little lord fauntleroy-第31部分

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present　with　love　from　　　　　　



　　　　〃your　old　frend　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　〃CEDRIC　ERROL　（Not　lord　Fauntleroy）。〃











Mr。　Hobbs　fell　back　in　his　chair；　the　letter　dropped　on　his　knee；



his　pen…knife　slipped　to　the　floor；　and　so　did　the　envelope。







〃Well！〃　he　ejaculated；　〃I　am　jiggered！〃







He　was　so　dumfounded　that　he　actually　changed　his　exclamation。　



It　had　always　been　his　habit　to　say；　〃I　WILL　be　jiggered；〃　but



this　time　he　said；　〃I　AM　jiggered。〃　Perhaps　he　really　WAS



jiggered。　　There　is　no　knowing。







〃Well；〃　said　Dick；　〃the　whole　thing's　bust　up；　hasn't　it？〃







〃Bust！〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃It's　my　opinion　it's　a　put…up　job　o'



the　British　ristycrats　to　rob　him　of　his　rights　because　he's　an



American。　　They've　had　a　spite　agin　us　ever　since　the　Revolution；



an'　they're　takin'　it　out　on　him。　　I　told　you　he　wasn't　safe；　an'



see　what's　happened！　　Like　as　not；　the　whole　gover'ment's　got



together　to　rob　him　of　his　lawful　ownin's。〃







He　was　very　much　agitated。　　He　had　not　approved　of　the　change　in



his　young　friend's　circumstances　at　first；　but　lately　he　had



become　more　reconciled　to　it；　and　after　the　receipt　of　Cedric's



letter　he　had　perhaps　even　felt　some　secret　pride　in　his　young



friend's　magnificence。　　He　might　not　have　a　good　opinion　of



earls；　but　he　knew　that　even　in　America　money　was　considered



rather　an　agreeable　thing；　and　if　all　the　wealth　and　grandeur



were　to　go　with　the　title；　it　must　be　rather　hard　to　lose　it。







〃They're　trying　to　rob　him！〃　he　said；　〃that's　what　they're



doing；　and　folks　that　have　money　ought　to　look　after　him。〃







And　he　kept　Dick　with　him　until　quite　a　late　hour　to　talk　it



over；　and　when　that　young　man　left；　he　went　with　him　to　the



corner　of　the　street；　and　on　his　way　back　he　stopped　opposite　the



empty　house　for　some　time；　staring　at　the　〃To　Let；〃　and　smoking



his　pipe；　in　much　disturbance　of　mind。















XII







A　very　few　days　after　the　dinner　party　at　the　Castle；　almost



everybody　in　England　who　read　the　newspapers　at　all　knew　the



romantic　story　of　what　had　happened　at　Dorincourt。　　It　made　a



very　interesting　story　when　it　was　told　with　all　the　details。　



There　was　the　little　American　boy　who　had　been　brought　to　England



to　be　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　who　was　said　to　be　so　fine　and



handsome　a　little　fellow；　and　to　have　already　made　people　fond　of



him；　there　was　the　old　Earl；　his　grandfather；　who　was　so　proud　of



his　heir；　there　was　the　pretty　young　mother　who　had　never　been



forgiven　for　marrying　Captain　Errol；　and　there　was　the　strange



marriage　of　Bevis；　the　dead　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　the　strange



wife；　of　whom　no　one　knew　anything；　suddenly　appearing　with　her



son；　and　saying　that　he　was　the　real　Lord　Fauntleroy　and　must



have　his　rights。　　All　these　things　were　talked　about　and　written



about；　and　caused　a　tremendous　sensation。　　And　then　there　came



the　rumor　that　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　was　not　satisfied　with　the



turn　affairs　had　taken；　and　would　perhaps　contest　the　claim　by



law；　and　the　matter　might　end　with　a　wonderful　trial。







There　never　had　been　such　excitement　before　in　the　county　in



which　Erleboro　was　situated。　　On　market…days；　people　stood　in



groups　and　talked　and　wondered　what　would　be　done；　the　farmers'



wives　invited　one　another　to　tea　that　they　might　tell　one　another



all　they　had　heard　and　all　they　thought　and　all　they　thought



other　people　thought。　　They　related　wonderful　anecdotes　about　the



Earl's　rage　and　his　determination　not　to　acknowledge　the　new　Lord



Fauntleroy；　and　his　hatred　of　the　woman　who　was　the　claimant's



mother。　　But；　of　course；　it　was　Mrs。　Dibble　who　could　tell　the



most；　and　who　was　more　in　demand　than　ever。







〃An'　a　bad　lookout　it　is；〃　she　said。　　〃An'　if　you　were　to　ask



me；　ma'am；　I　should　say　as　it　was　a　judgment　on　him　for　the　way



he's　treated　that　sweet　young　cre'tur'　as　he　parted　from　her



child；for　he's　got　that　fond　of　him　an'　that　set　on　him　an'



that　proud　of　him　as　he's　a'most　drove　mad　by　what's　happened。　



An'　what's　more；　this　new　one's　no　lady；　as　his　little　lordship's



ma　is。　　She's　a　bold…faced；　black…eyed　thing；　as　Mr。　Thomas　says



no　gentleman　in　livery　'u'd　bemean　hisself　to　be　gave　orders　by；



and　let　her　come　into　the　house；　he　says；　an'　he　goes　out　of　it。　



An'　the　boy　don't　no　more　compare　with　the　other　one　than　nothin'



you　could　mention。　　An'　mercy　knows　what's　goin'　to　come　of　it



all；　an'　where　it's　to　end；　an'　you　might　have　knocked　me　down



with　a　feather　when　Jane　brought　the　news。〃







In　fact　there　was　excitement　everywhere　at　the　Castle：　in　the



library；　where　the　Earl　and　Mr。　Havisham　sat　and　talked；　in　the



servants'　hall；　where　Mr。　Thomas　and　the　butler　and　the　other　men



and　women　servants　gossiped　and　exclaimed　at　all　times　of　the



day；　and　in　the　stables；　where　Wilkins　went　about　his　work　in　a



quite　depressed　state　of　mind；　and　groomed　the　brown　pony　more



beautifully　than　ever；　and　said　mournfully　to　the　coachman　that



he　〃never　taught　a　young　gen'leman　to　ride　as　took　to　it　more



nat'ral；　or　was　a　better…plucked　one　than　he　was。　　He　was　a　one



as　it　were　some　pleasure　to　ride　behind。〃







But　in　the　midst　of　all　the　disturbance　there　was　one　person　who



was　quite　calm　and　untroubled。　　That　person　was　the　little　Lord



Fauntleroy　who　was　said　not　to　be　Lord　Fauntleroy　at　all。　　When



first　the　state　of　affairs　had　been　explained　to　him；　he　had　felt



some　little　anxiousness　and　perplexity；　it　is　true；　but　its



foundation　was　not　in　baffled　ambition。







While　the　Earl　told　him　what　had　happened；　he　had　sat　on　a　stool



holding　on　to　his　knee；　as　he　so　often　did　when　he　was　listening



to　anything　interesting；　and　by　the　time　the　story　was　finished



he　looked　quite　sober。







〃It　makes　me　feel　very　queer；〃　he　said；　〃it　makes　me



feelqueer！〃







The　Earl　looked　at　the　boy　in　silence。　　It　made　him　feel　queer；



tooqueerer　than　he　had　ever　felt　in　his　whole　life。　　And　he



felt　more　queer　still　when　he　saw　that　there　was　a　troubled



expression　on　the　small　face　which　was　usually　so　happy。







〃Will　they　take　Dearest's　house　from　herand　her　carriage？〃



Cedric　asked　in　a　rather　unsteady；　anxious　little　voice。







〃NO！〃　said　the　Earl　decidedlyin　quite　a　loud　voice；　in　fact。　



〃They　can　take　nothing　from　her。〃







〃Ah！〃　said　Cedric；　with　evident　relief。　　〃Can't　they？〃







Then　he　looked　up　at　his　grandfather；　and　there　was　a　wistful



shade　in　his　eyes；　and　they　looked　very　big　and　soft。







〃That　other　boy；〃　he　said　rather　tremulously〃he　will　have



toto　be　your　boy　nowas　I　waswon't　he？〃







〃NO！〃　answered　the　Earland　he　said　it　so　fiercely　and　loudly



that　Cedric　quite　jumped。







〃No？〃　he　exclaimed；　in　wonderment。　　〃Won't　he？　　I



thought〃







He　stood　up　from　his　stool　quite　suddenly。







〃Shall　I　be　your　boy；　even　if　I'm　not　going　to　be　an　earl？〃　he



said。　　〃Shall　I　be　your　boy；　just　as　I　was　before？〃　And　his



flushed　little　face　was　all　alight　with　eagerness。







How　the　old　Earl　did　look　at　him　from　head　to　foot；　to　be　sure！　



How　his　great　shaggy　brows　did　draw　themselves　together；　and　how



queerly　his　deep　eyes　shone　under　themhow　very　queerly！







〃My　boy！〃　he　saidand；　if　you'll　believe　it；　his　very　voice



was　queer；　almost　shaky　and　a　little　broken　and　hoarse；　not　at



all　what　you　would　expect　an　Earl's　voice　to　be；　though　he　spoke



more　decidedly　and　peremptorily　even　than　before；〃Yes；　you'll



be　my　boy　as　long　as　I　live；　and；　by　George；　sometimes　I　feel　as



if　you　were　the　only　boy　I　had　ever　had。〃







Cedric's　face　turned　red　to　the　roots　of　his　hair；　it　turned　red



with　relief　and　pleasure。　　He　put　both　his　hands　deep　into　his



pockets　and　looked　squarely　into　his　noble　relative's　eyes。







〃Do　you？〃　he　said。　　〃Well；　then；　I　don't　care　about　the　earl



part　at　all。　　I　don't　care　whether　I'm　an　earl　or　not。　　I



thoughtyou　see；　I　thought　the　one　that　was　going　to　be　the　Earl



would　have　to　be　your　boy；　too；　andand　I　couldn't　be。　　That　was



what　made　me　feel　so　queer。〃







The　Earl　put　his　hand　on　his　shoulder　and　drew　him　nearer。







〃They　shall　take　nothing　from　you　that　I　can　hold　for　you；〃　he



said；　drawing　his　breath　hard。　　〃I　won't　believe　yet　that　they



can　take　anything　from　you。　　You　were　made　for　the　place；



andwell；　you　may　fill　it　still。　　But　whatever　comes；　you　shall



have　all　that　I　can　give　youall！〃







It　scarcely　seemed　as　if　he　were　speaking　to　a　child；　there　was



such　determination　in　his　face　and　voice；　it　was　more　as　if　he



were　making　a　promise　to　himselfand　perhaps　he　was。







He　had　never　before　known　how　deep　a　hold　upon　him　his　fondness



for　the　boy　and　his　pride　in　him　had　taken。　　He　had　never　seen



his　strength　and　good　qualities　and　beauty　as　he　seemed　to　see



them　now。　　To　his　obstinate　nature　it　seemed　impossiblemore



than　impossibleto　give　up　what　he　had　so　set　his　heart　upon。　



And　he　had　determined　that　he　would　not　give　it　up　without　a



fierce　struggle。







Within　a　few　days　after　she　had　seen　Mr。　Havisham；　the　woman　who



claimed　to　be　Lady　Fauntleroy　presented　herself　at　the　Castle；



and　brought　her　child　with　her。　　She　was　sent　away。　　The　Earl



would　not　see　her；　she　was　told　by　the　footman　at　the　door；　his



lawyer　would　attend　to　her　case。　　It　was　Thoma