CHAPTER XIX.
THE GOLDEN CITY.
Tony lay there in the dark, overwhelmed by his unusual terror and sorrow,until he heard the voice of old Oliver calling his name feebly. Hehurried to him, and found him still beside the bed where Dolly was lying.He had taken off most of her clothes, and put her white nightgown overthe rest, that she might sleep warmly in them all the night, for herlittle hands and feet felt very chilly to his touch. The fire had goneout while they were away, and the grate looked very black and cheerless.The room was in great disorder, just as they had left it, and the gas,which was burning high, cast a cruel glare upon it all. But Tony sawnothing except the dear face of Dolly, resting on one check upon thepillow, with her curly hair tossed about it in confusion, and her openeyes gathering a strange film. Beppo had made his way to her side, andpushed his head under her lifeless little hand, which tried to pat it nowand then. Old Oliver was sitting on the bedstead, his eyes fastened uponher, and his whole body trembled violently. Tony sank down upon hisknees, and flung his arm over Dolly, as if to save her from the unseenpower which threatened to take her away from them.
"Don't ky, gan-pa," she said, softly; "don't ky more than a minute. NorTony. Are I going to die, gan-pa?"
"Yes, my little love," cried old Oliver, moaning as he said it.
"Where are I going to?" asked Dolly, very faintly.
"You're going to see my Lord and Master," he said; "him as loves littlechildren so, and carries them in his arms, and never lets them besorrowful or ill or die again."
"Does he live in a bootiful place?" she asked, again.
"It's a more beautiful place than I can tell," answered old Oliver. "TheLord Jesus gives them light brighter than the sun; and the streets areall of gold, and there are many little children there, who always see theface of their Father."
"Dolly's going rere," said the little child, solemnly.
She smiled for a minute or two, holding Beppo's ear between her failingfingers, and playing with it. Tony's eyes were dim with tears, yet hecould see her clear face clearly through them. What could he do? Wasthere no one to help?
"Master, master!" he cried. "If the Lord Jesus is here he can save her.Ask him, master."
But old Oliver paid no heed to him. For the child who was passing awayfrom him he was all eye and ear, watching and listening as keenly as inhis best and strongest days; but he was blind and deaf to everything elsearound him. Tony's voice could not reach his brain.
"Will gan-pa come rere?" whispered the failing and faltering voice ofDolly.
"Very soon," he answered; a radiant smile coming to his face, which madeher smile as her eyes caught the glory of it. "Very, very soon, my littlelove. You'll be there to meet me when I come."
"Dolly'll watch for gan-pa," she murmured, with long pauses between thewords, which seemed to drop one by one upon Tony's ear; "and Dolly'llwatch at the door for Tony to come home; and she'll fret ever so if henever comes."
Tony felt her stir restlessly under his arm, and stretch her tiny limbsupon the bed as if she were very tired, and the languid eyelids droopedslowly till they quite hid her blue eyes, and she sighed softly aschildren sigh when they fall asleep, weary of their play. Old Oliver laidhis shaking hand tenderly upon her head.
"Dear Lord!" he said, "take my little love to thyself. I give herup to thee."
It seemed to Tony as if a thick mist of darkness fell all about him, andas if he were sinking down, down, very low into some horrible pit wherehe would never see the light of day again. But by-and-bye he came tohimself, and found old Oliver sobbing in short, heavy sobs, and swayinghimself to and fro, while Beppo was licking Dolly's hand, and barkingwith a sharp, quiet bark, as he had been wont to do when he wanted her toplay with him. The child's small features were quite still, but there wasan awful smile upon them such as there had never been before, and Tonycould not bear to look upon it. He crossed her tiny hands lightly overone another upon her breast, and then he lifted Beppo away gently, anddrew the bed-clothes about her, so as to hide her smiling face.
"Master," he cried, "master, is she gone?"
Old Oliver only answered by a deep moan; and Tony put his arm about him,and raised him up.
"Come to your own chair, master," he said.
He yielded to Tony like a child, and seated himself in the chair, wherehe had so often sat and watched Dolly while he smoked his pipe. The boyput his pipe between his fingers; but he only let it fall to the ground,where it broke into many pieces. Tony did not know what to do, nor whereto go for any help.
"Lord," he said, "if you really love the old master, do something forhim; for I don't know whatever to do, now little Dolly's gone."
He sat down on his old box, staring at Oliver and the motionless form onthe bed, with a feeling of despair tugging at his heart. He couldscarcely believe it was all true; for it was not very long since--only itseemed like long years--since he had leaped over the counter in hislight-heartedness. But he had not sat there many minutes before he hearda distinct, rather loud knock at the shop-door, and he ran hastily to askwho was there.
"Antony," said a voice he knew very well, "I have come with the doctor,to see what we can do for your little girl."
In an instant Tony opened the door, and as Mr. Ross entered the boy flunghis arms round him, and hid his face against him, sobbing bitterly.
"Oh! you've come too late," he cried, "you've come too late! Dolly'sdead, and I'm afraid the master's going away from me as well. Theycouldn't take her in, and she died after we had brought her home."
The doctor and Mr. Ross went on into the inner room, and Tony pointedsilently to the bed where Dolly lay. Old Oliver roused himself at thesound of strange voices, and, leaning upon Tony's shoulder, he staggeredto the bedside, and drew the clothes away from her dear, smiling face.
"I don't murmur," he said. "My dear Lord can't do anything unkind. He'llcome and speak to me presently, and comfort me; but just now I'm deaf andblind, even to him. I've not forgot him, and he hasn't forgot me; butthere's a many things ought to be done, and I cannot think what."
"Leave it all to us," said Mr. Ross, leading him back to his chair. "Buthave you no neighbour you can go and stay with for to-night? You are anold man, and you must not lose your night's sleep."
"No," he answered, shaking his head; "I'd rather stay here in my ownplace, if I'd a hundred other places to go to. I'm not afraid of mylittle love,--no, no! When everything is done as ought to be done,I'll lie in my own bed and watch her. It won't be lonesome, as long asshe's here."
In an hour's time all was settled for that night. A little resting-placehad been made for the dead child in a corner of the room, where she laycovered with a coarse white sheet, which was the last one left of thosewhich old Oliver's wife had spun in her girlhood. The old man had givenhis promise to go to bed when Mr. Ross and the doctor were gone; and heslept lightly, his face turned towards the place where his little lovewas sleeping. A faint light burnt all night in the room, and Tony, whocould not fall asleep, sat in the chimney-corner, with Beppo upon hisknees. There was an unutterable, quiet sorrow within him, mingled with astrange awe. That little child, who had played with him, and kissed himonly a day since, was already gone into the unseen world, which was sovery near to him now, though it had seemed so very far away and so emptybefore. It must be very near, since she had gone to it so quickly; andit was no longer empty, for Dolly was there; and she had said she wouldwatch at the door till he came home.