little lord fauntleroy-第9部分

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sorry；　though　he　scarcely　knew　what　it　was；　but　one　tender　little



thought　rose　to　his　lips。







〃We　liked　this　little　house；　Dearest；　didn't　we？〃　he　said。　



〃We　always　will　like　it；　won't　we？〃







〃Yesyes；〃　she　answered；　in　a　low；　sweet　voice。　　〃Yes；



darling。〃







And　then　they　went　into　the　carriage　and　Cedric　sat　very　close　to



her；　and　as　she　looked　back　out　of　the　window；　he　looked　at　her



and　stroked　her　hand　and　held　it　close。







And　then；　it　seemed　almost　directly；　they　were　on　the　steamer　in



the　midst　of　the　wildest　bustle　and　confusion；　carriages　were



driving　down　and　leaving　passengers；　passengers　were　getting　into



a　state　of　excitement　about　baggage　which　had　not　arrived　and



threatened　to　be　too　late；　big　trunks　and　cases　were　being　bumped



down　and　dragged　about；　sailors　were　uncoiling　ropes　and　hurrying



to　and　fro；　officers　were　giving　orders；　ladies　and　gentlemen　and



children　and　nurses　were　coming　on　board；some　were　laughing　and



looked　gay；　some　were　silent　and　sad；　here　and　there　two　or　three



were　crying　and　touching　their　eyes　with　their　handkerchiefs。　



Cedric　found　something　to　interest　him　on　every　side；　he　looked



at　the　piles　of　rope；　at　the　furled　sails；　at　the　tall；　tall



masts　which　seemed　almost　to　touch　the　hot　blue　sky；　he　began　to



make　plans　for　conversing　with　the　sailors　and　gaining　some



information　on　the　subject　of　pirates。







It　was　just　at　the　very　last；　when　he　was　standing　leaning　on　the



railing　of　the　upper　deck　and　watching　the　final　preparations；



enjoying　the　excitement　and　the　shouts　of　the　sailors　and



wharfmen；　that　his　attention　was　called　to　a　slight　bustle　in　one



of　the　groups　not　far　from　him。　　Some　one　was　hurriedly　forcing



his　way　through　this　group　and　coming　toward　him。　　It　was　a　boy；



with　something　red　in　his　hand。　　It　was　Dick。　　He　came　up　to



Cedric　quite　breathless。







〃I've　run　all　the　way；〃　he　said。　　〃I've　come　down　to　see　ye



off。　　Trade's　been　prime！　　I　bought　this　for　ye　out　o'　what　I



made　yesterday。　　Ye　kin　wear　it　when　ye　get　among　the　swells。　　I



lost　the　paper　when　I　was　tryin'　to　get　through　them　fellers



downstairs。　　They　didn't　want　to　let　me　up。　　It's　a　hankercher。〃







He　poured　it　all　forth　as　if　in　one　sentence。　　A　bell　rang；　and



he　made　a　leap　away　before　Cedric　had　time　to　speak。







〃Good…bye！〃　he　panted。　　〃Wear　it　when　ye　get　among　the



swells。〃　And　he　darted　off　and　was　gone。







A　few　seconds　later　they　saw　him　struggle　through　the　crowd　on



the　lower　deck；　and　rush　on　shore　just　before　the　gang…plank　was



drawn　in。　　He　stood　on　the　wharf　and　waved　his　cap。







Cedric　held　the　handkerchief　in　his　hand。　　It　was　of　bright　red



silk　ornamented　with　purple　horseshoes　and　horses'　heads。







There　was　a　great　straining　and　creaking　and　confusion。　　The



people　on　the　wharf　began　to　shout　to　their　friends；　and　the



people　on　the　steamer　shouted　back：







〃Good…bye！　　Good…bye！　　Good…bye；　old　fellow！〃　Every　one　seemed



to　be　saying；　〃Don't　forget　us。　　Write　when　you　get　to



Liverpool。　　Good…bye！　　Good…bye！〃







Little　Lord　Fauntleroy　leaned　forward　and　waved　the　red



handkerchief。







〃Good…bye；　Dick！〃　he　shouted；　lustily。　　〃Thank　you！　　Good…bye；



Dick！〃







And　the　big　steamer　moved　away；　and　the　people　cheered　again；　and



Cedric's　mother　drew　the　veil　over　her　eyes；　and　on　the　shore



there　was　left　great　confusion；　but　Dick　saw　nothing　save　that



bright；　childish　face　and　the　bright　hair　that　the　sun　shone　on



and　the　breeze　lifted；　and　he　heard　nothing　but　the　hearty



childish　voice　calling　〃Good…bye；　Dick！〃　as　little　Lord



Fauntleroy　steamed　slowly　away　from　the　home　of　his　birth　to　the



unknown　land　of　his　ancestors。















IV







It　was　during　the　voyage　that　Cedric's　mother　told　him　that　his



home　was　not　to　be　hers；　and　when　he　first　understood　it；　his



grief　was　so　great　that　Mr。　Havisham　saw　that　the　Earl　had　been



wise　in　making　the　arrangements　that　his　mother　should　be　quite



near　him；　and　see　him　often；　for　it　was　very　plain　he　could　not



have　borne　the　separation　otherwise。　　But　his　mother　managed　the



little　fellow　so　sweetly　and　lovingly；　and　made　him　feel　that　she



would　be　so　near　him；　that；　after　a　while；　he　ceased　to　be



oppressed　by　the　fear　of　any　real　parting。







〃My　house　is　not　far　from　the　Castle；　Ceddie；〃　she　repeated



each　time　the　subject　was　referred　to〃a　very　little　way　from



yours；　and　you　can　always　run　in　and　see　me　every　day；　and　you



will　have　so　many　things　to　tell　me！　　and　we　shall　be　so　happy



together！　　It　is　a　beautiful　place。　　Your　papa　has　often　told　me



about　it。　　He　loved　it　very　much；　and　you　will　love　it　too。〃







〃I　should　love　it　better　if　you　were　there；〃　his　small　lordship



said；　with　a　heavy　little　sigh。







He　could　not　but　feel　puzzled　by　so　strange　a　state　of　affairs；



which　could　put　his　〃Dearest〃　in　one　house　and　himself　in



another。







The　fact　was　that　Mrs。　Errol　had　thought　it　better　not　to　tell



him　why　this　plan　had　been　made。







〃I　should　prefer　he　should　not　be　told；〃　she　said　to　Mr。



Havisham。　　〃He　would　not　really　understand；　he　would　only　be



shocked　and　hurt；　and　I　feel　sure　that　his　feeling　for　the　Earl



will　be　a　more　natural　and　affectionate　one　if　he　does　not　know



that　his　grandfather　dislikes　me　so　bitterly。　　He　has　never　seen



hatred　or　hardness；　and　it　would　be　a　great　blow　to　him　to　find



out　that　any　one　could　hate　me。　　He　is　so　loving　himself；　and　I



am　so　dear　to　him！　　It　is　better　for　him　that　he　should　not　be



told　until　he　is　much　older；　and　it　is　far　better　for　the　Earl。　



It　would　make　a　barrier　between　them；　even　though　Ceddie　is　such



a　child。〃







So　Cedric　only　knew　that　there　was　some　mysterious　reason　for　the



arrangement；　some　reason　which　he　was　not　old　enough　to



understand；　but　which　would　be　explained　when　he　was　older。　　He



was　puzzled；　but；　after　all；　it　was　not　the　reason　he　cared　about



so　much；　and　after　many　talks　with　his　mother；　in　which　she



comforted　him　and　placed　before　him　the　bright　side　of　the



picture；　the　dark　side　of　it　gradually　began　to　fade　out；　though



now　and　then　Mr。　Havisham　saw　him　sitting　in　some　queer　little



old…fashioned　attitude；　watching　the　sea；　with　a　very　grave　face；



and　more　than　once　he　heard　an　unchildish　sigh　rise　to　his　lips。







〃I　don't　like　it；〃　he　said　once　as　he　was　having　one　of　his



almost　venerable　talks　with　the　lawyer。　　〃You　don't　know　how



much　I　don't　like　it；　but　there　are　a　great　many　troubles　in　this



world；　and　you　have　to　bear　them。　　Mary　says　so；　and　I've　heard



Mr。　Hobbs　say　it　too。　　And　Dearest　wants　me　to　like　to　live　with



my　grandpapa；　because；　you　see；　all　his　children　are　dead；　and



that's　very　mournful。　　It　makes　you　sorry　for　a　man；　when　all　his



children　have　diedand　one　was　killed　suddenly。〃







One　of　the　things　which　always　delighted　the　people　who　made　the



acquaintance　of　his　young　lordship　was　the　sage　little　air　he



wore　at　times　when　he　gave　himself　up　to　conversation；combined



with　his　occasionally　elderly　remarks　and　the　extreme　innocence



and　seriousness　of　his　round　childish　face；　it　was　irresistible。　



He　was　such　a　handsome；　blooming；　curly…headed　little　fellow；



that；　when　he　sat　down　and　nursed　his　knee　with　his　chubby　hands；



and　conversed　with　much　gravity；　he　was　a　source　of　great



entertainment　to　his　hearers。　　Gradually　Mr。　Havisham　had　begun



to　derive　a　great　deal　of　private　pleasure　and　amusement　from　his



society。







〃And　so　you　are　going　to　try　to　like　the　Earl；〃　he　said。







〃Yes；〃　answered　his　lordship。　　〃He's　my　relation；　and　of



course　you　have　to　like　your　relations；　and　besides；　he's　been



very　kind　to　me。　　When　a　person　does　so　many　things　for　you；　and



wants　you　to　have　everything　you　wish　for；　of　course　you'd　like



him　if　he　wasn't　your　relation；　but　when　he's　your　relation　and



does　that；　why；　you're　very　fond　of　him。〃







〃Do　you　think；〃　suggested　Mr。　Havisham；　〃that　he　will　be　fond



of　you？〃







〃Well；〃　said　Cedric；　〃I　think　he　will；　because；　you　see；　I'm



his　relation；　too；　and　I'm　his　boy's　little　boy　besides；　and；



well；　don't　you　seeof　course　he　must　be　fond　of　me　now；　or　he



wouldn't　want　me　to　have　everything　that　I　like；　and　he　wouldn't



have　sent　you　for　me。〃







〃Oh！〃　remarked　the　lawyer；　〃that's　it；　is　it？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Cedric；　〃that's　it。　　Don't　you　think　that's　it；



too？　　Of　course　a　man　would　be　fond　of　his　grandson。〃







The　people　who　had　been　seasick　had　no　sooner　recovered　from



their　seasickness；　and　come　on　deck　to　recline　in　their



steamer…chairs　and　enjoy　themselves；　than　every　one　seemed　to



know　the　romantic　story　of　little　Lord　Fauntleroy；　and　every　one



took　an　interest　in　the　little　fellow；　who　ran　about　the　ship　or



walked　with　his　mother　or　the　tall；　thin　old　lawyer；　or　talked　to



the　sailors。　　Every　one　liked　him；　he　made　friends　everywhere。　



He　was　ever　ready　to　make　friends。　　When　the　gentlemen　walked　up



and　down　the　deck；　and　let　him　walk　with　them；　he　stepped　out



with　a　manly；　sturdy　little　tramp；　and　answered　all　their　jokes



with　much　gay　enjoyment；　when　the　ladies　talked　to　him；　there　was



always　laughter　in　the　group　of　which　he　was　the　center；　when　he



played　with　the　children；　there　was　always　magnificent　fun　on