n Mr. Ross and the doctor were gone; and he
slept lightly, his face turned towards the place where his little love
was sleeping. A faint light burnt all night in the room, and Tony, who
could not fall asleep, sat in the chimney-corner, with Beppo upon his
knees. There was an unutterable, quiet sorrow within him, mingled with a
strange awe. That little child, who had played with him, and kissed him
only a day since, was already gone into the unseen world, which was so
very near to him now, though it had seemed so very far away and so empty
before. It must be very near, since she had gone to it so quickly; and
it was no longer empty, for Dolly was there; and she had said she would
watch at the door till he came home.

CHAPTER XX.

A FRESH DAY DAWNS.

Old Oliver and Tony saw their darling buried in a little grave in a
cemetery miles away from their own home, and then they returned, desolate
and bereaved, to the deserted city, which seemed empty indeed to them.
The house had never looked so very dark and dreary before. Yet from time
to time old Oliver forgot that Dolly was gone altogether, and could never
come back; for he would call her in his eager, quavering tones, or search
for her in some of the hiding-places, where she had often played at
hide-and-seek with him. When mealtimes came round he would put out
Dolly's plate and cup, which had been bought on purpose for her, with gay
flowers painted upon them; and in the evening, over his pipe, when he had
been used to talk to his Lord, he now very often said nothing but repeat
again and again Dolly's little prayer, which he had himself taught her,
"Gentle Jesus, meek and mild." It was quite plain to Tony that it would
never do to leave him alone in his house and shop.

"I've give up my place as errand-boy," he said to Mr. Ross, "'cause the
old master grows worse and worse for forgetting, and I must mind shop for
him now as well as I can. He's not off his head, as you may say; he's
sharp enough sometimes; but there's no trusting to him being sharp
always. He talks to Dolly as if she was here, and could hear him, till I
can't hardly bear it. But I'm very fond of him,--fonder of him than
anythink else, 'cept my little Dolly; and I've made up my mind as his
Master shall be my master, and he's always ready to tell me all he knows
about him. I'm no ways afeared of not getting along."

Tony found that they got along very well. Mr. Ross made a point of going
in to visi