little lord fauntleroy-第32部分

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



lawyer　would　attend　to　her　case。　　It　was　Thomas　who　gave　the



message；　and　who　expressed　his　opinion　of　her　freely　afterward；



in　the　servants'　hall。　　He　〃hoped；〃　he　said；　〃as　he　had　wore



livery　in　'igh　famblies　long　enough　to　know　a　lady　when　he　see



one；　an'　if　that　was　a　lady　he　was　no　judge　o'　females。〃







〃The　one　at　the　Lodge；〃　added　Thomas　loftily；　〃'Merican　or　no



'Merican；　she's　one　o'　the　right　sort；　as　any　gentleman　'u'd



reckinize　with　all　a　heye。　　I　remarked　it　myself　to　Henery　when



fust　we　called　there。〃







The　woman　drove　away；　the　look　on　her　handsome；　common　face　half



frightened；　half　fierce。　　Mr。　Havisham　had　noticed；　during　his



interviews　with　her；　that　though　she　had　a　passionate　temper；　and



a　coarse；　insolent　manner；　she　was　neither　so　clever　nor　so　bold



as　she　meant　to　be；　she　seemed　sometimes　to　be　almost　overwhelmed



by　the　position　in　which　she　had　placed　herself。　　It　was　as　if



she　had　not　expected　to　meet　with　such　opposition。







〃She　is　evidently；〃　the　lawyer　said　to　Mrs。　Errol；　〃a　person



from　the　lower　walks　of　life。　　She　is　uneducated　and　untrained　in







everything；　and　quite　unused　to　meeting　people　like　ourselves　on



any　terms　of　equality。　　She　does　not　know　what　to　do。　　Her　visit



to　the　Castle　quite　cowed　her。　　She　was　infuriated；　but　she　was



cowed。　　The　Earl　would　not　receive　her；　but　I　advised　him　to　go



with　me　to　the　Dorincourt　Arms；　where　she　is　staying。　　When　she



saw　him　enter　the　room；　she　turned　white；　though　she　flew　into　a



rage　at　once；　and　threatened　and　demanded　in　one　breath。〃







The　fact　was　that　the　Earl　had　stalked　into　the　room　and　stood；



looking　like　a　venerable　aristocratic　giant；　staring　at　the　woman



from　under　his　beetling　brows；　and　not　condescending　a　word。　　He



simply　stared　at　her；　taking　her　in　from　head　to　foot　as　if　she



were　some　repulsive　curiosity。　　He　let　her　talk　and　demand　until



she　was　tired；　without　himself　uttering　a　word；　and　then　he　said：







〃You　say　you　are　my　eldest　son's　wife。　　If　that　is　true；　and　if



the　proof　you　offer　is　too　much　for　us；　the　law　is　on　your　side。　



In　that　case；　your　boy　is　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　The　matter　will　be



sifted　to　the　bottom；　you　may　rest　assured。　　If　your　claims　are



proved；　you　will　be　provided　for。　　I　want　to　see　nothing　of



either　you　or　the　child　so　long　as　I　live。　　The　place　will



unfortunately　have　enough　of　you　after　my　death。　　You　are　exactly



the　kind　of　person　I　should　have　expected　my　son　Bevis　to



choose。〃







And　then　he　turned　his　back　upon　her　and　stalked　out　of　the　room



as　he　had　stalked　into　it。







Not　many　days　after　that；　a　visitor　was　announced　to　Mrs。　Errol；



who　was　writing　in　her　little　morning　room。　　The　maid；　who



brought　the　message；　looked　rather　excited；　her　eyes　were　quite



round　with　amazement；　in　fact；　and　being　young　and　inexperienced；



she　regarded　her　mistress　with　nervous　sympathy。







〃It's　the　Earl　hisself；　ma'am！〃　she　said　in　tremulous　awe。







When　Mrs。　Errol　entered　the　drawing…room；　a　very　tall；



majestic…looking　old　man　was　standing　on　the　tiger…skin　rug。　　He



had　a　handsome；　grim　old　face；　with　an　aquiline　profile；　a　long



white　mustache；　and　an　obstinate　look。







〃Mrs。　Errol；　I　believe？〃　he　said。







〃Mrs。　Errol；〃　she　answered。







〃I　am　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt；〃　he　said。







He　paused　a　moment；　almost　unconsciously；　to　look　into　her



uplifted　eyes。　　They　were　so　like　the　big；　affectionate；　childish



eyes　he　had　seen　uplifted　to　his　own　so　often　every　day　during



the　last　few　months；　that　they　gave　him　a　quite　curious



sensation。







〃The　boy　is　very　like　you；〃　he　said　abruptly。







〃It　has　been　often　said　so；　my　lord；〃　she　replied；　〃but　I　have



been　glad　to　think　him　like　his　father　also。〃







As　Lady　Lorridaile　had　told　him；　her　voice　was　very　sweet；　and



her　manner　was　very　simple　and　dignified。　　She　did　not　seem　in



the　least　troubled　by　his　sudden　coming。







〃Yes；〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃he　is　likemy　sontoo。〃　He　put　his



hand　up　to　his　big　white　mustache　and　pulled　it　fiercely。　　〃Do



you　know；〃　he　said；　〃why　I　have　come　here？〃







〃I　have　seen　Mr。　Havisham；〃　Mrs。　Errol　began；　〃and　he　has　told



me　of　the　claims　which　have　been　made〃







〃I　have　come　to　tell　you；〃　said　the　Earl；　〃that　they　will　be



investigated　and　contested；　if　a　contest　can　be　made。　　I　have



come　to　tell　you　that　the　boy　shall　be　defended　with　all　the



power　of　the　law。　　His　rights〃







The　soft　voice　interrupted　him。







〃He　must　have　nothing　that　is　NOT　his　by　right；　even　if　the　law



can　give　it　to　him；〃　she　said。







〃Unfortunately　the　law　can　not；〃　said　the　Earl。　　〃If　it　could；



it　should。　　This　outrageous　woman　and　her　child〃







〃Perhaps　she　cares　for　him　as　much　as　I　care　for　Cedric；　my



lord；〃　said　little　Mrs。　Errol。　　〃And　if　she　was　your　eldest



son's　wife；her　son　is　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　mine　is　not。〃







She　was　no　more　afraid　of　him　than　Cedric　had　been；　and　she



looked　at　him　just　as　Cedric　would　have　looked；　and　he；　having



been　an　old　tyrant　all　his　life；　was　privately　pleased　by　it。　



People　so　seldom　dared　to　differ　from　him　that　there　was　an



entertaining　novelty　in　it。







〃I　suppose；〃　he　said；　scowling　slightly；　〃that　you　would　much



prefer　that　he　should　not　be　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt。〃







Her　fair　young　face　flushed。







〃It　is　a　very　magnificent　thing　to　be　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt；　my



lord；〃　she　said。　　〃I　know　that；　but　I　care　most　that　he　should



be　what　his　father　wasbrave　and　just　and　true　always。〃







〃In　striking　contrast　to　what　his　grandfather　was；　eh？〃　said



his　lordship　sardonically。







〃I　have　not　had　the　pleasure　of　knowing　his　grandfather；〃



replied　Mrs。　Errol；　〃but　I　know　my　little　boy　believes〃　She



stopped　short　a　moment；　looking　quietly　into　his　face；　and　then



she　added；　〃I　know　that　Cedric　loves　you。〃







〃Would　he　have　loved　me；〃　said　the　Earl　dryly；　〃if　you　had



told　him　why　I　did　not　receive　you　at　the　Castle？〃







〃No；〃　answered　Mrs。　Errol；　〃I　think　not。　　That　was　why　I　did



not　wish　him　to　know。〃







〃Well；〃　said　my　lord　brusquely；　〃there　are　few　women　who　would



not　have　told　him。〃







He　suddenly　began　to　walk　up　and　down　the　room；　pulling　his　great



mustache　more　violently　than　ever。







〃Yes；　he　is　fond　of　me；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　am　fond　of　him。　　I



can't　say　I　ever　was　fond　of　anything　before。　　I　am　fond　of　him。　



He　pleased　me　from　the　first。　　I　am　an　old　man；　and　was　tired　of



my　life。　　He　has　given　me　something　to　live　for。　　I　am　proud　of



him。　　I　was　satisfied　to　think　of　his　taking　his　place　some　day



as　the　head　of　the　family。〃







He　came　back　and　stood　before　Mrs。　Errol。







〃I　am　miserable；〃　he　said。　　〃Miserable！〃







He　looked　as　if　he　was。　　Even　his　pride　could　not　keep　his　voice



steady　or　his　hands　from　shaking。　　For　a　moment　it　almost　seemed



as　if　his　deep；　fierce　eyes　had　tears　in　them。　　〃Perhaps　it　is



because　I　am　miserable　that　I　have　come　to　you；〃　he　said；　quite



glaring　down　at　her。　　〃I　used　to　hate　you；　I　have　been　jealous



of　you。　　This　wretched；　disgraceful　business　has　changed　that。　



After　seeing　that　repulsive　woman　who　calls　herself　the　wife　of



my　son　Bevis；　I　actually　felt　it　would　be　a　relief　to　look　at



you。　　I　have　been　an　obstinate　old　fool；　and　I　suppose　I　have



treated　you　badly。　　You　are　like　the　boy；　and　the　boy　is　the



first　object　in　my　life。　　I　am　miserable；　and　I　came　to　you



merely　because　you　are　like　the　boy；　and　he　cares　for　you；　and　I



care　for　him。　　Treat　me　as　well　as　you　can；　for　the　boy's　sake。〃







He　said　it　all　in　his　harsh　voice；　and　almost　roughly；　but



somehow　he　seemed　so　broken　down　for　the　time　that　Mrs。　Errol　was



touched　to　the　heart。　　She　got　up　and　moved　an　arm…chair　a　little



forward。







〃I　wish　you　would　sit　down；〃　she　said　in　a　soft；　pretty；



sympathetic　way。　　〃You　have　been　so　much　troubled　that　you　are



very　tired；　and　you　need　all　your　strength。〃







It　was　just　as　new　to　him　to　be　spoken　to　and　cared　for　in　that



gentle；　simple　way　as　it　was　to　be　contradicted。　　He　was　reminded



of　〃the　boy〃　again；　and　he　actually　did　as　she　asked　him。　



Perhaps　his　disappointment　and　wretchedness　were　good　discipline



for　him；　if　he　had　not　been　wretched　he　might　have　continued　to



hate　her；　but　just　at　present　he　found　her　a　little　soothing。　



Almost　anything　would　have　seemed　pleasant　by　contrast　with　Lady



Fauntleroy；　and　this　one　had　so　sweet　a　face　and　voice；　and　a



pretty　dignity　when　she　spoke　or　moved。　　Very　soon；　through　the



quiet　magic　of　these　influences；　he　began　to　feel　less　gloomy；



and　then　he　talked　still　more。







〃Whatever　happens；〃　he　said；　〃the　boy　shall　be　provided　for。　



He　shall　be　taken　care　of；　now　and　in　the　future。〃







Before　he　went　away；　he　glanced　around　the　room。







〃Do　you　like　the　house？〃　he　demanded。







〃Very　much；〃　she　answered。







〃This　is　a　cheerful　room；〃　he　said。　　〃May　I　come　here　again



and　talk　this　matter　over？〃







〃As　often　as　you　wish；　my　lord；〃　she　replied。







And　then　he　went　out　to　his　carriage　and　drove　away；　Thomas　and



Henry　almost　stricken　dumb　upon　the　box　at　the　turn　affairs　had



taken。