hapter 10
(narrated by Tommy)
Oliver is Safe Again
Morning came and at last Oliver woke up. His left arm, covered in blood, hung at his side. He could not lift it. He was very weak, and he cried with the pain.
He knew that he had to move, so he got up slowly and walked to the nearest house.
'Perhaps the people in that house will feel pity for me,' he thought. 'And if they don't, it will be better to die near people than in the open fields.'
Oliver pushed open the garden gate and went slowly across the grass. The pain got worse. He climbed the steps, knocked at the door and then fainted again.
At this time Mr Giles, Brittles and the other servants were having some early morning tea in the kitchen. Mr Giles was telling the servants what had happened in the night.
Suddenly there was a noise outside. The cook screamed.
'That was a knock,' said Mr Giles. 'Open the door, somebody.' Nobody moved. 'It seems a strange time to knock,' said Mr Giles. 'Open the door, Brittles. We will all stand near you.'
They walked forward slowly towards the door. Brittles opened it, and there was poor little Oliver Twist.
'A boy!' cried Mr Giles.
He pulled Oliver into the hall.
'Here is one of the thieves, madam!' he shouted up the stairs. 'I shot him, madam.'
'Giles!' said the sweet voice of a young lady at the top of the stairs. 'Is the poor man hurt? '
'I think he is dying,' shouted Brittles. 'Would you like to come down and look at him, miss?'
'Please be quiet,' said the young lady. 'I will speak to my aunt, and ask her what to do.'
She soon returned and said,
'Carry the thief to Mr Giles's room. Brittles must go to the town for the doctor.' Some time later, a carriage stopped outside the gate. A fat gentleman jumped out, ran into the house and came quickly into the room.
'This is terrible!' he cried, as he shook hands with the ladies. 'My dear Mrs Maylie - in the silence of the night - and you too, Miss Rose. Terrible!'
'We are all right, Dr Losberne,' said Rose, 'but there is a poor man upstairs that my aunt wishes you to see.'
'Yes, Brittles told me,' said Dr Losberne. 'You shot him, Giles? Where is he? Show me the way.'
The doctor stayed in Mr Giles's room for more than an hour.
His bag was brought up from the carriage. A bedroom bell was rung very often, and the servants ran up and down the stairs all the time. At last Dr Losberne returned to the two ladies.
'This is a very strange thing, Mrs Maylie,' he said.
'He isn't in danger, I hope?' said the old lady.
'No,' replied the doctor. 'Have you seen this thief?'
'No,' replied the old lady.
'I was going to tell you about him when the doctor came in, madam,' said Mr Giles.
He felt rather ashamed to say that he had shot a small boy.
'Rose wanted to see the man,' said Mrs Maylie, 'but I didn't allow it.'
'There is nothing to be afraid of,' said the doctor. 'He is quiet and comfortable now. Will you both come and see him while I am here?'
The doctor led the way upstairs.
'Now,' he said, as he opened the door, 'what do you think of him?'
There, instead of an evil man, lay a small child. He was weak with pain and was in a deep sleep. His arm rested across his chest, his head lay on his other arm and his hair was spread over the pillow.
They looked at him in silence. Then the younger lady bent over him and she brushed back Oliver's hair, her tears fell on his face. Oliver moved and smiled in his sleep.
'What can this mean?' said the older lady. 'I cannot believe that this poor child was the pupil of thieves!'
'Who can say?' answered the doctor. 'We find evil, like death, among the old and the young.'
'But at such an early age!' cried Rose. 'Has he ever known a mother's love or the happiness of a comfortable home? Oh, aunt, dear aunt, don't let them take this sick child to-prison!'
'My dear love,' said the old lady, of course not!'
Hour after hour passed, and in the evening Dr Losberne told the ladies that Oliver was able to talk to them.
Their talk was a long one. Oliver told them the story of his life. He was often forced to stop, because of the pain and his weak condition. It was sad to hear about such suffering from the mouth of a sick child. But the gentle hands and loving smiles of the ladies helped Oliver. He felt calm and happy and peaceful.
Oliver was quite ill and weak. His broken arm was painful, and the rain and cold had given him a fever. He was sick in bed for many weeks, but slowly he grew better. With tears in his eyes, he thanked the two sweet ladies for helping him. When the warmer weather began and there were new leaves on the trees, they prepared to leave the town house for a house in the countryside.
It was a completely new life for Oliver. Here roses climbed the walls of the old country house and the air was filled with the smell of beautiful flowers. The days were quiet, and he was not afraid when he went to bed at night.
Every morning he went to see an old gentleman who taught him to read better and to write. He went for walks with Mrs Maylie and Rose. He listened when Rose played the piano in the evenings and sang in her sweet, gentle voice.
He helped in the garden and he worked at his lessons too. He fed Mrs Maylie's birds and sometimes he got up at six in the morning to pick flowers for the breakfast table.
Oliver was really happy. The ladies looked after him so well and he loved them with all his heart.
Chapter 11
(narrated by Ix-Chel)
The Mysterious Stranger
Spring passed quickly and summer came. The sun shone. Nature was growing, full of life and energy. Oliver grew bigger and healthier, but he was still the same gentle, sweet boy that he had been before.
One beautiful, warm night Oliver and the two ladies took a longer walk than usual. When they returned, Rose sat down at the piano. After playing for a little time, her hands suddenly began to shake. Her face was very white.
'Rose, my love!' cried Mrs Maylie. 'What is the matter?'
'Nothing, aunt, nothing,' said Rose. 'I am rather tired. I shall go to bed now and be better tomorrow. Please don't worry.'
When morning came, Rose was worse. It was clear that she was suffering from a serious illness. Mrs Maylie's sadness was terrible.
'We must send for Dr Losberne at once, Oliver,' she said. 'I have written a letter to him. Will you take it to the inn for me? From there someone will ride at once with it to Dr Losberne at Chertsey.'
Oliver ran off immediately across the fields. He found the inn and arranged for the letter to be taken to Dr Losberne. He was worried and nervous until he saw the man take the letter and ride away with it on his horse.
He was coming out of the inn when he almost fell against a tall man in a black coat.
'Curse you!' said the man in a voice of terrible anger. 'What are you doing here?'
'I am very sorry, sir,' said Oliver.' I was in a great hurry to get home. I didn't see you.'
The man moved towards Oliver, but before he could hit the boy he fell to the ground.
Oliver stared at the madman for a moment and then ran into the inn for help. Some men came and carried the person inside.
Then Oliver ran away as fast as he could. He was very frightened by the stranger's mysterious behaviour.
Dr Losberne arrived late that night and went straight to Rose while Mrs Maylie and Oliver waited outside the bedroom. Rose was very ill, the doctor said.
In the morning the little house was lonely and quiet. Oliver went to the old church and sat down outside on the grass. He wept and prayed for Rose. He looked around at the beautiful countryside and heard the songs of the summer birds. It was impossible that Rose could die when everything was so glad and happy.
When he went home, Mrs Maylie was sitting in the living room. Rose had fallen into a deep sleep. When she woke up, she would either get better or say goodbye and die.
At last Dr Losberne came out of the bedroom.
'How is Rose?' cried the old lady. 'Tell me at once!'
'You must be calm, my dear madam,' said the doctor.
'Tell me, in God's name! My dear child! She is dead!'
'Thank God, no!' cried the doctor, with great feeling. 'She won't die.'
The old lady fell on her knees and prayed. It was almost too much happiness to accept. Oliver could not weep, or speak, or rest.
He went out and picked some beautiful flowers for Rose's room.
Every day Rose grew better, but she was weak for a long time and could not leave her room. The windows were open now because she loved to feel the warm summer air. But there were no more evening walks, and Oliver spent much of the time in his own little room working at his lessons.
One evening, Oliver sat and read his books. He felt tired. It had been a hot day and he was not really awake but was only half asleep.
Suddenly he seemed to see Fagin, pointing at him and whispering to another man.
'That is the boy.'
'I know,' the other man seemed to answer.
The anger and hate in the man's voice made Oliver jump up.
What was that? There - there - at the window - close to him, very close so he could almost touch him - there stood Fagin and beside him, white with anger or fear, stood the man who had met him outside the inn.
It was only a second - and then they had gone. But they had seen him and he had seen them.
He jumped from the window into the garden, and called for help in a loud voice. The servants came running. Oliver could only say,
'Fagin! Fagin!'
'Was it a man?' cried Mr Giles, taking up a heavy stick.' Which way did he go? '
'Over there!' cried Oliver.
Mr Giles ran off, and Brittles followed him. Oliver ran behind with Dr Losberne, who was taking a short walk. But they could not find the two men.
'It must be a dream, Oliver,' said, Dr Losberne.
'Oh no, really, sir,' replied Oliver. 'I saw Fagin - I am sure of that. I saw them both as clearly as I see you now.'
'Who was the other man?' asked Dr Losberne.
'The man that I told you about. He was at the inn,' said Oliver.
'This is very strange,' said Dr Losberne.
They continued to search for the two men, but without success. The next day Mr Giles was sent to all the inns in the
hapter 10
(narrated by Tommy)
Oliver is Safe Again
Morning came and at last Oliver woke up. His left arm, covered in blood, hung at his side. He could not lift it. He was very weak, and he cried with the pain.
He knew that he had to move, so he got up slowly and walked to the nearest house.
'Perhaps the people in that house will feel pity for me,' he thought. 'And if they don't, it will be better to die near people than in the open fields.'
Oliver pushed open the garden gate and went slowly across the grass. The pain got worse. He climbed the steps, knocked at the door and then fainted again.
At this time Mr Giles, Brittles and the other servants were having some early morning tea in the kitchen. Mr Giles was telling the servants what had happened in the night.
Suddenly there was a noise outside. The cook screamed.
'That was a knock,' said Mr Giles. 'Open the door, somebody.' Nobody moved. 'It seems a strange time to knock,' said Mr Giles. 'Open the door, Brittles. We will all stand near you.'
They walked forward slowly towards the door. Brittles opened it, and there was poor little Oliver Twist.
'A boy!' cried Mr Giles.
He pulled Oliver into the hall.
'Here is one of the thieves, madam!' he shouted up the stairs. 'I shot him, madam.'
'Giles!' said the sweet voice of a young lady at the top of the stairs. 'Is the poor man hurt? '
'I think he is dying,' shouted Brittles. 'Would you like to come down and look at him, miss?'
'Please be quiet,' said the young lady. 'I will speak to my aunt, and ask her what to do.'
She soon returned and said,
'Carry the thief to Mr Giles's room. Brittles must go to the town for the doctor.' Some time later, a carriage stopped outside the gate. A fat gentleman jumped out, ran into the house and came quickly into the room.
'This is terrible!' he cried, as he shook hands with the ladies. 'My dear Mrs Maylie - in the silence of the night - and you too, Miss Rose. Terrible!'
'We are all right, Dr Losberne,' said Rose, 'but there is a poor man upstairs that my aunt wishes you to see.'
'Yes, Brittles told me,' said Dr Losberne. 'You shot him, Giles? Where is he? Show me the way.'
The doctor stayed in Mr Giles's room for more than an hour.
His bag was brought up from the carriage. A bedroom bell was rung very often, and the servants ran up and down the stairs all the time. At last Dr Losberne returned to the two ladies.
'This is a very strange thing, Mrs Maylie,' he said.
'He isn't in danger, I hope?' said the old lady.
'No,' replied the doctor. 'Have you seen this thief?'
'No,' replied the old lady.
'I was going to tell you about him when the doctor came in, madam,' said Mr Giles.
He felt rather ashamed to say that he had shot a small boy.
'Rose wanted to see the man,' said Mrs Maylie, 'but I didn't allow it.'
'There is nothing to be afraid of,' said the doctor. 'He is quiet and comfortable now. Will you both come and see him while I am here?'
The doctor led the way upstairs.
'Now,' he said, as he opened the door, 'what do you think of him?'
There, instead of an evil man, lay a small child. He was weak with pain and was in a deep sleep. His arm rested across his chest, his head lay on his other arm and his hair was spread over the pillow.
They looked at him in silence. Then the younger lady bent over him and she brushed back Oliver's hair, her tears fell on his face. Oliver moved and smiled in his sleep.
'What can this mean?' said the older lady. 'I cannot believe that this poor child was the pupil of thieves!'
'Who can say?' answered the doctor. 'We find evil, like death, among the old and the young.'
'But at such an early age!' cried Rose. 'Has he ever known a mother's love or the happiness of a comfortable home? Oh, aunt, dear aunt, don't let them take this sick child to-prison!'
'My dear love,' said the old lady, of course not!'
Hour after hour passed, and in the evening Dr Losberne told the ladies that Oliver was able to talk to them.
Their talk was a long one. Oliver told them the story of his life. He was often forced to stop, because of the pain and his weak condition. It was sad to hear about such suffering from the mouth of a sick child. But the gentle hands and loving smiles of the ladies helped Oliver. He felt calm and happy and peaceful.
Oliver was quite ill and weak. His broken arm was painful, and the rain and cold had given him a fever. He was sick in bed for many weeks, but slowly he grew better. With tears in his eyes, he thanked the two sweet ladies for helping him. When the warmer weather began and there were new leaves on the trees, they prepared to leave the town house for a house in the countryside.
It was a completely new life for Oliver. Here roses climbed the walls of the old country house and the air was filled with the smell of beautiful flowers. The days were quiet, and he was not afraid when he went to bed at night.
Every morning he went to see an old gentleman who taught him to read better and to write. He went for walks with Mrs Maylie and Rose. He listened when Rose played the piano in the evenings and sang in her sweet, gentle voice.
He helped in the garden and he worked at his lessons too. He fed Mrs Maylie's birds and sometimes he got up at six in the morning to pick flowers for the breakfast table.
Oliver was really happy. The ladies looked after him so well and he loved them with all his heart.
Chapter 11
(narrated by Ix-Chel)
The Mysterious Stranger
Spring passed quickly and summer came. The sun shone. Nature was growing, full of life and energy. Oliver grew bigger and healthier, but he was still the same gentle, sweet boy that he had been before.
One beautiful, warm night Oliver and the two ladies took a longer walk than usual. When they returned, Rose sat down at the piano. After playing for a little time, her hands suddenly began to shake. Her face was very white.
'Rose, my love!' cried Mrs Maylie. 'What is the matter?'
'Nothing, aunt, nothing,' said Rose. 'I am rather tired. I shall go to bed now and be better tomorrow. Please don't worry.'
When morning came, Rose was worse. It was clear that she was suffering from a serious illness. Mrs Maylie's sadness was terrible.
'We must send for Dr Losberne at once, Oliver,' she said. 'I have written a letter to him. Will you take it to the inn for me? From there someone will ride at once with it to Dr Losberne at Chertsey.'
Oliver ran off immediately across the fields. He found the inn and arranged for the letter to be taken to Dr Losberne. He was worried and nervous until he saw the man take the letter and ride away with it on his horse.
He was coming out of the inn when he almost fell against a tall man in a black coat.
'Curse you!' said the man in a voice of terrible anger. 'What are you doing here?'
'I am very sorry, sir,' said Oliver.' I was in a great hurry to get home. I didn't see you.'
The man moved towards Oliver, but before he could hit the boy he fell to the ground.
Oliver stared at the madman for a moment and then ran into the inn for help. Some men came and carried the person inside.
Then Oliver ran away as fast as he could. He was very frightened by the stranger's mysterious behaviour.
Dr Losberne arrived late that night and went straight to Rose while Mrs Maylie and Oliver waited outside the bedroom. Rose was very ill, the doctor said.
In the morning the little house was lonely and quiet. Oliver went to the old church and sat down outside on the grass. He wept and prayed for Rose. He looked around at the beautiful countryside and heard the songs of the summer birds. It was impossible that Rose could die when everything was so glad and happy.
When he went home, Mrs Maylie was sitting in the living room. Rose had fallen into a deep sleep. When she woke up, she would either get better or say goodbye and die.
At last Dr Losberne came out of the bedroom.
'How is Rose?' cried the old lady. 'Tell me at once!'
'You must be calm, my dear madam,' said the doctor.
'Tell me, in God's name! My dear child! She is dead!'
'Thank God, no!' cried the doctor, with great feeling. 'She won't die.'
The old lady fell on her knees and prayed. It was almost too much happiness to accept. Oliver could not weep, or speak, or rest.
He went out and picked some beautiful flowers for Rose's room.
Every day Rose grew better, but she was weak for a long time and could not leave her room. The windows were open now because she loved to feel the warm summer air. But there were no more evening walks, and Oliver spent much of the time in his own little room working at his lessons.
One evening, Oliver sat and read his books. He felt tired. It had been a hot day and he was not really awake but was only half asleep.
Suddenly he seemed to see Fagin, pointing at him and whispering to another man.
'That is the boy.'
'I know,' the other man seemed to answer.
The anger and hate in the man's voice made Oliver jump up.
What was that? There - there - at the window - close to him, very close so he could almost touch him - there stood Fagin and beside him, white with anger or fear, stood the man who had met him outside the inn.
It was only a second - and then they had gone. But they had seen him and he had seen them.
He jumped from the window into the garden, and called for help in a loud voice. The servants came running. Oliver could only say,
'Fagin! Fagin!'
'Was it a man?' cried Mr Giles, taking up a heavy stick.' Which way did he go? '
'Over there!' cried Oliver.
Mr Giles ran off, and Brittles followed him. Oliver ran behind with Dr Losberne, who was taking a short walk. But they could not find the two men.
'It must be a dream, Oliver,' said, Dr Losberne.
'Oh no, really, sir,' replied Oliver. 'I saw Fagin - I am sure of that. I saw them both as clearly as I see you now.'
'Who was the other man?' asked Dr Losberne.
'The man that I told you about. He was at the inn,' said Oliver.
'This is very strange,' said Dr Losberne.
They continued to search for the two men, but without success. The next day Mr Giles was sent to all the inns in the
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