little lord fauntleroy-第25部分

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frank…eyed　face；　he　was　actually　a　little　ashamed　both　of　Earl's



Court　and　himself。







〃What！〃　he　said；　〃you　want　to　make　a　builder　of　model　cottages



of　me；　do　you？〃　And　he　positively　put　his　own　hand　upon　the



childish　one　and　stroked　it。







〃Those　must　be　pulled　down；〃　said　Fauntleroy；　with　great



eagerness。　　〃Dearest　says　so。　　Let　uslet　us　go　and　have　them



pulled　down　to…morrow。　　The　people　will　be　so　glad　when　they　see



you！　　They'll　know　you　have　come　to　help　them！〃　And　his　eyes



shone　like　stars　in　his　glowing　face。







The　Earl　rose　from　his　chair　and　put　his　hand　on　the　child's



shoulder。　　〃Let　us　go　out　and　take　our　walk　on　the　terrace；〃　he



said；　with　a　short　laugh；　〃and　we　can　talk　it　over。〃







And　though　he　laughed　two　or　three　times　again；　as　they　walked　to



and　fro　on　the　broad　stone　terrace；　where　they　walked　together



almost　every　fine　evening；　he　seemed　to　be　thinking　of　something



which　did　not　displease　him；　and　still　he　kept　his　hand　on　his



small　companion's　shoulder。















X







The　truth　was　that　Mrs。　Errol　had　found　a　great　many　sad　things



in　the　course　of　her　work　among　the　poor　of　the　little　village



that　appeared　so　picturesque　when　it　was　seen　from　the



moor…sides。　　Everything　was　not　as　picturesque；　when　seen　near



by；　as　it　looked　from　a　distance。　　She　had　found　idleness　and



poverty　and　ignorance　where　there　should　have　been　comfort　and



industry。　　And　she　had　discovered；　after　a　while；　that　Erleboro



was　considered　to　be　the　worst　village　in　that　part　of　the



country。　　Mr。　Mordaunt　had　told　her　a　great　many　of　his



difficulties　and　discouragements；　and　she　had　found　out　a　great



deal　by　herself。　　The　agents　who　had　managed　the　property　had



always　been　chosen　to　please　the　Earl；　and　had　cared　nothing　for



the　degradation　and　wretchedness　of　the　poor　tenants。　　Many



things；　therefore；　had　been　neglected　which　should　have　been



attended　to；　and　matters　had　gone　from　bad　to　worse。







As　to　Earl's　Court；　it　was　a　disgrace；　with　its　dilapidated



houses　and　miserable；　careless；　sickly　people。　　When　first　Mrs。



Errol　went　to　the　place；　it　made　her　shudder。　　Such　ugliness　and



slovenliness　and　want　seemed　worse　in　a　country　place　than　in　a



city。　　It　seemed　as　if　there　it　might　be　helped。　　And　as　she



looked　at　the　squalid；　uncared…for　children　growing　up　in　the



midst　of　vice　and　brutal　indifference；　she　thought　of　her　own



little　boy　spending　his　days　in　the　great；　splendid　castle；



guarded　and　served　like　a　young　prince；　having　no　wish



ungratified；　and　knowing　nothing　but　luxury　and　ease　and　beauty。　



And　a　bold　thought　came　in　her　wise　little　mother…heart。　



Gradually　she　had　begun　to　see；　as　had　others；　that　it　had　been



her　boy's　good　fortune　to　please　the　Earl　very　much；　and　that　he



would　scarcely　be　likely　to　be　denied　anything　for　which　he



expressed　a　desire。







〃The　Earl　would　give　him　anything；〃　she　said　to　Mr。　Mordaunt。　



〃He　would　indulge　his　every　whim。　　Why　should　not　that



indulgence　be　used　for　the　good　of　others？　　It　is　for　me　to　see



that　this　shall　come　to　pass。〃







She　knew　she　could　trust　the　kind；　childish　heart；　so　she　told



the　little　fellow　the　story　of　Earl's　Court；　feeling　sure　that　he



would　speak　of　it　to　his　grandfather；　and　hoping　that　some　good



results　would　follow。







And　strange　as　it　appeared　to　every　one；　good　results　did　follow。







The　fact　was　that　the　strongest　power　to　influence　the　Earl　was



his　grandson's　perfect　confidence　in　himthe　fact　that　Cedric



always　believed　that　his　grandfather　was　going　to　do　what　was



right　and　generous。　　He　could　not　quite　make　up　his　mind　to　let



him　discover　that　he　had　no　inclination　to　be　generous　at　all；



and　that　he　wanted　his　own　way　on　all　occasions；　whether　it　was



right　or　wrong。　　It　was　such　a　novelty　to　be　regarded　with



admiration　as　a　benefactor　of　the　entire　human　race；　and　the　soul



of　nobility；　that　he　did　not　enjoy　the　idea　of　looking　into　the



affectionate　brown　eyes；　and　saying：　〃I　am　a　violent；　selfish



old　rascal；　I　never　did　a　generous　thing　in　my　life；　and　I　don't



care　about　Earl's　Court　or　the　poor　people〃or　something　which



would　amount　to　the　same　thing。　　He　actually　had　learned　to　be



fond　enough　of　that　small　boy　with　the　mop　of　yellow　love…locks；



to　feel　that　he　himself　would　prefer　to　be　guilty　of　an　amiable



action　now　and　then。　　And　sothough　he　laughed　at　himselfafter



some　reflection；　he　sent　for　Newick；　and　had　quite　a　long



interview　with　him　on　the　subject　of　the　Court；　and　it　was



decided　that　the　wretched　hovels　should　be　pulled　down　and　new



houses　should　be　built。







〃It　is　Lord　Fauntleroy　who　insists　on　it；〃　he　said　dryly；　〃he



thinks　it　will　improve　the　property。　　You　can　tell　the　tenants



that　it's　his　idea。〃　And　he　looked　down　at　his　small　lordship；



who　was　lying　on　the　hearth…rug　playing　with　Dougal。　　The　great



dog　was　the　lad's　constant　companion；　and　followed　him　about



everywhere；　stalking　solemnly　after　him　when　he　walked；　and



trotting　majestically　behind　when　he　rode　or　drove。







Of　course；　both　the　country　people　and　the　town　people　heard　of



the　proposed　improvement。　　At　first；　many　of　them　would　not



believe　it；　but　when　a　small　army　of　workmen　arrived　and



commenced　pulling　down　the　crazy；　squalid　cottages；　people　began



to　understand　that　little　Lord　Fauntleroy　had　done　them　a　good



turn　again；　and　that　through　his　innocent　interference　the



scandal　of　Earl's　Court　had　at　last　been　removed。　　If　he　had　only



known　how　they　talked　about　him　and　praised　him　everywhere；　and



prophesied　great　things　for　him　when　he　grew　up；　how　astonished



he　would　have　been！　　But　he　never　suspected　it。　　He　lived　his



simple；　happy；　child　life；frolicking　about　in　the　park；　chasing



the　rabbits　to　their　burrows；　lying　under　the　trees　on　the　grass；



or　on　the　rug　in　the　library；　reading　wonderful　books　and　talking



to　the　Earl　about　them；　and　then　telling　the　stories　again　to　his



mother；　writing　long　letters　to　Dick　and　Mr。　Hobbs；　who　responded



in　characteristic　fashion；　riding　out　at　his　grandfather's　side；



or　with　Wilkins　as　escort。　　As　they　rode　through　the　market　town；



he　used　to　see　the　people　turn　and　look；　and　he　noticed　that　as



they　lifted　their　hats　their　faces　often　brightened　very　much；



but　he　thought　it　was　all　because　his　grandfather　was　with　him。







〃They　are　so　fond　of　you；〃　he　once　said；　looking　up　at　his



lordship　with　a　bright　smile。　　〃Do　you　see　how　glad　they　are



when　they　see　you？　　I　hope　they　will　some　day　be　as　fond　of　me。　



It　must　be　nice　to　have　EVERYbody　like　you。〃　And　he　felt　quite



proud　to　be　the　grandson　of　so　greatly　admired　and　beloved　an



individual。







When　the　cottages　were　being　built；　the　lad　and　his　grandfather



used　to　ride　over　to　Earl's　Court　together　to　look　at　them；　and



Fauntleroy　was　full　of　interest。　　　He　would　dismount　from　his



pony　and　go　and　make　acquaintance　with　the　workmen；　asking　them



questions　about　building　and　bricklaying；　and　telling　them　things



about　America。　　After　two　or　three　such　conversations；　he　was



able　to　enlighten　the　Earl　on　the　subject　of　brick…making；　as



they　rode　home。







〃I　always　like　to　know　about　things　like　those；〃　he　said；



〃because　you　never　know　what　you　are　coming　to。〃







When　he　left　them；　the　workmen　used　to　talk　him　over　among



themselves；　and　laugh　at　his　odd；　innocent　speeches；　but　they



liked　him；　and　liked　to　see　him　stand　among　them；　talking　away；



with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　his　hat　pushed　back　on　his　curls；



and　his　small　face　full　of　eagerness。　　〃He's　a　rare　un；〃　they



used　to　say。　　〃An'　a　noice　little　outspoken　chap；　too。　　Not　much



o'　th'　bad　stock　in　him。〃　And　they　would　go　home　and　tell　their



wives　about　him；　and　the　women　would　tell　each　other；　and　so　it



came　about　that　almost　every　one　talked　of；　or　knew　some　story



of；　little　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　gradually　almost　every　one　knew



that　the　〃wicked　Earl〃　had　found　something　he　cared　for　at



lastsomething　which　had　touched　and　even　warmed　his　hard；



bitter　old　heart。







But　no　one　knew　quite　how　much　it　had　been　warmed；　and　how　day　by



day　the　old　man　found　himself　caring　more　and　more　for　the　child；



who　was　the　only　creature　that　had　ever　trusted　him。　　He　found



himself　looking　forward　to　the　time　when　Cedric　would　be　a　young



man；　strong　and　beautiful；　with　life　all　before　him；　but　having



still　that　kind　heart　and　the　power　to　make　friends　everywhere；



and　the　Earl　wondered　what　the　lad　would　do；　and　how　he　would　use



his　gifts。　　Often　as　he　watched　the　little　fellow　lying　upon　the



hearth；　conning　some　big　book；　the　light　shining　on　the　bright



young　head；　his　old　eyes　would　gleam　and　his　cheek　would　flush。







〃The　boy　can　do　anything；〃　he　would　say　to　himself；



〃anything！〃







He　never　spoke　to　any　one　else　of　his　feeling　for　Cedric；　when　he



spoke　of　him　to　others　it　was　always　with　the　same　grim　smile。　



But　Fauntleroy　soon　knew　that　his　grandfather　loved　him　and



always　liked　him　to　be　nearnear　to　his　chair　if　they　were　in



the　library；　opposite　to　him　at　table；　or　by　his　side　when　he



rode　or　drove　or　took　his　evening　walk　on　the　broad　terrace。







〃Do　you　remember；〃　Cedric　said　once；　looking　up　from　his　book



as　he　lay　on　the　rug；　〃do　you　remember　what　I　said　to　you　that



first　night　about