就这样,锡德里克和妈妈在这世上无依无靠了。埃罗尔太太的父母已经去世,而埃罗尔先生家在英格兰。埃罗尔先生的父亲—锡德里克的祖父—是个很有身份的人物。他是多林考特伯爵,是英格兰历史最悠久最负盛名的家族首领。他住在多林考特城堡里,而且非常富有。
但他并不是个和善的人。他是个易怒、坏脾气的老头儿—而且他讨厌美国和美国人。所以,当他最小的儿子,也就是锡德里克的父亲,在纽约娶了一个没钱没家世、默默无闻的美国女孩时,伯爵非常生气。他写了这样一封信给他儿子:
永远别回多林考特城堡,永远别给我写信。我再也不想见到你。别要我帮忙,也别朝我要钱。你是生是死,我都不想知道。你再也不是我儿子。
So Cedric and his mother were alone in the world. Mrs Errol’s mother and father were dead, and Mr Errol’s family was in england. Mr errol’s father – Cedric’s grandfather – was an important man. He was the Earl
of Dorincourt, the head of one of the oldest and most famous families in england. He lived at dorincourt Castle, and was very rich.
But he was not a nice person. He was an angry, bad-tempered old man – and he hated america and americans. So when his youngest son, Cedric’s father, married an american girl in new york, a girl without money or family, just a nobody, the earl was very angry. He wrote this letter to his son:
Never come to Dorincourt Castle, and never write to me. I don’t want to see you again. Don’t ask me for help or money. You can live – or die; I don’t want to know. You are no longer my son.