Chapter II

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

　　There was never a more amazed little boy than Cedric during theweek that followed; there was never so strange or so unreal aweek. In the first place, the story his mamma told him was avery curious one. He was obliged to hear it two or three timesbefore he could understand it. He could not imagine what Mr.Hobbs would think of it. It began with earls: his grandpapa,whom he had never seen, was an earl; and his eldest uncle, if hehad not been killed by a fall from his horse, would have been anearl, too, in time; and after his death, his other uncle wouldhave been an earl, if he had not died suddenly, in Rome, of afever. After that, his own papa, if he had lived, would havebeen an earl, but, since they all had died and only Cedric wasleft, it appeared that he was to be an earl after his grandpapa'sdeath--and for the present he was Lord Fauntleroy.He turned quite pale when he was first told of it."Oh! Dearest!" he said, "I should rather not be an earl.None of the boys are earls. Can't I not be one?"But it seemed to be unavoidable. And when, that evening, theysat together by the open window looking out into the shabbystreet, he and his mother had a long talk about it. Cedric saton his footstool, clasping one knee in his favorite attitude andwearing a bewildered little face rather red from the exertion ofthinking. His grandfather had sent for him to come to England,and his mamma thought he must go."Because," she said, looking out of the window with sorrowfuleyes, "I know your papa would wish it to be so, Ceddie. Heloved his home very much; and there are many things to be thoughtof that a little boy can't quite understand. I should be aselfish little mother if I did not send you. When you are a man,you will see why."Ceddie shook his head mournfully."I shall be very sorry to leave Mr. Hobbs," he said. "I'mafraid he'll miss me, and I shall miss him. And I shall missthem all."When Mr. Havisham--who was the family lawyer of the Earl ofDorincourt, and who had been sent by him to bring Lord Fauntleroyto England--came the next day, Cedric heard many things. But,somehow, it did not console him to hear that he was to be a veryrich man when he grew up, and that he would have castles here andcastles there, and great parks and deep mines and grand estatesand tenantry. He was troubled about his friend, Mr. Hobbs, andhe went to see him at the store soon after breakfast, in greatanxiety of mind.He found him reading the morning paper, and he approached himwith a grave demeanor. He really felt it would be a great shockto Mr. Hobbs to hear what had befallen him, and on his way to thestore he had been thinking how it would be best to break thenews."Hello!" said Mr. Hobbs. "Mornin'!""Good-morning," said Cedric.He did not climb up on the high stool as usual, but sat down on acracker-box and clasped his knee, and was so silent for a fewmoments that Mr. Hobbs finally looked up inquiringly over the topof his newspaper."Hello!" he said again. Cedric gathered all his strength of mind together."Mr. Hobbs," he said, "do you remember what we were talkingabout yesterday morning?""Well," replied Mr. Hobbs,--"seems to me it was England.""Yes," said Cedric; "but just when Mary came for me, youknow?"Mr. Hobbs rubbed the back of his head."We was mentioning Queen Victoria and the aristocracy.""Yes," said Cedric, rather hesitatingly, "and--and earls;don't you know?""Why, yes," returned Mr. Hobbs; "we did touch 'em up a little;that's so!"Cedric flushed up to the curly bang on his forehead. Nothing soembarrassing as this had ever happened to him in his life. Hewas a little afraid that it might be a trifle embarrassing to Mr.Hobbs, too."You said," he proceeded, "that you wouldn't have them sitting'round on your cracker-barrels.""So I did!" returned Mr. Hobbs, stoutly. "And I meant it.Let 'em try it--that's all!""Mr. Hobbs," said Cedric, "one is sitting on this box now!"Mr. Hobbs almost jumped out of his chair."What!" he exclaimed."Yes," Cedric announced, with due modesty; "_I_ am one--or Iam going to be. I won't deceive you."Mr. Hobbs looked agitated. He rose up suddenly and went to lookat the thermometer."The mercury's got into your head!" he exclaimed, turning backto examine his young friend's countenance. "It is a hot day!How do you feel? Got any pain? When did you begin to feel thatway?"He put his big hand on the little boy's hair. This was moreembarrassing than ever."Thank you," said Ceddie; "I'm all right. There is nothingthe matter with my head. I'm sorry to say it's true, Mr. Hobbs.That was what Mary came to take me home for. Mr. Havisham wastelling my mamma, and he is a lawyer."Mr. Hobbs sank into his chair and mopped his forehead with hishandkerchief."One of us has got a sunstroke!" he exclaimed."No," returned Cedric, "we haven't. We shall have to make thebest of it, Mr. Hobbs. Mr. Havisham came all the way fromEngland to tell us about it. My grandpapa sent him."Mr. Hobbs stared wildly at the innocent, serious little facebefore him."Who is your grandfather?" he asked.Cedric put his hand in his pocket and carefully drew out a pieceof paper, on which something was written in his own round,irregular hand."I couldn't easily remember it, so I wrote it down on this," hesaid. And he read aloud slowly: "`John Arthur Molyneux Errol,Earl of Dorincourt.' That is his name, and he lives in acastle--in two or three castles, I think. And my papa, who died,was his youngest son; and I shouldn't have been a lord or an earlif my papa hadn't died; and my papa wouldn't have been an earl ifhis two brothers hadn't died. But they all died, and there is noone but me,--no boy,--and so I have to be one; and my grandpapahas sent for me to come to England."Mr. Hobbs seemed to grow hotter and hotter. He mopped hisforehead and his bald spot and breathed hard. He began to seethat something very remarkable had happened; but when he lookedat the little boy sitting on the cracker-box, with the innocent,anxious expression in his childish eyes, and saw that he was notchanged at all, but was simply as he had been the day before,just a handsome, cheerful, brave little fellow in a blue suit andred neck-ribbon, all this information about the nobilitybewildered him. He was all the more bewildered because Cedricgave it with such ingenuous simplicity, and plainly withoutrealizing himself how stupendous it was."Wha--what did you say your name was?" Mr. Hobbs inquired."It's Cedric Errol, Lord Fauntleroy," answered Cedric. "Thatwas what Mr. Havisham called me. He said when I went into theroom: `And so this is little Lord Fauntleroy!'""Well," said Mr. Hobbs, "I'll be--jiggered!"This was an exclamation he always used when he was very muchastonished or excited. He could think of nothing else to sayjust at that puzzling moment.Cedric felt it to be quite a proper and suitable ejaculation.His respect and affection for Mr. Hobbs were so great that headmired and approved of all his remarks. He had not seen enoughof society as yet to make him realize that sometimes Mr. Hobbswas not quite conventional. He knew, of course, that he wasdifferent from his mamma, but, then, his mamma was a lady, and hehad an idea that ladies were always different from gentlemen.He looked at Mr. Hobbs wistfully."England is a long way off, isn't it?" he asked."It's across the Atlantic Ocean," Mr. Hobbs answered."That's the worst of it," said Cedric. "Perhaps I shall notsee you again for a long time. I don't like to think of that,Mr. Hobbs.""The best of friends must part," said Mr. Hobbs."Well," said Cedric, "we have been friends for a great manyyears, haven't we?""Ever since you was born," Mr. Hobbs answered. "You was aboutsix weeks old when you was first walked out on this street.""Ah," remarked Cedric, with a sigh, "I never thought I shouldhave to be an earl then!""You think," said Mr. Hobbs, "there's no getting out of it?""I'm afraid not," answered Cedric. "My mamma says that mypapa would wish me to do it. But if I have to be an earl,there's one thing I can do: I can try to be a good one. I'm notgoing to be a tyrant. And if there is ever to be another warwith America, I shall try to stop it."His conversation with Mr. Hobbs was a long and serious one. Oncehaving got over the first shock, Mr. Hobbs was not so rancorousas might have been expected; he endeavored to resign himself tothe situation, and before the interview was at an end he hadasked a great many questions. As Cedric could answer but few ofthem, he endeavored to answer them himself, and, being fairlylaunched on the subject of earls and marquises and lordlyestates, explained many things in a way which would probably haveastonished Mr. Havisham, could that gentleman have heard it.But then there were many things which astonished Mr. Havisham.He had spent all his life in England, and was not accustomed toAmerican people and American habits. He had been connectedprofessionally with the family of the Earl of Dorincourt fornearly forty years, and he knew all about its grand estates andits great wealth and importance; and, in a cold, business-likeway, he felt an interest in this little boy, who, in the future,was to be the master and owner of them all,--the future Earl ofDorincourt. He had known all about the old Earl's disappointmentin his elder sons and all about his fierce rage at CaptainCedric's American marriage, and he knew how he still hated thegentle little widow and would not speak of her except with bitterand cruel words. He insisted that she was only a common Americangirl, who had entrapped his son into marrying her because sheknew he was an earl's son. The old lawyer himself had more thanhalf believed this was all true. He had seen a great manyselfish, mercenary people in his life, and he had not a goodopinion of Americans. When he had been driven into the cheapstreet, and his coupe had stopped before the cheap, small house,he had felt actually shocked. It seemed really quite dreadful tothink that the future owner of Dorincourt Castle and WyndhamTowers and Chorlworth, and all the other stately splendors,should have been born and brought up in an insignificant house ina street with a sort of green-grocery at the corner. He wonderedwhat kind of a child he would be, and what kind of a mother hehad. He rather shrank from seeing them both. He had a sort ofpride in the noble family whose legal affairs he had conducted solong, and it would have annoyed him very much to have foundhimself obliged to manage a woman who would seem to him a vulgar,money-loving person, with no respect for her dead husband'scountry and the dignity of his name. It was a very old name anda very splendid one, and Mr. Havisham had a great respect for ithimself, though he was only a cold, keen, business-like oldlawyer.When Mary handed him into the small parlor, he looked around itcritically. It was plainly furnished, but it had a home-likelook; there were no cheap, common ornaments, and no cheap, gaudypictures; the few adornments on the walls were in good taste.and about the room were many pretty things which a woman's handmight have made."Not at all bad so far," he had said to himself; "but perhapsthe Captain's taste predominated." But when Mrs. Errol came intothe room, he began to think she herself might have had somethingto do with it. If he had not been quite a self-contained andstiff old gentleman, he would probably have started when he sawher. She looked, in the simple black dress, fitting closely toher slender figure, more like a young girl than the mother of aboy of seven. She had a pretty, sorrowful, young face, and avery tender, innocent look in her large brown eyes,--thesorrowful look that had never quite left her face since herhusband had died. Cedric was used to seeing it there; the onlytimes he had ever seen it fade out had been when he was playingwith her or talking to her, and had said some old-fashionedthing, or used some long word he had picked up out of thenewspapers or in his conversations with Mr. Hobbs. He was fondof using long words, and he was always pleased when they made herlaugh, though he could not understand why they were laughable;they were quite serious matters with him. The lawyer'sexperience taught him to read people's characters very shrewdly,and as soon as he saw Cedric's mother he knew that the old Earlhad made a great mistake in thinking her a vulgar, mercenarywoman. Mr. Havisham had never been married, he had never evenbeen in love, but he divined that this pretty young creature withthe sweet voice and sad eyes had married Captain Errol onlybecause she loved him with all her affectionate heart, and thatshe had never once thought it an advantage that he was an earl'sson. And he saw he should have no trouble with her, and he beganto feel that perhaps little Lord Fauntleroy might not be such atrial to his noble family, after all. The Captain had been ahandsome fellow, and the young mother was very pretty, andperhaps the boy might be well enough to look at.When he first told Mrs. Errol what he had come for, she turnedvery pale."Oh!" she said; "will he have to be taken away from me? Welove each other so much! He is such a happiness to me! He isall I have. I have tried to be a good mother to him." And hersweet young voice trembled, and the tears rushed into her eyes."You do not know what he has been to me!" she said.The lawyer cleared his throat."I am obliged to tell you," he said, "that the Earl ofDorincourt is not--is not very friendly toward you. He is an oldman, and his prejudices are very strong. He has alwaysespecially disliked America and Americans, and was very muchenraged by his son's marriage. I am sorry to be the bearer of sounpleasant a communication, but he is very fixed in hisdetermination not to see you. His plan is that Lord Fauntleroyshall be educated under his own supervision; that he shall livewith him. The Earl is attached to Dorincourt Castle, and spendsa great deal of time there. He is a victim to inflammatory gout,and is not fond of London. Lord Fauntleroy will, therefore, belikely to live chiefly at Dorincourt. The Earl offers you as ahome Court Lodge, which is situated pleasantly, and is not veryfar from the castle. He also offers you a suitable income. LordFauntleroy will be permitted to visit you; the only stipulationis, that you shall not visit him or enter the park gates. Yousee you will not be really separated from your son, and I assureyou, madam, the terms are not so harsh as--as they might havebeen. The advantage of such surroundings and education as LordFauntleroy will have, I am sure you must see, will be verygreat."He felt a little uneasy lest she should begin to cry or make ascene, as he knew some women would have done. It embarrassed andannoyed him to see women cry.But she did not. She went to the window and stood with her faceturned away for a few moments, and he saw she was trying tosteady herself."Captain Errol was very fond of Dorincourt," she said at last."He loved England, and everything English. It was always agrief to him that he was parted from his home. He was proud ofhis home, and of his name. He would wish--I know he would wishthat his son should know the beautiful old places, and be broughtup in such a way as would be suitable to his future position."Then she came back to the table and stood looking up at Mr.Havisham very gently."My husband would wish it," she said. "It will be best for mylittle boy. I know--I am sure the Earl would not be so unkind asto try to teach him not to love me; and I know--even if hetried--that my little boy is too much like his father to beharmed. He has a warm, faithful nature, and a true heart. Hewould love me even if he did not see me; and so long as we maysee each other, I ought not to suffer very much.""She thinks very little of herself," the lawyer thought. "Shedoes not make any terms for herself.""Madam," he said aloud, "I respect your consideration for yourson. He will thank you for it when he is a man. I assure youLord Fauntleroy will be most carefully guarded, and every effortwill be used to insure his happiness. The Earl of Dorincourtwill be as anxious for his comfort and well-being as you yourselfcould be.""I hope," said the tender little mother, in a rather brokenvoice, "that his grandfather will love Ceddie. The little boyhas a very affectionate nature; and he has always been loved."Mr. Havisham cleared his throat again. He could not quiteimagine the gouty, fiery-tempered old Earl loving any one verymuch; but he knew it would be to his interest to be kind, in hisirritable way, to the child who was to be his heir. He knew,too, that if Ceddie were at all a credit to his name, hisgrandfather would be proud of him."Lord Fauntleroy will be comfortable, I am sure," he replied."It was with a view to his happiness that the Earl desired thatyou should be near enough to him to see him frequently."He did not think it would be discreet to repeat the exact wordsthe Earl had used, which were in fact neither polite nor amiable.Mr. Havisham preferred to express his noble patron's offer insmoother and more courteous language.He had another slight shock when Mrs. Errol asked Mary to findher little boy and bring him to her, and Mary told her where hewas."Sure I'll foind him aisy enough, ma'am," she said; "for it'swid Mr. Hobbs he is this minnit, settin' on his high shtool bythe counther an' talkin' pollytics, most loikely, or enj'yin'hisself among the soap an' candles an' pertaties, as sinsible an'shwate as ye plase.""Mr. Hobbs has known him all his life," Mrs. Errol said to thelawyer. "He is very kind to Ceddie, and there is a greatfriendship between them."Remembering the glimpse he had caught of the store as he passedit, and having a recollection of the barrels of potatoes andapples and the various odds and ends, Mr. Havisham felt hisdoubts arise again. In England, gentlemen's sons did not makefriends of grocerymen, and it seemed to him a rather singularproceeding. It would be very awkward if the child had badmanners and a disposition to like low company. One of thebitterest humiliations of the old Earl's life had been that histwo elder sons had been fond of low company. Could it be, hethought, that this boy shared their bad qualities instead of hisfather's good qualities?He was thinking uneasily about this as he talked to Mrs. Erroluntil the child came into the room. When the door opened, heactually hesitated a moment before looking at Cedric. It would,perhaps, have seemed very queer to a great many people who knewhim, if they could have known the curious sensations that passedthrough Mr. Havisham when he looked down at the boy, who ran intohis mother's arms. He experienced a revulsion of feeling whichwas quite exciting. He recognized in an instant that here wasone of the finest and handsomest little fellows he had ever seen.His beauty was something unusual. He had a strong, lithe,graceful little body and a manly little face; he held hischildish head up, and carried himself with a brave air; he was solike his father that it was really startling; he had his father'sgolden hair and his mother's brown eyes, but there was nothingsorrowful or timid in them. They were innocently fearless eyes;he looked as if he had never feared or doubted anything in hislife."He is the best-bred-looking and handsomest little fellow I eversaw," was what Mr. Havisham thought. What he said aloud wassimply, "And so this is little Lord Fauntleroy."And, after this, the more he saw of little Lord Fauntleroy, themore of a surprise he found him. He knew very little aboutchildren, though he had seen plenty of them in England--fine,handsome, rosy girls and boys, who were strictly taken care of bytheir tutors and governesses, and who were sometimes shy, andsometimes a trifle boisterous, but never very interesting to aceremonious, rigid old lawyer. Perhaps his personal interest inlittle Lord Fauntleroy's fortunes made him notice Ceddie morethan he had noticed other children; but, however that was, hecertainly found himself noticing him a great deal.Cedric did not know he was being observed, and he only behavedhimself in his ordinary manner. He shook hands with Mr. Havishamin his friendly way when they were introduced to each other, andhe answered all his questions with the unhesitating readinesswith which he answered Mr. Hobbs. He was neither shy nor bold,and when Mr. Havisham was talking to his mother, the lawyernoticed that he listened to the conversation with as muchinterest as if he had been quite grown up."He seems to be a very mature little fellow," Mr. Havisham saidto the mother."I think he is, in some things," she answered. "He has alwaysbeen very quick to learn, and he has lived a great deal withgrownup people. He has a funny little habit of using long wordsand expressions he has read in books, or has heard others use,but he is very fond of childish play. I think he is ratherclever, but he is a very boyish little boy, sometimes."The next time Mr. Havisham met him, he saw that this last wasquite true. As his coupe turned the corner, he caught sight of agroup of small boys, who were evidently much excited. Two ofthem were about to run a race, and one of them was his younglordship, and he was shouting and making as much noise as thenoisiest of his companions. He stood side by side with anotherboy, one little red leg advanced a step."One, to make ready!" yelled the starter. "Two, to be steady.Three--and away!"Mr. Havisham found himself leaning out of the window of his coupewith a curious feeling of interest. He really never rememberedhaving seen anything quite like the way in which his lordship'slordly little red legs flew up behind his knickerbockers and toreover the ground as he shot out in the race at the signal word.He shut his small hands and set his face against the wind; hisbright hair streamed out behind."Hooray, Ced Errol!" all the boys shouted, dancing andshrieking with excitement. "Hooray, Billy Williams! Hooray,Ceddie! Hooray, Billy! Hooray! 'Ray! 'Ray!""I really believe he is going to win," said Mr. Havisham. Theway in which the red legs flew and flashed up and down, theshrieks of the boys, the wild efforts of Billy Williams, whosebrown legs were not to be despised, as they followed closely inthe rear of the red legs, made him feel some excitement. "Ireally--I really can't help hoping he will win!" he said, withan apologetic sort of cough. At that moment, the wildest yell ofall went up from the dancing, hopping boys. With one lastfrantic leap the future Earl of Dorincourt had reached thelamp-post at the end of the block and touched it, just twoseconds before Billy Williams flung himself at it, panting."Three cheers for Ceddie Errol!" yelled the little boys."Hooray for Ceddie Errol!"Mr. Havisham drew his head in at the window of his coupe andleaned back with a dry smile."Bravo, Lord Fauntleroy!" he said.As his carriage stopped before the door of Mrs. Errol's house,the victor and the vanquished were coming toward it, attended bythe clamoring crew. Cedric walked by Billy Williams and wasspeaking to him. His elated little face was very red, his curlsclung to his hot, moist forehead, his hands were in his pockets."You see," he was saying, evidently with the intention ofmaking defeat easy for his unsuccessful rival, "I guess I wonbecause my legs are a little longer than yours. I guess that wasit. You see, I'm three days older than you, and that gives me a'vantage. I'm three days older."And this view of the case seemed to cheer Billy Williams so muchthat he began to smile on the world again, and felt able toswagger a little, almost as if he had won the race instead oflosing it. Somehow, Ceddie Errol had a way of making people feelcomfortable. Even in the first flush of his triumphs, heremembered that the person who was beaten might not feel so gayas he did, and might like to think that he might have been thewinner under different circumstances.That morning Mr. Havisham had quite a long conversation with thewinner of the race--a conversation which made him smile his drysmile, and rub his chin with his bony hand several times.Mrs. Errol had been called out of the parlor, and the lawyer andCedric were left together. At first Mr. Havisham wondered whathe should say to his small companion. He had an idea thatperhaps it would be best to say several things which mightprepare Cedric for meeting his grandfather, and, perhaps, for thegreat change that was to come to him. He could see that Cedrichad not the least idea of the sort of thing he was to see when hereached England, or of the sort of home that waited for himthere. He did not even know yet that his mother was not to livein the same house with him. They had thought it best to let himget over the first shock before telling him.Mr. Havisham sat in an arm-chair on one side of the open window;on the other side was another still larger chair, and Cedric satin that and looked at Mr. Havisham. He sat well back in thedepths of his big seat, his curly head against the cushionedback, his legs crossed, and his hands thrust deep into hispockets, in a quite Mr. Hobbs-like way. He had been watching Mr.Havisham very steadily when his mamma had been in the room, andafter she was gone he still looked at him in respectfulthoughtfulness. There was a short silence after Mrs. Errol wentout, and Cedric seemed to be studying Mr. Havisham, and Mr.Havisham was certainly studying Cedric. He could not make up hismind as to what an elderly gentleman should say to a little boywho won races, and wore short knickerbockers and red stockings onlegs which were not long enough to hang over a big chair when hesat well back in it.But Cedric relieved him by suddenly beginning the conversationhimself."Do you know," he said, "I don't know what an earl is?""Don't you?" said Mr. Havisham."No," replied Ceddie. "And I think when a boy is going to beone, he ought to know. Don't you?""Well--yes," answered Mr. Havisham."Would you mind," said Ceddie respectfully--"would you mind'splaining it to me?" (Sometimes when he used his long words hedid not pronounce them quite correctly.) "What made him anearl?""A king or queen, in the first place," said Mr. Havisham."Generally, he is made an earl because he has done some serviceto his sovereign, or some great deed.""Oh!" said Cedric; "that's like the President.""Is it?" said Mr. Havisham. "Is that why your presidents areelected?""Yes," answered Ceddie cheerfully. "When a man is very goodand knows a great deal, he is elected president. They havetorch-light processions and bands, and everybody makes speeches.I used to think I might perhaps be a president, but I neverthought of being an earl. I didn't know about earls," he said,rather hastily, lest Mr. Havisham might feel it impolite in himnot to have wished to be one,--"if I'd known about them, I daresay I should have thought I should like to be one""It is rather different from being a president," said Mr.Havisham."Is it?" asked Cedric. "How? Are there no torch-lightprocessions?"Mr. Havisham crossed his own legs and put the tips of his fingerscarefully together. He thought perhaps the time had come toexplain matters rather more clearly."An earl is--is a very important person," he began."So is a president!" put in Ceddie. "The torch-lightprocessions are five miles long, and they shoot up rockets, andthe band plays! Mr. Hobbs took me to see them.""An earl," Mr. Havisham went on, feeling rather uncertain ofhis ground, "is frequently of very ancient lineage----""What's that?" asked Ceddie."Of very old family--extremely old.""Ah!" said Cedric, thrusting his hands deeper into his pockets."I suppose that is the way with the apple-woman near the park.I dare say she is of ancient lin-lenage. She is so old it wouldsurprise you how she can stand up. She's a hundred, I shouldthink, and yet she is out there when it rains, even. I'm sorryfor her, and so are the other boys. Billy Williams once hadnearly a dollar, and I asked him to buy five cents' worth ofapples from her every day until he had spent it all. That madetwenty days, and he grew tired of apples after a week; butthen--it was quite fortunate--a gentleman gave me fifty cents andI bought apples from her instead. You feel sorry for any onethat's so poor and has such ancient lin-lenage. She says hershas gone into her bones and the rain makes it worse."Mr. Havisham felt rather at a loss as he looked at hiscompanion's innocent, serious little face."I am afraid you did not quite understand me," he explained."When I said `ancient lineage' I did not mean old age; I meantthat the name of such a family has been known in the world a longtime; perhaps for hundreds of years persons bearing that namehave been known and spoken of in the history of their country.""Like George Washington," said Ceddie. "I've heard of himever since I was born, and he was known about, long before that.Mr. Hobbs says he will never be forgotten. That's because of theDeclaration of Independence, you know, and the Fourth of July.You see, he was a very brave man.""The first Earl of Dorincourt," said Mr. Havisham solemnly,"was created an earl four hundred years ago.""Well, well!" said Ceddie. "That was a long time ago! Didyou tell Dearest that? It would int'rust her very much. We'lltell her when she comes in. She always likes to hear cur'usthings. What else does an earl do besides being created?""A great many of them have helped to govern England. Some ofthem have been brave men and have fought in great battles in theold days.""I should like to do that myself," said Cedric. "My papa wasa soldier, and he was a very brave man--as brave as GeorgeWashington. Perhaps that was because he would have been an earlif he hadn't died. I am glad earls are brave. That's a great'vantage--to be a brave man. Once I used to be rather afraid ofthings--in the dark, you know; but when I thought about thesoldiers in the Revolution and George Washington--it cured me.""There is another advantage in being an earl, sometimes," saidMr. Havisham slowly, and he fixed his shrewd eyes on the littleboy with a rather curious expression. "Some earls have a greatdeal of money."He was curious because he wondered if his young friend knew whatthe power of money was."That's a good thing to have," said Ceddie innocently. "Iwish I had a great deal of money.""Do you?" said Mr. Havisham. "And why?""Well," explained Cedric, "there are so many things a personcan do with money. You see, there's the apple-woman. If I werevery rich I should buy her a little tent to put her stall in, anda little stove, and then I should give her a dollar every morningit rained, so that she could afford to stay at home. Andthen--oh! I'd give her a shawl. And, you see, her boneswouldn't feel so badly. Her bones are not like our bones; theyhurt her when she moves. It's very painful when your bones hurtyou. If I were rich enough to do all those things for her, Iguess her bones would be all right.""Ahem!" said Mr. Havisham. "And what else would you do if youwere rich?""Oh! I'd do a great many things. Of course I should buyDearest all sorts of beautiful things, needle-books and fans andgold thimbles and rings, and an encyclopedia, and a carriage, sothat she needn't have to wait for the street-cars. If she likedpink silk dresses, I should buy her some, but she likes blackbest. But I'd, take her to the big stores, and tell her to look'round and choose for herself. And then Dick----""Who is Dick?" asked Mr. Havisham."Dick is a boot-black," said his young; lordship, quite warmingup in his interest in plans so exciting. "He is one of thenicest boot-blacks you ever knew. He stands at the corner of astreet down-town. I've known him for years. Once when I wasvery little, I was walking out with Dearest, and she bought me abeautiful ball that bounced, and I was carrying it and it bouncedinto the middle of the street where the carriages and horseswere, and I was so disappointed, I began to cry--I was verylittle. I had kilts on. And Dick was blacking a man's shoes,and he said `Hello!' and he ran in between the horses and caughtthe ball for me and wiped it off with his coat and gave it to meand said, `It's all right, young un.' So Dearest admired him verymuch, and so did I, and ever since then, when we go down-town, wetalk to him. He says `Hello!' and I say `Hello!' and then wetalk a little, and he tells me how trade is. It's been badlately.""And what would you like to do for him?" inquired the lawyer,rubbing his chin and smiling a queer smile."Well," said Lord Fauntleroy, settling himself in his chairwith a business air, "I'd buy Jake out.""And who is Jake?" Mr. Havisham asked."He's Dick's partner, and he is the worst partner a fellow couldhave! Dick says so. He isn't a credit to the business, and heisn't square. He cheats, and that makes Dick mad. It would makeyou mad, you know, if you were blacking boots as hard as youcould, and being square all the time, and your partner wasn'tsquare at all. People like Dick, but they don't like Jake, andso sometimes they don't come twice. So if I were rich, I'd buyJake out and get Dick a `boss' sign--he says a `boss' sign goes along way; and I'd get him some new clothes and new brushes, andstart him out fair. He says all he wants is to start out fair."There could have been nothing more confiding and innocent thanthe way in which his small lordship told his little story,quoting his friend Dick's bits of slang in the most candid goodfaith. He seemed to feel not a shade of a doubt that his elderlycompanion would be just as interested as he was himself. And intruth Mr. Havisham was beginning to be greatly interested; butperhaps not quite so much in Dick and the apple-woman as in thiskind little lordling, whose curly head was so busy, under itsyellow thatch, with good-natured plans for his friends, and whoseemed somehow to have forgotten himself altogether."Is there anything----" he began. "What would you get foryourself, if you were rich?""Lots of things!" answered Lord Fauntleroy briskly; "but firstI'd give Mary some money for Bridget--that's her sister, withtwelve children, and a husband out of work. She comes here andcries, and Dearest gives her things in a basket, and then shecries again, and says: `Blessin's be on yez, for a beautifullady.' And I think Mr. Hobbs would like a gold watch and chain toremember me by, and a meerschaum pipe. And then I'd like to getup a company.""A company!" exclaimed Mr. Havisham."Like a Republican rally," explained Cedric, becoming quiteexcited. "I'd have torches and uniforms and things for all theboys and myself, too. And we'd march, you know, and drill.That's what I should like for myself, if I were rich."The door opened and Mrs. Errol came in."I am sorry to have been obliged to leave you so long," shesaid to Mr. Havisham; "but a poor woman, who is in greattrouble, came to see me.""This young gentleman," said Mr. Havisham, "has been tellingme about some of his friends, and what he would do for them if hewere rich.""Bridget is one of his friends," said Mrs. Errol; "and it isBridget to whom I have been talking in the kitchen. She is ingreat trouble now because her husband has rheumatic fever."Cedric slipped down out of his big chair."I think I'll go and see her," he said, "and ask her how heis. He's a nice man when he is well. I'm obliged to him becausehe once made me a sword out of wood. He's a very talented man."He ran out of the room, and Mr. Havisham rose from his chair. Heseemed to have something in his mind which he wished to speak of.He hesitated a moment, and then said, looking down at Mrs. Errol:"Before I left Dorincourt Castle, I had an interview with theEarl, in which he gave me some instructions. He is desirous thathis grandson should look forward with some pleasure to his futurelife in England, and also to his acquaintance with himself. Hesaid that I must let his lordship know that the change in hislife would bring him money and the pleasures children enjoy; ifhe expressed any wishes, I was to gratify them, and to tell himthat his grand-father had given him what he wished. I am awarethat the Earl did not expect anything quite like this; but if itwould give Lord Fauntleroy pleasure to assist this poor woman, Ishould feel that the Earl would be displeased if he were notgratified."For the second time, he did not repeat the Earl's exact words.His lordship had, indeed, said:"Make the lad understand that I can give him anything he wants.Let him know what it is to be the grandson of the Earl ofDorincourt. Buy him everything he takes a fancy to; let him havemoney in his pockets, and tell him his grandfather put itthere."His motives were far from being good, and if he had been dealingwith a nature less affectionate and warm-hearted than little LordFauntleroy's, great harm might have been done. And Cedric'smother was too gentle to suspect any harm. She thought thatperhaps this meant that a lonely, unhappy old man, whose childrenwere dead, wished to be kind to her little boy, and win his loveand confidence. And it pleased her very much to think thatCeddie would be able to help Bridget. It made her happier toknow that the very first result of the strange fortune which hadbefallen her little boy was that he could do kind things forthose who needed kindness. Quite a warm color bloomed on herpretty young face."Oh!" she said, "that was very kind of the Earl; Cedric willbe so glad! He has always been fond of Bridget and Michael.They are quite deserving. I have often wished I had been able tohelp them more. Michael is a hard-working man when he is well,but he has been ill a long time and needs expensive medicines andwarm clothing and nourishing food. He and Bridget will not bewasteful of what is given them."Mr. Havisham put his thin hand in his breast pocket and drewforth a large pocket-book. There was a queer look in his keenface. The truth was, he was wondering what the Earl ofDorincourt would say when he was told what was the first wish ofhis grandson that had been granted. He wondered what the cross,worldly, selfish old nobleman would think of it."I do not know that you have realized," he said, "that theEarl of Dorincourt is an exceedingly rich man. He can afford togratify any caprice. I think it would please him to know thatLord Fauntleroy had been indulged in any fancy. If you will callhim back and allow me, I shall give him five pounds for thesepeople.""That would be twenty-five dollars!" exclaimed Mrs. Errol."It will seem like wealth to them. "I can scarcely believethat it is true.""It is quite true," said Mr. Havisham, with his dry smile. "Agreat change has taken place in your son's life, a great deal ofpower will lie in his hands.""Oh!" cried his mother. "And he is such a little boy--a verylittle boy. How can I teach him to use it well? It makes mehalf afraid. My pretty little Ceddie!"The lawyer slightly cleared his throat. It touched his worldly,hard old heart to see the tender, timid look in her brown eyes."I think, madam," he said, "that if I may judge from myinterview with Lord Fauntleroy this morning, the next Earl ofDorincourt will think for others as well as for his noble self.He is only a child yet, but I think he may be trusted."Then his mother went for Cedric and brought him back into theparlor. Mr. Havisham heard him talking before he entered theroom."It's infam-natory rheumatism," he was saying, "and that's akind of rheumatism that's dreadful. And he thinks about the rentnot being paid, and Bridget says that makes the inf'ammationworse. And Pat could get a place in a store if he had someclothes."His little face looked quite anxious when he came in. He wasvery sorry for Bridget."Dearest said you wanted me," he said to Mr. Havisham. "I'vebeen talking to Bridget."Mr. Havisham looked down at him a moment. He felt a littleawkward and undecided. As Cedric's mother had said, he was avery little boy."The Earl of Dorincourt----" he began, and then he glancedinvoluntarily at Mrs. Errol.Little Lord Fauntleroy's mother suddenly kneeled down by him andput both her tender arms around his childish body."Ceddie," she said, "the Earl is your grandpapa, your ownpapa's father. He is very, very kind, and he loves you andwishes you to love him, because the sons who were his little boysare dead. He wishes you to be happy and to make other peoplehappy. He is very rich, and he wishes you to have everything youwould like to have. He told Mr. Havisham so, and gave him agreat deal of money for you. You can give some to Bridget now;enough to pay her rent and buy Michael everything. Isn't thatfine, Ceddie? Isn't he good?" And she kissed the child on hisround cheek, where the bright color suddenly flashed up in hisexcited amazement.He looked from his mother to Mr. Havisham."Can I have it now?" he cried. "Can I give it to her thisminute? She's just going."Mr. Havisham handed him the money. It was in fresh, cleangreenbacks and made a neat roll.Ceddie flew out of the room with it."Bridget!" they heard him shout, as he tore into the kitchen."Bridget, wait a minute! Here's some money. It's for you, andyou can pay the rent. My grandpapa gave it to me. It's for youand Michael!""Oh, Master Ceddie!" cried Bridget, in an awe-stricken voice."It's twinty-foive dollars is here. Where be's the misthress?""I think I shall have to go and explain it to her," Mrs. Errolsaid.So she, too, went out of the room and Mr. Havisham was left alonefor a while. He went to the window and stood looking out intothe street reflectively. He was thinking of the old Earl ofDorincourt, sitting in his great, splendid, gloomy library at thecastle, gouty and lonely, surrounded by grandeur and luxury, butnot really loved by any one, because in all his long life he hadnever really loved any one but himself; he had been selfish andself-indulgent and arrogant and passionate; he had cared so muchfor the Earl of Dorincourt and his pleasures that there had beenno time for him to think of other people; all his wealth andpower, all the benefits from his noble name and high rank, hadseemed to him to be things only to be used to amuse and givepleasure to the Earl of Dorincourt; and now that he was an oldman, all this excitement and self-indulgence had only brought himill health and irritability and a dislike of the world, whichcertainly disliked him. In spite of all his splendor, there wasnever a more unpopular old nobleman than the Earl of Dorincourt,and there could scarcely have been a more lonely one. He couldfill his castle with guests if he chose. He could give greatdinners and splendid hunting parties; but he knew that in secretthe people who would accept his invitations were afraid of hisfrowning old face and sarcastic, biting speeches. He had a crueltongue and a bitter nature, and he took pleasure in sneering atpeople and making them feel uncomfortable, when he had the powerto do so, because they were sensitive or proud or timid.Mr. Havisham knew his hard, fierce ways by heart, and he wasthinking of him as he looked out of the window into the narrow,quiet street. And there rose in his mind, in sharp contrast, thepicture of the cheery, handsome little fellow sitting in the bigchair and telling his story of his friends, Dick and theapple-woman, in his generous, innocent, honest way. And hethought of the immense income, the beautiful, majestic estates,the wealth, and power for good or evil, which in the course oftime would lie in the small, chubby hands little Lord Fauntleroythrust so deep into his pockets."It will make a great difference," he said to himself. "Itwill make a great difference."Cedric and his mother came back soon after. Cedric was in highspirits. He sat down in his own chair, between his mother andthe lawyer, and fell into one of his quaint attitudes, with hishands on his knees. He was glowing with enjoyment of Bridget'srelief and rapture."She cried!" he said. "She said she was crying for joy! Inever saw any one cry for joy before. My grandpapa must be avery good man. I didn't know he was so good a man. It'smore--more agreeabler to be an earl than I thought it was. I'malmost glad--I'm almost quite glad I'm going to be one."