little lord fauntleroy-第7部分

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



yellow　thatch；　with　good…natured　plans　for　his　friends；　and　who



seemed　somehow　to　have　forgotten　himself　altogether。







〃Is　there　anything〃　he　began。　　〃What　would　you　get　for



yourself；　if　you　were　rich？〃







〃Lots　of　things！〃　answered　Lord　Fauntleroy　briskly；　〃but　first



I'd　give　Mary　some　money　for　Bridgetthat's　her　sister；　with



twelve　children；　and　a　husband　out　of　work。　　She　comes　here　and



cries；　and　Dearest　gives　her　things　in　a　basket；　and　then　she



cries　again；　and　says：　‘Blessin's　be　on　yez；　for　a　beautiful



lady。'　And　I　think　Mr。　Hobbs　would　like　a　gold　watch　and　chain　to



remember　me　by；　and　a　meerschaum　pipe。　　And　then　I'd　like　to　get



up　a　company。〃







〃A　company！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Havisham。







〃Like　a　Republican　rally；〃　explained　Cedric；　becoming　quite



excited。　　〃I'd　have　torches　and　uniforms　and　things　for　all　the



boys　and　myself；　too。　　And　we'd　march；　you　know；　and　drill。　



That's　what　I　should　like　for　myself；　if　I　were　rich。〃







The　door　opened　and　Mrs。　Errol　came　in。







〃I　am　sorry　to　have　been　obliged　to　leave　you　so　long；〃　she



said　to　Mr。　Havisham；　〃but　a　poor　woman；　who　is　in　great



trouble；　came　to　see　me。〃







〃This　young　gentleman；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham；　〃has　been　telling



me　about　some　of　his　friends；　and　what　he　would　do　for　them　if　he



were　rich。〃







〃Bridget　is　one　of　his　friends；〃　said　Mrs。　Errol；　〃and　it　is



Bridget　to　whom　I　have　been　talking　in　the　kitchen。　　She　is　in



great　trouble　now　because　her　husband　has　rheumatic　fever。〃







Cedric　slipped　down　out　of　his　big　chair。







〃I　think　I'll　go　and　see　her；〃　he　said；　〃and　ask　her　how　he



is。　　He's　a　nice　man　when　he　is　well。　　I'm　obliged　to　him　because



he　once　made　me　a　sword　out　of　wood。　　He's　a　very　talented　man。〃







He　ran　out　of　the　room；　and　Mr。　Havisham　rose　from　his　chair。　　He



seemed　to　have　something　in　his　mind　which　he　wished　to　speak　of。







He　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then　said；　looking　down　at　Mrs。　Errol：







〃Before　I　left　Dorincourt　Castle；　I　had　an　interview　with　the



Earl；　in　which　he　gave　me　some　instructions。　　He　is　desirous　that



his　grandson　should　look　forward　with　some　pleasure　to　his　future



life　in　England；　and　also　to　his　acquaintance　with　himself。　　He



said　that　I　must　let　his　lordship　know　that　the　change　in　his



life　would　bring　him　money　and　the　pleasures　children　enjoy；　if



he　expressed　any　wishes；　I　was　to　gratify　them；　and　to　tell　him



that　his　grand…father　had　given　him　what　he　wished。　　I　am　aware



that　the　Earl　did　not　expect　anything　quite　like　this；　but　if　it



would　give　Lord　Fauntleroy　pleasure　to　assist　this　poor　woman；　I



should　feel　that　the　Earl　would　be　displeased　if　he　were　not



gratified。〃







For　the　second　time；　he　did　not　repeat　the　Earl's　exact　words。　



His　lordship　had；　indeed；　said：







〃Make　the　lad　understand　that　I　can　give　him　anything　he　wants。　



Let　him　know　what　it　is　to　be　the　grandson　of　the　Earl　of



Dorincourt。　　Buy　him　everything　he　takes　a　fancy　to；　let　him　have



money　in　his　pockets；　and　tell　him　his　grandfather　put　it



there。〃







His　motives　were　far　from　being　good；　and　if　he　had　been　dealing



with　a　nature　less　affectionate　and　warm…hearted　than　little　Lord



Fauntleroy's；　great　harm　might　have　been　done。　　And　Cedric's



mother　was　too　gentle　to　suspect　any　harm。　　She　thought　that



perhaps　this　meant　that　a　lonely；　unhappy　old　man；　whose　children



were　dead；　wished　to　be　kind　to　her　little　boy；　and　win　his　love



and　confidence。　　And　it　pleased　her　very　much　to　think　that



Ceddie　would　be　able　to　help　Bridget。　　It　made　her　happier　to



know　that　the　very　first　result　of　the　strange　fortune　which　had



befallen　her　little　boy　was　that　he　could　do　kind　things　for



those　who　needed　kindness。　　Quite　a　warm　color　bloomed　on　her



pretty　young　face。







〃Oh！〃　she　said；　〃that　was　very　kind　of　the　Earl；　Cedric　will



be　so　glad！　　He　has　always　been　fond　of　Bridget　and　Michael。　



They　are　quite　deserving。　　I　have　often　wished　I　had　been　able　to



help　them　more。　　Michael　is　a　hard…working　man　when　he　is　well；



but　he　has　been　ill　a　long　time　and　needs　expensive　medicines　and



warm　clothing　and　nourishing　food。　　He　and　Bridget　will　not　be



wasteful　of　what　is　given　them。〃







Mr。　Havisham　put　his　thin　hand　in　his　breast　pocket　and　drew



forth　a　large　pocket…book。　　There　was　a　queer　look　in　his　keen



face。　　The　truth　was；　he　was　wondering　what　the　Earl　of



Dorincourt　would　say　when　he　was　told　what　was　the　first　wish　of



his　grandson　that　had　been　granted。　　He　wondered　what　the　cross；



worldly；　selfish　old　nobleman　would　think　of　it。







〃I　do　not　know　that　you　have　realized；〃　he　said；　〃that　the



Earl　of　Dorincourt　is　an　exceedingly　rich　man。　　He　can　afford　to



gratify　any　caprice。　　I　think　it　would　please　him　to　know　that



Lord　Fauntleroy　had　been　indulged　in　any　fancy。　　If　you　will　call



him　back　and　allow　me；　I　shall　give　him　five　pounds　for　these



people。〃







〃That　would　be　twenty…five　dollars！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Errol。　



〃It　will　seem　like　wealth　to　them。　　〃I　can　scarcely　believe



that　it　is　true。〃







〃It　is　quite　true；〃　said　Mr。　Havisham；　with　his　dry　smile。　　〃A



great　change　has　taken　place　in　your　son's　life；　a　great　deal　of



power　will　lie　in　his　hands。〃







〃Oh！〃　cried　his　mother。　　〃And　he　is　such　a　little　boya　very



little　boy。　　How　can　I　teach　him　to　use　it　well？　　It　makes　me



half　afraid。　　My　pretty　little　Ceddie！〃







The　lawyer　slightly　cleared　his　throat。　　It　touched　his　worldly；



hard　old　heart　to　see　the　tender；　timid　look　in　her　brown　eyes。







〃I　think；　madam；〃　he　said；　〃that　if　I　may　judge　from　my



interview　with　Lord　Fauntleroy　this　morning；　the　next　Earl　of



Dorincourt　will　think　for　others　as　well　as　for　his　noble　self。　



He　is　only　a　child　yet；　but　I　think　he　may　be　trusted。〃







Then　his　mother　went　for　Cedric　and　brought　him　back　into　the



parlor。　　Mr。　Havisham　heard　him　talking　before　he　entered　the



room。







〃It's　infam…natory　rheumatism；〃　he　was　saying；　〃and　that's　a



kind　of　rheumatism　that's　dreadful。　　And　he　thinks　about　the　rent



not　being　paid；　and　Bridget　says　that　makes　the　inf'ammation



worse。　　And　Pat　could　get　a　place　in　a　store　if　he　had　some



clothes。〃







His　little　face　looked　quite　anxious　when　he　came　in。　　He　was



very　sorry　for　Bridget。







〃Dearest　said　you　wanted　me；〃　he　said　to　Mr。　Havisham。　　〃I've



been　talking　to　Bridget。〃







Mr。　Havisham　looked　down　at　him　a　moment。　　He　felt　a　little



awkward　and　undecided。　　As　Cedric's　mother　had　said；　he　was　a



very　little　boy。







〃The　Earl　of　Dorincourt〃　he　began；　and　then　he　glanced



involuntarily　at　Mrs。　Errol。







Little　Lord　Fauntleroy's　mother　suddenly　kneeled　down　by　him　and



put　both　her　tender　arms　around　his　childish　body。







〃Ceddie；〃　she　said；　〃the　Earl　is　your　grandpapa；　your　own



papa's　father。　　He　is　very；　very　kind；　and　he　loves　you　and



wishes　you　to　love　him；　because　the　sons　who　were　his　little　boys



are　dead。　　He　wishes　you　to　be　happy　and　to　make　other　people



happy。　　He　is　very　rich；　and　he　wishes　you　to　have　everything　you



would　like　to　have。　　He　told　Mr。　Havisham　so；　and　gave　him　a



great　deal　of　money　for　you。　　You　can　give　some　to　Bridget　now；



enough　to　pay　her　rent　and　buy　Michael　everything。　　Isn't　that



fine；　Ceddie？　　Isn't　he　good？〃　And　she　kissed　the　child　on　his



round　cheek；　where　the　bright　color　suddenly　flashed　up　in　his



excited　amazement。







He　looked　from　his　mother　to　Mr。　Havisham。







〃Can　I　have　it　now？〃　he　cried。　　〃Can　I　give　it　to　her　this



minute？　　She's　just　going。〃







Mr。　Havisham　handed　him　the　money。　　It　was　in　fresh；　clean



greenbacks　and　made　a　neat　roll。







Ceddie　flew　out　of　the　room　with　it。







〃Bridget！〃　they　heard　him　shout；　as　he　tore　into　the　kitchen。　



〃Bridget；　wait　a　minute！　　Here's　some　money。　　It's　for　you；　and



you　can　pay　the　rent。　　My　grandpapa　gave　it　to　me。　　It's　for　you



and　Michael！〃







〃Oh；　Master　Ceddie！〃　cried　Bridget；　in　an　awe…stricken　voice。　



〃It's　twinty…foive　dollars　is　here。　　Where　be's　the　misthress？〃







〃I　think　I　shall　have　to　go　and　explain　it　to　her；〃　Mrs。　Errol



said。







So　she；　too；　went　out　of　the　room　and　Mr。　Havisham　was　left　alone



for　a　while。　　He　went　to　the　window　and　stood　looking　out　into



the　street　reflectively。　　He　was　thinking　of　the　old　Earl　of



Dorincourt；　sitting　in　his　great；　splendid；　gloomy　library　at　the



castle；　gouty　and　lonely；　surrounded　by　grandeur　and　luxury；　but



not　really　loved　by　any　one；　because　in　all　his　long　life　he　had



never　really　loved　any　one　but　himself；　he　had　been　selfish　and



self…indulgent　and　arrogant　and　passionate；　he　had　cared　so　much



for　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt　and　his　pleasures　that　there　had　been



no　time　for　him　to　think　of　other　people；　all　his　wealth　and



power；　all　the　benefits　from　his　noble　name　and　high　rank；　had



seemed　to　him　to　be　things　only　to　be　used　to　amuse　and　give



pleasure　to　the　Earl　of　Dorincourt；　and　now　that　he　was　an　old



man；　all　this　excitement　and　self…indulgence　had　only　brought　him



ill　health　and　irritability　and　a　dislike　of　the　world；　which



certainly　disliked　him。　　In　spite　of　all　his　splendor；　there　was



never　a　more　unpopular　old　nob