“Ahem!” said Mr. Havisham. “And what else would you do if you were rich?”

“Oh! I’d do a great many things. Of course I should buy Dearest all sorts of beautiful things, needle-books and gold thimbles and rings, and an encyclopedia, and a carriage, so that she needn’t have to wait for the street-cars. If she liked pink silk dresses, I should buy her some, but she likes black best. But I’d take her to the big stores, and tell her to look around and choose for herself. And then Dick-”

“Who is Dick?” asked Mr. Havisham.

“Dick is a boot-black[36],” said his young lordship, quite warming up in his interest in plans. “He is one of the nicest boot-blacks you ever knew. He stands at the corner of a street down-town. I’ve known him for years.”

“And what would you like to do for him?” inquired the lawyer, rubbing his chin and smiling a strange smile.

“Well,” said Lord Fauntleroy, “I’d buy Jake out.”

“And who is Jake?” Mr. Havisham asked.

“He’s Dick’s partner, and he is the worst partner a fellow could have! Dick says so. He cheats, and that makes Dick mad. It would make you mad, you know, if you were blacking boots as hard as you could, and your partner did not. People like Dick, but they don’t like Jake, and so sometimes they don’t come twice. So if I were rich, I’d buy Jake out and get Dick a ‘boss’ sign-he says a ‘boss’ sign goes a long way; and I’d get him some new clothes and new brushes, and start him out fair. He says all he wants is to start out fair.”

“Is there anything-” he began. “What would you get for yourself, if you were rich?”

“Lots of things!” answered Lord Fauntleroy briskly; “but first I’d give Mary some money for Bridget-that’s her sister, with twelve children, and a husband out of work. She comes here and cries, and Dearest gives her things in a basket, and then she cries again, and says: ‘Blessings be on you, for a beautiful lady.’ And I think Mr. Hobbs would like a gold watch and chain to remember me by, and a meerschaum pipe[37].”

The door opened and Mrs. Errol came in.

“I am sorry to have been obliged to leave you so long,” she said to Mr. Havisham; “but a poor woman, who is in great trouble, came to see me.”

“This young gentleman,” said Mr. Havisham, “has been telling me about some of his friends, and what he would do for them if he were rich.”

“Bridget is one of his friends,” said Mrs. Errol; “and it is Bridget to whom I have been talking in the kitchen. She is in great trouble now because her husband has rheumatic fever[38].”

Cedric slipped down out of his big chair.

“I think I’ll go and see her,” he said, “and ask her how he is. He’s a nice man when he is well. He once made me a sword out of wood. He’s a very talented man.”

He ran out of the room, and Mr. Havisham stood up from his chair. He seemed to have something in his mind which he wished to speak of.

He hesitated for a moment, and then said, looking down at Mrs. Errol:

“Before I left Dorincourt Castle, I had an interview with the Earl, in which he gave me some instructions. He wants his grandson to look forward with some pleasure to his future life in England, and also to his acquaintance[39] with himself. He said that I must let his lordship know that the change in his life would bring him money and the pleasures children enjoy; if he expressed any wishes, I was togratify[40] them, and to tell him that his grandfather had given him what he wished. I am aware that the Earl did not expect anything quite like this; but if it would give Lord Fauntleroy pleasure to help this poor woman, I believe that the Earl would be displeased if he was not gratified.”