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Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Chapter 5 (1)

Chapter 5 (1)

It was late in the afternoon when the carriage containing little Lord Fauntleroy and Mr. Havisham drove up the long avenue which led to the castle. The Earl had given orders that his grandson should arrive in time to dine with him; and for some reason best known to himself, he had also ordered that the child should be sent alone into the room in which he intended to receive him. As the carriage rolled up the avenue, Lord Fauntleroy sat leaning comfortably against the luxurious cushions, and regarded the prospect with great interest. He was, in fact, interested in everything he saw. He had been interested in the carriage, with its large, splendid horses and their glittering harness; he had been interested in the tall coachman and footman, with their resplendent livery; and he had been especially interested in the coronet on the panels, and had struck up an acquaintance with the footman for the purpose of inquiring what it meant.

When the carriage reached the great gates of the park, he looked out of the window to get a good view of the huge stone lions ornamenting the entrance. The gates were opened by a motherly, rosy-looking woman, who came out of a pretty, ivy-covered lodge. Two children ran out of the door of the house and stood looking with round, wide-open eyes at the little boy in the carriage, who looked at them also. Their mother stood courtesying and smiling, and the children, on receiving a sign from her, made bobbing little courtesies too.

"Does she know me?" asked Lord Fauntleroy. "I think she must think she knows me." And he took off his black velvet cap to her and smiled.

"How do you do?" he said brightly. "Good-afternoon!" The woman seemed pleased, he thought. The smile broadened on her rosy face and a kind look came into her blue eyes.

"God bless your lordship!" she said. "God bless your pretty face! Good luck and happiness to your lordship! Welcome to you!" Lord Fauntleroy waved his cap and nodded to her again as the carriage rolled by her.

"I like that woman," he said. "She looks as if she liked boys. I should like to come here and play with her children. I wonder if she has enough to make up a company?" Mr. Havisham did not tell him that he would scarcely be allowed to make playmates of the gate-keeper's children. The lawyer thought there was time enough for giving him that information.

The carriage rolled on and on between the great, beautiful trees which grew on each side of the avenue and stretched their broad, swaying branches in an arch across it. Cedric had never seen such trees,--they were so grand and stately, and their branches grew so low down on their huge trunks. He did not then know that Dorincourt Castle was one of the most beautiful in all England; that its park was one of the broadest and finest, and its trees and avenue almost without rivals. But he did know that it was all very beautiful. He liked the big, broad-branched trees, with the late afternoon sunlight striking golden lances through them. He liked the perfect stillness which rested on everything. He felt a great, strange pleasure in the beauty of which he caught glimpses under and between the sweeping boughs--the great, beautiful spaces of the park, with still other trees standing sometimes stately and alone, and sometimes in groups. Now and then they passed places where tall ferns grew in masses, and again and again the ground was azure with the bluebells swaying in the soft breeze. Several times he started up with a laugh of delight as a rabbit leaped up from under the greenery and scudded away with a twinkle of short white tail behind it. Once a covey of partridges rose with a sudden whir and flew away, and then he shouted and clapped his hands.

Chapter 5 (1) Kapitel 5 (1) Chapitre 5 (1) Capitolo 5 (1) 5장 (1) Rozdział 5 (1) Розділ 5 (1) 第五章(1)

It was late in the afternoon when the carriage containing little Lord Fauntleroy and Mr. Havisham drove up the long avenue which led to the castle. The Earl had given orders that his grandson should arrive in time to dine with him; and for some reason best known to himself, he had also ordered that the child should be sent alone into the room in which he intended to receive him. Il conte aveva dato ordine che il nipote arrivasse in tempo per cenare con lui e, per qualche motivo a lui più noto, aveva anche ordinato che il bambino fosse mandato da solo nella stanza in cui intendeva riceverlo. As the carriage rolled up the avenue, Lord Fauntleroy sat leaning comfortably against the luxurious cushions, and regarded the prospect with great interest. He was, in fact, interested in everything he saw. He had been interested in the carriage, with its large, splendid horses and their glittering harness; he had been interested in the tall coachman and footman, with their resplendent livery; and he had been especially interested in the coronet on the panels, and had struck up an acquaintance with the footman for the purpose of inquiring what it meant. Si era interessato alla carrozza, con i suoi grandi e splendidi cavalli e i loro finimenti scintillanti; si era interessato all'alto cocchiere e al cameriere, con le loro splendide livree; e si era interessato in modo particolare alla coroncina sui pannelli, e aveva iniziato a fare conoscenza con il cameriere per chiederne il significato.

When the carriage reached the great gates of the park, he looked out of the window to get a good view of the huge stone lions ornamenting the entrance. The gates were opened by a motherly, rosy-looking woman, who came out of a pretty, ivy-covered lodge. I cancelli furono aperti da una donna materna e dall'aspetto roseo, che uscì da una graziosa casetta ricoperta di edera. Two children ran out of the door of the house and stood looking with round, wide-open eyes at the little boy in the carriage, who looked at them also. Their mother stood courtesying and smiling, and the children, on receiving a sign from her, made bobbing little courtesies too. La madre era in piedi, cortese e sorridente, e anche i bambini, quando ricevevano un segno da lei, facevano piccoli gesti di cortesia.

"Does she know me?" asked Lord Fauntleroy. "I think she must think she knows me." "Credo che pensi di conoscermi". And he took off his black velvet cap to her and smiled. Si tolse il cappello di velluto nero e le sorrise.

"How do you do?" he said brightly. disse brillantemente. "Good-afternoon!" The woman seemed pleased, he thought. The smile broadened on her rosy face and a kind look came into her blue eyes.

"God bless your lordship!" she said. "God bless your pretty face! Good luck and happiness to your lordship! Welcome to you!" Lord Fauntleroy waved his cap and nodded to her again as the carriage rolled by her.

"I like that woman," he said. "She looks as if she liked boys. I should like to come here and play with her children. I wonder if she has enough to make up a company?" Mi chiedo se ne abbia abbastanza per costituire una società". Mr. Havisham did not tell him that he would scarcely be allowed to make playmates of the gate-keeper's children. Il signor Havisham non gli disse che difficilmente gli sarebbe stato permesso di avere come compagni di gioco i figli del guardiano. The lawyer thought there was time enough for giving him that information.

The carriage rolled on and on between the great, beautiful trees which grew on each side of the avenue and stretched their broad, swaying branches in an arch across it. La carrozza si muoveva tra i grandi e bellissimi alberi che crescevano su ogni lato del viale e che estendevano i loro ampi e ondeggianti rami in un arco attraverso di esso. Cedric had never seen such trees,--they were so grand and stately, and their branches grew so low down on their huge trunks. Cedric non aveva mai visto alberi del genere: erano così grandiosi e maestosi, e i loro rami crescevano così in basso sui loro enormi tronchi. He did not then know that Dorincourt Castle was one of the most beautiful in all England; that its park was one of the broadest and finest, and its trees and avenue almost without rivals. But he did know that it was all very beautiful. He liked the big, broad-branched trees, with the late afternoon sunlight striking golden lances through them. Gli piacevano i grandi alberi dai rami larghi, con la luce del sole del tardo pomeriggio che li attraversava come lance dorate. He liked the perfect stillness which rested on everything. Gli piaceva la perfetta quiete che regnava su tutto. He felt a great, strange pleasure in the beauty of which he caught glimpses under and between the sweeping boughs--the great, beautiful spaces of the park, with still other trees standing sometimes stately and alone, and sometimes in groups. Provava un grande, strano piacere per la bellezza che intravedeva sotto e tra gli ampi rami: i grandi, bellissimi spazi del parco, con altri alberi che si ergevano a volte maestosi e solitari, a volte in gruppi. Now and then they passed places where tall ferns grew in masses, and again and again the ground was azure with the bluebells swaying in the soft breeze. Di tanto in tanto passavano davanti a luoghi in cui crescevano in massa alte felci, e di nuovo il terreno era azzurro con le campanule che ondeggiavano nella morbida brezza. Several times he started up with a laugh of delight as a rabbit leaped up from under the greenery and scudded away with a twinkle of short white tail behind it. Più volte si alzò in piedi con una risata di gioia quando un coniglio balzò fuori da sotto la vegetazione e si allontanò con uno scintillio della corta coda bianca dietro di sé. Once a covey of partridges rose with a sudden whir and flew away, and then he shouted and clapped his hands. Una volta un branco di pernici si alzò con un turbinio improvviso e volò via, e allora lui gridò e batté le mani.