Little Lord Fauntleroy (F. Burnett, illus.

Seven-year-old Cedric lived with his mother on the outskirts of New York. One day the boy found out that he was a real lord, and that a rich grandfather was waiting for him in England - the powerful Earl of Dorincourt, a stern and gloomy man. With his kindness and spontaneity, little Tsedrik managed to melt his grandfather’s frozen heart and, in the end, resolve the difficult family drama. The story of Lord Fauntleroy, the boy with golden curls, is one of the most famous children's books of its time.

From the series: The most real boys

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by liters company.

Amazing surprise

Cedric knew absolutely nothing about this, he only knew that his father was an Englishman; but he died when Cedric was very young, and therefore he did not remember very much about him; he only remembered that dad was tall what he had Blue eyes and a long mustache and that it was incredibly fun to travel around the rooms, sitting on his shoulder. After his dad's death, Cedric became convinced that it was better not to talk to his mom about him. During his illness, Cedric was taken away from home, and when Cedric returned, it was all over and his mother, who was also very sick, had just moved from her bed to her chair by the window. She was pale and thin, the dimples had disappeared from her sweet face, her eyes looked sad, and her dress was completely black.

“Darling,” asked Cedric (dad always called her that, and the boy began to imitate him), “Darling, is dad better?”

He felt her hands tremble, and, raising his curly head, looked into her face. She apparently could barely restrain herself from bursting into tears.

“Darling,” he repeated, “tell me, is he feeling good now?”

But then his loving little heart told him that it was best to put both arms around her neck, press his soft cheek to her cheek and kiss her many, many times; he did so, and she lowered her head on his shoulder and cried bitterly, hugging him tightly to her.

“Yes, he’s good,” she sobbed, “he’s very good, but you and I have no one else left.”

Although Cedric was still quite little boy, but he realized that his tall, handsome, young dad would never return, that he died like other people die; and yet he could not understand why this happened. Since mom always cried when he talked about dad, he decided to himself that it was better not to mention him too often. The boy soon became convinced that he should not let her sit silently and motionlessly for a long time, looking into the fire or out the window.

He and his mother had few acquaintances, and they lived completely alone, although Cedric did not notice this until he got older and found out the reasons why they did not have guests. Then they told him that his mother was a poor orphan who had no one in the world when her father married her. She was very pretty and lived as a companion to a rich old lady who treated her badly. One day, Captain Cedric Errol, having come to visit this lady, saw a young girl going up the stairs with tears in her eyes, and she seemed to him so lovely, innocent and sad that from that moment he could not forget her. Soon they met, fell deeply in love with each other and finally got married; but this marriage caused the displeasure of the people around them. The most angry of all was the captain's father, who lived in England and was a very rich and noble gentleman, known for his bad character. In addition, he hated America and Americans with all his heart. Besides the captain, he had two more sons. By law, the eldest of them was supposed to inherit the family title and all of his father's vast estates. In the event of the death of the eldest, the next son became the heir, so there was little chance for Captain Cedric to ever become a rich and noble man, although he was a member of such a noble family.

But it so happened that nature endowed the youngest of the brothers with wonderful qualities that the elders did not possess. He had beautiful face, graceful figure, courageous and noble posture, clear smile and sonorous voice; he was brave and generous and, moreover, had the kindest heart, which especially attracted all the people who knew him to him. His brothers were not like that. Even as boys at Eton they were not loved by their comrades; Later, at the university, they did little research, wasted time and money, and failed to make true friends. They constantly upset their father, the old count, and insulted his pride. His heir did not honor his name, continuing to remain a selfish, wasteful and narrow-minded man, devoid of courage and nobility. The old count was very offended that only the third son, who was destined to receive only a very modest fortune, possessed all the qualities necessary to maintain the prestige of their high social position. Sometimes he almost hated young man for the fact that he was endowed with those data that seemed to be supplanted from his heir by a high-profile title and rich estates; but in the depths of his proud, stubborn old heart he still could not help but love youngest son. During one of his outbursts of anger, he sent him to travel around America, wanting to remove him for a while, so as not to be irritated by the constant comparison of him with his brothers, who just at that time were causing him a lot of trouble with their dissolute behavior.

But after six months he began to feel lonely and secretly longed to see his son. Under the influence of this feeling, he wrote a letter to Captain Cedric, demanding his immediate return home. This letter differed from the captain’s letter, in which he informed his father of his love for the pretty American girl and his intention to marry her. Upon receiving this news, the old count became incredibly angry; no matter how bad his character was, his anger had never reached such proportions as when he received this letter, and his servant, who was in the room, involuntarily thought that his Excellency would probably suffer a blow. For a whole hour he ran around like a tiger in a cage, but finally, little by little, he calmed down, sat down at the table and wrote a letter to his son, ordering him never to approach his house and never write to him or his brothers. He wrote that the captain could live where he wanted and how he wanted, that he was cut off from his family forever and, of course, could no longer count on any support from his father.

The captain was very sad; he loved England very much and was strongly attached to home; he even loved his stern old father and pitied him, seeing his grief; but he also knew that from that moment he could no longer expect any help or support from him. At first he did not know what to do: he was not accustomed to work, he was deprived of practical experience, but he had a lot of courage, but then he hastened to sell his position in the English army; after much trouble he found a place in New York and got married. A change from his old life in England was very noticeable, but he was young and happy and hoped that hard work would help him create a good future for himself. He bought a small house in one of the remote streets of the city, his little son was born there, and his whole life seemed to him so good, cheerful, joyful, albeit modest, that he did not for a minute regret that he had married the pretty companion of a rich old woman solely because she was lovely and that they loved each other tenderly.

His wife was truly charming, and their little son was equally reminiscent of his father and mother. Although he was born in a very humble environment, it seemed that there was nothing like this in the whole world. happy child like him. Firstly, he was always healthy and never caused anyone any trouble, secondly, he had such a sweet character and such a cheerful disposition that he brought nothing but pleasure to everyone, and thirdly, he was unusually handsome. In contrast to other children, he was born with a whole cap of soft, thin, golden curly hair, which by the age of six months had turned into lovely long curls. He had big ones brown eyes with long eyelashes and a pretty face; his back and legs were so strong that at the age of nine months he had already learned to walk; At the same time, he was distinguished by such rare behavior for a child that everyone tinkered with him with pleasure. He seemed to consider everyone his friends, and if one of the passers-by approached him while he was being pushed in a small carriage along the street, he usually fixed the stranger with a serious look, and then smiled charmingly. It is not surprising after this that everyone who lived in the neighborhood of his parents loved and spoiled him, not excluding even the petty merchant, who was reputed to be the most gloomy man in the world.

When he was old enough to walk with his nanny, pulling a small cart behind him, in a white suit and a large white hat pulled down over his golden curls, he was so handsome, so healthy and so ruddy that he attracted everyone’s attention, and the nanny More than once, when returning home, I told my mother long stories how many ladies stopped their carriages to look at him and talk to him. What fascinated me most about him was his joyful, courageous, original manner of meeting people. This was probably due to the fact that he had an unusually trusting character and a kind heart that sympathized with everyone and wanted everyone to become as contented and happy as he was. This made him very empathetic towards other people. There is no doubt that such a character trait developed in him under the influence of the fact that he was constantly in the company of his parents - loving, calm, delicate and well-mannered people. He always heard only kind and polite words; everyone loved him, cared for him and caressed him, and under the influence of such treatment he involuntarily got used to being kind and gentle. He heard that dad always called mom the most affectionate names and constantly treated her with tender care, and therefore he learned to follow his example in everything.

Therefore, when he found out that dad would not return, and saw how sad his mother was, the thought gradually crept into his kind heart that he needed to try to make her happy as much as possible. He was still quite small child, but this thought took possession of him every time he climbed onto her lap and laid his curly head on her shoulder, when he brought his toys and pictures to show her, when he curled up next to her on the sofa. He wasn't old enough to know how to do anything else, so he did what he could, and actually comforted her more than he thought he would.

“Oh, Mary,” he once heard her talking to the maid, “I’m sure he’s trying to help me!” He often looks at me with such love, such a questioning look, as if he pities me, and then begins to caress me or show me his toys. Just like an adult... I think he knows...

As he grew older, he developed a number of cute and original habits that everyone around him really liked. For his mother, he was such a close friend that she did not look for others. They usually walked together, chatted and played together. From the very early years he learned to read, and then, lying in the evenings on the carpet in front of the fireplace, he read aloud either fairy tales, or thick books that adults read, and even newspapers.

And Mary, sitting in her kitchen, more than once during these hours heard Mrs. Errol laughing heartily at what he was saying.

“You really can’t help but laugh when you listen to his eccentricities,” she told the shopkeeper. “On the very day of the election of the new president, he came to my kitchen, stood at the stove looking so handsome, put his hands in his pockets, made a serious, over-serious face, like a judge’s, and said: “Mary, I’m very interested in the elections. I'm a Republican, and so is Honey. Are you, Mary, a Republican too?” “No, I’m a democrat,” I answer. “Oh, Mary, you will bring the country to ruin!..” And since then, not a day has passed without him trying to influence my political convictions.

Mary loved him very much and was proud of him; she served in their house from the day of his birth, and after the death of his father she performed all duties: she was a cook, a maid, and a nanny; she was proud of his beauty, his small strong body, his sweet manners, but she was especially proud of his curly hair, the long locks that framed his forehead and fell to his shoulders. She was ready to help his mother from morning to night, when she sewed suits for him or cleaned and repaired his things.

- A real aristocrat! – she exclaimed more than once. “By God, I wish I could see someone as handsome as him among the kids on Fifth Street.” All the men, women and even children stare at him and his velvet suit, made from his lady’s old dress. He walks with his head raised, and his curls flutter in the wind... Well, just a young lord!..

Cedric had no idea that he looked like a young lord—he didn’t even know the meaning of that word. His best friend was the shopkeeper from the opposite corner of the street, an angry man, but never angry with him. His name was Mr. Hobbes. Cedric loved and deeply respected him. He considered him an unusually rich and powerful man - after all, how many delicious things lay in his shop: plums, wine berries, oranges, various biscuits, and he also had a horse and cart. Granted, Cedric loved the milkmaid, the baker, and the apple seller, but he still loved Mr. Hobbes more than anyone else and was in such a relationship with him. friendly relations, who came to him every day, talking for hours on end about various current issues of the day. It was amazing how long they could talk - especially about the 4th of July - just endlessly! Mr. Hobbes generally disapproved of the "British" and, speaking about the revolution, conveyed amazing facts about the ugly actions of opponents and the rare courage of the heroes of the revolution. When he began to quote certain paragraphs from the Declaration of Independence, Cedric usually became very excited; his eyes burned, his cheeks glowed, and his curls turned into a whole cap of tangled golden hair. He eagerly finished his lunch upon returning home, rushing to convey everything he had heard to his mother as soon as possible. Perhaps Mr. Hobbes was the first to arouse his interest in politics. He loved to read newspapers, and therefore Cedric learned a lot about what was happening in Washington. At the same time, Mr. Hobbes usually expressed his opinion about whether the President treated his duties well or badly. Once, after the new elections, Mr. Hobbes was especially pleased with the results of the ballot, and it even seems to us that, without him and Cedric, the country could have found itself on the brink of destruction. One day Mr. Hobbes took Cedric with him to show him a procession with torches, and then many of the participants who carried torches remembered for a long time how a tall man stood by a lamppost and held on his shoulder a pretty little boy who loudly shouted and cheerfully waved his cap.

Just shortly after these very elections, when Cedric was almost eight years old, one extraordinary event happened that immediately changed his whole life. It is strange that on the very day when this happened, he was talking with Mr. Hobbes about England and the English Queen, and Mr. Hobbes spoke very disapprovingly of aristocrats, especially of earls and marquises. It was a very hot day, and Cedric, having played toy soldiers with the other boys, went to rest in the shop, where he found Mr. Hobbes reading the London Illustrated Newspaper, which depicted some kind of court celebration.

“Ah,” he exclaimed, “that’s what they’re doing now!” Just don’t enjoy them for long! The time will soon come when those whom they are now pressing will rise up and blow them into the air, all these counts and marquises! The hour is approaching! It doesn’t bother them to think about him!..

Cedric, as always, climbed onto a chair, pushed his cap to the back of his head and put his hands in his pockets.

-Have you seen many earls and marquises, Mr. Hobbes? – he asked.

– Me? No! - Mr. Hobbes exclaimed indignantly. - I would like to see how they would come here! I would not allow any of these greedy tyrants to sit on my box.

Mr. Hobbes was so proud of his feeling of contempt for the aristocrats that he involuntarily looked around him defiantly and wrinkled his brow sternly.

“Or maybe they wouldn’t want to be counts if they knew anything better,” replied Cedric, feeling some vague sympathy for these people who were in such an unpleasant position.

- Well, here we go again! - Mr. Hobbes exclaimed. “They boast about their position.” It's innate to them! Bad company.

Just in the midst of their conversation, Mary appeared. Cedric at first thought that she had come to buy sugar or something like that, but it turned out to be completely different. She was pale and seemed excited about something.

“Come on, my dear, mom is waiting,” she said.

Cedric jumped out of his seat.

– She probably wants to go for a walk with me, Mary? – he asked. - Goodbye, Mr. Hobbes, I'll be back soon.

He was surprised to see Mary looking at him strangely and shaking her head all the time.

- What's happened? – he asked. – You are probably very hot?

“No,” Mary answered, “but something special happened to us.”

– Does mom have a headache from the heat? – the boy asked with concern.

That wasn't the case at all. Just outside the house, they saw a carriage in front of the entrance, and in the living room at that time someone was talking to their mother. Mary immediately took Cedric upstairs, dressed him in his best suit of light flannel, fastened a red belt on him, and carefully combed his curls.

- All counts and princes! Damn them completely! – she grumbled under her breath.

It was all very strange, but Cedric was sure that his mother would explain to him what was the matter, and so he left Mary to grumble as much as she wanted, without asking her about anything. Having finished his toilet, he ran into the living room, where he found a tall, thin old gentleman with sharp features sitting in an armchair. His mother stood not far from him, excited and pale. Cedric immediately noticed the tears in her eyes.

- Oh, Tseddy! – she exclaimed with some fear and excitement and, running up to her boy, hugged him tightly and kissed him. - Oh, Tseddy, my dear!

The old gentleman stood up and looked attentively at Cedric with his penetrating eyes. He rubbed his chin with a bony hand and was apparently satisfied with the examination.

- So, I see little Lord Fauntleroy in front of me? – he asked quietly.

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The given introductory fragment of the book Little Lord Fauntleroy (F. E. Burnett, 1886) provided by our book partner -

Little Lord Fauntleroy(or The Little Lord) is the first children's novel by the Anglo-American writer and playwright Frances Hodgson Burnett.

In the mid-1880s, Cedric Erol lives on a squalid street in New York with his mother (everyone calls her Miss Erol or “darling”), they became very poor after the death of their father, Captain Cedric Erol. One day, a lawyer named Havisham comes to them with a message from Cedric's grandfather, Earl of Dorincount, a spoiled millionaire who despises America and was very disappointed when his youngest son married an American. After the death of Cedric's father's elder brother, Cedric inherits the title of Lord Fauntleroy and an entire county with large real estate. Grandfather wants Cedric to live with him in England and study as an English aristocrat. Grandfather offers Miss Erol a house and a lifetime salary, but she must not bother him and Cedric any longer. Mother refuses money.

Upon Cedric's arrival in England, the Count is pleasantly surprised by the appearance and intelligence of his American grandson and flattered by his innocence. Cedric believes that his grandfather is a noble and honest man, and the count does not want to dissuade him of this. Therefore, the count becomes a benefactor for the residents of the house, which they are very happy about. He also constantly makes it clear to them that their benefactor is actually a child, Lord Fauntleroy.

Meanwhile, homeless shoe shiner Dick Tipton tells Cedric's old friend Mr. Hobs (a grocer in New York) that a few years ago, after the death of his parents, Dick's older brother Benjamin married a terrible woman. She abandoned their only child after birth and left. Benjamin moved to California to open a ranch, and Dick barely makes ends meet on the street. At the same time, another claimant to Cedric's inheritance appears, and the claimant's mother claims that it is illegitimate son the count's eldest son. Dick and Benjamin investigate the inheritance claim and come to England. There they recognize the mother as a contender for the inheritance ex-wife Benjamin. The pretender's mother flies away, and the Tipton brothers and Benjamin's little son never see her again. After this, Benjamin returns back to his ranch in California, where he continues to raise his son on his own. The Count reconciles with his American daughter-in-law, realizing how much better she is than the runaway impostors.

Book summary:"This is the story of a little boy Cedric, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of New York and who one day learned that he was the only heir of the rich, powerful and harsh English Count of Dorincourt. In old conservative England, for Cedric, as well as for the irritable and unpleasant the old lord begins new life, full of unexpected turns and severe challenges. But kindness and love can work real miracles. A boy separated from his mother, a stern old aristocrat, gradually softening under the influence of a kind child's heart - this theme won the hearts of readers. The book immediately became a bestseller both in America and in the Old World. “Little Lord Fauntleroy” was published for the first time in Russia two years after its birth and has since been reprinted several times. It is often written about Burnett that her books are good fairy tales. Yes, she believes in goodness, and her light pen and fascinating plot make this fairy tale convincing. The story of Little Lord Fauntleroy is a true cultural phenomenon that has lasted for generations."

My acquaintance with little Lord Fauntleroy began with the Russian film “The Joys and Sorrows of the Little Lord,” in which Stanislav Govorukhin played the role of the count, and little Cedric was simply a charming little boy, Alexei Veselkin Jr. In my opinion, the actors in the film are exceptionally well chosen in appearance. Therefore, when reading, all the characters in the book were associated in appearance and manners with the characters in the film. Although it should be noted that it was removed

the film was not entirely based on the book: several interesting scenes were added, but some interesting points, which I read in the book, are omitted.

I must admit that Frances Burnet is not quite my writer in style: she expresses and describes the emotions and feelings of the characters in her works openly and simply. By nature, this is not quite my thing; I prefer to “think it out and feel it” myself.
This book captivated me with something else: the relationship between the boy and his mother, which is presented there. Very reverent, gentle, touching. It’s amazing how little Cedric takes care of his mother, tries to cheer her up in sad moments, how he never gave up on her for any treasure in the world.
For me, this book became a book that a mother with a son should read.
A book that my son should read.
That is why I took this version of the publication. The book is increased in length, but narrowed in width, on thick coated paper, quite heavy. There are few illustrations: before each chapter there is a small picture. Definitely aimed at juniors and intermediates school age. And, of course, I cannot help but note that the translator here was Nina Demurova.

At the end of the book there is a wonderful article with photographs of Burnett and her youngest son Vivien, who was the prototype of the little Lord Fauntleroy. Even Cedric's address to his mother - "Darling" - is taken from the life of the writer. That's what her sons called her. Vivien died in 1937 in a shipwreck while rescuing drowning people. Before he died, he managed to save two men and two women. It was a death worthy of Fauntleroy, the newspapers wrote.
In Central Park in New York there is a modest monument to Burnett's heroes. Her own words are engraved on it:

"With all the best that is in me,
tried to make the world a happier place."

In the photo below the cut I placed the chapter “The Contenders” in full, so that those who have not yet read it can get an idea of ​​the writer’s style.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Little Lord Fauntleroy(English) Little Lord Fauntleroy, in some translations - “The Little Lord”) is the first children's novel by the Anglo-American writer and playwright Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was first published in parts in St. Nicholas between November 1885 and October 1886, in the same 1886 it was published as a book by Scribner's publishing house. The accompanying illustrations by Reginald Birch sparked a corresponding fashion. In addition, Little Lord Fauntleroy set a precedent in copyright law after Burnett won in 1888 trial v. E. V. Seebohm for the rights to a theatrical adaptation of the work. The book subsequently went through more than 20 editions.

Plot

Seven-year-old Cedric, the son of Captain Errol, who immigrated to America from England, lives with his mother after his death. He often communicates with the bootblack Dick and the corner grocer Mr. Hobbs. One day a certain Mr. Havisham, lawyer of the Earl of Dorincourt, arrives and declares that Cedric has become his only heir after the death of his two eldest sons, and he needs to go to England to become Lord Fauntleroy...

Influence on fashion

Fauntleroy's costume, described in detail by Burnett and visualized in Reginald Birch's detailed graphic drawings, had a strong influence on the formal dress of middle-class children: "What the Earl saw was a graceful child's figure in a black velvet suit, with a lace collar, with curls, loose wrapped around his handsome, courageous face; the look turned to him was good-naturedly innocent.”

The Fauntleroy costume also appeared in Europe, but nowhere was it as popular as in America. Fauntleroy's classic suit consisted of a black velvet cutaway (a short single-breasted frock coat with rounded skirts diverging at the front) and matching knee-length trousers, and a patterned shirt with a large ruffled lace collar. Such costumes appear immediately after publication Mrs Burnett(1885) and were the main style until the beginning of the 20th century. Many boys who did not wear Fauntleroy costumes nevertheless used elements of it, such as the patterned shirt and bow. Only a minority wore curls with these costumes, but the photographs confirm that they did. This image was popular among boys 3-8 years old, but some older boys also adopted it. It is believed that the popularity of this style encouraged mothers to put pants on their boys more early age, than was customary before, and this was one of the reasons for the decline of the custom of dressing little boys in dresses, as well as the decline of long-skirted clothing in general.

The style was a variation of the so-called "Van Dyke", a traditional fancy dress of the 18th century. - in turn, a free variation of the children's costume of the court circles of Charles I. The “bizarre painting” “The Boy in Blue” by the artist Thomas Ginzburg represents precisely the “Van Dyke” style. Before the beginning of the era of romanticism at the end of the 18th century. the little children were dressed as miniature versions of their elders. The clothes that Burnett went on to popularize were those she made for her two sons, Vivian and Lionel.

Before the First World War, during which all boys under 10 wore short trousers, influenced by Birch's illustrations of Little Lord Fauntleroy, many boys from middle-class families were dressed in velvet suits and knee-length trousers, with a hairstyle of curled ringlets and ribbons. , which was considered aristocratic ( upper classes wore a school uniform similar to the British one; the version of the “fancy dress” for boys from upper-class families looked like a sailor suit with short pants). Following the comeback of fashion with the Mary Pickford film and the 1936 classic with Freddie Bartholomew, the Second world war sent such extravagant vestments to the attic.

Film adaptations

• Little Lord Fauntleroy (disambiguation) - films based on the book, released from to

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See what “Little Lord Fauntleroy” is in other dictionaries:

- “Little Lord Fauntleroy”, a story by Frances Burnett, as well as its film adaptation: 1914 “Little Lord Fauntleroy”, directed by F. Martin Thornton, in leading role Gerald Royston 1921 “Little Lord Fauntleroy”, directed by Alfred Green... ... Wikipedia

Little Lord Fauntleroy (film, 1921) Little Lord Fauntleroy Little Lord Fauntleroy Genre drama ... Wikipedia

Little Lord Fauntleroy Little Lord Fauntleroy Genre melodrama Director Andrew Morgan Starring BBC Film Company Duration ... Wikipedia

Little Lord Fauntleroy Little Lord Fauntleroy ... Wikipedia

Film adaptations of the story by Frances Burnett: 1914 “Little Lord Fauntleroy”, directed by F. Martin Thornton, starring Gerald Royston 1921 “Little Lord Fauntleroy”, directed by Alfred Green and Jack Pickford, starring Mary Pickford 1936... ... Wikipedia

- “The Little Lord” is the name of several works: “The Little Lord” (Norwegian Lillelord, 1955) a novel by Johan Borgen, the first part of the trilogy about Wilfred Sagen. “The Little Lord” is the title of some translations of Frances Burnett’s story... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Little Lord (meanings). Little Lord Lillelord

Fauntleroy costume- a velvet suit for a boy with a lace collar and short trousers. Was in fashion at the end of the 19th century. Named after the hero of the novel “Little Lord Fauntleroy” by F. Burnet (1849 1924). (Encyclopedia of fashion. Andreeva R., 1997) ... Encyclopedia of fashion and clothing

Little Lord Fauntleroy 小公子セディ (Little Prince Cedie) Genre historical drama ... Wikipedia

Little Lord Fauntleroy 小公子セディ (Little Prince Cedie) Genre historical drama Anime series Director ... Wikipedia

Cedric knew absolutely nothing about this, he only knew that his father was an Englishman; but he died when Cedric was very young, and therefore he did not remember very much about him; he only remembered that dad was tall, that he had blue eyes and a long mustache, and that it was incredibly fun to travel from room to room sitting on his shoulder. After his dad's death, Cedric became convinced that it was better not to talk to his mom about him. During his illness, Cedric was taken away from home, and when Cedric returned, it was all over and his mother, who was also very sick, had just moved from her bed to her chair by the window. She was pale and thin, the dimples had disappeared from her sweet face, her eyes looked sad, and her dress was completely black.

“Darling,” asked Cedric (dad always called her that, and the boy began to imitate him), “Darling, is dad better?”

He felt her hands tremble, and, raising his curly head, looked into her face. She apparently could barely restrain herself from bursting into tears.

“Darling,” he repeated, “tell me, is he feeling good now?”

But then his loving little heart told him that it was best to put both arms around her neck, press his soft cheek to her cheek and kiss her many, many times; he did so, and she lowered her head on his shoulder and cried bitterly, hugging him tightly to her.

“Yes, he’s good,” she sobbed, “he’s very good, but you and I have no one else left.”

Although Cedric was still just a small boy, he realized that his tall, handsome, young father would never return, that he died like other people die; and yet he could not understand why this happened. Since mom always cried when he talked about dad, he decided to himself that it was better not to mention him too often. The boy soon became convinced that he should not let her sit silently and motionlessly for a long time, looking into the fire or out the window.

He and his mother had few acquaintances, and they lived completely alone, although Cedric did not notice this until he got older and found out the reasons why they did not have guests. Then they told him that his mother was a poor orphan who had no one in the world when her father married her. She was very pretty and lived as a companion to a rich old lady who treated her badly. One day, Captain Cedric Errol, having come to visit this lady, saw a young girl going up the stairs with tears in her eyes, and she seemed to him so lovely, innocent and sad that from that moment he could not forget her. Soon they met, fell deeply in love with each other and finally got married; but this marriage caused the displeasure of the people around them. The most angry of all was the captain's father, who lived in England and was a very rich and noble gentleman, known for his bad character. In addition, he hated America and Americans with all his heart. Besides the captain, he had two more sons. By law, the eldest of them was supposed to inherit the family title and all of his father's vast estates. In the event of the death of the eldest, the next son became the heir, so there was little chance for Captain Cedric to ever become a rich and noble man, although he was a member of such a noble family.

But it so happened that nature endowed the youngest of the brothers with wonderful qualities that the elders did not possess. He had a handsome face, a graceful figure, a courageous and noble bearing, a clear smile and a sonorous voice; he was brave and generous and, moreover, had the kindest heart, which especially attracted all the people who knew him to him. His brothers were not like that. Even as boys at Eton they were not loved by their comrades; Later, at the university, they did little research, wasted time and money, and failed to make true friends. They constantly upset their father, the old count, and insulted his pride. His heir did not honor his name, continuing to remain a selfish, wasteful and narrow-minded man, devoid of courage and nobility. The old count was very offended that only the third son, who was destined to receive only a very modest fortune, possessed all the qualities necessary to maintain the prestige of their high social position. Sometimes he almost hated the young man because he was endowed with those qualities that seemed to be crowded out of his heir by a high-profile title and rich estates; but in the depths of his proud, stubborn old heart, he still could not help but love his youngest son. During one of his outbursts of anger, he sent him to travel around America, wanting to remove him for a while, so as not to be irritated by the constant comparison of him with his brothers, who just at that time were causing him a lot of trouble with their dissolute behavior.

But after six months he began to feel lonely and secretly longed to see his son. Under the influence of this feeling, he wrote a letter to Captain Cedric, demanding his immediate return home. This letter differed from the captain’s letter, in which he informed his father of his love for the pretty American girl and his intention to marry her. Upon receiving this news, the old count became incredibly angry; no matter how bad his character was, his anger had never reached such proportions as when he received this letter, and his servant, who was in the room, involuntarily thought that his Excellency would probably suffer a blow. For a whole hour he ran around like a tiger in a cage, but finally, little by little, he calmed down, sat down at the table and wrote a letter to his son, ordering him never to approach his house and never write to him or his brothers. He wrote that the captain could live where he wanted and how he wanted, that he was cut off from his family forever and, of course, could no longer count on any support from his father.

The captain was very sad; he loved England very much and was strongly attached to his home; he even loved his stern old father and pitied him, seeing his grief; but he also knew that from that moment he could no longer expect any help or support from him. At first he did not know what to do: he was not accustomed to work, he was deprived of practical experience, but he had a lot of courage, but then he hastened to sell his position in the English army; after much trouble he found a place in New York and got married. The change from his previous life in England was very noticeable, but he was young and happy and hoped that hard work would help him create a good future for himself. He bought a small house in one of the remote streets of the city, his little son was born there, and his whole life seemed to him so good, cheerful, joyful, albeit modest, that he did not for a minute regret that he had married the pretty companion of a rich old woman solely because she was lovely and that they loved each other tenderly.

His wife was truly charming, and their little son was equally reminiscent of his father and mother. Although he was born in a very humble environment, it seemed that in the whole world there was no child as happy as him. Firstly, he was always healthy and never caused anyone any trouble, secondly, he had such a sweet character and such a cheerful disposition that he brought nothing but pleasure to everyone, and thirdly, he was unusually handsome. In contrast to other children, he was born with a whole cap of soft, thin, golden curly hair, which by the age of six months had turned into lovely long curls. He had large brown eyes with long eyelashes and a pretty face; his back and legs were so strong that at the age of nine months he had already learned to walk; At the same time, he was distinguished by such rare behavior for a child that everyone tinkered with him with pleasure. He seemed to consider everyone his friends, and if one of the passers-by approached him while he was being pushed in a small carriage along the street, he usually fixed the stranger with a serious look, and then smiled charmingly. It is not surprising after this that everyone who lived in the neighborhood of his parents loved and spoiled him, not excluding even the petty merchant, who was reputed to be the most gloomy man in the world.