Burnett Francis. Little Lord Fauntleroy (trans.

© Ionaitis O. R., ill., 2017

© AST Publishing House LLC, 2017

Chapter I
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 that he had blue eyes and a long mustache and that it was incredibly fun to travel through 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, the boy was taken away from home, and when Cedric returned, everything was already over and his mother, who was also very ill, had just moved from 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, 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 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 Erroll, 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.

They soon 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, remaining a selfish, wasteful and narrow-minded person, devoid of courage and nobility. The old count was very offended that only the third son, who was destined to receive 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 traits that replaced his heir with 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 home; he even loved his stern old father and pitied him, seeing his grief; but he also knew that from that moment on he could not 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 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.

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 ruddy that he attracted everyone’s attention, and the nanny didn’t once, 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. Erroll laughing heartily at what he was saying.

“Positively, you can’t help but laugh when you listen to his reasoning,” Mary said to 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 the 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 mended 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 Fourth 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.

- I? No! - Mr. Hobbes exclaimed indignantly. “I’d like to see them come here!” I would not even allow one 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 that Mary looked at him strangely and kept shaking her head.

- 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 going on, 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 excitedly with some fear 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.

Chapter II
Friends of Cedric

Over the course of the next week, there could not have been a more surprised and unsettled boy in the whole world than Cedric. First of all, everything his mother told him was incomprehensible. Before he understood anything, he had to listen to the same story two or three times. He absolutely could not imagine how Mr. Hobbes would react to this. After all, this whole story began with the counts. His grandfather, whom he did not know at all, was a count; and his old uncle - if only he had not fallen from his horse and hurt himself to death - would later also have become a count, just like his second uncle, who died of a fever in Rome. Finally, his dad, if he had been alive, would have become a count. But since they all died and only Cedric remained alive, it turns out that after the death of his grandfather he himself will become an earl, but for now he is called Lord Fauntleroy.

Cedric turned very pale when he first heard about this.

“Oh, Darling,” he exclaimed, turning to his mother, “I don’t want to be a count!” There is not a single count among my comrades! Is there any way to avoid being a count?

But it turned out that this was inevitable. And when in the evening they sat together by the open window and looked at the dirty street, they talked about it for a long time.

Cedric was sitting on a bench, clasping his knees with both hands, as usual, with an expression of extreme confusion on his small face, all flushed from unusual tension. His grandfather sent for him, wanting him to come to England, and his mother thought he should go.

“Because,” she said, looking sadly at the street, “your dad would also like to see you in England.” He has always been attached to his home, and besides, there are many other considerations that must be taken into account that are beyond the understanding of little boys like you. I would be too selfish a mother if I did not agree to your departure. When you grow up, you will understand me.

Cedric shook his head sadly.

“I am very sorry to part with Mr. Hobbes.” I think he will miss me, and I will also miss everyone I know.

When Mr. Havisham, Lord Dorincourt's chargé d'affaires, chosen by his grandfather himself to accompany little Lord Fauntleroy, came to them the next day, Cedric had to hear a lot of new things. However, the message that he would be very rich when he grew up, that he would have castles, vast parks, gold mines and large estates everywhere, essentially did not console him at all. He was worried about his friend, Mr. Hobbes, and in great excitement decided to go to him after breakfast.

Cedric found him reading the morning newspapers and approached him with an unusually serious look. He had a presentiment that the change in his life would cause great sorrow Mr. Hobbes, and therefore, now heading towards him, I was constantly thinking in what terms it would be best to convey this to him.

- Hello! Hello! - said Mr. Hobbes.

“Hello,” Cedric replied.

He did not, as he had done before, climb up onto a high chair, but sat down on a box of biscuits, wrapped his arms around his knees, and was silent for so long that Mr. Hobbes finally looked at him questioningly from behind the newspaper.

- Hello! - he repeated.

Cedric himself knew nothing about this. They didn't even mention it to him. He knew that his father was English because his mother told him about it; but his father died when he was still very small, so he remembered almost nothing about him - only that he was tall, with blue eyes and a long mustache, and how wonderful it was when he carried Cedric on his shoulder around the room. After his father's death, Cedric discovered that it was better not to talk about him with his mother. When his father fell ill, Cedric was sent to stay with friends, and when he returned, it was all over; and mother, who was also very ill, had just begun to get out of bed to sit in a chair by the window. She turned pale and thinner, the dimples disappeared from her pretty face, and her eyes became large and sad. She was dressed in black.

“Darling,” said Cedric (that’s what his father called her, and the boy adopted this habit from him), “Darling, is daddy well?”

Her shoulders trembled, and he looked into her face. She had such an expression in her eyes that he knew she was about to cry.

“Darling,” he repeated, “is dad better?” Suddenly his heart told him that he needed to quickly hug her, and kiss her, and press his soft cheek to her face; he did so, and she bowed her head on his shoulder and cried bitterly, hugging him tightly with her arms, as if not wanting to let go.

“Oh, yes, he’s better,” she answered with a sob, “he’s very, very good!” And you and I have no one else. No one in the whole wide world!

And then, no matter how small he was, Cedric realized that his father, so big, young and handsome, would never return; that he died, like some other people he had heard about, although he did not understand what it was and why his mother was so sad. But since she always cried when he talked about his father, he decided to himself that it was better not to talk to her about him; and he also noted that it was better not to let her think while looking out the window or into the fire playing in the fireplace. He and his mother had almost no acquaintances, and they lived very secludedly, although Cedric did not notice this until he grew up and found out why no one visited them.

The fact is that when his father married his mother, his mother was an orphan and she had no one. She was very pretty and lived as a companion to a rich old woman who treated her poorly, and one day Captain Cedric Errol, invited to visit the old woman, saw the young companion run up the stairs in tears; she was so lovely, tender and sad that the captain could not forget her. And after all sorts of strange incidents, they met and fell in love with each other, and then got married, although some people did not like their marriage.

The captain's old father was the most angry - he lived in England and was a very rich and noble aristocrat; he had a very bad temper and hated America and Americans. He had two sons, older than Captain Cedric; the eldest of these sons was legally destined to inherit the family title and magnificent estates; in the event of the death of the eldest son, the second became the heir; Captain Cedric, although he was a member of such a noble family, could not hope for wealth. However, it so happened that nature generously endowed the youngest son with everything that she denied to his older brothers. He was not only handsome, slender and graceful, but also courageous and generous; and had not only a clear smile and in a pleasant voice, but also had an unusually kind heart and seemed to know how to earn universal love.

The older brothers were denied all this: they were not distinguished by their beauty, good character, or intelligence. Nobody was friends with them at Eton; in college they studied without interest and only wasted time and money, not finding real friends here either. They endlessly upset and embarrassed the old count, their father; his heir did not honor the family name and promised to become simply a narcissistic and wasteful nonentity, devoid of courage and nobility. The Count thought bitterly that youngest son, who was destined to receive only a very modest fortune, was a sweet, handsome and strong young man. At times he was ready to be angry with him for the fact that he received all those advantages that would be so suitable for a magnificent title and magnificent estates; and yet the stubborn and arrogant old man loved his youngest son with all his heart.

Once, in a fit of frustration, he sent Captain Cedric to America - let him travel, then he would not be constantly compared with his brothers, who at that time especially annoyed his father with their antics. However, six months later, the count began to secretly miss his son - he sent Captain Cedric a letter in which he ordered him to return home. At the same time, the captain also sent his father a letter in which he said that he fell in love with a pretty American girl and wanted to marry her. The Count, having received the letter, was furious. No matter how severe his temper was, he never gave him free rein as on the day he read the captain's letter. He was so angry that the valet, who was in the room when the letter was brought, was afraid that my lord would have a stroke. In his anger he was terrible. For a whole hour he rushed about like a tiger in a cage, and then he sat down and wrote to his son, telling him never to show his face again and not to write to either his father or his brothers. He can live as he wants and die where he wants, but let him forget about his family and let him not expect any help from his father until the end of his days.

The captain was very sad when he read this letter; he loved England, and even more - beautiful house, in which he was born; he even loved and sympathized with his wayward father; however, he knew that now he had no hope for him. At first he was completely confused: he was not accustomed to work, he had no experience in business; but he had plenty of determination and courage. He sold his officer's patent, found himself - not without difficulty - a place in New York and got married. Compared with his previous life in England, the change in circumstances seemed very great, but he was happy and young and hoped that, by diligent work, he would achieve much in the future. He bought a small house on one of the quiet streets; his baby was born there, and everything there was so simple, cheerful and sweet that he never for a moment regretted that he married the pretty companion of a rich old woman: she was so charming and loved him, and he loved her.

She really was absolutely lovely, and the baby looked like both her and his father. Even though he was born in such a quiet and modest home, it seemed that a happier baby could not be found. Firstly, he was never sick, and therefore did not cause anyone any worries; secondly, his character was so sweet and he behaved so charmingly that he only made everyone happy; and thirdly, he was surprisingly good-looking. He was born with wonderful hair, soft, thin and golden, not like other babies who are born with a bare head; his hair curled at the ends, and when he was six months old, it curled in large rings; he had big brown eyes, long, long eyelashes and a charming face; and his back and legs were so strong that at nine months he already began to walk; he always behaved so well that you will fall in love with him. It seemed that he considered everyone his friends, and if anyone spoke to him when he was taken out for a walk in the carriage, he looked attentively with his brown eyes, and then he smiled so affably that there was not a single person in the neighborhood who would not be happy to see him, not excluding the grocer from the corner store, whom everyone considered a grouch. And every month he became smarter and prettier.

When Cedric grew up and began to go out, dragging a toy cart behind him, for a walk, he aroused everyone’s admiration, he was so sweet and good-looking in his short white Scottish skirt and a large white hat on his golden curls. Back home, Nanny told Mrs. Errol how the ladies would stop their strollers to look at him and talk to him. How they rejoiced when he chatted cheerfully with them, as if he had known them forever! What captivated him most of all was that he could easily make friends with people. This most likely happened because of his gullibility and kind heart - he was disposed towards everyone and wanted everyone to feel as good as he did. He easily guessed people's feelings, perhaps because he lived with parents who were loving, caring, gentle and well-mannered people. Little Cedric never heard an unkind or rude word; he was always loved, cared for, and his childish soul was filled with kindness and open affection. He heard that his father called his mother by tender and affectionate names, and he himself called her the same; he saw that her father protected and cared for her, and he himself learned to do the same. And therefore, when he realized that his father would not return again, and saw how sad his mother was, he was gradually overcome by the idea that he should try to make her happy. He was still just a child, but he thought about it when he sat on her lap, kissed her and laid his curly head on her shoulder, and when he showed her his toys and picture books, and when he climbed onto the sofa to lie next to her. her. He was still small and did not know what else he could do, but he did everything he could, and did not even suspect what a comfort he was to her. One day he heard her say to the old maid:

Ah, Mary, I see that he wants to console me in his own way. He sometimes looks at me with such love and bewilderment in his eyes, as if he pities me, and then suddenly he comes up and hugs me or shows me something. He's real little man, and it really seems to me that he knows everything!

As he grew, he developed his own habits, which greatly amused and occupied all who knew him. He spent so much time with his mother that she hardly needed anyone else. They walked, chatted, and played together. He learned to read very early, and having learned, he usually lay down on the rug in front of the fireplace in the evening and read aloud - either fairy tales or big books for adults, or even newspapers; and Mary, on such occasions, more than once heard Mrs. Errol laughing in her kitchen at his funny remarks.

And that’s to say,” Mary once told the grocer, “you don’t want to listen to what he says, but you’ll laugh.” He says everything so funny and so politely! But that evening, when they elected a new president, he came to my kitchen, stood at the stove, pens in his pockets, a picture, and that’s all, but his face was as stern as a judge. And he says: “Mary, she says, I’m very interested in the elections. I am a Republican, he says, and so is Darling. Are you, Mary, a Republican?” - “No, I say, sorry. I say, I’m a democrat, and one of the strongest.” And he looked at me so that my heart sank, and said: “Mary, she says, the country will perish.” And from that time on, not a day goes by without him arguing with me, he keeps convincing me to change my views.

***

Mary became very attached to the baby and was very proud of him. She entered the home when he was just born; and after the death of Captain Errol she was the cook, and the maid, and the nanny, and did everything around the house. She was proud of Cedric - his manners, dexterity and health, but most of all - his golden curls that curled above his forehead and fell in lovely curls onto his shoulders. She worked tirelessly and helped Mrs. Errol sew his clothes and keep them in order.

He's a real aristocrat, huh? - she used to say. - Honestly, you won’t find another child like him even on Fifth Avenue! And how well he performs in the black velvet suit that we altered from the owner’s old dress. He holds his head high, and his curls fly and shine... Well, just a little lord, truly! Cedric had no idea that he looked like a little lord - he didn’t even know the word.

His greatest friend was the corner grocer - an angry grocer who, however, was never angry with him. The grocer's name was Mr. Hobbs, and Cedric respected and admired him. He considered Mr. Hobbs very rich and powerful: after all, he had so many different things in his shop - figs and prunes, biscuits and oranges; and he also had a horse and cart. Cedric loved the baker, the milkman, and the apple seller, but he loved Mr. Hobbs most of all and was such a friend of him that he visited him every day and often sat with him for a long time, discussing latest news. What didn't they talk about! Well, at least about the Fourth of July. US National Day: On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Once the conversation turned to the Fourth of July, there was no end in sight. Mr. Hobbs spoke very disparagingly of “the British,” recounted the entire history of the Revolution, recalled amazing and patriotic stories of the cruelty of the enemy and the courage of the heroes of the Revolution, and even quoted large portions of the Declaration of Independence. Cedric became so excited that his eyes shone and his curls bounced over his shoulders. Returning home, he looked forward to them having dinner - he so wanted to tell his mother everything. Perhaps he picked up his interest in politics from Mr. Hobbs. Mr. Hobbs loved to read newspapers - and Cedric now knew about everything that was going on in Washington; Mr. Hobbs never failed to tell him whether the President was doing his duty or not. And one day, during the elections, everything was going, in his opinion, just great, and of course, if it weren’t for Mr. Hobbs and Cedric, the country would simply perish. Mr. Hobbs took him with him to see the great torchlight procession, and many of the townspeople who carried torches that night remembered later full man that stood at the lamppost, holding on his shoulder handsome boy who was shouting something and waving his hat.

Soon after the elections (Cedric was already in his eighth year at that time), one amazing event occurred that immediately changed his whole life. It is curious that on this day he was just talking with Mr. Hobbs about England and the Queen, and Mr. Hobbs spoke very harshly about the aristocracy - he was especially indignant at all sorts of earls and marquises. The morning was hot; Having played enough of the war with his comrades, Cedric went into the shop to rest and saw that Mr. Hobbs was leafing through the Illustrated London News with a gloomy look.

“Look,” said Mr. Hobbs, showing Cedric a photograph of some court ceremony, “this is how they are having fun now!” But wait, they will still get it when those whom they enslaved rise up and they fly upside down - all these counts, marquises and others! This cannot be avoided, let them be careful!

Cedric settled himself on the high stool on which he usually sat, pushed his cap back on his head, and, in imitation of Mr. Hobbs, put his hands in his pockets.

Have you met many marquises and dukes, Mr. Hobbs? - Cedric asked.

No,” answered Mr. Hobbs indignantly, “no, no, no! If at least one tried to show up here, he would have seen it then! I won't have these greedy tyrants sitting here on my cookie boxes!

And he looked around with pride and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

Maybe they would give up their titles if they knew what was what,” Cedric suggested. He felt a little sorry for these unfortunate aristocrats.

Well, no! - Mr. Hobbs snorted. - They are proud of them. They were born that way. Vile little souls!

So they were talking - when suddenly the door opened and Mary entered the shop. Cedric thought that she had popped in to buy sugar, but he was mistaken. She was pale and seemed agitated about something.

Let’s go home, my dear,” she said, “the mistress is calling you.”

Cedric slid off the stool.

She wants me to go out with her, right, Mary? - Cedric asked.

Goodbye, Mr. Hobbs. See you soon.

He was surprised to notice that Mary was looking at him with wide eyes and for some reason shaking her head.

What's wrong with you, Mary? - he was surprised. -Are you feeling unwell? It's because of the heat, right?

No,” answered Mary, “strange things are happening here.”

Maybe Darling has a headache from the sun? - he became worried. But that was not the point.

Approaching the house, he saw a stroller at the door, and in the small living room someone was talking with his mother. Mary quickly took him upstairs, dressed him in a cream-colored evening suit, tied a red scarf around his waist, and combed his curls.

Ah, that's how it is, my lords? - she muttered. - Both the nobility and the nobles... Yes, they failed! Something else was missing - all sorts of lords!

All this was incomprehensible, but Cedric had no doubt that his mother would explain everything to him, and did not ask Mary anything. When his toilet was finished, he ran down the stairs and entered the living room. A thin old gentleman with a smart face sat in a chair. In front of him, pale, with tears in her eyes, stood his mother.

Ah, Seddie! - she cried and, rushing to him, hugged and kissed him with excitement and fear. - Oh, Seddie, my dear!

A tall, thin gentleman stood up from his chair and threw it at Cedric penetrating glance, stroking his chin with bony fingers. He looked pleased.

“So here he is,” said the thin gentleman slowly, “here is little Lord Fauntleroy.”

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 the 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 ms publications 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 curled locks with these costumes, but the photos 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

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

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 by F. Burnet (1849 1924) “Little Lord Fauntleroy”. (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

I became familiar with the expression “little Lord Fauntleroy” much earlier than I read the book; it was a synonym for “lovely child” - sometimes quite serious, sometimes extremely ironic.

And I thought that the little lord was one of those Victorian, sweetly correct boys who lingered in literature for a long time and whom Mark Twain, in his parodies, delighted in blowing up and hanging in pieces on trees.

But finally I got to the book itself.

So, once upon a time a British lord banished his best, kindest and most charming son for marrying a poor American woman; did not express any sorrow when this son died, and the American woman was left alone with his grandson. But now both of his eldest sons have died, the lord involuntarily wanted to get to know his only heir and writes him out of America to a rich family estate.

Of course, gradually his childish charm will melt his heart, and everything will end well (I don’t think this can be considered a spoiler:)

That is, formally everything is as expected: this is a book about good, very good boy, his very good mother and grandfather, who without any options will also become good :)

But the short, sentimental story touched and made me smile so much that it became my personal cure for melancholy and runny nose (along with other Burnett stories: “A Little Princess” and “The Secret Garden”)

What's the secret?

Why “The Little Lord” is real literature, a classic of the genre; and the story - well, for example, by Charskoy - is it a sweet fairy tale and good craft work?

Firstly, a bright “villain”. An interesting antagonist in any story, from a comic book adaptation to a detective novel, is half the battle; and the portrait of the old Earl of Dorincourt was a great success for the author!

“It must be confessed that by the time Lord Fauntleroy appeared on the scene, the Earl was bored with his age, gout and loneliness. After a long life full of pleasures and entertainment, it was sad to sit alone in luxurious chambers, putting his sore leg on a bench, getting angry and shouting, in order to have a little fun, at the frightened footman, who hated the very sight of him. The old count was too smart not to know that the servants could not stand him and that even the guests who visited him from time to time did not come out of love for him, although some were entertained by his caustic speeches, in which he gave no mercy to anyone. While he was healthy and full of strength, he often went out, pretending that he liked it, although in reality he did not receive any pleasure; but when his health began to fail, he was fed up with everything and he locked himself in Dorincourt with his gout, books and newspapers. However, it was impossible to read all the time, and he was increasingly overcome by, as he said, “boredom.” Long days and the nights made him sad, and he became more and more irritable and intolerant.”

Secondly, main character. Despite his “goodness,” he is lively, real and very charming. His maturity and kindness receive a convincing author's explanation: he is not just a “little lord,” he is also a “little man” who sincerely tries to support his widowed mother to the best of his childish strength. As you know, in families with tragedies, children grow up faster.

“And therefore, when he realized that his father would not return again, and saw how sad his mother was, he was gradually overcome by the idea that he should try to make her happy. He was still just a child, but he thought about it when he sat on her lap, kissed her and laid his curly head on her shoulder, and when he showed her his toys and picture books, and when he climbed onto the sofa to lie next to her. her. He was still small and didn’t know what else he could do, but he did everything he could, and didn’t even suspect what a comfort he was to her.”

Thirdly, Burnett’s creative method itself. She makes excellent use of science fiction techniques.

Judge for yourself: she makes one fantastic assumption (in her case it’s a handsome, lively, smart, kind and trusting boy) and builds around it real world. This world is forced to change after meeting with the “phenomenon”, and the changes affect all layers of society.

“To tell the truth, His Excellency the Earl of Dorincourt was thinking these days about many things that he had never thought about before, and in one way or another all his thoughts were connected with his grandson. The main quality in the count's character was pride, and his grandson flattered her in everything. Thanks to this pride, the count began to find new meaning in life. He enjoyed showing his grandson to people. Everyone knew how disappointed he was in his sons; and therefore, demonstrating the new Lord Fauntleroy, the Earl felt a sense of triumph, for the new Lord Fauntleroy could not disappoint anyone.”

Moreover, the fantastic assumption does not contradict modern scientific realities and is hypothetically possible. Cerdic Fauntleroy is just like that, hypothetically possible child; who said you can't be smart, beautiful and kind at the same time? It’s just that such a combination of qualities is extremely rare; and here Cerdic’s unique biography partly explains the uniqueness of his character. (Moreover, there was a real prototype of Cedric - Francis Burnett’s youngest son, Vivian. He died during a shipwreck in 1937: he saved two men and two women before he died himself. Newspapers wrote "A death fit for Lord Fauntleroy").

Francis Burnett paints an ideal child in an imperfect world; and she describes this world accurately and insightfully, softening, but not keeping silent. Here she has a lot in common with Dickens.

“In truth, Mrs. Errol discovered many sad things when she began to visit the poor people in the village, which seemed so picturesque when viewed from the moorland. Up close everything was not nearly as beautiful as at a distance. Where she expected to see prosperity and hard work, she discovered idleness, poverty and ignorance. She soon learned that the village of Earlsboro was considered the poorest village in the area. To manage the estate, people were always chosen who knew how to please the count, who were not at all affected by the misfortunes and ruin of the poor tenants. And therefore, many things in the village were neglected and only got worse day by day. As for Earl's Court, it was simply a disgrace - rickety houses, unhappy, sick, distrustful people. When Mrs. Errol first saw these huts, she shuddered. Such poverty and desolation looked even more deplorable in the village than in the city.”

Concluding the list of advantages of the book, of course, we must remember the wonderful humor of the story. He comes from those family stories, funny mistakes and slips, the comical seriousness of a child’s conclusions about the world... everything that mothers love to remember with their adult children and in once again laugh together.

“Don’t you always wear the earl’s crown?” Lord Fauntleroy asked respectfully.

No,” the count answered with a gloomy grin, “she doesn’t really suit me.”

Mr. Hobbs said you always wear it,” Cedric noted. - True, then he said that perhaps you sometimes take it off when you want to put on a hat.

Yes,” the count agreed, “sometimes I take it off.”

Then one of the footmen turned away and coughed strangely, covering his face with his hand.”

Rating: 10

I read this book when I myself was not much older than the hero of the book. But even at the age of nine, I was unpleasantly surprised by the primitive plot and moralizing with which this work is imbued.

The main character is so cloyingly correct and so endowed with such virtues as honesty, modesty, kindness, politeness that he deserves only one thing - to be ascended alive to heaven, because such perfect creatures have no place to live among sinful people.

The antagonist of the little hero is his grandfather, who is an English lord. He is a callous, narcissistic man, obsessed with class prejudices and the national superiority of the British over the rest of the world. Once upon a time, his son fell in love with an American woman, which is why the lord did not recognize this marriage and, as a result, the father of young Cedric was forced to stay in a foreign country. So, according to the logic of the plot, the conflict between the British and the Americans (the boy is an ardent patriot of the USA, and the old lord is British Empire) there is a conflict between different generations of the same family, aggravated social aspect. However, there is no conflict. The boy is so holy and behaves so correctly that the old lord does not have the slightest chance of avoiding repentance, reconciling with his daughter-in-law and opening his arms to his grandson. Well, the national conflict between the Anglo-Saxons living along different sides Atlantic Ocean, and it’s not worth a damn, because both the USA and England are good countries and they have nothing to share among themselves. Anyone who knows even a little history of the XIX century, will understand what the joke is. Well, okay, in the end, children don’t necessarily need to know about adult problems and conflicts.

Such things as logic and common sense are absent from the book. I’ll give you a particularly tasty example that has stuck with me for the rest of my life. The old lord had three sons: two fools and one smart. Smart died before his father forgave him for unequal marriage, and the other two turned out to be mediocre wasters who greatly upset their parent. And so, when the lord outlived all his children and because of the threat of suppression ancient family was forced to recognize the young American as his heir, he decided to raise him... that's right, another mediocre waster of life. At the age of nine, I didn’t know what “failspam” was, otherwise I would certainly have used this gesture after reading such nonsense.

To all of the above, it is worth adding the fact that “The Little Lord” is written so sweetly, and the characters are so cardboard, that I have great doubts that now there will be a child who will like such a drag. However, I am sure that even a hundred years ago there were not so many children among children who liked such nonsense. Rather, Burnett wrote for their parents, because her work paints the image of the Ideal Boy, against the background of which living children, no matter how good they are, look like hooligans and blockheads.

Francis Hodgson Burnet

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Little Lord Fauntleroy

lane from English Demurova N. M.

Chapter One UNEXPECTED NEWS

Cedric himself knew nothing about this. They didn't even mention it to him. He knew that his father was English because his mother told him about it; but his father died when he was still very small, so he remembered almost nothing about him - just that he was tall, with blue eyes and a long mustache, and how wonderful it was when he carried Cedric on his shoulder around the room. After his father's death, Cedric discovered that it was better not to talk about him with his mother. When his father fell ill, Cedric was sent to stay with friends, and when he returned, it was all over; and mother, who was also very ill, had just begun to get out of bed to sit in a chair by the window. She turned pale and thinner, the dimples disappeared from her pretty face, and her eyes became large and sad. She was dressed in black.

“Darling,” said Cedric (that’s what his father called her, and the boy adopted this habit from him), “Darling, is daddy well?”

Her shoulders trembled, and he looked into her face. She had such an expression in her eyes that he knew she was about to cry.

“Oh, yes, he’s better,” she answered with a sob, “he’s very, very good!” And you and I have no one else. No one in the whole wide world!

The captain's old father was the most angry - he lived in England and was a very rich and noble aristocrat; he had a very bad temper and hated America and Americans. He had two sons, older than Captain Cedric; the eldest of these sons was legally destined to inherit the family title and magnificent estates; in the event of the death of the eldest son, the second became the heir; Captain Cedric, although he was a member of such a noble family, could not hope for wealth. However, it so happened that nature generously endowed the youngest son with everything that she denied to his older brothers. He was not only handsome, slender and graceful, but also courageous and generous; and had not only a clear smile and a pleasant voice, but also an extremely kind heart and, it seemed, knew how to earn everyone’s love.

The older brothers were denied all this: they were not distinguished by their beauty, good character, or intelligence. Nobody was friends with them at Eton; in college they studied without interest and only wasted time and money, not finding real friends here either. They endlessly upset and embarrassed the old count, their father; his heir did not honor the family name and promised to become simply a narcissistic and wasteful nonentity, devoid of courage and nobility. The count thought with bitterness that the youngest son, who was destined to receive only a very modest fortune, was a sweet, handsome and strong young man. At times he was ready to be angry with him for the fact that he received all those advantages that would be so suitable for a magnificent title and magnificent estates; and yet the stubborn and arrogant old man loved his youngest son with all his heart.

The captain was very sad when he read this letter; he loved England, and even more - the beautiful house in which he was born; he even loved and sympathized with his wayward father; however, he knew that now he had no hope for him. At first he was completely confused: he was not accustomed to work, he had no experience in business; but he had plenty of determination and courage. He sold his officer's patent, found himself - not without difficulty - a place in New York and got married. Compared with his previous life in England, the change in circumstances seemed very great, but he was happy and young and hoped that, by diligent work, he would achieve much in the future. He bought a small house on one of the quiet streets; his baby was born there, and everything there was so simple, cheerful and sweet that he never for a moment regretted that he married the pretty companion of a rich old woman: she was so charming and loved him, and he loved her.

She really was absolutely lovely, and the baby looked like both her and his father. Even though he was born in such a quiet and modest home, it seemed that a happier baby could not be found. Firstly, he was never sick, and therefore did not cause anyone any worries; secondly, his character was so sweet and he behaved so charmingly that he only made everyone happy; and thirdly, he was surprisingly good-looking. He was born with wonderful hair, soft, thin and golden, not like other babies who are born with a bare head; his hair curled at the ends, and when he was six months old, it curled in large rings; he had big brown eyes, long, long eyelashes and a charming face; and his back and legs were so strong that at nine months he already began to walk; he always behaved so well that you will fall in love with him. It seemed that he considered everyone his friends, and if someone spoke to him when he was taken out for a walk in a stroller, he looked attentively with his brown eyes, and then smiled so affably that there was not a single person in the neighborhood who was not happy. seeing him, not excluding the grocer from the corner store, whom everyone considered a grouch. And every month he became smarter and prettier.