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LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY. I 3
"" Because," she said, looking out of the window with sorrowful
eyes, "I know your papa would wish it to be so, Ceddie. He loved
his home very much; and there are many things to be thought of
that a little boy cant guite understand. I should be a selfish little
mother if I did not send you. When you are a man, you will see
why.”
Ceddie shook his head mournfully.
‘“T shall be very sorry to leave Mr. Hobbs,” he said. ‘I’m
afraid he ’ll miss me, and I shall miss him. And I shall miss them
all.”
When Mr. Havisham—who was the family lawyer of the Earl
of Dorincourt, and who had been sent by him to bring Lord Faunt¬
leroy to England—came the next day, Cedric heard many things.
But, somehow, it did not console him to hear that he was to bea
very rich man when he grew up, and that he would have castles
here and castles there, and great parks and deep mines and grand
estates and tenantry. He was troubled about his friend, Mr. Hobbs,
and he went to see him at the store soon after breakfast, in great
anxiety of mind.
He found him reading the morning paper, and he approached
him with a grave demeanor. He really felt it would be a great
shock to Mr. Hobbs to hear what had befallen him, and on his way
to the store he had been thinking how it would be best to break the
news. ;
‘“ Hello!” said Mr. Hobbs. ‘ Mornin’!”
‘ Good-morning,” said Cedric.
He did not climb up on the high stool as usual, but sat down on
a cracker-box and clasped his knee, and was so silent for a few
moments that Mr. Hobbs finally looked up inquiringly over the top
of his newspaper.
“ Hello!” he said again.