little lord fauntleroy-第20部分

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



youth　and　strength　and　wealth　and　power　only　to　please　himself



and　kill　time　as　the　days　and　years　succeeded　each　other；　he　saw



this　man；　when　the　time　had　been　killed　and　old　age　had　come；



solitary　and　without　real　friends　in　the　midst　of　all　his



splendid　wealth；　he　saw　people　who　disliked　or　feared　him；　and



people　who　would　flatter　and　cringe　to　him；　but　no　one　who　really



cared　whether　he　lived　or　died；　unless　they　had　something　to　gain



or　lose　by　it。　　He　looked　out　on　the　broad　acres　which　belonged



to　him；　and　he　knew　what　Fauntleroy　did　nothow　far　they



extended；　what　wealth　they　represented；　and　how　many　people　had



homes　on　their　soil。　　And　he　knew；　too；another　thing　Fauntleroy



did　not；that　in　all　those　homes；　humble　or　well…to…do；　there



was　probably　not　one　person；　however　much　he　envied　the　wealth



and　stately　name　and　power；　and　however　willing　he　would　have



been　to　possess　them；　who　would　for　an　instant　have　thought　of



calling　the　noble　owner　〃good；〃　or　wishing；　as　this



simple…souled　little　boy　had；　to　be　like　him。







And　it　was　not　exactly　pleasant　to　reflect　upon；　even　for　a



cynical；　worldly　old　man；　who　had　been　sufficient　unto　himself



for　seventy　years　and　who　had　never　deigned　to　care　what　opinion



the　world　held　of　him　so　long　as　it　did　not　interfere　with　his



comfort　or　entertainment。　　And　the　fact　was；　indeed；　that　he　had



never　before　condescended　to　reflect　upon　it　at　all；　and　he　only



did　so　now　because　a　child　had　believed　him　better　than　he　was；



and　by　wishing　to　follow　in　his　illustrious　footsteps　and　imitate



his　example；　had　suggested　to　him　the　curious　question　whether　he



was　exactly　the　person　to　take　as　a　model。







Fauntleroy　thought　the　Earl's　foot　must　be　hurting　him；　his　brows



knitted　themselves　together　so；　as　he　looked　out　at　the　park；　and



thinking　this；　the　considerate　little　fellow　tried　not　to　disturb



him；　and　enjoyed　the　trees　and　the　ferns　and　the　deer　in　silence。







But　at　last　the　carriage；　having　passed　the　gates　and　bowled



through　the　green　lanes　for　a　short　distance；　stopped。　　They　had



reached　Court　Lodge；　and　Fauntleroy　was　out　upon　the　ground



almost　before　the　big　footman　had　time　to　open　the　carriage　door。







The　Earl　wakened　from　his　reverie　with　a　start。







〃What！〃　he　said。　　〃Are　we　here？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　〃Let　me　give　you　your　stick。　　Just



lean　on　me　when　you　get　out。〃







〃I　am　not　going　to　get　out；〃　replied　his　lordship　brusquely。







〃Notnot　to　see　Dearest？〃　exclaimed　Fauntleroy　with　astonished



face。







〃‘Dearest'　will　excuse　me；〃　said　the　Earl　dryly。　　〃Go　to　her



and　tell　her　that　not　even　a　new　pony　would　keep　you　away。〃







〃She　will　be　disappointed；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　〃She　will　want



to　see　you　very　much。〃







〃I　am　afraid　not；〃　was　the　answer。　　〃The　carriage　will　call



for　you　as　we　come　back。Tell　Jeffries　to　drive　on；　Thomas。〃







Thomas　closed　the　carriage　door；　and；　after　a　puzzled　look；



Fauntleroy　ran　up　the　drive。　　The　Earl　had　the　opportunityas



Mr。　Havisham　once　hadof　seeing　a　pair　of　handsome；　strong



little　legs　flash　over　the　ground　with　astonishing　rapidity。　



Evidently　their　owner　had　no　intention　of　losing　any　time。　　The



carriage　rolled　slowly　away；　but　his　lordship　did　not　at　once



lean　back；　he　still　looked　out。　　Through　a　space　in　the　trees　he



could　see　the　house　door；　it　was　wide　open。　　The　little　figure



dashed　up　the　steps；　another　figurea　little　figure；　too；



slender　and　young；　in　its　black　gownran　to　meet　it。　　It　seemed



as　if　they　flew　together；　as　Fauntleroy　leaped　into　his　mother's



arms；　hanging　about　her　neck　and　covering　her　sweet　young　face



with　kisses。















VII







On　the　following　Sunday　morning；　Mr。　Mordaunt　had　a　large



congregation。　　Indeed；　he　could　scarcely　remember　any　Sunday　on



which　the　church　had　been　so　crowded。　　People　appeared　upon　the



scene　who　seldom　did　him　the　honor　of　coming　to　hear　his　sermons。







There　were　even　people　from　Hazelton；　which　was　the　next　parish。　



There　were　hearty；　sunburned　farmers；　stout；　comfortable；



apple…cheeked　wives　in　their　best　bonnets　and　most　gorgeous



shawls；　and　half　a　dozen　children　or　so　to　each　family。　　The



doctor's　wife　was　there；　with　her　four　daughters。　　Mrs。　Kimsey



and　Mr。　Kimsey；　who　kept　the　druggist's　shop；　and　made　pills；　and



did　up　powders　for　everybody　within　ten　miles；　sat　in　their　pew；



Mrs。　Dibble　in　hers；　Miss　Smiff；　the　village　dressmaker；　and　her



friend　Miss　Perkins；　the　milliner；　sat　in　theirs；　the　doctor's



young　man　was　present；　and　the　druggist's　apprentice；　in　fact；



almost　every　family　on　the　county　side　was　represented；　in　one



way　or　another。







In　the　course　of　the　preceding　week；　many　wonderful　stories　had



been　told　of　little　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　Mrs。　Dibble　had　been　kept



so　busy　attending　to　customers　who　came　in　to　buy　a　pennyworth　of



needles　or　a　ha'porth　of　tape　and　to　hear　what　she　had　to　relate；



that　the　little　shop　bell　over　the　door　had　nearly　tinkled　itself



to　death　over　the　coming　and　going。　　Mrs。　Dibble　knew　exactly　how



his　small　lordship's　rooms　had　been　furnished　for　him；　what



expensive　toys　had　been　bought；　how　there　was　a　beautiful　brown



pony　awaiting　him；　and　a　small　groom　to　attend　it；　and　a　little



dog…cart；　with　silver…mounted　harness。　　And　she　could　tell；　too；



what　all　the　servants　had　said　when　they　had　caught　glimpses　of



the　child　on　the　night　of　his　arrival；　and　how　every　female　below



stairs　had　said　it　was　a　shame；　so　it　was；　to　part　the　poor



pretty　dear　from　his　mother；　and　had　all　declared　their　hearts



came　into　their　mouths　when　he　went　alone　into　the　library　to　see



his　grandfather；　for　〃there　was　no　knowing　how　he'd　be　treated；



and　his　lordship's　temper　was　enough　to　fluster　them　with　old



heads　on　their　shoulders；　let　alone　a　child。〃







〃But　if　you'll　believe　me；　Mrs。　Jennifer；　mum；〃　Mrs。　Dibble　had



said；　〃fear　that　child　does　not　knowso　Mr。　Thomas　hisself



says；　an'　set　an'　smile　he　did；　an'　talked　to　his　lordship　as　if



they'd　been　friends　ever　since　his　first　hour。　　An'　the　Earl　so



took　aback；　Mr。　Thomas　says；　that　he　couldn't　do　nothing　but



listen　and　stare　from　under　his　eyebrows。　　An'　it's　Mr。　Thomas's



opinion；　Mrs。　Bates；　mum；　that　bad　as　he　is；　he　was　pleased　in



his　secret　soul；　an'　proud；　too；　for　a　handsomer　little　fellow；



or　with　better　manners；　though　so　old…fashioned；　Mr。　Thomas　says



he'd　never　wish　to　see。〃







And　then　there　had　come　the　story　of　Higgins。　　The　Reverend　Mr。



Mordaunt　had　told　it　at　his　own　dinner　table；　and　the　servants



who　had　heard　it　had　told　it　in　the　kitchen；　and　from　there　it



had　spread　like　wildfire。







And　on　market…day；　when　Higgins　had　appeared　in　town；　he　had　been



questioned　on　every　side；　and　Newick　had　been　questioned　too；　and



in　response　had　shown　to　two　or　three　people　the　note　signed



〃Fauntleroy。〃







And　so　the　farmers'　wives　had　found　plenty　to　talk　of　over　their



tea　and　their　shopping；　and　they　had　done　the　subject　full



justice　and　made　the　most　of　it。　　And　on　Sunday　they　had　either



walked　to　church　or　had　been　driven　in　their　gigs　by　their



husbands；　who　were　perhaps　a　trifle　curious　themselves　about　the



new　little　lord　who　was　to　be　in　time　the　owner　of　the　soil。







It　was　by　no　means　the　Earl's　habit　to　attend　church；　but　he



chose　to　appear　on　this　first　Sundayit　was　his　whim　to　present



himself　in　the　huge　family　pew；　with　Fauntleroy　at　his　side。







There　were　many　loiterers　in　the　churchyard；　and　many　lingerers



in　the　lane　that　morning。　　There　were　groups　at　the　gates　and　in



the　porch；　and　there　had　been　much　discussion　as　to　whether　my



lord　would　really　appear　or　not。　　When　this　discussion　was　at　its



height；　one　good　woman　suddenly　uttered　an　exclamation。







〃Eh；〃　she　said；　〃that　must　be　the　mother；　pretty　young



thing。〃　All　who　heard　turned　and　looked　at　the　slender　figure　in



black　coming　up　the　path。　　The　veil　was　thrown　back　from　her　face



and　they　could　see　how　fair　and　sweet　it　was；　and　how　the　bright



hair　curled　as　softly　as　a　child's　under　the　little　widow's　cap。







She　was　not　thinking　of　the　people　about；　she　was　thinking　of



Cedric；　and　of　his　visits　to　her；　and　his　joy　over　his　new　pony；



on　which　he　had　actually　ridden　to　her　door　the　day　before；



sitting　very　straight　and　looking　very　proud　and　happy。　　But　soon



she　could　not　help　being　attracted　by　the　fact　that　she　was　being



looked　at　and　that　her　arrival　had　created　some　sort　of



sensation。　　She　first　noticed　it　because　an　old　woman　in　a　red



cloak　made　a　bobbing　courtesy　to　her；　and　then　another　did　the



same　thing　and　said；　〃God　bless　you；　my　lady！〃　and　one　man



after　another　took　off　his　hat　as　she　passed。　　For　a　moment　she



did　not　understand；　and　then　she　realized　that　it　was　because　she



was　little　Lord　Fauntleroy's　mother　that　they　did　so；　and　she



flushed　rather　shyly　and　smiled　and　bowed　too；　and　said；　〃Thank



you；〃　in　a　gentle　voice　to　the　old　woman　who　had　blessed　her。　



To　a　person　who　had　always　lived　in　a　bustling；　crowded　American



city　this　simple　deference　was　very　novel；　and　at　first　just　a



little　embarrassing；　but　after　all；　she　could　not　help　liking　and



being　touched　by　the　friendly　warm…heartedness　of　which　it　seemed



t