Page 219 [219]
163
moment had been the only reward for all
her anxiety and care in Oliver’s behalf,
Rose Maylie would have been well repaid
for her exertions. .
“There is somebody else who should
not be forgotten, by the bye,” said Mr.
Brownlow, ringing the bell. “Send Mrs.
Bedwin here, if you please.”
The old housekeeper answered the
summons with all possible despatch, and
dropping a curtsy at the door, waited for
orders.
“Why, you get blinder every day,
Bedwin,” said Mr. Brownlow, rather
testily.
sc Well, that I do, sir," replied the old
lady. ‘People’s eyes, at my time of life,
don’t improve with age, sir."
‘IT could have told you that,” rejoined
Mr. Brownlow ; “ but puton your glasses,
and see if you can’t find out what you
were wanted for, will you?"
The old lady began to rummage in her
pocket for her spectacles; but Oliver’s
patience was. not proof against this new
trial, and yielding to his first. impulse, he
sprang into her arms.
ve be good; to me!" cried the old
lady, embracing him; “ it is my innocent
boy 1?
“ My dear old nurse!” cried Oliver, af¬
fectionately.
“He would come back—I knew he
would,” said the old lady, holding him in
her arms. " How well he looks, and how
like a gentleman’s son he is dressed again.
Where have you been this long, long
while? Ah! the same sweet face, but
not so pe ; the same soft eye, but not so
sad. Ihave never forgotten them or his
quiet smile, but seen them every day side
by side with those of my own dear chil¬
dren, dead and gone since I wasa young
and lightsome creature.” Running on
thus, and now holding Oliver from her
to mark how he had grown, now clasp¬
ing him to her and passing her fingers
fondly through his hair,
laughed and wept upon his neck by
turns.
Leaving her and Oliver to compare
notes at leisure, Mr. Brownlow led the
way into another room, and there heard
from Rose a full narration of her inter¬
view with Nancy, which occasioned him
no little surprise and perplexity. Rose
also explained her reasons for not. making
a confidant of her friend Mr. Losberne in
the first instance; the old gentleman
and readily undertook to hold solemn
conference with the worthy doctor him¬
self. ‘To afford him an early opportunity
for the execution of this design, it was
arranged that he should call at the hotel
at eight o’clock that evening, and that in
the mean time Mrs. Maylie should be
informed of all that had occurred. ‘These
preliminaries adjusted, Rose and Oliver
returned home.
Rose had by no means overrated the
measure of the good doctor’s wrath, for
Nancy’s history was no sooner unfolded,
than he poured forth a shower of mingled
threats and execrations; threatened to
make her the first victim of the combined
ingenuity of Messrs. Blathers and Duff,
and actually put on his hat preparatory to
sallying forth immediately to obtain the
assistance of those worthies. And doubt¬
less he would, in this outbreak, have carri¬
ed the intention into effect without a mo¬
ment’s consideration of the consequences,
if he had not been restrained, in part, by
corresponding violence on the side of Mr.
Brownlow, who was himself of an irasci¬
ble temperament, and partly by such argu¬
ments and representations as seemed best
calculated to dissuade him from his hot¬
brained purpose.
“Then what the devil is to be done?"
said the impetuous doctor, when they had
rejoined the two ladies. “ Are we to passa
vote of thanks to all these vagabonds,
male and female, and beg them to accept
a hundred pounds or so apiece as a trifling
mark of our esteem, and some slight
acknowledgment. of their kindness to
Oliver ?”’
“Not exactly that,” rejoined Mr.
Brownlow laughing, “but we must pro¬
ceed gently and with great care.”
“Gentleness and care!” exclaimed
the doctor. “I'd send them, one and all
to 99
“ Never. mind where,” inte Mr.
Brownlow. "But reflect whether send¬
ing them anywhere is likely to attain the
object we have in view.”
s What objeet "" asked the doctor.
“Simply the discovery of Oliver’s pa¬
rentage, and regaining for him his inheri¬
tance, of which, if this story be true, he
him¬
* Ah!" said Mr. Losberne, Seem
66 |
self with his pocket-handkerchief;
“You see," pursued Mr. Brownlow,
“ placing this poor girl entirely out of the