Stranica 125 [125]
LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY. 105
“There!” he said gayly, "now you can write it.”
‘You are to write it,” said the Earl.
‘“T!” exclaimed Fauntleroy, and a flush overspread his forehead.
‘Will it do if I write it? I dont always spell quite right when I
have n't a dictionary, and nobody tells me.”
‘Tt will do,” answered the Earl. ‘ Higgins will not complain of
the spelling. I’m not the philanthropist; you are. Dip your pen
in the ink.”
Fauntleroy took up the pen and dipped it in the ink-bottle, then
he arranged himself in position, leaning on the table.
‘“ Now, he inquired, " what must I say?”
“You may say, ‘ Higgins is not to be interfered with, for the
present,’ and sign it, ‘ Fauntleroy,’” said the Earl.
Fauntleroy dipped his pen in the ink again, and resting his arm,
began to write. It was rather a slow and serious process, but he
gave his whole soul to it. After a while, however, the manuscript
was complete, and he handed it to his grandfather with a smile
slightly tinged with anxiety. |
“Do you think it will do?” he asked.
The Earl looked at it, and the corners of his mouth twitched a
little.
“Yes,” he answered; " Higgins will find it entirely satisfactory.”
And he handed it to Mr. Mordaunt.
What Mr. Mordaunt found written was this:
“Dear mr. Newik if you pleas mr. higins is not to be inturfeared with for the
present and oblige Yours rispecferly
66 KFAUNTLEROY.”’
“Mr. Hobbs always signed his letters that way,” said Fauntleroy ;
“and I thought I’d better say ‘please.’ Is that exactly the right
way to spell ‘interfered ?