CHAPTER XXVIII. LOOKS AFTER OLIVER, AND PROCEEDS WITH HIS ADVENTURES

ashawl,hungheavyanduselessathissidethebandagewassaturatedwithblood.Hewassoweak,thathecouldscarcelyraisehimselfintoasittingposturewhenhehaddoneso,helookedfeeblyroundforhelp,andgroanedwithpain.Tremblingineveryjoint,fromcoldandexhaustion,hemadeanefforttostanduprightbut,shudderingfromheadtofoot,fellprostrateontheground. Afterashortreturnofthestuporinwhichhehadbeensolongplunged,Oliver:urgedbyacreepingsicknessathisheart,whichseemedtowarnhimthatifhelaythere,hemustsurelydie:gotuponhisfeet,andessayedtowalk.Hisheadwasdizzy,andhestaggeredtoandfrolikeadrunkenman.Buthekeptup,nevertheless,and,withhisheaddroopinglanguidlyonhisbreast,wentstumblingonward,heknewnotwhither. Andnow,hostsofbewilderingandconfusedideascamecrowdingonhismind.HeseemedtobestillwalkingbetweenSikesandCrackit,whowereangrilydisputing—fortheverywordstheysaid,soundedinhisearsandwhenhecaughthisownattention,asitwere,bymakingsomeviolentefforttosavehimselffromfalling,hefoundthathewastalkingtothem.Then,hewasalonewithSikes,ploddingonasonthepreviousdayandasshadowypeoplepassedthem,hefelttherobber’sgraspuponhiswrist.Suddenly,hestartedbackatthereportoffirearmsthereroseintotheair,loudcriesandshoutslightsgleamedbeforehiseyesallwasnoiseandtumult,assomeunseenhandborehimhurriedlyaway.Throughalltheserapidvisions,thererananundefined,uneasyconsciousnessofpain,whichweariedandtormentedhimincessantly. Thushestaggeredon,creeping,almostmechanically,betweenthebarsofgates,orthroughhedge-gapsastheycameinhisway,untilhereachedaroad.Heretherainbegantofallsoheavily,thatitrousedhim. Helookedabout,andsawthatatnogreatdistancetherewasahouse,whichperhapshecouldreach.Pityinghiscondition,theymighthavecompassiononhimandiftheydidnot,itwouldbebetter,hethought,todienearhumanbeings,thaninthelonelyopenfields.Hesummonedupallhisstrengthforonelasttrial,andbenthisfalteringstepstowardsit. Ashedrewnearertothishouse,afeelingcomeoverhimthathehadseenitbefore.Herememberednothingofitsdetailsbuttheshapeandaspectofthebuildingseemedfamiliartohim. Thatgardenwall!Onthegrassinside,hehadfallenonhiskneeslastnight,andprayedthetwomen’smercy.Itwastheveryhousetheyhadattemptedtorob. Oliverfeltsuchfearcomeoverhimwhenherecognisedtheplace,that,fortheinstant,heforgottheagonyofhiswound,andthoughtonlyofflight.Flight!Hecouldscarcelystand:andifhewereinfullpossessionofallthebestpowersofhisslightandyouthfulframe,whithercouldhefly?Hepushedagainstthegarden-gateitwasunlocked,andswungopenonitshinges.Hetotteredacrossthelawnclimbedthestepsknockedfaintlyatthedoorand,hiswholestrengthfailinghim,sunkdownagainstoneofthepillarsofthelittleportico. Ithappenedthataboutthistime,Mr.Giles,Brittles,andthetinker,wererecruitingthemselves,afterthefatiguesandterrorsofthenight,withteaandsundries,inthekitchen.NotthatitwasMr.Giles’shabittoadmittotoogreatfamiliaritythehumblerservants:towardswhomitwasratherhiswonttodeporthimselfwithaloftyaffability,which,whileitgratified,couldnotfailtoremindthemofhissuperiorpositioninsociety.But,death,fires,andburglary,makeallmenequalssoMr.Gilessatwithhislegsstretchedoutbeforethekitchenfender,leaninghisleftarmonthetable,while,withhisright,heillustratedacircumstantialandminuteaccountoftherobbery,towhichhisbearers(butespeciallythecookandhousemaid,whowereoftheparty