CHAPTER XVII.
A VERY DARK SHADOW.
The Christmas week passed by, and the new year came in, cold and bleak,but Tony was well secured against the weather, and liked the frosty air,which made it pleasant to run as fast as he could from place to place ashe delivered his parcels. When boxing day came, which was half-holidayfor him, he returned to the house at mid-day, carrying with him threemince-pies, which he had felt himself rich enough to buy in honour of theholiday. He had for a long time been reckoning upon shutting up shop forthe whole afternoon, and upon going out for a long stroll through thestreets with old Oliver and Dolly; and now that the hour was positivelycome he felt very light-hearted and full of spirits, defying the windwhich wrestled with him at every turn. Dolly must be wrapped up well, hesaid to himself, and old Oliver must put on his drab great coat, withmother o' pearl buttons, which he had brought up from the country fortyyears ago, and which was still good for keeping out the cold. He randown the alley, and passed through the shop whistling cheerily, anddisdaining to lift the flap of the counter, he took a running vault overit, and landed at once inside the open kitchen-door.
But there was old Oliver sitting close to the fire, with Dolly on hisknee, and her little head lying upon his breast, while the tears trickledslowly down his furrowed cheeks on to her pretty curls. Beppo wasstanding between his legs, licking Dolly's small hand, which hunglanguidly by her side. Her eyelids were closed, and her face was deadlywhite; but when Tony uttered a great cry of trouble, and fell on hisknees before her, she opened her heavy eyes, and stretched out her coldthin hand to stroke his cheeks. "Dolly's so very ill, Tony," shemurmured, "poor Dolly's very ill indeed."
"I don't know whatever is the matter with my little love," said the oldman, in a low and trembling voice; "she fell down all of a sudden, and Ithought she was dead, Tony; but she's coming round again now. Isn't mylittle love better now?"
"Yes, gan-pa, yes; Dolly's better," she answered faintly.
"Let me hold her, master," said Tony, his heart beating fast; "I canhold her stronger and more comfortable, maybe, than you. You're tiredever so, and you'd better get yourself a bit of dinner. Shall Tony nurseyou now, Dolly?"
The little girl raised her arms to him, and Tony took her gently into hisown, sitting down upon the old box in the chimney-corner, and putting herto nestle comfortably against him. Dolly closed her eyes again, andby-and-bye he knew that she had fallen into a light sleep, while oldOliver moved noiselessly to and fro, only now and then saying half aloud,in a tone of strange earnestness and entreaty, "Lord! dear Lord!"
After awhile the old man came and bent over them both, taking Dolly's armsoftly between his withered fingers, and looking down at it with ashaking head.
"She's very thin, Tony; look at this little arm," he said, "wasting away!wasting away! I've watched all my little ones waste away except my poorSusan. Couldn't there anything be done to save her?"
"Ay!" answered Tony, in an energetic whisper, while he clasped Dolly alittle tighter in his arms; "ay! they could cure her easily at thehospital. Bless yer! there were little 'uns ten times worse than her asthey sent home cured. Let us take her there as soon as ever she wakesup, and she'll be quite well directly, I promise you. The doctor knowsme, and I'll speak to Mr. Ross for her. Do you get a bit of dinner, andhearten yourself up for it; and we'll set off as soon as she's awake."
Old Oliver turned away comforted, and prepared his own and Tony's dinner,and put a mince-pie into the oven to be ready to tempt Dolly's appetitewhen she awoke. But she slept heavily all the afternoon till it wasalmost dark outside, and the lamps were being lit, when she awoke,restless and feverish.
"Would Dolly like to go to that nice place, where the little girls hadthe dolls and the music?" asked Tony, in a quavering voice which he couldscarcely keep from sobs; "the good place where Tony got well again, andthey gave him his new clothes? Everybody 'ud be so wery kind to poorlittle Dolly, and she'd come home again, quite cured and strong, likeTony was."
"Yes, yes!" cried Dolly, eagerly, raising herself up in his arms; "it's anice place, and the sun shines, and Dolly 'ud like to go. Only she'll besure to come back to gan-pa."
It was some time yet before they were quite ready to start, though Dollycould not be coaxed to eat the hot mince-pie, or anything else. OldOliver had to get himself into his drab overcoat, and the ailing childhad to be protected in the best way they could against the searchingwind. After they had put on all her own warmest clothing, Tony wrappedhis own thick blue jacket about her, and lifting her very tenderly in hisarms, they turned out into the streets, closely followed by Beppo.
It was now quite night, but the streets were well lighted from the shopwindows, and throngs of people were hurrying hither and thither; for itwas boxing-night, and all the lower classes of the inhabitants weretaking holiday. But old Oliver saw and heard nothing of the crowd. Hewalked on by Tony's side; with feeble and tottering steps, deaf andblind, but whispering all the while, with trembling lips, to One whom noone else could see or hear. Once or twice Tony saw a solemn smile flitacross his face, and he nodded his head and raised his hand, as one whogives his assent to what is said to him. So they passed on through thenoisy streets till they reached quieter ones, were there were neithershops nor many passers-by, and there they found the home where they weregoing to leave their treasure for a time.