Stranica 217 [217]
OCR
beto me! But perhaps he will not come; he may write, or he may come himself, and studiously abstain from meeting me —he did when he went away. I hardly thought he would; but it was better for us both—a great deal better." And here Rose dropped the pen and turned away, as though the very paper which was to be her messenger should not see her weep. She had taken up the same pen and laid it down fifty times, and had considered and re-considered the very first line of her letter without writing the first word, when Oliver, who had been walking in the streets with Mr. Giles for a bodyguard, entered the room in such breathless haste and violent agitation, as seemed to betoken some new cause of alarm. c What makes you look so flurried !" asked Rose, advancing to meet him. “Speak to me, Oliver.” “T hardly know how; I feel as if I should be choked,” replied the boy. *“ Oh dear! to think that I should see him at last, and you should be able to know that I have told you all the truth!” 6 [ never thought you had told us anything but the truth, dear,” said Rose, aoothing him. “But what is this!— sf whom do you speak ?” “T have seen the gentleman,” replied Oliver, scarcely able to articulate, “the entleman who was so good to me—Mr. rownlow, that we have so often talked about.” sc Where?" asked Rose. “Getting out of a coach,” replied Oliver shedding tears of delight, “and going into a house. J didn’t speak to him —I couldn’t speak to him, for he didn’t see me, and I trembled so, that I was not able to go up to him. But Giles asked for me whether he lived there, and they said he did. Look here,” said Oliver, opening a paper, “here it is; here’s where he lives—I’m going there directly. Oh, dear me, dear me! what sha!l I do when I come to see him and hear him speak again!” With her attention not a little distracted by these and a great many other incoherent exclamations of joy, Rose read the address, which was Craven Street, in the Strand, and very soon determined upon turning the discovery to account. “Quick! she said, “tell them to fetch a hackney-coach, and be ready to go with me. I will take you there directly, without a minute’s loss of time. I will only tell my aunt that we are going : 444 V | | out for an hour, and be ready as soon as you are.” Oliver needed no prompting to despatch, and in a little more than five . minutes they were on their way to Craven Street. When they arrived there, Rose left Oliver in the coach under pretence of preparing the old gentleman to receive him, and sending up her card by the servant, requested to see Mr. Brownlow on very pressing business. ‘The servant soon returned to beg that she would walk up stairs, and, following him into an upper room, Miss Maylie was presented to an elderly gentleman of benevolent appearance, in a bottle-green coat; at no great distance from whom was seated another old gentleman, in nankeen breeches and gaiters, who did not look partieularly benevolent, and was sitting with his hands clasped on the top of a thick stick, and his chin propped thereupon. “ Dear me,” said the gentleman in the bottle-creen coat, hastily rising with great politeness, “I beg your pardon, young lady—I imagined it was some importunate person who—lI beg you will excuse me. Be seated, pray.” * Mr. Brownlow, I believe, sir?" said Rose, glancing from the other gentleman to the one who had spoken. “That is my name,” said the old gentleman. ‘This is my friend, Mr. Grimwig. Grimwig, will you leave us fora few minutes ?" “I believe,” interposed Miss Maylie, “that at this period of our interview I need not give that gentleman the trouble of going away. IfI am correctly informed, he is cognizant of the business on which I wish to speak to you." Mr. Brownlow inclined his head, and Mr. Grimwig, who had made one very stiff bow, and risen from his chair, made another very stiff bow, and dropped into it again. e 1 shall surprise you very much, I have no doubt,” said Rose, naturally embarrassed; “ but you once showed great benevolence and goodness to a very dear young friend of mine, and I am sure you will take an interest in hearing of him again.” “Indeed !” said Mr. Brownlow. “ May I ask his name?" “ Oliver Twist you knew him as,” replied Rose. The words no sooner escaped her lips than Mr. Grimwig, who had been affecting to dip into a large book that Jay on the
