little lord fauntleroy-第2部分

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of　how　pleased　they　were　when　he　talked　to　them　in　his　cheerful



little　way；　as　if　he　had　known　them　always。　　His　greatest　charm



was　this　cheerful；　fearless；　quaint　little　way　of　making　friends



with　people。　　I　think　it　arose　from　his　having　a　very　confiding



nature；　and　a　kind　little　heart　that　sympathized　with　every　one；



and　wished　to　make　every　one　as　comfortable　as　he　liked　to　be



himself。　　It　made　him　very　quick　to　understand　the　feelings　of



those　about　him。　　Perhaps　this　had　grown　on　him；　too；　because　he



had　lived　so　much　with　his　father　and　mother；　who　were　always



loving　and　considerate　and　tender　and　well…bred。　　He　had　never



heard　an　unkind　or　uncourteous　word　spoken　at　home；　he　had　always



been　loved　and　caressed　and　treated　tenderly；　and　so　his　childish



soul　was　full　of　kindness　and　innocent　warm　feeling。　　He　had



always　heard　his　mamma　called　by　pretty；　loving　names；　and　so　he



used　them　himself　when　he　spoke　to　her；　he　had　always　seen　that



his　papa　watched　over　her　and　took　great　care　of　her；　and　so　he



learned；　too；　to　be　careful　of　her。







So　when　he　knew　his　papa　would　come　back　no　more；　and　saw　how



very　sad　his　mamma　was；　there　gradually　came　into　his　kind　little



heart　the　thought　that　he　must　do　what　he　could　to　make　her



happy。　　He　was　not　much　more　than　a　baby；　but　that　thought　was　in



his　mind　whenever　he　climbed　upon　her　knee　and　kissed　her　and　put



his　curly　head　on　her　neck；　and　when　he　brought　his　toys　and



picture…books　to　show　her；　and　when　he　curled　up　quietly　by　her



side　as　she　used　to　lie　on　the　sofa。　　He　was　not　old　enough　to



know　of　anything　else　to　do；　so　he　did　what　he　could；　and　was



more　of　a　comfort　to　her　than　he　could　have　understood。







〃Oh；　Mary！〃　he　heard　her　say　once　to　her　old　servant；　〃I　am



sure　he　is　trying　to　help　me　in　his　innocent　wayI　know　he　is。　



He　looks　at　me　sometimes　with　a　loving；　wondering　little　look；　as



if　he　were　sorry　for　me；　and　then　he　will　come　and　pet　me　or　show



me　something。　　He　is　such　a　little　man；　I　really　think　he



knows。〃







As　he　grew　older；　he　had　a　great　many　quaint　little　ways　which



amused　and　interested　people　greatly。　　He　was　so　much　of　a



companion　for　his　mother　that　she　scarcely　cared　for　any　other。　



They　used　to　walk　together　and　talk　together　and　play　together。　



When　he　was　quite　a　little　fellow；　he　learned　to　read；　and　after



that　he　used　to　lie　on　the　hearth…rug；　in　the　evening；　and　read



aloudsometimes　stories；　and　sometimes　big　books　such　as　older



people　read；　and　sometimes　even　the　newspaper；　and　often　at　such



times　Mary；　in　the　kitchen；　would　hear　Mrs。　Errol　laughing　with



delight　at　the　quaint　things　he　said。







〃And；　indade；〃　said　Mary　to　the　groceryman；　〃nobody　cud　help



laughin'　at　the　quare　little　ways　of　himand　his　ould…fashioned



sayin's！　　Didn't　he　come　into　my　kitchen　the　noight　the　new



Prisident　was　nominated　and　shtand　afore　the　fire；　lookin'　loike



a　pictur'；　wid　his　hands　in　his　shmall　pockets；　an'　his　innocent



bit　of　a　face　as　sayrious　as　a　jedge？　　An'　sez　he　to　me：　‘Mary；'



sez　he；　‘I'm　very　much　int'rusted　in　the　'lection；'　sez　he。　　‘I'm



a　'publican；　an'　so　is　Dearest。　　Are　you　a　'publican；　Mary？'



‘Sorra　a　bit；'　sez　I；　‘I'm　the　bist　o'　dimmycrats！'　An'　he　looks



up　at　me　wid　a　look　that　ud　go　to　yer　heart；　an'　sez　he：　‘Mary；'



sez　he；　‘the　country　will　go　to　ruin。'　An'　nivver　a　day　since



thin　has　he　let　go　by　widout　argyin'　wid　me　to　change　me



polytics。〃







Mary　was　very　fond　of　him；　and　very　proud　of　him；　too。　　She　had



been　with　his　mother　ever　since　he　was　born；　and；　after　his



father's　death；　had　been　cook　and　housemaid　and　nurse　and



everything　else。　　She　was　proud　of　his　graceful；　strong　little



body　and　his　pretty　manners；　and　especially　proud　of　the　bright



curly　hair　which　waved　over　his　forehead　and　fell　in　charming



love…locks　on　his　shoulders。　　She　was　willing　to　work　early　and



late　to　help　his　mamma　make　his　small　suits　and　keep　them　in



order。







〃'Ristycratic；　is　it？〃　she　would　say。　　〃Faith；　an'　I'd　loike



to　see　the　choild　on　Fifth　Avey…NOO　as　looks　loike　him　an'　shteps



out　as　handsome　as　himself。　　An'　ivvery　man；　woman；　and　choild



lookin'　afther　him　in　his　bit　of　a　black　velvet　skirt　made　out　of



the　misthress's　ould　gownd；　an'　his　little　head　up；　an'　his　curly



hair　flyin'　an'　shinin'。　　It's　loike　a　young　lord　he　looks。〃







Cedric　did　not　know　that　he　looked　like　a　young　lord；　he　did　not



know　what　a　lord　was。　　His　greatest　friend　was　the　groceryman　at



the　cornerthe　cross　groceryman；　who　was　never　cross　to　him。　



His　name　was　Mr。　Hobbs；　and　Cedric　admired　and　respected　him　very



much。　　He　thought　him　a　very　rich　and　powerful　person；　he　had　so



many　things　in　his　store；prunes　and　figs　and　oranges　and



biscuits；and　he　had　a　horse　and　wagon。　　Cedric　was　fond　of　the



milkman　and　the　baker　and　the　apple…woman；；　but　he　liked　Mr。Hobbs



best　of　all；　and　was　on　terms　of　such　intimacy　with　him　that　he



went　to　see　him　every　day；　and　often　sat　with　him　quite　a　long



time；　discussing　the　topics　of　the　hour。　　It　was　quite　surprising



how　many　things　they　found　to　talk　aboutthe　Fourth　of　July；　for



instance。　　When　they　began　to　talk　about　the　Fourth　of　July　there



really　seemed　no　end　to　it。　　Mr。　Hobbs　had　a　very　bad　opinion　of



〃the　British；〃　and　he　told　the　whole　story　of　the　Revolution；



relating　very　wonderful　and　patriotic　stories　about　the　villainy



of　the　enemy　and　the　bravery　of　the　Revolutionary　heroes；　and　he



even　generously　repeated　part　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence。







Cedric　was　so　excited　that　his　eyes　shone　and　his　cheeks　were　red



and　his　curls　were　all　rubbed　and　tumbled　into　a　yellow　mop。　　He



could　hardly　wait　to　eat　his　dinner　after　he　went　home；　he　was　so



anxious　to　tell　his　mamma。　　It　was；　perhaps；　Mr。　Hobbs　who　gave



him　his　first　interest　in　politics。　　Mr。　Hobbs　was　fond　of



reading　the　newspapers；　and　so　Cedric　heard　a　great　deal　about



what　was　going　on　in　Washington；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　would　tell　him



whether　the　President　was　doing　his　duty　or　not。　　And　once；　when



there　was　an　election；　he　found　it　all　quite　grand；　and　probably



but　for　Mr。　Hobbs　and　Cedric　the　country　might　have　been　wrecked。







Mr。　Hobbs　took　him　to　see　a　great　torchlight　procession；　and　many



of　the　men　who　carried　torches　remembered　afterward　a　stout　man



who　stood　near　a　lamp…post　and　held　on　his　shoulder　a　handsome



little　shouting　boy；　who　waved　his　cap　in　the　air。







It　was　not　long　after　this　election；　when　Cedric　was　between



seven　and　eight　years　old；　that　the　very　strange　thing　happened



which　made　so　wonderful　a　change　in　his　life。　　It　was　quite



curious；　too；　that　the　day　it　happened　he　had　been　talking　to　Mr。



Hobbs　about　England　and　the　Queen；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　had　said　some



very　severe　things　about　the　aristocracy；　being　specially



indignant　against　earls　and　marquises。　　It　had　been　a　hot



morning；　and　after　playing　soldiers　with　some　friends　of　his；



Cedric　had　gone　into　the　store　to　rest；　and　had　found　Mr。　Hobbs



looking　very　fierce　over　a　piece　of　the　Illustrated　London　News；



which　contained　a　picture　of　some　court　ceremony。







〃Ah；〃　he　said；　〃that's　the　way　they　go　on　now；　but　they'll　get



enough　of　it　some　day；　when　those　they've　trod　on　rise　and　blow



'em　up　sky…high；earls　and　marquises　and　all！　　It's　coming；　and



they　may　look　out　for　it！〃







Cedric　had　perched　himself　as　usual　on　the　high　stool　and　pushed



his　hat　back；　and　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets　in　delicate



compliment　to　Mr。　Hobbs。







〃Did　you　ever　know　many　marquises；　Mr。　Hobbs？〃　Cedric



inquired；〃or　earls？〃







〃No；〃　answered　Mr。　Hobbs；　with　indignation；　〃I　guess　not。　　I'd



like　to　catch　one　of　'em　inside　here；　that's　all！　　I'll　have　no



grasping　tyrants　sittin'　'round　on　my　cracker…barrels！〃







And　he　was　so　proud　of　the　sentiment　that　he　looked　around



proudly　and　mopped　his　forehead。







〃Perhaps　they　wouldn't　be　earls　if　they　knew　any　better；〃　said



Cedric；　feeling　some　vague　sympathy　for　their　unhappy　condition。







〃Wouldn't　they！〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃They　just　glory　in　it！　



It's　in　'em。　　They're　a　bad　lot。〃







They　were　in　the　midst　of　their　conversation；　when　Mary　appeared。







Cedric　thought　she　had　come　to　buy　some　sugar；　perhaps；　but　she



had　not。　　She　looked　almost　pale　and　as　if　she　were　excited　about



something。







〃Come　home；　darlint；〃　she　said；　〃the　misthress　is　wantin'



yez。〃







Cedric　slipped　down　from　his　stool。







〃Does　she　want　me　to　go　out　with　her；　Mary？〃　he　asked。　



〃Good…morning；　Mr。　Hobbs。　　I'll　see　you　again。〃







He　was　surprised　to　see　Mary　staring　at　him　in　a　dumfounded



fashion；　and　he　wondered　why　she　kept　shaking　her　head。







〃What's　the　matter；　Mary？〃　he　said。　　〃Is　it　the　hot　weather？〃







〃No；〃　said　Mary；　〃but　there's　strange　things　happenin'　to



us。〃







〃Has　the　sun　given　Dearest　a　headache？〃　he　inquired　anxiously。







But　it　was　not　that。　　When　he　reached　his　own　house　there　was　a



coupe　standing　before　the　door。　　and　some　one　was　in　the　little



parlor　talking　to　his　mamma。　　Mary　hurried　him　upstairs　and　put



on　his　best　summer　suit　of　cream…colored　flannel；　with　the　red



scarf　around　his　waist；　and　combed　out　his　curly　locks。







〃Lords；　is　it？〃　he　heard　her　say。　　〃An'　the　nobility　an'



gintry。　　Och！　　bad　cess　to　them！　　Lords；