Маленький лорд Фаунтлерой
Chapter XII
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Butinthemidstofallthedisturbancetherewasonepersonwhowasquitecalmanduntroubled.ThatpersonwasthelittleLordFauntleroywhowassaidnottobeLordFauntleroyatall.Whenfirstthestateofaffairshadbeenexplainedtohim,hehadfeltsomelittleanxiousnessandperplexity,itistrue,butitsfoundationwasnotinbaffledambition.
WhiletheEarltoldhimwhathadhappened,hehadsatonastoolholdingontohisknee,ashesooftendidwhenhewaslisteningtoanythinginteresting;andbythetimethestorywasfinishedhelookedquitesober.
“Itmakesmefeelveryqueer,”hesaid;“itmakesmefeel—queer!”
TheEarllookedattheboyinsilence.Itmadehimfeelqueer,too—queererthanhehadeverfeltinhiswholelife.Andhefeltmorequeerstillwhenhesawthattherewasatroubledexpressiononthesmallfacewhichwasusuallysohappy.
“WilltheytakeDearest’shousefromher—andhercarriage?”Cedricaskedinaratherunsteady,anxiouslittlevoice.
“NO!”saidtheEarldecidedly—inquitealoudvoice,infact.“Theycantakenothingfromher.”
“Ah!”saidCedric,withevidentrelief.“Can’tthey?”
Thenhelookedupathisgrandfather,andtherewasawistfulshadeinhiseyes,andtheylookedverybigandsoft.
“Thatotherboy,”hesaidrathertremulously—“hewillhaveto—tobeyourboynow—asIwas—won’the?”
“NO!”answeredtheEarl—andhesaiditsofiercelyandloudlythatCedricquitejumped.
“No?”heexclaimed,inwonderment.“Won’the?Ithought——”
Hestoodupfromhisstoolquitesuddenly.
