“This is a cheerful room,” he said. “May I come here again and talk this matter over?”
“As often as you wish, my lord,” she replied.
And then he went out to his carriage and drove away, Thomas and Henry [almost stricken dumb] upon the box at the turn affairs had taken.
CHAPTER XIII.
DICK TO THE RESCUE.
Of course, as soon as the story of Lord Fauntleroy and the difficulties of the Earl of Dorincourt were discussed in the English newspapers, they were discussed in the American newspapers. The story was too interesting to be passed over lightly, and it was talked of a great deal. There were so many versions of it that it would have been an edifying thing to buy all the papers and compare them. Mr. Hobbs used to read the papers [until his head was in a whirl,] and in the evening he and Dick would talk it all over. They found out what an important personage an Earl of Dorincourt was, and what a magnificent income he possessed, and how many estates he owned, and how stately and beautiful was the Castle in which he lived; and the more they learned the more excited they became.
[“Seem’s like] somethin’ [orter] be done,” said Mr. Hobbs.
But there really was nothing they could do but each write a letter to Cedric, containing assurances of their friendship and sympathy. They wrote those letters as soon as they could after receiving the news.
The very next morning, one of Dick’s customers was rather surprised. He was a young lawyer just beginning practice; as poor as a very young lawyer can possibly be, but a bright, energetic young fellow, with sharp wit and a good temper. He had a shabby office near Dick’s stand, and every morning Dick blacked his boots for him.
That particular morning, when he put his foot on the rest, he had an illustrated paper in his hand—an enterprising paper, with pictures in it of conspicuous people and things. He had just finished looking it over, and when the last boot was polished, he handed it to the boy.
“Here’s a paper for you, Dick,” he said. “Picture of an English castle in it and an English earl’s daughter-in-law. You ought to become familiar with the nobility and gentry, Dick. Begin on the [Right Honourable] the Earl of Dorincourt and Lady Fauntleroy. Hello! I say, what’s the matter?”