Cedric is the protagonist and the heart of the novel. He’s unusually kind, generous, even tempered, and empathetic, especially for a seven-year-old. Cedric is raised in modest circumstances in New York by his mother, Mrs. Errol—who he calls Dearest—and father, Captain Cedric Errol, Sr. One day, his father unexpectedly dies, leaving Cedric and his mother bereft and in worse circumstances than before. Soon thereafter Cedric learns that he isn’t an ordinary boy but rather the heir to his grandfather’s vast earldom in England. Like the archetype of the resourceful hero, Cedric is called on to enter a new, challenging, and intimidating world and face a daunting task that only his character (and, in this case, his mother) can prepare him for.

Cedric, cast in his mother’s mold, is also the archetypal innocent: He believes in that morality, simplicity, and optimism beget happiness. For Mrs. Errol, this belief is both intuitive and intellectual. For Cedric, a naif, it is simply intuitive—he doesn’t realize it was instilled in him by his parents. As the archetypal innocent, Cedric personifies the book’s lesson that simplicity and love lead to happiness.

Cedric’s unusually good looks reflect his extraordinary character.