little lord fauntleroy-第4部分

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〃Well；〃　said　Cedric；　〃we　have　been　friends　for　a　great　many



years；　haven't　we？〃







〃Ever　since　you　was　born；〃　Mr。　Hobbs　answered。　　〃You　was　about



six　weeks　old　when　you　was　first　walked　out　on　this　street。〃







〃Ah；〃　remarked　Cedric；　with　a　sigh；　〃I　never　thought　I　should



have　to　be　an　earl　then！〃







〃You　think；〃　said　Mr。　Hobbs；　〃there's　no　getting　out　of　it？〃







〃I'm　afraid　not；〃　answered　Cedric。　　〃My　mamma　says　that　my



papa　would　wish　me　to　do　it。　　But　if　I　have　to　be　an　earl；



there's　one　thing　I　can　do：　I　can　try　to　be　a　good　one。　　I'm　not



going　to　be　a　tyrant。　　And　if　there　is　ever　to　be　another　war



with　America；　I　shall　try　to　stop　it。〃







His　conversation　with　Mr。　Hobbs　was　a　long　and　serious　one。　　Once



having　got　over　the　first　shock；　Mr。　Hobbs　was　not　so　rancorous



as　might　have　been　expected；　he　endeavored　to　resign　himself　to



the　situation；　and　before　the　interview　was　at　an　end　he　had



asked　a　great　many　questions。　　As　Cedric　could　answer　but　few　of



them；　he　endeavored　to　answer　them　himself；　and；　being　fairly



launched　on　the　subject　of　earls　and　marquises　and　lordly



estates；　explained　many　things　in　a　way　which　would　probably　have



astonished　Mr。　Havisham；　could　that　gentleman　have　heard　it。







But　then　there　were　many　things　which　astonished　Mr。　Havisham。　



He　had　spent　all　his　life　in　England；　and　was　not　accustomed　to



American　people　and　American　habits。　　He　had　been　connected



professionally　with　the　family　of　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　for



nearly　forty　years；　and　he　knew　all　about　its　grand　estates　and



its　great　wealth　and　importance；　and；　in　a　cold；　business…like



way；　he　felt　an　interest　in　this　little　boy；　who；　in　the　future；



was　to　be　the　master　and　owner　of　them　all；the　future　Earl　of



Dorincourt。　　He　had　known　all　about　the　old　Earl's　disappointment



in　his　elder　sons　and　all　about　his　fierce　rage　at　Captain



Cedric's　American　marriage；　and　he　knew　how　he　still　hated　the



gentle　little　widow　and　would　not　speak　of　her　except　with　bitter



and　cruel　words。　　He　insisted　that　she　was　only　a　common　American



girl；　who　had　entrapped　his　son　into　marrying　her　because　she



knew　he　was　an　earl's　son。　　The　old　lawyer　himself　had　more　than



half　believed　this　was　all　true。　　He　had　seen　a　great　many



selfish；　mercenary　people　in　his　life；　and　he　had　not　a　good



opinion　of　Americans。　　When　he　had　been　driven　into　the　cheap



street；　and　his　coupe　had　stopped　before　the　cheap；　small　house；



he　had　felt　actually　shocked。　　It　seemed　really　quite　dreadful　to



think　that　the　future　owner　of　Dorincourt　Castle　and　Wyndham



Towers　and　Chorlworth；　and　all　the　other　stately　splendors；



should　have　been　born　and　brought　up　in　an　insignificant　house　in



a　street　with　a　sort　of　green…grocery　at　the　corner。　　He　wondered



what　kind　of　a　child　he　would　be；　and　what　kind　of　a　mother　he



had。　　He　rather　shrank　from　seeing　them　both。　　He　had　a　sort　of



pride　in　the　noble　family　whose　legal　affairs　he　had　conducted　so



long；　and　it　would　have　annoyed　him　very　much　to　have　found



himself　obliged　to　manage　a　woman　who　would　seem　to　him　a　vulgar；



money…loving　person；　with　no　respect　for　her　dead　husband's



country　and　the　dignity　of　his　name。　　It　was　a　very　old　name　and



a　very　splendid　one；　and　Mr。　Havisham　had　a　great　respect　for　it



himself；　though　he　was　only　a　cold；　keen；　business…like　old



lawyer。







When　Mary　handed　him　into　the　small　parlor；　he　looked　around　it



critically。　　It　was　plainly　furnished；　but　it　had　a　home…like



look；　there　were　no　cheap；　common　ornaments；　and　no　cheap；　gaudy



pictures；　the　few　adornments　on　the　walls　were　in　good　taste。　



and　about　the　room　were　many　pretty　things　which　a　woman's　hand



might　have　made。







〃Not　at　all　bad　so　far；〃　he　had　said　to　himself；　〃but　perhaps



the　Captain's　taste　predominated。〃　But　when　Mrs。　Errol　came　into



the　room；　he　began　to　think　she　herself　might　have　had　something



to　do　with　it。　　If　he　had　not　been　quite　a　self…contained　and



stiff　old　gentleman；　he　would　probably　have　started　when　he　saw



her。　　She　looked；　in　the　simple　black　dress；　fitting　closely　to



her　slender　figure；　　more　like　a　young　girl　than　the　mother　of　a



boy　of　seven。　　She　had　a　pretty；　sorrowful；　young　face；　and　a



very　tender；　innocent　look　in　her　large　brown　eyes；the



sorrowful　look　that　had　never　quite　left　her　face　since　her



husband　had　died。　　Cedric　was　used　to　seeing　it　there；　the　only



times　he　had　ever　seen　it　fade　out　had　been　when　he　was　playing



with　her　or　talking　to　her；　and　had　said　some　old…fashioned



thing；　or　used　some　long　word　he　had　picked　up　out　of　the



newspapers　or　in　his　conversations　with　Mr。　Hobbs。　　He　was　fond



of　using　long　words；　and　he　was　always　pleased　when　they　made　her



laugh；　though　he　could　not　understand　why　they　were　laughable；



they　were　quite　serious　matters　with　him。　　The　lawyer's



experience　taught　him　to　read　people's　characters　very　shrewdly；



and　as　soon　as　he　saw　Cedric's　mother　he　knew　that　the　old　Earl



had　made　a　great　mistake　in　thinking　her　a　vulgar；　mercenary



woman。　　Mr。　Havisham　had　never　been　married；　he　had　never　even



been　in　love；　but　he　divined　that　this　pretty　young　creature　with



the　sweet　voice　and　sad　eyes　had　married　Captain　Errol　only



because　she　loved　him　with　all　her　affectionate　heart；　and　that



she　had　never　once　thought　it　an　advantage　that　he　was　an　earl's



son。　　And　he　saw　he　should　have　no　trouble　with　her；　and　he　began



to　feel　that　perhaps　little　Lord　Fauntleroy　might　not　be　such　a



trial　to　his　noble　family；　after　all。　　The　Captain　had　been　a



handsome　fellow；　and　the　young　mother　was　very　pretty；　and



perhaps　the　boy　might　be　well　enough　to　look　at。







When　he　first　told　Mrs。　Errol　what　he　had　come　for；　she　turned



very　pale。







〃Oh！〃　she　said；　〃will　he　have　to　be　taken　away　from　me？　　We



love　each　other　so　much！　　He　is　such　a　happiness　to　me！　　He　is



all　I　have。　　I　have　tried　to　be　a　good　mother　to　him。〃　And　her



sweet　young　voice　trembled；　and　the　tears　rushed　into　her　eyes。　



〃You　do　not　know　what　he　has　been　to　me！〃　she　said。







The　lawyer　cleared　his　throat。







〃I　am　obliged　to　tell　you；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　Earl　of



Dorincourt　is　notis　not　very　friendly　toward　you。　　He　is　an　old



man；　and　his　prejudices　are　very　strong。　　He　has　always



especially　disliked　America　and　Americans；　and　was　very　much



enraged　by　his　son's　marriage。　　I　am　sorry　to　be　the　bearer　of　so



unpleasant　a　communication；　but　he　is　very　fixed　in　his



determination　not　to　see　you。　　His　plan　is　that　Lord　Fauntleroy



shall　be　educated　under　his　own　supervision；　that　he　shall　live



with　him。　　The　Earl　is　attached　to　Dorincourt　Castle；　and　spends



a　great　deal　of　time　there。　　He　is　a　victim　to　inflammatory　gout；



and　is　not　fond　of　London。　　Lord　Fauntleroy　will；　therefore；　be



likely　to　live　chiefly　at　Dorincourt。　　The　Earl　offers　you　as　a



home　Court　Lodge；　which　is　situated　pleasantly；　and　is　not　very



far　from　the　castle。　　He　also　offers　you　a　suitable　income。　　Lord



Fauntleroy　will　be　permitted　to　visit　you；　the　only　stipulation



is；　that　you　shall　not　visit　him　or　enter　the　park　gates。　　You



see　you　will　not　be　really　separated　from　your　son；　and　I　assure



you；　madam；　the　terms　are　not　so　harsh　asas　they　might　have



been。　　The　advantage　of　such　surroundings　and　education　as　Lord



Fauntleroy　will　have；　I　am　sure　you　must　see；　will　be　very



great。〃







He　felt　a　little　uneasy　lest　she　should　begin　to　cry　or　make　a



scene；　as　he　knew　some　women　would　have　done。　　It　embarrassed　and



annoyed　him　to　see　women　cry。







But　she　did　not。　　She　went　to　the　window　and　stood　with　her　face



turned　away　for　a　few　moments；　and　he　saw　she　was　trying　to



steady　herself。







〃Captain　Errol　was　very　fond　of　Dorincourt；〃　she　said　at　last。　



〃He　loved　England；　and　everything　English。　　It　was　always　a



grief　to　him　that　he　was　parted　from　his　home。　　He　was　proud　of



his　home；　and　of　his　name。　　He　would　wishI　know　he　would　wish



that　his　son　should　know　the　beautiful　old　places；　and　be　brought



up　in　such　a　way　as　would　be　suitable　to　his　future　position。〃







Then　she　came　back　to　the　table　and　stood　looking　up　at　Mr。



Havisham　very　gently。







〃My　husband　would　wish　it；〃　she　said。　　〃It　will　be　best　for　my



little　boy。　　I　knowI　am　sure　the　Earl　would　not　be　so　unkind　as



to　try　to　teach　him　not　to　love　me；　and　I　knoweven　if　he



triedthat　my　little　boy　is　too　much　like　his　father　to　be



harmed。　　He　has　a　warm；　faithful　nature；　and　a　true　heart。　　He



would　love　me　even　if　he　did　not　see　me；　and　so　long　as　we　may



see　each　other；　I　ought　not　to　suffer　very　much。〃







〃She　thinks　very　little　of　herself；〃　the　lawyer　thought。　　〃She



does　not　make　any　terms　for　herself。〃







〃Madam；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃I　respect　your　consideration　for　your



son。　　He　will　thank　you　for　it　when　he　is　a　man。　　I　assure　you



Lord　Fauntleroy　will　be　most　carefully　guarded；　and　every　effort



will　be　used　to　insure　his　happiness。　　The　Earl　of　Dorincourt



will　be　as　anxious　for　his　comfort　and　well…being　as　you　yourself



could　be。〃







〃I　hope；〃　said　the　tender　little　mother；　in　a　rather　broken



voice；　〃that　his　grandfather　will　love　Ceddie。　　The　little　boy



has　a　very　affectionate　nature；　and　he　has　always　been　loved。〃







Mr。　Havisham　cleared　his　throat　again。　　He　could　not　quite