Chapter 7 (1) Kapitel 7 (1)

On the following Sunday morning, Mr. Mordaunt had a large congregation. La domenica mattina successiva, il signor Mordaunt aveva una grande congregazione. Indeed, he could scarcely remember any Sunday on which the church had been so crowded. People appeared upon the scene who seldom did him the honor of coming to hear his sermons. Sono apparse sulla scena persone che raramente gli hanno fatto l'onore di venire ad ascoltare i suoi sermoni.

There were even people from Hazelton, which was the next parish. There were hearty, sunburned farmers, stout, comfortable, apple-cheeked wives in their best bonnets and most gorgeous shawls, and half a dozen children or so to each family. C'erano contadini robusti e abbronzati, mogli robuste, comode e con le guance di mela, con le loro cuffiette migliori e gli scialli più belli, e una mezza dozzina di bambini per ogni famiglia. The doctor's wife was there, with her four daughters. La moglie del medico era presente con le sue quattro figlie. Mrs. Kimsey and Mr. Kimsey, who kept the druggist's shop, and made pills, and did up powders for everybody within ten miles, sat in their pew; Mrs. Dibble in hers; Miss Smiff, the village dressmaker, and her friend Miss Perkins, the milliner, sat in theirs; the doctor's young man was present, and the druggist's apprentice; in fact, almost every family on the county side was represented, in one way or another. La signora Kimsey e il signor Kimsey, che tenevano la bottega del droghiere, e producevano pillole e polveri per tutti quelli nel raggio di dieci miglia, sedevano nel loro banco; la signora Dibble nel suo; la signorina Smiff, la sarta del villaggio, e la sua amica signorina Perkins, la modista, sedevano nel loro; era presente il giovane medico e l'apprendista del droghiere; in effetti, quasi tutte le famiglie della contea erano rappresentate, in un modo o nell'altro. In the course of the preceding week, many wonderful stories had been told of little Lord Fauntleroy. Mrs. Dibble had been kept so busy attending to customers who came in to buy a pennyworth of needles or a ha'porth of tape and to hear what she had to relate, that the little shop bell over the door had nearly tinkled itself to death over the coming and going. La signora Dibble era stata talmente occupata a occuparsi dei clienti che entravano per comprare un penny di aghi o un ha'porth di nastro adesivo e per ascoltare ciò che aveva da raccontare, che il campanello del piccolo negozio sopra la porta aveva quasi tintinnato fino a morire per l'andirivieni. Mrs. Dibble knew exactly how his small lordship's rooms had been furnished for him, what expensive toys had been bought, how there was a beautiful brown pony awaiting him, and a small groom to attend it, and a little dog-cart, with silver-mounted harness. Mrs. Dibble sapeva esattamente come erano state arredate le stanze di Sua Signoria, quali giocattoli costosi erano stati acquistati, come lo attendeva un bellissimo pony marrone, con un piccolo stalliere, e un piccolo carretto per cani, con finimenti d'argento. And she could tell, too, what all the servants had said when they had caught glimpses of the child on the night of his arrival; and how every female below stairs had said it was a shame, so it was, to part the poor pretty dear from his mother; and had all declared their hearts came into their mouths when he went alone into the library to see his grandfather, for "there was no knowing how he'd be treated, and his lordship's temper was enough to fluster them with old heads on their shoulders, let alone a child." E poteva anche raccontare cosa avevano detto tutti i domestici quando avevano intravisto il bambino la sera del suo arrivo; e come tutte le donne sotto le scale avessero detto che era un peccato, e lo era, separare il povero caro da sua madre; e avevano dichiarato che il cuore gli entrava in bocca quando andava da solo in biblioteca a vedere suo nonno, perché "non si sapeva come sarebbe stato trattato, e il carattere di sua signoria era sufficiente a far arrabbiare tutti quelli con la testa vecchia sulle spalle, figuriamoci un bambino". "But if you'll believe me, Mrs. Jennifer, mum," Mrs. Dibble had said, "fear that child does not know—so Mr. Thomas hisself says; an' set an' smile he did, an' talked to his lordship as if they'd been friends ever since his first hour. "Ma se mi credete, signora Jennifer, mamma", aveva detto la signora Dibble, "temete che quel bambino non lo sappia, come dice lo stesso signor Thomas; e si mise a sorridere, e parlò a Sua Signoria come se fossero stati amici fin dalla sua prima ora. An' the Earl so took aback, Mr. Thomas says, that he couldn't do nothing but listen and stare from under his eyebrows. E il conte fu così preso alla sprovvista, dice il signor Thomas, che non poté fare altro che ascoltare e guardare da sotto le sopracciglia. An' it's Mr. Thomas's opinion, Mrs. Bates, mum, that bad as he is, he was pleased in his secret soul, an' proud, too; for a handsomer little fellow, or with better manners, though so old-fashioned, Mr. Thomas says he'd never wish to see." Ed è opinione di Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Bates, mamma, che per quanto cattivo fosse, era contento nel suo animo segreto, e anche orgoglioso; perché un ragazzino più bello, o con maniere migliori, anche se così all'antica, Mr. Thomas dice che non avrebbe mai voluto vedere". And then there had come the story of Higgins. The Reverend Mr. Mordaunt had told it at his own dinner table, and the servants who had heard it had told it in the kitchen, and from there it had spread like wildfire. Il reverendo Mr. Mordaunt l'aveva raccontata a tavola, e i domestici che l'avevano sentita l'avevano raccontata in cucina, e da lì si era diffusa a macchia d'olio.

And on market-day, when Higgins had appeared in town, he had been questioned on every side, and Newick had been questioned too, and in response had shown to two or three people the note signed "Fauntleroy." E il giorno del mercato, quando Higgins si era presentato in città, era stato interrogato da ogni parte, e anche Newick era stato interrogato, e in risposta aveva mostrato a due o tre persone il biglietto firmato "Fauntleroy". And so the farmers' wives had found plenty to talk of over their tea and their shopping, and they had done the subject full justice and made the most of it. Così le mogli dei contadini avevano trovato molto di cui parlare durante il tè e la spesa, e avevano reso piena giustizia all'argomento e ne avevano approfittato. And on Sunday they had either walked to church or had been driven in their gigs by their husbands, who were perhaps a trifle curious themselves about the new little lord who was to be in time the owner of the soil. E la domenica erano andate in chiesa a piedi o erano state accompagnate in calesse dai loro mariti, forse un po' incuriositi anche loro dal nuovo piccolo signore che col tempo sarebbe diventato il proprietario del terreno.

It was by no means the Earl's habit to attend church, but he chose to appear on this first Sunday—it was his whim to present himself in the huge family pew, with Fauntleroy at his side. Non era assolutamente abitudine del conte frequentare la chiesa, ma scelse di andarci in questa prima domenica: era un suo capriccio presentarsi nell'enorme banco di famiglia, con Fauntleroy al suo fianco. There were many loiterers in the churchyard, and many lingerers in the lane that morning. Quella mattina c'erano molti vagabondi nel cimitero della chiesa e molti che si attardavano nel vicolo. There were groups at the gates and in the porch, and there had been much discussion as to whether my lord would really appear or not. C'erano gruppi alle porte e nel portico, e si discuteva molto se il mio signore sarebbe apparso davvero o meno. When this discussion was at its height, one good woman suddenly uttered an exclamation. Quando la discussione era al culmine, una brava donna emise improvvisamente un'esclamazione.