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Little Lord Fauntleroy Chapter 2 · The Frances Hodgson Burnett Library

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Speaker 1: CHAPTER II There was never a more amazed little boy
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Speaker 1: than Cedric during the week that followed. There was never
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Speaker 1: so strange or so unreal a week. In the first place,
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Speaker 1: the story his mama told him was a very curious one.
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Speaker 1: He was obliged to hear it two or three times
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Speaker 1: before he could understand it. He could not imagine what Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs would think of it. It began with earls. His grandpapa,
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Speaker 1: whom he had never seen, was an earl, and his
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Speaker 1: eldest uncle, if he had not been killed by a
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Speaker 1: fall from his horse, would have been an earl, too,
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Speaker 1: in time. and after his death his other uncle would
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Speaker 1: have been an earl if he had not died suddenly
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Speaker 1: in rome of a fever after that his own papa
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Speaker 1: if he had lived would have been an earl but
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Speaker 1: since they all had died and only cedric was left
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Speaker 1: it appeared that he was to be an earl after
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Speaker 1: his grandpapa's death and for the present he was lord
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Speaker 1: fauntleroy he turned quite pale when he was first told
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Speaker 1: of it oh dearest he said i should rather not
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Speaker 1: be an earl None of the boys are earls. Can't
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Speaker 1: I not be one? But it seemed to be unavoidable.
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Speaker 1: And when, that evening, they sat together by the open
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Speaker 1: window looking out into the shabby street, he and his
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Speaker 1: mother had a long talk about it. Cedric sat on
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Speaker 1: his footstool, clasping one knee in his favorite attitude, and
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Speaker 1: wearing a bewildered little face, rather red from the exertion
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Speaker 1: of thinking. His grandfather had sent for him to come
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Speaker 1: to England, and his mama thought he must go. Because,
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Speaker 1: she said, looking out of the window with sorrowful eyes,
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Speaker 1: I know your papa would wish it to be so,
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Speaker 1: said he. He loved his home very much, and there
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Speaker 1: are many things to be thought of that a little
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Speaker 1: boy can't quite understand. I should be a selfish little
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Speaker 1: mother if I did not send you. When you are
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Speaker 1: a man, you will see why. Said he, shook his
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Speaker 1: head mournfully. I shall be very sorry to leave Mr. Hobbs,
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Speaker 1: he said. I'm afraid he'll miss me, and I shall
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Speaker 1: miss him. and I shall miss them all. When Mr. Havisham,
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Speaker 1: who was the family lawyer of the Earl of Dorincourt,
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Speaker 1: and who had been sent by him to bring Lord
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Speaker 1: Fauntleroy to England, came the next day, Cedric heard many things.
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Speaker 1: But somehow it did not console him to hear that
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Speaker 1: he was to be a very rich man when he
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Speaker 1: grew up, and that he would have castles here and
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Speaker 1: castles there, and great parks and deep mines and grand
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Speaker 1: estates and tenantry. He was troubled about his friend, Mr. Hobbs,
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Speaker 1: and he went to see him at the store soon
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Speaker 1: after breakfast in great anxiety of mind. He found him
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Speaker 1: reading the morning paper, and he approached him with a
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Speaker 1: grave demeanor. He really felt it would be a great
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Speaker 1: shock to Mr. Hobbs to hear what had befallen him,
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Speaker 1: and on his way to the store he had been
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Speaker 1: thinking how it would be best to break the news.' Hello,'
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Speaker 1: said Mr. Hobbs.' Morning.'' Good morning,' said Cedric. He did
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Speaker 1: not climb up on the high stool as usual, but
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Speaker 1: sat down on a cracker box and clasped his knee,
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Speaker 1: and was so silent for a few moments that Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs finally looked up inquiringly over the top of his newspaper. Hello,
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Speaker 1: he said again. Cedric gathered all his strength of mind together. Mr. Hobbs,
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Speaker 1: he said, do you remember what we were talking about
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Speaker 1: yesterday morning? Well, replied Mr. Hobbs, seems to me it
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Speaker 1: was England.' Yes,' said Cedric,' but just when Mary came
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Speaker 1: for me, you know?' Mr. Hobbs rubbed the back of
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Speaker 1: his head.' We was mentioning Queen Victoria and the aristocracy.'' Yes,'
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Speaker 1: said Cedric, rather hesitatingly.' And— and Earls, don't you know?'' Why, yes,'
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Speaker 1: returned Mr. Hobbs.' We did touch him up a little.
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Speaker 1: That's so.' Cedric flushed up to the curly bang on
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Speaker 1: his forehead. Nothing so embarrassing as this had ever happened
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Speaker 1: to him in his life. He was a little afraid
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Speaker 1: it might be a trifle embarrassing to Mr. Hobbs, too.
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Speaker 1: You said, he proceeded, that you wouldn't have them sitting
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Speaker 1: round on your cracker barrels. So I did, returned Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs stoutly, and I meant it. Let him try it,
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Speaker 1: that's all. Mr. Hobbs, said Cedric, one is sitting on
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Speaker 1: this box now. Mr. Hobbs almost jumped out of his chair.' What?'
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Speaker 1: he exclaimed.' Yes,' Cedric announced with due modesty.' I am one.
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Speaker 1: Or I am going to be. I won't deceive you.' Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs looked agitated. He rose up suddenly and went to
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Speaker 1: look at the thermometer.' The mercury's gone into your head!'
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Speaker 1: he exclaimed, turning back to examine his young friend's countenance.'
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Speaker 1: It is a hot day. How do you feel? Got
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Speaker 1: any pain?' When did you begin to feel that way?
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Speaker 1: He put his big hand on the little boy's hair.
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Speaker 1: This was more embarrassing than ever. Thank you, said Setty.
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Speaker 1: I'm all right. There's nothing the matter with my head.
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Speaker 1: I'm sorry to say it's true, Mr. Hobbs. That was
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Speaker 1: what Mary came to take me home for. Mr. Havisham
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Speaker 1: was telling my mama, and he is a lawyer. Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs sank into his chair and mopped his forehead with
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Speaker 1: his handkerchief. One of us has got a sunstroke, he exclaimed. No,
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Speaker 1: returned Cedric, we haven't. We shall have to make the
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Speaker 1: best of it, Mr. Hobbs. Mr. Havisham came all the
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Speaker 1: way from England to tell us about it. My grandpapa
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Speaker 1: sent him. Mr. Hobbs stared wildly at the innocent, serious
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Speaker 1: little face before him. Who is your grandfather? he asked.
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Speaker 1: Cedric put his hand in his pocket and carefully drew
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Speaker 1: out a piece of paper. on which something was written
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Speaker 1: in his own round, irregular hand. I couldn't easily remember it,
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Speaker 1: so I wrote it down on this, he said. And
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Speaker 1: he read aloud slowly. John Arthur Molyneux Errol, Earl of Dorancourt.
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Speaker 1: That is his name. And he lives in a castle.
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Speaker 1: In two or three castles, I think. And my papa,
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Speaker 1: who died, was his youngest son. And I shouldn't have
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Speaker 1: been a lord or an earl if my papa hadn't died.
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Speaker 1: and my papa wouldn't have been an earl if his
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Speaker 1: two brothers hadn't died but they all died and there
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Speaker 1: is no one but me no boy and so i
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Speaker 1: have to be one and my grandpapa has sent for
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Speaker 1: me to come to england mr hobbs seemed to grow
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Speaker 1: hotter and hotter he mopped his forehead and his bald
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Speaker 1: spot and breathed hard he began to see that something
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Speaker 1: very remarkable had happened but when he looked at the
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Speaker 1: little boy sitting on the cracker box with the innocent,
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Speaker 1: anxious expression in his childish eyes, and saw that he
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Speaker 1: was not changed at all, but was simply as he
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Speaker 1: had been the day before, just a handsome, cheerful, brave
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Speaker 1: little fellow in a blue suit and red neck-ribbon, all
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Speaker 1: this information about the nobility bewildered him. He was all
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Speaker 1: the more bewildered because Cedric gave it with such ingenuous simplicity,
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Speaker 1: and plainly, without realizing himself, how stupendous it was.' What
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Speaker 1: did you say your name was?' Mr. Hobbs inquired. It's
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Speaker 1: Cedric Errol, Lord Fauntleroy, answered Cedric. That was what Mr.
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Speaker 1: Haversham called me. He said when I went into the room,
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Speaker 1: and so this is little Lord Fauntleroy. Well, said Mr. Hobbs,
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Speaker 1: I'll be jiggered. This was an exclamation he always used
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Speaker 1: when he was very much astonished or excited. He could
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Speaker 1: think of nothing else to say just at that puzzling moment.
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Speaker 1: Cedric felt it to be quite a proper and suitable ejaculation.
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Speaker 1: His respect and affection for Mr. Hobbs were so great
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Speaker 1: that he admired and approved of all his remarks. He
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Speaker 1: had not seen enough of society as yet to make
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Speaker 1: him realize that sometimes Mr. Hobbs was not quite conventional.
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Speaker 1: He knew, of course, that he was different from his mama,
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Speaker 1: but then his mama was a lady, and he had
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Speaker 1: an idea that ladies were always different from gentlemen. He
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Speaker 1: looked at Mr. Hobbs wistfully. England is a long way off,
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Speaker 1: isn't it? he asked. It's across the Atlantic Ocean, Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs answered. That's the worst of it, said Cedric. Perhaps
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Speaker 1: I shall not see you again for a long time.
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Speaker 1: I don't like to think of that, Mr. Hobbs. The
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Speaker 1: best of friends must part, said Mr. Hobbs. Well, said Cedric,
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Speaker 1: we have been friends for a great many years, haven't we?
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Speaker 1: Ever since you was born, Mr. Hobbs answered. You was
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Speaker 1: about six weeks old when you was first walked out
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Speaker 1: on this street. Ah, remarked Cedric with a sigh. I
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Speaker 1: never thought I should have to be an Earl then.
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Speaker 1: You think, said Mr. Hobbs, there's no getting out of it?
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Speaker 1: I'm afraid not, answered Cedric. My Mama says that my
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Speaker 1: Papa would wish me to do it. But if I
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Speaker 1: have to be an Earl, there's one thing I can do.
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Speaker 1: I can try to be a good one. I'm not
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Speaker 1: going to be a tyrant, and if there is ever
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Speaker 1: to be another war with America, I shall try to
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Speaker 1: stop it. His conversation with Mr. Hobbs was a long
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Speaker 1: and serious one. Once having got over the first shock, Mr.
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Speaker 1: Hobbs was not so rancorous as might have been expected.
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Speaker 1: He endeavored to resign himself to the situation, and before
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Speaker 1: the interview was at an end, he had asked a
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Speaker 1: great many questions. As Cedric could answer but a few
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Speaker 1: of them, he endeavored to answer them himself, and, being
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Speaker 1: fairly launched on the subject of earls and marquesses and
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Speaker 1: lordly estates, explained many things in a way which would
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Speaker 1: probably have astonished Mr. Havisham, could that gentleman have heard it.
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Speaker 1: But then there were many things which astonished Mr. Havisham.
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Speaker 1: He had spent all his life in England, and was
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Speaker 1: not accustomed to American people and American habits. He had
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Speaker 1: been connected professionally with the family of the Earl of
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Speaker 1: Dorincourt for nearly forty years, and he knew all about
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Speaker 1: its grand estates and its great wealth and importance, and,
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Speaker 1: in a cold business-like way, he felt an interest in
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Speaker 1: this little boy, who in the future was to be
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Speaker 1: the master and owner of them all. THE FUTURE EARL
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Speaker 1: OF DORINCOURT He had known all about the Earl's disappointment
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Speaker 1: in his elder sons, and all about his fierce rage
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Speaker 1: at Captain Cedric's American marriage. and he knew how he
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Speaker 1: still hated the gentle little widow, and would not speak
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Speaker 1: of her except with bitter and cruel words. He insisted
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Speaker 1: that she was only a common American girl, who had
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Speaker 1: entrapped his son into marrying her because she knew he
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Speaker 1: was an Earl's son. The old lawyer himself had more
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Speaker 1: than half believed this was all true. He had seen
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Speaker 1: a great many selfish mercenary people in his life, and
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Speaker 1: he had not a good opinion of Americans. When he
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Speaker 1: had been driven into the cheap street, and his coupé
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Speaker 1: had stopped before the cheap small house, he had felt
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Speaker 1: actually shocked. It seemed really quite dreadful to think that
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Speaker 1: the future owner of Dorincourt Castle, and Wyndham Towers, and Chulworth,
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Speaker 1: and all the other stately splendors, should have been born
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Speaker 1: and brought up in an insignificant house in a street
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Speaker 1: with a sort of green grocery at the corner. He
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Speaker 1: wondered what kind of a child he would be, and
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Speaker 1: what kind of a mother he had. He rather shrank
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Speaker 1: from seeing them both. HE HAD A SORT OF PRIDE
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Speaker 1: IN THE NOBLE FAMILY WHOSE LEGAL AFFAIRS HE HAD CONDUCTED
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Speaker 1: SO LONG, AND IT WOULD HAVE ANNOYED HIM VERY MUCH
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Speaker 1: TO HAVE FOUND HIMSELF OBLIGED TO MANAGE A WOMAN WHO
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Speaker 1: WOULD SEEM TO HIM A VULGAR, MONEY-LOVING PERSON, WITH NO
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Speaker 1: RESPECT FOR HER DEAD HUSBAND'S COUNTRY AND THE DIGNITY OF
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Speaker 1: HIS NAME. IT WAS A VERY OLD NAME, AND A
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Speaker 1: VERY SPLENDID ONE, AND MR. HAVESHAM HAD A GREAT RESPECT
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Speaker 1: FOR IT HIMSELF, THOUGH HE WAS ONLY A COLD, KEEN,
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Speaker 1: BUSINESS-LIKE OLD LAWYER. When Mary handed him into the small parlor,
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Speaker 1: he looked around it critically. It was plainly furnished, but
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Speaker 1: it had a home-like look. There were no cheap common ornaments,
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Speaker 1: and no cheap gaudy pictures. The few adornments on the
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Speaker 1: walls were in good taste, and about the room were
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Speaker 1: many pretty things which a woman's hand might have made.
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Speaker 1: Not at all bad so far, he had said to himself,
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Speaker 1: but perhaps the captain's taste predominated. But when Mrs. Errol
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Speaker 1: came into the room, he began to think she herself
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Speaker 1: might have had something to do with it. If he
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Speaker 1: had not been quite a self-contained and stiff old gentleman,
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Speaker 1: he would probably have started when he saw her. She looked,
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Speaker 1: in the simple black dress, fitting closely to her slender figure,
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Speaker 1: more like a young girl than the mother of a
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Speaker 1: boy of seven. She had a pretty sorrowful young face,
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Speaker 1: and a very tender innocent look in her large brown eyes.
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Speaker 1: the sorrowful look that had never quite left her face
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Speaker 1: since her husband had died. Cedric was used to seeing
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Speaker 1: it there. The only times he had ever seen it
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Speaker 1: fade out had been when he was playing with her
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Speaker 1: or talking to her and had said some old-fashioned thing
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Speaker 1: or used some long word he had picked up out
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Speaker 1: of the newspapers or in his conversations with Mr. Hobbs.
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Speaker 1: He was fond of using long words, and he was
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Speaker 1: always pleased when they made her laugh, though he could
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Speaker 1: not understand why they were laughable. They were quite serious
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Speaker 1: matters with him. The lawyer's experience taught him to read
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Speaker 1: people's characters very shrewdly, and as soon as he saw
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Speaker 1: Cedric's mother, he knew that the old earl had made
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Speaker 1: a great mistake in thinking her a vulgar mercenary woman. Mr.
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Speaker 1: Havisham had never been married. He had never even been
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Speaker 1: in love. But he divined that this pretty young creature
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Speaker 1: with the sweet voice and sad eyes had married Captain
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Speaker 1: Errol only because she loved him with all her affectionate heart.
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Speaker 1: and that she had never once thought it an advantage
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Speaker 1: that he was an Earl's son. And he saw he
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Speaker 1: should have no trouble with her, and he began to
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Speaker 1: feel that perhaps little Lord Fauntleroy might not be such
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Speaker 1: a trial to his noble family after all. The captain
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Speaker 1: had been a handsome fellow, and the young mother was
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Speaker 1: very pretty, and perhaps the boy might be well enough
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Speaker 1: to look at. When he first told Mrs. Errol what
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Speaker 1: he had come for, she turned very pale. Oh, she said,
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Speaker 1: Will he have to be taken away from me? We
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Speaker 1: love each other so much. He is such a happiness
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Speaker 1: to me. He is all I have. I have tried
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Speaker 1: to be a good mother to him. And her sweet
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Speaker 1: young voice trembled, and the tears rushed into her eyes.
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Speaker 1: You do not know what he has been to me,
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Speaker 1: she said. The lawyer cleared his throat. I am obliged
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Speaker 1: to tell you, he said, that the Earl of Dorincourt
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Speaker 1: is not very friendly towards you. He is an old man,
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Speaker 1: and his prejudices are very strong. He has always especially
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Speaker 1: disliked America and Americans, and was very much enraged by
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Speaker 1: his son's marriage. I am sorry to be the bearer
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Speaker 1: of so unpleasant a communication, but he is very fixed
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Speaker 1: in his determination not to see you. His plan is
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Speaker 1: that Lord Fauntleroy shall be educated under his own supervision,
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Speaker 1: that he shall live with him. The earl is attached
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Speaker 1: to Dorincourt Castle. and spends a great deal of time there.
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Speaker 1: He is a victim to inflammatory gout, and is not
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Speaker 1: fond of London. Lord Fauntleroy will, therefore, be likely to
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Speaker 1: live chiefly at Dorincourt. The Earl offers you as a
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Speaker 1: home Court Lodge, which is situated pleasantly, and is not
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Speaker 1: very far from the castle. He also offers you a
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Speaker 1: suitable income. Lord Fauntleroy will be permitted to visit you.
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Speaker 1: The only stipulation is that you shall not visit him,
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Speaker 1: or enter the park gates. You see, you will not
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Speaker 1: really be separated from your son, and I assure you, madam,
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Speaker 1: the terms are not so harsh as they might have been.
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Speaker 1: The advantage of such surroundings and education as Lord Fauntleroy
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Speaker 1: will have, I am sure you must see, will be
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Speaker 1: very great. He felt a little uneasy lest she should
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Speaker 1: begin to cry or make a scene, as he knew
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Speaker 1: some women would have done. It embarrassed and annoyed him
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Speaker 1: to see women cry. But she did not. She went
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Speaker 1: to the window and stood with her face turned away
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Speaker 1: for a few moments, and he saw she was trying
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Speaker 1: to steady herself. Captain Errol was very fond of Dorincourt,
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Speaker 1: she said at last. He loved England, and everything English.
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Speaker 1: It was always a grief to him that he was
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Speaker 1: parted from his home. He was proud of his home,
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Speaker 1: and of his name. He would wish— I know he would
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Speaker 1: wish— that his son should know the beautiful old places— and
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Speaker 1: be brought up in such a way as would be
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Speaker 1: suitable to his future position then she came back to
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Speaker 1: the table and stood looking up at mr havisham very
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Speaker 1: gently my husband would wish it she said it will
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Speaker 1: be best for my little boy i know i am
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Speaker 1: sure that the earl would not be so unkind as
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Speaker 1: to try to teach him not to love me and
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Speaker 1: i know even if he tried that my little boy
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Speaker 1: is too much like his father to be harmed He
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Speaker 1: has a warm, faithful nature and a true heart. He
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Speaker 1: would love me even if he did not see me,
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Speaker 1: and so long as we may see each other, I
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Speaker 1: ought not to suffer very much. She thinks very little
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Speaker 1: of herself, the lawyer thought. She does not make any
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Speaker 1: terms for herself. Madam, he said aloud, I respect your
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Speaker 1: consideration for your son. He will thank you for it
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Speaker 1: when he is a man. I assure you Lord Fauntleroy
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Speaker 1: will be most carefully guarded, and every effort will be
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Speaker 1: used to ensure his happiness. The Earl of Dorincourt will
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Speaker 1: be as anxious for his comfort and well-being as you
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Speaker 1: yourself could be. I hope, said the tender little mother
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Speaker 1: in a rather broken voice, that his grandfather will love Setty.
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Speaker 1: The little boy has a very affectionate nature, and he
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Speaker 1: has always been loved. Mr. Havisham cleared his throat again.
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Speaker 1: He could not quite imagine the gouty, fiery-tempered old earl
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Speaker 1: loving anyone very much. But he knew it would be
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Speaker 1: to his interest to be kind, in his irritable way,
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Speaker 1: to the child who was to be his heir. He knew, too,
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Speaker 1: that if Seti were at all a credit to his name,
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Speaker 1: his grandfather would be proud of him.' Lord Fauntleroy will
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Speaker 1: be comfortable, I am sure,' he replied. It was with
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Speaker 1: a view to his happiness that the earl desired that
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Speaker 1: you should be near enough to him to see him frequently.'
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Speaker 1: he did not think it would be discreet to repeat
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Speaker 1: the exact words the earl had used which were in
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Speaker 1: fact neither polite nor amiable mr havisham preferred to express
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Speaker 1: his noble patron's offer in smoother and more courteous language
19:47
Speaker 1: he had another slight shock when mrs errol asked mary
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Speaker 1: to find her little boy and bring him to her,
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Speaker 1: and Mary told her where he was.' Sure I'll find
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Speaker 1: him easy enough, ma'am,' she said,' for it's when Mr.
19:59
Speaker 1: Hobsey is this minute, sitting on his high stool by
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Speaker 1: the counter.' and talking politics, most likely, and enjoying himself
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Speaker 1: among the soap and candles and potatoes, as sensible and
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Speaker 1: shwite as you please. Mr. Hobbs has known him all
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Speaker 1: his life, Mrs. Errol said to the lawyer. He is
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Speaker 1: very kind to Setty, and there is a great friendship
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Speaker 1: between them. Remembering the glimpse he had caught of the
20:24
Speaker 1: store as he passed it, and having a recollection of
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Speaker 1: the barrels of potatoes and apples and the various odds
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Speaker 1: and ends, Mr. Havisham felt his doubts arise again. In England,
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Speaker 1: gentlemen's sons did not make friends of grocery men, and
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Speaker 1: it seemed to him a rather singular proceeding. It would
20:42
Speaker 1: be very awkward if the child had bad manners and
20:44
Speaker 1: a disposition to like low company. One of the bitterest
20:48
Speaker 1: humiliations of the old earl's life had been that his
20:51
Speaker 1: two elder sons had been fond of low company. Could
20:55
Speaker 1: it be, he thought, that this boy shared their bad
20:58
Speaker 1: qualities instead of his father's good qualities? He was thinking
21:02
Speaker 1: uneasily about this as he talked to Mrs. Errol until
21:05
Speaker 1: the child came into the room. When the door opened,
21:08
Speaker 1: he actually hesitated a moment before looking at Cedric. It
21:12
Speaker 1: would perhaps have seemed very queer to a great many
21:15
Speaker 1: people who knew him if they could have known the
21:17
Speaker 1: curious sensations that passed through Mr. Havisham as he looked
21:21
Speaker 1: down at the boy who ran into his mother's arms.
21:24
Speaker 1: He experienced a revulsion of feeling that was quite exciting.
21:28
Speaker 1: He recognized in an instant that here was one of
21:31
Speaker 1: the finest and handsomest little fellows he had ever seen.
21:35
Speaker 1: His beauty was something unusual. He had a strong, lithe,
21:39
Speaker 1: graceful little body and a manly little face. He held
21:43
Speaker 1: his childish head up and carried himself with a brave air.
21:47
Speaker 1: He was so like his father that it was really startling.
21:51
Speaker 1: He had his father's golden hair and his mother's brown eyes,
21:55
Speaker 1: but there was nothing sorrowful or timid in them. They
21:58
Speaker 1: were innocently fearless eyes, he looked as if he had
22:01
Speaker 1: never feared or doubted anything in his life. He is
22:06
Speaker 1: the best-bred-looking and handsomest little fellow I ever saw, was
22:09
Speaker 1: what Mr. Havisham thought. What he said aloud was simply,
22:14
Speaker 1: And so, this is little Lord Fauntleroy. And after this,
22:20
Speaker 1: the more he saw of little Lord Fauntleroy, the more
22:23
Speaker 1: of a surprise he found him. He knew very little
22:26
Speaker 1: about children, though he had seen plenty of them in England. fine, handsome,
22:30
Speaker 1: rosy girls and boys, who were strictly taken care of
22:33
Speaker 1: by their tutors and governesses, and who were sometimes shy
22:37
Speaker 1: and sometimes a trifle boisterous, but never very interesting to
22:41
Speaker 1: a ceremonious, rigid old lawyer. Perhaps his personal interest in
22:46
Speaker 1: little Lord Fauntleroy's fortunes made him notice Setty more than
22:49
Speaker 1: he had noticed other children, but however that was, he
22:53
Speaker 1: certainly found himself noticing him a great deal. Cedric did
22:58
Speaker 1: not know he was being observed, and he only behaved
23:01
Speaker 1: himself in his ordinary manner. He shook hands with Mr.
23:04
Speaker 1: Havisham in his friendly way when they were introduced to
23:07
Speaker 1: each other, and he answered all his questions with the
23:10
Speaker 1: unhesitating readiness with which he answered Mr. Hobbs. He was
23:14
Speaker 1: neither shy nor bold, and when Mr. Havisham was talking
23:18
Speaker 1: to his mother, the lawyer noticed that he listened to
23:20
Speaker 1: the conversation with as much interest as if he had
23:23
Speaker 1: been quite grown up. He seems to be a very
23:26
Speaker 1: mature little fellow, Mr. Havisham said to the mother.' I
23:31
Speaker 1: think he is in some things,' she answered.' He has
23:35
Speaker 1: always been very quick to learn, and he has lived
23:37
Speaker 1: a great deal with grown-up people.' He has a funny
23:41
Speaker 1: little habit of using long words and expressions he has
23:44
Speaker 1: read in books, or has heard others use.' But he
23:47
Speaker 1: is very fond of childish play.' I think he is
23:51
Speaker 1: rather clever, but he is a very boyish little boy sometimes.'
23:56
Speaker 1: The next time Mr. Havisham met him, he saw that
23:58
Speaker 1: this last was quite true. As his coupé turned the corner,
24:03
Speaker 1: he caught sight of a group of small boys, who
24:06
Speaker 1: were evidently much excited. Two of them were about to
24:10
Speaker 1: run a race, and one of them was his young lordship,
24:13
Speaker 1: and he was shouting and making as much noise as
24:15
Speaker 1: the noisiest of his companions. He stood side by side
24:19
Speaker 1: with another boy. One little red leg advanced a step.
24:24
Speaker 1: One to make ready, yelled the starter. Two to be steady. Three,
24:29
Speaker 1: and away! Mr. Havisham found himself leaning out the window
24:34
Speaker 1: of his coupé with a curious feeling of interest. He
24:38
Speaker 1: really never remembered having seen anything quite like the way
24:42
Speaker 1: in which his lordship's lordly little red legs flew up
24:45
Speaker 1: behind his knickerbockers and tore over the ground as he
24:47
Speaker 1: shot out in the race at the signal word. He
24:50
Speaker 1: shut his small hands and set his face against the wind.
24:54
Speaker 1: his bright hair streamed out behind. Hooray, said Arrow, all
24:59
Speaker 1: the boys shouted, dancing and shrieking with excitement. Hooray, Billy Williams! Hooray, Setty! Hooray, Billy! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
25:09
Speaker 1: I really believe he is going to win, said Mr. Havisham.
25:15
Speaker 1: The way in which the red legs flew and flashed
25:18
Speaker 1: up and down The shrieks of the boys, the wild
25:20
Speaker 1: efforts of Billy Williams, whose brown legs were not to
25:23
Speaker 1: be despised, as they followed closely in the rear of
25:25
Speaker 1: the red legs, made him feel some excitement. I really,
25:29
Speaker 1: I really can't help hoping he will win, he said
25:33
Speaker 1: with an apologetic sort of cough. At that moment, the
25:38
Speaker 1: wildest yell of all went up from the dancing, hopping boys.
25:41
Speaker 1: With one last frantic leap, the future Earl of Dorincourt
25:44
Speaker 1: had reached the lamppost at the end of the block
25:47
Speaker 1: and touched it. just two seconds before Billy Williams flung
25:50
Speaker 1: himself at it panting. Three cheers for Seti Errol, yelled
25:55
Speaker 1: the little boys. Hooray for Seti Errol! Mr. Havisham drew
26:02
Speaker 1: his head in at the window of his coupé and
26:04
Speaker 1: leaned back with a dry smile. Bravo, Lord Fauntleroy, he said.
26:11
Speaker 1: As his carriage stopped before the door of Mrs. Errol's house,
26:14
Speaker 1: the victor and the vanquished were coming toward it, attended
26:17
Speaker 1: by the clamoring crew, Cedric walked by Billy Williams and
26:20
Speaker 1: was speaking to him. His elated little face was very red.
26:24
Speaker 1: His curls clung to his hot, moist forehead. His hands
26:28
Speaker 1: were in his pockets. You see, he was saying, evidently
26:32
Speaker 1: with the intention of making defeat easy for his unsuccessful rival,
26:36
Speaker 1: I guess I won because my legs are a little
26:38
Speaker 1: longer than yours. I guess that was it. You see,
26:42
Speaker 1: I'm three days older than you, and that gives me
26:44
Speaker 1: a vantage. I'm three days older. And this view of
26:48
Speaker 1: the case seemed to cheer Billy Williams so much that
26:51
Speaker 1: he began to smile on the world again and felt
26:53
Speaker 1: able to swagger a little, almost as if he had
26:56
Speaker 1: won the race instead of losing it. Somehow, Setty Errol
27:00
Speaker 1: had a way of making people feel comfortable. Even in
27:04
Speaker 1: the first flush of his triumphs, he remembered that the
27:07
Speaker 1: person who was beaten might not feel so gay as
27:10
Speaker 1: he did and might like to think that he might
27:12
Speaker 1: have been the winner under different circumstances. That morning Mr.
27:17
Speaker 1: Havisham had quite a long conversation with the winner of
27:20
Speaker 1: the race, a conversation which made him smile his dry
27:23
Speaker 1: smile and rub his chin with his bony hand several times. Mrs.
27:29
Speaker 1: Errol had been called out of the parlor, and the
27:31
Speaker 1: lawyer and Cedric were left together. At first Mr. Havisham
27:35
Speaker 1: had wondered what he should say to his small companion.
27:39
Speaker 1: He had an idea that perhaps it would be best
27:41
Speaker 1: to say several things which might prepare Cedric for meeting
27:44
Speaker 1: his grandfather. and perhaps for the great change that was
27:48
Speaker 1: to come to him. He could see that Cedric had
27:51
Speaker 1: not the least idea of the sort of thing he
27:53
Speaker 1: was to see when he reached England, or the sort
27:56
Speaker 1: of home that waited for him there. He did not
27:59
Speaker 1: even know yet that his mother was not to live
28:01
Speaker 1: in the same house with him. They had thought it
28:03
Speaker 1: best to let him get over the first shock before
28:06
Speaker 1: telling him. Mr. Havisham sat in an armchair on one
28:11
Speaker 1: side of the open window. On the other side was
28:14
Speaker 1: another still larger chair, and Cedric sat in that and
28:17
Speaker 1: looked at Mr. Havisham. He sat well back in the
28:21
Speaker 1: depths of his seat, his curly head against the cushioned back,
28:24
Speaker 1: his legs crossed, and his hands thrust deep into his pockets,
28:28
Speaker 1: in quite a Mr. Hobbs-like way. He had been watching Mr.
28:32
Speaker 1: Havisham very steadily when his mama had been in the room,
28:36
Speaker 1: and after she was gone he still looked at him
28:38
Speaker 1: in respectful thoughtfulness. There was a short silence after Mrs.
28:44
Speaker 1: Errol went out, and Cedric seemed to be studying Mr. Havisham,
28:48
Speaker 1: and Mr. Havisham was certainly studying Cedric. He could not
28:52
Speaker 1: make up his mind as to what an elderly gentleman
28:54
Speaker 1: should say to a little boy who won races, and
28:57
Speaker 1: wore short knickerbockers and red stockings on legs, which were
29:00
Speaker 1: not long enough to hang over a big chair when
29:02
Speaker 1: he sat well back in it. But Cedric relieved him
29:06
Speaker 1: by suddenly beginning the conversation himself.' Do you know,' he said,'
29:11
Speaker 1: I don't know what an earl is?' Don't you? said Mr. Havisham. No,
29:18
Speaker 1: replied Setty. And I think when a boy is going
29:21
Speaker 1: to be one, he ought to know. Don't you? Well, yes,
29:26
Speaker 1: answered Mr. Havisham. Would you mind, said Setty respectfully, would
29:32
Speaker 1: you mind explaining it to me? Sometimes when he used
29:35
Speaker 1: his long words, he did not pronounce them quite correctly.
29:39
Speaker 1: What made him an earl? A king or a queen
29:44
Speaker 1: in the first place, said Mr. Havisham. Generally he is
29:48
Speaker 1: made an earl because he has done some service to
29:50
Speaker 1: his sovereign or some great deed. Oh, said Cedric, that's
29:56
Speaker 1: like the president. Is it? said Mr. Havisham. Is that
30:00
Speaker 1: why your presidents are elected? Yes, answered Setty cheerfully. When
30:05
Speaker 1: a man is very good and knows a great deal,
30:08
Speaker 1: he is elected president. They have torchlight processions and bands,
30:13
Speaker 1: and everybody makes speeches. I used to think I might
30:16
Speaker 1: perhaps be a president, but I never thought of being
30:19
Speaker 1: an earl. I didn't know about earls, he said rather hastily,
30:24
Speaker 1: lest Mr. Havisham might feel it impolite in him not
30:26
Speaker 1: to have wished to be one. If I had known
30:29
Speaker 1: about them, I dare say I should have thought I
30:32
Speaker 1: should like to be one. It is rather different from
30:36
Speaker 1: being a president, said Mr. Havisham. Is it? asked Cedric. How?
30:42
Speaker 1: Are there no torchlight processions? Mr. Havisham crossed his own
30:47
Speaker 1: legs and put the tips of his fingers carefully together.
30:51
Speaker 1: He thought perhaps the time had come to explain matters
30:53
Speaker 1: rather more clearly. An earl is... is a very important person,
31:00
Speaker 1: he began. So is a president, put in Setti. The
31:04
Speaker 1: torchlight processions are five miles long, and they shoot up rockets,
31:08
Speaker 1: and the band plays. Mr. Hobbs took me to see them.
31:13
Speaker 1: An earl, Mr. Havisham went on, feeling rather uncertain of
31:17
Speaker 1: his ground, is frequently a very ancient lineage. What's that?
31:22
Speaker 1: asked Setti. A very old family, extremely old.' Ah,' said Cedric,
31:29
Speaker 1: thrusting his hands deeper into his pockets,' I suppose that
31:33
Speaker 1: is the way with the apple-woman near the park.' I
31:36
Speaker 1: dare say she is of ancient lineage.' She is so
31:40
Speaker 1: old it would surprise you how she can stand up.'
31:43
Speaker 1: She' s a hundred, I should think, and yet she is
31:46
Speaker 1: out there when it rains even.' I' m sorry for her,
31:50
Speaker 1: and so are the other boys.' Billy Williams once had
31:53
Speaker 1: nearly a dollar.' and I asked him to buy five
31:56
Speaker 1: cents worth of apples from her every day until he
31:58
Speaker 1: had spent it all. That made twenty days, and he
32:02
Speaker 1: grew tired of apples after a week. But then, it
32:06
Speaker 1: was quite fortunate, a gentleman gave me fifty cents, and
32:09
Speaker 1: I bought apples from her instead. You feel sorry for
32:13
Speaker 1: anyone that's so poor and has such ancient lineage. She
32:18
Speaker 1: says hers has gone into her bones, and the rain
32:20
Speaker 1: makes it worse.' Mr. Havisham felt rather at a loss
32:26
Speaker 1: as he looked at his companion's innocent, serious little face.
32:31
Speaker 1: I am afraid you did not quite understand me, he explained.
32:35
Speaker 1: When I said ancient lineage, I did not mean old age.
32:39
Speaker 1: I meant that the name of such a family has
32:41
Speaker 1: been known in the world a long time. Perhaps for
32:44
Speaker 1: hundreds of years, persons bearing that name have been known
32:47
Speaker 1: and spoken of in the history of their country. Like
32:51
Speaker 1: George Washington, said Setty. I've heard of him ever since
32:54
Speaker 1: I was born, and he was known about long before that. Mr.
32:59
Speaker 1: Hobbs says he will never be forgotten. That's because of
33:03
Speaker 1: the Declaration of Independence, you know, and the Fourth of July.
33:07
Speaker 1: You see, he was a very brave man. The first
33:11
Speaker 1: Earl of Dorincourt, said Mr. Havisham solemnly, was created an
33:15
Speaker 1: Earl four hundred years ago. Well, well, said Setty, that
33:21
Speaker 1: was a long time ago. Did you tell Dearest that?
33:25
Speaker 1: It would interest her very much. We'll tell her when
33:28
Speaker 1: she comes in. She always likes to hear curious things.
33:33
Speaker 1: What else does an earl do besides being created? A
33:37
Speaker 1: great many of them have helped to govern England. Some
33:40
Speaker 1: of them have been brave men and have fought in
33:42
Speaker 1: great battles in the old days. I should like to
33:46
Speaker 1: do that myself, said Cedric. My papa was a soldier,
33:50
Speaker 1: and he was a very brave man. as brave as
33:52
Speaker 1: George Washington. Perhaps that was because he would have been
33:56
Speaker 1: an earl if he hadn't died. I am glad earls
33:59
Speaker 1: are brave. That's a great vantage, to be a brave man.
34:04
Speaker 1: Once I used to be rather afraid of things, in
34:06
Speaker 1: the dark, you know. But when I thought about the
34:09
Speaker 1: soldiers in the Revolution and George Washington, it cured me.
34:14
Speaker 1: There is another advantage in being an earl sometimes, said Mr.
34:18
Speaker 1: Havisham slowly. and he fixed his shrewd eyes on the
34:21
Speaker 1: little boy with a rather curious expression. Some earls have
34:26
Speaker 1: a great deal of money. He was curious because he
34:30
Speaker 1: wondered if his young friend knew what the power of
34:32
Speaker 1: money was. That's a good thing to have, said Setty innocently.
34:37
Speaker 1: I wish I had a great deal of money. Do you,
34:41
Speaker 1: said Mr. Havisham, and why? Well, explained Cedric, there are
34:46
Speaker 1: so many things a person can do with money. You see,
34:50
Speaker 1: There's the apple woman. If I were very rich, I
34:53
Speaker 1: should buy her a little tent to put her stall
34:55
Speaker 1: in and a little stove. And then I should give
34:58
Speaker 1: her a dollar every morning it rained so that she
35:01
Speaker 1: could afford to stay at home. And then, oh, I'd
35:04
Speaker 1: give her a shawl. And you see, her bones wouldn't
35:07
Speaker 1: feel so badly. Her bones are not like our bones.
35:11
Speaker 1: They hurt her when she moves. It is very painful
35:14
Speaker 1: when your bones hurt you. If I were rich enough
35:17
Speaker 1: to do all those things for her, I guess her
35:19
Speaker 1: bones would be all right. Ahem, said Mr. Havisham. And
35:25
Speaker 1: what else would you do if you were rich? Oh,
35:29
Speaker 1: I'd do a great many things. Of course, I should
35:32
Speaker 1: buy dearest all sorts of beautiful things. Needle books and
35:35
Speaker 1: fans and gold thimbles and rings and an encyclopedia and
35:40
Speaker 1: a carriage so that she'd needn't have to wait for
35:42
Speaker 1: the streetcars. If she liked pink silk dresses, I should
35:46
Speaker 1: buy her some. but she likes black best. But I'd
35:50
Speaker 1: take her to the big stores and tell her to
35:53
Speaker 1: look round and choose for herself, and then Dick... Who
35:57
Speaker 1: is Dick? asked Mr. Havisham. Dick is a bootblack, said
36:01
Speaker 1: his young lordship, quite warming up in his interest in
36:04
Speaker 1: plans so exciting. He is one of the nicest bootblacks
36:07
Speaker 1: you ever knew. He stands at the corner of a
36:10
Speaker 1: street downtown. I've known him for years. Once when I
36:14
Speaker 1: was very little, I was walking out with Dearest, and
36:17
Speaker 1: she bought me a beautiful ball that bounced. And I
36:20
Speaker 1: was carrying it, and it bounced into the middle of
36:22
Speaker 1: the street where the carriages and horses were. And I
36:25
Speaker 1: was so disappointed, I began to cry. I was very little.
36:30
Speaker 1: I had kilts on. And Dick was blocking a man's shoes,
36:35
Speaker 1: and he said, Hello! And he ran in between the
36:38
Speaker 1: horses and caught the ball for me, and wiped it
36:41
Speaker 1: off with his coat and gave it to me and said,
36:44
Speaker 1: It's all right, young'un. so dearest admired him very much
36:49
Speaker 1: and so did i and ever since then when we
36:52
Speaker 1: go down town we talk to him he says hello
36:55
Speaker 1: and i say hello and then we talk a little
36:59
Speaker 1: and he tells me how trade is it's been bad
37:02
Speaker 1: lately and what would you like to do for him
37:06
Speaker 1: inquired the lawyer rubbing his chin and smiling a queer
37:09
Speaker 1: smile well said lord fauntleroy settling himself in his chair
37:14
Speaker 1: with a business air I'd buy Jake out. And who
37:18
Speaker 1: is Jake? Mr. Havisham asked. He's Dick's partner, and he
37:23
Speaker 1: is the worst partner a fellow could have. Dick says so.
37:26
Speaker 1: He isn't a credit to the business, and he isn't square.
37:30
Speaker 1: He cheats, and that makes Dick mad. It would make
37:33
Speaker 1: you mad, you know, if you were blocking boots as
37:36
Speaker 1: hard as you could and being square all the time,
37:39
Speaker 1: and your partner wasn't square at all. People like Dick,
37:43
Speaker 1: but they don't like Jake, and so sometimes they don't
37:46
Speaker 1: come twice. So if I were rich, I'd buy Jake
37:50
Speaker 1: out and get Dick a boss sign. He says a
37:53
Speaker 1: boss sign goes a long way, and I'd get him
37:56
Speaker 1: some new clothes and new brushes and start him out fair.
38:01
Speaker 1: He says all he wants is to start out fair.
38:04
Speaker 1: There could have been nothing more confiding and innocent than
38:07
Speaker 1: the way in which his small lordship told his little story,
38:10
Speaker 1: quoting his friend Dick's bits of slang in the most
38:13
Speaker 1: candid good faith. he seemed to feel not a shade
38:16
Speaker 1: of doubt that his elderly companion would be just as
38:19
Speaker 1: interested as he was himself. And in truth, Mr. Havisham
38:23
Speaker 1: was beginning to be greatly interested, but perhaps not quite
38:26
Speaker 1: so much in Dick and the apple-woman as in this
38:29
Speaker 1: kind young lordling whose curly head was so busy under
38:32
Speaker 1: its yellow thatch with good-natured plans for his friends, and
38:36
Speaker 1: who seemed somehow to have forgotten himself altogether.' Is there anything?'
38:42
Speaker 1: he began.' What would you get for yourself if you
38:46
Speaker 1: were rich?'' Lots of things,' answered Lord Fauntleroy briskly.' But
38:51
Speaker 1: first I'd give Mary some money for Bridget.' That' s her sister,
38:54
Speaker 1: with twelve children and a husband out of work.' She
38:58
Speaker 1: comes here and cries, and dearest gives her things in
39:00
Speaker 1: a basket,' and then she cries again and says,' Blessings
39:04
Speaker 1: on yous for a beautiful lady.' And I think Mr.
39:07
Speaker 1: Hobbs would like a gold watch and chain to remember
39:09
Speaker 1: me by,' and a meerschaum pipe.' And then I'd like
39:12
Speaker 1: to get up a company.' a company exclaimed mr havisham
39:18
Speaker 1: like a republican rally explained cedric becoming quite excited i'd
39:23
Speaker 1: have torches and uniforms and things for all the boys
39:26
Speaker 1: and myself too and we'd march you know and drill
39:30
Speaker 1: that's what i should like for myself if i were
39:33
Speaker 1: rich the door opened and mrs errol came in i
39:38
Speaker 1: am sorry to have been obliged to leave you so
39:40
Speaker 1: long she said to mr havisham but a poor woman
39:43
Speaker 1: who was in great trouble came to see me this
39:46
Speaker 1: young gentleman said mr has been telling me about some
39:50
Speaker 1: of his friends and what he would do for them
39:52
Speaker 1: if he were rich. Bridget is one of his friends,
39:55
Speaker 1: said Mrs. Errol, and it is Bridget to whom I
39:58
Speaker 1: have been talking in the kitchen. She is in great
40:01
Speaker 1: trouble now because her husband has rheumatic fever. Cedric slipped
40:05
Speaker 1: out of his big chair. I think I'll go and
40:07
Speaker 1: see her, he said, and ask her how he is.
40:11
Speaker 1: He's a nice man when he is well. I'm obliged
40:14
Speaker 1: to him because he once made me a sword out
40:16
Speaker 1: of wood. He's a very talented man. He ran out
40:20
Speaker 1: of the room, and Mr. Havisham rose from his chair.
40:24
Speaker 1: He seemed to have something in his mind which he
40:26
Speaker 1: wished to speak of. He hesitated a moment, and then said,
40:30
Speaker 1: looking down at Mrs. Errol, Before I left Dorincourt Castle,
40:35
Speaker 1: I had an interview with the Earl, in which he
40:37
Speaker 1: gave me some instructions. He is desirous that his grandson
40:41
Speaker 1: should look forward with some pleasure to his future life
40:43
Speaker 1: in England, and also to his acquaintance with himself. He
40:48
Speaker 1: said that I must let his lordship know that the
40:50
Speaker 1: change in his life would bring him money, and the
40:52
Speaker 1: pleasures children enjoy. If he expressed any wishes, I was
40:56
Speaker 1: to gratify them, and to tell him that his grandfather
40:59
Speaker 1: had given him what he wished. I am aware that
41:02
Speaker 1: the earl did not expect anything quite like this. But
41:05
Speaker 1: if it would give Lord Fauntleroy pleasure to assist this
41:08
Speaker 1: poor woman, I should feel that the earl would be
41:10
Speaker 1: displeased if he were not gratified. For the second time
41:14
Speaker 1: he did not repeat the earl's exact words. His lordship had, indeed, said,
41:20
Speaker 1: Make the boy understand that I can give him anything
41:22
Speaker 1: he wants. Let him know what it is to be
41:25
Speaker 1: the grandson of the Earl of Dorincourt. Buy him everything
41:28
Speaker 1: he takes a fancy to. Let him have money in
41:30
Speaker 1: his pockets, and tell him his grandfather put it there.
41:35
Speaker 1: His motives were far from being good, and if he
41:38
Speaker 1: had been dealing with a nature less affectionate and warm-hearted
41:41
Speaker 1: than little Lord Fauntleroy's, great harm might have been done.
41:45
Speaker 1: and Cedric's mother was too gentle to suspect any harm.
41:49
Speaker 1: She thought that perhaps this meant that a lonely, unhappy
41:52
Speaker 1: old man, whose children were dead, wished to be kind
41:54
Speaker 1: to her little boy, and win his love and confidence.
41:58
Speaker 1: And it pleased her very much to think that Cedric
42:00
Speaker 1: would be able to help Bridget. It made her happier
42:03
Speaker 1: to know that the very first result of the strange
42:06
Speaker 1: fortune which had befallen her little boy was that he
42:09
Speaker 1: could do kind things for those who needed kindness. Quite
42:12
Speaker 1: a warm color bloomed on her pretty young face. Oh,
42:15
Speaker 1: she said, that was very kind of the Earl. Cedric
42:19
Speaker 1: will be so glad. He has always been fond of
42:21
Speaker 1: Bridget and Michael. They are quite deserving. I have often
42:25
Speaker 1: wished that I had been able to help them more.
42:28
Speaker 1: Michael is a hard-working man when he is well, but
42:31
Speaker 1: he has been ill a long time and needs expensive
42:33
Speaker 1: medicines and warm clothing and nourishing food. He and Bridget
42:38
Speaker 1: will not be wasteful of what is given them. Mr.
42:41
Speaker 1: Havisham put his thin hand in his breast pocket. and
42:44
Speaker 1: drew forth a large pocket-book. There was a queer look
42:48
Speaker 1: in his keen face. The truth was, he was wondering
42:51
Speaker 1: what the Earl of Dorincourt would say when he was
42:53
Speaker 1: told what was the first wish of his grandson that
42:56
Speaker 1: had been granted. He wondered what the cross, worldly, selfish
43:01
Speaker 1: old nobleman would think of it.' I do not know
43:05
Speaker 1: that you have realized,' he said,' that the Earl of
43:08
Speaker 1: Dorincourt is an exceedingly rich man.' He can afford to
43:11
Speaker 1: gratify any caprice.' I think it would please him to
43:15
Speaker 1: know that Lord Fauntleroy had been indulged in any fancy.
43:18
Speaker 1: If you will call him back and allow me, I
43:21
Speaker 1: shall give him five pounds for these people. That would
43:25
Speaker 1: be twenty-five dollars, exclaimed Mrs. Errol. It will seem like
43:29
Speaker 1: wealth to them. I can scarcely believe that it is true.
43:35
Speaker 1: It is quite true, said Mr. Havisham with his dry smile.
43:39
Speaker 1: A great change has taken place in your son's life.
43:42
Speaker 1: A great deal of power will lie in his hands. Oh,
43:47
Speaker 1: cried his mother, and he is such a little boy,
43:50
Speaker 1: a very little boy. How can I teach him to
43:53
Speaker 1: use it well? It makes me half afraid, my pretty
43:57
Speaker 1: little setty. The lawyer slightly cleared his throat. It touched
44:03
Speaker 1: his worldly, hard old heart to see the tender, timid
44:06
Speaker 1: look in her brown eyes. I think, madam, he said,
44:10
Speaker 1: that if I may judge from my interview with Lord
44:12
Speaker 1: Fauntleroy this morning, the next Earl of Dorincourt will think
44:16
Speaker 1: for others as well as for his noble self. He
44:19
Speaker 1: is only a child yet, but I think he may
44:21
Speaker 1: be trusted. Then his mother went for Cedric and brought
44:26
Speaker 1: him back into the parlor. Mr. Havisham heard him talking
44:29
Speaker 1: before he entered the room. It's infeminatory rheumatism, he was saying,
44:34
Speaker 1: and that's a kind of rheumatism that's dreadful. And he
44:37
Speaker 1: thinks about the rent not being paid. And Bridget says
44:40
Speaker 1: that makes the information worse. And Pat could get a
44:44
Speaker 1: place in a store if he had some clothes. His
44:47
Speaker 1: little face looked quite anxious when he came in. He
44:50
Speaker 1: was very sorry for Bridget. Dearest said you wanted me,
44:54
Speaker 1: he said to Mr. Havisham. I've been talking to Bridget. Mr.
44:59
Speaker 1: Havisham looked down at him a moment. He felt a
45:01
Speaker 1: little awkward and undecided. As Cedric's mother had said, he
45:05
Speaker 1: was a very little boy. The Earl of Dorincourt, he began,
45:10
Speaker 1: and then he glanced involuntarily at Mrs. Errol. Little Lord
45:15
Speaker 1: Fauntleroy's mother suddenly kneeled down by him and put her
45:18
Speaker 1: tender arms around his childish body. Setty, she said, the
45:22
Speaker 1: Earl is your grandpapa, your own papa's father. He is very,
45:27
Speaker 1: very kind, and he loves you, and wishes you to
45:30
Speaker 1: love him, because the sons who were his little boys
45:33
Speaker 1: are dead. He wishes you to be happy, and to
45:36
Speaker 1: make other people happy. He is very rich, and he
45:39
Speaker 1: wishes you to have everything you would like to have.
45:42
Speaker 1: He told Mr. Havisham so, and gave him a great
45:45
Speaker 1: deal of money for you. You can give some to
45:48
Speaker 1: Bridget now, enough to pay her rent and buy Michael everything.
45:52
Speaker 1: Isn't that fine, said he? Isn't he good? And she
45:56
Speaker 1: kissed the child on his round cheek, where the bright
45:58
Speaker 1: color suddenly flashed up in his excited amazement. He looked
46:02
Speaker 1: from his mother to Mr. Havisham. Can I have it now?
46:06
Speaker 1: he cried. Can I give it to her this minute?
46:09
Speaker 1: She's just going. Mr. Havisham handed him the money. It
46:14
Speaker 1: was in fresh, clean greenbacks and made a neat roll.
46:18
Speaker 1: Setty flew out of the room with it. Bridget, they
46:22
Speaker 1: heard him shout as he tore into the kitchen. Bridget,
46:25
Speaker 1: wait a minute. Here's some money. It's for you and
46:28
Speaker 1: you can pay the rent. My grandpapa gave it to me.
46:32
Speaker 1: It's for you and Michael. Oh, Master Setty. cried Bridget
46:37
Speaker 1: in an awe-stricken voice.' It' s twenty-five dollars is here. Where
46:42
Speaker 1: be's the mistress?'' I think I shall have to go
46:45
Speaker 1: and explain it to her,' Mrs. Errol said. So she, too,
46:49
Speaker 1: went out of the room, and Mr. Havisham was left
46:51
Speaker 1: alone for a while. He went to the window and
46:54
Speaker 1: stood looking out into the street reflectively. He was thinking
46:58
Speaker 1: of the old Earl of Dorincourt, sitting in his great, splendid,
47:02
Speaker 1: gloomy library at the castle, gouty and lonely. surrounded by
47:06
Speaker 1: grandeur and luxury, but not really loved by anyone, because
47:10
Speaker 1: in all his long life he had never really loved
47:13
Speaker 1: anyone but himself. He had been selfish and self-indulgent and
47:17
Speaker 1: arrogant and passionate. He had cared so much for the
47:21
Speaker 1: Earl of Dorincourt and his pleasures that there had been
47:23
Speaker 1: no time for him to think of other people. All
47:26
Speaker 1: his wealth and power, all the benefits from his noble
47:29
Speaker 1: name and high rank, had seemed to him to be
47:32
Speaker 1: things only to be used to amuse and give pleasure
47:35
Speaker 1: to the Earl of Dorincourt. And now that he was
47:37
Speaker 1: an old man, all this excitement and self-indulgence had only
47:41
Speaker 1: brought him ill health and irritability, and a dislike of
47:45
Speaker 1: the world, which certainly disliked him. In spite of all
47:49
Speaker 1: his splendor, there was never a more unpopular old nobleman
47:53
Speaker 1: than the Earl of Dorincourt, and there could scarcely have
47:56
Speaker 1: been a more lonely one. He could fill his castle
48:00
Speaker 1: with guests if he chose. He could give great dinners
48:03
Speaker 1: and splendid hunting parties, but he knew that in secret
48:06
Speaker 1: the people who would accept his invitations were afraid of
48:09
Speaker 1: his frowning old face and sarcastic biting speeches. He had
48:13
Speaker 1: a cruel tongue and a bitter nature, and he took
48:16
Speaker 1: pleasure in sneering at people and making them feel uncomfortable
48:19
Speaker 1: when he had the power to do so because they
48:21
Speaker 1: were sensitive or proud or timid. Mr. Havisham knew his hard,
48:26
Speaker 1: fierce ways by heart, and he was thinking of him
48:29
Speaker 1: as he looked out of the window into the narrow
48:32
Speaker 1: quiet street and there arose in his mind in sharp
48:35
Speaker 1: contrast the picture of the cheery handsome little fellow sitting
48:39
Speaker 1: in the big chair and telling the story of his
48:41
Speaker 1: friends dick and the apple woman in his generous innocent
48:44
Speaker 1: honest way and he thought of the immense income the
48:48
Speaker 1: beautiful majestic estates the wealth and power for good or
48:53
Speaker 1: evil which in the course of time would lie in
48:55
Speaker 1: the small, chubby hands Little Lord Fauntleroy thrust so deep
48:59
Speaker 1: into his pockets. It will make a great difference, he
49:03
Speaker 1: said to himself. It will make a great difference. Cedric
49:09
Speaker 1: and his mother came back soon after. Cedric was in
49:12
Speaker 1: high spirits. He sat down in his own chair between
49:15
Speaker 1: his mother and the lawyer and fell into one of
49:17
Speaker 1: his quaint attitudes with his hands on his knees. He
49:20
Speaker 1: was glowing with enjoyment of Bridget's relief and rapture. She cried,
49:25
Speaker 1: he said. She said she was crying for joy. I
49:29
Speaker 1: never saw anyone cry for joy before. My grandpapa must
49:33
Speaker 1: be a very good man. I didn't know he was
49:36
Speaker 1: so good a man. It's more... more agreeabler to be
49:40
Speaker 1: an earl than I thought it was. I'm almost glad.
49:44
Speaker 1: I'm almost quite glad I'm going to be one. End
49:49
Speaker 1: of chapter 2