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LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY. 159
— =— a
over the yellow satin cushion. He made a picture well worth
looking at. |
As Mr. Havisham looked at it, he put his hand up and rubbed
his shaven chin, with a harassed countenance.
“Well, Havisham,” said the Earl’s harsh voice behind him.
“What is it? It is evident something has happened. What was
the extraordinary event, if I may ask?” |
Mr. Havisham turned from the sofa, still rubbing his chin.
“It was bad news,” he answered, ‘distressing news, my lord —
the worst of news. I am sorry to be the bearer of it.”
The Earl had been uneasy for some time during the evening, as
he glanced at Mr. Havisham, and when he was uneasy he was
always ill-tempered.
‘Why do you look so at the boy!” he exclaimed irritably.
" You have been looking at him all the evening as if—See here
now, why should you look at the boy, Havisham, and hang over him
like some bird of ill-omen! What has your news to do with Lord
Fauntleroy ?”
“My lord,” said Mr. Havisham, "I will waste no words. My
news has everything to do with Lord Fauntleroy. And if we are to
believe it —it is not Lord Fauntleroy who lies sleeping before us, but
only the son of Captain Errol. And the present Lord Fauntleroy is
the son of your son Bevis, and is at this moment in a lodging-house
in London.”
The Earl clutched the arms of his chair with both his hands
until the veins stood out upon them; the veins stood out on his fore¬
head too; his fierce old face was almost livid.
‘What do you mean!” he cried out. " You are mad! Whose
lie is this?”
“Tf it is a lie,” answered Mr. Havisham, "it is painfully like the
truth. A woman came to my chambers this morning. She said your