little lord fauntleroy-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Fauntleroy　riding　his　pony　with　another　companion　than　Wilkins。　



This　new　companion　rode　a　tall；　powerful　gray　horse；　and　was　no



other　than　the　Earl　himself。　　It　was；　in　fact；　Fauntleroy　who　had



suggested　this　plan。　　As　he　had　been　on　the　point　of　mounting　his



pony；　he　had　said　rather　wistfully　to　his　grandfather：







〃I　wish　you　were　going　with　me。　　When　I　go　away　I　feel　lonely



because　you　are　left　all　by　yourself　in　such　a　big　castle。　　I



wish　you　could　ride　too。〃







And　the　greatest　excitement　had　been　aroused　in　the　stables　a　few



minutes　later　by　the　arrival　of　an　order　that　Selim　was　to　be



saddled　for　the　Earl。　　After　that；　Selim　was　saddled　almost　every



day；　and　the　people　became　accustomed　to　the　sight　of　the　tall



gray　horse　carrying　the　tall　gray　old　man；　with　his　handsome；



fierce；　eagle　face；　by　the　side　of　the　brown　pony　which　bore



little　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　And　in　their　rides　together　through　the



green　lanes　and　pretty　country　roads；　the　two　riders　became　more



intimate　than　ever。　　And　gradually　the　old　man　heard　a　great　deal



about　〃Dearest〃　and　her　life。　　As　Fauntleroy　trotted　by　the　big



horse　he　chatted　gayly。　　There　could　not　well　have　been　a



brighter　little　comrade；　his　nature　was　so　happy。　　It　was　he　who



talked　the　most。　　The　Earl　often　was　silent；　listening　and



watching　the　joyous；　glowing　face。　　Sometimes　he　would　tell　his



young　companion　to　set　the　pony　off　at　a　gallop；　and　when　the



little　fellow　dashed　off；　sitting　so　straight　and　fearless；　he



would　watch　him　with　a　gleam　of　pride　and　pleasure　in　his　eyes；



and　when；　after　such　a　dash；　Fauntleroy　came　back　waving　his　cap



with　a　laughing　shout；　he　always　felt　that　he　and　his　grandfather



were　very　good　friends　indeed。







One　thing　that　the　Earl　discovered　was　that　his　son's　wife　did



not　lead　an　idle　life。　　It　was　not　long　before　he　learned　that



the　poor　people　knew　her　very　well　indeed。　　When　there　was



sickness　　or　sorrow　or　poverty　in　any　house；　the　little　brougham



often　stood　before　the　door。







〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Fauntleroy　once；　〃they　all　say；　‘God　bless



you！'　when　they　see　her；　and　the　children　are　glad。　　There　are



some　who　go　to　her　house　to　be　taught　to　sew。　　She　says　she　feels



so　rich　now　that　she　wants　to　help　the　poor　ones。〃







It　had　not　displeased　the　Earl　to　find　that　the　mother　of　his



heir　had　a　beautiful　young　face　and　looked　as　much　like　a　lady　as



if　she　had　been　a　duchess；　and　in　one　way　it　did　not　displease



him　to　know　that　she　was　popular　and　beloved　by　the　poor。　　And



yet　he　was　often　conscious　of　a　hard；　jealous　pang　when　he　saw



how　she　filled　her　child's　heart　and　how　the　boy　clung　to　her　as



his　best　beloved。　　The　old　man　would　have　desired　to　stand　first



himself　and　have　no　rival。







That　same　morning　he　drew　up　his　horse　on　an　elevated　point　of



the　moor　over　which　they　rode；　and　made　a　gesture　with　his　whip；



over　the　broad；　beautiful　landscape　spread　before　them。







〃Do　you　know　that　all　that　land　belongs　to　me？〃　he　said　to



Fauntleroy。







〃Does　it？〃　answered　Fauntleroy。　　〃How　much　it　is　to　belong　to



one　person；　and　how　beautiful！〃







〃Do　you　know　that　some　day　it　will　all　belong　to　youthat　and　a



great　deal　more？〃







〃To　me！〃　exclaimed　Fauntleroy　in　rather　an　awe…stricken　voice。　



〃When？〃







〃When　I　am　dead；〃　his　grandfather　answered。







〃Then　I　don't　want　it；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　〃I　want　you　to　live



always。〃







〃That's　kind；〃　answered　the　Earl　in　his　dry　way；



〃nevertheless；　some　day　it　will　all　be　yourssome　day　you　will



be　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt。〃







Little　Lord　Fauntleroy　sat　very　still　in　his　saddle　for　a　few



moments。　　He　looked　over　the　broad　moors；　the　green　farms；　the



beautiful　copses；　the　cottages　in　the　lanes；　the　pretty　village；



and　over　the　trees　to　where　the　turrets　of　the　great　castle　rose；



gray　and　stately。　　Then　he　gave　a　queer　little　sigh。







〃What　are　you　thinking　of？〃　asked　the　Earl。







〃I　am　thinking；〃　replied　Fauntleroy；　〃what　a　little　boy　I　am！　



and　of　what　Dearest　said　to　me。〃







〃What　was　it？〃　inquired　the　Earl。







〃She　said　that　perhaps　it　was　not　so　easy　to　be　very　rich；　that



if　any　one　had　so　many　things　always；　one　might　sometimes　forget



that　every　one　else　was　not　so　fortunate；　and　that　one　who　is



rich　should　always　be　careful　and　try　to　remember。　　I　was　talking



to　her　about　how　good　you　were；　and　she　said　that　was　such　a　good



thing；　because　an　earl　had　so　much　power；　and　if　he　cared　only



about　his　own　pleasure　and　never　thought　about　the　people　who



lived　on　his　lands；　they　might　have　trouble　that　he　could



helpand　there　were　so　many　people；　and　it　would　be　such　a　hard



thing。　　And　I　was　just　looking　at　all　those　houses；　and　thinking



how　I　should　have　to　find　out　about　the　people；　when　I　was　an



earl。　　How　did　you　find　out　about　them？〃







As　his　lordship's　knowledge　of　his　tenantry　consisted　in　finding



out　which　of　them　paid　their　rent　promptly；　and　in　turning　out



those　who　did　not；　this　was　rather　a　hard　question。　　〃Newick



finds　out　for　me；〃　he　said；　and　he　pulled　his　great　gray



mustache；　and　looked　at　his　small　questioner　rather　uneasily。　



〃We　will　go　home　now；〃　he　added；　〃and　when　you　are　an　earl；



see　to　it　that　you　are　a　better　earl　than　I　have　been！〃







He　was　very　silent　as　they　rode　home。　　He　felt　it　to　be　almost



incredible　that　he　who　had　never　really　loved　any　one　in　his



life；　should　find　himself　growing　so　fond　of　this　little



fellow；as　without　doubt　he　was。　　At　first　he　had　only　been



pleased　and　proud　of　Cedric's　beauty　and　bravery；　but　there　was



something　more　than　pride　in　his　feeling　now。　　He　laughed　a　grim；



dry　laugh　all　to　himself　sometimes；　when　he　thought　how　he　liked



to　have　the　boy　near　him；　how　he　liked　to　hear　his　voice；　and　how



in　secret　he　really　wished　to　be　liked　and　thought　well　of　by　his



small　grandson。







〃I'm　an　old　fellow　in　my　dotage；　and　I　have　nothing　else　to



think　of；〃　he　would　say　to　himself；　and　yet　he　knew　it　was　not



that　altogether。　　And　if　he　had　allowed　himself　to　admit　the



truth；　he　would　perhaps　have　found　himself　obliged　to　own　that



the　very　things　which　attracted　him；　in　spite　of　himself；　were



the　qualities　he　had　never　possessedthe　frank；　true；　kindly



nature；　the　affectionate　trustfulness　which　could　never　think



evil。







It　was　only　about　a　week　after　that　ride　when；　after　a　visit　to



his　mother；　Fauntleroy　came　into　the　library　with　a　troubled；



thoughtful　face。　　He　sat　down　in　that　high…backed　chair　in　which



he　had　sat　on　the　evening　of　his　arrival；　and　for　a　while　he



looked　at　the　embers　on　the　hearth。　　The　Earl　watched　him　in



silence；　wondering　what　was　coming。　　It　was　evident　that　Cedric



had　something　on　his　mind。　　At　last　he　looked　up。　　〃Does　Newick



know　all　about　the　people？〃　he　asked。







〃It　is　his　business　to　know　about　them；〃　said　his　lordship。　



〃Been　neglecting　ithas　he？〃







Contradictory　as　it　may　seem；　there　was　nothing　which　entertained



and　edified　him　more　than　the　little　fellow's　interest　in　his



tenantry。　　He　had　never　taken　any　interest　in　them　himself；　but



it　pleased　him　well　enough　that；　with　all　his　childish　habits　of



thought　and　in　the　midst　of　all　his　childish　amusements　and　high



spirits；　there　should　be　such　a　quaint　seriousness　working　in　the



curly　head。







〃There　is　a　place；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　looking　up　at　him　with



wide…open；　horror…stricken　eye〃Dearest　has　seen　it；　it　is　at



the　other　end　of　the　village。　　The　houses　are　close　together；　and



almost　falling　down；　you　can　scarcely　breathe；　and　the　people　are



so　poor；　and　everything　is　dreadful！　　Often　they　have　fever；　and



the　children　die；　and　it　makes　them　wicked　to　live　like　that；　and



be　so　poor　and　miserable！　　It　is　worse　than　Michael　and　Bridget！　



The　rain　comes　in　at　the　roof！　　Dearest　went　to　see　a　poor　woman



who　lived　there。　　She　would　not　let　me　come　near　her　until　she



had　changed　all　her　things。　　The　tears　ran　down　her　cheeks　when



she　told　me　about　it！〃







The　tears　had　come　into　his　own　eyes；　but　he　smiled　through　them。







〃I　told　her　you　didn't　know；　and　I　would　tell　you；〃　he　said。　



He　jumped　down　and　came　and　leaned　against　the　Earl's　chair。　



〃You　can　make　it　all　right；〃　he　said；　〃just　as　you　made　it　all



right　for　Higgins。　　You　always　make　it　all　right　for　everybody。　



I　told　her　you　would；　and　that　Newick　must　have　forgotten　to　tell



you。〃







The　Earl　looked　down　at　the　hand　on　his　knee。　　Newick　had　not



forgotten　to　tell　him；　in　fact；　Newick　had　spoken　to　him　more



than　once　of　the　desperate　condition　of　the　end　of　the　village



known　as　Earl's　Court。　　He　knew　all　about　the　tumble…down；



miserable　cottages；　and　the　bad　drainage；　and　the　damp　walls　and



broken　windows　and　leaking　roofs；　and　all　about　the　poverty；　the



fever；　and　the　misery。　　Mr。　Mordaunt　had　painted　it　all　to　him　in



the　strongest　words　he　could　use；　and　his　lordship　had　used



violent　language　in　response；　and；　when　his　gout　had　been　at　the



worst；　he　said　that　the　sooner　the　people　of　Earl's　Court　died



and　were　buried　by　the　parish　the　better　it　would　be；and　there



was　an　end　of　the　matter。　　And　yet；　as　he　looked　at　the　small



hand　on　his　knee；　and　from　the　small　hand　to　the　honest；　earnest；



frank…eyed　face；　he　was　actually　a　little　ashamed　both