Stranica 155 [155]
LITILE LORD FAUNTLEROY. 135
One fine morning, people were amazed to see little Lord Faunt¬
leroy riding his pony with another companion than Wilkins. This
new companion rode a tall, powerful gray horse, and was no other
than the Earl himself. It was, in fact, Fauntleroy who had sug¬
gested this plan. As he had been on the point of mounting his
pony, he had said rather wistfully to his grandfather :
‘“T wish you were going with me. When I go away I feel lonely
because you are left all by yourself in such a big castle. I wish you
could ride too.”
And the greatest excitement had been aroused in the stables a
few minutes later by the arrival of an order that Selim was to be
saddled for the Earl. After that, Selim was saddled almost every
day ; and the people became accustomed to the sight of the tall gray
horse carrying the tall gray old man, with his handsome, fierce, eagle
face, by the side of the brown pony which bore little Lord Fauntleroy.
And in their rides together through the green lanes and pretty
country roads, the two riders became more intimate than ever.
And gradually the old man heard a great deal about ‘ Dearest”
and her life. As Fauntleroy trotted by the big horse he chatted
gayly. There could not well have been a brighter little comrade,
his nature was so happy. It was he who talked the most. The
Earl often was silent, listening and watching the joyous, glowing
face. Sometimes he would tell his young companion to set the
pony off at a gallop, and when the little fellow dashed off, sitting
so straight and fearless, he would watch him with a gleam of pride
and pleasure in his eyes; and when, after such a dash, Fauntleroy
came back waving his cap with a laughing shout, he always felt
that he and his grandfather were very good friends indeed.
One thing that the Earl discovered was that his son’s wife did
not lead an idle life. It was not long before he learned that the
poor people knew her very well indeed. When there was sickness