Stranica 173 [173]
OCR
125 excess of amazement and indignation; and, twisting himself dexterously from the doctor’s grasp, growled forth a volley of horrid oaths, and retired into the house. Before he could shut the door, however, the doctor had passed into the parlour without a word of parley. He looked anxiously round: not an article of furniture, not a vestige of anything, animate or inanimate, not even the position of the cupboards, answered Oliver’s description ! “ Now,” said the hump-backed man, who had watched him keenly, “ what do you mean by coming into my house in this violent way? Do you want to rob me, or to murder me t — which is it?” s Did you ever know a man come out to do either in a chariot and pair, you ridiculous old vampire?" said the irritable doctor. “ What do you want then?" demanded the hunchback fiercely. yourself off before I do you a mischief? curse you !” “ As soon as I think proper,” said Mr. Losberne, looking into the other parlour, which, like the first, bore no resemblance whatever to Oliver’s account of it. “I shal] find you out some day, my friend.” “Will you?” sneered the ill-favoured cripple. “If you ever want me, I’m here. I haven’t lived here mad, and all alone, for five-and-twenty years, to be scared by you. You shall pay for this; you shall pay for this.” And so saying, the misshapen little demon set up a hideous yell, and danced upon the ground as if frantic with rage. “Stupid enough, this,” muttered the doctor to himself: “the boy must have made a mistake. There; put that in your ket, and shut yourself up again.” ith these words he flung the hunchback a piece of money, and returned to the carriage. uttering the wildest imprecations and curses all the way; but as Mr. Losberne turned to speak to the driver, he looked into the carriage, and eyed Oliver for an instant with a glance so sharp and fierce, and at the same time so furious and vindictive, that, waking or sleeping, he could not forget it for months afterwards. He continued to utter the most fearful impre-. cations until the driver had resumed his seat, and when they were once more on their way, they could see him some distance behind, beating his feet upon the ground, and tearing his hair in transports of frenzied rage. “Did you know that besilence. fore, Oliver ?”’ 6 No, sir.” “Then don’t forget it another time.” | s An ass,” said the doctor again after a further silence of some minutes. “ Even if it had been the right place, and the right fellows had been there, what could I have done single-handed? And if I had had assistance, I see no good that I should have done except leading to my own exposure, and an unavoidable statement of the manner in which I have hushed up this business. That would have served me right, though. I am always involving myself in some scrape or other by acting upon these impulses, and it might have done me good.” : Now the fact was, that the excellent doctor had never acted upon anything else but impulse all through his life; and it was no bad compliment to the nature of the impulses which governed him, that so far from being involved in any peculiar troubles or misfortunes, he had the warmest respect and esteem of all who knew him. If the truth must be told, he was a little out of temper for a minute or two at being disappointed in procuring corroborative evidence of Oliver’s story on the very first occasion on which he had a chance of obtaining any. He soon came round again, however, and finding that Oliver’s replies to his questions were still as straight-forward and consistent, and still delivered with as much apparent sincerity and truth, as they had ever been, he made up his mind to attach full credence to them from that time forth. As Oliver knew the name of the street in which Mr. Brownlow resided, they were enabled to drive straight. thither. When the coach turned into it, his heart beat so violently that he could scarcely draw his breath. 6 Now, my boy, which house is it ?” inquired Mr. Losberne. “That, that!” replied Oliver, pointing eagerly out of the window. “The white house. Oh! make haste! Pray make haste! I feel as if J should die: it makes me tremble so.” “Come, come!” said the good doctor, patting him on the shoulder. “ You will see them directly, and they will be overjoyed to find you safe and well." “Oh! I hope so!” cried Oliver. “ They were so good to me; so very, very good to me, sir.” The coach rolled on. It stopped. No, that was the wrong house. The next 11"
