little lord fauntleroy-第30部分

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proposed　a　toast。







〃Here's　to　HIM！〃　he　said；　lifting　his　glass；　〃an'　may　he　teach



'em　a　lessonearls　an'　markises　an'　dooks　an'　all！〃







After　that　night；　the　two　saw　each　other　often；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　was



much　more　comfortable　and　less　desolate。　　They　read　the　Penny



Story　Gazette；　and　many　other　interesting　things；　and　gained　a



knowledge　of　the　habits　of　the　nobility　and　gentry　which　would



have　surprised　those　despised　classes　if　they　had　realized　it。　



One　day　Mr。　Hobbs　made　a　pilgrimage　to　a　book　store　down　town；



for　the　express　purpose　of　adding　to　their　library。　　He　went　to



the　clerk　and　leaned　over　the　counter　to　speak　to　him。







〃I　want；〃　he　said；　〃a　book　about　earls。〃







〃What！〃　exclaimed　the　clerk。







〃A　book；〃　repeated　the　grocery…man；　〃about　earls。〃







〃I'm　afraid；〃　said　the　clerk；　looking　rather　queer；　〃that　we



haven't　what　you　want。〃







〃Haven't？〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs；　anxiously。　　〃Well；　say　markises



thenor　dooks。〃







〃I　know　of　no　such　book；〃　answered　the　clerk。







Mr。　Hobbs　was　much　disturbed。　　He　looked　down　on　the　floor；then



he　looked　up。







〃None　about　female　earls？〃　he　inquired。







〃I'm　afraid　not；〃　said　the　clerk　with　a　smile。







〃Well；〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Hobbs；　〃I'll　be　jiggered！〃







He　was　just　going　out　of　the　store；　when　the　clerk　called　him



back　and　asked　him　if　a　story　in　which　the　nobility　were　chief



characters　would　do。　　Mr。　Hobbs　said　it　wouldif　he　could　not



get　an　entire　volume　devoted　to　earls。　　So　the　clerk　sold　him　a



book　called　〃The　Tower　of　London；〃　written　by　Mr。　Harrison



Ainsworth；　and　he　carried　it　home。







When　Dick　came　they　began　to　read　it。　　It　was　a　very　wonderful



and　exciting　book；　and　the　scene　was　laid　in　the　reign　of　the



famous　English　queen　who　is　called　by　some　people　Bloody　Mary。　



And　as　Mr。　Hobbs　heard　of　Queen　Mary's　deeds　and　the　habit　she



had　of　chopping　people's　heads　off；　putting　them　to　the　torture；



and　burning　them　alive；　he　became　very　much　excited。　　He　took　his



pipe　out　of　his　mouth　and　stared　at　Dick；　and　at　last　he　was



obliged　to　mop　the　perspiration　from　his　brow　with　his　red　pocket



handkerchief。







〃Why；　he　ain't　safe！〃　he　said。　　〃He　ain't　safe！　　If　the　women



folks　can　sit　up　on　their　thrones　an'　give　the　word　for　things



like　that　to　be　done；　who's　to　know　what's　happening　to　him　this



very　minute？　　He's　no　more　safe　than　nothing！　　Just　let　a　woman



like　that　get　mad；　an'　no　one's　safe！〃







〃Well；〃　said　Dick；　though　he　looked　rather　anxious　himself；



〃ye　see　this　'ere　un　isn't　the　one　that's　bossin'　things　now。　　I



know　her　name's　Victory；　an'　this　un　here　in　the　book；　her　name's



Mary。〃







〃So　it　is；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs；　still　mopping　his　forehead；　〃so　it



is。　　An'　the　newspapers　are　not　sayin'　anything　about　any　racks；



thumb…screws；　or　stake…burnin's；but　still　it　doesn't　seem　as　if



't　was　safe　for　him　over　there　with　those　queer　folks。　　Why；　they



tell　me　they　don't　keep　the　Fourth　o'　July！〃







He　was　privately　uneasy　for　several　days；　and　it　was　not　until　he



received　Fauntleroy's　letter　and　had　read　it　several　times；　both



to　himself　and　to　Dick；　and　had　also　read　the　letter　Dick　got



about　the　same　time；　that　he　became　composed　again。







But　they　both　found　great　pleasure　in　their　letters。　　They　read



and　re…read　them；　and　talked　them　over　and　enjoyed　every　word　of



them。　　And　they　spent　days　over　the　answers　they　sent　and　read



them　over　almost　as　often　as　the　letters　they　had　received。







It　was　rather　a　labor　for　Dick　to　write　his。　　All　his　knowledge



of　reading　and　writing　he　had　gained　during　a　few　months；　when　he



had　lived　with　his　elder　brother；　and　had　gone　to　a　night…school；



but；　being　a　sharp　boy；　he　had　made　the　most　of　that　brief



education；　and　had　spelled　out　things　in　newspapers　since　then；



and　practiced　writing　with　bits　of　chalk　on　pavements　or　walls　or



fences。　　He　told　Mr。　Hobbs　all　about　his　life　and　about　his　elder



brother；　who　had　been　rather　good　to　him　after　their　mother　died；



when　Dick　was　quite　a　little　fellow。　　Their　father　had　died　some



time　before。　　The　brother's　name　was　Ben；　and　he　had　taken　care



of　Dick　as　well　as　he　could；　until　the　boy　was　old　enough　to　sell



newspapers　and　run　errands。　　They　had　lived　together；　and　as　he



grew　older　Ben　had　managed　to　get　along　until　he　had　quite　a



decent　place　in　a　store。







〃And　then；〃　exclaimed　Dick　with　disgust；　〃blest　if　he　didn't



go　an'　marry　a　gal！　　Just　went　and　got　spoony　an'　hadn't　any　more



sense　left！　　Married　her；　an'　set　up　housekeepin'　in　two　back



rooms。　　An'　a　hefty　un　she　was；a　regular　tiger…cat。　　She'd　tear



things　to　pieces　when　she　got　mad；and　she　was　mad　ALL　the　time。







Had　a　baby　just　like　her；yell　day　'n'　night！　　An'　if　I　didn't



have　to　'tend　it！　　an'　when　it　screamed；　she'd　fire　things　at　me。







She　fired　a　plate　at　me　one　day；　an'　hit　the　babycut　its　chin。　



Doctor　said　he'd　carry　the　mark　till　he　died。　　A　nice　mother　she



was！　　Crackey！　　but　didn't　we　have　a　timeBen　'n'　mehself　'n'



the　young　un。　　She　was　mad　at　Ben　because　he　didn't　make　money



faster；　'n'　at　last　he　went　out　West　with　a　man　to　set　up　a



cattle　ranch。　　An'　hadn't　been　gone　a　week'fore　one　night；　I　got



home　from　sellin'　my　papers；　'n'　the　rooms　wus　locked　up　'n'



empty；　'n'　the　woman　o'　the　house。　　she　told　me　Minna　'd



goneshown　a　clean　pair　o'　heels。　　Some　un　else　said　she'd　gone



across　the　water　to　be　nuss　to　a　lady　as　had　a　little　baby；　too。　



Never　heard　a　word　of　her　sincenuther　has　Ben。　　If　I'd　ha'　bin



him；　I　wouldn't　ha'　fretted　a　bit'n'　I　guess　he　didn't。　　But　he



thought　a　heap　o'　her　at　the　start。　　Tell　you；　he　was　spoons　on



her。　　She　was　a　daisy…lookin'　gal；　too；　when　she　was　dressed　up



'n'　not　mad。　　She'd　big　black　eyes　'n'　black　hair　down　to　her



knees；　she'd　make　it　into　a　rope　as　big　as　your　arm；　and　twist　it



'round　'n'　'round　her　head；　'n'　I　tell　you　her　eyes　'd　snap！　



Folks　used　to　say　she　was　part　_I_tali…unsaid　her　mother　or



father　'd　come　from　there；　'n'　it　made　her　queer。　　I　tell　ye；　she



was　one　of　'emshe　was！〃







He　often　told　Mr。　Hobbs　stories　of　her　and　of　his　brother　Ben；



who；　since　his　going　out　West；　had　written　once　or　twice　to　Dick。







Ben's　luck　had　not　been　good；　and　he　had　wandered　from　place　to



place；　but　at　last　he　had　settled　on　a　ranch　in　California；　where



he　was　at　work　at　the　time　when　Dick　became　acquainted　with　Mr



Hobbs。







〃That　gal；〃　said　Dick　one　day；　〃she　took　all　the　grit　out　o'



him。　　I　couldn't　help　feelin'　sorry　for　him　sometimes。〃







They　were　sitting　in　the　store　door…way　together；　and　Mr。　Hobbs



was　filling　his　pipe。







〃He　oughtn't　to　've　married；〃　he　said　solemnly；　as　he　rose　to



get　a　match。　　〃WomenI　never　could　see　any　use　in　'em　myself。〃







As　he　took　the　match　from　its　box；　he　stopped　and　looked　down　on



the　counter。







〃Why！〃　he　said；　〃if　here　isn't　a　letter！　　I　didn't　see　it



before。　　The　postman　must　have　laid　it　down　when　I　wasn't



noticin'；　or　the　newspaper　slipped　over　it。〃







He　picked　it　up　and　looked　at　it　carefully。







〃It's　from　HIM！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃That's　the　very　one　it's



from！〃







He　forgot　his　pipe　altogether。　　He　went　back　to　his　chair　quite



excited　and　took　his　pocket…knife　and　opened　the　envelope。







〃I　wonder　what　news　there　is　this　time；〃　he　said。







And　then　he　unfolded　the　letter　and　read　as　follows：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃DORINCOURT　CASTLE〃



My　dear　Mr。　Hobbs







〃I　write　this　in　a　great　hury　becaus　i　have　something　curous　to



tell　you　i　know　you　will　be　very　mutch　suprised　my　dear　frend



when　i　tel　you。　　It　is　all　a　mistake　and　i　am　not　a　lord　and　i



shall　not　have　to　be　an　earl　there　is　a　lady　whitch　was　marid　to



my　uncle　bevis　who　is　dead　and　she　has　a　little　boy　and　he　is



lord　fauntleroy　becaus　that　is　the　way　it　is　in　England　the　earls



eldest　sons　little　boy　is　the　earl　if　every　body　else　is　dead　i



mean　if　his　farther　and　grandfarther　are　dead　my　grandfarther　is



not　dead　but　my　uncle　bevis　is　and　so　his　boy　is　lord　Fauntleroy



and　i　am　not　becaus　my　papa　was　the　youngest　son　and　my　name　is



Cedric　Errol　like　it　was　when　i　was　in　New　York　and　all　the



things　will　belong　to　the　other　boy　i　thought　at　first　i　should



have　to　give　him　my　pony　and　cart　but　my　grandfarther　says　i　need



not　my　grandfarther　is　very　sorry　and　i　think　he　does　not　like



the　lady　but　preaps　he　thinks　dearest　and　i　are　sorry　because　i



shall　not　be　an　earl　i　would　like　to　be　an　earl　now　better　than　i



thout　i　would　at　first　becaus　this　is　a　beautifle　castle　and　i



like　every　body　so　and　when　you　are　rich　you　can　do　so　many



things　i　am　not　rich　now　becaus　when　your　papa　is　only　the



youngest　son　he　is　not　very　rich　i　am　going　to　learn　to　work　so



that　i　can　take　care　of　dearest　i　have　been　asking　Wilkins　about



grooming　horses　preaps　i　might　be　a　groom　or　a　coachman。　　the



lady　brought　her　little　boy　to　the　castle　and　my　grandfarther　and



Mr。　Havisham　talked　to　her　i　think　she　was　angry　she　talked　loud



and　my　grandfarther　was　angry　too　i　never　saw　him　angry　before　i



wish　it　did　not　make　them　all　mad　i　thort　i　would　tell　you　and



Dick　right　away　becaus　you　would　be　intrusted　so　no　more　at



present　with　love　from　　　　　　



　　　　〃your　old　frend