little lord fauntleroy-第29部分

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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　a　slow　and　heavy　person；　and　he　had　never　made　many



acquaintances。　　He　was　not　mentally　energetic　enough　to　know　how



to　amuse　himself；　and　in　truth　he　never　did　anything　of　an



entertaining　nature　but　read　the　newspapers　and　add　up　his



accounts。　　It　was　not　very　easy　for　him　to　add　up　his　accounts；



and　sometimes　it　took　him　a　long　time　to　bring　them　out　right；



and　in　the　old　days；　little　Lord　Fauntleroy；　who　had　learned　how



to　add　up　quite　nicely　with　his　fingers　and　a　slate　and　pencil；



had　sometimes　even　gone　to　the　length　of　trying　to　help　him；　and；



then　too；　he　had　been　so　good　a　listener　and　had　taken　such　an



interest　in　what　the　newspaper　said；　and　he　and　Mr。　Hobbs　had



held　such　long　conversations　about　the　Revolution　and　the　British



and　the　elections　and　the　Republican　party；　that　it　was　no　wonder



his　going　left　a　blank　in　the　grocery　store。　　At　first　it　seemed



to　Mr。　Hobbs　that　Cedric　was　not　really　far　away；　and　would　come



back　again；　that　some　day　he　would　look　up　from　his　paper　and　see



the　little　lad　standing　in　the　door…way；　in　his　white　suit　and



red　stockings；　and　with　his　straw　hat　on　the　back　of　his　head；



and　would　hear　him　say　in　his　cheerful　little　voice：　〃Hello；　Mr。



Hobbs！　　This　is　a　hot　dayisn't　it？〃　But　as　the　days　passed　on



and　this　did　not　happen；　Mr。　Hobbs　felt　very　dull　and　uneasy。　　He



did　not　even　enjoy　his　newspaper　as　much　as　he　used　to。　　He　would



put　the　paper　down　on　his　knee　after　reading　it；　and　sit　and



stare　at　the　high　stool　for　a　long　time。　　There　were　some　marks



on　the　long　legs　which　made　him　feel　quite　dejected　and



melancholy。　　They　were　marks　made　by　the　heels　of　the　next　Earl



of　Dorincourt；　when　he　kicked　and　talked　at　the　same　time。　　It



seems　that　even　youthful　earls　kick　the　legs　of　things　they　sit



on；noble　blood　and　lofty　lineage　do　not　prevent　it。　　After



looking　at　those　marks；　Mr。　Hobbs　would　take　out　his　gold　watch



and　open　it　and　stare　at　the　inscription：　〃From　his　oldest



friend；　Lord　Fauntleroy；　to　Mr。　Hobbs。　　When　this　you　see；



remember　me。〃　And　after　staring　at　it　awhile；　he　would　shut　it



up　with　a　loud　snap；　and　sigh　and　get　up　and　go　and　stand　in　the



door…waybetween　the　box　of　potatoes　and　the　barrel　of



applesand　look　up　the　street。　　At　night；　when　the　store　was



closed；　he　would　light　his　pipe　and　walk　slowly　along　the



pavement　until　he　reached　the　house　where　Cedric　had　lived；　on



which　there　was　a　sign　that　read；　〃This　House　to　Let〃；　and　he



would　stop　near　it　and　look　up　and　shake　his　head；　and　puff　at



his　pipe　very　hard；　and　after　a　while　walk　mournfully　back　again。







This　went　on　for　two　or　three　weeks　before　any　new　idea　came　to



him。　　Being　slow　and　ponderous；　it　always　took　him　a　long　time　to



reach　a　new　idea。　　As　a　rule；　he　did　not　like　new　ideas；　but



preferred　old　ones。　　After　two　or　three　weeks；　however；　during



which；　instead　of　getting　better；　matters　really　grew　worse；　a



novel　plan　slowly　and　deliberately　dawned　upon　him。　　He　would　go



to　see　Dick。　　He　smoked　a　great　many　pipes　before　he　arrived　at



the　conclusion；　but　finally　he　did　arrive　at　it。　　He　would　go　to



see　Dick。　　He　knew　all　about　Dick。　　Cedric　had　told　him；　and　his



idea　was　that　perhaps　Dick　might　be　some　comfort　to　him　in　the



way　of　talking　things　over。







So　one　day　when　Dick　was　very　hard　at　work　blacking　a　customer's



boots；　a　short；　stout　man　with　a　heavy　face　and　a　bald　head



stopped　on　the　pavement　and　stared　for　two　or　three　minutes　at



the　bootblack's　sign；　which　read：







　　　　　　　　　　〃PROFESSOR　DICK　TIPTON　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CAN'T　BE　BEAT。〃











He　stared　at　it　so　long　that　Dick　began　to　take　a　lively　interest



in　him；　and　when　he　had　put　the　finishing　touch　to　his　customer's



boots；　he　said：







〃Want　a　shine；　sir？〃







The　stout　man　came　forward　deliberately　and　put　his　foot　on　the



rest。







〃Yes；〃　he　said。







Then　when　Dick　fell　to　work；　the　stout　man　looked　from　Dick　to



the　sign　and　from　the　sign　to　Dick。







〃Where　did　you　get　that？〃　he　asked。







〃From　a　friend　o'　mine；〃　said　Dick；〃a　little　feller。　　He



guv'　me　the　whole　outfit。　　He　was　the　best　little　feller　ye　ever



saw。　　He's　in　England　now。　　Gone　to　be　one　o'　them　lords。〃







〃LordLord〃　asked　Mr。　Hobbs；　with　ponderous　slowness；　〃Lord



FauntleroyGoin'　to　be　Earl　of　Dorincourt？〃







Dick　almost　dropped　his　brush。







〃Why；　boss！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃d'　ye　know　him　yerself？〃







〃I've　known　him；〃　answered　Mr。　Hobbs；　wiping　his　warm　forehead；



〃ever　since　he　was　born。　　We　was　lifetime　acquaintancesthat's



what　WE　was。〃







It　really　made　him　feel　quite　agitated　to　speak　of　it。　　He　pulled



the　splendid　gold　watch　out　of　his　pocket　and　opened　it；　and



showed　the　inside　of　the　case　to　Dick。







〃‘When　this　you　see；　remember　me；'〃　he　read。　　〃That　was　his



parting　keepsake　to　me　‘I　don't　want　you　to　forget　me'those　was



his　wordsI'd　ha'　remembered　him；〃　he　went　on；　shaking　his



head；　〃if　he　hadn't　given　me　a　thing　an'　I　hadn't　seen　hide　nor



hair　on　him　again。　　He　was　a　companion　as　ANY　man　would



remember。〃







〃He　was　the　nicest　little　feller　I　ever　see；〃　said　Dick。　　〃An'



as　to　sandI　never　seen　so　much　sand　to　a　little　feller。　　I



thought　a　heap　o'　him；　I　did；an'　we　was　friends；　toowe　was



sort　o'　chums　from　the　fust；　that　little　young　un　an'　me。　　I



grabbed　his　ball　from　under　a　stage　fur　him；　an'　he　never　forgot



it；　an'　he'd　come　down　here；　he　would；　with　his　mother　or　his



nuss　and　he'd　holler：　‘Hello；　Dick！'　at　me；　as　friendly　as　if　he



was　six　feet　high；　when　he　warn't　knee　high　to　a　grasshopper；　and



was　dressed　in　gal's　clo'es。　　He　was　a　gay　little　chap；　and　when



you　was　down　on　your　luck；　it　did　you　good　to　talk　to　him。〃







〃That's　so；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃It　was　a　pity　to　make　a　earl



out　of　HIM。　　He　would　have　SHONE　in　the　grocery　businessor　dry



goods　either；　he　would　have　SHONE！〃　And　he　shook　his　head　with



deeper　regret　than　ever。







It　proved　that　they　had　so　much　to　say　to　each　other　that　it　was



not　possible　to　say　it　all　at　one　time；　and　so　it　was　agreed　that



the　next　night　Dick　should　make　a　visit　to　the　store　and　keep　Mr。



Hobbs　company。　　The　plan　pleased　Dick　well　enough。　　He　had　been　a



street　waif　nearly　all　his　life；　but　he　had　never　been　a　bad　boy；



and　he　had　always　had　a　private　yearning　for　a　more　respectable



kind　of　existence。　　Since　he　had　been　in　business　for　himself；　he



had　made　enough　money　to　enable　him　to　sleep　under　a　roof　instead



of　out　in　the　streets；　and　he　had　begun　to　hope　he　might　reach



even　a　higher　plane；　in　time。　　So；　to　be　invited　to　call　on　a



stout；　respectable　man　who　owned　a　corner　store；　and　even　had　a



horse　and　wagon；　seemed　to　him　quite　an　event。







〃Do　you　know　anything　about　earls　and　castles？〃　Mr。　Hobbs



inquired。　　〃I'd　like　to　know　more　of　the　particklars。〃







〃There's　a　story　about　some　on　'em　in　the　Penny　Story　Gazette；〃



said　Dick。　　〃It's　called　the　‘Crime　of　a　Coronet；　or；　The



Revenge　of　the　Countess　May。'　It's　a　boss　thing；　too。　　Some　of　us



boys　're　takin'　it　to　read。〃







〃Bring　it　up　when　you　come；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs；　〃an'　I'll　pay　for



it。　　Bring　all　you　can　find　that　have　any　earls　in　'em。　　If　there



are　n't　earls；　markises'll　do；　or　dooksthough　HE　never　made



mention　　of　any　dooks　or　markises。　　We　did　go　over　coronets　a



little；　but　I　never　happened　to　see　any。　　I　guess　they　don't　keep



'em　'round　here。〃







〃Tiffany　'd　have　'em　if　anybody　did；〃　said　Dick；　〃but　I　don't



know　as　I'd　know　one　if　I　saw　it。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　did　not　explain　that　he　would　not　have　known　one　if　he



saw　it。　　He　merely　shook　his　head　ponderously。







〃I　s'pose　there　is　very　little　call　for　'em；〃　he　said；　and　that



ended　the　matter。







This　was　the　beginning　of　quite　a　substantial　friendship。　　When



Dick　went　up　to　the　store；　Mr。　Hobbs　received　him　with　great



hospitality。　　He　gave　him　a　chair　tilted　against　the　door；　near　a



barrel　of　apples；　and　after　his　young　visitor　was　seated；　he　made



a　jerk　at　them　with　the　hand　in　which　he　held　his　pipe；　saying：







〃Help　yerself。〃







Then　he　looked　at　the　story　papers；　and　after　that　they　read　and



discussed　the　British　aristocracy；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　smoked　his　pipe



very　hard　and　shook　his　head　a　great　deal。　　He　shook　it　most　when



he　pointed　out　the　high　stool　with　the　marks　on　its　legs。







〃There's　his　very　kicks；〃　he　said　impressively；　〃his　very



kicks。　　I　sit　and　look　at　'em　by　the　hour。　　This　is　a　world　of



ups　an'　it's　a　world　of　downs。　　Why；　he'd　set　there；　an'　eat



crackers　out　of　a　box；　an'　apples　out　of　a　barrel；　an'　pitch　his



cores　into　the　street；　an'　now　he's　a　lord　a…livin'　in　a　castle。　



Them's　a　lord's　kicks；　they'll　be　a　earl's　kicks　some　day。　



Sometimes　I　says　to　myself；　says　I；　‘Well；　I'll　be　jiggered！'〃







He　seemed　to　derive　a　great　deal　of　comfort　from　his　reflections



and　Dick's　visit。　　Before　Dick　went　home；　they　had　a　supper　in



the　small　back…room；　they　had　crackers　and　cheese　and　sardines；



and　other　canned　things　out　of　the　store；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　solemnly



opened　two　bottles　of　ginger　ale；　and　pouring　out　two　glasses；



proposed　a　toast。







〃Here's　to　HIM！〃　he　said；　li