×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.


image

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Chapter 5 (2)

Chapter 5 (2)

"It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" he said to Mr. Havisham. "I never saw such a beautiful place. It's prettier even than Central Park." He was rather puzzled by the length of time they were on their way.

"How far is it," he said, at length, "from the gate to the front door?" "It is between three and four miles," answered the lawyer. "That's a long way for a person to live from his gate," remarked his lordship. Every few minutes he saw something new to wonder at and admire. When he caught sight of the deer, some couched in the grass, some standing with their pretty antlered heads turned with a half-startled air toward the avenue as the carriage wheels disturbed them, he was enchanted.

"Has there been a circus?" he cried; "or do they live here always? Whose are they?" "They live here," Mr. Havisham told him. "They belong to the Earl, your grandfather." It was not long after this that they saw the castle. It rose up before them stately and beautiful and gray, the last rays of the sun casting dazzling lights on its many windows. It had turrets and battlements and towers; a great deal of ivy grew upon its walls; all the broad, open space about it was laid out in terraces and lawns and beds of brilliant flowers.

"It's the most beautiful place I ever saw!" said Cedric, his round face flushing with pleasure. "It reminds any one of a king's palace. I saw a picture of one once in a fairy-book." He saw the great entrance-door thrown open and many servants standing in two lines looking at him. He wondered why they were standing there, and admired their liveries very much. He did not know that they were there to do honor to the little boy to whom all this splendor would one day belong,--the beautiful castle like the fairy king's palace, the magnificent park, the grand old trees, the dells full of ferns and bluebells where the hares and rabbits played, the dappled, large-eyed deer couching in the deep grass. It was only a couple of weeks since he had sat with Mr. Hobbs among the potatoes and canned peaches, with his legs dangling from the high stool; it would not have been possible for him to realize that he had very much to do with all this grandeur. At the head of the line of servants there stood an elderly woman in a rich, plain black silk gown; she had gray hair and wore a cap. As he entered the hall she stood nearer than the rest, and the child thought from the look in her eyes that she was going to speak to him. Mr. Havisham, who held his hand, paused a moment.

"This is Lord Fauntleroy, Mrs. Mellon," he said. "Lord Fauntleroy, this is Mrs. Mellon, who is the housekeeper." Cedric gave her his hand, his eyes lighting up.

"Was it you who sent the cat?" he said. "I'm much obliged to you, ma'am." Mrs. Mellon's handsome old face looked as pleased as the face of the lodge-keeper's wife had done. "I should know his lordship anywhere," she said to Mr. Havisham. "He has the Captain's face and way. It's a great day, this, sir." Cedric wondered why it was a great day. He looked at Mrs. Mellon curiously. It seemed to him for a moment as if there were tears in her eyes, and yet it was evident she was not unhappy. She smiled down on him.

"The cat left two beautiful kittens here," she said; "they shall be sent up to your lordship's nursery." Mr. Havisham said a few words to her in a low voice.

"In the library, sir," Mrs. Mellon replied. "His lordship is to be taken there alone." A few minutes later, the very tall footman in livery, who had escorted Cedric to the library door, opened it and announced: "Lord Fauntleroy, my lord," in quite a majestic tone. If he was only a footman, he felt it was rather a grand occasion when the heir came home to his own land and possessions, and was ushered into the presence of the old Earl, whose place and title he was to take.

Chapter 5 (2) Kapitel 5 (2) Rozdział 5 (2) Розділ 5 (2)

"It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" he said to Mr. Havisham. "I never saw such a beautiful place. It's prettier even than Central Park." He was rather puzzled by the length of time they were on their way. Era piuttosto perplesso per la durata del viaggio.

"How far is it," he said, at length, "from the gate to the front door?" "Quanto dista", disse infine, "dal cancello alla porta d'ingresso?". "It is between three and four miles," answered the lawyer. "That's a long way for a person to live from his gate," remarked his lordship. "È una bella distanza per una persona dalla sua porta", osservò Sua Signoria. Every few minutes he saw something new to wonder at and admire. When he caught sight of the deer, some couched in the grass, some standing with their pretty antlered heads turned with a half-startled air toward the avenue as the carriage wheels disturbed them, he was enchanted. Quando intravide i cervi, alcuni accucciati nell'erba, altri in piedi con le loro belle teste cornee rivolte con aria semistordita verso il viale quando le ruote delle carrozze li disturbavano, rimase incantato.

"Has there been a circus?" he cried; "or do they live here always? Whose are they?" Di chi sono?". "They live here," Mr. Havisham told him. "They belong to the Earl, your grandfather." It was not long after this that they saw the castle. It rose up before them stately and beautiful and gray, the last rays of the sun casting dazzling lights on its many windows. Si ergeva davanti a loro maestosa, bella e grigia, con gli ultimi raggi del sole che gettavano luci abbaglianti sulle sue numerose finestre. It had turrets and battlements and towers; a great deal of ivy grew upon its walls; all the broad, open space about it was laid out in terraces and lawns and beds of brilliant flowers. Aveva torrette, merli e torri; sulle sue mura cresceva una grande quantità di edera; tutto l'ampio spazio aperto intorno era sistemato in terrazze, prati e aiuole di fiori brillanti.

"It's the most beautiful place I ever saw!" said Cedric, his round face flushing with pleasure. disse Cedric, con il viso rotondo e arrossato dal piacere. "It reminds any one of a king's palace. "Ricorda a chiunque il palazzo di un re. I saw a picture of one once in a fairy-book." Una volta ne ho visto l'immagine in un libro di fiabe". He saw the great entrance-door thrown open and many servants standing in two lines looking at him. Vide la grande porta d'ingresso spalancata e molti servitori in piedi in due file che lo guardavano. He wondered why they were standing there, and admired their liveries very much. He did not know that they were there to do honor to the little boy to whom all this splendor would one day belong,--the beautiful castle like the fairy king's palace, the magnificent park, the grand old trees, the dells full of ferns and bluebells where the hares and rabbits played, the dappled, large-eyed deer couching in the deep grass. Non sapeva che erano lì per rendere onore al bambino a cui un giorno sarebbe appartenuto tutto questo splendore, il bellissimo castello come il palazzo del re delle fate, il magnifico parco, i grandiosi alberi secolari, le distese di felci e campanule dove giocavano le lepri e i conigli, i cervi pezzati e dagli occhi grandi che si accoccolavano nell'erba profonda. It was only a couple of weeks since he had sat with Mr. Hobbs among the potatoes and canned peaches, with his legs dangling from the high stool; it would not have been possible for him to realize that he had very much to do with all this grandeur. At the head of the line of servants there stood an elderly woman in a rich, plain black silk gown; she had gray hair and wore a cap. In testa alla fila di servitori c'era una donna anziana con un ricco abito di seta nera, semplice e semplice; aveva i capelli grigi e portava una cuffia. As he entered the hall she stood nearer than the rest, and the child thought from the look in her eyes that she was going to speak to him. Quando entrò nella sala, lei si avvicinò più degli altri e il bambino pensò, dallo sguardo di lei, che stesse per parlargli. Mr. Havisham, who held his hand, paused a moment. Il signor Havisham, che gli teneva la mano, si fermò un attimo.

"This is Lord Fauntleroy, Mrs. Mellon," he said. "Lord Fauntleroy, this is Mrs. Mellon, who is the housekeeper." "Lord Fauntleroy, questa è la signora Mellon, la governante". Cedric gave her his hand, his eyes lighting up. Cedric le diede la mano, illuminando gli occhi.

"Was it you who sent the cat?" "Sei stato tu a mandare il gatto?". he said. "I'm much obliged to you, ma'am." Mrs. Mellon's handsome old face looked as pleased as the face of the lodge-keeper's wife had done. Il bel viso antico della signora Mellon sembrava soddisfatto come lo era stato quello della moglie dell'oste. "I should know his lordship anywhere," she said to Mr. Havisham. "Riconoscerei Sua Signoria ovunque", disse al signor Havisham. "He has the Captain's face and way. It's a great day, this, sir." Cedric wondered why it was a great day. He looked at Mrs. Mellon curiously. It seemed to him for a moment as if there were tears in her eyes, and yet it was evident she was not unhappy. She smiled down on him.

"The cat left two beautiful kittens here," she said; "they shall be sent up to your lordship's nursery." "La gatta ha lasciato qui due bellissimi gattini", disse; "saranno mandati su nella nursery di Vostra Signoria". Mr. Havisham said a few words to her in a low voice.

"In the library, sir," Mrs. Mellon replied. "His lordship is to be taken there alone." "Sua Signoria deve essere portato lì da solo". A few minutes later, the very tall footman in livery, who had escorted Cedric to the library door, opened it and announced: "Lord Fauntleroy, my lord," in quite a majestic tone. If he was only a footman, he felt it was rather a grand occasion when the heir came home to his own land and possessions, and was ushered into the presence of the old Earl, whose place and title he was to take. Anche se era solo un cameriere, riteneva che fosse una grande occasione quando l'erede tornava a casa nelle sue terre e nei suoi possedimenti e veniva introdotto alla presenza del vecchio conte, di cui avrebbe preso il posto e il titolo.