Page 48 [48]
28 LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.
that the person who was beaten might not feel so gay as he did, and
might like to think that he mzght have been the winner under differ¬
ent circumstances.
That morning Mr. Havisham had quite a long conversation with
the winner of the race—a conversation which made him smile his
dry smile, and rub his chin with his bony hand several times.
Mrs. Errol had been called out of the parlor, and the lawyer
and Cedric were left together. At first Mr. Havisham wondered
what he should say to his small companion. He had an idea that
perhaps it would be best to say several things which might prepare
Cedric for meeting his grandfather, and, perhaps, for the great
change that was to come to him. He could see that Cedric had not
the least idea of the sort of thing he was to see when he reached
England, or of the sort of home that waited for him there. He did
not even know yet that his mother was not to live in the same house
with him. They had thought it best to let him get over the first
shock before telling him.
Mr. Havisham sat in an arm-chair on one side of the open win¬
dow; on the other side was another still larger chair, and Cedric
sat in that and looked at Mr. Havisham. He sat well back in the
depths of his big seat, his curly head against the cushioned back, his
legs crossed, and his hands thrust deep into his pockets, in a quite
Mr. Hobbs-like way. He had been watching Mr. Havisham very
steadily when his mamma had been in the room, and after she was
. gone he still looked at him in respectful thoughtfulness. There was
a short silence after Mrs. Errol went out, and Cedric seemed to be
studying Mr. Havisham, and Mr. Havisham was certainly studying
Cedric. He could not make up his mind as to what an elderly
gentleman should say to a little boy who won races, and wore
short knickerbockers and red stockings on legs which were not
. long enough to hang over a big chair when he sat well back in it.