书虫1级《小爵爷》1. 大吃一惊

1. A big surprise

Cedric Errol and his mamma were very good friends. This was important because there were only two of them. Cedric's father was dead, and it was a sad day in the little house in New York when Mrs Errol told Cedric this news.

Dear, dear Ceddie,' she said. 'Your papa was very ill last week and – and he – he's not coming home to us. He's never coming home again because...' And then she began to cry.

Cedric was only seven years old, but he was a very loving little boy. He went at once to his mamma and put his little arms around her and his face next to her face. They did not need any more words.

So Cedric and his mother were alone in the world. Mrs Errol's mother and father were dead, and Mr Errol's family was in England. Mr Errol's father – Cedric's grandfather – was an important man. He was the Earl of Dorincourt, the head of one of the oldest and most famous families in England. He lived at Dorincourt Castle, and was very rich.

But he was not a nice person. He was an angry, bad-tempered old man – and he hated America and Americans. So when his youngest son, Cedric's father, married an American girl in New York, a girl without money or family, just a nobody, the Earl was very angry. He wrote this letter to his son:

Never come to Dorincourt Castle, and never write to me. I don't want to see you again. Don't ask me for help or money. You can live – or die; I don't want to know. You are no longer my son.

The Earl had two older sons, but they were bad, selfish men. They spent the Earl's money on horses and women, never said a kind word, or did a good thing in their lives. Nobody liked them, and their father hated them. They were a black page in the book of the Dorincourt family.

Cedric's father was very different from his brothers. He had a beautiful face, was tall and strong, and had the kindest heart in the world. Everybody loved him.

He was very sad when his father's angry letter arrived. He loved his home in England, and he even loved his bad-tempered old father. But he was young and happy with his sweet young wife.

Soon Cedric arrived, and there never was a happier child than little Ceddie. He slept well, he ate well, he smiled a lot, and never cried. And he had big brown eyes and beautiful golden-yellow hair.

When he was older, he still smiled a lot, and he was the happiest, friendliest little boy in the world. Everybody liked him. Everybody liked to talk to him when they met him in the street. He had some good friends. There was Mr Hobbs, the grocery-man in the store at the end of their street. There were the children along the street, and there was Dick, the boot-black boy. And there was Bridget. Bridget had twelve children, and her husband was a builder. But he was often ill and could not work, and then there was no money for the rent. Cedric felt very sorry for them all when life was difficult.

The Earl of Dorincourt was an angry, bad-tempered old man.

Cedric's best friend was his mamma. Her eyes were sad, and she always wore a black dress, but she was young and pretty, and she loved her little boy very much.

So life went on for Cedric Errol and his friends. Then one day everything changed. Mrs Errol had a visitor from England. He was a tall old man, in dark clothes. His name was Mr Havisham, and he was the lawyer for the Earl of Dorincourt. He had some very surprising news for Cedric's mother.

You know that the Earl had three sons, Mrs Errol,' he said. 'The two older sons, Bevis and Maurice, died two or three months ago – one in an accident, and the other from an illness. They were not married and they had no children. Your husband is dead too, and so his son is now the heir. Cedric Errol is now Lord Fauntleroy and the next Earl of Dorincourt after his grandfather dies.'

Mrs Errol's face went very white. 'Oh,' she said, 'is the Earl going to take Cedric away from me? We are so happy together. I try to be a good mother to him.'

Mr Havisham was not a family man. He was a lawyer, a cold man of business, but he saw that Mrs Errol was a loving mother. His next news was difficult to say.

I must tell you, Mrs Errol,' he said, 'that the Earl is not very friendly to you. He does not like America or Americans, and he was very angry when his son married you. I am sorry to say this, but he does not want to see you. He wants Lord Fauntleroy to live with him at Dorincourt Castle, but he wants you to live in a different house. He is giving you a house called Court Lodge, and there Lord Fauntleroy can visit you every day.'

Mr Havisham watched Mrs Errol carefully. 'Is she going to cry?' he thought. He did not know the right words to say to a crying woman.

But Mrs Errol did not cry. She stood for a moment at the window, then turned and looked at the lawyer.

My husband loved Dorincourt,' she said quietly. 'He loved England, and everything English. He was very sad to leave it all. So I think Ceddie must go back, and learn how to be an English earl.'

She looked at the lawyer with her sweet, sad eyes. 'I hope the Earl can learn to love Ceddie. He is only little, and he is a very loving child.'

Mr Havisham thought about the old Earl. He was a bad-tempered, selfish old man, and did not love anyone. But the lawyer did not say this.

Cedric's best friend was his mamma.

Mrs Errol,' he said, 'the Earl wants the best of everything for his grandson. He wants him to be happy. Your son is going to have a very good life at Dorincourt.'

A short time later Cedric came home from a visit to his friend Mr Hobbs, the grocery-man. He was very surprised to find a visitor in the sitting room. His mother ran to him and took his hands.

Oh Ceddie,' she cried. 'Dear, dear Ceddie!'

Mr Havisham stood up and looked down at Cedric. 'And so this,' he said slowly, 'is little Lord Fauntleroy.'