Page 260 - Oliver Twist

’Hush, pray; there’s a good man!’ rejoined the lady. ’Wait quietly only one
instant, while T speak to aunt.’

With a footstep as soft and gentle as the voice, the speaker tripped away.

She soon returned, with the direction that the wounded person was to be
carried, carefully, upstairs to Mr. Giles’s room; and that Brittles was to
saddle the pony and betake himself instantly to Chertsey: from which place,

he was to despatch, with all speed, a constable and doctor.

’But won’t you take one look at him, first, miss?’ asked Mr. Giles, with as
much pride as if Oliver were some bird of rare plumage, that he had
skilfully brought down. ’Not one little peep, miss?’

’Not now, for the world,’ replied the young lady. ’Poor fellow! Oh! treat him

kindly, Giles for my sake!’

The old servant looked up at the speaker, as she turned away, with a glance

as proud and admiring as if she had been his own child. Then, bending over
Oliver, he helped to carry him upstairs, with the care and solicitude of a

woman.

CHAPTER XXIX

HAS AN TNTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE TNMATES OF THE
HOUSE, TO WHTCH OLTVER RESORTED

Tn a handsome room: though its furniture had rather the air of old-fashioned
comfort, than of modern elegance: there sat two ladies at a well-spread

breakfast-table. Mr. Giles, dressed with scrupulous care in a full suit of
black, was in attendance upon them. He had taken his station some

half-way between the side-board and the breakfast-table; and, with his body
drawn up to its full height, his head thrown back, and inclined the merest
trifle on one side, his left leg advanced, and his right hand thrust into his