Stranica 80 [80]
50
he was anxious to en the kind old lady
in all things, and partly, to tell the truth,
because he was completely exhausted with
into a gentle doze, from which.he was
awakened by the light of a candle, which,
peing brought near the bed, showed him
a gentleman, a very large and loud-tick¬
ing gold watch in his hand, who felt his
pulse, and said he was a great deal
better.
“You are a great deal better, are you
not, my dear?" said the gentleman.
c Yes, thank you, sir,” replied Oliver.
“ Yes, I know you are,” said the gen¬
tleman: “ you’re hungry too, ant you?"
6 No, sir,” answered Oliver.
“Hem!” said the gentleman. “No, I
know you’re not. He is not hungry, Mrs.
Bedwin,” said the gentleman, looking very
wise.
The old lady made a respectful inclina¬
tion of the head, which seemed to say that
she thought the doctor was a very clever
man. The doctor appeared very much of
the same opinion himself.
* You feel sleepy, don’t you, my dear?”
said the doctor.
6 No, sir,” replied Oliver.
“No,” said the doctor with a very
shrewd and satisfied look. " You’re not
sleepy. Nor thirsty, are you?’
“Yes, sir, rather thirsty,” answered
Oliver.
“Just as I expected, Mrs. Bedwin,” said
the doctor. “It’s very natural that he
should be thirsty—perfectly natural. You
may give him a little tea, ma’am, and
some dry toast without any butter. Don’t
keep him too warm, ma’am; but be care¬
ful that you don’t let him be too cold;
will you have the goodness ?"
The old lady dropped a curtsey; and
the doctor, after tasting the cool stuff, and
expressing a qualified approval thereof,
hurried away: his boots creaking in a
very important and wealthy manner as
he went down stairs.
Oliver dozed off again soon after this,
and when he awoke it was nearly twelve
o’clock. ‘The old lady tenderly bade him
good-night shortly afterwards, and left him
in charge of a fat old woman who had just
come, bringing with her in a little bundle
a small Prayer Book and a large nightcap.
Putting the latter on her head, and the
former on the table, the old woman, after
telling Oliver that she had come to sit up
with him, drew her chair close to the fire
and went off into a series of short naps,
and chokings, which, however, had no
worse effect than causing her to rub her
nose very hard, and then fall asleep
in.
And thus the night crept slowly on.
Oliver lay awake for some time, counting
the httle circles of light which the reflec¬
tion of the rushlight-shade threw upon the
ceiling, or tracing with his languid eyes
the intricate pattern of the paper on the
wall. ‘The darkness and deep stillness
of the room were very solemn; and as
they brought into the boy’s mind the
thought that Death had been hovering
there for many days and nights, and might
yet fill it with the gloom and dread of his
awful presence, he turned his face upon
the pillow and fervently prayed to Hea¬
ven.
Gradually he fell into that deep tranquil
sleep which ease from recent suffering
alone imparts; that calm and peaceful rest
which it is pain to wake from. Who, if
this were death, would be roused again to
all the struggles and turmoils of life—to
all its cares for the present, its anxieties
for the future, and, more than all, its
weary recollections of the past!
It had been bright day for hours when
Oliver opened his eyes; and when he did
so, he felt cheerful and happy. ‘The crisis
of the disease was safely past, and he be¬
longed to the world again.
In three days’ time he was able to sit
in an easy-chair well propped up with pil¬
lows; and, as he was still too weak to
walk, Mrs. Bedwin had him carried down
stairs into the little housekeeper’s room,
which belonged to her, where, having sat
him up by the fireside, the good old lady
sat herself down too, and, being in a state
of considerable delight at seeing him so
much better, forthwith began to cry most
violently.
6 Neyer mind me, my dear,” said the
old lady; “I’m only having a regular
good cry. There, it’s all over now, and
I’m quite comfortable.”
“ You’re very kind to me, ma’am,” said
Oliver.
‘Well, never you mind that, my dear,”
said the old lady; “that’s got nothing to
do with your broth, and it’s full time you
had it, for the doctor says Mr. Brownlow
may come in to see you this morning, and
we must get up our best looks, because
the better we look the more he'll be
pleased.” And with this, the old lady
applied herself to warming up in a little
saucepan a basin full of broth strong