little lord fauntleroy-第27部分

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fool　about　him。〃







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



with　her　usual　straightforwardness。







〃I　have　not　asked　her；〃　answered　the　Earl；　slightly　scowling。







〃Well；〃　said　Lady　Lorridaile；　〃I　will　be　frank　with　you　at　the



outset；　Molyneux；　and　tell　you　I　don't　approve　of　your　course；



and　that　it　is　my　intention　to　call　on　Mrs。　Errol　as　soon　as



possible；　so　if　you　wish　to　quarrel　with　me；　you　had　better



mention　it　at　once。　　What　I　hear　of　the　young　creature　makes　me



quite　sure　that　her　child　owes　her　everything。　　We　were　told　even



at　Lorridaile　Park　that　your　poorer　tenants　adore　her　already。〃







〃They　adore　HIM；〃　said　the　Earl；　nodding　toward　Fauntleroy。　



〃As　to　Mrs。　Errol；　you'll　find　her　a　pretty　little　woman。　　I'm



rather　in　debt　to　her　for　giving　some　of　her　beauty　to　the　boy；



and　you　can　go　to　see　her　if　you　like。　　All　I　ask　is　that　she



will　remain　at　Court　Lodge　and　that　you　will　not　ask　me　to　go　and



see　her；〃　and　he　scowled　a　little　again。







〃But　he　doesn't　hate　her　as　much　as　he　used　to；　that　is　plain



enough　to　me；〃　her　ladyship　said　to　Sir　Harry　afterward。　　〃And



he　is　a　changed　man　in　a　measure；　and；　incredible　as　it　may　seem；



Harry；　it　is　my　opinion　that　he　is　being　made　into　a　human　being；



through　nothing　more　nor　less　than　his　affection　for　that



innocent；　affectionate　little　fellow。　　Why；　the　child　actually



loves　himleans　on　his　chair　and　against　his　knee。　　His　own



children　would　as　soon　have　thought　of　nestling　up　to　a　tiger。〃







The　very　next　day　she　went　to　call　upon　Mrs。　Errol。　　When　she



returned；　she　said　to　her　brother：







〃Molyneux；　she　is　the　loveliest　little　woman　I　ever　saw！　　She



has　a　voice　like　a　silver　bell；　and　you　may　thank　her　for　making



the　boy　what　he　is。　　She　has　given　him　more　than　her　beauty；　and



you　make　a　great　mistake　in　not　persuading　her　to　come　and　take



charge　of　you。　　I　shall　invite　her　to　Lorridaile。〃







〃She'll　not　leave　the　boy；〃　replied　the　Earl。







〃I　must　have　the　boy　too；〃　said　Lady　Lorridaile；　laughing。







But　she　knew　Fauntleroy　would　not　be　given　up　to　her；　and　each



day　she　saw　more　clearly　how　closely　those　two　had　grown　to　each



other；　and　how　all　the　proud；　grim　old　man's　ambition　and　hope



and　love　centered　themselves　in　the　child；　and　how　the　warm；



innocent　nature　returned　his　affection　with　most　perfect　trust



and　good　faith。







She　knew；　too；　that　the　prime　reason　for　the　great　dinner　party



was　the　Earl's　secret　desire　to　show　the　world　his　grandson　and



heir；　and　to　let　people　see　that　the　boy　who　had　been　so　much



spoken　of　and　described　was　even　a　finer　little　specimen　of



boyhood　than　rumor　had　made　him。







〃Bevis　and　Maurice　were　such　a　bitter　humiliation　to　him；〃　she



said　to　her　husband。　　〃Every　one　knew　it。　　He　actually　hated



them。　　His　pride　has　full　sway　here。〃　Perhaps　there　was　not　one



person　who　accepted　the　invitation　without　feeling　some　curiosity



about　little　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　wondering　if　he　would　be　on



view。







And　when　the　time　came　he　was　on　view。







〃The　lad　has　good　manners；〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃He　will　be　in　no



one's　way。　　Children　are　usually　idiots　or　bores；mine　were



both；but　he　can　actually　answer　when　he's　spoken　to；　and　be



silent　when　he　is　not。　　He　is　never　offensive。〃







But　he　was　not　allowed　to　be　silent　very　long。　　Every　one　had



something　to　say　to　him。　　The　fact　was　they　wished　to　make　him



talk。　　The　ladies　petted　him　and　asked　him　questions；　and　the　men



asked　him　questions　too；　and　joked　with　him；　as　the　men　on　the



steamer　had　done　when　he　crossed　the　Atlantic。　　Fauntleroy　did



not　quite　understand　why　they　laughed　so　sometimes　when　he



answered　them；　but　he　was　so　used　to　seeing　people　amused　when　he



was　quite　serious；　that　he　did　not　mind。　　He　thought　the　whole



evening　delightful。　　The　magnificent　rooms　were　so　brilliant　with



lights；　there　were　so　many　flowers；　the　gentlemen　seemed　so　gay；



and　the　ladies　wore　such　beautiful；　wonderful　dresses；　and　such



sparkling　ornaments　in　their　hair　and　on　their　necks。　　There　was



one　young　lady　who；　he　heard　them　say；　had　just　come　down　from



London；　where　she　had　spent　the　〃season〃；　and　she　was　so



charming　that　he　could　not　keep　his　eyes　from　her。　　She　was　a



rather　tall　young　lady　with　a　proud　little　head；　and　very　soft



dark　hair；　and　large　eyes　the　color　of　purple　pansies；　and　the



color　on　her　cheeks　and　lips　was　like　that　of　a　rose。　　She　was



dressed　in　a　beautiful　white　dress；　and　had　pearls　around　her



throat。　　There　was　one　strange　thing　about　this　young　lady。　　So



many　gentlemen　stood　near　her；　and　seemed　anxious　to　please　her；



that　Fauntleroy　thought　she　must　be　something　like　a　princess。　



He　was　so　much　interested　in　her　that　without　knowing　it　he　drew



nearer　and　nearer　to　her；　and　at　last　she　turned　and　spoke　to



him。







〃Come　here；　Lord　Fauntleroy；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃and　tell　me



why　you　look　at　me　so。〃







〃I　was　thinking　how　beautiful　you　are；〃　his　young　lordship



replied。







Then　all　the　gentlemen　laughed　outright；　and　the　young　lady



laughed　a　little　too；　and　the　rose　color　in　her　cheeks



brightened。







〃Ah；　Fauntleroy；〃　said　one　of　the　gentlemen　who　had　laughed



most　heartily；　〃make　the　most　of　your　time！　　When　you　are　older



you　will　not　have　the　courage　to　say　that。〃







〃But　nobody　could　help　saying　it；〃　said　Fauntleroy　sweetly。　



〃Could　you　help　it？　　Don't　YOU　think　she　is　pretty；　too？〃







〃We　are　not　allowed　to　say　what　we　think；〃　said　the　gentleman；



while　the　rest　laughed　more　than　ever。







But　the　beautiful　young　ladyher　name　was　Miss　Vivian



Herbertput　out　her　hand　and　drew　Cedric　to　her　side；　looking



prettier　than　before；　if　possible。







〃Lord　Fauntleroy　shall　say　what　he　thinks；〃　she　said；　〃and　I



am　much　obliged　to　him。　　I　am　sure　he　thinks　what　he　says。〃　And



she　kissed　him　on　his　cheek。







〃I　think　you　are　prettier　than　any　one　I　ever　saw；〃　said



Fauntleroy；　looking　at　her　with　innocent；　admiring　eyes；　〃except



Dearest。　　Of　course；　I　couldn't　think　any　one　QUITE　as　pretty　as



Dearest。　　I　think　she　is　the　prettiest　person　in　the　world。〃







〃I　am　sure　she　is；〃　said　Miss　Vivian　Herbert。　　And　she　laughed



and　kissed　his　cheek　again。







She　kept　him　by　her　side　a　great　part　of　the　evening；　and　the



group　of　which　they　were　the　center　was　very　gay。　　He　did　not



know　how　it　happened；　but　before　long　he　was　telling　them　all



about　America；　and　the　Republican　Rally；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　and　Dick；



and　in　the　end　he　proudly　produced　from　his　pocket　Dick's　parting



gift；the　red　silk　handkerchief。







〃I　put　it　in　my　pocket　to…night　because　it　was　a　party；〃　he



said。　　〃I　thought　Dick　would　like　me　to　wear　it　at　a　party。〃







And　queer　as　the　big；　flaming；　spotted　thing　was；　there　was　a



serious；　affectionate　look　in　his　eyes；　which　prevented　his



audience　from　laughing　very　much。







〃You　see；　I　like　it；〃　he　said；　〃because　Dick　is　my　friend。〃







But　though　he　was　talked　to　so　much；　as　the　Earl　had　said；　he　was



in　no　one's　way。　　He　could　be　quiet　and　listen　when　others



talked；　and　so　no　one　found　him　tiresome。　　A　slight　smile　crossed



more　than　one　face　when　several　times　he　went　and　stood　near　his



grandfather's　chair；　or　sat　on　a　stool　close　to　him；　watching　him



and　absorbing　every　word　he　uttered　with　the　most　charmed



interest。　　Once　he　stood　so　near　the　chair's　arm　that　his　cheek



touched　the　Earl's　shoulder；　and　his　lordship；　detecting　the



general　smile；　smiled　a　little　himself。　　He　knew　what　the



lookers…on　were　thinking；　and　he　felt　some　secret　amusement　in



their　seeing　what　good　friends　he　was　with　this　youngster；　who



might　have　been　expected　to　share　the　popular　opinion　of　him。







Mr。　Havisham　had　been　expected　to　arrive　in　the　afternoon；　but；



strange　to　say；　he　was　late。　　Such　a　thing　had　really　never　been



known　to　happen　before　during　all　the　years　in　which　he　had　been



a　visitor　at　Dorincourt　Castle。　　He　was　so　late　that　the　guests



were　on　the　point　of　rising　to　go　in　to　dinner　when　he　arrived。　



When　he　approached　his　host；　the　Earl　regarded　him　with



amazement。　　He　looked　as　if　he　had　been　hurried　or　agitated；　his



dry；　keen　old　face　was　actually　pale。







〃I　was　detained；〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice　to　the　Earl；　〃byan



extraordinary　event。〃







It　was　as　unlike　the　methodic　old　lawyer　to　be　agitated　by



anything　as　it　was　to　be　late；　but　it　was　evident　that　he　had



been　disturbed。　　At　dinner　he　ate　scarcely　anything；　and　two　or



three　times；　when　he　was　spoken　to；　he　started　as　if　his　thoughts



were　far　away。　　At　dessert；　when　Fauntleroy　came　in；　he　looked　at



him　more　than　once；　nervously　and　uneasily。　　Fauntleroy　noted　the



look　and　wondered　at　it。　　He　and　Mr。　Havisham　were　on　friendly



terms；　and　they　usually　exchanged　smiles。　　The　lawyer　seemed　to



have　forgotten　to　smile　that　evening。







The　fact　was；　he　forgot　everything　but　the　strange　and　painful



news　he　knew　he　must　tell　the　Earl　before　the　night　was　overthe



strange　news　which　he　knew　would　be　so　terrible　a　shock；　and



which　would　change　the　face　of　everything。　　As　he　looked　about　at



the　splendid　rooms　and　the　brilliant　company；at　the　people



gathered　together；　he　knew；　more　that　they　might　see　the



bright…haired　little　fellow