When he was in the house playing
with Dolly, or reading to her, the shop altogether slipped away from his
memory, and he was only recalled to it by the loud knocking or shouting
of some customer in it. On the other hand, when he was sitting behind the
counter looking for news from India in the papers, news in which he was
already profoundly concerned, though it was impossible that Susan could
yet have reached it, he grew so absorbed, that he did not know how the
time was passing by, and both he and his little grand-daughter were
hungry before he had thought of getting ready any meal. He tried all
kinds of devices for strengthening his failing memory; but in vain. He
even forgot that he did forget; and when Dolly was laughing and
frolicking about him he grew a child again, and felt himself the happiest
man in London.
The person who took upon himself the heaviest weight of anxiety and
responsibility about Dolly was Tony, who began to make it his daily
custom to pass by the house at the hour when old Oliver ought to be going
for his morning papers; and if he found no symptom of life about the
place, he did not leave off kicking and butting at the shop-door until
the owner appeared.
Pages:
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49