Chapter XXXVI

Oliver Twist

by Charles Dickens

Is a Very Short One, and May Appear of No Great Importance in its
Place, But It Should Be Read Notwithstanding, as a Sequel to the
Last, and a Key to One That Will Follow When its Time Arrives

'And so you are resolved to be my travelling companion this
morning; eh?' said the doctor, as Harry Maylie joined him and Oliver
at the breakfast-table. 'Why, you are not in the same mind or
intention two half-hours together!'

'You will tell me a different tale one of these days,' said
Harry, colouring without any perceptible reason.

'I hope I may have good cause to do so,' replied Mr. Losberne;
'though I confess I don't think I shall. But yesterday morning you
had made up your mind, in a great hurry, to stay here, and to
accompany your mother, like a dutiful son, to the sea-side. Before
noon, you announce that you are going to do me the honour of
accompanying me as far as I go, on your road to London. And at
night, you urge me, with great mystery, to start before the ladies
are stirring; the consequence of which is, that young Oliver here is
pinned down to his breakfast when he ought to be ranging the meadows
after botanical phenomena of all kinds. Too bad, isn't it,
Oliver?'

'I should have been very sorry not to have been at home when you
and Mr. Maylie went away, sir,' rejoined Oliver.

'That's a fine fellow,' said the doctor; 'you shall come and see
me when you return. But, to speak seriously, Harry; has any
communication from the great nobs produced this sudden anxiety on
your part to be gone?'

'The great nobs,' replied Harry, 'under which designation, I
presume, you include my most stately uncle, have not communicated
with me at all, since I have been here; nor, at this time of the
year, is it likely that anything would occur to render necessary my
immediate attendance among them.'

'Well,' said the doctor, 'you are a queer fellow. But of course
they will get you into parliament at the election before Christmas,
and these sudden shiftings and changes are no bad preparation for
political life. There's something in that. Good training is always
desirable, whether the race be for place, cup, or sweepstakes.'

Harry Maylie looked as if he could have followed up this short
dialogue by one or two remarks that would have staggered the doctor
not a little; but he contented himself with saying, 'We shall see,'
and pursued the subject no farther. The post-chaise drove up to the
door shortly afterwards; and Giles coming in for the luggage, the
good doctor bustled out, to see it packed.

'Oliver,' said Harry Maylie, in a low voice, 'let me speak a
word with you.'

Oliver walked into the window-recess to which Mr. Maylie
beckoned him; much surprised at the mixture of sadness and boisterous
spirits, which his whole behaviour displayed.

'You can write well now?' said Harry, laying his hand upon his
arm.

'I hope so, sir,' replied Oliver.

'I shall not be at home again, perhaps for some time; I wish you
would write to me--say once a fort-night: every alternate Monday: to
the General Post Office in London. Will you?'

'Oh! certainly, sir; I shall be proud to do it,' exclaimed
Oliver, greatly delighted with the commission.

'I should like to know how--how my mother and Miss Maylie are,'
said the young man; 'and you can fill up a sheet by telling me what
walks you take, and what you talk about, and whether she--they, I
mean--seem happy and quite well. You understand me?'

'Oh! quite, sir, quite,' replied Oliver.

'I would rather you did not mention it to them,' said Harry,
hurrying over his words; 'because it might make my mother anxious to
write to me oftener, and it is a trouble and worry to her. Let is be
a secret between you and me; and mind you tell me everything! I
depend upon you.'

Oliver, quite elated and honoured by a sense of his importance,
faithfully promised to be secret and explicit in his communications.
Mr. Maylie took leave of him, with many assurances of his regard and
protection.

The doctor was in the chaise; Giles (who, it had been arranged,
should be left behind) held the door open in his hand; and the
women-servants were in the garden, looking on. Harry cast one slight
glance at the latticed window, and jumped into the carriage.

'Drive on!' he cried, 'hard, fast, full gallop! Nothing short
of flying will keep pace with me, to-day.'

'Halloa!' cried the doctor, letting down the front glass in a
great hurry, and shouting to the postillion; 'something very short of
flyng will keep pace with me. Do you hear?'

Jingling and clattering, till distance rendered its noise
inaudible, and its rapid progress only perceptible to the eye, the
vehicle wound its way along the road, almost hidden in a cloud of
dust: now wholly disappearing, and now becoming visible again, as
intervening objects, or the intricacies of the way, permitted. It
was not until even the dusty cloud was no longer to be seen, that the
gazers dispersed.

And there was one looker-on, who remained with eyes fixed upon
the spot where the carriage had disappeared, long after it was many
miles away; for, behind the white curtain which had shrouded her from
view when Harry raised his eyes towards the window, sat Rose
herself.

'He seems in high spirits and happy,' she said, at length. 'I
feared for a time he might be otherwise. I was mistaken. I am very,
very glad.'

Tears are signs of gladness as well as grief; but those which
coursed down Rose's face, as she sat pensively at the window, still
gazing in the same direction, seemed to tell more of sorrow than of
joy.