oving. To be so is like
being born a king.

As the old Earl of Dorincourt looked at him that day, moving about the
park among the people, talking to those he knew and making his ready
little bow when any one greeted him, entertaining his friends Dick and
Mr. Hobbs, or standing near his mother or Miss Herbert listening to
their conversation, the old nobleman was very well satisfied with him.
And he had never been better satisfied than he was when they went down
to the biggest tent, where the more important tenants of the Dorincourt
estate were sitting down to the grand collation of the day.

They were drinking toasts; and, after they had drunk the health of the
Earl, with much more enthusiasm than his name had ever been greeted with
before, they proposed the health of "Little Lord Fauntleroy." And if
there had ever been any doubt at all as to whether his lordship was
popular or not, it would have been set that instant. Such a clamor of
voices, and such a rattle of glasses and applause! They had begun to
like him so much, those warm-hearted people, that they forgot to feel
any restraint before the ladies and gentlemen from the castle, who
had come to see them. They made quite a decent uproar, and one or two
motherly women looked tenderly at the little fellow where he stood, with
his mother on one side and the Earl on the other, and grew quite moist
about the eyes, and said to one another:

"God bless him, the pretty little dear!"

Little Lord Fauntleroy was delighted. He stood and smiled, and made
bows, and flushed rosy red with pleasure up to the roots of his bright
hair.

"Is it because they like me, Dearest?" he said to his mother. "Is it,
Dearest? I'm so glad!"

And then the Earl put his hand on the child's shoulder and said to him:

"Fauntleroy, say to them that you thank them for their kindness."

Fauntleroy gave a glance up at him and then at his mother.

"Must I?" he asked just a trifle shyly, and she smiled, and so did Miss
Herbert, and they both nodded. And so he made a little step forward,
and everybody looked at him--such a beautiful, innocent little fellow he
was, too, with his brave, trustful face!--and he spoke as loudly as he
could, his childish voice ringing out quite clear and strong.

"I'm ever so much obliged to you!" he said, "and--I hope you'll enjoy my
birthday--because I've enjoyed it so much--and--I'm very glad I'm going
to be an earl; I didn't think at first I should like it, but now I