Маленький лорд Фаунтлерой
Chapter XI
Doctorsaidhe’dcarrythemarktillhedied.Anicemothershewas!Crackey!butdidn’twehaveatime—Ben’n’mehself’n’theyoungun.ShewasmadatBenbecausehedidn’tmakemoneyfaster;’n’atlasthewentoutWestwithamantosetupacattleranch.An’hadn’tbeengoneaweek’foreonenight,Igothomefromsellin’mypapers,’n’theroomswuslockedup’n’empty,’n’thewomano’thehouse,shetoldmeMinna’dgone—shownacleanpairo’heels.Someunelsesaidshe’dgoneacrossthewatertobenusstoaladyashadalittlebaby,too.Neverheardawordofhersince—nutherhasBen.IfI’dha’binhim,Iwouldn’tha’frettedabit—’n’Iguesshedidn’t.Buthethoughtaheapo’heratthestart.Tellyou,hewasspoonsonher.Shewasadaisy-lookin’gal,too,whenshewasdressedup’n’notmad.She’dbigblackeyes’n’blackhairdowntoherknees;she’dmakeitintoaropeasbigasyourarm,andtwistit’round’n’’roundherhead;’n’Itellyouhereyes’dsnap!FolksusedtosayshewaspartItali-un—saidhermotherorfather’dcomefromthere,’n’itmadeherqueer.Itellye,shewasoneof’em—shewas!”
HeoftentoldMr.HobbsstoriesofherandofhisbrotherBen,who,sincehisgoingoutWest,hadwrittenonceortwicetoDick.
Ben’sluckhadnotbeengood,andhehadwanderedfromplacetoplace;butatlasthehadsettledonaranchinCalifornia,wherehewasatworkatthetimewhenDickbecameacquaintedwithMr.Hobbs.
