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Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Chapter 4 (1)

Chapter 4 (1)

It was during the voyage that Cedric's mother told him that his home was not to be hers; and when he first understood it, his grief was so great that Mr. Havisham saw that the Earl had been wise in making the arrangements that his mother should be quite near him, and see him often; for it was very plain he could not have borne the separation otherwise. But his mother managed the little fellow so sweetly and lovingly, and made him feel that she would be so near him, that, after a while, he ceased to be oppressed by the fear of any real parting.

"My house is not far from the Castle, Ceddie," she repeated each time the subject was referred to--"a very little way from yours, and you can always run in and see me every day, and you will have so many things to tell me! and we shall be so happy together! It is a beautiful place. Your papa has often told me about it. He loved it very much; and you will love it too." "I should love it better if you were there," his small lordship said, with a heavy little sigh. He could not but feel puzzled by so strange a state of affairs, which could put his "Dearest" in one house and himself in another. The fact was that Mrs. Errol had thought it better not to tell him why this plan had been made.

"I should prefer he should not be told," she said to Mr. Havisham. "He would not really understand; he would only be shocked and hurt; and I feel sure that his feeling for the Earl will be a more natural and affectionate one if he does not know that his grandfather dislikes me so bitterly. He has never seen hatred or hardness, and it would be a great blow to him to find out that any one could hate me. He is so loving himself, and I am so dear to him! It is better for him that he should not be told until he is much older, and it is far better for the Earl. It would make a barrier between them, even though Ceddie is such a child." So Cedric only knew that there was some mysterious reason for the arrangement, some reason which he was not old enough to understand, but which would be explained when he was older. He was puzzled; but, after all, it was not the reason he cared about so much; and after many talks with his mother, in which she comforted him and placed before him the bright side of the picture, the dark side of it gradually began to fade out, though now and then Mr. Havisham saw him sitting in some queer little old-fashioned attitude, watching the sea, with a very grave face, and more than once he heard an unchildish sigh rise to his lips.

"I don't like it," he said once as he was having one of his almost venerable talks with the lawyer. "You don't know how much I don't like it; but there are a great many troubles in this world, and you have to bear them. Mary says so, and I've heard Mr. Hobbs say it too. And Dearest wants me to like to live with my grandpapa, because, you see, all his children are dead, and that's very mournful. It makes you sorry for a man, when all his children have died--and one was killed suddenly." One of the things which always delighted the people who made the acquaintance of his young lordship was the sage little air he wore at times when he gave himself up to conversation;--combined with his occasionally elderly remarks and the extreme innocence and seriousness of his round childish face, it was irresistible. He was such a handsome, blooming, curly-headed little fellow, that, when he sat down and nursed his knee with his chubby hands, and conversed with much gravity, he was a source of great entertainment to his hearers. Gradually Mr. Havisham had begun to derive a great deal of private pleasure and amusement from his society.

"And so you are going to try to like the Earl," he said. "Yes," answered his lordship. "He's my relation, and of course you have to like your relations; and besides, he's been very kind to me. When a person does so many things for you, and wants you to have everything you wish for, of course you'd like him if he wasn't your relation; but when he's your relation and does that, why, you're very fond of him."

Chapter 4 (1) Kapitel 4 (1) Розділ 4 (1)

It was during the voyage that Cedric's mother told him that his home was not to be hers; and when he first understood it, his grief was so great that Mr. Havisham saw that the Earl had been wise in making the arrangements that his mother should be quite near him, and see him often; for it was very plain he could not have borne the separation otherwise. Fu durante il viaggio che la madre di Cedric gli disse che la sua casa non sarebbe stata la sua; e quando lo capì per la prima volta, il suo dolore fu così grande che il signor Havisham capì che il conte era stato saggio nel prendere accordi affinché la madre gli stesse vicino e lo vedesse spesso; era evidente che non avrebbe potuto sopportare altrimenti la separazione. But his mother managed the little fellow so sweetly and lovingly, and made him feel that she would be so near him, that, after a while, he ceased to be oppressed by the fear of any real parting. Ma la madre gestì il piccolo con tanta dolcezza e amore e gli fece sentire che gli sarebbe stata così vicina che, dopo un po', smise di essere oppresso dalla paura di una vera separazione.

"My house is not far from the Castle, Ceddie," she repeated each time the subject was referred to--"a very little way from yours, and you can always run in and see me every day, and you will have so many things to tell me! and we shall be so happy together! It is a beautiful place. Your papa has often told me about it. He loved it very much; and you will love it too." "I should love it better if you were there," his small lordship said, with a heavy little sigh. "Mi piacerebbe di più se ci fossi tu", disse la sua piccola signoria, con un piccolo e pesante sospiro. He could not but feel puzzled by so strange a state of affairs, which could put his "Dearest" in one house and himself in another. Non poteva non sentirsi sconcertato da uno stato di cose così strano, che poteva mettere la sua "Carissima" in una casa e lui stesso in un'altra. The fact was that Mrs. Errol had thought it better not to tell him why this plan had been made. Il fatto è che la signora Errol aveva pensato bene di non dirgli il motivo di questo piano.

"I should prefer he should not be told," she said to Mr. Havisham. "He would not really understand; he would only be shocked and hurt; and I feel sure that his feeling for the Earl will be a more natural and affectionate one if he does not know that his grandfather dislikes me so bitterly. "Non capirebbe davvero, sarebbe solo scioccato e ferito; e sono sicura che il suo sentimento per il conte sarà più naturale e affettuoso se non saprà che suo nonno mi detesta così aspramente. He has never seen hatred or hardness, and it would be a great blow to him to find out that any one could hate me. Non ha mai visto odio o durezza, e sarebbe un duro colpo per lui scoprire che qualcuno potrebbe odiarmi. He is so loving himself, and I am so dear to him! Lui è così amorevole e io sono così cara a lui! It is better for him that he should not be told until he is much older, and it is far better for the Earl. It would make a barrier between them, even though Ceddie is such a child." Creerebbe una barriera tra loro, anche se Ceddie è un bambino". So Cedric only knew that there was some mysterious reason for the arrangement, some reason which he was not old enough to understand, but which would be explained when he was older. Così Cedric sapeva solo che c'era una ragione misteriosa per quella sistemazione, una ragione che non era abbastanza grande per capire, ma che gli sarebbe stata spiegata quando sarebbe stato più grande. He was puzzled; but, after all, it was not the reason he cared about so much; and after many talks with his mother, in which she comforted him and placed before him the bright side of the picture, the dark side of it gradually began to fade out, though now and then Mr. Havisham saw him sitting in some queer little old-fashioned attitude, watching the sea, with a very grave face, and more than once he heard an unchildish sigh rise to his lips. Era perplesso, ma, dopo tutto, non era il motivo a cui teneva tanto; e dopo molti colloqui con la madre, in cui lei lo confortò e gli mise davanti il lato luminoso del quadro, il lato oscuro cominciò gradualmente a svanire, anche se di tanto in tanto Mr. Havisham lo vedeva seduto in qualche strano atteggiamento antiquato, a guardare il mare, con un viso molto grave, e più di una volta sentì un sospiro non infantile salire alle sue labbra.

"I don't like it," he said once as he was having one of his almost venerable talks with the lawyer. "Non mi piace", ha detto una volta, durante uno dei suoi quasi venerabili colloqui con l'avvocato. "You don't know how much I don't like it; but there are a great many troubles in this world, and you have to bear them. "Non sai quanto non mi piaccia; ma ci sono molti problemi a questo mondo e bisogna sopportarli. Mary says so, and I've heard Mr. Hobbs say it too. And Dearest wants me to like to live with my grandpapa, because, you see, all his children are dead, and that's very mournful. E Carissimo vuole che mi piaccia vivere con mio nonno, perché, vedi, tutti i suoi figli sono morti, e questo è molto triste. It makes you sorry for a man, when all his children have died--and one was killed suddenly." Ti dispiace per un uomo, quando tutti i suoi figli sono morti - e uno è stato ucciso all'improvviso". One of the things which always delighted the people who made the acquaintance of his young lordship was the sage little air he wore at times when he gave himself up to conversation;--combined with his occasionally elderly remarks and the extreme innocence and seriousness of his round childish face, it was irresistible. Una delle cose che ha sempre deliziato le persone che hanno fatto la conoscenza di sua signoria era la piccola aria saggia che indossava quando si dedicava alla conversazione; combinata con le sue osservazioni a volte anziane e l'estrema innocenza e serietà del suo viso rotondo e infantile, era irresistibile. He was such a handsome, blooming, curly-headed little fellow, that, when he sat down and nursed his knee with his chubby hands, and conversed with much gravity, he was a source of great entertainment to his hearers. Era un ragazzino così bello, fiorente e riccioluto che, quando si sedeva e si curava il ginocchio con le sue mani paffute e conversava con molta gravità, era fonte di grande divertimento per i suoi ascoltatori. Gradually Mr. Havisham had begun to derive a great deal of private pleasure and amusement from his society. A poco a poco il signor Havisham aveva cominciato a trarre dalla sua compagnia una grande quantità di piacere e divertimento privato.

"And so you are going to try to like the Earl," he said. "E quindi cercherai di piacere al Conte", disse. "Yes," answered his lordship. "He's my relation, and of course you have to like your relations; and besides, he's been very kind to me. "È un mio parente, e naturalmente i parenti devono piacere; inoltre, è stato molto gentile con me. When a person does so many things for you, and wants you to have everything you wish for, of course you'd like him if he wasn't your relation; but when he's your relation and does that, why, you're very fond of him." Quando una persona fa tante cose per te, e vuole che tu abbia tutto ciò che desideri, è ovvio che ti piacerebbe se non fosse un tuo parente; ma quando è un tuo parente e fa questo, perché, sei molto affezionato a lui".