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Little Lord Fauntleroy Chapter 3 · The Frances Hodgson Burnett Library

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  Speaker 1: CHAPTER III CEDRIC'S GOOD OPINION OF THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING
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  Speaker 1: AN EARL INCREASED GREATLY DURING THE NEXT WEEK. it seemed
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  Speaker 1: almost impossible for him to realize that there was scarcely
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  Speaker 1: anything he might wish to do which he could not
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  Speaker 1: do easily. In fact, I think it may be said
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  Speaker 1: that he did not fully realize it at all. But
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  Speaker 1: at least he understood, after a few conversations with Mr. Havisham,
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  Speaker 1: that he could gratify all his nearest wishes, and he
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  Speaker 1: proceeded to gratify them with a simplicity and delight which
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  Speaker 1: caused Mr. Havisham much diversion. In the week before they
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  Speaker 1: sailed for England, he did many curious things. The lawyer
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  Speaker 1: long after remembered the morning they went downtown together to
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  Speaker 1: pay a visit to Dick, and the afternoon they so
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  Speaker 1: amazed the apple-woman of ancient lineage by stopping before her
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  Speaker 1: stall and telling her she was to have a tent,
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  Speaker 1: and a stove, and a shawl, and a sum of money,
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  Speaker 1: which seemed to her quite wonderful. For I have to
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  Speaker 1: go to England and be a lord, explained Cedric sweet-temperedly.
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  Speaker 1: and i shouldn't like to have your bones on my
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  Speaker 1: mind every time it rained my bones never hurt so
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  Speaker 1: i think i don't know how painful a person's bones
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  Speaker 1: can be but i've sympathized with you a great deal
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  Speaker 1: and i hope you'll be better she's a very good
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  Speaker 1: apple-woman he said to mr havisham as they walked away
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  Speaker 1: leaving the proprietress of the stall almost gasping for breath
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  Speaker 1: and not at all believing in her good fortune Once
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  Speaker 1: when I fell down and cut my knee, she gave
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  Speaker 1: me an apple for nothing. I've always remembered her for it.
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  Speaker 1: You know, you always remember people who are kind to you.
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  Speaker 1: It had never occurred to his honest, simple little mind
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  Speaker 1: that there were people who could forget kindnesses. The interview
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  Speaker 1: with Dick was quite exciting. Dick had just been having
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  Speaker 1: a great deal of trouble with Jake and was in
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  Speaker 1: low spirits when they saw him. His amazement when Cedric
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  Speaker 1: calmly announced that they had come to give him what
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  Speaker 1: seemed a very great thing to him and would set
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  Speaker 1: all his troubles right almost struck him dumb. Lord Fauntleroy's
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  Speaker 1: manner of announcing the object of his visit was very
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  Speaker 1: simple and unceremonious. Mr. Havisham was much impressed by its
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  Speaker 1: directness as he stood by and listened. The statement that
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  Speaker 1: his old friend had become a lord and was in
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  Speaker 1: danger of being an earl if he lived long enough
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  Speaker 1: caused Dick to so open his eyes and mouth and
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  Speaker 1: start that his cap fell off. When he picked it up,
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  Speaker 1: he uttered a rather singular exclamation. Mr. Havisham thought it singular,
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  Speaker 1: but Cedric had heard it before. I saw it, he said.
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  Speaker 1: What are you giving us? This plainly embarrassed his lordship
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  Speaker 1: a little, but he bore himself bravely. Everybody thinks it's
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  Speaker 1: not true at first, he said. Mr. Hobbs thought I'd
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  Speaker 1: had a sunstroke. I didn't think I was going to
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  Speaker 1: like it myself, but I like it better now I'm
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  Speaker 1: used to it. The one who is the Earl now,
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  Speaker 1: he's my grandpapa, and he wants me to do anything
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  Speaker 1: I like. He's very kind if he is an Earl,
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  Speaker 1: and he sent me a lot of money by Mr. Havisham,
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  Speaker 1: and I brought some to you to buy Jake out.
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  Speaker 1: And the end of the matter was that Dick actually
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  Speaker 1: bought Jake out, and found himself the possessor of the business,
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  Speaker 1: and some new brushes, and a most astonishing sign and outfit.
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  Speaker 1: He could not believe in his good luck any more
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  Speaker 1: easily than the apple-woman of ancient lineage could believe in hers.
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  Speaker 1: He walked about like a boot-black in a dream. He
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  Speaker 1: stared at his young benefactor, and felt as if he
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  Speaker 1: might wake up at any moment. He scarcely seemed to
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  Speaker 1: realize anything until Cedric put out his hand to shake
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  Speaker 1: hands with him before going away. Well, goodbye, he said.
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  Speaker 1: And though he tried to speak steadily, there was a
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  Speaker 1: little tremble in his voice, and he winked his big
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  Speaker 1: brown eyes. And I hope trade'll be good. I'm sorry
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  Speaker 1: I'm going away to leave you, but perhaps I shall
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  Speaker 1: come back again when I'm an earl. And I wish
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  Speaker 1: you'd write to me, because we were always good friends.
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  Speaker 1: And if you write to me, here's where you must
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  Speaker 1: send your letter. And he gave him a slip of paper.
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  Speaker 1: And my name isn't Cedric Errol any more. It's Lord Fauntleroy,
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  Speaker 1: and goodbye, Dick. Dick winked his eyes also, and yet
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  Speaker 1: they looked rather moist about the lashes. He was not
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  Speaker 1: an educated bootblack, and he would have found it difficult
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  Speaker 1: to tell what he felt just then if he had tried.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps that was why he didn't try, and only winked
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  Speaker 1: his eyes and swallowed a lump in his throat. I
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  Speaker 1: wish he wasn't going away, he said in a husky voice.
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  Speaker 1: Then he winked his eyes again. Then he looked at Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Havisham and touched his cap. Thank you, sir, for bringing
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  Speaker 1: him down here and for what you've done. He's a
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  Speaker 1: queer little feller, he added. I've always thought a heap
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  Speaker 1: of him. He's such a game little feller and such
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  Speaker 1: a queer little one. And when they turned away, he
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  Speaker 1: stood and looked after them in a dazed kind of way,
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  Speaker 1: and there was still a mist in his eyes and
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  Speaker 1: a lump in his throat. as he watched the gallant
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  Speaker 1: little figure marching gaily along by the side of its tall,
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  Speaker 1: rigid escort. Until the day of his departure, his lordship
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  Speaker 1: spent as much time as possible with Mr. Hobbs in
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  Speaker 1: the store. Gloom had settled upon Mr. Hobbs. He was
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  Speaker 1: much depressed in spirits. When his young friend brought to
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  Speaker 1: him in triumph the parting gift of a gold watch
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  Speaker 1: and chain, Mr. Hobbs found it difficult to acknowledge it properly.
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  Speaker 1: He laid the case on his stout knee and blew
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  Speaker 1: his nose violently several times. There's something written on it,
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  Speaker 1: said Cedric, inside the case. I told the man myself
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  Speaker 1: what to say. From his oldest friend, Lord Fauntleroy, to Mr. Hobbs.
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  Speaker 1: When this you see, remember me. I don't want you
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  Speaker 1: to forget me. Mr. Hobbs blew his nose very loudly again.
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  Speaker 1: I shan't forget you, he said, speaking a trifle huskily,
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  Speaker 1: as Dick had spoken. Nor don't you go and forget
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  Speaker 1: me when you get among the British aristocracy. I shouldn't
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  Speaker 1: forget you, whoever I was among, answered his lordship. I've
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  Speaker 1: spent my happiest hours with you, at least some of
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  Speaker 1: my happiest hours. I hope you'll come to see me sometime.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure my grandpapa would be very much pleased.' Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: he'll write and ask you, when I tell him about you.
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  Speaker 1: You wouldn't mind his being an earl, would you? I mean,
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  Speaker 1: you wouldn't stay away just because he was one, if
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  Speaker 1: he invited you to come?'' I' d come to see you,'
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  Speaker 1: replied Mr. Hobbs graciously. So it seemed to be agreed
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  Speaker 1: that if he received a pressing invitation from the earl
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  Speaker 1: to come and spend a few months at Dorincourt Castle—'
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  Speaker 1: He was to lay aside his Republican prejudices and pack
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  Speaker 1: his police at once. At last all the preparations were complete.
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  Speaker 1: The day came when the trunks were taken to the steamer,
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  Speaker 1: and the hour arrived when the carriage stood at the door.
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  Speaker 1: Then a curious feeling of loneliness came upon the little boy.
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  Speaker 1: His mama had been shut up in her room for
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  Speaker 1: some time. When she came down the stairs, her eyes
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  Speaker 1: looked large and wet, and her sweet mouth was trembling.
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  Speaker 1: Cedric went to her, and she bent down to him,
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  Speaker 1: and he put his arms around her, and they kissed
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  Speaker 1: each other. He knew something made them both sorry, though
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  Speaker 1: he scarcely knew what it was. But one tender little
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  Speaker 1: thought rose to his lips. We liked this little house, dearest,
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  Speaker 1: didn't we? he said. We always will like it, won't we? Yes, yes,
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  Speaker 1: she answered in a low, sweet voice. Yes, darling. And
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  Speaker 1: then they went into the carriage, and Cedric sat very
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  Speaker 1: close to her, and as she looked back out of
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  Speaker 1: the window, he looked at her, and stroked her hand,
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  Speaker 1: and held it close. And then, it seemed almost directly,
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  Speaker 1: they were on the steamer, in the midst of the
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  Speaker 1: wildest bustle and confusion. Carriages were driving down and leaving passengers.
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  Speaker 1: Passengers were getting into a state of excitement about baggage
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  Speaker 1: which had not arrived, and threatened to be too late,
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  Speaker 1: Big trunks and cases were being bumped down and dragged about.
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  Speaker 1: Sailors were uncoiling ropes and hurrying to and fro. Officers
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  Speaker 1: were giving orders. Ladies and gentlemen and children and nurses
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  Speaker 1: were coming on board. Some were laughing and looked gay.
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  Speaker 1: Some were silent and sad. Here and there, two or
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  Speaker 1: three were crying and touching their eyes with their handkerchiefs.
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  Speaker 1: Cedric found something to interest him on every side. He
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  Speaker 1: looked at the piles of rope at the furled sails,
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  Speaker 1: at the tall, tall masts which seemed almost to touch
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  Speaker 1: the hot blue sky. He began to make plans for
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  Speaker 1: conversing with the sailors and gaining some information on the
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  Speaker 1: subject of pirates. It was just at the very last
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  Speaker 1: when he was standing leaning on the railing of the
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  Speaker 1: upper deck and watching the final preparations, enjoying the excitement
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  Speaker 1: and the shouts of the sailors and wharfmen, that his
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  Speaker 1: attention was called to a slight bustle in one of
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  Speaker 1: the groups not far from him. Someone was hurriedly forcing
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  Speaker 1: his way through this group and coming toward him. It
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  Speaker 1: was a boy with something red in his hand. It
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  Speaker 1: was Dick. He came up to Cedric quite breathless.' I' ve
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  Speaker 1: run all the way,' he said.' I' ve come down to
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  Speaker 1: see you off. Trade's been prime. I bought this for
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  Speaker 1: you out of what I made yesterday. You can wear
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  Speaker 1: it when you get among the swells. I lost the
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  Speaker 1: paper when I was trying to get through them fellers downstairs.
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  Speaker 1: They didn't want to let me up. It's a handkercher.'
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  Speaker 1: He poured it all forth as if in one sentence.
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  Speaker 1: A bell rang, and he made a leap away before
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  Speaker 1: Cedric had time to speak. Goodbye, he panted. Wear it
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  Speaker 1: when you get among the swells. And he darted off
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  Speaker 1: and was gone. A few seconds later, they saw him
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  Speaker 1: struggle through the crowd on the lower deck and rush
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  Speaker 1: on shore just before the gangplank was drawn in. He
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  Speaker 1: stood on the wharf and waved his cap. Cedric held
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  Speaker 1: the handkerchief in his hand. It was of bright red silk,
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  Speaker 1: ornamented with purple horseshoes and horses' heads. There was a
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  Speaker 1: great straining and creaking and confusion. The people on the
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  Speaker 1: wharf began to shout to their friends, and the people
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  Speaker 1: on the steamer shouted back, Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye, old fellow!
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  Speaker 1: Everyone seemed to be saying, Don't forget us! Right when
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  Speaker 1: you get to Liverpool! Goodbye! Goodbye! Little Lord Fauntleroy leaned
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  Speaker 1: forward and waved the red handkerchief. Good-bye, Dick! he shouted lustily.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you! Good-bye, Dick! And the big steamer moved away,
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  Speaker 1: and the people cheered again, and Cedric's mother drew the
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  Speaker 1: veil over her eyes, and on the shore there was
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  Speaker 1: left great confusion. But Dick saw nothing save that bright
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  Speaker 1: childish face and the bright hair that the sun shone
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  Speaker 1: on and the breeze lifted, and he heard nothing but
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  Speaker 1: the hearty childish voice calling, Good-bye, Dick! as little Lord
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  Speaker 1: Fauntleroy steamed slowly away from the home of his birth
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  Speaker 1: to the unknown land of his ancestors. End of chapter
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  Speaker 1: 3