little lord fauntleroy-第26部分

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



first　night　about　our　being　good　companions？　　I　don't　think　any



people　could　be　better　companions　than　we　are；　do　you？〃







〃We　are　pretty　good　companions；　I　should　say；〃　replied　his



lordship。　　〃Come　here。〃







Fauntleroy　scrambled　up　and　went　to　him。







〃Is　there　anything　you　want；〃　the　Earl　asked；　〃anything　you



have　not？〃







The　little　fellow's　brown　eyes　fixed　themselves　on　his



grandfather　with　a　rather　wistful　look。







〃Only　one　thing；〃　he　answered。







〃What　is　that？〃　inquired　the　Earl。







Fauntleroy　was　silent　a　second。　　He　had　not　thought　matters　over



to　himself　so　long　for　nothing。







〃What　is　it？〃　my　lord　repeated。







Fauntleroy　answered。







〃It　is　Dearest；〃　he　said。







The　old　Earl　winced　a　little。







〃But　you　see　her　almost　every　day；〃　he　said。　　〃Is　not　that



enough？〃







〃I　used　to　see　her　all　the　time；〃　said　Fauntleroy。　　〃She　used



to　kiss　me　when　I　went　to　sleep　at　night；　and　in　the　morning　she



was　always　there；　and　we　could　tell　each　other　things　without



waiting。〃







The　old　eyes　and　the　young　ones　looked　into　each　other　through　a



moment　of　silence。　　Then　the　Earl　knitted　his　brows。







〃Do　you　NEVER　forget　about　your　mother？〃　he　said。







〃No；〃　answered　Fauntleroy；　〃never；　and　she　never　forgets　about



me。　　I　shouldn't　forget　about　YOU；　you　know；　if　I　didn't　live



with　you。　　I　should　think　about　you　all　the　more。〃







〃Upon　my　word；〃　said　the　Earl；　after　looking　at　him　a　moment



longer；　〃I　believe　you　would！〃







The　jealous　pang　that　came　when　the　boy　spoke　so　of　his　mother



seemed　even　stronger　than　it　had　been　before；　it　was　stronger



because　of　this　old　man's　increasing　affection　for　the　boy。







But　it　was　not　long　before　he　had　other　pangs；　so　much　harder　to



face　that　he　almost　forgot；　for　the　time；　he　had　ever　hated　his



son's　wife　at　all。　　And　in　a　strange　and　startling　way　it



happened。　　One　evening；　just　before　the　Earl's　Court　cottages



were　completed；　there　was　a　grand　dinner　party　at　Dorincourt。　



There　had　not　been　such　a　party　at　the　Castle　for　a　long　time。　　A



few　days　before　it　took　place；　Sir　Harry　Lorridaile　and　Lady



Lorridaile；　who　was　the　Earl's　only　sister；　actually　came　for　a



visita　thing　which　caused　the　greatest　excitement　in　the



village　and　set　Mrs。　Dibble's　shop…bell　tinkling　madly　again；



because　it　was　well　known　that　Lady　Lorridaile　had　only　been　to



Dorincourt　once　since　her　marriage；　thirty…five　years　before。　



She　was　a　handsome　old　lady　with　white　curls　and　dimpled；　peachy



cheeks；　and　she　was　as　good　as　gold；　but　she　had　never　approved



of　her　brother　any　more　than　did　the　rest　of　the　world；　and



having　a　strong　will　of　her　own　and　not　being　at　all　afraid　to



speak　her　mind　frankly；　she　had；　after　several　lively　quarrels



with　his　lordship；　seen　very　little　of　him　since　her　young　days。







She　had　heard　a　great　deal　of　him　that　was　not　pleasant　through



the　years　in　which　they　had　been　separated。　　She　had　heard　about



his　neglect　of　his　wife；　and　of　the　poor　lady's　death；　and　of　his



indifference　to　his　children；　and　of　the　two　weak；　vicious；



unprepossessing　elder　boys　who　had　been　no　credit　to　him　or　to



any　one　else。　　Those　two　elder　sons；　Bevis　and　Maurice；　she　had



never　seen；　but　once　there　had　come　to　Lorridaile　Park　a　tall；



stalwart；　beautiful　young　fellow　about　eighteen　years　old；　who



had　told　her　that　he　was　her　nephew　Cedric　Errol；　and　that　he　had



come　to　see　her　because　he　was　passing　near　the　place　and　wished



to　look　at　his　Aunt　Constantia　of　whom　he　had　heard　his　mother



speak。　　Lady　Lorridaile's　kind　heart　had　warmed　through　and



through　at　the　sight　of　the　young　man；　and　she　had　made　him　stay



with　her　a　week；　and　petted　him；　and　made　much　of　him　and　admired



him　immensely。　　He　was　so　sweet…tempered；　light…hearted；　spirited



a　lad；　that　when　he　went　away；　she　had　hoped　to　see　him　often



again；　but　she　never　did；　because　the　Earl　had　been　in　a　bad



humor　when　he　went　back　to　Dorincourt；　and　had　forbidden　him　ever



to　go　to　Lorridaile　Park　again。　　But　Lady　Lorridaile　had　always



remembered　him　tenderly；　and　though　she　feared　he　had　made　a　rash



marriage　in　America；　she　had　been　very　angry　when　she　heard　how



he　had　been　cast　off　by　his　father　and　that　no　one　really　knew



where　or　how　he　lived。　　At　last　there　came　a　rumor　of　his　death；



and　then　Bevis　had　been　thrown　from　his　horse　and　killed；　and



Maurice　had　died　in　Rome　of　the　fever；　and　soon　after　came　the



story　of　the　American　child　who　was　to　be　found　and　brought　home



as　Lord　Fauntleroy。







〃Probably　to　be　ruined　as　the　others　were；〃　she　said　to　her



husband；　〃unless　his　mother　is　good　enough　and　has　a　will　of　her



own　to　help　her　to　take　care　of　him。〃







But　when　she　heard　that　Cedric's　mother　had　been　parted　from　him



she　was　almost　too　indignant　for　words。







〃It　is　disgraceful；　Harry！〃　she　said。　　〃Fancy　a　child　of　that



age　being　taken　from　his　mother；　and　made　the　companion　of　a　man



like　my　brother！　　He　will　either　be　brutal　to　the　boy　or　indulge



him　until　he　is　a　little　monster。　　If　I　thought　it　would　do　any



good　to　write〃







〃It　wouldn't；　Constantia；〃　said　Sir　Harry。







〃I　know　it　wouldn't；〃　she　answered。　　〃I　know　his　lordship　the



Earl　of　Dorincourt　too　well；but　it　is　outrageous。〃







Not　only　the　poor　people　and　farmers　heard　about　little　Lord



Fauntleroy；　others　knew　him。　　He　was　talked　about　so　much　and



there　were　so　many　stories　of　himof　his　beauty；　his　sweet



temper；　his　popularity；　and　his　growing　influence　over　the　Earl；



his　grandfatherthat　rumors　of　him　reached　the　gentry　at　their



country　places　and　he　was　heard　of　in　more　than　one　county　of



England。　　People　talked　about　him　at　the　dinner　tables；　ladies



pitied　his　young　mother；　and　wondered　if　the　boy　were　as　handsome



as　he　was　said　to　be；　and　men　who　knew　the　Earl　and　his　habits



laughed　heartily　at　the　stories　of　the　little　fellow's　belief　in



his　lordship's　amiability。　　Sir　Thomas　Asshe　of　Asshawe　Hall；



being　in　Erleboro　one　day；　met　the　Earl　and　his　grandson　riding



together；　and　stopped　to　shake　hands　with　my　lord　and



congratulate　him　on　his　change　of　looks　and　on　his　recovery　from



the　gout。　　〃And；　d'　ye　know；〃　he　said；　when　he　spoke　of　the



incident　afterward；　〃the　old　man　looked　as　proud　as　a



turkey…cock；　and　upon　my　word　I　don't　wonder；　for　a　handsomer；



finer　lad　than　his　grandson　I　never　saw！　　As　straight　as　a　dart；



and　sat　his　pony　like　a　young　trooper！〃







And　so　by　degrees　Lady　Lorridaile；　too；　heard　of　the　child；　she



heard　about　Higgins　and　the　lame　boy；　and　the　cottages　at　Earl's



Court；　and　a　score　of　other　things；and　she　began　to　wish　to　see



the　little　fellow。　　And　just　as　she　was　wondering　how　it　might　be



brought　about；　to　her　utter　astonishment；　she　received　a　letter



from　her　brother　inviting　her　to　come　with　her　husband　to



Dorincourt。







〃It　seems　incredible！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　have　heard　it　said



that　the　child　has　worked　miracles；　and　I　begin　to　believe　it。　



They　say　my　brother　adores　the　boy　and　can　scarcely　endure　to



have　him　out　of　sight。　　And　he　is　so　proud　of　him！　　Actually；　I



believe　he　wants　to　show　him　to　us。〃　And　she　accepted　the



invitation　at　once。







When　she　reached　Dorincourt　Castle　with　Sir　Harry；　it　was　late　in



the　afternoon；　and　she　went　to　her　room　at　once　before　seeing　her



brother。　　Having　dressed　for　dinner；　she　entered　the



drawing…room。　　The　Earl　was　there　standing　near　the　fire　and



looking　very　tall　and　imposing；　and　at　his　side　stood　a　little



boy　in　black　velvet；　and　a　large　Vandyke　collar　of　rich　lacea



little　fellow　whose　round　bright　face　was　so　handsome；　and　who



turned　upon　her　such　beautiful；　candid　brown　eyes；　that　she



almost　uttered　an　exclamation　of　pleasure　and　surprise　at　the



sight。







As　she　shook　hands　with　the　Earl；　she　called　him　by　the　name　she



had　not　used　since　her　girlhood。







〃What；　Molyneux！〃　she　said；　〃is　this　the　child？〃







〃Yes；　Constantia；〃　answered　the　Earl；　〃this　is　the　boy。　



Fauntleroy；　this　is　your　grand…aunt；　Lady　Lorridaile。〃







〃How　do　you　do；　Grand…Aunt？〃　said　Fauntleroy。







Lady　Lorridaile　put　her　hand　on　his　shoulders；　and　after　looking



down　into　his　upraised　face　a　few　seconds；　kissed　him　warmly。







〃I　am　your　Aunt　Constantia；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　loved　your　poor



papa；　and　you　are　very　like　him。〃







〃It　makes　me　glad　when　I　am　told　I　am　like　him；〃　answered



Fauntleroy；　〃because　it　seems　as　if　every　one　liked　him；just



like　Dearest；　eszackly；Aunt　Constantia〃　（adding　the　two　words



after　a　second's　pause）。







Lady　Lorridaile　was　delighted。　　She　bent　and　kissed　him　again；



and　from　that　moment　they　were　warm　friends。







〃Well；　Molyneux；〃　she　said　aside　to　the　Earl　afterward；　〃it



could　not　possibly　be　better　than　this！〃







〃I　think　not；〃　answered　his　lordship　dryly。　　〃He　is　a　fine



little　fellow。　　We　are　great　friends。　　He　believes　me　to　be　the



most　charming　and　sweet…tempered　of　philanthropists。　　I　will



confess　to　you；　Constantia；as　you　would　find　it　out　if　I　did



not；that　I　am　in　some　slight　danger　of　becoming　rather　an　old



fool　about　him。〃







〃What　does　his　mother　think　of　you？〃　asked　Lady　Lorridaile