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 four-penny 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 to-morrow.