It was late in the afternoon when the carriage containing little Lord Fauntleroy and Mr. Havisham drove up the long avenue which led to the castle. The Earl had given orders that his grandson should arrive in time to dine with him, and for some reason best known to himself, he had also ordered that the child should be sent alone into the room in which he intended to receive him. As the carriage rolled up the avenue, Lord Fauntleroy sat leaning comfortably against the luxurious cushions, and regarded the prospect with great interest. He was, in fact, interested in everything he saw. He had been interested in the carriage, with its large, splendid horses and their glittering harness; he had been interested in the tall coachman and footman, with their resplendent livery; and he had been especially interested in the coronet on the panels, and had struck up an acquaintance with the footman for the purpose of inquiring what it meant. When the carriage reached the great gates of the park, he looked out of the window to get a good view of the huge stone lions ornamenting the entrance. The gates were opened by a motherly, rosy-looking woman, who came out of a pretty, ivy-covered lodge. Two children ran out of the door of the house and stood looking with round, wide-open eyes at the little boy in the carriage, who looked at them also. Their mother stood courtesying and smiling, and the children, on receiving a sign from her, made bobbing little courtesies too. "Does she know me?" asked Lord Fauntleroy. "I think she must think she knows me." And he took off his black velvet cap to her and smiled. "How do you do?" he said brightly. “Good afternoon!" The woman seemed pleased, he thought. The smile broadened on her rosy face and a kind look came into her blue eyes. Mr. Havisham did not tell him that he would scarcely be allowed to make playmates of the gate-keeper's children. The lawyer thought there was time enough for giving him that information. The carriage rolled on and on between the great, beautiful trees which grew on each side of the avenue and stretched their broad, swaying branches in an arch across it. Cedric had never seen such trees, He they were so grand and stately, and their branches grew so low down on their huge trunks. He did not then know that Dorincourt Castle was one of the most beautiful in all England; that its park was one of the broadest and finest, and its trees and avenue almost without rivals. But he did know that it was all very beautiful. liked the big, broad-branched trees, with the late afternoon sunlight striking golden lances through them. He liked the perfect stillness which rested on everything. He felt a great, strange pleasure in the beauty of which he caught glimpses under and between the sweeping boughs-the great, beautiful spaces of the park, with still other trees, standing sometimes stately and alone, and sometimes in groups. Now and then they passed places where tall ferns grew in masses, and again and again the ground was azure with the bluebells swaying in the soft breeze. Several times he started up with a laugh of delight as a rabbit leaped up from under the greenery and scudded away with a twinkle of short white tail behind it. Once a covey of partridges rose with a sudden whir and flew away, and then he shouted and clapped his hands. "It's a beautiful place, is n't it?" he said to Mr. Havisham. "I never saw such a beautiful place. It's prettier even than Central Park.” He was rather puzzled by the length of time they were on their way. "How far is it?" he said, at length, "from the gate to the front door?" It is between three and four miles," answered the lawyer. "That's a long way for a person to live from his gate," remarked his lordship. Every few moments he saw something new to wonder at and admire. When he caught sight of the deer, some couched in the grass, some standing with their pretty antlered heads turned with a half-startled air toward the avenue as the carriage wheels disturbed them, he was enchanted. "Has there been a circus?" he cried; "or do they live here always? Whose are they?" "THE GATES WERE OPENED BY A WOMAN AND TWO CHILDREN WHO CAME OUT OF A PRETTY IVY-COVERED LODGE.” grew upon its walls; all the broad open space about it was laid out in terraces and lawns and beds of brilliant flowers. king's palace, the magnificent park, the grand old trees, the dells full of ferns and bluebells where the hares and rabbits played, the dappled, largeeyed deer couching in the deep grass. It was only "It's the most beautiful place I ever saw!" said Cedric, his round face flushing with pleasure. a couple of weeks since he had sat with Mr. Hobbs "It reminds any one of a king's palace. I saw a picture of one once in a fairy-book." among the potatoes and canned peaches, with his legs dangling from the high stool; it would not have been possible for him to realize that he had very much to do with all this grandeur. At the head of the line of servants there stood an elderly woman in a rich, plain black silk gown; she had gray hair and wore a cap. As he entered the hall she stood nearer than the rest, and the child thought from the look in her eyes that she was going to speak to him. Mr. Havisham, who held his hand, paused a moment. "This is Lord Fauntleroy, Mrs. Mellon," he said. "Lord Fauntleroy, this is Mrs. Mellon, who is the housekeeper." Cedric gave her his hand, his eyes lighting up. "Was it you who sent the cat?" he said. "I'm much obliged to you, ma'am.” Mrs. Mellon's handsome old face looked as pleased as the face of the lodge-keeper's wife had done. "I should know his lordship anywhere," she said to Mr. Havisham. "He has the Captain's face and way. It's a great day, this, sir." Cedric wondered why it was a great day. He looked at Mrs. Mellon curiously. It seemed to him for a moment as if there were tears in her eyes, and yet it was evident she was not unhappy. She smiled down on him. "The cat left two beautiful kittens here," she said; “they shall be sent up to your lordship's nursery." But there was no more fear in little Lord Fauntleroy's heart than there was unkindness - he had been a brave little fellow all his life. He put his hand on the big dog's collar in the most natural way in the world, and they strayed forward together, Dougal sniffing as he went. And then the Earl looked up. What Cedric saw was a large old man with shaggy white hair and eyebrows, and a nose like an eagle's beak between his deep fierce eyes. What the Earl saw was a graceful, childish figure in a black velvet suit, with a lace collar, and with lovelocks waving about the handsome, manly little face, whose eyes met his with a look of innocent good-fellowship. If the castle was like the palace in a fairy story, it must be owned that little Lord Fauntleroy was himself rather like a small copy of the fairy prince, though he was not at all aware of the fact, and perhaps was rather a sturdy young model of a fairy. there was a sudden glow of triumph and exultation in the fiery old Earl's heart as he saw what a strong, beautiful boy this grandson was, and But Mr. Havisham said a few words to her in a low how unhesitatingly he looked up as he stood voice. with his hand on the big dog's neck. It pleased "In the library, sir," Mrs. Mellon replied. "His the grim old nobleman that the child should lordship is to be taken there alone." show no shyness or fear, either of the dog or of himself. A few minutes later, the very tall footman in livery, who had escorted Cedric to the library door, opened it and announced: "Lord Fauntleroy, my Lord," in quite a majestic tone. If he was only a footman, he felt it was rather a grand occasion when the heir came home to his own land and possessions, and was ushered into the presence of the old Earl, whose place and title he was to take. It Cedric crossed the threshold into the room. was a very large and splendid room, with massive carven furniture in it, and shelves upon shelves of books; the furniture was so dark, and the draperies so heavy, the diamond-paned windows were so deep, and it seemed such a distance from one end of it to the other, that, since the sun had gone down, the effect of it all was rather gloomy. For a moment Cedric thought there was nobody in the room, but soon he saw that by the fire burning on the wide hearth there was a large easy-chair, and that in that chair some one was sitting- some one who did not at first turn to look at him. Cedric looked at him just as he had looked at the woman at the lodge and at the housekeeper, and came quite close to him. "Are you the Earl?" he said. "I'm your grandson, you know, that Mr. Havisham brought. I'm Lord Fauntleroy." He held out his hand because he thought it must be the polite and proper thing to do even with earls. "I hope you are very well," he continued, with the utmost friendliness. "I'm very glad to see you." The Earl shook hands with him, with a curious gleam in his eyes; just at first, he was so astonished that he scarcely knew what to say. He stared at the picturesque little apparition from under his shaggy brows, and took it all in from head to foot. But he had attracted attention in one quarter tled himself in it, but he seemed to be quite com "I've kept wondering what you would look like," he remarked. "I used to lie in my berth in the ship and wonder if you would be anything like my father." fortable as he sat there, and regarded his august work and has twelve children, you know how relative intently but modestly. it is. And Michael has always been a sober man. And Bridget used to come to our house and cry. And the evening Mr. Havisham was there, she was in the kitchen crying because they had almost nothing to eat and could n't pay the rent; and I went in to see her, and Mr. Havisham sent for me and he said you had given him some money for me. And I ran as "Am I?" asked the Earl. "Well," Cedric replied, "I was very young when he died, and I may not remember exactly how he looked, but I don't think you are like him." fast as I could into the kitchen and gave it to Bridget; and that made it all right; and Bridget "You are disappointed, I suppose?" suggested could scarcely believe her eyes. That's why I'm his grandfather. "Oh, no!" responded Cedric politely. "Of course you would like any one to look like your father; but of course you would enjoy the way your grandfather looked, even if he was n't like your father. You know how it is yourself about admiring your relations." The Earl leaned back in his chair and stared. He could not be said to know how it was about admiring his relations. He had employed most of his noble leisure in quarreling violently with them, in turning them out of his house, and apply ing abusive epithets to them; and they all hated him cordially. "Any boy would love his grandfather," continued Lord Fauntleroy, "especially one that had been as kind to him as you have been." so obliged to you." "Oh!" said the Earl in his deep voice," that was one of the things you did for yourself, was it? What else?" Dougal had been sitting by the tall chair; the great dog had taken its place there when Cedric sat down. Several times it had turned and looked up at the boy as if interested in the conversation. Dougal was a solemn dog, who seemed to feel altogether too big to take life's responsibilities lightly. The old Earl, who knew the dog well, had watched it with secret interest. Dougal was not a dog whose habit it was to make acquaintances rashly, and the Earl wondered somewhat to see how quietly the brute sat under the touch of the childish hand. And, just at this moment, the big dog gave little Lord Fauntleroy one more look of dignified scru Another queer gleam came into the old noble- tiny, and deliberately laid its huge, lion-like head man's eyes. "Oh!" he said, "I have been kind to you, have I?" "Yes," answered Lord Fauntleroy brightly; "I'm ever so much obliged to you about Bridget, and the apple-woman, and Dick." on the boy's black-velvet knee. The small hand went on stroking this new friend as Cedric answered: "Well, there was Dick," he said. "You 'd like Dick, he 's so square.” This was an Americanism the Earl was not pre "Bridget!" exclaimed the Earl. "Dick! The pared for. apple-woman!" "Yes!" explained Cedric; "the ones you gave me all that money for-the money you told Mr. Havisham to give me if I wanted it." "Ha!" ejaculated his lordship. "That's it, is it? The money you were to spend as you liked. What did you buy with it? I should like to hear something about that." He drew his shaggy eyebrows together and looked at the child sharply. He was secretly curious to know in what way the lad had indulged himself. "Oh!" said Lord Fauntleroy, "perhaps you did n't know about Dick and the apple-woman and Bridget. I forgot you lived such a long way off from them. They were particular friends of mine. And you see Michael had the fever ——" "Who 's Michael?" asked the Earl. "Michael is Bridget's husband, and they were in great trouble. When a man is sick and can't "What does that mean?" he inquired. Lord Fauntleroy paused a moment to reflect He was not very sure himself what it meant. He had taken it for granted as meaning something very creditable because Dick had been fond of using it. 66 "I think it means that he would n't cheat any one," he exclaimed; or hit a boy who was under his size, and that he blacks people's boots very well and makes them shine as much as he can. He's a perfessional bootblack." "And he's one of your acquaintances, is he?" said the Earl. "He is an old friend of mine," replied his grandson. "Not quite as old as Mr. Hobbs, but quite old. He gave me a present just before the ship sailed." He put his hand into his pocket and drew forth a neatly folded red object and opened it with an air of affectionate pride. It was the red silk hand kerchief with the large purple horse-shoes and His proud, stubborn old heart therefore had leaped heads on it. "He gave me this," said his young lordship. "I shall keep it always. You can wear it round your neck or keep it in your pocket. He bought it with the first money he earned after I bought Jerry out and gave him the new brushes. It's a keepsake. I put some poetry in Mr. Hobbs's watch. It was, 'When this you see, remember me.' When this I see, I shall always remember Dick." within him when the boy came forward with his graceful, easy carriage, his fearless hand on the big dog's neck. Even in the moments when he had hoped the most, the Earl had never hoped that his grandson would look like that. It seemed almost too good to be true that this should be the boy he had dreaded to see the child of the woman he so disliked this little fellow with so much beauty and such a brave, childish grace! The Earl's stern composure was quite shaken by this startling surprise. The sensations of the Right Honorable the Earl of Dorincourt could scarcely be described. He And then their talk began; and he was still was not an old nobleman who was very easily more curiously moved, and more and more bewildered, because he had seen a great deal of puzzled. In the first place, he was so used to seethe world; but here was something he found so ing people rather afraid and embarrassed before novel that it almost took his lordly breath away, him, that he had expected nothing else but that and caused him some singular emotions. He had his grandson would be timid or shy. But Cedric never cared for children; he had been so occupied was no more afraid of the Earl than he had been of with his own pleasures that he had never had time Dougal. He was not bold; he was only innocently to care for them. His own sons had not interested friendly, and he was not conscious that there should him when they were very young-though some- be any reason why he should be awkward or afraid. times he remembered having thought Cedric's The Earl could not help seeing that the little boy father a handsome and strong little fellow. He took him for a friend and treated him as one, withhad been so selfish himself that he had missed the out having any doubt of him at all. It was quite pleasure of seeing unselfishness in others, and he plain as the little fellow sat there in his tall chair had not known how tender and faithful and affec- and talked in his friendly way that it had never tionate a kind-hearted little child can be, and how occurred to him that this large, fierce-looking innocent and unconscious are its simple, generous old man could be anything but kind to him, and impulses. A boy had always seemed to him a most rather pleased to see him there. And it was plain, objectionable little animal, selfish and greedy and too, that, in his childish way, he wished to please boisterous when not under strict restraint; his and interest his grandfather. Cross, and hardown two eldest sons had given their tutors constant hearted, and worldly as the old Earl was, he could trouble and annoyance, and of the younger one he not help feeling a secret and novel pleasure in fancied he had heard few complaints because the this very confidence. After all, it was not disboy was of no particular importance. It had never agreeable to meet some one who did not distrust once occurred to him that he should like his grand- or shrink from him, or seem to detect the ugly part son; he had sent for the little Cedric because his of his nature; some one who looked at him with pride impelled him to do so. If the boy was to take clear, unsuspecting eyes,- if it was only a little his place in the future, he did not wish his name to boy in a black-velvet suit. be made ridiculous by descending to an uneducated boor. He had been convinced the boy would be a clownish fellow if he were brought up in America. He had no feeling of affection for the lad; his only hope was that he should find him decently wellfeatured, and with a respectable share of sense; he had been so disappointed in his other sons, and had been made so furious by Captain Errol's American marriage, that he had never once thought that anything creditable could come of it. When the footman had announced Lord Fauntleroy he had almost dreaded to look at the boy lest he should find him all he had feared. It was because of this feeling that he had ordered that the child should be sent to him alone. His pride could not endure that others should see his disappointment if he was to be disappointed. So the old man leaned back in his chair, and led his young companion on to telling him still more of himself, and with that odd gleam in his eyes watched the little fellow as he talked. Lord Fauntleroy was quite willing to answer all his questions and chatted on in his genial little way quite composedly. He told him all about Dick and Jerry, and the apple-woman, and Mr. Hobbs; he described the Republican Rally in all the glory of its banners and transparencies, torches and rockets. In the course of the conversation, he reached the Fourth of July and the Revolution, and was just becoming enthusiastic, when he suddenly recollected something and stopped very abruptly. "What is the matter?" demanded his grandfather. "Why don't you go on?" Lord Fauntleroy moved rather uneasily in his |