little lord fauntleroy-第5部分

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



imagine　the　gouty；　fiery…tempered　old　Earl　loving　any　one　very



much；　but　he　knew　it　would　be　to　his　interest　to　be　kind；　in　his



irritable　way；　to　the　child　who　was　to　be　his　heir。　　He　knew；



too；　that　if　Ceddie　were　at　all　a　credit　to　his　name；　his



grandfather　would　be　proud　of　him。







〃Lord　Fauntleroy　will　be　comfortable；　I　am　sure；〃　he　replied。　



〃It　was　with　a　view　to　his　happiness　that　the　Earl　desired　that



you　should　be　near　enough　to　him　to　see　him　frequently。〃







He　did　not　think　it　would　be　discreet　to　repeat　the　exact　words



the　Earl　had　used；　which　were　in　fact　neither　polite　nor　amiable。







Mr。　Havisham　preferred　to　express　his　noble　patron's　offer　in



smoother　and　more　courteous　language。







He　had　another　slight　shock　when　Mrs。　Errol　asked　Mary　to　find



her　little　boy　and　bring　him　to　her；　and　Mary　told　her　where　he



was。







〃Sure　I'll　foind　him　aisy　enough；　ma'am；〃　she　said；　〃for　it's



wid　Mr。　Hobbs　he　is　this　minnit；　settin'　on　his　high　shtool　by



the　counther　an'　talkin'　pollytics；　most　loikely；　or　enj'yin'



hisself　among　the　soap　an'　candles　an'　pertaties；　as　sinsible　an'



shwate　as　ye　plase。〃







〃Mr。　Hobbs　has　known　him　all　his　life；〃　Mrs。　Errol　said　to　the



lawyer。　　〃He　is　very　kind　to　Ceddie；　and　there　is　a　great



friendship　between　them。〃







Remembering　the　glimpse　he　had　caught　of　the　store　as　he　passed



it；　and　having　a　recollection　of　the　barrels　of　potatoes　and



apples　and　the　various　odds　and　ends；　Mr。　Havisham　felt　his



doubts　arise　again。　　In　England；　gentlemen's　sons　did　not　make



friends　of　grocerymen；　and　it　seemed　to　him　a　rather　singular



proceeding。　　It　would　be　very　awkward　if　the　child　had　bad



manners　and　a　disposition　to　like　low　company。　　One　of　the



bitterest　humiliations　of　the　old　Earl's　life　had　been　that　his



two　elder　sons　had　been　fond　of　low　company。　　Could　it　be；　he



thought；　that　this　boy　shared　their　bad　qualities　instead　of　his



father's　good　qualities？







He　was　thinking　uneasily　about　this　as　he　talked　to　Mrs。　Errol



until　the　child　came　into　the　room。　　When　the　door　opened；　he



actually　hesitated　a　moment　before　looking　at　Cedric。　　It　would；



perhaps；　have　seemed　very　queer　to　a　great　many　people　who　knew



him；　if　they　could　have　known　the　curious　sensations　that　passed



through　Mr。　Havisham　when　he　looked　down　at　the　boy；　who　ran　into



his　mother's　arms。　　He　experienced　a　revulsion　of　feeling　which



was　quite　exciting。　　He　recognized　in　an　instant　that　here　was



one　of　the　finest　and　handsomest　little　fellows　he　had　ever　seen。







His　beauty　was　something　unusual。　　He　had　a　strong；　lithe；



graceful　little　body　and　a　manly　little　face；　he　held　his



childish　head　up；　and　carried　himself　with　a　brave　air；　he　was　so



like　his　father　that　it　was　really　startling；　he　had　his　father's



golden　hair　and　his　mother's　brown　eyes；　but　there　was　nothing



sorrowful　or　timid　in　them。　　They　were　innocently　fearless　eyes；



he　looked　as　if　he　had　never　feared　or　doubted　anything　in　his



life。







〃He　is　the　best…bred…looking　and　handsomest　little　fellow　I　ever



saw；〃　was　what　Mr。　Havisham　thought。　　What　he　said　aloud　was



simply；　〃And　so　this　is　little　Lord　Fauntleroy。〃







And；　after　this；　the　more　he　saw　of　little　Lord　Fauntleroy；　the



more　of　a　surprise　he　found　him。　　He　knew　very　little　about



children；　though　he　had　seen　plenty　of　them　in　Englandfine；



handsome；　rosy　girls　and　boys；　who　were　strictly　taken　care　of　by



their　tutors　and　governesses；　and　who　were　sometimes　shy；　and



sometimes　a　trifle　boisterous；　but　never　very　interesting　to　a



ceremonious；　rigid　old　lawyer。　　Perhaps　his　personal　interest　in



little　Lord　Fauntleroy's　fortunes　made　him　notice　Ceddie　more



than　he　had　noticed　other　children；　but；　however　that　was；　he



certainly　found　himself　noticing　him　a　great　deal。







Cedric　did　not　know　he　was　being　observed；　and　he　only　behaved



himself　in　his　ordinary　manner。　　He　shook　hands　with　Mr。　Havisham



in　his　friendly　way　when　they　were　introduced　to　each　other；　and



he　answered　all　his　questions　with　the　unhesitating　readiness



with　which　he　answered　Mr。　Hobbs。　　He　was　neither　shy　nor　bold；



and　when　Mr。　Havisham　was　talking　to　his　mother；　the　lawyer



noticed　that　he　listened　to　the　conversation　with　as　much



interest　as　if　he　had　been　quite　grown　up。







〃He　seems　to　be　a　very　mature　little　fellow；〃　Mr。　Havisham　said



to　the　mother。







〃I　think　he　is；　in　some　things；〃　she　answered。　　〃He　has　always



been　very　quick　to　learn；　and　he　has　lived　a　great　deal　with



grownup　people。　　He　has　a　funny　little　habit　of　using　long　words



and　expressions　he　has　read　in　books；　or　has　heard　others　use；



but　he　is　very　fond　of　childish　play。　　I　think　he　is　rather



clever；　but　he　is　a　very　boyish　little　boy；　sometimes。〃







The　next　time　Mr。　Havisham　met　him；　he　saw　that　this　last　was



quite　true。　　As　his　coupe　turned　the　corner；　he　caught　sight　of　a



group　of　small　boys；　who　were　evidently　much　excited。　　Two　of



them　were　about　to　run　a　race；　and　one　of　them　was　his　young



lordship；　and　he　was　shouting　and　making　as　much　noise　as　the



noisiest　of　his　companions。　　He　stood　side　by　side　with　another



boy；　one　little　red　leg　advanced　a　step。







〃One；　to　make　ready！〃　yelled　the　starter。　　〃Two；　to　be　steady。　



Threeand　away！〃







Mr。　Havisham　found　himself　leaning　out　of　the　window　of　his　coupe



with　a　curious　feeling　of　interest。　　He　really　never　remembered



having　seen　anything　quite　like　the　way　in　which　his　lordship's



lordly　little　red　legs　flew　up　behind　his　knickerbockers　and　tore



over　the　ground　as　he　shot　out　in　the　race　at　the　signal　word。　



He　shut　his　small　hands　and　set　his　face　against　the　wind；　his



bright　hair　streamed　out　behind。







〃Hooray；　Ced　Errol！〃　all　the　boys　shouted；　dancing　and



shrieking　with　excitement。　　〃Hooray；　Billy　Williams！　　Hooray；



Ceddie！　　Hooray；　Billy！　　Hooray！　　'Ray！　　'Ray！〃







〃I　really　believe　he　is　going　to　win；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　　The



way　in　which　the　red　legs　flew　and　flashed　up　and　down；　the



shrieks　of　the　boys；　the　wild　efforts　of　Billy　Williams；　whose



brown　legs　were　not　to　be　despised；　as　they　followed　closely　in



the　rear　of　the　red　legs；　made　him　feel　some　excitement。　　〃I



reallyI　really　can't　help　hoping　he　will　win！〃　he　said；　with



an　apologetic　sort　of　cough。　　At　that　moment；　the　wildest　yell　of



all　went　up　from　the　dancing；　hopping　boys。　　With　one　last



frantic　leap　the　future　Earl　of　Dorincourt　had　reached　the



lamp…post　at　the　end　of　the　block　and　touched　it；　just　two



seconds　before　Billy　Williams　flung　himself　at　it；　panting。







〃Three　cheers　for　Ceddie　Errol！〃　yelled　the　little　boys。　



〃Hooray　for　Ceddie　Errol！〃







Mr。　Havisham　drew　his　head　in　at　the　window　of　his　coupe　and



leaned　back　with　a　dry　smile。







〃Bravo；　Lord　Fauntleroy！〃　he　said。







As　his　carriage　stopped　before　the　door　of　Mrs。　Errol's　house；



the　victor　and　the　vanquished　were　coming　toward　it；　attended　by



the　clamoring　crew。　　Cedric　walked　by　Billy　Williams　and　was



speaking　to　him。　　His　elated　little　face　was　very　red；　his　curls



clung　to　his　hot；　moist　forehead；　his　hands　were　in　his　pockets。







〃You　see；〃　he　was　saying；　evidently　with　the　intention　of



making　defeat　easy　for　his　unsuccessful　rival；　〃I　guess　I　won



because　my　legs　are　a　little　longer　than　yours。　　I　guess　that　was



it。　　You　see；　I'm　three　days　older　than　you；　and　that　gives　me　a



'vantage。　　I'm　three　days　older。〃







And　this　view　of　the　case　seemed　to　cheer　Billy　Williams　so　much



that　he　began　to　smile　on　the　world　again；　and　felt　able　to



swagger　a　little；　almost　as　if　he　had　won　the　race　instead　of



losing　it。　　Somehow；　Ceddie　Errol　had　a　way　of　making　people　feel



comfortable。　　Even　in　the　first　flush　of　his　triumphs；　he



remembered　that　the　person　who　was　beaten　might　not　feel　so　gay



as　he　did；　and　might　like　to　think　that　he　MIGHT　have　been　the



winner　under　different　circumstances。







That　morning　Mr。　Havisham　had　quite　a　long　conversation　with　the



winner　of　the　racea　conversation　which　made　him　smile　his　dry



smile；　and　rub　his　chin　with　his　bony　hand　several　times。







Mrs。　Errol　had　been　called　out　of　the　parlor；　and　the　lawyer　and



Cedric　were　left　together。　　At　first　Mr。　Havisham　wondered　what



he　should　say　to　his　small　companion。　　He　had　an　idea　that



perhaps　it　would　be　best　to　say　several　things　which　might



prepare　Cedric　for　meeting　his　grandfather；　and；　perhaps；　for　the



great　change　that　was　to　come　to　him。　　He　could　see　that　Cedric



had　not　the　least　idea　of　the　sort　of　thing　he　was　to　see　when　he



reached　England；　or　of　the　sort　of　home　that　waited　for　him



there。　　He　did　not　even　know　yet　that　his　mother　was　not　to　live



in　the　same　house　with　him。　　They　had　thought　it　best　to　let　him



get　over　the　first　shock　before　telling　him。







Mr。　Havisham　sat　in　an　arm…chair　on　one　side　of　the　open　window；



on　the　other　side　was　another　still　larger　chair；　and　Cedric　sat



in　that　and　looked　at　Mr。　Havisham。　　He　sat　well　back　in　the



depths　of　his　big　seat；　his　curly　head　against　the　cushioned



back；　his　legs　crossed；　and　his　hands　thrust　deep　into　his



pockets；　in　a　quite　Mr。　Hobbs…like　way。　　He　had　been　watching　Mr。



Havisham　very　steadily　when　his　mamma　ha