Маленький лорд Фаунтлерой
Chapter V
”
“Oh!”saidtheEarlinhisdeepvoice,“thatwasoneofthethingsyoudidforyourself,wasit?Whatelse?”
Dougalhadbeensittingbythetallchair;thegreatdoghadtakenitsplacetherewhenCedricsatdown.Severaltimesithadturnedandlookedupattheboyasifinterestedintheconversation.Dougalwasasolemndog,whoseemedtofeelaltogethertoobigtotakelife’sresponsibilitieslightly.TheoldEarl,whoknewthedogwell,hadwatcheditwithsecretinterest.Dougalwasnotadogwhosehabititwastomakeacquaintancesrashly,andtheEarlwonderedsomewhattoseehowquietlythebrutesatunderthetouchofthechildishhand.And,justatthismoment,thebigdoggavelittleLordFauntleroyonemorelookofdignifiedscrutiny,anddeliberatelylaiditshuge,lion-likeheadontheboy’sblack-velvetknee.
ThesmallhandwentonstrokingthisnewfriendasCedricanswered:
“Well,therewasDick,”hesaid.“You’dlikeDick,he’ssosquare.”
ThiswasanAmericanismtheEarlwasnotpreparedfor.
“Whatdoesthatmean?”heinquired.
LordFauntleroypausedamomenttoreflect.Hewasnotverysurehimselfwhatitmeant.HehadtakenitforgrantedasmeaningsomethingverycreditablebecauseDickhadbeenfondofusingit.
“Ithinkitmeansthathewouldn’tcheatanyone,”heexclaimed;“orhitaboywhowasunderhissize,andthatheblackspeople’sbootsverywellandmakesthemshineasmuchashecan.He’saperfessionalbootblack.”
“Andhe’soneofyouracquaintances,ishe?”saidtheEarl.
“Heisanoldfriendofmine,”repliedhisgrandson.
