Page 216 [216]
196 LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.
“Yes,” he said, "I could swear to him, too. Tom,” he said to
the little fellow, "I "m your father; I ve come to take you away.
Where ’s your hat?”
The boy pointed to where it lay on a chair. It evidently
rather pleased him to hear that he was going away. He had been
so accustomed to queer experiences that it did not surprise him to
be told by a stranger that he was his father. He objected so much
to the woman who had come a few months before to the place where
he had lived since his babyhood, and who had suddenly announced
that she was his mother, that he was quite ready for a change. Ben
took up the hat and marched to the door.
“Tf you want me again,” he said to Mr. Havisham, "you know
where to find me."
He walked out of the room, holding the child’s hand and not
looking at the woman once. She was fairly raving with fury, and
the Earl was calmly gazing at her through his eyeglasses, which he
had quietly placed upon his aristocratic, eagle nose.
‘Come, come, my young woman, said Mr. Havisham. ‘ This
wont do at all. If you dont want to be locked up, you really must
behave yourself.”
And there was something so very business-like in his tones
that, probably feeling that the safest thing she could do would be to
get out of the way, she gave him one savage look and dashed past
him into the next room and slammed the door.
‘‘We shall have no more trouble with her,” said Mr. Havisham.
And he was right; for that very night she left the Dorincourt
Arms and took the train to London, and was seen no more.
% * % % * % % *
When the Earl left the room after the interview, he went at
once to his carriage.
“To Court Lodge,” he said to Thomas.