little lord fauntleroy-第23部分

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better。〃







〃I　said　your　compliments；〃　he　explained　to　the　Earl　when　he



returned　to　the　carriage。　　〃You　didn't　tell　me　to；　but　I　thought



perhaps　you　forgot。　　That　was　right；　wasn't　it？〃







And　the　Earl　laughed　again；　and　did　not　say　it　was　not。　　In　fact；



the　two　were　becoming　more　intimate　every　day；　and　every　day



Fauntleroy's　faith　in　his　lordship's　benevolence　and　virtue



increased。　　He　had　no　doubt　whatever　that　his　grandfather　was　the



most　amiable　and　generous　of　elderly　gentlemen。　　Certainly；　he



himself　found　his　wishes　gratified　almost　before　they　were



uttered；　and　such　gifts　and　pleasures　were　lavished　upon　him；



that　he　was　sometimes　almost　bewildered　by　his　own　possessions。　



Apparently；　he　was　to　have　everything　he　wanted；　and　to　do



everything　he　wished　to　do。　　And　though　this　would　certainly　not



have　been　a　very　wise　plan　to　pursue　with　all　small　boys；　his



young　lordship　bore　it　amazingly　well。　　Perhaps；　notwithstanding



his　sweet　nature；　he　might　have　been　somewhat　spoiled　by　it；　if



it　had　not　been　for　the　hours　he　spent　with　his　mother　at　Court



Lodge。　　That　〃best　friend〃　of　his　watched　over　him　over　closely



and　tenderly。　　The　two　had　many　long　talks　together；　and　he　never



went　back　to　the　Castle　with　her　kisses　on　his　cheeks　without



carrying　in　his　heart　some　simple；　pure　words　worth　remembering。







There　was　one　thing；　it　is　true；　which　puzzled　the　little　fellow



very　much。　　He　thought　over　the　mystery　of　it　much　oftener　than　



any　one　supposed；　even　his　mother　did　not　know　how　often　he



pondered　on　it；　the　Earl　for　a　long　time　never　suspected　that　he



did　so　at　all。　　But；　being　quick　to　observe；　the　little　boy　could



not　help　wondering　why　it　was　that　his　mother　and　grandfather



never　seemed　to　meet。　　He　had　noticed　that　they　never　did　meet。　



When　the　Dorincourt　carriage　stopped　at　Court　Lodge；　the　Earl



never　alighted；　and　on　the　rare　occasions　of　his　lordship's　going



to　church；　Fauntleroy　was　always　left　to　speak　to　his　mother　in



the　porch　alone；　or　perhaps　to　go　home　with　her。　　And　yet；　every



day；　fruit　and　flowers　were　sent　to　Court　Lodge　from　the



hot…houses　at　the　Castle。　　But　the　one　virtuous　action　of　the



Earl's　which　had　set　him　upon　the　pinnacle　of　perfection　in



Cedric's　eyes；　was　what　he　had　done　soon　after　that　first　Sunday



when　Mrs。　Errol　had　walked　home　from　church　unattended。　　About　a



week　later；　when　Cedric　was　going　one　day　to　visit　his　mother；　he



found　at　the　door；　instead　of　the　large　carriage　and　prancing



pair；　a　pretty　little　brougham　and　a　handsome　bay　horse。







〃That　is　a　present　from　you　to　your　mother；〃　the　Earl　said



abruptly。　　〃She　can　not　go　walking　about　the　country。　　She　needs



a　carriage。　　The　man　who　drives　will　take　charge　of　it。　　It　is　a



present　from　YOU。〃







Fauntleroy's　delight　could　but　feebly　express　itself。　　He　could



scarcely　contain　himself　until　he　reached　the　lodge。　　His　mother



was　gathering　roses　in　the　garden。　　He　flung　himself　out　of　the



little　brougham　and　flew　to　her。







〃Dearest！〃　he　cried；　〃could　you　believe　it？　　This　is　yours！　



He　says　it　is　a　present　from　me。　　It　is　your　own　carriage　to



drive　everywhere　in！〃







He　was　so　happy　that　she　did　not　know　what　to　say。　　She　could　not



have　borne　to　spoil　his　pleasure　by　refusing　to　accept　the　gift



even　though　it　came　from　the　man　who　chose　to　consider　himself



her　enemy。　　She　was　obliged　to　step　into　the　carriage；　roses　and



all；　and　let　herself　be　taken　to　drive；　while　Fauntleroy　told　her



stories　of　his　grandfather's　goodness　and　amiability。　　They　were



such　innocent　stories　that　sometimes　she　could　not　help　laughing



a　little；　and　then　she　would　draw　her　little　boy　closer　to　her



side　and　kiss　him；　feeling　glad　that　he　could　see　only　good　in



the　old　man；　who　had　so　few　friends。







The　very　next　day　after　that；　Fauntleroy　wrote　to　Mr。　Hobbs。　　He



wrote　quite　a　long　letter；　and　after　the　first　copy　was　written；



he　brought　it　to　his　grandfather　to　be　inspected。







〃Because；〃　he　said；　〃it's　so　uncertain　about　the　spelling。　



And　if　you'll　tell　me　the　mistakes；　I'll　write　it　out　again。〃







This　was　what　he　had　written：











〃My　dear　mr　hobbs　i　want　to　tell　you　about　my　granfarther　he　is



the　best　earl　you　ever　new　it　is　a　mistake　about　earls　being



tirents　he　is　not　a　tirent　at　all　i　wish　you　new　him　you　would　be



good　friends　i　am　sure　you　would　he　has　the　gout　in　his　foot　and



is　a　grate　sufrer　but　he　is　so　pashent　i　love　him　more　every　day



becaus　no　one　could　help　loving　an　earl　like　that　who　is　kind　to



every　one　in　this　world　i　wish　you　could　talk　to　him　he　knows



everything　in　the　world　you　can　ask　him　any　question　but　he　has



never　plaid　base　ball　he　has　given　me　a　pony　and　a　cart　and　my



mamma　a　bewtifle　cariage　and　I　have　three　rooms　and　toys　of　all



kinds　it　would　serprise　you　you　would　like　the　castle　and　the



park　it　is　such　a　large　castle　you　could　lose　yourself　wilkins



tells　me　wilkins　is　my　groom　he　says　there　is　a　dungon　under　the



castle　it　is　so　pretty　everything　in　the　park　would　serprise　you



there　are　such　big　trees　and　there　are　deers　and　rabbits　and



games　flying　about　in　the　cover　my　granfarther　is　very　rich　but



he　is　not　proud　and　orty　as　you　thought　earls　always　were　i　like



to　be　with　him　the　people　are　so　polite　and　kind　they　take　of



their　hats　to　you　and　the　women　make　curtsies　and　sometimes　say



god　bless　you　i　can　ride　now　but　at　first　it　shook　me　when　i



troted　my　granfarther　let　a　poor　man　stay　on　his　farm　when　he



could　not　pay　his　rent　and　mrs　mellon　went　to　take　wine　and



things　to　his　sick　children　i　should　like　to　see　you　and　i　wish



dearest　could　live　at　the　castle　but　i　am　very　happy　when　i　dont



miss　her　too　much　and　i　love　my　granfarther　every　one　does　plees



write　soon　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃your　afechshnet　old　frend　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Cedric　Errol







〃p　s　no　one　is　in　the　dungon　my　granfarfher　never　had　any　one



langwishin　in　there。







〃p　s　he　is　such　a　good　earl　he　reminds　me　of　you　he　is　a



unerversle　favrit〃











〃Do　you　miss　your　mother　very　much？〃　asked　the　Earl　when　he　had



finished　reading　this。







〃Yes；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　〃I　miss　her　all　the　time。〃







He　went　and　stood　before　the　Earl　and　put　his　hand　on　his　knee；



looking　up　at　him。







〃YOU　don't　miss　her；　do　you？〃　he　said。







〃I　don't　know　her；〃　answered　his　lordship　rather　crustily。







〃I　know　that；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　〃and　that's　what　makes　me



wonder。　　She　told　me　not　to　ask　you　any　questions；　andand　I



won't；　but　sometimes　I　can't　help　thinking；　you　know；　and　it



makes　me　all　puzzled。　　But　I'm　not　going　to　ask　any　questions。　



And　when　I　miss　her　very　much；　I　go　and　look　out　of　my　window　to



where　I　see　her　light　shine　for　me　every　night　through　an　open



place　in　the　trees。　　It　is　a　long　way　off；　but　she　puts　it　in　her



window　as　soon　as　it　is　dark；　and　I　can　see　it　twinkle　far　away；



and　I　know　what　it　says。〃







〃What　does　it　say？〃　asked　my　lord。







〃It　says；　‘Good…night；　God　keep　you　all　the　night！'just　what



she　used　to　say　when　we　were　together。　　Every　night　she　used　to



say　that　to　me；　and　every　morning　she　said；　‘God　bless　you　all



the　day！'　So　you　see　I　am　quite　safe　all　the　time〃







〃Quite；　I　have　no　doubt；〃　said　his　lordship　dryly。　　And　he　drew



down　his　beetling　eyebrows　and　looked　at　the　little　boy　so



fixedly　and　so　long　that　Fauntleroy　wondered　what　he　could　be



thinking　of。















IX







The　fact　was；　his　lordship　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　thought　in



those　days；　of　many　things　of　which　he　had　never　thought　before；



and　all　his　thoughts　were　in　one　way　or　another　connected　with



his　grandson。　　His　pride　was　the　strongest　part　of　his　nature；



and　the　boy　gratified　it　at　every　point。　　Through　this　pride　he



began　to　find　a　new　interest　in　life。　　He　began　to　take　pleasure



in　showing　his　heir　to　the　world。　　The　world　had　known　of　his



disappointment　in　his　sons；　so　there　was　an　agreeable　touch　of



triumph　in　exhibiting　this　new　Lord　Fauntleroy；　who　could



disappoint　no　one。　　He　wished　the　child　to　appreciate　his　own



power　and　to　understand　the　splendor　of　his　position；　he　wished



that　others　should　realize　it　too。　　He　made　plans　for　his　future。







Sometimes　in　secret　he　actually　found　himself　wishing　that　his



own　past　life　had　been　a　better　one；　and　that　there　had　been　less



in　it　that　this　pure；　childish　heart　would　shrink　from　if　it　knew



the　truth。　　It　was　not　agreeable　to　think　how　the　beautiful；



innocent　face　would　look　if　its　owner　should　be　made　by　any



chance　to　understand　that　his　grandfather　had　been　called　for



many　a　year　〃the　wicked　Earl　of　Dorincourt。〃　The　thought　even



made　him　feel　a　trifle　nervous。　　He　did　not　wish　the　boy　to　find



it　out。　　Sometimes　in　this　new　interest　he　forgot　his　gout；　and



after　a　while　his　doctor　was　surprised　to　find　his　noble



patient's　health　growing　better　than　he　had　expected　it　ever



would　be　again。　　Perhaps　the　Earl　grew　better　because　the　time



did　not　pass　so　slowly　for　him；　and　he　had　something　to　think　of



beside　his　pains　and　infirmities。　　







One　fine　morning；　people　were　amazed　to　see　little　Lord



Fauntleroy　riding　his　pony　with　another　companion　than　Wilkins。　



This　new　companion　rode　a