NO PIPE FOR OLD OLIVER.
As some weeks went by, and no crossing and broom had been given to Tony,
he began to suspect that Oliver was imposing upon him. Now that he slept
under the counter, he could often hear the old man talking aloud to his
invisible Friend as he smoked his pipe; and once or twice Tony crept
noiselessly to the door and watched him, after he had finished smoking,
kneel down and hide his face in his hands for some minutes together. But
the boy could see nothing, and his wish had not been granted; even
though, as he grew more instructed, he followed Oliver's example, and,
kneeling down behind the counter, whispered out a prayer for it. To be
sure his life was easier, especially the nights of it; for he never now
went hungry and starved to bed upon some cold, hard door-step. But it was
old Oliver who did that for him, not old Oliver's Master. So far as he
knew, the Lord Jesus had taken no notice whatever of him; and the
feeling, at first angry, softened down into a kind of patient grief,
which was quickly dying away into indifference.
Oliver had done himself no bad turn by offering a shelter to the solitary
lad. Tony always woke early in the morning, and if it rained he would run
for the papers, before turning out to "find for himself" in the streets.
He generally took care to be out of the way at meal-times; for it was as
much as the old man could do to provide for himself and Dolly. Sometimes
Tony saw him at the till, counting over his pence with rather a troubled
face. Once, after receiving a silver fourpenny piece, an extraordinary
and undreamed of event, Tony dropped it, almost with a feeling of guilt,
through the slit in the counter which communicated with the till. But
Oliver was so bewildered by its presence among the coppers, that he was
compelled to confess what he had done, saying it would have cost him
more than that for lodgings these cold nights.
"No, no, Tony," said Oliver; "you're very useful, fetching my papers, and
taking my little love out a-walking when the weather's fine. I ought to
pay you something, instead of taking it of you."
"Keep it for Dolly," said Tony, bashfully, and pushing the coin into her
little hand.
"Sank 'oo," answered Dolly, accepting it promptly; "me'll give 'oo twenty
kisses for it."
It seemed ample payment to Tony, who went down on his knees to have the
kisses pressed upon his face, which had never felt a kiss since his
mother died. But Oliver was not satisfied with the bargain, though he
drew Dolly to him fondly, and left the money in her hand.
"It 'ud buy you a broom, Tony," he said.
"Oh, I've give up asking for a crossing," he answered, dejectedly; "for
he never heard, or if he heard, he never cared; so it were no use going
on teazing either him or me."
"But this money 'ud buy the broom," said Oliver; "and if you looked
about you, you'd find the crossing. You never got such a bit of money
before, did you?"
"No, never," replied Tony. "A tall, thin gentleman, with a dark face and
very sharp eyes, gave it me for holding his horse, near Temple Bar. He
says, 'Mind you spend that well, my lad.' I'd know him again anywhere."
"You ought to have bought a broom," said Oliver, looking down at Dolly's
tightly-closed hand.
"Don't you go to take it of her," cried Tony. "Bless you! I'll get
another some way. I never thought that were the way he'd give me a broom
and a crossing. I thought it 'ud be sure to come direct."
"Well," said Oliver, after a little pause, "I'll save the fourpence for
you. It'll only be going without my pipe for a few nights, that's all.
That's nothing, Tony."
It did not seem much to Tony, who had no idea as yet of the pleasures of
smoking; yet he roused up just before falling into his deep sleep at
night to step softly to the door, and look in upon Oliver. He was sitting
in his arm-chair, with his pipe between his lips, but there was no
tobacco in it; and he was holding more eager converse than ever with his
unseen companion.
"Dear Lord!" he said, "I'd do ten times more than this for thee. Thou
hast said, 'Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these, ye did it
unto me.' Tony's one of thy little ones. Dear Lord, do thee give him a
crossing, if it be thy blessed will. Do thee now, Lord."
Tony could hear no more, and he stole back to bed, his mind full of new
and vague hopes. He dreamed of the fourpenny piece, and the gentleman who
had given it, and of Dolly, who bought a wondrous broom with it, in his
dream, which swept a beautiful crossing of itself. But old Oliver sat
still a long time, talking half aloud; for his usual drowsiness did not
come to him. It was nearly five months now since Dolly was left to him,
and he felt his deafness and blindness growing upon him slowly. His
infirmities were not yet so burdensome as to make him dependent upon
others; but he felt himself gradually drawing near to such a state.
Dolly's clothes were getting sadly in want of mending; there was scarcely
a fastening left upon them, and neither he nor Tony could sew on a button
or tape. It was a long time--a very long time--since his sister had been
to see him; and, with the reluctancy of old age to any active exertion,
he had put off from week to week the task of writing to her to tell her
of Susan's departure, and the charge he had in his little grandchild. He
made up his mind that he would do it tomorrow.