Cedric finished his dinner first, and then he leaned back in his chair
and took a survey of the room.

"You must be very proud of your house," he said, "it's such a beautiful
house. I never saw anything so beautiful; but, of course, as I'm only
seven, I haven't seen much."

"And you think I must be proud of it, do you?" said the Earl.

"I should think any one would be proud of it," replied Lord Fauntleroy.
"I should be proud of it if it were my house. Everything about it is
beautiful. And the park, and those trees,--how beautiful they are, and
how the leaves rustle!"

Then he paused an instant and looked across the table rather wistfully.

"It's a very big house for just two people to live in, isn't it?" he
said.

"It is quite large enough for two," answered the Earl. "Do you find it
too large?"

His little lordship hesitated a moment.

"I was only thinking," he said, "that if two people lived in it who were
not very good companions, they might feel lonely sometimes."

"Do you think I shall make a good companion?" inquired the Earl.