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    Little Lord Fauntleroy
    Little Lord Fauntleroy
    Little Lord Fauntleroy
    Ebook275 pages4 hours

    Little Lord Fauntleroy

    By Frances Hodgson Burnett

    3.5/5

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    HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

    ‘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.’

    When young Cedric Errol's father dies, he becomes heir to the fortune of his English grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, and must move from working-class New York to England. Bad-tempered, cantankerous and bitter, the old man is slowly won over by the kind, generous and cheerful spirit of Cedric.

    When a plot arises to deprive Cedric of his inheritance and another pretender steps forward as heir, Cedric's friends in America become involved in order to thwart the challenger. Through Cedric's unconditional love and trust he teaches his grandfather to show compassion to those who are less fortunate than himself.

    Burnett's book had a huge impact on 19th century society, influencing how young middle-class American boys dressed through her detailed descriptions of Cedric's lordly clothing. The book even set new precedents in copyright law when Burnett won the rights to theatrical adaptations of the work.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateMay 31, 2012
    ISBN9780007480500
    Author

    Frances Hodgson Burnett

    Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English-American author and playwright. She is best known for her incredibly popular novels for children, including Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.

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    Reviews for Little Lord Fauntleroy

    3.5/5

    471 ratings20 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A character that I've constantly seen referenced but had never read. It is definitely a product of its time; slow to start and with an extremely dry wit that still caused my family to laugh out loud on several occasions (we read it aloud in the car). One of the funniest lines wasn't in the novel proper but in the authors biography "Her (Burnett's) adult novels are of a sentimental vein which is now thoroughly out of fashion."

      The language is a bit repetitive - the Earl's smile is almost always 'grim', and an alarming number of things are either 'gay' or 'queer'. This, combined with the earnestness that the lines are delivered with lead to my constantly appending the phrase "He said with a leering wink" to the end of sentences. At least until the children caught on and the 10-year old asked "What's a leering wink?" Regardless, doing so makes the book exponentially funnier, if a bit off-putting since the titular character is 7 years old.
    • 5/5
      The third son of the Earl of Dorincourt, Cedric Errol, is disowned by his widower father because he marries an American. The couple have a child; Cedric Sr. dies in an influenza epidemic; both of the Earl’s older sons die – and, guess what? – the American boy Cedric inherits the title. His grandfather has him brought to England to groom him for the position.Cedric is a paragon of beauty and virtue but, even though I tried, I couldn’t dislike him. “He was always lovable because he was simple and loving. To be so is like being born a king.”What a wonderful children’s story this is – and I’m so very sorry that I missed it a s a child. 4½ starsRead this if: you have a child to share it with (oh, do introduce him or her to Cedric!); you’d like a child’s view of the world of Downton Abbey; or if you value classics.
    • 2/5
      Today I picked up a very cheap copy at a book stall. I didn't mean to go and re-read it right now, but it seems I'm doing it =) Not as good as I remembered, but still not bad.
    • 5/5
      One of my favourite children's books ever. Fauntleroy is a young, American boy whose gentle mother allows him to be taken from her when he becomes the heir to a massive English fortune. His delightful, loving personality wins over his incredibly cranky grandfather and eventually reunites his family.
    • 5/5
      I am always at something of a loss to explain my abiding love for Little Lord Fauntleroy, which must be included, along with The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, among the author's better known works. Extremely sentimental, with a somewhat more moralistic tone than that found in Burnett's other two classics, it features a child protagonist so angelically good that children everywhere might be forgiven for hating him.But despite its Victorian trappings - complete with English aristocrats, estranged and disinherited sons, long-lost (not to mention fake) heirs, and the inevitable triumph of the moral and "well-bred" over the deceitful and vulgar - Little Lord Fauntleroy is at heart a satisfying tale of family reconciliation, and the transformative power of love. Cedric Errol, the cheerful, good-hearted young hero of the tale, is able to bridge the differences, not just between the generations, but between the nations.Burnett herself was something of a bridge, born and raised in England, but living most of her adult life in America, and her familiarity with both cultures must have stood her in good stead while writing this tale of a crusty English aristocrat and his American heir. This may also account, in part, for my pleasure in the story, for at a time when few English children's authors had anything good to say about Americans (if they had anything to say at all), Burnett created a lovable character whose virtues - from the ease with which he converses with adults, to his democratic kindness and concern for all - were distinctly alien to British notions of childhood.
    • 3/5
      Little Lord Fauntleroy is a set book for my children's lit course, I think. It's the second book I've read by Frances Hodgson Burnett -- although I own A Little Princess too, and plan to read it soon. They all seem to start the same way, describing the child and then having a sudden change in circumstances, especially location (e.g. India to Yorkshire, America to , usually due to the death of a parent. In The Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy, there is some kind of amazing change in circumstance due to love or friendship -- in The Secret Garden, both Mary and Colin are changed, as well as Colin's father; in Little Lord Fauntleroy, the old Earl is changed while Little Lord Fauntleroy himself stays more or less the same throughout.

      I'm sure I would have liked it more when I was younger. I suspect when I go back to The Secret Garden, I'll still find some of the old magic in it. But I'm a little too grown up and cynical for the simplicity of the journey through this book. It's interesting, though, to think about what kind of children's book it is, what kind of things the author had in mind. Sentimentality, evidently, and a story that can interest a child in it, but still moralising throughout -- it's not as overt as some books for children, but it's there. "Literature should improve your mind" kinda thinking.
    • 4/5
      Little Lord Fauntleroy is a sweet tale about a father-less, American boy named Cedric who finds himself the heir to an English earldom. The story is sorta in the vein of other classic books, like Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Pollyanna, and Rebecca of Sunnybrooke farm, in which a sweet, innocent child generally makes people happy. By the end of the story grumpy people are made kind and ungrumpy. I guess you'd say Little Lord Fauntleroy is the male character take on that storyline. Also, Little Lord Fauntleroy (Cedric) is the anti-Tom Sawyer, because Fauntleroy is the perfect, gentleman child.

      Four stars because the plot is pretty straight-forward. No shocks or surprises. However, the story is very enduring. Just a sweet, comforting little read about a cute little boy doing nice things.

      On a personal note, while I enjoyed the story, I hate the title. The name Fauntleroy reminds me of Ben Stiller's character in "Meet the Parents" or Prince Humperdinck from "The Princess Bride." I wish Burnett had titled it "something something Cedric" for the character's real name.
    • 4/5
      This is a simple plot similar to Pollyanna only the main character is a boy. I loved this book for its depiction of what a child can be like; how each of us impacts for the better or the worse those we come into daily contact with. My eight year old daughter will love this book. I have added it to her reading selection for the coming school year.
    • 4/5
      It's soppy and sentimental and idealises childhood in a totally unrealistic manner - and I still love it! Sometimes, it's nice to be able to suspend disbelief and decide that crusty old men can be indeed be won around by childish love, innocence and good manners.
    • 5/5
      When I was little, two of my favorite books were A Little Princess and The Secret Garden (HarperClassics) by Frances Hodgson Burnett. When I grew up, they were still favorites. So a year ago when I was buying them for my little cousin, and I noticed "Little Lord Fauntleroy", I was astounded. How did I miss such a gem? The story of little Cedric who warms his old grandfather's heart is beautifully written and quite touching. There is also a lesson to be learned, as we watch what Cedric does with his newfound wealth. What would you do if you were suddenly gifted with such a fortune? This story is perfect for anyone who enjoyed "A Little Princess" or "The Secret Garden"!
    • 5/5
      Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett; (5*)This was a sweet little story that speaks of the power of kindness, generosity and friendship. Cedric, our Little Lord Fauntleroy, is such an endearing character, so wise for such a young child. He is a perfect little angel of a lad. He's handsome, kind and caring. The reader cannot help but to adore this little guy. When he came into his fortune he was told by his grandfather's 'man' that he could have anything he wanted. Most little boys would want a race car or a spaceship or something else totally selfish but not our little guy. He only wanted money to help the poor and the needy. The Earl, his grandfather, was your stereotypical stone faced, heartless lord who has never loved anyone but himself and his now deceased younger son. But then he meets this grandson who is impossible not to adore. Cedric's innocent love for his grandfather breaks open the veneer of his stony old heart and makes an impact on the old soul, changing his life and consequently the lives of those who live under him.Another wonderful story by this gifted and beloved author.
    • 5/5
      The story is about a boy called Cedric, who lives with his mother in a fairly run-down New York neighbourhood in the late 1800s. He is a lovable child, who has a knack of making friends with people of all ages: from the local grocer to a bootblack who struggles to make ends meet. One day, a lawyer arrives from the UK, giving some news that changes their lives forever. Much of the book describes Cedric's gradual adaptation to a very different kind of life, and also the thawing of a crusty old man. It’s a children’s book, which paints a good picture of the contrast between aristocratic homes in England and the poorer parts of New York. The author was clearly comfortable in both cultures, and shows how different the two countries were, even 130 years ago. Well worth reading for anyone - child or adult - who likes this era of fiction. I re-read it in about three hours, and it made an excellent distraction from an otherwise rather boring flight.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Cedric Errol was for the most part a normal seven-year-old boy. His British father died when he was young, but his American mother and he live a happy, comfortable life together. One day, a lawyer arrives from Britain with some startling news: Cedric's uncles (whom he's never met) are dead, which leaves Cedric as Lord Fauntleroy, and standing to inherit an Earldom. His grandfather, the current Earl, is a nasty, cantankerous, selfish old man, who is still upset about Cedric's father marrying an American. The Earl sends for Cedric to come live with him in England, not for the boy's benefit, but for his own sense of pride. Cedric has been brought up to be unfailingly good, kind, and trusting, but how will such an innocent fare when given the privilege and power of nobility?Review: Well, color me misinformed. For some reason I had in my head that to be called "a little Lord Fauntleroy" was a disparagement, meaning you were acting like a spoiled brat. Turns out, the reality is pretty much the exact opposite. Cedric is almost preternaturally wonderful: kind, cheerful, giving, attractive, selfless, strong, trusting, and only ever seeing the best in people. He's essentially a male version of Sara Crewe from A Little Princess, but even more wonderful; even Sara was allowed one fit of temper. Cedric's extreme naiveté actually makes it somewhat hard to believe him as seven-year-old; in some places, four or five would have seemed to be a better fit. Regardless, this book - and Cedric himself - did charm me. Similarly to A Little Princess, the story is mostly one of the magic that being a good person can work in the world, and as morals go, that's not a bad one. My only real complaint is that Burnett transcribed her dialogue pretty literally, and gave all of her servants and rural people such thick country accents that some of their lines were almost unreadable. Apart from that, though, it's a sweet little story, predictable as all get out, of course, but not overly facile in its resolutions. Not quite as engaging as A Little Princess or The Secret Garden, but a charming little book all the same. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Best for fans of Burnett's other books, or British children's lit in general.
    • 2/5
      A 'handsome little boy' with 'golden curls' is the son of a exiled Captain and an American woman, who has been living in reduced circumstances, when he discovers that he is, in fact, Lord Fauntleroy, and will one day be Earl of Darincourt in place of his grandfather.So he must go to England, where the grumpy and bitter old man waits, and leave behind all his 'common' friends. But before he does, he solves all their problems.And so the sickly sweetness begins. The boy is obviously perfect, not scarred by either the loss of his father or having played with the lower classes of New York, and at the same time can't possibly be spoilt by the money and decadence afforded to him. The Earl keeps his mother 'Dearest' from him, and yet he is still happy. He charms all who meet him. The mother is perfect as well. And the Earl? Well, surely he has to become perfect in the halo of this 'handsome little face'.I only made it through this because it was the only audiobook I had at the moment, and I needed some sound! There are about a thousand too many mentions of Cedric's 'strong, lithe, graceful little body' and 'lordly little red legs', not to mention his mother's 'sweet young voice'. It was so bad that if I'd rolled my eyes every time I heard some phrase like this, I would have appeared drunk very quickly. This book's descriptions must be a paedophile's ideal. The basic plot is highly predictable, the characters one dimensional (apart from the Earl, who at least starts off being interestingly bitter and miserable) and at the end I wanted to throttle the whole lot of them.Perhaps I am just a cynic. In fact, I know I am. And this pushed me nearly over the edge.
    • 4/5
      Cedric is a good boy,and live with his mother.But his grandfather Earl don't like his mother because she is American.Cedric lives with his grandfather who is cool.But he become gentleman because of Cedric..It is very heartful story.Story is a little long but very interesting.Cedric is so good boy.And Earl become good,so it is please for me.
    • 3/5
      This is a book about virtue. It would be a fun read aloud for the grands.
    • 3/5
      With "The Secret Garden", this is perhaps one of Burnett's best known stories, helping to cement her reputation as a children's author.

      This is a rather twee and sentimental kind of book - much more so than SG - where the blond, curly haired 7yo Cedric is identified as the new Lord Fauntleroy after the death of his father and his two uncles. His goodness, positive attitude, and ability to see the good in everyone turns his grandfather's head and heart, and turns the lives around of all around him.

      It is, perhaps, just a tad too sickly for my liking, but is not a bad book for all that.

    • 4/5
      This is one of Burnett's most famous books and is another uplifting story of individual redemption, this time not of a child as in The Secret Garden, but by a child, of an adult. Young Cedric Errol, a 7 year old living in genteel poverty in New York with his mother, is stunned to discover he is heir to an earldom in England. The aging, irascible and curmudgeonly Earl of Dorincort has outlived all three of his sons, including his younger son, who was cast off for marrying a pretty American woman. He summons his grandson across the Atlantic and finds, against his will and inclination, that he fond of young Cedric, who is sweet natured and kind. The transformation of the Earl under the boy's influence is amusing and heart-warming, though Cedric, like a lot of children in 19th century literature, is too good to be true. This is an uplifting read.
    • 4/5
      What a sweet little book! I'm not sure what I expected, but the story of a little American boy who becomes heir to a British earl was just a lovely, sweet, simple story. Cedric is loved by all, even the current earl, who is a curmudgeon at best and cruel and vindictive at worst. Cedric wins over the earl (his grandfather) by simply assuming that he is a good and kind person and treating him as such. Nice lesson.
    • 2/5
      For all that Frances Hodgson Burnett's classism is more evident in this book than either of her more popular books, there is still something charming about a boy who is very good and innocent becoming a lord. It's rather like a Cinderella story really. And I'm a sucker for redemption stories too, as Cedric's grandfather changes for the better.

    Book preview

    Little Lord Fauntleroy - Frances Hodgson Burnett

    LITTLE LORD

    FAUNTLEROY

    Frances Hodgson Burnett

    CONTENTS

    Cover

    Title Page

    Chapter 1: A Great Surprise

    Chapter 2: Cedric’s Friends

    Chapter 3: Leaving Home

    Chapter 4: In England

    Chapter 5: At the Castle

    Chapter 6: The Earl and His Grandson

    Chapter 7: At Church

    Chapter 8: Learning to Ride

    Chapter 9: The Poor Cottages

    Chapter 10: The Earl Alarmed

    Chapter 11: Anxiety in America

    Chapter 12: The Rival Claimants

    Chapter 13: Dick to the Rescue

    Chapter 14: The Exposure

    Chapter 15: His Eighth Birthday

    Classic Literature: Words and Phrases Adapted from the Collins English Dictionary

    About the Author

    History of Collins

    Copyright

    About the Publisher

    CHAPTER 1

    A Great Surprise

    Cedric himself knew nothing whatever about it. It had never been even mentioned to him. He knew that his papa had been an Englishman, because his mamma had told him so; but then his papa had died when he was so little a boy that he could not remember very much about him, except that he was big, and had blue eyes and a long moustache, and that it was a splendid thing to be carried around the room on his shoulder. Since his papa’s death, Cedric had found out that it was best not to talk to his mamma about him. When his father was ill, Cedric had been sent away, and when he had returned, everything was over; and his mother, who had been very ill too, was only just beginning to sit in her chair by the window. She was pale and thin, and all the dimples had gone from her pretty face and her eyes looked large and mournful, and she was dressed in black.

    ‘Dearest,’ said Cedric (his papa had called her that always, and so the little boy had learned to say it), ‘dearest, is my papa better?’

    He felt her arms tremble, and so he turned his curly head, and looked in her face. There was something in it that made him feel that he was going to cry.

    ‘Dearest,’ he said, ‘is he well?’

    Then suddenly his loving little heart told him that he’d better put both his arms around her neck and kiss her again and again, and keep his soft cheek close to hers; and he did so, and she laid her face on his shoulder and cried bitterly, holding him as if she could never let him go again.

    ‘Yes, he is well,’ she sobbed; ‘he is quite, quite well, but we – we have no one left but each other. No one at all.’

    Then, little as he was, he understood that his big, handsome young papa would not come back any more; that he was dead, as he had heard of other people being, although he could not comprehend exactly what strange thing had brought all this sadness about. It was because his mamma always cried when he spoke of his papa that he secretly made up his mind it was better not to speak of him very often to her, and he found out, too, that it was better not to let her sit still and look into the fire or out of the window without moving or talking. He and his mamma knew very few people, and lived what might have been thought very lonely lives, although Cedric did not know it was lonely until he grew older and heard why it was they had no visitors. Then he was told that his mamma was an orphan, and quite alone in the world when his papa had married her. She was very pretty, and had been living as companion to a rich old lady who was not kind to her, and one day Captain Cedric Errol, who was calling at the house, saw her run up the stairs with tears on her eyelashes; and she looked so sweet and innocent and sorrowful that the Captain could not forget her. And after many strange things had happened, they knew each other well and loved each other dearly, and were married, although their marriage brought them the ill-will of several persons. The one who was most angry of all, however, was the Captain’s father, who lived in England, and was a very rich and important old nobleman, with a very bad temper, and a very violent dislike to America and Americans. He had two sons older than Captain Cedric; and it was the law that the elder of these sons should inherit the family title and estates, which were very rich and splendid; if the eldest son died the next one would be heir; so though he was a member of such a great family, there was little chance that Captain Cedric would be very rich himself.

    But it so happened that Nature had given to the younger son gifts which she had not bestowed upon his elder brothers. He had a beautiful face and a fine, strong, graceful figure; he had a bright smile and a sweet, gay voice; he was brave and generous, and had the kindest heart in the world, and seemed to have the power to make everyone love him. But it was not so with his elder brothers; neither of them was handsome, or very kind or clever. When they were boys at Eton, they were not popular; when they were at college, they cared nothing for study, and wasted both time and money, and made few real friends. The old Earl, their father, was constantly disappointed and humiliated by them; his heir was no honour to his noble name, and did not promise to end in being anything but a selfish, wasteful, insignificant man, with no manly or noble qualities. It was very bitter, the old Earl thought, that the son who was only third, and would have only a very small fortune, should be the one who had all the gifts, and all the charms, and all the strength and beauty. Sometimes he almost hated the handsome young man because he seemed to have the good things which should have gone with the stately title and the magnificent estates; and yet, in the depths of his proud, stubborn old heart, he could not help caring very much for his youngest son. It was in one of his fits of petulance that he sent him off to travel in America; he thought he would send him away for a while, so that he should not be made angry by constantly contrasting him with his brothers, who were at that time giving him a great deal of trouble by their wild ways.

    But after about six months, he began to feel lonely, and longed in secret to see his son again, so he wrote to Captain Cedric and ordered him home. The letter he wrote crossed on its way a letter the Captain had just written to his father telling of his love for the pretty American girl, and of his intended marriage; and when the Earl received that letter, he was furiously angry. Bad as his temper was, he had never given way to it in his life as he gave way to it when he read the Captain’s letter. His valet, who was in the room when it came, thought his lordship would have a fit of apoplexy, he was so wild with anger. For an hour he raged like a tiger, and then he sat down and wrote to his son, and ordered him never to come near his old home, nor to write to his father or brothers again. He told him he might live as he pleased, and die where he pleased, that he should be cut off from his family for ever, and that he need never expect help from his father as long as he lived.

    The Captain was very sad when he read the letter; he was very fond of England, and he dearly loved the beautiful home where he had been born; he had even loved his ill-tempered old father, and had sympathized with him in his disappointments; but he knew he need expect no kindness from him in the future. At first he scarcely knew what to do; he had not been brought up to work, and had no business experience, but he had courage and plenty of determination. So he sold his commission in the English army, and after some trouble found a situation in New York, and married. The change from his old life in England was very great, but he was young and happy and he hoped that hard work would do great things for him in the future. He had a small house in a quiet street, and his little boy was born there, and everything was so gay and cheerful, in a simple way, that he was never sorry for a moment that he had married the rich old lady’s pretty companion just because she was so sweet and he loved her and she loved him. She was very sweet indeed, and her little boy was like both her and his father. Though he was born in so quiet and cheap a little home, it seemed as if there never had been a more fortunate baby. In the first place he was always well, and so he never gave anyone trouble; in the second place he had so sweet a temper and ways so charming that he was a pleasure to everyone; and in the third place he was so beautiful to look at that he was quite a picture. Instead of being a bald-headed baby, he started in life with a quantity of soft, fine, gold-coloured hair, which curled up at the ends, and went into loose rings by the time he was six months old; he had big brown eyes and long eyelashes and a darling little face; he had so strong a back and splendid sturdy legs that at nine months he learned suddenly to walk; his manners were so good, for a baby, that it was delightful to make his acquaintance. He seemed to feel that everyone was his friend, and when anyone spoke to him, when he was in his carriage in the street, he would give the stranger one sweet serious look with the brown eyes, and then follow it with a lovely, friendly smile; and the consequence was, that there was not a person in the neighbourhood of the quiet street where he lived – even to the grocery-man at the corner, who was considered the crossest creature alive – who was not pleased to see him, and speak to him. And every month of his life he grew handsomer and more interesting.

    When he was old enough to walk out with his nurse, dragging a small wagon and wearing a short white kilt skirt, and a big white hat set back on his curly yellow hair, he was so handsome and strong and rosy that he attracted everyone’s attention, and his nurse would come home and tell his mamma stories of the ladies who had stopped their carriages to look at and speak to him, and of how pleased they were when he talked to them in his cheerful little way, as if he had known them always. His greatest charm was this cheerful, fearless, quaint little way of making friends with people. I think it arose from his having a very confiding nature, and a kind little heart that sympathized with everyone, and wished to make everyone as comfortable as he liked to be himself. It made him very quick to understand the feelings of those about him. Perhaps this had grown on him too, because he had lived so much with his father and mother, who were always loving and considerate and tender and well bred. He had never heard an unkind or uncourteous word spoken at home; he had always been loved and caressed and treated tenderly, and so his childish soul was full of kindness and innocent warm feeling. He had always heard his mamma called by pretty, loving names, and so he used them himself when he spoke to her; he had always seen that his papa watched over her and took great care of her, and so he learned too to be careful of her.

    So when he knew his papa would come back no more and saw how very sad his mamma was, there gradually came into his kind little heart the thought that he must do what he could to make her happy. He was not much more than a baby, but that thought was in his mind whenever he climbed upon her knee and kissed her, and put his curly head on her neck, and when he brought his toys and picture books to show her, and when he curled up quietly by her side as she used to lie on the sofa. He was not old enough to know of anything else to do, so he did what he could, and was more of a comfort to her than he could have understood.

    ‘Oh, Mary,’ he heard her say once to her old servant, ‘I am sure he is trying to help me in his innocent way – I know he is. He looks at me sometimes with a loving, wondering little look, as if he were sorry for me, and then he will come and pet me or show me something. He is such a little man, I really think he knows.’

    As he grew older he had a great many quaint little ways which amused and interested people greatly. He was so much of a companion for his mother that she scarcely cared for any other. They used to walk together and talk together and play together. When he was quite a little fellow he learned to read; and after that he used to lie on the hearth-rug, in the evening, and read aloud – sometimes stories, and sometimes big books such as older people read, and sometimes even the newspaper; and often at such times Mary, in the kitchen, would hear Mrs Errol laughing with delight at the quaint things he said.

    ‘And, indade,’ said Mary to the grocery-man, ‘nobody cud help laughin’ at the quare little ways of him – and his ould-fashioned sayin’s! Didn’t he come into my kitchen the noight the new prisident was nominated and shtand afore the fire, lookin’ loike a pictur’, wid his hands in his shmall pockets, an’ his innocent bit of a face as sayrious as a jedge? An’ sez he to me: Mary, sez he, I’m very much int’rusted in the ’lection, sez he. I’m a ’publican, an’ so is Dearest. Are you a ’publican, Mary? Sorra a bit, sez I; I’m the bist o’ dimmycrats! An’ he looks up at me wid a look that ud go to yer heart, and sez he: Mary, sez he, the country will go to ruin. An’ nivver a day since thin has he let go by widout argyin’ wid me to change me polytics.’

    Mary was very fond of him, and very proud of him too. She had been with his mother ever since he was born; and after his father’s death, had been cook and housemaid and nurse and everything else. She was proud of his graceful, strong little body and his pretty manners, especially proud of the bright curly hair which waved over his forehead and fell in charming love-locks on his shoulders. She was willing to work early and late to help his mamma to make his small suits and keep them in order.

    ‘’Ristycratic, is it?’ she would say. ‘Faith and I’d loike to see the choild on Fifth Avey-noo as he looks loike him an’ shteps out as handsome as himself. An’ ivvery man, woman and choild lookin’ afther him in his bit of a black velvet skirt made out of the misthress’s ould gownd; an’ his little head up an’ his curly hair flyin’ an’ shinin’. It’s like a young lord he looks.’

    Cedric did not know that he looked like a young lord; he did not know what a lord was. His greatest friend was the grocery-man at the corner – the cross grocery-man, who was never cross to him. His name was Mr Hobbs, and Cedric admired and respected him very much. He thought him a very rich and powerful person, he had so many things in his store – prunes and figs and oranges and biscuits – and he had a horse and wagon. Cedric was fond of the milkman and the baker and the apple-woman, but he liked Mr Hobbs best of all, and was on terms of such intimacy with him that he went to see him every day, and often sat with him quite a long time discussing the topics of the hour. It was quite surprising how many things they found to talk about – the Fourth of July, for instance. When they began to talk about the Fourth of July there really seemed no end to it. Mr Hobbs had a very bad opinion of ‘the British’, and he told the whole story of the Revolution, relating very wonderful and patriotic stories about the villainy of the enemy and the bravery of the revolutionary heroes, and he even generously repeated part of the Declaration of Independence. Cedric was so excited that his eyes shone and his cheeks were red and his curls were all rubbed and tumbled into a yellow mop. He could hardly wait to eat his dinner after he went home, he was so anxious to tell his mamma. It was perhaps Mr Hobbs who gave him his first interest in politics. Mr Hobbs was fond of reading the newspapers, and so Cedric heard a great deal about what was going on in Washington; and Mr Hobbs would tell him whether the President was doing his duty or not. And once, when there was an election, he found it all quite grand, and probably but for Mr Hobbs and Cedric the country might have been wrecked. Mr Hobbs took him to see a great torchlight procession, and many of the men who carried torches remembered afterwards a stout man who stood near a lamppost and held on his shoulder a handsome little shouting boy, who waved his cap in the air.

    It was not long after this election, when Cedric was between seven and eight years old, that the very strange thing happened which made so wonderful a change in his life. It was quite curious, too, that the day it happened he had been talking to Mr Hobbs about England and the Queen, and Mr Hobbs had said some very severe things about the aristocracy, being specially indignant against earls and marquises. It had been a hot morning, and after playing soldiers with some friends of his, Cedric had gone into the store to rest, and had found Mr Hobbs looking very fierce over a piece of the Illustrated London News, which contained a picture of some Court ceremony.

    ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘that’s the way they go on now; but they’ll get enough of it some day, when those they’ve trod on rise and blow ’em up sky-high – earls and marquises and all! It’s coming, and they may look out for it!’

    Cedric had perched himself as usual on the high stool and pushed his hat back, and put his hands in his pockets in delicate compliment to Mr Hobbs.

    ‘Did you ever know many marquises, Mr Hobbs?’ Cedric inquired; ‘or earls?’

    ‘No,’ answered Mr Hobbs with indignation; ‘I guess not. I’d like to catch one of ’em inside here; that’s all! I’ll have no grasping tyrants sittin’ ’round on my biscuit barrels!’

    And he was so proud of the sentiment that he looked around proudly and mopped his forehead.

    ‘Perhaps they wouldn’t be earls if they knew any better,’ said Cedric, feeling some vague sympathy for their unhappy condition.

    ‘Wouldn’t they!’ said Mr Hobbs. ‘They just glory in it! It’s in ’em. They’re a bad lot.’

    They were in the midst of their conversation when Mary appeared. Cedric thought she had come to buy some sugar, perhaps, but she had not. She looked almost pale as if she were excited about something.

    ‘Come home, darlint,’ she said; ‘the misthress is wantin’ yez.’

    Cedric slipped down from his stool. ‘Does she want me to go out with her, Mary?’ he asked. ‘Good morning, Mr Hobbs. I’ll see you again.’

    He was surprised to see Mary staring at him in a dumbfounded fashion, and he wondered why she kept shaking her head. ‘What’s the matter, Mary?’ he said. ‘Is it the hot weather?’

    ‘No,’ said Mary, ‘but there’s strange things happenin’ to us.’

    ‘Has the sun given Dearest a headache?’ he inquired anxiously.

    But it was not that. When he reached his own house there was a coupé standing before the door, and someone was in the little parlour talking to his mamma. Mary hurried him upstairs and put on his best summer suit of cream-coloured flannel with the red scarf around the waist, and combed out his curly locks.

    ‘Lords, is it?’ he heard her say. ‘An’ the nobility an’ gintry. Och! bad cess to them! Lords indade – worse luck.’

    It was really very puzzling, but he felt sure his mamma would tell him what all the excitement meant, so he allowed Mary to bemoan herself without asking many questions. When he was dressed, he ran downstairs and went into the parlour. A tall, thin old gentleman with a sharp face was sitting in an armchair. His mother was standing near by with a pale face, and he saw that there were tears in her eyes.

    ‘Oh, Ceddie!’ she cried out, and ran to her little boy and caught him in her arms and kissed him in a little frightened, troubled way. ‘Oh, Ceddie darling!’

    The tall old gentleman rose from his chair and looked at Cedric with his sharp eyes. He rubbed his thin chin with his bony hand as he looked. He seemed not at all displeased.

    ‘And so,’ he said at last slowly, ‘and so this is little Lord Fauntleroy.’

    CHAPTER 2

    Cedric’s Friends

    There was never a more amazed little boy than Cedric during the week that followed; there was never so strange or so unreal a week. In the first place, the story his mamma told him was a very curious one. He was obliged to hear it two or three times before he could understand it. He could not imagine what Mr Hobbs would think of it. It began with earls; his grandpapa, whom he had never seen, was an earl; and his eldest uncle, if he had not been killed by a fall from his horse, would have been an earl too in time; and after his death, his other uncle would have been an earl, if he had not died suddenly, in

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