Stranica 58 [58]
38 LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.
have. He told Mr. Havisham so, and gave him a great deal of
money for you. You can give some to Bridget now ; enough to pay
her rent and buy Michael everything. Is nt that fine, Ceddie?
Is nt he good?” And she kissed the child on his round cheek,
where the bright color suddenly flashed up in his excited amazement.
He looked from his mother to Mr. Havisham.
“Can I have it now?” he cried. ‘Can I give it to her this
minute? She’s just going.”
Mr. Havisham handed him the money. It was in fresh, clean
greenbacks and made a neat roll.
Ceddie flew out of the room with it.
‘“ Bridget!” they heard him shout, as he tore into the kitchen.
‘“ Bridget, wait a minute! Here s some money. It’s for you, and
you can pay the rent. My grandpapa gave it tome. It’s for you
and Michael !”
“Oh, Master Ceddie!” cried Bridget, in an awe-stricken voice.
‘Tt "s twinty-foive dollars is here. Where bes the misthress?”
‘“T think I shall have to go and explain it to her, Mrs. Errol said.
So she, too, went out of the room and Mr. Havisham was left
alone for a while. He went to the window and stood looking out
into the street reflectively. He was thinking of the old Earl of
Dorincourt, sitting in his great, splendid, gloomy library at the ©
castle, gouty and lonely, surrounded by grandeur and luxury, but
not really loved by any one, because in all his long life he had never
really loved any one but himself; he had been selfish and self-indul¬
gent and arrogant and passionate; he had cared so much for the
Earl of Dorincourt and his pleasures that there had been no time for
him to think of other people; all his wealth and power, all the bene¬
fits from his noble name and high rank, had seemed to him to be
things only to be used to amuse and give pleasure to the Earl of
Dorincourt; and now that he was an old man, all this excitement