Stranica 195 [195]
All
everybody in England who read the newspapers at all knew
the romantic story of what had happened at Dorincourt. It
made a very interesting story when it was told with all the details.
There was the little American boy who had been brought to Eng¬
land to be Lord Fauntleroy, and who was said to be so fine and
handsome a little fellow, and to have already made people fond of
him; there was the old Earl, his grandfather, who was so proud of
his heir; there was the pretty young mother who had never been
forgiven. for marrying Captain Errol; and there was the strange
marriage of Bevis, the dead Lord Fauntleroy, and the strange wife,
of whom no one knew anything, suddenly appearing with her son,
and saying that he was the real Lord Fauntleroy and must have his
rights. All these things were talked about and written about, and
caused a tremendous sensation. And then there came the rumor
that the Earl of Dorincourt was not satisfied with the turn affairs
had taken, and would perhaps contest the claim by law, and the
matter might end with a wonderful trial.
There never had been such excitement before in the county
in which Erleboro was situated. On market-days, people stood in
groups and talked and wondered what would be done; the farmers
wives invited one another to tea that they might tell one another all
they had heard and all they thought and all they thought other
people thought. They related wonderful anecdotes about the Earl's
175
\ VERY few days after the dinner party at the Castle, almost