Маленький лорд Фаунтлерой
Chapter XV
“ALLof’em?Yourgreat-uncle,heMUSThavehadafamily!Didheraise’emall?”
Andhesankintoaseatandlookedaroundhimwithquiteanagitatedcountenance,untilwiththegreatestdifficultyLordFauntleroymanagedtoexplainthatthewallswerenotlinedentirelywiththeportraitsoftheprogenyofhisgreat-uncle.
Hefounditnecessary,infact,tocallintheassistanceofMrs.Mellon,whoknewallaboutthepictures,andcouldtellwhopaintedthemandwhen,andwhoaddedromanticstoriesofthelordsandladieswhoweretheoriginals.WhenMr.Hobbsonceunderstood,andhadheardsomeofthesestories,hewasverymuchfascinatedandlikedthepicturegalleryalmostbetterthananythingelse;andhewouldoftenwalkoverfromthevillage,wherehestaidattheDorincourtArms,andwouldspendhalfanhourorsowanderingaboutthegallery,staringatthepaintedladiesandgentlemen,whoalsostaredathim,andshakinghisheadnearlyallthetime.
“Andtheywasallearls!”hewouldsay,“erprettynighit!An’HE’Sgoin’tobeoneof’em,an’ownitall!”
Privatelyhewasnotnearlysomuchdisgustedwithearlsandtheirmodeoflifeashehadexpectedtobe,anditistobedoubtedwhetherhisstrictlyrepublicanprincipleswerenotshakenalittlebyacloseracquaintancewithcastlesandancestorsandalltherestofit.Atanyrate,onedayheutteredaveryremarkableandunexpectedsentiment:
“Iwouldn’thavemindedbein’oneof’emmyself!”hesaid—whichwasreallyagreatconcession.
