little lord fauntleroy-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



Havisham　very　steadily　when　his　mamma　had　been　in　the　room；　and



after　she　was　gone　he　still　looked　at　him　in　respectful



thoughtfulness。　　There　was　a　short　silence　after　Mrs。　Errol　went



out；　and　Cedric　seemed　to　be　studying　Mr。　Havisham；　and　Mr。



Havisham　was　certainly　studying　Cedric。　　He　could　not　make　up　his



mind　as　to　what　an　elderly　gentleman　should　say　to　a　little　boy



who　won　races；　and　wore　short　knickerbockers　and　red　stockings　on



legs　which　were　not　long　enough　to　hang　over　a　big　chair　when　he



sat　well　back　in　it。







But　Cedric　relieved　him　by　suddenly　beginning　the　conversation



himself。







〃Do　you　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　what　an　earl　is？〃







〃Don't　you？〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。







〃No；〃　replied　Ceddie。　　〃And　I　think　when　a　boy　is　going　to　be



one；　he　ought　to　know。　　Don't　you？〃







〃Wellyes；〃　answered　Mr。　Havisham。







〃Would　you　mind；〃　said　Ceddie　respectfully〃would　you　mind



'splaining　it　to　me？〃　（Sometimes　when　he　used　his　long　words　he



did　not　pronounce　them　quite　correctly。）　〃What　made　him　an



earl？〃







〃A　king　or　queen；　in　the　first　place；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　



〃Generally；　he　is　made　an　earl　because　he　has　done　some　service



to　his　sovereign；　or　some　great　deed。〃







〃Oh！〃　said　Cedric；　〃that's　like　the　President。〃







〃Is　it？〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　　〃Is　that　why　your　presidents　are



elected？〃







〃Yes；〃　answered　Ceddie　cheerfully。　　〃When　a　man　is　very　good



and　knows　a　great　deal；　he　is　elected　president。　　They　have



torch…light　processions　and　bands；　and　everybody　makes　speeches。　



I　used　to　think　I　might　perhaps　be　a　president；　but　I　never



thought　of　being　an　earl。　　I　didn't　know　about　earls；〃　he　said；



rather　hastily；　lest　Mr。　Havisham　might　feel　it　impolite　in　him



not　to　have　wished　to　be　one；〃if　I'd　known　about　them；　I　dare



say　I　should　have　thought　I　should　like　to　be　one〃







〃It　is　rather　different　from　being　a　president；〃　said　Mr。



Havisham。







〃Is　it？〃　asked　Cedric。　　〃How？　　Are　there　no　torch…light



processions？〃







Mr。　Havisham　crossed　his　own　legs　and　put　the　tips　of　his　fingers



carefully　together。　　He　thought　perhaps　the　time　had　come　to



explain　matters　rather　more　clearly。







〃An　earl　isis　a　very　important　person；〃　he　began。







〃So　is　a　president！〃　put　in　Ceddie。　　〃The　torch…light



processions　are　five　miles　long；　and　they　shoot　up　rockets；　and



the　band　plays！　　Mr。　Hobbs　took　me　to　see　them。〃







〃An　earl；〃　Mr。　Havisham　went　on；　feeling　rather　uncertain　of



his　ground；　〃is　frequently　of　very　ancient　lineage〃







〃What's　that？〃　asked　Ceddie。







〃Of　very　old　familyextremely　old。〃







〃Ah！〃　said　Cedric；　thrusting　his　hands　deeper　into　his　pockets。　



〃I　suppose　that　is　the　way　with　the　apple…woman　near　the　park。　



I　dare　say　she　is　of　ancient　lin…lenage。　　She　is　so　old　it　would



surprise　you　how　she　can　stand　up。　　She's　a　hundred；　I　should



think；　and　yet　she　is　out　there　when　it　rains；　even。　　I'm　sorry



for　her；　and　so　are　the　other　boys。　　Billy　Williams　once　had



nearly　a　dollar；　and　I　asked　him　to　buy　five　cents'　worth　of



apples　from　her　every　day　until　he　had　spent　it　all。　　That　made



twenty　days；　and　he　grew　tired　of　apples　after　a　week；　but



thenit　was　quite　fortunatea　gentleman　gave　me　fifty　cents　and



I　bought　apples　from　her　instead。　　You　feel　sorry　for　any　one



that's　so　poor　and　has　such　ancient　lin…lenage。　　She　says　hers



has　gone　into　her　bones　and　the　rain　makes　it　worse。〃







Mr。　Havisham　felt　rather　at　a　loss　as　he　looked　at　his



companion's　innocent；　serious　little　face。







〃I　am　afraid　you　did　not　quite　understand　me；〃　he　explained。　



〃When　I　said　‘ancient　lineage'　I　did　not　mean　old　age；　I　meant



that　the　name　of　such　a　family　has　been　known　in　the　world　a　long



time；　perhaps　for　hundreds　of　years　persons　bearing　that　name



have　been　known　and　spoken　of　in　the　history　of　their　country。〃







〃Like　George　Washington；〃　said　Ceddie。　　〃I've　heard　of　him



ever　since　I　was　born；　and　he　was　known　about；　long　before　that。　



Mr。　Hobbs　says　he　will　never　be　forgotten。　　That's　because　of　the



Declaration　of　Independence；　you　know；　and　the　Fourth　of　July。　



You　see；　he　was　a　very　brave　man。〃







〃The　first　Earl　of　Dorincourt；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham　solemnly；



〃was　created　an　earl　four　hundred　years　ago。〃







〃Well；　well！〃　said　Ceddie。　　〃That　was　a　long　time　ago！　　Did



you　tell　Dearest　that？　　It　would　int'rust　her　very　much。　　We'll



tell　her　when　she　comes　in。　　She　always　likes　to　hear　cur'us



things。　　What　else　does　an　earl　do　besides　being　created？〃







〃A　great　many　of　them　have　helped　to　govern　England。　　Some　of



them　have　been　brave　men　and　have　fought　in　great　battles　in　the



old　days。〃







〃I　should　like　to　do　that　myself；〃　said　Cedric。　　〃My　papa　was



a　soldier；　and　he　was　a　very　brave　manas　brave　as　George



Washington。　　Perhaps　that　was　because　he　would　have　been　an　earl



if　he　hadn't　died。　　I　am　glad　earls　are　brave。　　That's　a　great



'vantageto　be　a　brave　man。　　Once　I　used　to　be　rather　afraid　of　



thingsin　the　dark；　you　know；　but　when　I　thought　about　the



soldiers　in　the　Revolution　and　George　Washingtonit　cured　me。〃







〃There　is　another　advantage　in　being　an　earl；　sometimes；〃　said



Mr。　Havisham　slowly；　and　he　fixed　his　shrewd　eyes　on　the　little



boy　with　a　rather　curious　expression。　　〃Some　earls　have　a　great



deal　of　money。〃







He　was　curious　because　he　wondered　if　his　young　friend　knew　what



the　power　of　money　was。







〃That's　a　good　thing　to　have；〃　said　Ceddie　innocently。　　〃I



wish　I　had　a　great　deal　of　money。〃







〃Do　you？〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　　〃And　why？〃







〃Well；〃　explained　Cedric；　〃there　are　so　many　things　a　person



can　do　with　money。　　You　see；　there's　the　apple…woman。　　If　I　were



very　rich　I　should　buy　her　a　little　tent　to　put　her　stall　in；　and



a　little　stove；　and　then　I　should　give　her　a　dollar　every　morning



it　rained；　so　that　she　could　afford　to　stay　at　home。　　And



thenoh！　　I'd　give　her　a　shawl。　　And；　you　see；　her　bones



wouldn't　feel　so　badly。　　Her　bones　are　not　like　our　bones；　they



hurt　her　when　she　moves。　　It's　very　painful　when　your　bones　hurt



you。　　If　I　were　rich　enough　to　do　all　those　things　for　her；　I



guess　her　bones　would　be　all　right。〃







〃Ahem！〃　said　Mr。　Havisham。　　〃And　what　else　would　you　do　if　you



were　rich？〃







〃Oh！　　I'd　do　a　great　many　things。　　Of　course　I　should　buy



Dearest　all　sorts　of　beautiful　things；　needle…books　and　fans　and



gold　thimbles　and　rings；　and　an　encyclopedia；　and　a　carriage；　so



that　she　needn't　have　to　wait　for　the　street…cars。　　If　she　liked



pink　silk　dresses；　I　should　buy　her　some；　but　she　likes　black



best。　　But　I'd；　take　her　to　the　big　stores；　and　tell　her　to　look



'round　and　choose　for　herself。　　And　then　Dick〃







〃Who　is　Dick？〃　asked　Mr。　Havisham。







〃Dick　is　a　boot…black；〃　said　his　young；　lordship；　quite　warming



up　in　his　interest　in　plans　so　exciting。　　〃He　is　one　of　the



nicest　boot…blacks　you　ever　knew。　　He　stands　at　the　corner　of　a



street　down…town。　　I've　known　him　for　years。　　Once　when　I　was



very　little；　I　was　walking　out　with　Dearest；　and　she　bought　me　a



beautiful　ball　that　bounced；　and　I　was　carrying　it　and　it　bounced



into　the　middle　of　the　street　where　the　carriages　and　horses



were；　and　I　was　so　disappointed；　I　began　to　cryI　was　very



little。　　I　had　kilts　on。　　And　Dick　was　blacking　a　man's　shoes；



and　he　said　‘Hello！'　and　he　ran　in　between　the　horses　and　caught



the　ball　for　me　and　wiped　it　off　with　his　coat　and　gave　it　to　me



and　said；　‘It's　all　right；　young　un。'　So　Dearest　admired　him　very



much；　and　so　did　I；　and　ever　since　then；　when　we　go　down…town；　we



talk　to　him。　　He　says　‘Hello！'　and　I　say　‘Hello！'　and　then　we



talk　a　little；　and　he　tells　me　how　trade　is。　　It's　been　bad



lately。〃







〃And　what　would　you　like　to　do　for　him？〃　inquired　the　lawyer；



rubbing　his　chin　and　smiling　a　queer　smile。







〃Well；〃　said　Lord　Fauntleroy；　settling　himself　in　his　chair



with　a　business　air；　〃I'd　buy　Jake　out。〃







〃And　who　is　Jake？〃　Mr。　Havisham　asked。







〃He's　Dick's　partner；　and　he　is　the　worst　partner　a　fellow　could



have！　　Dick　says　so。　　He　isn't　a　credit　to　the　business；　and　he



isn't　square。　　He　cheats；　and　that　makes　Dick　mad。　　It　would　make



you　mad；　you　know；　if　you　were　blacking　boots　as　hard　as　you



could；　and　being　square　all　the　time；　and　your　partner　wasn't



square　at　all。　　People　like　Dick；　but　they　don't　like　Jake；　and



so　sometimes　they　don't　come　twice。　　So　if　I　were　rich；　I'd　buy



Jake　out　and　get　Dick　a　‘boss'　signhe　says　a　‘boss'　sign　goes　a



long　way；　and　I'd　get　him　some　new　clothes　and　new　brushes；　and



start　him　out　fair。　　He　says　all　he　wants　is　to　start　out　fair。〃







There　could　have　been　nothing　more　confiding　and　innocent　than



the　way　in　which　his　small　lordship　told　his　little　story；



quoting　his　friend　Dick's　bits　of　slang　in　the　most　candid　good



faith。　　He　seemed　to　feel　not　a　shade　of　a　doubt　that　his　elderly



companion　would　be　just　as　interested　as　he　was　himself。　　And　in



truth　Mr。　Havisham　was　beginning　to　be　greatly　interested；　but



perhaps　not　quite　so　much　in　Dick　and　the　apple…woman　as　in　this



kind　little　lordling；　whose　curly　head　was　so　busy；　under　its



yellow　thatch；　w