Stranica 90 [90]
70 LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.
zen ee —
—z— Hm = — —]ay ee ———
tears in her eyes, and yet it was evident she was not unhappy. She
smiled down on him.
“The cat left two beautiful kittens here, she said; " they shall be
sent up to your lordship’s nursery.”
Mr. Havisham said a few words to her in a low voice.
‘Tn the library, sir,” Mrs. Mellon replied. ‘ His lordship is to be
taken there alone.’
A few minutes later, the very tall footman in livery, who had
escorted Cedric to the library door, opened it and announced: ‘Lord
Fauntleroy, my lord,” in quite a majestic tone. If he was only a
footman, he felt it was rather a grand occasion when the heir came
home to his own land and possessions, and was ushered into the
presence of the old Earl, whose place and title he was to take.
Cedric crossed the threshold into the room. It was a very large
and splendid room, with massive carven furniture in it, and shelves
upon shelves of books; the furniture was so dark, and the draperies
so heavy, the diamond-paned windows were so deep, and it seemed
such a distance from one end of it to the other, that, since the sun
had gone down, the effect of it all was rather gloomy. Fora moment
Cedric thought there was nobody in the room, but soon he saw that
by the fire burning on the wide hearth there was a large easy-chair
and that in that chair some one was sitting —some one who did not
at first turn to look at him.
But he had attracted attention in one quarter at least. On the
floor, by the arm-chair, lay a dog, a huge tawny mastiff, with body
and limbs almost as big as a lion’s; and this great creature rose
majestically and slowly, and marched toward the little fellow with a
heavy step.
Then the person in the chair spoke. ‘ Dougal,” he called,
‘“come back, sir.”