little lord fauntleroy-第35部分

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Then　he　put　his　other　hand　on　Cedric's　shoulder。







〃Fauntleroy；〃　he　said　in　his　unceremonious；　authoritative　way；



〃ask　your　mother　when　she　will　come　to　us　at　the　Castle。〃







Fauntleroy　flung　his　arms　around　his　mother's　neck。







〃To　live　with　us！〃　he　cried。　　〃To　live　with　us　always！〃







The　Earl　looked　at　Mrs。　Errol；　and　Mrs。　Errol　looked　at　the　Earl。







His　lordship　was　entirely　in　earnest。　　He　had　made　up　his　mind　to



waste　no　time　in　arranging　this　matter。　　He　had　begun　to　think　it



would　suit　him　to　make　friends　with　his　heir's　mother。







〃Are　you　quite　sure　you　want　me？〃　said　Mrs。　Errol；　with　her



soft；　pretty　smile。







〃Quite　sure；〃　he　said　bluntly。　　〃We　have　always　wanted　you；



but　we　were　not　exactly　aware　of　it。　　We　hope　you　will　come。〃















XV







Ben　took　his　boy　and　went　back　to　his　cattle　ranch　in　California；



and　he　returned　under　very　comfortable　circumstances。　　Just



before　his　going；　Mr。　Havisham　had　an　interview　with　him　in　which



the　lawyer　told　him　that　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　wished　to　do



something　for　the　boy　who　might　have　turned　out　to　be　Lord



Fauntleroy；　and　so　he　had　decided　that　it　would　be　a　good　plan　to



invest　in　a　cattle　ranch　of　his　own；　and　put　Ben　in　charge　of　it



on　terms　which　would　make　it　pay　him　very　well；　and　which　would



lay　a　foundation　for　his　son's　future。　　And　so　when　Ben　went



away；　he　went　as　the　prospective　master　of　a　ranch　which　would　be



almost　as　good　as　his　own；　and　might　easily　become　his　own　in



time；　as　indeed　it　did　in　the　course　of　a　few　years；　and　Tom；　the



boy；　grew　up　on　it　into　a　fine　young　man　and　was　devotedly　fond



of　his　father；　and　they　were　so　successful　and　happy　that　Ben



used　to　say　that　Tom　made　up　to　him　for　all　the　troubles　he　had



ever　had。







But　Dick　and　Mr。　Hobbswho　had　actually　come　over　with　the



others　to　see　that　things　were　properly　looked　afterdid　not



return　for　some　time。　　It　had　been　decided　at　the　outset　that　the



Earl　would　provide　for　Dick；　and　would　see　that　he　received　a



solid　education；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　had　decided　that　as　he　himself　had



left　a　reliable　substitute　in　charge　of　his　store；　he　could



afford　to　wait　to　see　the　festivities　which　were　to　celebrate



Lord　Fauntleroy's　eighth　birthday。　　All　the　tenantry　were



invited；　and　there　were　to　be　feasting　and　dancing　and　games　in



the　park；　and　bonfires　and　fire…works　in　the　evening。







〃Just　like　the　Fourth　of　July！〃　said　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　〃It



seems　a　pity　my　birthday　wasn't　on　the　Fourth；　doesn't　it？　　For



then　we　could　keep　them　both　together。〃







It　must　be　confessed　that　at　first　the　Earl　and　Mr。　Hobbs　were



not　as　intimate　as　it　might　have　been　hoped　they　would　become；　in



the　interests　of　the　British　aristocracy。　　The　fact　was　that　the



Earl　had　known　very　few　grocery…men；　and　Mr。　Hobbs　had　not　had



many　very　close　acquaintances　who　were　earls；　and　so　in　their



rare　interviews　conversation　did　not　flourish。　　It　must　also　be



owned　that　Mr。　Hobbs　had　been　rather　overwhelmed　by　the　splendors



Fauntleroy　felt　it　his　duty　to　show　him。







The　entrance　gate　and　the　stone　lions　and　the　avenue　impressed



Mr。　Hobbs　somewhat　at　the　beginning；　and　when　he　saw　the　Castle；



and　the　flower…gardens；　and　the　hot…houses；　and　the　terraces；　and



the　peacocks；　and　the　dungeon；　and　the　armor；　and　the　great



staircase；　and　the　stables；　and　the　liveried　servants；　he　really



was　quite　bewildered。　　But　it　was　the　picture　gallery　which



seemed　to　be　the　finishing　stroke。







〃Somethin'　in　the　manner　of　a　museum？〃　he　said　to　Fauntleroy；



when　he　was　led　into　the　great；　beautiful　room。







〃Nno！〃　said　Fauntleroy；　rather　doubtfully。　　〃I　don't　THINK



it's　a　museum。　　My　grandfather　says　these　are　my　ancestors。〃







〃Your　aunt's　sisters！〃　ejaculated　Mr。　Hobbs。　　〃ALL　of　'em？　



Your　great…uncle；　he　MUST　have　had　a　family！　　Did　he　raise　'em



all？〃







And　he　sank　into　a　seat　and　looked　around　him　with　quite　an



agitated　countenance；　until　with　the　greatest　difficulty　Lord



Fauntleroy　managed　to　explain　that　the　walls　were　not　lined



entirely　with　the　portraits　of　the　progeny　of　his　great…uncle。







He　found　it　necessary；　in　fact；　to　call　in　the　assistance　of　Mrs。



Mellon；　who　knew　all　about　the　pictures；　and　could　tell　who



painted　them　and　when；　and　who　added　romantic　stories　of　the



lords　and　ladies　who　were　the　originals。　　When　Mr。　Hobbs　once



understood；　and　had　heard　some　of　these　stories；　he　was　very　much



fascinated　and　liked　the　picture　gallery　almost　better　than



anything　else；　and　he　would　often　walk　over　from　the　village；



where　he　staid　at　the　Dorincourt　Arms；　and　would　spend　half　an



hour　or　so　wandering　about　the　gallery；　staring　at　the　painted



ladies　and　gentlemen；　who　also　stared　at　him；　and　shaking　his



head　nearly　all　the　time。







〃And　they　was　all　earls！〃　he　would　say；　〃er　pretty　nigh　it！　



An'　HE'S　goin'　to　be　one　of　'em；　an'　own　it　all！〃







Privately　he　was　not　nearly　so　much　disgusted　with　earls　and



their　mode　of　life　as　he　had　expected　to　be；　and　it　is　to　be



doubted　whether　his　strictly　republican　principles　were　not



shaken　a　little　by　a　closer　acquaintance　with　castles　and



ancestors　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　At　any　rate；　one　day　he



uttered　a　very　remarkable　and　unexpected　sentiment：







〃I　wouldn't　have　minded　bein'　one　of　'em　myself！〃　he



saidwhich　was　really　a　great　concession。







What　a　grand　day　it　was　when　little　Lord　Fauntleroy's　birthday



arrived；　and　how　his　young　lordship　enjoyed　it！　　How　beautiful



the　park　looked；　filled　with　the　thronging　people　dressed　in



their　gayest　and　best；　and　with　the　flags　flying　from　the　tents



and　the　top　of　the　Castle！　　Nobody　had　staid　away　who　could



possibly　come；　because　everybody　was　really　glad　that　little　Lord



Fauntleroy　was　to　be　little　Lord　Fauntleroy　still；　and　some　day



was　to　be　the　master　of　everything。　　Every　one　wanted　to　have　a



look　at　him；　and　at　his　pretty；　kind　mother；　who　had　made　so　many



friends。　　And　positively　every　one　liked　the　Earl　rather　better；



and　felt　more　amiably　toward　him　because　the　little　boy　loved　and



trusted　him　so；　and　because；　also；　he　had　now　made　friends　with



and　behaved　respectfully　to　his　heir's　mother。　　It　was　said　that



he　was　even　beginning　to　be　fond　of　her；　too；　and　that　between



his　young　lordship　and　his　young　lordship's　mother；　the　Earl



might　be　changed　in　time　into　quite　a　well…behaved　old　nobleman；



and　everybody　might　be　happier　and　better　off。







What　scores　and　scores　of　people　there　were　under　the　trees；　and



in　the　tents；　and　on　the　lawns！　　Farmers　and　farmers'　wives　in



their　Sunday　suits　and　bonnets　and　shawls；　girls　and　their



sweethearts；　children　frolicking　and　chasing　about；　and　old　dames



in　red　cloaks　gossiping　together。　　At　the　Castle；　there　were



ladies　and　gentlemen　who　had　come　to　see　the　fun；　and　to



congratulate　the　Earl；　and　to　meet　Mrs。　Errol。　　Lady　Lorredaile



and　Sir　Harry　were　there；　and　Sir　Thomas　Asshe　and　his　daughters；



and　Mr。　Havisham；　of　course；　and　then　beautiful　Miss　Vivian



Herbert；　with　the　loveliest　white　gown　and　lace　parasol；　and　a



circle　of　gentlemen　to　take　care　of　herthough　she　evidently



liked　Fauntleroy　better　than　all　of　them　put　together。　　And　when



he　saw　her　and　ran　to　her　and　put　his　arm　around　her　neck；　she



put　her　arms　around　him；　too；　and　kissed　him　as　warmly　as　if　he



had　been　her　own　favorite　little　brother；　and　she　said：







〃Dear　little　Lord　Fauntleroy！　　dear　little　boy！　　I　am　so　glad！　



I　am　so　glad！〃







And　afterward　she　walked　about　the　grounds　with　him；　and　let　him



show　her　everything。　　And　when　he　took　her　to　where　Mr。　Hobbs　and



Dick　were；　and　said　to　her；　〃This　is　my　old；　old　friend　Mr。



Hobbs；　Miss　Herbert；　and　this　is　my　other　old　friend　Dick。　　I



told　them　how　pretty　you　were；　and　I　told　them　they　should　see



you　if　you　came　to　my　birthday；〃she　shook　hands　with　them



both；　and　stood　and　talked　to　them　in　her　prettiest　way；　asking



them　about　America　and　their　voyage　and　their　life　since　they　had



been　in　England；　while　Fauntleroy　stood　by；　looking　up　at　her



with　adoring　eyes；　and　his　cheeks　quite　flushed　with　delight



because　he　saw　that　Mr。　Hobbs　and　Dick　liked　her　so　much。







〃Well；〃　said　Dick　solemnly；　afterward；　〃she's　the　daisiest　gal



I　ever　saw！　　She'swell；　she's　just　a　daisy；　that's　what　she　is；



'n'　no　mistake！〃







Everybody　looked　after　her　as　she　passed；　and　every　one　looked



after　little　Lord　Fauntleroy。　　And　the　sun　shone　and　the　flags



fluttered　and　the　games　were　played　and　the　dances　danced；　and　as



the　gayeties　went　on　and　the　joyous　afternoon　passed；　his　little



lordship　was　simply　radiantly　happy。







The　whole　world　seemed　beautiful　to　him。







There　was　some　one　else　who　was　happy；　too；an　old　man；　who；



though　he　had　been　rich　and　noble　all　his　life；　had　not　often



been　very　honestly　happy。　　Perhaps；　indeed；　I　shall　tell　you　that



I　think　it　was　because　he　was　rather　better　than　he　had　been　that



he　was　rather　happier。　　He　had　not；　indeed；　suddenly　become　as



good　as　Fauntleroy　thought　him；　but；　at　least；　he　had　begun　to



love　something；　and　he　had　several　times　found　a　sort　of　pleasure



in　doing　the　kind　things　which　the　innocent；　kind　little　heart　of



a　child　had　suggested；and　that　was　a　beginning。　　And　every　day



he　had　been　more　p