Oldal 29 [29]
LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY. 9
—— a — da a zz Eszz zENNN isztelt Sa =
newspapers, and so Cedric heard a great deal about what was going
on in Washington; and Mr. Hobbs would tell him whether the
President was doing his duty or not. And once, when there was an
election, he found it all quite grand, and probably but for Mr. Hobbs
and Cedric the country might have been wrecked. Mr. Hobbs took
him to see a great torchlight procession, and many of the men who
carried torches remembered afterward a stout man who stood near
a lamp-post and held on his shoulder a handsome little shouting
boy, who waved his cap in the air.
It was not long after this election, when Cedric was between seven
and eight years old, that the very strange thing happened which made
so wonderful a change in his life. It was quite curious, too, that the
day it happened he had been talking to Mr. Hobbs about England
and the Queen, and Mr. Hobbs had said some very severe things
about the aristocracy, being specially indignant against earls and mar¬
quises. It had been a hot morning; and after playing soldiers with
some friends of his, Cedric had gone into the store to rest, and had
found Mr. Hobbs looking very fierce over a piece of the ///ustrated
London News, which contained a picture of some court ceremony. ©
"Ah, he said, " that s the way they go on now; but they'll get
enough of it some day, when those they ‘ve trod on rise and blow
em up sky-high,—earls and marquises and all! It’s coming, and
they may look out for it!”
Cedric had perched himself as usual on the high stool and .
pushed his hat back, and put his hands in his pockets in delicate
compliment to Mr. Hobbs.
“Did you ever know many marquises, Mr. Hobbs?” Cedric
inquired,—‘‘ or earls ? "
‘“No,” answered Mr. Hobbs, with indignation; ‘“‘I guess not.
I d like to catch one of "em inside here; that’s all! I "] have no
grasping tyrants sittin’ round on my cracker-barrels!”