life.

"He is the best-bred-looking and handsomest little fellow I ever saw,"
was what Mr. Havisham thought. What he said aloud was simply, "And so
this is little Lord Fauntleroy."

And, after this, the more he saw of little Lord Fauntleroy, the more of
a surprise he found him. He knew very little about children, though he
had seen plenty of them in England--fine, handsome, rosy girls and boys,
who were strictly taken care of by their tutors and governesses, and who
were sometimes shy, and sometimes a trifle boisterous, but never very
interesting to a ceremonious, rigid old lawyer. Perhaps his personal
interest in little Lord Fauntleroy's fortunes made him notice Ceddie
more than he had noticed other children; but, however that was, he
certainly found himself noticing him a great deal.

Cedric did not know he was being observed, and he only behaved himself
in his ordinary manner. He shook hands with Mr. Havisham in his friendly
way when they were introduced to each other, and he answered all his
questions with the unhesitating readiness with which he answered Mr.
Hobbs. He was neither shy nor bold, and when Mr. Havisham was talking to
his mother, the lawyer noticed that he listened to the conversation with
as much interest as if he had been quite grown up.

"He seems to be a very mature little fellow," Mr. Havisham said to the
mother.

"I think he is, in some things," she answered. "He has always been very
quick to learn, and he has lived a great deal with grownup people. He
has a funny little habit of using long words and expressions he has read
in books, or has heard others use, but he is very fond of childish
play. I think he is rather clever, but he is a very boyish little boy,
sometimes."

The next time Mr. Havisham met him, he saw that this last was quite
true. As his coupe turned the corner, he caught sight of a group of
small boys, who were evidently much excited. Two of them were about to
run a race, and one of them was his young lordship, and he was shouting
and making as much noise as the noisiest of his companions. He stood
side by side with another boy, one little red leg advanced a step.

"One, to make ready!" yelled the starter. "Two, to be steady. Three--and
away!"

Mr. Havisham found himself leaning out of the window of his coupe with
a curious feeling of interest. He really never remembered having seen
anything quite like the way in which his lordship's lordly little red
legs flew up behind