Little Lord Fauntleroy

Hodgson Burnett Frances

Description

Dive into a classic of children's literature from the pen of the author who created The Secret Garden. Little Lord Fauntleroy follows the adventures of the title character, a young American boy who unexpectedly becomes wealthy when he inherits a vast fortune from English relatives and teaches his aristocratic family about the importance of charity and compassion.

Sujets

• Children's

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 août 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775418481
• Langue: English

Extrait

LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY
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FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT
 
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Little Lord Fauntleroy First published in 1886 ISBN 978-1-775418-48-1 © 2010 The Floating Press
While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike.
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Contents
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I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV
I
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Cedric himself knew nothing whatever about it. It had never been evenmentioned to him. He knew that his papa had been an Englishman, becausehis mamma had told him so; but then his papa had died when he was solittle a boy that he could not remember very much about him, except thathe was big, and had blue eyes and a long mustache, and that it was asplendid thing to be carried around the room on his shoulder. Since hispapa's death, Cedric had found out that it was best not to talk to hismamma about him. When his father was ill, Cedric had been sent away, andwhen he had returned, everything was over; and his mother, who hadbeen very ill, too, was only just beginning to sit in her chair by thewindow. She was pale and thin, and all the dimples had gone from herpretty face, and her eyes looked large and mournful, and she was dressedin black.
"Dearest," said Cedric (his papa had called her that always, and so thelittle boy had learned to say it),—"dearest, is my papa better?"
He felt her arms tremble, and so he turned his curly head and looked inher face. There was something in it that made him feel that he was goingto cry.
"Dearest," he said, "is he well?"
Then suddenly his loving little heart told him that he'd better put bothhis arms around her neck and kiss her again and again, and keep hissoft cheek close to hers; and he did so, and she laid her face on hisshoulder and cried bitterly, holding him as if she could never let himgo again.
"Yes, he is well," she sobbed; "he is quite, quite well, but we—we haveno one left but each other. No one at all."
Then, little as he was, he understood that his big, handsome young papawould not come back any more; that he was dead, as he had heard of otherpeople being, although he could not comprehend exactly what strangething had brought all this sadness about. It was because his mammaalways cried when he spoke of his papa that he secretly made up his mindit was better not to speak of him very often to her, and he found out,too, that it was better not to let her sit still and look into the fireor out of the window without moving or talking. He and his mamma knewvery few people, and lived what might have been thought very lonelylives, although Cedric did not know it was lonely until he grew olderand heard why it was they had no visitors. Then he was told that hismamma was an orphan, and quite alone in the world when his papa hadmarried her. She was very pretty, and had been living as companion to arich old lady who was not kind to her, and one day Captain Cedric Errol,who was calling at the house, saw her run up the stairs with tears onher eyelashes; and she looked so sweet and innocent and sorrowful thatthe Captain could not forget her. And after many strange things hadhappened, they knew each other well and loved each other dearly, andwere married, although their marriage brought them the ill-will ofseveral persons. The one who was most angry of all, however, wasthe Captain's father, who lived in England, and was a very rich andimportant old nobleman, with a very bad temper and a very violentdislike to America and Americans. He had two sons older than CaptainCedric; and it was the law that the elder of these sons should inheritthe family title and estates, which were very rich and splendid; if theeldest son died, the next one would be heir; so, though he was a memberof such a great family, there was little chance that Captain Cedricwould be very rich himself.
But it so happened that Nature had given to the youngest son gifts whichshe had not bestowed upon his elder brothers. He had a beautiful faceand a fine, strong, graceful figure; he had a bright smile and a sweet,gay voice; he was brave and generous, and had the kindest heart in theworld, and seemed to have the power to make every one love him. And itwas not so with his elder brothers; neither of them was handsome,or very kind, or clever. When they were boys at Eton, they were notpopular; when they were at college, they cared nothing for study, andwasted both time and money, and made few real friends. The old Earl,their father, was constantly disappointed and humiliated by them; hisheir was no honor to his noble name, and did not promise to end in beinganything but a selfish, wasteful, insignificant man, with no manly ornoble qualities. It was very bitter, the old Earl thought, that the sonwho was only third, and would have only a very small fortune, should bethe one who had all the gifts, and all the charms, and all the strengthand beauty. Sometimes he almost hated the handsome young man because heseemed to have the good things which should have gone with the statelytitle and the magnificent estates; and yet, in the depths of his proud,stubborn old heart, he could not help caring very much for his youngestson. It was in one of his fits of petulance that he sent him off totravel in America; he thought he would send him away for a while, sothat he should not be made angry by constantly contrasting him with hisbrothers, who were at that time giving him a great deal of trouble bytheir wild ways.
But, after about six months, he began to feel lonely, and longed insecret to see his son again, so he wrote to Captain Cedric and orderedhim home. The letter he wrote crossed on its way a letter the Captainhad just written to his father, telling of his love for the prettyAmerican girl, and of his intended marriage; and when the Earl receivedthat letter he was furiously angry. Bad as his temper was, he hadnever given way to it in his life as he gave way to it when he read theCaptain's letter. His valet, who was in the room when it came, thoughthis lordship would have a fit of apoplexy, he was so wild with anger.For an hour he raged like a tiger, and then he sat down and wrote to hisson, and ordered him never to come near his old home, nor to write tohis father or brothers again. He told him he might live as he pleased,and die where he pleased, that he should be cut off from his familyforever, and that he need never expect help from his father as long ashe lived.
The Captain was very sad when he read the letter; he was very fond ofEngland, and he dearly loved the beautiful home where he had been born;he had even loved his ill-tempered old father, and had sympathized withhim in his disappointments; but he knew he need expect no kindness fromhim in the future. At first he scarcely knew what to do; he had not beenbrought up to work, and had no business experience, but he had courageand plenty of determination. So he sold his commission in the Englisharmy, and after some trouble found a situation in New York, and married.The change from his old life in England was very great, but he was youngand happy, and he hoped that hard work would do great things for him inthe future. He had a small house on a quiet street, and his little boywas born there, and everything was so gay and cheerful, in a simple way,that he was never sorry for a moment that he had married the rich oldlady's pretty companion just because she was so sweet and he loved herand she loved him. She was very sweet, indeed, and her little boy waslike both her and his father. Though he was born in so quiet and cheap alittle home, it seemed as if there never had been a more fortunate baby.In the first place, he was always well, and so he never gave any onetrouble; in the second place, he had so sweet a temper and ways socharming that he was a pleasure to every one; and in the third place,he was so beautiful to look at that he was quite a picture. Instead ofbeing a bald-headed baby, he started in life with a quantity of soft,fine, gold-colored hair, which curled up at the ends, and went intoloose rings by the time he was six months old; he had big brown eyes andlong eyelashes and a darling little face; he had so strong a back andsuch splendid sturdy legs, that at nine months he learned suddenly towalk; his manners were so good, for a baby, that it was delightful tomake his acquaintance. He seemed to feel that every one was his friend,and when any one spoke to him, when he was in his carriage in thestreet, he would give the stranger one sweet, serious look with thebrown eyes, and then follow it with a lovely, friendly smile; and theconsequence was, that there was not a person in the neighborhood of thequiet street where he lived—even to the groceryman at the corner, whowas considered the crossest creature alive—who was not pleased to seehim and speak to him. And every month of his life he grew handsomer andmore interesting.
When he was old enough to walk out with his nurse, dragging a smallwagon and wearing a short white kilt skirt, and a big white hat set backon his curly yellow hair, he was so handsome and strong and rosy that heattracted every one's attention, and his nurse would come home and tellhis mamma stories of the ladies who had stopped their carriages to lookat and speak to him, and of how pleased they were when he talked to themin his cheerful little way, as if he had known them always. His greatestcharm was this cheerful, fearless, quaint little way of making friendswith people. I think it arose from his having a very confiding nature,and a kind little heart that sympathized with every one, and wish