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Dolly grew more and more pensive after hearing this, and sat silent for a long time, with her small head resting thoughtfully upon her hand, as she looked up and down the street. "Dolly 'ud like to buy a boom," she said, at last, "a great, big boom; and gan-pa 'ill smoke his pipe again to-night. Dolly's growing a big girl; and me must be a good girl till mammy comes back.
"Dolly'll watch for gan-pa," she murmured, with long pauses between the words, which seemed to drop one by one upon Tony's ear; "and Dolly'll watch at the door for Tony to come home; and she'll fret ever so if he never comes."
"I don't know whatever is the matter with my little love," said the old man, in a low and trembling voice; "she fell down all of a sudden, and I thought she was dead, Tony; but she's coming round again now. Isn't my little love better now?" "Yes, gan-pa, yes; Dolly's better," she answered faintly.
"Are you God-bless-gan-pa?" inquired Dolly, sitting up on her pillow, and staring very hard with her blue eyes into his wrinkled face. "Yes, I am," he answered, looking at her anxiously. "Dolly knows," she said, counting upon her little fingers; "rere's father, and mammy, and Beppo; and now rere's gan-pa. Dolly'll get up now."
"Tony's come home, Tony's come home, gan-pa!" she shouted with all her might. "Dolly's found Tony at last!" Dolly's voice quivered, and broke down into quick, childish sobs, while she held Tony very fast, lest he should escape from her once again; and old Oliver came quickly from the room beyond, and laid his hand fondly upon the boy's shoulder.
"We've bought a geat big boom, gan-pa," shouted Dolly, as she came through the shop, and before she perceived the presence of a stranger; "and Tony and Dolly made a great big crossing, and dot ever so much money " She was suddenly silent as soon as her eye fell upon the stranger; but Aunt Charlotte had heard enough.
"On'y God bless gan-pa, and father, and mammy, and poor Beppo, and make me a good girl," murmured the drowsy voice, as Dolly closed her eyes again, and fell off into a deep sleep the next moment. It was a very strange event which had befallen old Oliver.
For the child who was passing away from him he was all eye and ear, watching and listening as keenly as in his best and strongest days; but he was blind and deaf to everything else around him. Tony's voice could not reach his brain. "Will gan-pa come rere?" whispered the failing and faltering voice of Dolly.
"Say grand-pa, and kiss him, Polly," she said, coaxingly. The little child held back shyly for a minute, for old Oliver's head was shaking much more than usual now; but at length she put her two soft little hands to his face, and held it between them, while she kissed him. "Gan-pa!" she cried, crowing and chuckling with delight.
"Don't ky, gan-pa," she said, softly; "don't ky more than a minute. Nor Tony. Are I going to die, gan-pa?" "Yes, my little love," cried old Oliver, moaning as he said it. "Where are I going to?" asked Dolly, very faintly. "You're going to see my Lord and Master," he said; "him as loves little children so, and carries them in his arms, and never lets them be sorrowful or ill or die again."
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