little lord fauntleroy-第33部分

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



taken。















XIII







OF　course；　as　soon　as　the　story　of　Lord　Fauntleroy　and　the



difficulties　of　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　were　discussed　in　the



English　newspapers；　they　were　discussed　in　the　American



newspapers。　　The　story　was　too　interesting　to　be　passed　over



lightly；　and　it　was　talked　of　a　great　deal。　　There　were　so　many



versions　of　it　that　it　would　have　been　an　edifying　thing　to　buy



all　the　papers　and　compare　them。　　Mr。　Hobbs　read　so　much　about　it



that　he　became　quite　bewildered。　　One　paper　described　his　young



friend　Cedric　as　an　infant　in　arms；another　as　a　young　man　at



Oxford；　winning　all　the　honors；　and　distinguishing　himself　by



writing　Greek　poems；　one　said　he　was　engaged　to　a　young　lady　of



great　beauty；　who　was　the　daughter　of　a　duke；　another　said　he　had



just　been　married；　the　only　thing；　in　fact；　which　was　NOT　said



was　that　he　was　a　little　boy　between　seven　and　eight；　with



handsome　legs　and　curly　hair。　　One　said　he　was　no　relation　to　the



Earl　of　Dorincourt　at　all；　but　was　a　small　impostor　who　had　sold



newspapers　and　slept　in　the　streets　of　New　York　before　his　mother



imposed　upon　the　family　lawyer；　who　came　to　America　to　look　for



the　Earl's　heir。　　Then　came　the　descriptions　of　the　new　Lord



Fauntleroy　and　his　mother。　　Sometimes　she　was　a　gypsy；　sometimes



an　actress；　sometimes　a　beautiful　Spaniard；　but　it　was　always



agreed　that　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　was　her　deadly　enemy；　and



would　not　acknowledge　her　son　as　his　heir　if　he　could　help　it；



and　as　there　seemed　to　be　some　slight　flaw　in　the　papers　she　had



produced；　it　was　expected　that　there　would　be　a　long　trial；　which



would　be　far　more　interesting　than　anything　ever　carried　into



court　before。　　Mr。　Hobbs　used　to　read　the　papers　until　his　head



was　in　a　whirl；　and　in　the　evening　he　and　Dick　would　talk　it　all



over。　　They　found　out　what　an　important　personage　an　Earl　of



Dorincourt　was；　and　what　a　magnificent　income　he　possessed；　and



how　many　estates　he　owned；　and　how　stately　and　beautiful　was　the



Castle　in　which　he　lived；　and　the　more　they　learned；　the　more



excited　they　became。







〃Seems　like　somethin'　orter　be　done；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃Things



like　them　orter　be　held　on　toearls　or　no　earls。〃







But　there　really　was　nothing　they　could　do　but　each　write　a



letter　to　Cedric；　containing　assurances　of　their　friendship　and



sympathy。　　They　wrote　those　letters　as　soon　as　they　could　after



receiving　the　news；　and　after　having　written　them；　they　handed



them　over　to　each　other　to　be　read。







This　is　what　Mr。　Hobbs　read　in　Dick's　letter：











〃DERE　FREND：　i　got　ure　letter　an　Mr。　Hobbs　got　his　an　we　are



sory　u　are　down　on　ure　luck　an　we　say　hold　on　as　longs　u　kin　an



dont　let　no　one　git　ahed　of　u。　　There　is　a　lot　of　ole　theves　wil



make　al　they　kin　of　u　ef　u　dont　kepe　ure　i　skined。　　But　this　is



mosly　to　say　that　ive　not　forgot　wot　u　did　fur　me　an　if　there



aint　no　better　way　cum　over　here　an　go　in　pardners　with　me。　



Biznes　is　fine　an　ile　see　no　harm　cums　to　u　Enny　big　feler　that



trise　to　cum　it　over　u　wil　hafter　setle　it　fust　with　Perfessor



Dick　Tipton　　　　　　　　



So　no　more　at　present　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃DICK。〃











And　this　was　what　Dick　read　in　Mr。　Hobbs's　letter：











〃DEAR　SIR：　Yrs　received　and　wd　say　things　looks　bad。　　I　believe



its　a　put　up　job　and　them　thats　done　it　ought　to　be　looked　after



sharp。　　And　what　I　write　to　say　is　two　things。　　Im　going　to　look



this　thing　up。　　Keep　quiet　and　Ill　see　a　lawyer　and　do　all　I　can



And　if　the　worst　happens　and　them　earls　is　too　many　for　us　theres



a　partnership　in　the　grocery　business　ready　for　you　when　yure　old



enough　and　a　home　and　a　friend　in　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Yrs　truly；　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃SILAS　HOBBS。〃











〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs；　〃he's　pervided　for　between　us；　if　he



aint　a　earl。〃







〃So　he　is；〃　said　Dick。　　〃I'd　ha'　stood　by　him。　　Blest　if　I



didn't　like　that　little　feller　fust…rate。〃







The　very　next　morning；　one　of　Dick's　customers　was　rather



surprised。　　He　was　a　young　lawyer　just　beginning　practiceas



poor　as　a　very　young　lawyer　can　possibly　be；　but　a　bright；



energetic　young　fellow；　with　sharp　wit　and　a　good　temper。　　He　had



a　shabby　office　near　Dick's　stand；　and　every　morning　Dick　blacked



his　boots　for　him；　and　quite　often　they　were　not　exactly



water…tight；　but　he　always　had　a　friendly　word　or　a　joke　for



Dick。







That　particular　morning；　when　he　put　his　foot　on　the　rest；　he　had



an　illustrated　paper　in　his　handan　enterprising　paper；　with



pictures　in　it　of　conspicuous　people　and　things。　　He　had　just



finished　looking　it　over；　and　when　the　last　boot　was　polished；　he



handed　it　over　to　the　boy。







〃Here's　a　paper　for　you；　Dick；〃　he　said；　〃you　can　look　it　over



when　you　drop　in　at　Delmonico's　for　your　breakfast。　　Picture　of



an　English　castle　in　it；　and　an　English　earl's　daughter…in…law。　



Fine　young　woman；　too；lots　of　hair；though　she　seems　to　be



raising　rather　a　row。　　You　ought　to　become　familiar　with　the



nobility　and　gentry；　Dick。　　Begin　on　the　Right　Honorable　the　Earl



of　Dorincourt　and　Lady　Fauntleroy。　　Hello！　　I　say；　what's　the



matter？〃







The　pictures　he　spoke　of　were　on　the　front　page；　and　Dick　was



staring　at　one　of　them　with　his　eyes　and　mouth　open；　and　his



sharp　face　almost　pale　with　excitement。







〃What's　to　pay；　Dick？〃　said　the　young　man。　　〃What　has



paralyzed　you？〃







Dick　really　did　look　as　if　something　tremendous　had　happened。　　He



pointed　to　the　picture；　under　which　was　written：







〃Mother　of　Claimant　（Lady　Fauntleroy）。〃







It　was　the　picture　of　a　handsome　woman；　with　large　eyes　and　heavy



braids　of　black　hair　wound　around　her　head。







〃Her！〃　said　Dick。　　〃My；　I　know　her　better　'n　I　know　you！〃







The　young　man　began　to　laugh。







〃Where　did　you　meet　her；　Dick？〃　he　said。　　〃At　Newport？　　Or



when　you　ran　over　to　Paris　the　last　time？〃







Dick　actually　forgot　to　grin。　　He　began　to　gather　his　brushes　and



things　together；　as　if　he　had　something　to　do　which　would　put　an



end　to　his　business　for　the　present。







〃Never　mind；〃　he　said。　　〃I　know　her！　　An　I've　struck　work　for



this　mornin'。〃







And　in　less　than　five　minutes　from　that　time　he　was　tearing



through　the　streets　on　his　way　to　Mr。　Hobbs　and　the　corner　store。







Mr。　Hobbs　could　scarcely　believe　the　evidence　of　his　senses　when



he　looked　across　the　counter　and　saw　Dick　rush　in　with　the　paper



in　his　hand。　　The　boy　was　out　of　breath　with　running；　so　much　out



of　breath；　in　fact；　that　he　could　scarcely　speak　as　he　threw　the



paper　down　on　the　counter。







〃Hello！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃Hello！　　What　you　got　there？〃







〃Look　at　it！〃　panted　Dick。　　〃Look　at　that　woman　in　the



picture！　　That's　what　you　look　at！　　SHE　aint　no　'ristocrat；　SHE



aint！〃　with　withering　scorn。　　〃She's　no　lord's　wife。　　You　may



eat　me；　if　it　aint　MinnaMINNA！　　I'd　know　her　anywheres；　an'　so



'd　Ben。　　Jest　ax　him。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　dropped　into　his　seat。







〃I　knowed　it　was　a　put…up　job；〃　he　said。　　〃I　knowed　it；　and



they　done　it　on　account　o'　him　bein'　a　'Merican！〃







〃Done　it！〃　cried　Dick；　with　disgust。　　〃SHE　done　it；　that's　who



done　it。　　She　was　allers　up　to　her　tricks；　an'　I'll　tell　yer　wot



come　to　me；　the　minnit　I　saw　her　pictur。　　There　was　one　o'　them



papers　we　saw　had　a　letter　in　it　that　said　somethin'　'bout　her



boy；　an'　it　said　he　had　a　scar　on　his　chin。　　Put　them　two



togetherher　'n'　that　there　scar！　　Why；　that　there　boy　o'　hers



aint　no　more　a　lord　than　I　am！　　It's　BEN'S　boy；the　little　chap



she　hit　when　she　let　fly　that　plate　at　me。〃







Professor　Dick　Tipton　had　always　been　a　sharp　boy；　and　earning



his　living　in　the　streets　of　a　big　city　had　made　him　still



sharper。　　He　had　learned　to　keep　his　eyes　open　and　his　wits　about



him；　and　it　must　be　confessed　he　enjoyed　immensely　the　excitement



and　impatience　of　that　moment。　　If　little　Lord　Fauntleroy　could



only　have　looked　into　the　store　that　morning；　he　would　certainly



have　been　interested；　even　if　all　the　discussion　and　plans　had



been　intended　to　decide　the　fate　of　some　other　boy　than　himself。







Mr。　Hobbs　was　almost　overwhelmed　by　his　sense　of　responsibility；



and　Dick　was　all　alive　and　full　of　energy。　　He　began　to　write　a



letter　to　Ben；　and　he　cut　out　the　picture　and　inclosed　it　to　him；



and　Mr。　Hobbs　wrote　a　letter　to　Cedric　and　one　to　the　Earl。　　They



were　in　the　midst　of　this　letter…writing　when　a　new　idea　came　to



Dick。







〃Say；〃　he　said；　〃the　feller　that　give　me　the　paper；　he's　a



lawyer。　　Let's　ax　him　what　we'd　better　do。　　Lawyers　knows　it



all。〃







Mr。　Hobbs　was　immensely　impressed　by　this　suggestion　and　Dick's



business　capacity。







〃That's　so！〃　he　replied。　　〃This　here　calls　for　lawyers。〃







And　leaving　the　store　in　the　care　of　a　substitute；　he　struggled



into　his　coat　and　marched　down…town　with　Dick；　and　the　two



presented　themselves　with　their　romantic　story　in　Mr。　Harrison's



office；　much　to　that　young　man's　astonishment。







If　he　had　not　been　a　very　young　lawyer；　with　a　very　enterprising



mind　and　a　great　deal　of　spare　time　on　his　hands；　he　might　not



have　been　so　readily