there is a lady whitch was marid to my uncle bevis who is dead and she
has a little boy and he is lord fauntleroy becaus that is the way it is
in England the earls eldest sons little boy is the earl if every
body else is dead i mean if his farther and grandfarther are dead my
grandfarther is not dead but my uncle bevis is and so his boy is lord
Fauntleroy and i am not becaus my papa was the youngest son and my name
is Cedric Errol like it was when i was in New York and all the things
will belong to the other boy i thought at first i should have to give
him my pony and cart but my grandfarther says i need not my grandfarther
is very sorry and i think he does not like the lady but preaps he thinks
dearest and i are sorry because i shall not be an earl i would like to
be an earl now better than i thout i would at first becaus this is a
beautifle castle and i like every body so and when you are rich you can
do so many things i am not rich now becaus when your papa is only the
youngest son he is not very rich i am going to learn to work so that
i can take care of dearest i have been asking Wilkins about grooming
horses preaps i might be a groom or a coachman. The lady brought her
little boy to the castle and my grandfarther and Mr. Havisham talked to
her i think she was angry she talked loud and my grandfarther was angry
too i never saw him angry before i wish it did not make them all mad i
thort i would tell you and Dick right away becaus you would be intrusted
so no more at present with love from

"your old frend

"CEDRIC ERROL (Not lord Fauntleroy)."

Mr. Hobbs fell back in his chair, the letter dropped on his knee, his
pen-knife slipped to the floor, and so did the envelope.

"Well!" he ejaculated, "I am jiggered!"

He was so dumfounded that he actually changed his exclamation. It had
always been his habit to say, "I WILL be jiggered," but this time he
said, "I AM jiggered." Perhaps he really WAS jiggered. There is no
knowing.

"Well," said Dick, "the whole thing's bust up, hasn't it?"

"Bust!" said Mr. Hobbs. "It's my opinion it's a put-up job o' the
British ristycrats to rob him of his rights because he's an American.
They've had a spite agin us ever since the Revolution, an' they're
takin' it out on him. I told you he wasn't safe, an' see what's
happened! Like as not, the whole gover'ment's got together to rob him of
his lawful ownin's."

He was very much agitated. He had not approved of the change in his