FORSAKEN AGAIN.
The next three days were a season of unmixed happiness to old Oliver. The
little child was so merry, yet withal so gentle and sweet-tempered, that
she kept him in a state of unwearied delight, without any alloy of
anxiety or trouble. She trotted at his side with short, running
footsteps, when he went out early in the morning to fetch his daily stock
of newspapers. She watched him set his room tidy, and made believe to
help him by dusting the legs and seats of his two chairs. She stood with
folded hands and serious face, looking on as he was busy with his
cooking. When she was not thus engaged she played contentedly with Beppo,
prattling to him in such a manner, that Oliver often forgot what he was
about while listening to her. She played with him, too, frolicsome little
games of hide-and-seek, in which he grew as eager as herself; and
sometimes she stole his spectacles, or handkerchief, or anything she
could lay her mischievous fingers upon to hide away in some unthought-of
spot; while her shrewd, cunning little face put on an expression of
profound gravity as old Oliver sought everywhere for them.
As Friday evening drew near, the old man's gladness took a shade of
anxiety. His daughter was coming home to him, and his heart was full of
unutterable joy and gratitude; but he did not know exactly how they
should go on in the future. He was averse to change; yet this little
house, with its single room, to which he had moved when she forsook him,
was too scanty in its accommodation. He had made up a rude sort of bed
for himself under the counter in the shop, and was quite ready to give up
his own to Susan and his little love, as he called Dolly; but would Susan
let him have his own way in this, and many other things? He provided a
sumptuous tea, and added a fresh salad to it from the greengrocer's next
door; but though he and Dolly waited and watched till long after the
child's bed-time, taking occasional snatches of bread and butter, still
Susan did not arrive. At length a postman entered the little shop with a
noise which made Oliver's heart beat violently, and tossed a letter down
upon the counter. He carried it to the door, where there was still light
enough to read it, and saw that it was in Susan's handwriting.
"MY DEAR AND DEAREST FATHER,
"My heart is almost broke, betwixt one thing and another. His regiment
is to set sail immediate, and the colonel's lady has offered me very
handsome wages to go out with her as lady's maid, her own having
disappointed her at the last moment; which I could do very well, knowing
the dressmaking. He said, 'Do come, Susan, and I'll never get drunk
again, so help me God; and if you don't, I shall go to the bad
altogether; for I do love you, Susan.' I said, 'Oh my child!' And the
colonel's lady said, 'She's safe with her grandfather; and if he's a
good man, as you say he is, he'll take the best of care of her. I'll
give you three pounds to send him from here, and we'll send more from
Calcutta.' So they overpersuaded me, and there isn't even time to come
back to London, for we are going in a few hours. You'll take care of my
little dear, I know, you and aunt Charlotte. I've sent a little box of
clothes for her by the railway, and what more she wants aunt Charlotte
will see to, I'm sure, and do her mending, and see to her manners till I
come home. Oh! if I could only hear you say 'Susan, my dear, I forgive
you, and love you almost as much as ever,' I'd go with a lighter heart,
and be almost glad to leave Dolly to be a comfort to you. She will be a
comfort to you, though she is so little, I'm sure. Tell her mammy says
she must be a good girl always till mammy comes back. A hundred thousand
kisses for my dear father and my little girl. We shall come home as soon
as ever we can; but I don't rightly know where India is. I think it's my
bounden duty to go with him, as things have turned out. Pray God take
care of us all.
"Your loving, sorrowful daughter,
"SUSAN RALEIGH."