书虫1级《小爵爷》2. 告别美国

2. Saying goodbye to America

It was a lot of news for a seven-year-old boy – uncles dying, an English grandfather, a new home in England, a new name... He did not understand it all at first. And when he did, he was not very happy.

Oh, dearest,' he said to his mother. (Cedric's father always called her 'dearest', and so the little boy used the name too.) 'I don't think I want to be an Earl. None of the boys in our street are Earls. Please can I not be one?'

Your papa loved his home in England, Ceddie,' said his mother. 'I think he would like you to go there, and be an Earl one day.'

I'm sorry to leave all my friends. Dick, and Bridget, and everyone,' said Cedric sadly. 'And Mr Hobbs isn't going to like the news. He says kings and lords are all bad people. America has a president, and Mr Hobbs says presidents are much better than kings.'

The next day Cedric went to see Mr Hobbs at his grocery store. He sat down in his usual place, but at first he could not find the words to tell Mr Hobbs his news. Then he said it all at once, very quickly.

Mr Hobbs stared at him. 'Well!' he said. 'Can this be true?'

Yes, Mr Hobbs,' said Cedric. 'I'm sorry to say it's all true. Mr Havisham says I am Lord Fauntleroy now, and one day I'm going to be the Earl of Dorincourt, after my grandfather dies.'

Well!' said Mr Hobbs. 'Well, well, well!'

They talked about it for a long time, and in the end Mr Hobbs was happier about lords and earls. He liked his young friend very much. He first knew Cedric when he was six weeks old, and he had a grandfatherly interest in the boy. But he did not like Cedric going to England.

Can't you stay here and be an earl?' he asked.

No, I can't,' said Cedric sadly. 'Dearest says we must go to England.'

The Dorincourt name was an old and famous one, and the family was very rich, with great houses and castles in England. Mr Havisham, the family's lawyer for forty years, knew the Earl very well. He remembered the Earl's words to him before he left England.

I hate that American woman. She married my son because he was an earl's son, and she wanted to be rich. Her son is going to be just like her.

But after a week in New York Mr Havisham knew differently. 'Mrs Errol married the Earl's son because she loved him with all her heart,' he thought. 'She's not interested in money, she asks nothing for herself. She only wants her little boy to be happy. I think the Earl is wrong about her, and about her little boy.'

Well!' said Mr Hobbs. 'Well, well, well!'

Mr Havisham was surprised and pleased by the new Lord Fauntleroy. Cedric was a fine boy, tall and strong, with his mother's brown eyes and his father's golden hair. He spoke well, was not afraid of anything, and was friendly with everyone. He had a kind heart, too. Mr Havisham learnt that very soon.

One day he was with Cedric when his mother was out. Mr Havisham wanted to talk to him about his new life in England. But Cedric spoke first.

Please, what is an earl?' he asked. 'I don't know anything about them. Please can you tell me?'

An earl is – is a very important person,' Mr Havisham said. 'He usually comes from a very old family. The first Earl of Dorincourt lived four hundred years ago.'

Well, well!' said Cedric. 'That was a long time ago. That's interesting. But what does an earl do?'

This was not an easy question to answer. 'An earl,' Mr Havisham began, 'um... an earl often helps the king. Perhaps he's a soldier for the king. Some earls were very brave men in the old days.'

Oh,' said Cedric. 'My papa was a soldier, and he was a very brave man, you know. I'm pleased Earls are brave. It's a good thing to be brave, don't you think?'

Yes,' Mr Havisham said. 'There is another good thing about Earls. Some of them have money – a lot of money.'

That's a good thing to have,' said Cedric. 'I'd like a lot of money.'

Would you?' said Mr Havisham. 'Why?'

Well,' Cedric said, happily, 'a person can do so many things with money, you see. I can buy beautiful things for Dearest, like books and pretty dresses. I can buy a warm winter coat for Bridget – she lives in our street and has twelve children. And a present for Mr Hobbs at the grocery store. And then for Dick—'

Who is Dick?' asked Mr Havisham.

Dick is a boot-black,' said Lord Fauntleroy. 'He cleans people's boots in the street, you know. He's one of the nicest people in the world. When I was little, he was very kind to me once. And when someone is kind to you, you never forget it, do you?'

And what would you like to do for Dick?' asked the lawyer. He smiled a little smile. A boot-black, a grocery-man, a poor woman with twelve children – strange friends for the grandson of an earl.

Buy the business for him,' said the young lord happily. 'He works for Jake now, and Jake is no good, you see. Dick does all the work and Jake takes all the money. Dick gets so angry! Dick needs new brushes, and new clothes, and a sign, and then he can get somewhere!'

At that moment Mrs Errol came home. 'I am so sorry to be late,' she said. 'I was at the house of a friend. Her husband is ill, and she needs help, poor thing.'

Oh,' cried the young lord. He jumped up from his chair. 'That's Bridget. I must visit her too.'

Dick is a boot-black. He cleans people's boots in the street.'

One moment,' said the lawyer. He remembered the Earl's words. The boy can have anything. Tell him that. Put money in his pockets, and tell him it came from his grandfather. Mr Havisham told Mrs Errol and Cedric about the Earl's money, but he said it more kindly.

Then he asked, 'So, would Lord Fauntleroy like to help this poor woman?'

At first Cedric did not understand.

His mother put her arms around him. 'Ceddie dear,' she said, 'the Earl is your grandpapa, your papa's father. He's very kind, and he loves you and he wants you to love him. He wants you to be happy and to make other people happy. He's very rich, and he gave Mr Havisham some money for you. You can give some to Bridget now, to pay her rent and to buy food for her husband and her children. Isn't that fine, Ceddie? Isn't he good?'

Cedric's face was suddenly very excited. He looked from his mother to Mr Havisham.

Can I have it now?' he cried. 'Can I run to her house and give it to her this minute?'

Mr Havisham gave Cedric twenty-five dollars, and Cedric was out of the house in seconds.

A short time later Cedric was back, with a big smile on his face. 'Bridget cried,' he said. 'She cried because she was so happy. I think I'm going to like being an earl.'

The old lawyer smiled his little smile again. 'What's the Earl going to think about that?' he thought. 'He gives his grandson money, and the boy gives it to a poor woman to pay her rent.'

You can give some money to Bridget now,' said his mother.

The day for leaving New York came quickly. In the last days Lord Fauntleroy was very busy. With the Earl's money, Bridget's children all had new clothes, and Mr Hobbs had a very fine gold watch from his little friend.

Look,' said Cedric. 'The watch has our names on the back. So you can't forget me!'

Mr Hobbs held the watch in his hand, and at first he could not speak. 'I'm not going to forget you, my boy,' he said at last. 'You never forget a good friend, do you?'

Dick, too, could not find words at first to thank his little friend. He now had new brushes, a big new sign, and the best boot-black business in New York. On the last day he came to the house to say goodbye.

I'm sorry he's going away, I really am,' he said to Mr Havisham. 'I never had a friend like him.' Dick shook Cedric's hand for a long time. 'Goodbye,' he said. 'Write and tell me all about it, earls and everything.'

That evening Cedric's mamma was very quiet.

Cedric held her hand. 'It's sad saying goodbye to all our friends and our little house, isn't it, Dearest?' he said.

Yes, Ceddie dear, it is,' she said. 'Very, very sad.'