little lord fauntleroy-第28部分

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



bright…haired　little　fellow　near　the　Earl's　chair　than　for　any



other　reason；as　he　looked　at　the　proud　old　man　and　at　little



Lord　Fauntleroy　smiling　at　his　side；　he　really　felt　quite　shaken；



notwithstanding　that　he　was　a　hardened　old　lawyer。　　What　a　blow



it　was　that　he　must　deal　them！







He　did　not　exactly　know　how　the　long；　superb　dinner　ended。　　He



sat　through　it　as　if　he　were　in　a　dream；　and　several　times　he　saw



the　Earl　glance　at　him　in　surprise。







But　it　was　over　at　last；　and　the　gentlemen　joined　the　ladies　in



the　drawing…room。　　They　found　Fauntleroy　sitting　on　the　sofa　with



Miss　Vivian　Herbert；the　great　beauty　of　the　last　London　season；



they　had　been　looking　at　some　pictures；　and　he　was　thanking　his



companion　as　the　door　opened。







〃I'm　ever　so　much　obliged　to　you　for　being　so　kind　to　me！〃　he



was　saying；　〃I　never　was　at　a　party　before；　and　I've　enjoyed



myself　so　much！〃







He　had　enjoyed　himself　so　much　that　when　the　gentlemen　gathered



about　Miss　Herbert　again　and　began　to　talk　to　her；　as　he　listened



and　tried　to　understand　their　laughing　speeches；　his　eyelids



began　to　droop。　　They　drooped　until　they　covered　his　eyes　two　or



three　times；　and　then　the　sound　of　Miss　Herbert's　low；　pretty



laugh　would　bring　him　back；　and　he　would　open　them　again　for



about　two　seconds。　　He　was　quite　sure　he　was　not　going　to　sleep；



but　there　was　a　large；　yellow　satin　cushion　behind　him　and　his



head　sank　against　it；　and　after　a　while　his　eyelids　drooped　for



the　last　time。　　They　did　not　even　quite　open　when；　as　it　seemed　a



long　time　after；　some　one　kissed　him　lightly　on　the　cheek。　　It



was　Miss　Vivian　Herbert；　who　was　going　away；　and　she　spoke　to　him



softly。







〃Good…night；　little　Lord　Fauntleroy；〃　she　said。　　〃Sleep



well。〃







And　in　the　morning　he　did　not　know　that　he　had　tried　to　open　his



eyes　and　had　murmured　sleepily；　〃Good…nightI'm　soglad　I



saw　youyou　are　sopretty〃







He　only　had　a　very　faint　recollection　of　hearing　the　gentlemen



laugh　again　and　of　wondering　why　they　did　it。







No　sooner　had　the　last　guest　left　the　room；　than　Mr。　Havisham



turned　from　his　place　by　the　fire；　and　stepped　nearer　the　sofa；



where　he　stood　looking　down　at　the　sleeping　occupant。　　Little



Lord　Fauntleroy　was　taking　his　ease　luxuriously。　　One　leg　crossed



the　other　and　swung　over　the　edge　of　the　sofa；　one　arm　was　flung



easily　above　his　head；　the　warm　flush　of　healthful；　happy；



childish　sleep　was　on　his　quiet　face；　his　waving　tangle　of　bright



hair　strayed　over　the　yellow　satin　cushion。　　He　made　a　picture



well　worth　looking　at。







As　Mr。　Havisham　looked　at　it；　he　put　his　hand　up　and　rubbed　his



shaven　chin；　with　a　harassed　countenance。







〃Well；　Havisham；〃　said　the　Earl's　harsh　voice　behind　him。　



〃What　is　it？　　It　is　evident　something　has　happened。　　What　was



the　extraordinary　event；　if　I　may　ask？〃







Mr。　Havisham　turned　from　the　sofa；　still　rubbing　his　chin。







〃It　was　bad　news；〃　he　answered；　〃distressing　news；　my



lordthe　worst　of　news。　　I　am　sorry　to　be　the　bearer　of　it。〃







The　Earl　had　been　uneasy　for　some　time　during　the　evening；　as　he



glanced　at　Mr。　Havisham；　and　when　he　was　uneasy　he　was　always



ill…tempered。







〃Why　do　you　look　so　at　the　boy！〃　he　exclaimed　irritably。　　〃You



have　been　looking　at　him　all　the　evening　as　ifSee　here　now；　why



should　you　look　at　the　boy；　Havisham；　and　hang　over　him　like　some



bird　of　ill…omen！　　What　has　your　news　to　do　with　Lord



Fauntleroy？〃







〃My　lord；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham；　〃I　will　waste　no　words。　　My　news



has　everything　to　do　with　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　And　if　we　are　to



believe　itit　is　not　Lord　Fauntleroy　who　lies　sleeping　before



us；　but　only　the　son　of　Captain　Errol。　　And　the　present　Lord



Fauntleroy　is　the　son　of　your　son　Bevis；　and　is　at　this　moment　in



a　lodging…house　in　London。〃







The　Earl　clutched　the　arms　of　his　chair　with　both　his　hands　until



the　veins　stood　out　upon　them；　the　veins　stood　out　on　his



forehead　too；　his　fierce　old　face　was　almost　livid。







〃What　do　you　mean！〃　he　cried　out。　　〃You　are　mad！　　Whose　lie　is



this？〃







〃If　it　is　a　lie；〃　answered　Mr。　Havisham；　〃it　is　painfully　like



the　truth。　　A　woman　came　to　my　chambers　this　morning。　　She　said



your　son　Bevis　married　her　six　years　ago　in　London。　　She　showed



me　her　marriage　certificate。　　They　quarrelled　a　year　after　the



marriage；　and　he　paid　her　to　keep　away　from　him。　　She　has　a　son



five　years　old。　　She　is　an　American　of　the　lower　classes；an



ignorant　person；and　until　lately　she　did　not　fully　understand



what　her　son　could　claim。　　She　consulted　a　lawyer　and　found　out



that　the　boy　was　really　Lord　Fauntleroy　and　the　heir　to　the



earldom　of　Dorincourt；　and　she；　of　course；　insists　on　his　claims



being　acknowledged。〃







There　was　a　movement　of　the　curly　head　on　the　yellow　satin



cushion。　　A　soft；　long；　sleepy　sigh　came　from　the　parted　lips；



and　the　little　boy　stirred　in　his　sleep；　but　not　at　all



restlessly　or　uneasily。　　Not　at　all　as　if　his　slumber　were



disturbed　by　the　fact　that　he　was　being　proved　a　small　impostor



and　that　he　was　not　Lord　Fauntleroy　at　all　and　never　would　be　the



Earl　of　Dorincourt。　　He　only　turned　his　rosy　face　more　on　its



side；　as　if　to　enable　the　old　man　who　stared　at　it　so　solemnly　to



see　it　better。







The　handsome；　grim　old　face　was　ghastly。　　A　bitter　smile　fixed



itself　upon　it。







〃I　should　refuse　to　believe　a　word　of　it；〃　he　said；　〃if　it



were　not　such　a　low；　scoundrelly　piece　of　business　that　it



becomes　quite　possible　in　connection　with　the　name　of　my　son



Bevis。　　It　is　quite　like　Bevis。　　He　was　always　a　disgrace　to　us。　



Always　a　weak；　untruthful；　vicious　young　brute　with　low



tastesmy　son　and　heir；　Bevis；　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　The　woman　is　an



ignorant；　vulgar　person；　you　say？〃







〃I　am　obliged　to　admit　that　she　can　scarcely　spell　her　own



name；〃　answered　the　lawyer。　　She　is　absolutely　uneducated　and



openly　mercenary。　　She　cares　for　nothing　but　the　money。　　She　is



very　handsome　in　a　coarse　way；　but〃







The　fastidious　old　lawyer　ceased　speaking　and　gave　a　sort　of



shudder。







The　veins　on　the　old　Earl's　forehead　stood　out　like　purple　cords。







Something　else　stood　out　upon　it　toocold　drops　of　moisture。　　He



took　out　his　handkerchief　and　swept　them　away。　　His　smile　grew



even　more　bitter。







〃And　I；〃　he　said；　〃I　objected　toto　the　other　woman；　the



mother　of　this　child〃　（pointing　to　the　sleeping　form　on　the



sofa）；　〃I　refused　to　recognize　her。　　And　yet　she　could　spell　her



own　name。　　I　suppose　this　is　retribution。〃







Suddenly　he　sprang　up　from　his　chair　and　began　to　walk　up　and



down　the　room。　　Fierce　and　terrible　words　poured　forth　from　his



lips。　　His　rage　and　hatred　and　cruel　disappointment　shook　him　as



a　storm　shakes　a　tree。　　His　violence　was　something　dreadful　to



see；　and　yet　Mr。　Havisham　noticed　that　at　the　very　worst　of　his



wrath　he　never　seemed　to　forget　the　little　sleeping　figure　on　the



yellow　satin　cushion；　and　that　he　never　once　spoke　loud　enough　to



awaken　it。







〃I　might　have　known　it；〃　he　said。　　〃They　were　a　disgrace　to　me



from　their　first　hour！　　I　hated　them　both；　and　they　hated　me！　



Bevis　was　the　worse　of　the　two。　　I　will　not　believe　this　yet；



though！　　I　will　contend　against　it　to　the　last。　　But　it　is　like



Bevisit　is　like　him！〃







And　then　he　raged　again　and　asked　questions　about　the　woman；



about　her　proofs；　and　pacing　the　room；　turned　first　white　and



then　purple　in　his　repressed　fury。







When　at　last　he　had　learned　all　there　was　to　be　told；　and　knew



the　worst；　Mr。　Havisham　looked　at　him　with　a　feeling　of　anxiety。　



He　looked　broken　and　haggard　and　changed。　　His　rages　had　always



been　bad　for　him；　but　this　one　had　been　worse　than　the　rest



because　there　had　been　something　more　than　rage　in　it。







He　came　slowly　back　to　the　sofa；　at　last；　and　stood　near　it。







〃If　any　one　had　told　me　I　could　be　fond　of　a　child；〃　he　said；



his　harsh　voice　low　and　unsteady；　〃I　should　not　have　believed



them。　　I　always　detested　childrenmy　own　more　than　the　rest。　　I



am　fond　of　this　one；　he　is　fond　of　me〃　（with　a　bitter　smile）。　



〃I　am　not　popular；　I　never　was。　　But　he　is　fond　of　me。　　He　never



was　afraid　of　mehe　always　trusted　me。　　He　would　have　filled　my



place　better　than　I　have　filled　it。　　I　know　that。　　He　would　have



been　an　honor　to　the　name。〃







He　bent　down　and　stood　a　minute　or　so　looking　at　the　happy；



sleeping　face。　　His　shaggy　eyebrows　were　knitted　fiercely；　and



yet　somehow　he　did　not　seem　fierce　at　all。　　He　put　up　his　hand；



pushed　the　bright　hair　back　from　the　forehead；　and　then　turned



away　and　rang　the　bell。







When　the　largest　footman　appeared；　he　pointed　to　the　sofa。







〃Take〃he　said；　and　then　his　voice　changed　a　little〃take



Lord　Fauntleroy　to　his　room。〃















XI







When　Mr。　Hobbs's　young　friend　left　him　to　go　to　Dorincourt　Castle



and　become　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　the　grocery…man　had　time　to



realize　that　the　Atlantic　Ocean　lay　between　himself　and　the　small



companion　who　had　spent　so　many　agreeable　hours　in　his　society；



he　really　began　to　feel　very　lonely　indeed。　　The　fact　was；　Mr。



Hobbs　was　not　a　clever　man　nor　even　a　bright　one；　he　was；　indeed；



rather