It was now quite night, but the streets were well lighted from the shop windows, and throngs of people were hurrying hither and thither; for it was boxing-night, and all the lower classes of the inhabitants were taking holiday.  But old Oliver saw and heard nothing of the crowd.  He walked on by Tony’s side; with feeble and tottering steps, deaf and blind, but whispering all the while, with trembling lips, to One whom no one else could see or hear.  Once or twice Tony saw a solemn smile flit across his face, and he nodded his head and raised his hand, as one who gives his assent to what is said to him.  So they passed on through the noisy streets till they reached quieter ones, were there were neither shops nor many passers-by, and there they found the home where they were going to leave their treasure for a time.

CHAPTER XVIII.

No room for Dolly.

Old Oliver rang the house-bell very quietly, for Dolly seemed to be asleep again, and lay quite still in Tony’s arms, which were growing stiff, and benumbed by the cold.  The door was opened by a porter, whose face was strange to them both, for he had only come in for the day while the usual one took holiday.  Old Oliver presented himself in front, and pointed at his little grandchild as Tony held her in his arms while he spoke to the porter in a voice which trembled greatly.

“We’ve brought you our little girl, who is very ill,” he said, “but she’ll soon get well in here, I know.  I’d like to see the doctor, and tell him all about her.”

“We’re quite full,” answered the porter, filling up the doorway.

“Full?” repeated old Oliver, in a tone of questioning.

“Ay! all our cots are full,” he replied, “chockfull.  There ain’t no more room.  We’ve turned two or three away this morning, when they came at the right time.  This isn’t the right time to bring any child here.”

“But my little love is very ill,” continued old Oliver; “this is the right place, isn’t it?  The place where they nurse little children who are ill?”

“It’s all right,” said the porter, “it’s the right place enough, only it’s brimful, and running over, as you may say.  We couldn’t take in one more, if it was ever so.  But you may come in and sit down in the hall for a minute or two, while I fetch one of the ladies.”

Old Oliver and Tony entered, and sat down upon a bench inside.  There was the broad staircase, with its shallow steps, which Dolly’s tiny feet had climbed so easily, and it led up to the warm, pleasant nurseries, where little children were already falling asleep, almost painlessly, in their cosy cots.  Tony could not believe that there was not room for their darling, who had been so willing to come to the place she knew so well, yet a sob broke from his lips, which disturbed Dolly in her sleep, for she moaned once or twice, and stirred uneasily in his arms.  The old man leaned his hands upon the top of his stick, and rested his white head upon them, until they heard light footsteps, and the rustling of a dress, and they saw a lady coming down stairs to them.