oss the lawn
and knock at the door; then he sank in a faint on the steps.

In the house lived a lady named Mrs. Maylie, just as kind-hearted as was
Mr. Brownlow who had rescued Oliver at the police station, and with her
lived a beautiful girl whom she had adopted, named Rose. The servants,
when they came to the door, made sure Oliver was one of the robbers, and
sent at once for policemen to take him in charge; but Miss Rose, the
moment she saw what a good face the boy had and how little he looked
like a thief, made them put him to bed and send at once for the doctor.

When the good doctor arrived and saw Oliver, who was still unconscious,
he thought Miss Rose was right, and when the boy had come to himself and
told them how he had suffered, he was certain of it. They were both
sorry the policemen had been sent for, because the doctor was sure they
would not believe Oliver's story, especially as he had been arrested
once before. He would have taken him away, but he was too sick to be
moved.

So when the officers came the doctor told them that the boy had been
accidentally shot and had come to the house for assistance, when the
servants had mistaken him for one of the burglars. This was not exactly
the truth, but it seemed necessary to deceive the policemen if Oliver
was to be saved. Of course, the servant that had fired the pistol was
not able to swear that he had hit anybody at all, so the officers had to
go away without arresting anybody.

After this Oliver was ill for a long time, but he was carefully nursed,
especially by Miss Rose, who grew as fond of him as if she had been his
sister. As soon as he grew better she wrote a letter for him to Mr.
Brownlow, the old gentleman who had rescued him from the police station,
but to Oliver's grief she found that he had gone to the West Indies.

Thus the time passed till Oliver was quite well, and then Miss Rose
(first carefully instructing the servant who went with them not to lose
sight of him for a moment for fear of his old enemies) took him with her
for a visit to London.

Meantime there had been a dreadful scene in Fagin's house when Bill
Sikes got back to London and told the old Jew that the robbery had
failed and that Oliver was lost again. They were more afraid than ever
that they would be caught and sent to prison. Fagin swore at Sikes, and
Monks cursed Fagin, and between them all they determined that Oliver
must either be captured or killed.

While they were