Chapter 9 The Poor Cottages Pride gave the Earl of Dorincourt a new interest in life.
He was proud of his grandson's beauty and bravery and since Cedric was his heir, it made him look good.
The whole world had known of his disappointment with his own sons.
Now he wanted to show Cedric off to the world.
The new Lord Flantleroy could disappoint no one.
Sometimes, in secret, the Earl thought back to his life before Cedric had come into it.
He wished he had been a better person.
There were some things about the Earl that Cedric's pure heart would shrink from if he knew the truth.
For years, the Earl had been called the Wicked Earl of Dorincourt.
It made him nervous to think that someone might tell Cedric about this.
He never wanted the boy to find out.
The Earl also found out that he liked spending time with the boy.
Days would go by and he would forget about his gout.
Even the doctor said his health was better than ever expected.
One morning, Cedric came by on his pony.
He looked up at the window where his grandfather often sat to watch.
"'I wish you were going with me,' he called.
"'I don't like to leave you all alone in the big castle.
It must be so lonely.'
At that, the Earl surprised everyone.
He went to the stables and insisted that the groom prepare his horse.
Soon enough, Lord Fauntleroy was riding his pony with a new companion, his grandfather.
It was quite a sight.
There was a tall, powerful gray horse carrying the tall gray old man, and beside it was a little brown pony that carried the little blonde boy.
The two chatted as they were out riding along the green lanes and the pretty country roads.
Cedric talked about a great many things, especially his mother.
Gradually, the old man learned a lot about Dearest and her life.
It didn't displease him to learn that she was quite busy around town.
Whenever anybody needed help, she was there.
When there was sickness or sorrow or poverty in any house, she went to visit.
Some people even visited her at Court Lodge to learn how to sew.
It also didn't displease the earl to find that his son's wife was so pretty.
She looked as much like a lady as if she had been a duchess.
He liked that she was popular and beloved by the poor, and yet he sometimes felt jealous when Cedric spoke about her.
The boy loved her more than he loved anyone else, and the earl wished that he was the one the boy loved most.
One morning, as Cedric and the Earl were out riding their horses, they came to a high hill where much of the Earl's lands could be seen.
It was beautiful and spread out in every direction.
"'Do you know that all this land belongs to me?' the Earl asked Cedric.
"'Does it?' the boy asked.
"'It's so much land to belong to one person, and it's so pretty.'
"'Someday it will all belong to you, this and a great deal more,'
To me, exclaimed Cedric, shocked.
When?
When I am dead, said his grandfather.
Then I don't want it, said the boy.
I want you to live always.
That's kind, the earl said.
Even so, one day all this land will be yours.
One day you will be the earl of Dorincourt.
Cedric sat very still in his saddle.
He looked out over the green hills and the farms and the cottages and the roads and the villages all around him.
He looked over the trees at the turrets of the giant castle.
Then he sighed.
What's the matter? asked the earl.
I'm only thinking of what dearest said to me, Cedric replied.
She said that it is not easy to be very rich.
If one always has so many things, one might sometimes forget that other people don't have those things.
Someone who is very rich should always be careful to remember.
I was telling her how kind you are, and she said that was good.
She said that an earl has a lot of power.
He can't think only of himself.
He must think of all the people who live on his lands and be there to help them if they need help.
I was just looking out at all those houses.
There are so many.
And I was thinking that when I am Earl I will have to find out about all the people who live in them.
How do you find out about them?
The Earl's knowledge of the people who lived on his lands was very small.
He knew only who paid the rent on time and who didn't.
Hmm.
Newick, the man who manages all my lands, he finds out for me, the Earl said.
Let's go home now, and when you are an earl, see to it that you are a better one than I have been.
Cedric said he didn't think that would be possible, but he would do his best.
The earl was quiet on the way back to the castle.
About a week later, Cedric came into the library, seeming upset.
He looked into the fire for a long while.
Clearly he had something on his mind.
Finally, he looked away from the fire and spoke.
Does Newick know all about all the people? he asked the earl.
It is his job to know, the earl answered, so he's not doing his job then.
He didn't trust Newick completely.
He didn't trust anyone.
The earl liked it when Cedric showed an interest in the tenants.
He found it amusing how serious the boy became when he asked about them.
There is a place, Cedric said, looking up with wide, scared eyes.
It is at the other end of the village.
Dearest has seen it.
The houses are close together and almost falling down.
You can hardly breathe, and the people are so poor, and everything is so dreadful.
Often they have fever.
It is worse than with Michael and Bridget.
The rain comes in through the roof.
Dearest, went to see a poor woman who lives there and wouldn't let me near her until she had changed all her clothes.
She cried when she told me about it.
Tears came to Cedric's eyes.
I told her that you didn't know, he said.
I told her that I would tell you.
He leaned against the Earl's chair and put his hand on his grandfather's knee.
You can make it all right, he said, just as you made it all right for Higgins.
I told her you would.
I told her that Newick must have forgotten to tell you.
The earl looked down at the hand on his knee.
Newick had not forgotten to tell him.
In fact Newick had talked to him more than once about the terrible problems at the end of the village of Earlsborough, in a place called Earls Court.
The old man knew all about the broken leaky cottages and the sickness and the very poor people.
Reverend Morant had even asked for the Earl's help.
But he had asked at a very bad time when the gout was especially awful and the Earl had yelled at the Reverend.
He had said that the sooner the people of Earl's Court died and were buried, the sooner the place could be torn down.
And yet, as he looked at the small hand on his knee, he felt ashamed.
He was ashamed of Earl's Court, and he was ashamed of himself.
He put his hand on his grandson's hand.
What, he said, do you want me to build them all new cottages to live in?
Yes, Cedric said, now getting very excited.
The bad ones should be torn down, and we should build new ones.
Let's start tomorrow.
His face was glowing.
His eyes were shining like stars.
The Earl rose from his chair.
Let's go take a walk, he said, and we can talk it over.
