Oldal 75 [75]
LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY 55
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He pulled off his overcoat quite as if he were used to doing
things for himself, and began to look about him. He looked about
the broad hall, at the pictures and stags’ antlers and curious things
that ornamented it. They seemed curious to him because he had
never seen such things before in a private house.
‘ Dearest, he said, ‘this is a very pretty house, is n't it? Iam
glad you are going to live here. It’s quite a large house.”
It was quite a large house compared to the one in the shabby
New York street, and it was very pretty and cheerful. Mary led
them upstairs to a bright chintz-hung bedroom where a fire was
burning, and a large snow-white Persian cat was sleeping luxuriously
on the white fur hearth-rug.
‘It was the house-kaperup at the Castle, ma’am, sint her to yez,”
explained Mary. ‘It’s herself is a kind-hearted lady an’ has had
iverything done to prepar’ fur yez. I seen her meself a few minnits,
an’ she was fond av the Capt’in, ma’am, an’ graivs fur him; and she
said to say the big cat slapin’ on the rug moight make the room
same homeloike to vez. She knowed Capt’in Errol whin he was a
bye—an’ a foine handsum’ bye she ses he was, an a foine young
man wid a plisint word fur every one, great an’ shmall. An’ ses I to
her, ses I: ‘He’s lift a bye that’s loike him, ma’am, fur a foiner
little felly niver sthipped in shoe-leather.’ ”
When they were ready, they went downstairs into another big
bright room; its ceiling was low, and the furniture was heavy and
beautifully carved, the chairs were deep and had high massive backs,
and there were queer shelves and cabinets with strange, pretty
ornaments on them. There was a great tiger-skin before the fre,
and an arm-chair on each side of it. The stately white cat had
responded to Lord Fauntleroy’s stroking and followed him down¬
stairs, and when he threw himself down upon the rug, she curled
herself up grandly beside him as if she intended to make friends.
Cedric was so pleased that he put his head down by hers, and lay