　mr。　　higins　is　not　to　be　intur



feared　with　for　the　present　and　oblige。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours　rispecferly　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃FAUNTLEROY。〃











〃Mr。　Hobbs　always　signed　his　letters　that　way；〃　said



Fauntleroy；　〃and　I　thought　I'd　better　say　‘please。'　Is　that



exactly　the　right　way　to　spell　‘interfered'？〃







〃It's　not　exactly　the　way　it　is　spelled　in　the　dictionary；〃



answered　the　Earl。







〃I　was　afraid　of　that；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　〃I　ought　to　have



asked。　　You　see；　that's　the　way　with　words　of　more　than　one



syllable；　you　have　to　look　in　the　dictionary。　　It's　always



safest。　　I'll　write　it　over　again。〃







And　write　it　over　again　he　did；　making　quite　an　imposing　copy；



and　taking　precautions　in　the　matter　of　spelling　by　consulting



the　Earl　himself。







〃Spelling　is　a　curious　thing；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　so　often



different　from　what　you　expect　it　to　be。　　I　used　to　think



‘please'　was　spelled　p…l…e…e…s；　but　it　isn't；　you　know；　and　you'd



think　‘dear'　was　spelled　d…e…r…e；　if　you　didn't　inquire。　



Sometimes　it　almost　discourages　you。〃







When　Mr。　Mordaunt　went　away；　he　took　the　letter　with　him；　and　he



took　something　else　with　him　alsonamely；　a　pleasanter　feeling



and　a　more　hopeful　one　than　he　had　ever　carried　home　with　him



down　that　avenue　on　any　previous　visit　he　had　made　at　Dorincourt



Castle。







When　he　was　gone；　Fauntleroy；　who　had　accompanied　him　to　the



door；　went　back　to　his　grandfather。







〃May　I　go　to　Dearest　now？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　think　she　will　be



waiting　for　me。〃







The　Earl　was　silent　a　moment。







〃There　is　something　in　the　stable　for　you　to　see　first；〃　he



said。　　〃Ring　the　bell。〃







〃If　you　please；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　with　his　quick　little　flush。　



〃I'm　very　much　obliged；　but　I　think　I'd　better　see　it　to…morrow。







She　will　be　expecting　me　all　the　time。〃







〃Very　well；〃　answered　the　Earl。　　〃We　will　order　the



carriage。〃　Then　he　added　dryly；　〃It's　a　pony。〃







Fauntleroy　drew　a　long　breath。







〃A　pony！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Whose　pony　is　it？〃







〃Yours；〃　replied　the　Earl。







〃Mine？〃　cried　the　little　fellow。　　〃Minelike　the　things



upstairs？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　his　grandfather。　　〃Would　you　like　to　see　it？　



Shall　I　order　it　to　be　brought　around？〃







Fauntleroy's　cheeks　grew　redder　and　redder。







〃I　never　thought　I　should　have　a　pony！〃　he　said。　　〃I　never



thought　that！　　How　glad　Dearest　will　be。　　You　give　me　EVERYthing；



don't　you？〃







〃Do　you　wish　to　see　it？〃　inquired　the　Earl。







Fauntleroy　drew　a　long　breath。　　〃I　WANT　to　see　it；〃　he　said。　



〃I　want　to　see　it　so　much　I　can　hardly　wait。　　But　I'm　afraid



there　isn't　time。〃







〃You　MUST　go　and　see　your　mother　this　afternoon？〃　asked　the



Earl。　　〃You　think　you　can't　put　it　off？〃







〃Why；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　〃she　has　been　thinking　about　me　all



the　morning；　and　I　have　been　thinking　about　her！〃







〃Oh！〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃You　have；　have　you？　　Ring　the　bell。〃







As　they　drove　down　the　avenue；　under　the　arching　trees；　he　was



rather　silent。　　But　Fauntleroy　was　not。　　He　talked　about　the



pony。　　What　color　was　it？　　How　big　was　it？　　What　was　its　name？　



What　did　it　like　to　eat　best？　　How　old　was　it？　　How　early　in　the



morning　might　he　get　up　and　see　it？







〃Dearest　will　be　so　glad！〃　he　kept　saying。　　〃She　will　be　so



much　obliged　to　you　for　being　so　kind　to　me！　　She　knows　I　always



liked　ponies　so　much；　but　we　never　thought　I　should　have　one。　



There　was　a　little　boy　on　Fifth　Avenue　who　had　one；　and　he　used



to　ride　out　every　morning　and　we　used　to　take　a　walk　past　his



house　to　see　him。〃







He　leaned　back　against　the　cushions　and　regarded　the　Earl　with



rapt　interest　for　a　few　minutes　and　in　entire　silence。







〃I　think　you　must　be　the　best　person　in　the　world；〃　he　burst



forth　at　last。　　〃You　are　always　doing　good；　aren't　you？and



thinking　about　other　people。　　Dearest　says　that　is　the　best　kind



of　goodness；　not　to　think　about　yourself；　but　to　think　about



other　people。　　That　is　just　the　way　you　are；　isn't　it？〃







His　lordship　was　so　dumfounded　to　find　himself　presented　in　such



agreeable　colors；　that　he　did　not　know　exactly　what　to　say。　　He



felt　that　he　needed　time　for　reflection。　　To　see　each　of　his



ugly；　selfish　motives　changed　into　a　good　and　generous　one　by　the



simplicity　of　a　child　was　a　singular　experience。







Fauntleroy　went　on；　still　regarding　him　with　admiring　eyesthose



great；　clear；　innocent　eyes！







〃You　make　so　many　people　happy；〃　he　said。　　〃There's　Michael



and　Bridget　and　their　ten　children；　and　the　apple…woman；　and



Dick；　and　Mr。　Hobbs；　and　Mr。　Higgins　and　Mrs。　Higgins　and　their



children；　and　Mr。　Mordaunt；because　of　course　he　was　glad；and



Dearest　and　me；　about　the　pony　and　all　the　other　things。　　Do　you



know；　I've　counted　it　up　on　my　fingers　and　in　my　mind；　and　it's



twenty…seven　people　you've　been　kind　to。　　That's　a　good



manytwenty…seven！〃







〃And　I　was　the　person　who　was　kind　to　themwas　I？〃　said　the



Earl。







〃Why；　yes；　you　know；〃　answered　Fauntleroy。　　〃You　made　them　all



happy。　　Do　you　know；〃　with　some　delicate　hesitation；　〃that



people　are　sometimes　mistaken　about　earls　when　they　don't　know



them。　　Mr。　Hobbs　was。　　I　am　going　to　write　him；　and　tell　him



about　it。〃







〃What　was　Mr。　Hobbs's　opinion　of　earls？〃　asked　his　lordship。







〃Well；　you　see；　the　difficulty　was；〃　replied　his　young



companion；　〃that　he　didn't　know　any；　and　he'd　only　read　about



them　in　books。　　He　thoughtyou　mustn't　mind　itthat　they　were



gory　tyrants；　and　he　said　he　wouldn't　have　them　hanging　around



his　store。　　But　　if　he'd　known　YOU；　I'm　sure　he　would　have　felt



quite　different。　　I　shall　tell　him　about　you。〃







〃What　shall　you　tell　him？〃







〃I　shall　tell　him；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　glowing　with　enthusiasm；



〃that　you　are　the　kindest　man　I　ever　heard　of。　　And　you　are



always　thinking　of　other　people；　and　making　them　happy　andand　I



hope　when　I　grow　up；　I　shall　be　just　like　you。〃







〃Just　like　me！〃　repeated　his　lordship；　looking　at　the　little



kindling　face。　　And　a　dull　red　crept　up　under　his　withered　skin；



and　he　suddenly　turned　his　eyes　away　and　looked　out　of　the



carriage　window　at　the　great　beech…trees；　with　the　sun　shining　on



their　glossy；　red…brown　leaves。







〃JUST　like　you；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　adding　modestly；　〃if　I　can。　



Perhaps　I'm　not　good　enough；　but　I'm　going　to　try。〃







The　carriage　rolled　on　down　the　stately　avenue　under　the



beautiful；　broad…branched　trees；　through　the　spaces　of　green



shade　and　lanes　of　golden　sunlight。　　Fauntleroy　saw　again　the



lovely　places　where　the　ferns　grew　high　and　the　bluebells　swayed



in　the　breeze；　he　saw　the　deer；　standing　or　lying　in　the　deep



grass；　turn　their　large；　startled　eyes　as　the　carriage　passed；



and　caught　glimpses　of　the　brown　rabbits　as　they　scurried　away。　



He　heard　the　whir　of　the　partridges　and　the　calls　and　songs　of



the　birds；　and　it　all　seemed　even　more　beautiful　to　him　than



before。　　All　his　heart　was　filled　with　pleasure　and　happiness　in



the　beauty　that　was　on　every　side。　　But　the　old　Earl　saw　and



heard　very　different　things；　though　he　was　apparently　looking　out



too。　　He　saw　a　long　life；　in　which　there　had　been　neither



generous　deeds　nor　kind　thoughts；　he　saw　years　in　which　a　man　who



had　been　young　and　strong　and　rich　and　powerful　had　used　his



youth　and　stre