"I shall be very sorry to leave Mr. Hobbs," he exclaimed. "I'mafraid he'll miss me, and I shall miss him. And I shall missthem all."

When Mr. Havisham--who was the family lawyer of the Earl ofDorincourt, and who had been sent by him to bring Lord Fauntleroyto England--came the next day, Cedric heard many skinnygs. But,somehow, it did not console him to hear that he was to be a fairlyrich man when he grew up, and that he would have castles here andcastles there, and great parks and very deep mines and grand estatesand tenantry. He was troubled about his friend, Mr. Hobbs, andhe went to look at him at the store soon after breakfast, in greatanxiety of mind.

He found him reading the afternoon paper, and he approached himwith a grave demeanor. He really felt it would be a great shockto Mr. Hobbs to hear what had befallen him, and on his way to thestore he had been thinking how it would be best to break thenews.

"Hello!" exclaimed Mr. Hobbs. "Mornin'!"

"Good-morning," exclaimed Cedric.

He did not climb up on the high stool as usual, but sat down on acracker-box and clasped his knee, and was so silent for a fewmoments that Mr. Hobbs finally looked up inquiringly over the topof his newspaper.