Chapter : 8 Capítulo : 8 第8章 第 8 章

Lord Dorincourt had occasion to wear his grim smile many a time as the days passed by. Indeed, as his acquaintance with his grandson progressed, he wore the smile so often that there were moments when it almost lost its grimness. There is no denying that before Lord Fauntleroy had appeared on the scene, the old man had been growing very tired of his loneliness and his gout and his seventy years. No se puede negar que antes de que lord Fauntleroy apareciera en escena, el anciano se estaba cansando mucho de su soledad, su gota y sus setenta años. After so long a life of excitement and amusement, it was not agreeable to sit alone even in the most splendid room, with one foot on a gout-stool, and with no other diversion than flying into a rage, and shouting at a frightened footman who hated the sight of him. Después de una vida tan larga de excitación y diversión, no era agradable sentarse solo, incluso en la habitación más espléndida, con un pie en un taburete para la gota, y sin otra diversión que montar en cólera y gritarle a un lacayo asustado. que odiaba verlo. The old Earl was too clever a man not to know perfectly well that his servants detested him, and that even if he had visitors, they did not come for love of him—though some found a sort of amusement in his sharp, sarcastic talk, which spared no one. So long as he had been strong and well, he had gone from one place to another, pretending to amuse himself, though he had not really enjoyed it; and when his health began to fail, he felt tired of everything and shut himself up at Dorincourt, with his gout and his newspapers and his books. Mientras estuvo fuerte y bien, había ido de un lugar a otro, fingiendo divertirse, aunque en realidad no lo había disfrutado; y cuando su salud empezó a fallar, se sintió cansado de todo y se encerró en Dorincourt, con su gota y sus periódicos y sus libros. But he could not read all the time, and he became more and more "bored," as he called it. He hated the long nights and days, and he grew more and more savage and irritable. And then Fauntleroy came; and when the Earl saw him, fortunately for the little fellow, the secret pride of the grandfather was gratified at the outset. If Cedric had been a less handsome little fellow, the old man might have taken so strong a dislike to him that he would not have given himself the chance to see his grandson's finer qualities. Si Cedric hubiera sido un muchachito menos apuesto, el anciano podría haberle tomado tanta aversión que no se habría dado la oportunidad de ver las mejores cualidades de su nieto. But he chose to think that Cedric's beauty and fearless spirit were the results of the Dorincourt blood and a credit to the Dorincourt rank. Pero eligió pensar que la belleza y el espíritu intrépido de Cedric eran el resultado de la sangre de Dorincourt y un crédito para el rango de Dorincourt. And then when he heard the lad talk, and saw what a well-bred little fellow he was, notwithstanding his boyish ignorance of all that his new position meant, the old Earl liked his grandson more, and actually began to find himself rather entertained. Y luego, cuando oyó hablar al muchacho y vio lo bien educado que era, a pesar de su ignorancia juvenil de todo lo que significaba su nueva posición, el anciano conde le gustó más a su nieto, y en realidad comenzó a sentirse bastante entretenido. It had amused him to give into those childish hands the power to bestow a benefit on poor Higgins. Le había divertido dejar en esas manos infantiles el poder de otorgar un beneficio al pobre Higgins. My lord cared nothing for poor Higgins, but it pleased him a little to think that his grandson would be talked about by the country people and would begin to be popular with the tenantry, even in his childhood. Then it had gratified him to drive to church with Cedric and to see the excitement and interest caused by the arrival. He knew how the people would speak of the beauty of the little lad; of his fine, strong, straight body; of his erect bearing, his handsome face, and his bright hair, and how they would say (as the Earl had heard one woman exclaim to another) that the boy was "every inch a lord." Sabía cómo hablaría la gente de la belleza del muchachito; de su cuerpo fino, fuerte, recto; de su porte erguido, su hermoso rostro y su cabello brillante, y cómo dirían (como el conde había oído exclamar a una mujer a otra) que el niño era "un señor hasta la médula". My lord of Dorincourt was an arrogant old man, proud of his name, proud of his rank, and therefore proud to show the world that at last the House of Dorincourt had an heir who was worthy of the position he was to fill.

The morning the new pony had been tried, the Earl had been so pleased that he had almost forgotten his gout. When the groom had brought out the pretty creature, which arched its brown, glossy neck and tossed its fine head in the sun, the Earl had sat at the open window of the library and had looked on while Fauntleroy took his first riding lesson. Cuando el mozo sacó a la hermosa criatura, que arqueó su cuello moreno y brillante y sacudió su hermosa cabeza al sol, el conde se sentó junto a la ventana abierta de la biblioteca y observó mientras Fauntleroy tomaba su primera lección de equitación. He wondered if the boy would show signs of timidity. It was not a very small pony, and he had often seen children lose courage in making their first essay at riding. No era un poni muy pequeño, ya menudo había visto a los niños perder el valor al hacer su primer ensayo sobre la equitación.

Fauntleroy mounted in great delight. He had never been on a pony before, and he was in the highest spirits. Nunca antes había montado en un pony y estaba de muy buen humor. Wilkins, the groom, led the animal by the bridle up and down before the library window. Wilkins, el mozo de cuadra, condujo al animal por las bridas arriba y abajo frente a la ventana de la biblioteca.

"He's a well plucked un, he is," Wilkins remarked in the stable afterward with many grins. "Está bien desplumado, lo es", comentó Wilkins en el establo después con muchas sonrisas. "It weren't no trouble to put HIM up. "No fue ningún problema ponerlo a ÉL. An' a old un wouldn't ha' sat any straighter when he WERE up. He ses—ses he to me, 'Wilkins,' he ses, 'am I sitting up straight? They sit up straight at the circus,' ses he. An' I ses, 'As straight as a arrer, your lordship! Y yo sé, '¡Tan derecho como un arrer, su señoría! '—an' he laughs, as pleased as could be, an' he ses, 'That's right,' he ses, 'you tell me if I don't sit up straight, Wilkins!'" '... y se ríe, tan complacido como podría estar, y dice: 'Así es', dice, '¡dime si no me siento derecho, Wilkins!'" But sitting up straight and being led at a walk were not altogether and completely satisfactory. Pero sentarse erguido y ser conducido a pie no era del todo satisfactorio. After a few minutes, Fauntleroy spoke to his grandfather—watching him from the window:

"Can't I go by myself?" "¿No puedo ir solo?" he asked; "and can't I go faster? The boy on Fifth Avenue used to trot and canter!" ¡El chico de la Quinta Avenida solía trotar y medio galope! "Do you think you could trot and canter?" said the Earl.

"I should like to try," answered Fauntleroy. "Me gustaría intentarlo", respondió Fauntleroy. His lordship made a sign to Wilkins, who at the signal brought up his own horse and mounted it and took Fauntleroy's pony by the leading-rein. Su señoría hizo una seña a Wilkins, quien a la señal trajo su propio caballo, lo montó y tomó el pony de Fauntleroy por las riendas. "Now," said the Earl, "let him trot." The next few minutes were rather exciting to the small equestrian. Los siguientes minutos fueron bastante emocionantes para el pequeño jinete. He found that trotting was not so easy as walking, and the faster the pony trotted, the less easy it was.

"It j-jolts a g-goo-good deal—do-doesn't it?" "Es j-sacude mucho b-bu-buen trato, ¿no es así?" he said to Wilkins. le dijo a Wilkins. "D-does it j-jolt y-you?" "¿T-te s-sacude?" "No, my lord," answered Wilkins. "You'll get used to it in time. "Te acostumbrarás con el tiempo. Rise in your stirrups." Levántense en sus estribos". "I'm ri-rising all the t-time," said Fauntleroy. He was both rising and falling rather uncomfortably and with many shakes and bounces. Subía y bajaba bastante incómodo y con muchas sacudidas y rebotes. He was out of breath and his face grew red, but he held on with all his might, and sat as straight as he could. The Earl could see that from his window. When the riders came back within speaking distance, after they had been hidden by the trees a few minutes, Fauntleroy's hat was off, his cheeks were like poppies, and his lips were set, but he was still trotting manfully. Cuando los jinetes regresaron a la distancia de hablar, después de haber estado escondidos por los árboles unos minutos, Fauntleroy se había quitado el sombrero, sus mejillas eran como amapolas y sus labios estaban apretados, pero aún trotaba virilmente. "Stop a minute!" said his grandfather. "Where's your hat?" "¿Dónde está tu sombrero?" Wilkins touched his. "It fell off, your lordship," he said, with evident enjoyment. —Se cayó, su señoría —dijo, con evidente placer—. "Wouldn't let me stop to pick it up, my lord." "No me dejaba detenerme para recogerlo, mi señor". "Not much afraid, is he?" "No tiene mucho miedo, ¿verdad?" asked the Earl dryly.

"Him, your lordship!" "¡Él, su señoría!" exclaimed Wilkins. "I shouldn't say as he knowed what it meant. "No debería decirlo porque él sabía lo que significaba. I've taught young gen'lemen to ride afore, an' I never see one stick on more determinder." He enseñado a los caballeros jóvenes a montar antes, y nunca vi a nadie con más determinación". "Tired?" said the Earl to Fauntleroy. "Want to get off?" "¿Quieres bajar?" "It jolts you more than you think it will," admitted his young lordship frankly. "Te sacude más de lo que crees", admitió su joven señoría con franqueza. "And it tires you a little, too; but I don't want to get off. Y te cansa un poco también; pero no quiero bajarme. I want to learn how. As soon as I've got my breath I want to go back for the hat." The cleverest person in the world, if he had undertaken to teach Fauntleroy how to please the old man who watched him, could not have taught him anything which would have succeeded better. As the pony trotted off again toward the avenue, a faint color crept up in the fierce old face, and the eyes, under the shaggy brows, gleamed with a pleasure such as his lordship had scarcely expected to know again. Cuando el poni se alejó al trote de nuevo hacia la avenida, un tenue color se apoderó del feroz rostro anciano, y los ojos, bajo las pobladas cejas, brillaron con un placer que su señoría apenas había esperado volver a sentir. And he sat and watched quite eagerly until the sound of the horses' hoofs returned. Y se sentó y miró con bastante interés hasta que volvió el sonido de los cascos de los caballos. When they did come, which was after some time, they came at a faster pace. Fauntleroy's hat was still off; Wilkins was carrying it for him; his cheeks were redder than before, and his hair was flying about his ears, but he came at quite a brisk canter. El sombrero de Fauntleroy todavía estaba fuera; Wilkins lo llevaba para él; sus mejillas estaban más rojas que antes, y su cabello volaba sobre sus orejas, pero llegó a un galope bastante rápido. "There!" he panted, as they drew up, "I c-cantered. jadeó, mientras se detenían, "C-galopé. I didn't do it as well as the boy on Fifth Avenue, but I did it, and I staid on!" No lo hice tan bien como el chico de la Quinta Avenida, ¡pero lo hice y seguí!”. He and Wilkins and the pony were close friends after that. Scarcely a day passed in which the country people did not see them out together, cantering gayly on the highroad or through the green lanes. Apenas pasaba un día sin que la gente del campo los viera salir juntos, galopando alegremente por la carretera o por los senderos verdes. The children in the cottages would run to the door to look at the proud little brown pony with the gallant little figure sitting so straight in the saddle, and the young lord would snatch off his cap and swing it at them, and shout, "Hullo! Good-morning!" in a very unlordly manner, though with great heartiness. de una manera muy poco señorial, aunque con gran cordialidad. Sometimes he would stop and talk with the children, and once Wilkins came back to the castle with a story of how Fauntleroy had insisted on dismounting near the village school, so that a boy who was lame and tired might ride home on his pony. A veces se detenía y hablaba con los niños, y una vez Wilkins volvió al castillo con una historia de cómo Fauntleroy había insistido en desmontar cerca de la escuela del pueblo, para que un niño cojo y cansado pudiera volver a casa en su pony.

"An' I'm blessed," said Wilkins, in telling the story at the stables,—"I'm blessed if he'd hear of anything else! "Y estoy bendecido", dijo Wilkins, al contar la historia en los establos, "¡Estoy bendecido si se entera de algo más! He wouldn't let me get down, because he said the boy mightn't feel comfortable on a big horse. No me dejó bajar, porque dijo que el chico no se sentiría cómodo en un caballo grande. An' ses he, 'Wilkins,' ses he, 'that boy's lame and I'm not, and I want to talk to him, too.' Y él dice, 'Wilkins', dice él, 'ese chico es cojo y yo no, y yo también quiero hablar con él'. And up the lad has to get, and my lord trudges alongside of him with his hands in his pockets, and his cap on the back of his head, a-whistling and talking as easy as you please! ¡Y el muchacho tiene que levantarse, y mi señor camina junto a él con las manos en los bolsillos y la gorra en la parte posterior de la cabeza, silbando y hablando tan fácil como quiera! And when we come to the cottage, an' the boy's mother come out all in a taking to see what's up, he whips off his cap an' ses he, 'I've brought your son home, ma'am,' ses he, 'because his leg hurt him, and I don't think that stick is enough for him to lean on; and I'm going to ask my grandfather to have a pair of crutches made for him.' Y cuando llegamos a la casa de campo, y la madre del niño sale de golpe para ver qué pasa, él se quita la gorra y dice: "He traído a su hijo a casa, señora", dice. , 'porque le dolía la pierna, y no creo que ese bastón le alcance para apoyarse; y le voy a pedir a mi abuelo que le haga un par de muletas.' An' I'm blessed if the woman wasn't struck all of a heap, as well she might be! ¡Y me siento bendecido si la mujer no fue golpeada por completo, como bien podría ser! I thought I should 'a' hex-plodid, myself!" ¡Pensé que debería 'un' hex-plodid, yo mismo!" When the Earl heard the story he was not angry, as Wilkins had been half afraid that he would be; on the contrary, he laughed outright, and called Fauntleroy up to him, and made him tell all about the matter from beginning to end, and then he laughed again. Cuando el conde escuchó la historia, no se enojó, como Wilkins temía que lo estaría; por el contrario, se rió abiertamente, llamó a Fauntleroy y le hizo contar todo sobre el asunto de principio a fin, y luego se rió de nuevo. And actually, a few days later, the Dorincourt carriage stopped in the green lane before the cottage where the lame boy lived, and Fauntleroy jumped out and walked up to the door, carrying a pair of strong, light, new crutches shouldered like a gun, and presented them to Mrs. Hartle (the lame boy's name was Hartle) with these words: "My grandfather's compliments, and if you please, these are for your boy, and we hope he will get better." Y, de hecho, unos días más tarde, el carruaje de Dorincourt se detuvo en el camino verde frente a la casa de campo donde vivía el niño cojo, y Fauntleroy saltó y caminó hasta la puerta, llevando un par de muletas nuevas, fuertes y livianas, al hombro como una pistola. , y se los presentó a la Sra. Hartle (el nombre del niño cojo era Hartle) con estas palabras: "Saludos de mi abuelo, y por favor, estos son para su niño, y esperamos que se mejore". "I said your compliments," he explained to the Earl when he returned to the carriage. "Dije tus cumplidos", le explicó al conde cuando regresó al carruaje. "You didn't tell me to, but I thought perhaps you forgot. "No me dijiste que lo hiciera, pero pensé que tal vez lo olvidaste. That was right, wasn't it?" And the Earl laughed again, and did not say it was not. In fact, the two were becoming more intimate every day, and every day Fauntleroy's faith in his lordship's benevolence and virtue increased. De hecho, los dos se estaban volviendo más íntimos cada día, y cada día aumentaba la fe de Fauntleroy en la benevolencia y la virtud de su señoría. He had no doubt whatever that his grandfather was the most amiable and generous of elderly gentlemen. No tenía ninguna duda de que su abuelo era el más amable y generoso de los ancianos. Certainly, he himself found his wishes gratified almost before they were uttered; and such gifts and pleasures were lavished upon him, that he was sometimes almost bewildered by his own possessions. Ciertamente, él mismo encontró satisfechos sus deseos casi antes de que fueran pronunciados; y tales dones y placeres le prodigaban, que a veces estaba casi desconcertado por sus propias posesiones. Apparently, he was to have everything he wanted, and to do everything he wished to do. And though this would certainly not have been a very wise plan to pursue with all small boys, his young lordship bore it amazingly well. Y aunque esto ciertamente no habría sido un plan muy sabio para seguir con todos los niños pequeños, su joven señoría lo soportó asombrosamente bien. Perhaps, notwithstanding his sweet nature, he might have been somewhat spoiled by it, if it had not been for the hours he spent with his mother at Court Lodge. That "best friend" of his watched over him over closely and tenderly. The two had many long talks together, and he never went back to the Castle with her kisses on his cheeks without carrying in his heart some simple, pure words worth remembering.

There was one thing, it is true, which puzzled the little fellow very much. He thought over the mystery of it much oftener than any one supposed; even his mother did not know how often he pondered on it; the Earl for a long time never suspected that he did so at all. Reflexionó sobre el misterio mucho más a menudo de lo que nadie suponía; incluso su madre no sabía con qué frecuencia reflexionaba sobre ello; el conde durante mucho tiempo nunca sospechó que lo hiciera en absoluto. But, being quick to observe, the little boy could not help wondering why it was that his mother and grandfather never seemed to meet. Pero, siendo rápido en observar, el niño no pudo evitar preguntarse por qué su madre y su abuelo nunca parecían encontrarse. He had noticed that they never did meet. When the Dorincourt carriage stopped at Court Lodge, the Earl never alighted, and on the rare occasions of his lordship's going to church, Fauntleroy was always left to speak to his mother in the porch alone, or perhaps to go home with her. And yet, every day, fruit and flowers were sent to Court Lodge from the hot-houses at the Castle. Y, sin embargo, todos los días se enviaban frutas y flores a Court Lodge desde los invernaderos del castillo. But the one virtuous action of the Earl's which had set him upon the pinnacle of perfection in Cedric's eyes, was what he had done soon after that first Sunday when Mrs. Errol had walked home from church unattended. About a week later, when Cedric was going one day to visit his mother, he found at the door, instead of the large carriage and prancing pair, a pretty little brougham and a handsome bay horse. Aproximadamente una semana después, cuando Cedric iba un día a visitar a su madre, encontró en la puerta, en lugar del gran carruaje y la pareja encabritada, una linda berlina pequeña y un hermoso caballo bayo.

"That is a present from you to your mother," the Earl said abruptly. "She can not go walking about the country. "Ella no puede andar caminando por el país. She needs a carriage. The man who drives will take charge of it. It is a present from YOU." Fauntleroy's delight could but feebly express itself. He could scarcely contain himself until he reached the lodge. Apenas pudo contenerse hasta que llegó al albergue. His mother was gathering roses in the garden. He flung himself out of the little brougham and flew to her. Se apeó de la pequeña berlina y voló hacia ella.

"Dearest!" he cried, "could you believe it? This is yours! He says it is a present from me. It is your own carriage to drive everywhere in!" He was so happy that she did not know what to say. She could not have borne to spoil his pleasure by refusing to accept the gift even though it came from the man who chose to consider himself her enemy. Ella no podría haber soportado estropear su placer al negarse a aceptar el regalo a pesar de que procedía del hombre que decidió considerarse su enemigo. She was obliged to step into the carriage, roses and all, and let herself be taken to drive, while Fauntleroy told her stories of his grandfather's goodness and amiability. They were such innocent stories that sometimes she could not help laughing a little, and then she would draw her little boy closer to her side and kiss him, feeling glad that he could see only good in the old man, who had so few friends.

The very next day after that, Fauntleroy wrote to Mr. Hobbs. He wrote quite a long letter, and after the first copy was written, he brought it to his grandfather to be inspected. Escribió una carta bastante larga y, después de escribir la primera copia, se la llevó a su abuelo para que la inspeccionara.

"Because," he said, "it's so uncertain about the spelling. "Porque", dijo, "es muy incierto la ortografía. And if you'll tell me the mistakes, I'll write it out again." This was what he had written:

"My dear mr hobbs i want to tell you about my granfarther he is the best earl you ever new it is a mistake about earls being tirents he is not a tirent at all i wish you new him you would be good friends i am sure you would he has the gout in his foot and is a grate sufrer but he is so pashent i love him more every day becaus no one could help loving an earl like that who is kind to every one in this world i wish you could talk to him he knows everything in the world you can ask him any question but he has never plaid base ball he has given me a pony and a cart and my mamma a bewtifle cariage and I have three rooms and toys of all kinds it would serprise you you would like the castle and the park it is such a large castle you could lose yourself wilkins tells me wilkins is my groom he says there is a dungon under the castle it is so pretty everything in the park would serprise you there are such big trees and there are deers and rabbits and games flying about in the cover my granfarther is very rich but he is not proud and orty as you thought earls always were i like to be with him the people are so polite and kind they take of their hats to you and the women make curtsies and sometimes say god bless you i can ride now but at first it shook me when i troted my granfarther let a poor man stay on his farm when he could not pay his rent and mrs mellon went to take wine and things to his sick children i should like to see you and i wish dearest could live at the castle but i am very happy when i dont miss her too much and i love my granfarther every one does plees write soon "your afechshnet old frend "tu viejo amigo afechshnet "Cedric Errol "p s no one is in the dungon my granfarfher never had any one langwishin in there. "PD: nadie está en el calabozo, mi abuelo nunca tuvo ningún langwishin allí. "p s he is such a good earl he reminds me of you he is a unerversle favrit" "PD: es un conde tan bueno que me recuerda a ti, es un favorito universal" "Do you miss your mother very much?" asked the Earl when he had finished reading this.

"Yes," said Fauntleroy, "I miss her all the time." He went and stood before the Earl and put his hand on his knee, looking up at him. Fue y se paró frente al Conde y puso su mano en su rodilla, mirándolo.

"YOU don't miss her, do you?" "TÚ no la extrañas, ¿verdad?" he said.

"I don't know her," answered his lordship rather crustily. "I know that," said Fauntleroy, "and that's what makes me wonder. She told me not to ask you any questions, and—and I won't, but sometimes I can't help thinking, you know, and it makes me all puzzled. But I'm not going to ask any questions. And when I miss her very much, I go and look out of my window to where I see her light shine for me every night through an open place in the trees. Y cuando la extraño mucho, voy y miro por mi ventana hacia donde veo su luz brillar para mí todas las noches a través de un lugar abierto en los árboles. It is a long way off, but she puts it in her window as soon as it is dark, and I can see it twinkle far away, and I know what it says." "What does it say?" asked my lord.

"It says, 'Good-night, God keep you all the night! '—just what she used to say when we were together. Every night she used to say that to me, and every morning she said, 'God bless you all the day!' So you see I am quite safe all the time——" "Quite, I have no doubt," said his lordship dryly. And he drew down his beetling eyebrows and looked at the little boy so fixedly and so long that Fauntleroy wondered what he could be thinking of. Y bajó sus cejas pobladas y miró al niño tan fijamente y durante tanto tiempo que Fauntleroy se preguntó en qué estaría pensando.