Chapter IV

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

　　It was during the voyage that Cedric's mother told him that hishome was not to be hers; and when he first understood it, hisgrief was so great that Mr. Havisham saw that the Earl had beenwise in making the arrangements that his mother should be quitenear him, and see him often; for it was very plain he could nothave borne the separation otherwise. But his mother managed thelittle fellow so sweetly and lovingly, and made him feel that shewould be so near him, that, after a while, he ceased to beoppressed by the fear of any real parting."My house is not far from the Castle, Ceddie," she repeatedeach time the subject was referred to--"a very little way fromyours, and you can always run in and see me every day, and youwill have so many things to tell me! and we shall be so happytogether! It is a beautiful place. Your papa has often told meabout it. He loved it very much; and you will love it too.""I should love it better if you were there," his small lordshipsaid, with a heavy little sigh.He could not but feel puzzled by so strange a state of affairs,which could put his "Dearest" in one house and himself inanother.The fact was that Mrs. Errol had thought it better not to tellhim why this plan had been made."I should prefer he should not be told," she said to Mr.Havisham. "He would not really understand; he would only beshocked and hurt; and I feel sure that his feeling for the Earlwill be a more natural and affectionate one if he does not knowthat his grandfather dislikes me so bitterly. He has never seenhatred or hardness, and it would be a great blow to him to findout that any one could hate me. He is so loving himself, and Iam so dear to him! It is better for him that he should not betold until he is much older, and it is far better for the Earl.It would make a barrier between them, even though Ceddie is sucha child."So Cedric only knew that there was some mysterious reason for thearrangement, some reason which he was not old enough tounderstand, but which would be explained when he was older. Hewas puzzled; but, after all, it was not the reason he cared aboutso much; and after many talks with his mother, in which shecomforted him and placed before him the bright side of thepicture, the dark side of it gradually began to fade out, thoughnow and then Mr. Havisham saw him sitting in some queer littleold-fashioned attitude, watching the sea, with a very grave face,and more than once he heard an unchildish sigh rise to his lips."I don't like it," he said once as he was having one of hisalmost venerable talks with the lawyer. "You don't know howmuch I don't like it; but there are a great many troubles in thisworld, and you have to bear them. Mary says so, and I've heardMr. Hobbs say it too. And Dearest wants me to like to live withmy grandpapa, because, you see, all his children are dead, andthat's very mournful. It makes you sorry for a man, when all hischildren have died--and one was killed suddenly."One of the things which always delighted the people who made theacquaintance of his young lordship was the sage little air hewore at times when he gave himself up to conversation;--combinedwith his occasionally elderly remarks and the extreme innocenceand seriousness of his round childish face, it was irresistible.He was such a handsome, blooming, curly-headed little fellow,that, when he sat down and nursed his knee with his chubby hands,and conversed with much gravity, he was a source of greatentertainment to his hearers. Gradually Mr. Havisham had begunto derive a great deal of private pleasure and amusement from hissociety."And so you are going to try to like the Earl," he said."Yes," answered his lordship. "He's my relation, and ofcourse you have to like your relations; and besides, he's beenvery kind to me. When a person does so many things for you, andwants you to have everything you wish for, of course you'd likehim if he wasn't your relation; but when he's your relation anddoes that, why, you're very fond of him.""Do you think," suggested Mr. Havisham, "that he will be fondof you?""Well," said Cedric, "I think he will, because, you see, I'mhis relation, too, and I'm his boy's little boy besides, and,well, don't you see--of course he must be fond of me now, or hewouldn't want me to have everything that I like, and he wouldn'thave sent you for me.""Oh!" remarked the lawyer, "that's it, is it?""Yes," said Cedric, "that's it. Don't you think that's it,too? Of course a man would be fond of his grandson."The people who had been seasick had no sooner recovered fromtheir seasickness, and come on deck to recline in theirsteamer-chairs and enjoy themselves, than every one seemed toknow the romantic story of little Lord Fauntleroy, and every onetook an interest in the little fellow, who ran about the ship orwalked with his mother or the tall, thin old lawyer, or talked tothe sailors. Every one liked him; he made friends everywhere.He was ever ready to make friends. When the gentlemen walked upand down the deck, and let him walk with them, he stepped outwith a manly, sturdy little tramp, and answered all their jokeswith much gay enjoyment; when the ladies talked to him, there wasalways laughter in the group of which he was the center; when heplayed with the children, there was always magnificent fun onhand. Among the sailors he had the heartiest friends; he heardmiraculous stories about pirates and shipwrecks and desertislands; he learned to splice ropes and rig toy ships, and gainedan amount of information concerning "tops'ls" and "mains'ls,"quite surprising. His conversation had, indeed, quite a nauticalflavor at times, and on one occasion he raised a shout oflaughter in a group of ladies and gentlemen who were sitting ondeck, wrapped in shawls and overcoats, by saying sweetly, andwith a very engaging expression:"Shiver my timbers, but it's a cold day!"It surprised him when they laughed. He had picked up thissea-faring remark from an "elderly naval man" of the name ofJerry, who told him stories in which it occurred frequently. Tojudge from his stories of his own adventures, Jerry had made sometwo or three thousand voyages, and had been invariablyshipwrecked on each occasion on an island densely populated withbloodthirsty cannibals. Judging, also, by these same excitingadventures, he had been partially roasted and eaten frequentlyand had been scalped some fifteen or twenty times."That is why he is so bald," explained Lord Fauntleroy to hismamma. "After you have been scalped several times the hairnever grows again. Jerry's never grew again after that lasttime, when the King of the Parromachaweekins did it with theknife made out of the skull of the Chief of the Wopslemumpkies.He says it was one of the most serious times he ever had. He wasso frightened that his hair stood right straight up when the kingflourished his knife, and it never would lie down, and the kingwears it that way now, and it looks something like a hair-brush.I never heard anything like the asperiences Jerry has had! Ishould so like to tell Mr. Hobbs about them!"Sometimes, when the weather was very disagreeable and people werekept below decks in the saloon, a party of his grown-up friendswould persuade him to tell them some of these "asperiences" ofJerry's, and as he sat relating them with great delight andfervor, there was certainly no more popular voyager on any oceansteamer crossing the Atlantic than little Lord Fauntleroy. Hewas always innocently and good-naturedly ready to do his smallbest to add to the general entertainment, and there was a charmin the very unconsciousness of his own childish importance."Jerry's stories int'rust them very much," he said to hismamma. "For my part--you must excuse me, Dearest--but sometimesI should have thought they couldn't be all quite true, if theyhadn't happened to Jerry himself; but as they all happened toJerry --well, it's very strange, you know, and perhaps sometimeshe may forget and be a little mistaken, as he's been scalped sooften. Being scalped a great many times might make a personforgetful."It was eleven days after he had said good-bye to his friend Dickbefore he reached Liverpool; and it was on the night of thetwelfth day that the carriage in which he and his mother and Mr.Havisham had driven from the station stopped before the gates ofCourt Lodge. They could not see much of the house in thedarkness. Cedric only saw that there was a drive-way under greatarching trees, and after the carriage had rolled down thisdrive-way a short distance, he saw an open door and a stream ofbright light coming through it.Mary had come with them to attend her mistress, and she hadreached the house before them. When Cedric jumped out of thecarriage he saw one or two servants standing in the wide, brighthall, and Mary stood in the door-way.Lord Fauntleroy sprang at her with a gay little shout."Did you get here, Mary?" he said. "Here's Mary, Dearest,"and he kissed the maid on her rough red cheek."I am glad you are here, Mary," Mrs. Errol said to her in a lowvoice. "It is such a comfort to me to see you. It takes thestrangeness away." And she held out her little hand, which Marysqueezed encouragingly. She knew how this first "strangeness"must feel to this little mother who had left her own land and wasabout to give up her child.The English servants looked with curiosity at both the boy andhis mother. They had heard all sorts of rumors about them both;they knew how angry the old Earl had been, and why Mrs. Errol wasto live at the lodge and her little boy at the castle; they knewall about the great fortune he was to inherit, and about thesavage old grandfather and his gout and his tempers."He'll have no easy time of it, poor little chap," they hadsaid among themselves.But they did not know what sort of a little lord had come amongthem; they did not quite understand the character of the nextEarl of Dorincourt.He pulled off his overcoat quite as if he were used to doingthings for himself, and began to look about him. He looked aboutthe broad hall, at the pictures and stags' antlers and curiousthings that ornamented it. They seemed curious to him because hehad never seen such things before in a private house."Dearest," he said, "this is a very pretty house, isn't it? Iam glad you are going to live here. It's quite a large house."It was quite a large house compared to the one in the shabby NewYork street, and it was very pretty and cheerful. Mary led themupstairs to a bright chintz-hung bedroom where a fire wasburning, and a large snow-white Persian cat was sleepingluxuriously on the white fur hearth-rug."It was the house-kaper up at the Castle, ma'am, sint her toyez," explained Mary. "It's herself is a kind-hearted lady an'has had iverything done to prepar' fur yez. I seen her meself afew minnits, an' she was fond av the Capt'in, ma'am, an' graivsfur him; and she said to say the big cat slapin' on the rugmoight make the room same homeloike to yez. She knowed Capt'inErrol whin he was a bye--an' a foine handsum' bye she ses he was,an' a foine young man wid a plisint word fur every one, great an'shmall. An' ses I to her, ses I: `He's lift a bye that's loikehim, ma'am, fur a foiner little felly niver sthipped inshoe-leather."'When they were ready, they went downstairs into another bigbright room; its ceiling was low, and the furniture was heavy andbeautifully carved, the chairs were deep and had high massivebacks, and there were queer shelves and cabinets with strange,pretty ornaments on them. There was a great tiger-skin beforethe fire, and an arm-chair on each side of it. The stately whitecat had responded to Lord Fauntleroy's stroking and followed himdownstairs, and when he threw himself down upon the rug, shecurled herself up grandly beside him as if she intended to makefriends. Cedric was so pleased that he put his head down byhers, and lay stroking her, not noticing what his mother and Mr.Havisham were saying.They were, indeed, speaking in a rather low tone. Mrs. Errollooked a little pale and agitated."He need not go to-night?" she said. "He will stay with meto-night?""Yes," answered Mr. Havisham in the same low tone; "it willnot be necessary for him to go to-night. I myself will go to theCastle as soon as we have dined, and inform the Earl of ourarrival."Mrs. Errol glanced down at Cedric. He was lying in a graceful,careless attitude upon the black-and-yellow skin; the fire shoneon his handsome, flushed little face, and on the tumbled, curlyhair spread out on the rug; the big cat was purring in drowsycontent,--she liked the caressing touch of the kind little handon her fur.Mrs. Errol smiled faintly."His lordship does not know all that he is taking from me," shesaid rather sadly. Then she looked at the lawyer. "Will youtell him, if you please," she said, "that I should rather nothave the money?""The money!" Mr. Havisham exclaimed. "You can not mean theincome he proposed to settle upon you!""Yes," she answered, quite simply; "I think I should rathernot have it. I am obliged to accept the house, and I thank himfor it, because it makes it possible for me to be near my child;but I have a little money of my own,--enough to live simplyupon,--and I should rather not take the other. As he dislikes meso much, I should feel a little as if I were selling Cedric tohim. I am giving him up only because I love him enough to forgetmyself for his good, and because his father would wish it to beso."Mr. Havisham rubbed his chin."This is very strange," he said. "He will be very angry. Hewon't understand it.""I think he will understand it after he thinks it over," shesaid. "I do not really need the money, and why should I acceptluxuries from the man who hates me so much that he takes mylittle boy from me--his son's child?"Mr. Havisham looked reflective for a few moments."I will deliver your message," he said afterward.And then the dinner was brought in and they sat down together,the big cat taking a seat on a chair near Cedric's and purringmajestically throughout the meal.When, later in the evening, Mr. Havisham presented himself at theCastle, he was taken at once to the Earl. He found him sittingby the fire in a luxurious easy-chair, his foot on a gout-stool.He looked at the lawyer sharply from under his shaggy eyebrows,but Mr. Havisham could see that, in spite of his pretense atcalmness, he was nervous and secretly excited."Well," he said; "well, Havisham, come back, have you? What'sthe news?""Lord Fauntleroy and his mother are at Court Lodge," repliedMr. Havisham. "They bore the voyage very well and are inexcellent health."The Earl made a half-impatient sound and moved his handrestlessly."Glad to hear it," he said brusquely. "So far, so good. Makeyourself comfortable. Have a glass of wine and settle down.What else?""His lordship remains with his mother to-night. To-morrow Iwill bring him to the Castle."The Earl's elbow was resting on the arm of his chair; he put hishand up and shielded his eyes with it."Well," he said; "go on. You know I told you not to write tome about the matter, and I know nothing whatever about it. Whatkind of a lad is he? I don't care about the mother; what sort ofa lad is he?"Mr. Havisham drank a little of the glass of port he had pouredout for himself, and sat holding it in his hand."It is rather difficult to judge of the character of a child ofseven," he said cautiously.The Earl's prejudices were very intense. He looked up quicklyand uttered a rough word."A fool, is he?" he exclaimed. "Or a clumsy cub? HisAmerican blood tells, does it?""I do not think it has injured him, my lord," replied thelawyer in his dry, deliberate fashion. "I don't know much aboutchildren, but I thought him rather a fine lad."His manner of speech was always deliberate and unenthusiastic,but he made it a trifle more so than usual. He had a shrewdfancy that it would be better that the Earl should judge forhimself, and be quite unprepared for his first interview with hisgrandson."Healthy and well-grown?" asked my lord."Apparently very healthy, and quite well-grown," replied thelawyer."Straight-limbed and well enough to look at?" demanded theEarl.A very slight smile touched Mr. Havisham's thin lips. There roseup before his mind's eye the picture he had left at CourtLodge,--the beautiful, graceful child's body lying upon thetiger-skin in careless comfort--the bright, tumbled hair spreadon the rug--the bright, rosy boy's face."Rather a handsome boy, I think, my lord, as boys go," he said,"though I am scarcely a judge, perhaps. But you will find himsomewhat different from most English children, I dare say.""I haven't a doubt of that," snarled the Earl, a twinge of goutseizing him. "A lot of impudent little beggars, those Americanchildren; I've heard that often enough.""It is not exactly impudence in his case," said Mr. Havisham."I can scarcely describe what the difference is. He has livedmore with older people than with children, and the differenceseems to be a mixture of maturity and childishness.""American impudence!" protested the Earl. "I've heard of itbefore. They call it precocity and freedom. Beastly, impudentbad manners; that's what it is!"Mr. Havisham drank some more port. He seldom argued with hislordly patron,--never when his lordly patron's noble leg wasinflamed by gout. At such times it was always better to leavehim alone. So there was a silence of a few moments. It was Mr.Havisham who broke it."I have a message to deliver from Mrs. Errol," he remarked."I don't want any of her messages!" growled his lordship; "theless I hear of her the better.""This is a rather important one," explained the lawyer. "Sheprefers not to accept the income you proposed to settle on her."The Earl started visibly."What's that?" he cried out. "What's that?"Mr. Havisham repeated his words."She says it is not necessary, and that as the relations betweenyou are not friendly----""Not friendly!" ejaculated my lord savagely; "I should saythey were not friendly! I hate to think of her! A mercenary,sharp-voiced American! I don't wish to see her.""My lord," said Mr. Havisham, "you can scarcely call hermercenary. She has asked for nothing. She does not accept themoney you offer her.""All done for effect!" snapped his noble lordship. "She wantsto wheedle me into seeing her. She thinks I shall admire herspirit. I don't admire it! It's only American independence! Iwon't have her living like a beggar at my park gates. As she'sthe boy's mother, she has a position to keep up, and she shallkeep it up. She shall have the money, whether she likes it ornot!""She won't spend it," said Mr. Havisham."I don't care whether she spends it or not!" blustered my lord."She shall have it sent to her. She sha'n't tell people thatshe has to live like a pauper because I have done nothing forher! She wants to give the boy a bad opinion of me! I supposeshe has poisoned his mind against me already!""No," said Mr. Havisham. "I have another message, which willprove to you that she has not done that.""I don't want to hear it!" panted the Earl, out of breath withanger and excitement and gout.But Mr. Havisham delivered it."She asks you not to let Lord Fauntleroy hear anything whichwould lead him to understand that you separate him from herbecause of your prejudice against her. He is very fond of her,and she is convinced that it would cause a barrier to existbetween you. She says he would not comprehend it, and it mightmake him fear you in some measure, or at least cause him to feelless affection for you. She has told him that he is too young tounderstand the reason, but shall hear it when he is older. Shewishes that there should be no shadow on your first meeting."The Earl sank back into his chair. His deep-set fierce old eyesgleamed under his beetling brows."Come, now!" he said, still breathlessly. "Come, now! Youdon't mean the mother hasn't told him?""Not one word, my lord," replied the lawyer coolly. "That Ican assure you. The child is prepared to believe you the mostamiable and affectionate of grandparents. Nothing--absolutelynothing has been said to him to give him the slightest doubt ofyour perfection. And as I carried out your commands in everydetail, while in New York, he certainly regards you as a wonderof generosity.""He does, eh?" said the Earl."I give you my word of honor," said Mr. Havisham, "that LordFauntleroy's impressions of you will depend entirely uponyourself. And if you will pardon the liberty I take in makingthe suggestion, I think you will succeed better with him if youtake the precaution not to speak slightingly of his mother.""Pooh, pooh!" said the Earl. "The youngster is only sevenyears old!""He has spent those seven years at his mother's side," returnedMr. Havisham; "and she has all his affection."