"Going into a house," replied Oliver. "And Giles asked, for me, whether he
lived there, and they said he did. Look here," producing a scrap of paper,
"here it is; here's where he lives--I'm going there directly! OH, DEAR ME!
DEAR ME! what shall I do when I come to hear him speak again!"
With her attention not a little distracted by these exclamations of joy,
an idea came to Rose, and she determined upon turning this discovery to
account.
"Quick!" she said, "tell them to fetch a hackney-coach, and be ready to go
with me. I will take you to see Mr. Brownlow directly."
Oliver needed no urging and they were soon on their way to Craven Street.
When they arrived, Rose left Oliver in the coach, and sending up her card,
requested to see Mr. Brownlow on business. She was shown up stairs, and
presented to Mr. Brownlow, an elderly gentleman of benevolent appearance,
in a bottle-green coat, and with him was his friend, Mr. Grimwig. Rose
began at once upon her errand, to the great amazement of the two old
gentlemen. She related in a few natural words all that had befallen Oliver
since he left Mr. Brownlow's house, concluding with the assurance that his
only sorrow for many months had been the not being able to meet with his
former benefactor and friend.
"Thank God!" said Mr. Brownlow. "This is great happiness to me; great
happiness! But why not have brought him?"
"He is waiting in a coach at the door," replied Rose.
"At this door!" cried Mr. Brownlow. With which he hurried down the stairs,
without another word, and came back with Oliver. Then Mrs. Bedwin was sent
for. "God be good to me!" she cried, embracing him; "it is my innocent
boy! He would come back--I knew he would! How well he looks, and how like
a gentleman's son he is dressed again! Where have you been, this long,
long while?"
Running on thus,--now holding Oliver from her, now clasping him to her and
passing her fingers through his hair, the good soul laughed and wept upon
his neck by turns.
Leaving Oliver with her, Mr. Brownlow led Rose into another room, by her
request, and she narrated her interview with Nancy, which occasioned Mr.
Brownlow no small amount of perplexity and surprise. After a long
consultation they decided to take Mrs. Maylie and Dr. Losberne into their
confidence, also Mr. Grimwig, thus forming a committee for the purpose of
guarding the young lad from further entanglement in the plots of villains.
Through Nancy, with whom Rose had another interview, the man Monks was
tracked, and finally captured by Mr. Brownlow, who to his sorrow, found
that the villain was the erring son of his oldest friend, and his name of
Monks only an assumed one. Facing him in a room of his own house, to which
Monks had been brought,--Mr. Brownlow charged the man with one crime after
another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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