Маленькая принцесса
The Indian Gentleman
Saralaughedalittle.
"Idon’tbelieveheworshipsthatidol,"shesaid;"somepeopleliketokeepthemtolookatbecausetheyareinteresting.Mypapahadabeautifulone,andhedidnotworshipit."
ButBeckywasratherinclinedtoprefertobelievethatthenewneighborwas"an’eathen."Itsoundedsomuchmoreromanticthanthatheshouldmerelybetheordinarykindofgentlemanwhowenttochurchwithaprayerbook.Shesatandtalkedlongthatnightofwhathewouldbelike,ofwhathiswifewouldbelikeifhehadone,andofwhathischildrenwouldbelikeiftheyhadchildren.Sarasawthatprivatelyshecouldnothelphopingverymuchthattheywouldallbeblack,andwouldwearturbans,and,aboveall,that—liketheirparent—theywouldallbe"’eathens."
"Ineverlivednextdoortono’eathens,miss,"shesaid;"Ishouldliketoseewhatsorto’waysthey’dhave."
Itwasseveralweeksbeforehercuriositywassatisfied,andthenitwasrevealedthatthenewoccupanthadneitherwifenorchildren.Hewasasolitarymanwithnofamilyatall,anditwasevidentthathewasshatteredinhealthandunhappyinmind.
Acarriagedroveuponedayandstoppedbeforethehouse.WhenthefootmandismountedfromtheboxandopenedthedoorthegentlemanwhowasthefatheroftheLargeFamilygotoutfirst.Afterhimtheredescendedanurseinuniform,thencamedownthestepstwomen-servants
