Stranica 154 [154]
LX
those days, of many things of which he had never thought be¬
fore, and all his thoughts were in one way or another connected
with his grandson. — His pride was the strongest part of his nature,
and the boy gratified it at every point. Through this pride he began
to find a new interest in life. He began to take pleasure in showing
his heir to the world. The world had known of his disappointment
in his sons; so there was an agreeable touch of triumph in exhibit¬
ing this new Lord Fauntleroy, who could disappoint no one. He
wished the child to appreciate his own power and to understand the
splendor of his position; he wished that others should realize it too.
He made plans for his future. Sometimes in secret he actually found
himself wishing that his own past life had been a better one, and.
that there had been less in it that this pure, childish heart would
shrink from if it knew the truth. It was not agreeable to think how
the beautiful, innocent face would look if its owner should be made
by any chance to understand that his grandfather had been called
for many a year "the wicked Earl of Dorincourt.” The thought
even made him feel a trifle nervous. He did not wish the boy to find
it out. Sometimes in this new interest he forgot his gout, and after a
while his doctor was surprised to find his noble patient's health grow¬
ing better than he had expected it ever would be again. Perhaps the
Earl grew better because the time did not pass so slowly for him,
and he had something to think of beside his pains and infirmities.
Te fact was, his lordship the Earl of Dorincourt thought in
134