d fell on his
knees before her, she opened her heavy eyes, and stretched out her cold
thin hand to stroke his cheeks. "Dolly's so very ill, Tony," she
murmured, "poor Dolly's very ill indeed."

"I don't know whatever is the matter with my little love," said the old
man, in a low and trembling voice; "she fell down all of a sudden, and I
thought she was dead, Tony; but she's coming round again now. Isn't my
little love better now?"

"Yes, gan-pa, yes; Dolly's better," she answered faintly.

"Let me hold her, master," said Tony, his heart beating fast; "I can
hold her stronger and more comfortable, maybe, than you. You're tired
ever so, and you'd better get yourself a bit of dinner. Shall Tony nurse
you now, Dolly?"

The little girl raised her arms to him, and Tony took her gently into his
own, sitting down upon the old box in the chimney-corner, and putting her
to nestle comfortably against him. Dolly closed her eyes again, and
by-and-bye he knew that she had fallen into a light sleep, while old
Oliver moved noiselessly to and fro, only now and then saying half aloud,
in a tone of strange earnestness and entreaty, "Lord! dear Lord!"

After awhile the old man came and bent over them both, taking Dolly's arm
softly between his withered fingers, and looking down at it with a
shaking head.

"She's very thin, Tony; look at this little arm," he said, "wasting away!
wasting away! I've watched all my little ones waste away except my poor
Susan. Couldn't there anything be done to save her?"

"Ay!" answered Tony, in an energetic whisper, while he clasped Dolly a
little tighter in his arms; "ay! they could cure her easily at the
hospital. Bless yer! there were little 'uns ten times worse than her as
they sent home cured. Let us take her there as soon as ever she wakes
up, and she'll be quite well directly, I promise you. The doctor knows
me, and I'll speak to Mr. Ross for her. Do you get a bit of dinner, and
hearten yourself up for it; and we'll set off as soon as she's awake."

Old Oliver turned away comforted, and prepared his own and Tony's dinner,
and put a mince-pie into the oven to be ready to tempt Dolly's appetite
when she awoke. But she slept heavily all the afternoon till it was
almost dark outside, and the lamps were being lit, when she awoke,
restless and feverish.

"Would Dolly like to go to that nice place, where the little girls had
the dolls and the music?" asked Tony, in a quavering voice which he could