little lord fauntleroy-第21部分

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



to　speak。　　She　had　scarcely　passed　through　the　stone　porch　into



the　church　before　the　great　event　of　the　day　happened。　　The



carriage　from　the　Castle；　with　its　handsome　horses　and　tall



liveried　servants；　bowled　around　the　corner　and　down　the　green



lane。







〃Here　they　come！〃　went　from　one　looker…on　to　another。







And　then　the　carriage　drew　up；　and　Thomas　stepped　down　and　opened



the　door；　and　a　little　boy；　dressed　in　black　velvet；　and　with　a



splendid　mop　of　bright　waving　hair；　jumped　out。







Every　man；　woman；　and　child　looked　curiously　upon　him。







〃He's　the　Captain　over　again！〃　said　those　of　the　on…lookers　who



remembered　his　father。　　〃He's　the　Captain's　self；　to　the　life！〃







He　stood　there　in　the　sunlight　looking　up　at　the　Earl；　as　Thomas



helped　that　nobleman　out；　with　the　most　affectionate　interest



that　could　be　imagined。　　The　instant　he　could　help；　he　put　out



his　hand　and　offered　his　shoulder　as　if　he　had　been　seven　feet



high。　　It　was　plain　enough　to　every　one　that　however　it　might　be



with　other　people；　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　struck　no　terror　into



the　breast　of　his　grandson。







〃Just　lean　on　me；〃　they　heard　him　say。　　〃How　glad　the　people



are　to　see　you；　and　how　well　they　all　seem　to　know　you！〃







〃Take　off　your　cap；　Fauntleroy；〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃They　are



bowing　to　you。〃







〃To　me！〃　cried　Fauntleroy；　whipping　off　his　cap　in　a　moment；



baring　his　bright　head　to　the　crowd　and　turning　shining；　puzzled



eyes　on　them　as　he　tried　to　bow　to　every　one　at　once。







〃God　bless　your　lordship！〃　said　the　courtesying；　red…cloaked



old　woman　who　had　spoken　to　his　mother；　〃long　life　to　you！〃







〃Thank　you；　ma'am；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　And　then　they　went　into



the　church；　and　were　looked　at　there；　on　their　way　up　the　aisle



to　the　square；　red…cushioned　and　curtained　pew。　　When　Fauntleroy



was　fairly　seated；　he　made　two　discoveries　which　pleased　him：　the



first　that；　across　the　church　where　he　could　look　at　her；　his



mother　sat　and　smiled　at　him；　the　second；　that　at　one　end　of　the



pew；　against　the　wall；　knelt　two　quaint　figures　carven　in　stone；



facing　each　other　as　they　kneeled　on　either　side　of　a　pillar



supporting　two　stone　missals；　their　pointed　hands　folded　as　if　in



prayer；　their　dress　very　antique　and　strange。　　On　the　tablet　by



them　was　written　something　of　which　he　could　only　read　the



curious　words：







〃Here　lyeth　ye　bodye　of　Gregorye　Arthure　Fyrst　Earle　of



Dorincourt　Allsoe　of　Alisone　Hildegarde　hys　wyfe。〃







〃May　I　whisper？〃　inquired　his　lordship；　devoured　by　curiousity。







〃What　is　it？〃　said　his　grandfather。







〃Who　are　they？〃







〃Some　of　your　ancestors；〃　answered　the　Earl；　〃who　lived　a　few



hundred　years　ago。〃







〃Perhaps；〃　said　Lord　Fauntleroy；　regarding　them　with　respect；



〃perhaps　I　got　my　spelling　from　them。〃　And　then　he　proceeded　to



find　his　place　in　the　church　service。　　When　the　music　began；　he



stood　up　and　looked　across　at　his　mother；　smiling。　　He　was　very



fond　of　music；　and　his　mother　and　he　often　sang　together；　so　he



joined　in　with　the　rest；　his　pure；　sweet；　high　voice　rising　as



clear　as　the　song　of　a　bird。　　He　quite　forgot　himself　in　his



pleasure　in　it。　　The　Earl　forgot　himself　a　little　too；　as　he　sat



in　his　curtain…shielded　corner　of　the　pew　and　watched　the　boy。　



Cedric　stood　with　the　big　psalter　open　in　his　hands；　singing　with



all　his　childish　might；　his　face　a　little　uplifted；　happily；　and



as　he　sang；　a　long　ray　of　sunshine　crept　in　and；　slanting　through



a　golden　pane　of　a　stained　glass　window；　brightened　the　falling



hair　about　his　young　head。　　His　mother；　as　she　looked　at　him



across　the　church；　felt　a　thrill　pass　through　her　heart；　and　a



prayer　rose　in　it　too；a　prayer　that　the　pure；　simple　happiness



of　his　childish　soul　might　last；　and　that　the　strange；　great



fortune　which　had　fallen　to　him　might　bring　no　wrong　or　evil　with



it。　　There　were　many　soft；　anxious　thoughts　in　her　tender　heart



in　those　new　days。







〃Oh；　Ceddie！〃　she　had　said　to　him　the　evening　before；　as　she



hung　over　him　in　saying　good…night；　before　he　went　away；　〃oh；



Ceddie；　dear；　I　wish　for　your　sake　I　was　very　clever　and　could



say　a　great　many　wise　things！　　But　only　be　good；　dear；　only　be



brave；　only　be　kind　and　true　always；　and　then　you　will　never　hurt



any　one；　so　long　as　you　live；　and　you　may　help　many；　and　the　big



world　may　be　better　because　my　little　child　was　born。　　And　that



is　best　of　all；　Ceddie；it　is　better　than　everything　else；　that



the　world　should　be　a　little　better　because　a　man　has　livedeven



ever　so　little　better；　dearest。〃







And　on　his　return　to　the　Castle；　Fauntleroy　had　repeated　her



words　to　his　grandfather。







〃And　I　thought　about　you　when　she　said　that；〃　he　ended；　〃and　I



told　her　that　was　the　way　the　world　was　because　you　had　lived；



and　I　was　going　to　try　if　I　could　be　like　you。〃







〃And　what　did　she　say　to　that？〃　asked　his　lordship；　a　trifle



uneasily。







〃She　said　that　was　right；　and　we　must　always　look　for　good　in



people　and　try　to　be　like　it。〃







Perhaps　it　was　this　the　old　man　remembered　as　he　glanced　through



the　divided　folds　of　the　red　curtain　of　his　pew。　　Many　times　he



looked　over　the　people's　heads　to　where　his　son's　wife　sat　alone；



and　he　saw　the　fair　face　the　unforgiven　dead　had　loved；　and　the



eyes　which　were　so　like　those　of　the　child　at　his　side；　but　what



his　thoughts　were；　and　whether　they　were　hard　and　bitter；　or



softened　a　little；　it　would　have　been　hard　to　discover。







As　they　came　out　of　church；　many　of　those　who　had　attended　the



service　stood　waiting　to　see　them　pass。　　As　they　neared　the　gate；



a　man　who　stood　with　his　hat　in　his　hand　made　a　step　forward　and



then　hesitated。　　He　was　a　middle…aged　farmer；　with　a　careworn



face。







〃Well；　Higgins；〃　said　the　Earl。







Fauntleroy　turned　quickly　to　look　at　him。







〃Oh！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃is　it　Mr。　Higgins？〃







〃Yes；〃　answered　the　Earl　dryly；　〃and　I　suppose　he　came　to　take



a　look　at　his　new　landlord。〃







〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　said　the　man；　his　sunburned　face　reddening。　



〃Mr。　Newick　told　me　his　young　lordship　was　kind　enough　to　speak



for　me；　and　I　thought　I'd　like　to　say　a　word　of　thanks；　if　I



might　be　allowed。〃







Perhaps　he　felt　some　wonder　when　he　saw　what　a　little　fellow　it



was　who　had　innocently　done　so　much　for　him；　and　who　stood　there



looking　up　just　as　one　of　his　own　less　fortunate　children　might



have　doneapparently　not　realizing　his　own　importance　in　the



least。







〃I've　a　great　deal　to　thank　your　lordship　for；〃　he　said；　〃a



great　deal。　　I〃







〃Oh；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　〃I　only　wrote　the　letter。　　It　was　my



grandfather　who　did　it。　　But　you　know　how　he　is　about　always



being　good　to　everybody。　　Is　Mrs。　Higgins　well　now？〃







Higgins　looked　a　trifle　taken　aback。　　He　also　was　somewhat



startled　at　hearing　his　noble　landlord　presented　in　the　character



of　a　benevolent　being；　full　of　engaging　qualities。







〃Iwell；　yes；　your　lordship；〃　he　stammered；　〃the　missus　is



better　since　the　trouble　was　took　off　her　mind。　　It　was　worrying



broke　her　down。〃







〃I'm　glad　of　that；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　〃My　grandfather　was　very



sorry　about　your　children　having　the　scarlet　fever；　and　so　was　I。







He　has　had　children　himself。　　I'm　his　son's　little　boy；　you



know。〃







Higgins　was　on　the　verge　of　being　panic…stricken。　　He　felt　it



would　be　the　safer　and　more　discreet　plan　not　to　look　at　the



Earl；　as　it　had　been　well　known　that　his　fatherly　affection　for



his　sons　had　been　such　that　he　had　seen　them　about　twice　a　year；



and　that　when　they　had　been　ill；　he　had　promptly　departed　for



London；　because　he　would　not　be　bored　with　doctors　and　nurses。　



It　was　a　little　trying；　therefore；　to　his　lordship's　nerves　to　be



told；　while　he　looked　on；　his　eyes　gleaming　from　under　his　shaggy



eyebrows；　that　he　felt　an　interest　in　scarlet　fever。







〃You　see；　Higgins；〃　broke　in　the　Earl　with　a　fine　grim　smile；



〃you　people　have　been　mistaken　in　me。　　Lord　Fauntleroy



understands　me。　　When　you　want　reliable　information　on　the



subject　of　my　character；　apply　to　him。　　Get　into　the　carriage；



Fauntleroy。〃







And　Fauntleroy　jumped　in；　and　the　carriage　rolled　away　down　the



green　lane；　and　even　when　it　turned　the　corner　into　the　high



road；　the　Earl　was　still　grimly　smiling。















VIII







Lord　Dorincourt　had　occasion　to　wear　his　grim　smile　many　a　time



as　the　days　passed　by。　　Indeed；　as　his　acquaintance　with　his



grandson　progressed；　he　wore　the　smile　so　often　that　there　were



moments　when　it　almost　lost　its　grimness。　　There　is　no　denying



that　before　Lord　Fauntleroy　had　appeared　on　the　scene；　the　old



man　had　been　growing　very　tired　of　his　loneliness　and　his　gout



and　his　seventy　years。　　After　so　long　a　life　of　excitement　and



amusement；　it　was　not　agreeable　to　sit　alone　even　in　the　most



splendid　room；　with　one　foot　on　a　gout…stool；　and　with　no　other



diversion　than　flying　into　a　rage；　and　shouting　at　a　frightened



footman　who　hated　the　sight　of　him。　　The　old　Earl　was　too　clever



a　man　not　to　know　perfectly　well　that　his　servants　detested　him；



and　that　even　if　he　had　visitors；　they　did　not　come　for　love　of



himthough　some　found　a