Little Lord Fauntleroy Page #4

must trust and help one another,

without asking any questions.

And you know, Ceddie, your grandfather

loves you and wants you to love him.

He's so kind he... he wants you to be

happy and to make other people happy.

But Dearest, I can't be happy without you.

But you won't be without me all the time.

I'm not far from the castle here and

you'll run in and see me every day.

You'll love the castle and there'll always

be something new and interesting to tell me.

And I'll have things to tell you! Oh,

Ceddie, we'll have such good times together!

We'll be finding things out,

both of us. We'll be explorers.

Yes. Like... like Mr. Stanley

and Mr. Livingston.

That'll be exciting.

And every night when it grows dark,

I'll put a candle in the window

to guide you through

the jungle, Mr. Stanley.

Ah, Newick. How's His Lordship?

- He's in the rare mood!

He told me to evict all the tenants

if they weren't paid up.

I dare say, that'll be a job

to your liking.

Oh, sir.

- Ah, Purvis, glad to see you again.

Very glad to see you, sir.

Fool! Idiot! Do what you're told,

bring what's ordered!

Gout?

- Oh, yes, sir.

These last few weeks have been

the worst I've ever known, sir.

I'm surrounded by a lot of incompetent

nincompoops! Shut the door, you blockhead!

I can't stand 'im no longer, Mr. Purvis.

He's too much for any man - cursin',

swearin' and callin' people out

of other names like 'e does.

It ain't just today, it's every day!

Thomas, you brought him the '63 port.

He prefers the '51.

'Ow was I to know? He didn't say!

- Fetch the other bottle!

W'at business has 'e got drinking'

Port anyway in 'is condition!

I can't feed and house every lout

in the parish and I won't!

You and your poor - I've had

enough of 'em! - But, my lord...

Mr. Mordaunt is with him.

I've said all I have to say, now, good

night! - Good day, my lord... good day.

I beg your pardon.

How'd you do, Mr. Havisham?

Yes, ah, Mr. Mordaunt.

Mr. Havisham, my lord.

Well, Havisham. - My lord.

- Come back, have you?

Put that cushion right for me, will you?

Aie! Aie! Careful!

That foot's full of hot needles!

Well, what have you got to tell me?

Lord Fauntleroy and his mother

are at Court Lodge.

They bore the voyage excellently,

and in good health.

Ah... what else? - His Lordship remains

with his mother tonight.

I'll bring him to the castle tomorrow.

- Well, go on! Tell me everything!

Never mind about the mother.

What sort of a lad is he, I say?

It's rather difficult to judge the

character of a child of nine.

A fool, huh? A clumsy cub?

I don't know much about the children,

but I thought him rather a fine lad.

Healthy, well grown, eh?

Apparently healthy, quite well grown.

- Straight limbed? Well enough to look at?

Rather handsome, my lord - as boys go.

- Ah.

Although I'm... I'm scarcely a judge.

I dare say you will find him a little

different from most English children.

No doubt of that! American children are the most

impudent and the worst brought up in the world.

I've heard that often enough.

- I would hardly call it impudent.

The difference is, that he has lived more

with older people than with children

and I should call it a mixture

of maturity and childishness. - Exactly!

Beastly impudent bad manners -

that what it tis!

I have a message

to deliver from Mrs. Errol.

I want none of her messages!

The less I hear, the better!

Ah, but this is rather an important one.

She prefers not to accept the income

you propose to settle on her.

What's that? What d'you say?

She says it's not necessary that as the

relations between you are not...

not friendly...

- Not friendly!

I should say they were not friendly!

Mercenary, sharp-voiced American!

My lord, you could hardly call

her mercenary. She's asked for nothing!

Nah... all done for effect! She thinks

she can wheedle me into seeing her.

Thinks I shall admire her spirit but

I don't! Have the money sent to her.

She won't spend it. - I don't care whether she

spends it! She shall have it sent to her.

She shan't tell people she's to live as a

pauper because I'm doing nothing for her!

I suppose she's poisoning

the boy's mind against me too.

No, I have another message that will

prove she's not done that.

I won't hear... Ow! Oh! Ah!

She asks you not to let Lord Fauntleroy

hear anything that might lead him

to understand that you are separating him

from her because of your prejudice against her.

She says he wouldn't comprehend it.

That it might make him fear you in some

measure, or at least,

cause him to feel less affection for you.

She wants there to be no shadow

on your first meeting.

Come now, Havisham, come now!

You don't mean that mother hasn't told him?

Not a word, my lord. Nothing has been said

to the boy to give him the slightest doubt

of your perfection.

He's prepared to believe you the most

amiable and affectionate of grandparents.

In fact, he already regards you

as a wonder of generosity.

Uh!

He does, eh?

I would suggest, my lord,

that Fauntleroy's impressions of you

depend entirely upon yourself.

I make a further suggestion

you will succeed better with him if you

take care not to speak slightingly to him

of his mother.

- The boy's only nine.

Nevertheless, those nine years have

been spent at his mother's side.

She has all his affection.

Hmm...

So he thinks me generous, eh!

Ah, Purvis, this is Lord Fauntleroy.

My lord. - How do you do?

- Thank you, my lord.

My lord.

This is Lord Fauntleroy, Mrs. Mellon.

Lord Fauntleroy, this is Mrs. Mellon,

the housekeeper. - How do you do, ma'am?

I should know His Lordship anywhere, sir.

He has the Captain's face and way.

Oh, was it you who sent the cat?

I'm ever so obliged to you, ma'am.

How do you do?

It is a great day this, sir?

Where is His Lordship?

- In the library, sir.

Lord Fauntleroy is to be

sent to him alone.

Lord Fauntleroy, my lord.

Dougal! Come back here!

How do you do, sir?

Are you the earl? I'm your grandson that

Mr. Havisham brought. I'm Lord Fauntleroy.

I hope you are quite well.

I'm very glad to see you.

- Hunh!

You're glad to see me, are ya?

- Yes, very.

I kept wondering what you would look

like if you'd be like my father.

Oh, and am I? - Well, I don't think you

are, very. - You're disappointed, I suppose.

Oh, no! Of course you would enjoy the way

your grandfather looked,

even if he wasn't like your father.

You know how it is yourself,

about admiring your relations.

- Eh? I'm not sure that I do.

Any boy would love his grandfather,

especially one who's been

as kind to him as you've been.

- I've been kind to you, have I?

Yes. I'm ever so obliged to you about

Bridget, and the apple woman, and Dick.

Bridget? Dick? Apple woman?

- They were particular friends of mine.

The ones you gave me all that money for,

the money you told Mr. Havisham

to give me if I wanted it.

The money you were to spend as you liked, eh?

So, you spend it all on these people, did ya?

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