Stranica 172 [172]
124 OLIVER
TWIST.
CHAPTER THE NINTH.
Of the happy life Oliver began to lead with his
kind friends.
O.tver’s ailings were neither slight
nor few. In addition to the pain and de¬
lay attendant upon a broken limb, his ex¬
posure to the wet and cold had brought
on fever and ague, which hung about him
for many weeks, and reduced him sadly.
But at length he began by slow degrees
to get better, and to be able to say some¬
times, in a few tearful words, how deeply
he felt the goodness of the two sweet
ladies, and how ardently he hoped that
when he grew strong and well again he
could do something to show his gratitude ;
only something which would let them see
the love and duty with which his breast
was full; something, however slight,
which would prove to them that their
gentle kindness had not been cast away,
but that the poor boy, whom their charity
had rescued from misery or death, was
eager and anxious to serve them with all
his heart and soul.
*“ Poor fellow!” said Rose, when Oliver
had been one day feebly endeavouring to
utter the words of thankfulness that rose
to his pale lips. “ You shall have many
opportunities of serving us if you will.
aunt intends that you shall accompany
us. The quiet place, the pure air, and
all the pleasures and beauties of spring,
will restore you in a few days, and we
will employ you in a hundred ways when
you can bear the trouble.”
“The trouble!” cried Oliver. “Oh!
dear lady, if I could but work for you,—
if I could only give you pleasure by wa¬
tering your flowers, or watching your
birds, or running up and down the whole
day long to make you happy, what would
I give to do it!”
“You shall give nothing at all,” said
Miss Maylie smiling; “for, as I told you
before, we shall employ you in a hundred
ways; and if you only take half the trou¬
ble to please us that you promise now,
you will make me very happy indeed.”
“ Happy, ma’am!” cried Oliver: * oh,
how kind of you to say so!”
“ You will make me happier than I can
tell you,” replied the young lady. “To
think that my dear good aunt should have
been the means of rescuing any one from
such sad misery as you have described to
us, would be an unspeakable pleasure to
goodness and compassion was sincerely
imagine. Do you understand me?” she
en watching Oliver’s thoughtful
ce,
“Oh, yes, ma’am, yes!” replied Oliver
eagerly; “but I was thinking that | am
ungrateful now.”
6 To whom?" inquired the young lady.
c To the kind gentleman and the dear
| old nurse who took so much care of me
before,” rejoined Oliver. “If they knew
how happy [ am, they would be pleased,
I am sure.”
“Tam sure they would,” rejoined Oli¬
ver’s benefactress; "sand Mr. Losberne
has already been kind enough to promise
that when you are well enough to bear the
| journey he will carry you to see them.”
‘* Has he, ma’am!” cried Okver, his
face brightening with pleasure. “I don’t
know what I shall do for joy when I see
their kind faces once again!"
In a short time Oliver was sufficiently
recovered to undergo the fatigue of this
expedition; and one mornin he and Mr.
Losberne set out accordingly in a little
carriage which belonged to Mrs. Maylie.
When they came to Chertsey Bridge,
Oliver turned very pale, and uttered a
loud exclamation.
| “ What’s the matter with the boy?”
| cried the doctor, as usual all in a bustle.
“Do you see anything—hear anything—
| feel anything—eh ?”
“That, sir,” cried Oliver, pointing out
of the carriage window. " That house!”
s Yes; well, what of it? Stop, coach¬
man. Pull up here,” cried the doctor.
“What of the house, my man—eh?’”
“The thieves—the house they took me
to," whispered Oliver.
“The devil it is!” cried the doctor.
c Halloa, there! let me out!” But before
the coachman could dismount from his
box he had tumbled out of the coach by
some means or other, and, running down
to the deserted tenement, began kicking
at the door like a madman.
“Halloa!” said a little ugly hump¬
backed man, opening the door so suddenly
that the doctor, from the very impetus of
his last kick, nearly fell forward into the
passage. ‘ What’s the matter here?"
s Matter!" exclaimed the other, collar¬
ing him without a moment’s reflection.
| § A good deal. Robbery is the matter.”
“'There’ll be murder too,” replied the
| hump-backed man coolly, “if you don’t
take your hands off. Do you hear me?”
| I hear you,” said the doctor, giving
his captive a hearty shake. ‘“ Where’s
— confound the fellow, what’s his ras¬