Читать книгу Маленький Лорд Фаунтлерой. Уровень 1 / Little Lord Fauntleroy онлайн

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“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.

boot-black[36]

“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.”