Stranica 89 [89]
57
c What now?” cried the Jew impa¬
tiently.
“Ts he to be kidnapped to the other
ken, Nancy says?” inquired the Dodger
cautiously.
c Yes,” replied the Jéw, “ wherever she
lays hands on him. Find him, find him
out, that "s all; and I shall know what to
do next, never fear.” .
The boy murmured a reply of intelli¬
gence, and hurried down stairs after his
companions.
“He has not peached so far,” said the
Jew as he pursued his occupation. “If
he means to blab us among his new
friends, we may stop his windpipe yet.”
CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH.
Comprising further particulars of Oliver’s stay at
Mr. Brownlow’s, with the remarkable prediction
which one Mr. Grimwig uttered concerning him,
when he went out on an errand.
OLIVER soon recovered from the faint¬
ing-fit into which Mr. Brownlow’s abrupt
exclamation had thrown him; and the
subject of the picture was carefully avoid¬
ed, both by the old gentleman and Mrs.
Bedwin, in the conversation that ensued,
which indeed bore no reference to Oliver’s
history or prospects, but was confined to
such topics as might amuse without ex¬
citing him. He wasstill too weak to get up
to breakfast; but, when he came down into
the housekeeper’s room the next day, his
first act was to cast an eager glance at
the wall, in the hope of agam looking on
the face of the beautiful sey: His ex¬
pectations were disappointed, however,
for the picture had been removed.
c Ah!” said the housekeeper, watching
the direction of Oliver’s eyes. “It is
gone, you see.”
s] see it is, ma’am,” replied Oliver,
with a sigh. “Why have they taken it
away !"
sc It has been taken down, child, because
Mr. Brownlow said, that, as it seemed to
worry you, perhaps it might prevent your
getting well, you know,” rejoined the old
y.
“Oh, no, indeed it didn’t worry me,
‘ma’am,” said Oliver. “I liked to see it;
I quite loved it.”
(6 Well, well!” said the old lady, good¬
humouredly; “you get well as fast as
up again.
now let us talk about something else.”
H
This was all the information that Oli¬
ver could obtain about the picture at that
time, and as the old lady had been so kind
to him in his illness, he endeavoured to
think no more of the subject just then; so
listened attentively to a great many sto¬
ries she told him about an amiable and
handsome daughter of hers, who was mar¬
ried to an amiable and handsome man, and
lived in the country ; and a son, who was
clerk toa merchant in the West Indies,
and who was also such a good young man,
and wrote such dutiful letters home four
times a year, that it brought the tears into
her eyes to talk about them. When the
old lady had expatiated a long time on the
excellences of her children, and the me¬
rits of her kind good husband besides, who
had been dead and gone, poor dear soul!
just six-and-twenty years, it was time to
have tea; and after tea she began to teach
Oliver cribbage, which he learnt as quick¬
ni as she could teach, and at which game .
they played, with great interest and gra¬
vity, until it was time for the imvalid to
have some warm wine and water, witha
slice of dry toast, and to go cosily to bed.
They were happy days those of Oliver's
recovery. Everything was so quiet, and
neat, and orderly, everybody so kind and
gentle, that after the noise and turbulence
in the midst of which he had always
lived, it seemed like heaven itself. e
was no sooner strong enough to put his
clothes on properly, than Mr. Brownlow
caused a complete new suit, and a new
cap, and a new pair of shoes, to be pro¬
vided for him. As Oliver was told that
he might do what he liked with the old
clothes, he gave them to a servant who
had been very kind to him, and asked her
to sell them to a Jew, and keep the money
for herself. ‘This she very readily did;
and, as Oliver looked out of the parlour
window, and saw the Jew roll them up in
his bag and walk away, he felt quite de¬
lighted to think that they were safely
one, and that there was now no possible
tae of his ever being able to wear
them again. They were sad rags, to tell
the truth; and Oliver had never had a
new suit before.
One evening, about a week after the
affair of the picture, as Oliver was sitting
talking to Mrs. Bedwin, there came a
message down from Mr. Brownlow, that
to see him in his study, and talk to hima
little while.
“Bless us, and save us! wash your
for you, child,” said Mrs. Bedwin. “ Dear