‘He has not peached so far,’ said the
Jew as he pursued his occupation. ’If
he means to blab us among his new friends, we may
stop his mouth yet.’
COMPRISING FURTHER PARTICULARS OF OLIVER’S STAY
AT MR. BROWNLOW’S, WITH THE REMARKABLE PREDICTION
WHICH ONE MR. GRIMWIG UTTERED CONCERNING HIM, WHEN
HE WENT OUT ON AN ERRAND
Oliver soon recovering from the fainting-fit into
which Mr. Brownlow’s abrupt exclamation had
thrown him, the subject of the picture was carefully
avoided, both by the old gentleman and Mrs. Bedwin,
in the conversation that ensued: which indeed
bore no reference to Oliver’s history or prospects,
but was confined to such topics as might amuse without
exciting him. He was still too weak to get up
to breakfast; but, when he came down into the housekeeper’s
room next day, his first act was to cast an eager
glance at the wall, in the hope of again looking on
the face of the beautiful lady. His expectations
were disappointed, however, for the picture had been
removed.
‘Ah!’ said the housekeeper, watching the
direction of Oliver’s eyes. ‘It
is gone, you see.’
‘I see it is ma’am,’ replied Oliver.
’Why have they taken it away?’
’It has been taken down, child, because Mr.
Brownlow said, that as it seemed to worry you, perhaps
it might prevent your getting well, you know,’
rejoined the old lady.
‘Oh, no, indeed. It didn’t worry
me, ma’am,’ said Oliver. ’I
liked to see it. I quite loved it.’
‘Well, well!’ said the old lady, good-humouredly;
’you get well as fast as ever you can, dear,
and it shall be hung up again. There! I
promise you that! Now, let us talk about something
else.’
This was all the information Oliver could obtain about
the picture at that time. As the old lady had
been so kind to him in his illness, he endeavoured
to think no more of the subject just then; so he listened
attentively to a great many stories she told him,
about an amiable and handsome daughter of hers, who
was married to an amiable and handsome man, and lived
in the country; and about a son, who was clerk to
a merchant in the West Indies; and who was, also,
such a good young man, and wrote such dutiful letters
home four times a-year, that it brought the tears into
her eyes to talk about them. When the old lady
had expatiated, a long time, on the excellences of
her children, and the merits of her kind good husband
besides, who had been dead and gone, poor dear soul!
just six-and-twenty years, it was time to have tea.
After tea she began to teach Oliver cribbage:
which he learnt as quickly as she could teach:
and at which game they played, with great interest
and gravity, until it was time for the invalid to
have some warm wine and water, with a slice of dry
toast, and then to go cosily to bed.
