little lord fauntleroy-第3部分

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〃Lords；　is　it？〃　he　heard　her　say。　　〃An'　the　nobility　an'



gintry。　　Och！　　bad　cess　to　them！　　Lords；　indadeworse　luck。〃







It　was　really　very　puzzling；　but　he　felt　sure　his　mamma　would



tell　him　what　all　the　excitement　meant；　so　he　allowed　Mary　to



bemoan　herself　without　asking　many　questions。　　When　he　was



dressed；　he　ran　downstairs　and　went　into　the　parlor。　　A　tall；



thin　　old　gentleman　with　a　sharp　face　was　sitting　in　an



arm…chair。　　His　mother　was　standing　near　by　with　a　pale　face；　and



he　saw　that　there　were　tears　in　her　eyes。







〃Oh！　　Ceddie！〃　she　cried　out；　and　ran　to　her　little　boy　and



caught　him　in　her　arms　and　kissed　him　in　a　frightened；　troubled



way。　　〃Oh！　　Ceddie；　darling！〃







The　tall　old　gentleman　rose　from　his　chair　and　looked　at　Cedric



with　his　sharp　eyes。　　He　rubbed　his　thin　chin　with　his　bony　hand



as　he　looked。







He　seemed　not　at　all　displeased。







〃And　so；〃　he　said　at　last；　slowly；〃and　so　this　is　little



Lord　Fauntleroy。〃















II







There　was　never　a　more　amazed　little　boy　than　Cedric　during　the



week　that　followed；　there　was　never　so　strange　or　so　unreal　a



week。　　In　the　first　place；　the　story　his　mamma　told　him　was　a



very　curious　one。　　He　was　obliged　to　hear　it　two　or　three　times



before　he　could　understand　it。　　He　could　not　imagine　what　Mr。



Hobbs　would　think　of　it。　　It　began　with　earls：　his　grandpapa；



whom　he　had　never　seen；　was　an　earl；　and　his　eldest　uncle；　if　he



had　not　been　killed　by　a　fall　from　his　horse；　would　have　been　an



earl；　too；　in　time；　and　after　his　death；　his　other　uncle　would



have　been　an　earl；　if　he　had　not　died　suddenly；　in　Rome；　of　a



fever。　　After　that；　his　own　papa；　if　he　had　lived；　would　have



been　an　earl；　but；　since　they　all　had　died　and　only　Cedric　was



left；　it　appeared　that　HE　was　to　be　an　earl　after　his　grandpapa's



deathand　for　the　present　he　was　Lord　Fauntleroy。







He　turned　quite　pale　when　he　was　first　told　of　it。







〃Oh！　　Dearest！〃　he　said；　〃I　should　rather　not　be　an　earl。　



None　of　the　boys　are　earls。　　Can't　I　NOT　be　one？〃







But　it　seemed　to　be　unavoidable。　　And　when；　that　evening；　they



sat　together　by　the　open　window　looking　out　into　the　shabby



street；　he　and　his　mother　had　a　long　talk　about　it。　　Cedric　sat



on　his　footstool；　clasping　one　knee　in　his　favorite　attitude　and



wearing　a　bewildered　little　face　rather　red　from　the　exertion　of



thinking。　　His　grandfather　had　sent　for　him　to　come　to　England；



and　his　mamma　thought　he　must　go。







〃Because；〃　she　said；　looking　out　of　the　window　with　sorrowful



eyes；　〃I　know　your　papa　would　wish　it　to　be　so；　Ceddie。　　He



loved　his　home　very　much；　and　there　are　many　things　to　be　thought



of　that　a　little　boy　can't　quite　understand。　　I　should　be　a



selfish　little　mother　if　I　did　not　send　you。　　When　you　are　a　man；



you　will　see　why。〃







Ceddie　shook　his　head　mournfully。







〃I　shall　be　very　sorry　to　leave　Mr。　Hobbs；〃　he　said。　　〃I'm



afraid　he'll　miss　me；　and　I　shall　miss　him。　　And　I　shall　miss



them　all。〃







When　Mr。　Havishamwho　was　the　family　lawyer　of　the　Earl　of



Dorincourt；　and　who　had　been　sent　by　him　to　bring　Lord　Fauntleroy



to　Englandcame　the　next　day；　Cedric　heard　many　things。　　But；



somehow；　it　did　not　console　him　to　hear　that　he　was　to　be　a　very



rich　man　when　he　grew　up；　and　that　he　would　have　castles　here　and



castles　there；　and　great　parks　and　deep　mines　and　grand　estates



and　tenantry。　　He　was　troubled　about　his　friend；　Mr。　Hobbs；　and



he　went　to　see　him　at　the　store　soon　after　breakfast；　in　great



anxiety　of　mind。







He　found　him　reading　the　morning　paper；　and　he　approached　him



with　a　grave　demeanor。　　He　really　felt　it　would　be　a　great　shock



to　Mr。　Hobbs　to　hear　what　had　befallen　him；　and　on　his　way　to　the



store　he　had　been　thinking　how　it　would　be　best　to　break　the



news。







〃Hello！〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃Mornin'！〃







〃Good…morning；〃　said　Cedric。







He　did　not　climb　up　on　the　high　stool　as　usual；　but　sat　down　on　a



cracker…box　and　clasped　his　knee；　and　was　so　silent　for　a　few



moments　that　Mr。　Hobbs　finally　looked　up　inquiringly　over　the　top



of　his　newspaper。







〃Hello！〃　he　said　again。　　







Cedric　gathered　all　his　strength　of　mind　together。







〃Mr。　Hobbs；〃　he　said；　〃do　you　remember　what　we　were　talking



about　yesterday　morning？〃







〃Well；〃　replied　Mr。　Hobbs；〃seems　to　me　it　was　England。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Cedric；　〃but　just　when　Mary　came　for　me；　you



know？〃







Mr。　Hobbs　rubbed　the　back　of　his　head。







〃We　WAS　mentioning　Queen　Victoria　and　the　aristocracy。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Cedric；　rather　hesitatingly；　〃andand　earls；



don't　you　know？〃







〃Why；　yes；〃　returned　Mr。　Hobbs；　〃we　DID　touch　'em　up　a　little；



that's　so！〃







Cedric　flushed　up　to　the　curly　bang　on　his　forehead。　　Nothing　so



embarrassing　as　this　had　ever　happened　to　him　in　his　life。　　He



was　a　little　afraid　that　it　might　be　a　trifle　embarrassing　to　Mr。



Hobbs；　too。







〃You　said；〃　he　proceeded；　〃that　you　wouldn't　have　them　sitting



'round　on　your　cracker…barrels。〃







〃So　I　did！〃　returned　Mr。　Hobbs；　stoutly。　　〃And　I　meant　it。　



Let　'em　try　itthat's　all！〃







〃Mr。　Hobbs；〃　said　Cedric；　〃one　is　sitting　on　this　box　now！〃







Mr。　Hobbs　almost　jumped　out　of　his　chair。







〃What！〃　he　exclaimed。







〃Yes；〃　Cedric　announced；　with　due　modesty；　〃_I_　am　oneor　I



am　going　to　be。　　I　won't　deceive　you。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　looked　agitated。　　He　rose　up　suddenly　and　went　to　look



at　the　thermometer。







〃The　mercury's　got　into　your　head！〃　he　exclaimed；　turning　back



to　examine　his　young　friend's　countenance。　　〃It　IS　a　hot　day！　



How　do　you　feel？　　Got　any　pain？　　When　did　you　begin　to　feel　that



way？〃







He　put　his　big　hand　on　the　little　boy's　hair。　　This　was　more



embarrassing　than　ever。







〃Thank　you；〃　said　Ceddie；　〃I'm　all　right。　　There　is　nothing



the　matter　with　my　head。　　I'm　sorry　to　say　it's　true；　Mr。　Hobbs。　



That　was　what　Mary　came　to　take　me　home　for。　　Mr。　Havisham　was



telling　my　mamma；　and　he　is　a　lawyer。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　sank　into　his　chair　and　mopped　his　forehead　with　his



handkerchief。







〃ONE　of　us　has　got　a　sunstroke！〃　he　exclaimed。







〃No；〃　returned　Cedric；　〃we　haven't。　　We　shall　have　to　make　the



best　of　it；　Mr。　Hobbs。　　Mr。　Havisham　came　all　the　way　from



England　to　tell　us　about　it。　　My　grandpapa　sent　him。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　stared　wildly　at　the　innocent；　serious　little　face



before　him。







〃Who　is　your　grandfather？〃　he　asked。







Cedric　put　his　hand　in　his　pocket　and　carefully　drew　out　a　piece



of　paper；　on　which　something　was　written　in　his　own　round；



irregular　hand。







〃I　couldn't　easily　remember　it；　so　I　wrote　it　down　on　this；〃　he



said。　　And　he　read　aloud　slowly：　〃‘John　Arthur　Molyneux　Errol；



Earl　of　Dorincourt。'　That　is　his　name；　and　he　lives　in　a



castlein　two　or　three　castles；　I　think。　　And　my　papa；　who　died；



was　his　youngest　son；　and　I　shouldn't　have　been　a　lord　or　an　earl



if　my　papa　hadn't　died；　and　my　papa　wouldn't　have　been　an　earl　if



his　two　brothers　hadn't　died。　　But　they　all　died；　and　there　is　no



one　but　me；no　boy；and　so　I　have　to　be　one；　and　my　grandpapa



has　sent　for　me　to　come　to　England。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　seemed　to　grow　hotter　and　hotter。　　He　mopped　his



forehead　and　his　bald　spot　and　breathed　hard。　　He　began　to　see



that　something　very　remarkable　had　happened；　but　when　he　looked



at　the　little　boy　sitting　on　the　cracker…box；　with　the　innocent；



anxious　expression　in　his　childish　eyes；　and　saw　that　he　was　not



changed　at　all；　but　was　simply　as　he　had　been　the　day　before；



just　a　handsome；　cheerful；　brave　little　fellow　in　a　blue　suit　and



red　neck…ribbon；　all　this　information　about　the　nobility



bewildered　him。　　He　was　all　the　more　bewildered　because　Cedric



gave　it　with　such　ingenuous　simplicity；　and　plainly　without



realizing　himself　how　stupendous　it　was。







〃Whawhat　did　you　say　your　name　was？〃　Mr。　Hobbs　inquired。







〃It's　Cedric　Errol；　Lord　Fauntleroy；〃　answered　Cedric。　　〃That



was　what　Mr。　Havisham　called　me。　　He　said　when　I　went　into　the



room：　‘And　so　this　is　little　Lord　Fauntleroy！'〃







〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs；　〃I'll　bejiggered！〃







This　was　an　exclamation　he　always　used　when　he　was　very　much



astonished　or　excited。　　He　could　think　of　nothing　else　to　say



just　at　that　puzzling　moment。







Cedric　felt　it　to　be　quite　a　proper　and　suitable　ejaculation。　



His　respect　and　affection　for　Mr。　Hobbs　were　so　great　that　he



admired　and　approved　of　all　his　remarks。　　He　had　not　seen　enough



of　society　as　yet　to　make　him　realize　that　sometimes　Mr。　Hobbs



was　not　quite　conventional。　　He　knew；　of　course；　that　he　was



different　from　his　mamma；　but；　then；　his　mamma　was　a　lady；　and　he



had　an　idea　that　ladies　were　always　different　from　gentlemen。







He　looked　at　Mr。　Hobbs　wistfully。







〃England　is　a　long　way　off；　isn't　it？〃　he　asked。







〃It's　across　the　Atlantic　Ocean；〃　Mr。　Hobbs　answered。







〃That's　the　worst　of　it；〃　said　Cedric。　　〃Perhaps　I　shall　not



see　you　again　for　a　long　time。　　I　don't　like　to　think　of　that；



Mr。　Hobbs。〃







〃The　best　of　friends　must　part；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs。







〃Well；〃　said　Cedric；　〃we　have　been　friends　for　a　great　many



years；　have