little lord fauntleroy-第36部分

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



he　had　been　more　pleased　with　his　son's　wife。　　It　was　true；　as



the　people　said；　that　he　was　beginning　to　like　her　too。　　He　liked



to　hear　her　sweet　voice　and　to　see　her　sweet　face；　and　as　he　sat



in　his　arm…chair；　he　used　to　watch　her　and　listen　as　she　talked



to　her　boy；　and　he　heard　loving；　gentle　words　which　were　new　to



him；　and　he　began　to　see　why　the　little　fellow　who　had　lived　in　a



New　York　side　street　and　known　grocery…men　and　made　friends　with



boot…blacks；　was　still　so　well…bred　and　manly　a　little　fellow



that　he　made　no　one　ashamed　of　him；　even　when　fortune　changed　him



into　the　heir　to　an　English　earldom；　living　in　an　English　castle。







It　was　really　a　very　simple　thing；　after　all；it　was　only　that



he　had　lived　near　a　kind　and　gentle　heart；　and　had　been　taught　to



think　kind　thoughts　always　and　to　care　for　others。　　It　is　a　very



little　thing；　perhaps；　but　it　is　the　best　thing　of　all。　　He　knew



nothing　of　earls　and　castles；　he　was　quite　ignorant　of　all　grand



and　splendid　things；　but　he　was　always　lovable　because　he　was



simple　and　loving。　　To　be　so　is　like　being　born　a　king。







As　the　old　Earl　of　Dorincourt　looked　at　him　that　day；　moving



about　the　park　among　the　people；　talking　to　those　he　knew　and



making　his　ready　little　bow　when　any　one　greeted　him；



entertaining　his　friends　Dick　and　Mr。　Hobbs；　or　standing　near　his



mother　or　Miss　Herbert　listening　to　their　conversation；　the　old



nobleman　was　very　well　satisfied　with　him。　　And　he　had　never　been



better　satisfied　than　he　was　when　they　went　down　to　the　biggest



tent；　where　the　more　important　tenants　of　the　Dorincourt　estate



were　sitting　down　to　the　grand　collation　of　the　day。







They　were　drinking　toasts；　and；　after　they　had　drunk　the　health



of　the　Earl；　with　much　more　enthusiasm　than　his　name　had　ever



been　greeted　with　before；　they　proposed　the　health　of　〃Little



Lord　Fauntleroy。〃　And　if　there　had　ever　been　any　doubt　at　all　as



to　whether　his　lordship　was　popular　or　not；　it　would　have　been



set　that　instant。　　Such　a　clamor　of　voices；　and　such　a　rattle　of



glasses　and　applause！　　They　had　begun　to　like　him　so　much；　those



warm…hearted　people；　that　they　forgot　to　feel　any　restraint



before　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　from　the　castle；　who　had　come　to



see　them。　　They　made　quite　a　decent　uproar；　and　one　or　two



motherly　women　looked　tenderly　at　the　little　fellow　where　he



stood；　with　his　mother　on　one　side　and　the　Earl　on　the　other；　and



grew　quite　moist　about　the　eyes；　and　said　to　one　another：







〃God　bless　him；　the　pretty　little　dear！〃







Little　Lord　Fauntleroy　was　delighted。　　He　stood　and　smiled；　and



made　bows；　and　flushed　rosy　red　with　pleasure　up　to　the　roots　of



his　bright　hair。







〃Is　it　because　they　like　me；　Dearest？〃　he　said　to　his　mother。　



〃Is　it；　Dearest？　　I'm　so　glad！〃







And　then　the　Earl　put　his　hand　on　the　child's　shoulder　and　said



to　him：







〃Fauntleroy；　say　to　them　that　you　thank　them　for　their



kindness。〃







Fauntleroy　gave　a　glance　up　at　him　and　then　at　his　mother。







〃Must　I？〃　he　asked　just　a　trifle　shyly；　and　she　smiled；　and　so



did　Miss　Herbert；　and　they　both　nodded。　　And　so　he　made　a　little



step　forward；　and　everybody　looked　at　himsuch　a　beautiful；



innocent　little　fellow　he　was；　too；　with　his　brave；　trustful



face！and　he　spoke　as　loudly　as　he　could；　his　childish　voice



ringing　out　quite　clear　and　strong。







〃I'm　ever　so　much　obliged　to　you！〃　he　said；　〃andI　hope



you'll　enjoy　my　birthdaybecause　I've　enjoyed　it　so



muchandI'm　very　glad　I'm　going　to　be　an　earl；　I　didn't　think



at　first　I　should　like　it；　but　now　I　doand　I　love　this　place



so；　and　I　think　it　is　beautifulandandand　when　I　am　an　earl；



I　am　going　to　try　to　be　as　good　as　my　grandfather。〃







And　amid　the　shouts　and　clamor　of　applause；　he　stepped　back　with



a　little　sigh　of　relief；　and　put　his　hand　into　the　Earl's　and



stood　close　to　him；　smiling　and　leaning　against　his　side。











And　that　would　be　the　very　end　of　my　story；　but　I　must　add　one



curious　piece　of　information；　which　is　that　Mr。　Hobbs　became　so



fascinated　with　high　life　and　was　so　reluctant　to　leave　his　young



friend　that　he　actually　sold　his　corner　store　in　New　York；　and



settled　in　the　English　village　of　Erlesboro；　where　he　opened　a



shop　which　was　patronized　by　the　Castle　and　consequently　was　a



great　success。　　And　though　he　and　the　Earl　never　became　very



intimate；　if　you　will　believe　me；　that　man　Hobbs　became　in　time



more　aristocratic　than　his　lordship　himself；　and　he　read　the



Court　news　every　morning；　and　followed　all　the　doings　of　the



House　of　Lords！　　And　about　ten　years　after；　when　Dick；　who　had



finished　his　education　and　was　going　to　visit　his　brother　in



California；　asked　the　good　grocer　if　he　did　not　wish　to　return　to



America；　he　shook　his　head　seriously。







〃Not　to　live　there；〃　he　said。　　〃Not　to　live　there；　I　want　to



be　near　HIM；　an'　sort　o'　look　after　him。　　　It's　a　good　enough



country　for　them　that's　young　an'　stirrin'but　there's　faults　in



it。　　There's　not　an　auntsister　among　'emnor　an　earl！〃



























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