Chapter : 13

OF course, as soon as the story of Lord Fauntleroy and the difficulties of the Earl of Dorincourt were discussed in the English newspapers, they were discussed in the American newspapers. The story was too interesting to be passed over lightly, and it was talked of a great deal. La historia era demasiado interesante para pasarla a la ligera, y se habló mucho de ella. There were so many versions of it that it would have been an edifying thing to buy all the papers and compare them. Mr. Hobbs read so much about it that he became quite bewildered. One paper described his young friend Cedric as an infant in arms,—another as a young man at Oxford, winning all the honors, and distinguishing himself by writing Greek poems; one said he was engaged to a young lady of great beauty, who was the daughter of a duke; another said he had just been married; the only thing, in fact, which was NOT said was that he was a little boy between seven and eight, with handsome legs and curly hair. One said he was no relation to the Earl of Dorincourt at all, but was a small impostor who had sold newspapers and slept in the streets of New York before his mother imposed upon the family lawyer, who came to America to look for the Earl’s heir. Uno dijo que no tenía ninguna relación con el conde de Dorincourt, sino que era un pequeño impostor que había vendido periódicos y dormido en las calles de Nueva York antes de que su madre se lo impusiera al abogado de la familia, que vino a Estados Unidos a buscar al heredero del conde. . Een van hen zei dat hij helemaal geen familie was van de graaf van Dorincourt, maar een kleine bedrieger was die kranten had verkocht en in de straten van New York had geslapen voordat zijn moeder de familieadvocaat oplegde, die naar Amerika kwam om de erfgenaam van de graaf te zoeken. . Then came the descriptions of the new Lord Fauntleroy and his mother. Sometimes she was a gypsy, sometimes an actress, sometimes a beautiful Spaniard; but it was always agreed that the Earl of Dorincourt was her deadly enemy, and would not acknowledge her son as his heir if he could help it, and as there seemed to be some slight flaw in the papers she had produced, it was expected that there would be a long trial, which would be far more interesting than anything ever carried into court before. A veces era gitana, a veces actriz, a veces una bella española; pero siempre se acordó que el conde de Dorincourt era su enemigo mortal y que no reconocería a su hijo como su heredero si podía evitarlo, y como parecía haber algún pequeño defecto en los documentos que ella había presentado, se esperaba que habría un largo juicio, que sería mucho más interesante que cualquier cosa llevada a cabo antes en un tribunal. Mr. Hobbs used to read the papers until his head was in a whirl, and in the evening he and Dick would talk it all over. El señor Hobbs solía leer los periódicos hasta que la cabeza le daba vueltas, y por la noche él y Dick hablaban de todo. They found out what an important personage an Earl of Dorincourt was, and what a magnificent income he possessed, and how many estates he owned, and how stately and beautiful was the Castle in which he lived; and the more they learned, the more excited they became.

"Seems like somethin' orter be done," said Mr. Hobbs. "Parece que algo se va a hacer", dijo el Sr. Hobbs. "Things like them orter be held on to—earls or no earls." Cosas como esas o para conservarlas, con o sin condes. But there really was nothing they could do but each write a letter to Cedric, containing assurances of their friendship and sympathy. They wrote those letters as soon as they could after receiving the news; and after having written them, they handed them over to each other to be read.

This is what Mr. Hobbs read in Dick’s letter:

"DERE FREND: i got ure letter an Mr. Hobbs got his an we are sory u are down on ure luck an we say hold on as longs u kin an dont let no one git ahed of u. There is a lot of ole theves wil make al they kin of u ef u dont kepe ure i skined. "DERE FREND: Recibí tu carta y el Sr. Hobbs recibió la suya y lamentamos que no hayas tenido suerte y te decimos aguanta mientras seas pariente y no dejes que nadie se burle de ti. Hay muchos viejos theves Haré que todos sean parientes de u ef u no te mantengas desollado. But this is mosly to say that ive not forgot wot u did fur me an if there aint no better way cum over here an go in pardners with me. Biznes is fine an ile see no harm cums to u Enny big feler that trise to cum it over u wil hafter setle it fust with Perfessor Dick Tipton. So no more at present

"DICK." And this was what Dick read in Mr. Hobbs’s letter:

"DEAR SIR: Yrs received and wd say things looks bad. I believe its a put up job and them thats done it ought to be looked after sharp. And what I write to say is two things. Im going to look this thing up. Keep quiet and Ill see a lawyer and do all I can And if the worst happens and them earls is too many for us theres a partnership in the grocery business ready for you when yure old enough and a home and a friend in

"Yrs truly, "SILAS HOBBS." "Well," said Mr. Hobbs, "he’s pervided for between us, if he aint a earl." —Bueno —dijo el señor Hobbs—, está previsto entre nosotros, si no es conde. "So he is," said Dick. "I’d ha' stood by him. Blest if I didn’t like that little feller fust-rate." Bendito sea si no me gustara ese pequeño muchacho de primera categoría". The very next morning, one of Dick’s customers was rather surprised. He was a young lawyer just beginning practice—as poor as a very young lawyer can possibly be, but a bright, energetic young fellow, with sharp wit and a good temper. He had a shabby office near Dick’s stand, and every morning Dick blacked his boots for him, and quite often they were not exactly water-tight, but he always had a friendly word or a joke for Dick. Tenía una oficina destartalada cerca del puesto de Dick, y todas las mañanas Dick le limpiaba las botas, y muy a menudo no eran exactamente impermeables, pero siempre tenía una palabra amistosa o una broma para Dick.

That particular morning, when he put his foot on the rest, he had an illustrated paper in his hand—an enterprising paper, with pictures in it of conspicuous people and things. Die ochtend, toen hij zijn voet op de leuning zette, had hij een geïllustreerd papier in zijn hand - een ondernemend papier, met afbeeldingen erin van opvallende mensen en dingen. He had just finished looking it over, and when the last boot was polished, he handed it over to the boy. Acababa de terminar de revisarlo, y cuando la última bota estuvo pulida, se la entregó al niño.

"Here’s a paper for you, Dick," he said; "you can look it over when you drop in at Delmonico’s for your breakfast. "Aquí hay un papel para ti, Dick", dijo; "Puedes echarle un vistazo cuando pases por Delmonico's a desayunar. Picture of an English castle in it, and an English earl’s daughter-in-law. Fine young woman, too,—lots of hair,—though she seems to be raising rather a row. Hermosa joven también, con mucho cabello, aunque parece estar armando un escándalo. You ought to become familiar with the nobility and gentry, Dick. Deberías familiarizarte con la nobleza y la nobleza, Dick. Begin on the Right Honorable the Earl of Dorincourt and Lady Fauntleroy. Comience por el Muy Honorable Conde de Dorincourt y Lady Fauntleroy. Hello! I say, what’s the matter?" Yo digo, ¿qué pasa?" The pictures he spoke of were on the front page, and Dick was staring at one of them with his eyes and mouth open, and his sharp face almost pale with excitement.

"What’s to pay, Dick?" "¿Cuánto hay que pagar, Dick?" said the young man. "What has paralyzed you?" "¿Qué te ha paralizado?" Dick really did look as if something tremendous had happened. He pointed to the picture, under which was written:

"Mother of Claimant (Lady Fauntleroy)." "Madre de la Demandante (Lady Fauntleroy)". It was the picture of a handsome woman, with large eyes and heavy braids of black hair wound around her head. Era la imagen de una mujer hermosa, con ojos grandes y espesas trenzas de cabello negro enrolladas alrededor de su cabeza.

"Her!" said Dick. "My, I know her better 'n I know you!" The young man began to laugh.

"Where did you meet her, Dick?" he said. "At Newport? "¿En Newport? Or when you ran over to Paris the last time?" Dick actually forgot to grin. Dick en realidad se olvidó de sonreír. He began to gather his brushes and things together, as if he had something to do which would put an end to his business for the present.

"Never mind," he said. "No importa", dijo. "I know her! An I’ve struck work for this mornin'." Y me he puesto a trabajar para esta mañana". And in less than five minutes from that time he was tearing through the streets on his way to Mr. Hobbs and the corner store. Y en menos de cinco minutos a partir de ese momento estaba corriendo por las calles en su camino hacia el Sr. Hobbs y la tienda de la esquina. En in minder dan vijf minuten vanaf dat moment scheurde hij door de straten op weg naar meneer Hobbs en de winkel op de hoek.

Mr. Hobbs could scarcely believe the evidence of his senses when he looked across the counter and saw Dick rush in with the paper in his hand. The boy was out of breath with running; so much out of breath, in fact, that he could scarcely speak as he threw the paper down on the counter.

"Hello!" exclaimed Mr. Hobbs. "Hello! What you got there?" ¿Qué tienes ahí?" "Look at it!" panted Dick. "Look at that woman in the picture! That’s what you look at! SHE aint no 'ristocrat, SHE aint!" ¡ELLA no es una 'ristócrata, ELLA no lo es!" with withering scorn. con desprecio fulminante. "She’s no lord’s wife. You may eat me, if it aint Minna—MINNA! Puedes comerme, si no es Minna, ¡MINNA! I’d know her anywheres, an' so 'd Ben. La reconocería en cualquier parte, y Ben también. Jest ax him." Bromea con el hacha". Mr. Hobbs dropped into his seat. El Sr. Hobbs se dejó caer en su asiento.

"I knowed it was a put-up job," he said. "I knowed it; and they done it on account o' him bein' a 'Merican!" "Done it!" cried Dick, with disgust. "SHE done it, that’s who done it. "ELLA lo hizo, ese es quien lo hizo. She was allers up to her tricks; an' I’ll tell yer wot come to me, the minnit I saw her pictur. Ella estaba atenta a sus trucos; y te diré lo que vienes a mí, la minnnit que vi su foto. There was one o' them papers we saw had a letter in it that said somethin' 'bout her boy, an' it said he had a scar on his chin. Había uno de esos papeles que vimos que tenía una carta que decía algo sobre su hijo, y decía que tenía una cicatriz en la barbilla. Put them two together—her 'n' that there scar! Why, that there boy o' hers aint no more a lord than I am! ¡Ese hijo suyo no es más señor que yo! It’s BEN’S boy,—the little chap she hit when she let fly that plate at me." Es el hijo de BEN, el pequeño al que golpeó cuando me lanzó ese plato". Professor Dick Tipton had always been a sharp boy, and earning his living in the streets of a big city had made him still sharper. He had learned to keep his eyes open and his wits about him, and it must be confessed he enjoyed immensely the excitement and impatience of that moment. Había aprendido a mantener los ojos abiertos y el juicio sobre sí mismo, y hay que confesarlo que disfrutó inmensamente de la emoción y la impaciencia de ese momento. Hij had geleerd zijn ogen open te houden en zijn hoofd erbij te houden, en het moet worden toegegeven dat hij enorm genoot van de opwinding en het ongeduld van dat moment. If little Lord Fauntleroy could only have looked into the store that morning, he would certainly have been interested, even if all the discussion and plans had been intended to decide the fate of some other boy than himself.

Mr. Hobbs was almost overwhelmed by his sense of responsibility, and Dick was all alive and full of energy. He began to write a letter to Ben, and he cut out the picture and inclosed it to him, and Mr. Hobbs wrote a letter to Cedric and one to the Earl. They were in the midst of this letter-writing when a new idea came to Dick.

"Say," he said, "the feller that give me the paper, he’s a lawyer. Let’s ax him what we’d better do. Lawyers knows it all." Mr. Hobbs was immensely impressed by this suggestion and Dick’s business capacity.

"That’s so!" "¡Eso es tan!" he replied. "This here calls for lawyers." And leaving the store in the care of a substitute, he struggled into his coat and marched down-town with Dick, and the two presented themselves with their romantic story in Mr. Harrison’s office, much to that young man’s astonishment. Y dejando la tienda al cuidado de un sustituto, luchó por ponerse el abrigo y marchó al centro de la ciudad con Dick, y los dos se presentaron con su historia romántica en la oficina del Sr. Harrison, para asombro del joven. En hij liet de winkel achter onder de hoede van een vervanger, worstelde zich in zijn jas en marcheerde met Dick door de stad, en de twee presenteerden zich met hun romantische verhaal in het kantoor van meneer Harrison, tot grote verbazing van die jongeman.

If he had not been a very young lawyer, with a very enterprising mind and a great deal of spare time on his hands, he might not have been so readily interested in what they had to say, for it all certainly sounded very wild and queer; but he chanced to want something to do very much, and he chanced to know Dick, and Dick chanced to say his say in a very sharp, telling sort of way. Si no hubiera sido un abogado muy joven, con una mente muy emprendedora y una gran cantidad de tiempo libre en sus manos, es posible que no se hubiera interesado tan fácilmente en lo que tenían que decir, porque todo sonaba ciertamente muy extraño y extraño. ; pero casualmente tenía muchas ganas de hacer algo, y casualmente conoció a Dick, y Dick casualmente dijo su opinión de una manera muy aguda y elocuente. Als hij geen erg jonge advocaat was geweest, met een zeer ondernemende geest en veel vrije tijd om zijn handen, zou hij misschien niet zo snel geïnteresseerd zijn geweest in wat ze te zeggen hadden, want het klonk allemaal zeker heel wild en vreemd. ; maar hij wilde heel graag iets te doen hebben, en hij kende toevallig Dick, en Dick zei toevallig zijn zegje op een zeer scherpe, veelzeggende manier.

"And," said Mr. Hobbs, "say what your time’s worth a' hour and look into this thing thorough, and I’LL pay the damage,—Silas Hobbs, corner of Blank street, Vegetables and Fancy Groceries." "Well," said Mr. Harrison, "it will be a big thing if it turns out all right, and it will be almost as big a thing for me as for Lord Fauntleroy; and, at any rate, no harm can be done by investigating. "Bueno", dijo el Sr. Harrison, "será una gran cosa si sale bien, y será casi tan grande para mí como para Lord Fauntleroy; y, en cualquier caso, no se puede hacer ningún daño. investigando. It appears there has been some dubiousness about the child. The woman contradicted herself in some of her statements about his age, and aroused suspicion. De vrouw sprak zichzelf in sommige van haar uitspraken over zijn leeftijd tegen en wekte argwaan. The first persons to be written to are Dick’s brother and the Earl of Dorincourt’s family lawyer." And actually, before the sun went down, two letters had been written and sent in two different directions—one speeding out of New York harbor on a mail steamer on its way to England, and the other on a train carrying letters and passengers bound for California. Y, de hecho, antes de que se pusiera el sol, se escribieron y enviaron dos cartas en dos direcciones diferentes: una salió a toda velocidad del puerto de Nueva York en un vapor correo que se dirigía a Inglaterra, y la otra en un tren que transportaba cartas y pasajeros con destino a Inglaterra. California. And the first was addressed to T. Havisham, Esq., and the second to Benjamin Tipton. Y el primero estaba dirigido a T. Havisham, Esq., y el segundo a Benjamin Tipton.

And after the store was closed that evening, Mr. Hobbs and Dick sat in the back-room and talked together until midnight.