The child's small features were quite still, but there was
an awful smile upon them such as there had never been before, and Tony
could not bear to look upon it. He crossed her tiny hands lightly over
one another upon her breast, and then he lifted Beppo away gently, and
drew the bed-clothes about her, so as to hide her smiling face.
"Master," he cried, "master, is she gone?"
Old Oliver only answered by a deep moan; and Tony put his arm about him,
and raised him up.
"Come to your own chair, master," he said.
He yielded to Tony like a child, and seated himself in the chair, where
he had so often sat and watched Dolly while he smoked his pipe. The boy
put his pipe between his fingers; but he only let it fall to the ground,
where it broke into many pieces. Tony did not know what to do, nor where
to go for any help.
"Lord," he said, "if you really love the old master, do something for
him; for I don't know whatever to do, now little Dolly's gone."
He sat down on his old box, staring at Oliver and the motionless form on
the bed, with a feeling of despair tugging at his heart. He could
scarcely believe it was all true; for it was not very long since--only it
seemed like long years--since he had leaped over the counter in his
light-heartedness.
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