Chapter 41【1 / 2】

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CONTAININGFRESHDISCOVERIES，ANDSHOWINGTHATSUPRISES，LIKEMISFORTUNES，SELDOMCOMEALONE

Hersituationwas，indeed，oneofnocommontrialanddifficulty。WhileshefeltthemosteagerandburningdesiretopenetratethemysteryinwhichOliver'shistorywasenveloped，shecouldnotbutholdsacredtheconfidencewhichthemiserablewomanwithwhomshehadjustconversed，hadreposedinher，asayoungandguilelessgirl。HerwordsandmannerhadtouchedRoseMaylie'sheart；and，mingledwithherloveforheryoungcharge，andscarcelylessintenseinitstruthandfervour，washerfondwishtowintheoutcastbacktorepentanceandhope。

TheypurposedremaininginLondononlythreedays，priortodepartingforsomeweekstoadistantpartofthecoast。Itwasnowmidnightofthefirstday。Whatcourseofactioncouldshedetermineupon，whichcouldbeadoptedineight-and-fortyhours？Orhowcouldshepostponethejourneywithoutexcitingsuspicion？

Mr。Losbernewaswiththem，andwouldbeforthenexttwodays；butRosewastoowellacquaintedwiththeexcellentgentleman'simpetuosity，andforesawtooclearlythewrathwithwhich，inthefirstexplosionofhisindignation，hewouldregardtheinstrumentofOliver'srecapture，totrusthimwiththesecret，whenherrepresentationsinthegirl'sbehalfcouldbesecondedbynoexperiencedperson。ThesewereallreasonsforthegreatestcautionandmostcircumspectbehaviourincommunicatingittoMrs。Maylie，whosefirstimpulsewouldinfalliblybetoholdaconferencewiththeworthydoctoronthesubject。Astoresortingtoanylegaladviser，evenifshehadknownhowtodoso，itwasscarcelytobethoughtof，forthesamereason。OncethethoughtoccurredtoherofseekingassistancefromHarry；butthisawakenedtherecollectionoftheirlastparting，anditseemedunworthyofhertocallhimback，when--thetearsrosetohereyesasshepursuedthistrainofreflection--hemighthavebythistimelearnttoforgether，andtobehappieraway。

Disturbedbythesedifferentreflections；incliningnowtoonecourseandthentoanother，andagainrecoilingfromall，aseachsuccessiveconsiderationpresenteditselftohermind；Rosepassedasleeplessandanxiousnight。Aftermorecommuningwithherselfnextday，shearrivedatthedesperateconclusionofconsultingHarry。

‘Ifitbepainfultohim，’shethought，‘tocomebackhere，howpainfulitwillbetome！Butperhapshewillnotcome；hemaywrite，orhemaycomehimself，andstudiouslyabstainfrommeetingme--hedidwhenhewentaway。Ihardlythoughthewould；butitwasbetterforusboth。’AndhereRosedroppedthepen，andturnedaway，asthoughtheverypaperwhichwastobehermessengershouldnotseeherweep。

Shehadtakenupthesamepen，andlaiditdownagainfiftytimes，andhadconsideredandreconsideredthefirstlineofherletterwithoutwritingthefirstword，whenOliver，whohadbeenwalkinginthestreets，withMr。Gilesforabody-guard，enteredtheroominsuchbreathlesshasteandviolentagitation，asseemedtobetokensomenewcauseofalarm。

‘Whatmakesyoulooksoflurried？’askedRose，advancingtomeethim。

‘Ihardlyknowhow；IfeelasifIshouldbechoked，’repliedtheboy。‘Ohdear！TothinkthatIshouldseehimatlast，andyoushouldbeabletoknowthatIhavetoldyouthetruth！’

‘Ineverthoughtyouhadtoldusanythingbutthetruth，’saidRose，soothinghim。‘Butwhatisthis？--ofwhomdoyouspeak？’

‘Ihaveseenthegentleman，’repliedOliver，scarcelyabletoarticulate，‘thegentlemanwhowassogoodtome--Mr。Brownlow，thatwehavesooftentalkedabout。’

‘Where？’askedRose。

‘Gettingoutofacoach，’repliedOliver，sheddingtearsofdelight，‘andgoingintoahouse。Ididn'tspeaktohim--Icouldn'tspeaktohim，forhedidn'tseeme，andItrembledso，thatIwasnotabletogouptohim。ButGilesasked，forme，whetherhelivedthere，andtheysaidhedid。Lookhere，’saidOliver，openingascrapofpaper，‘hereitis；here'swherehelives--I'mgoingtheredirectly！Oh，dearme，dearme！WhatshallIdowhenIcometoseehimandhearhimspeakagain！’

Withherattentionnotalittledistractedbytheseandagreatmanyotherincoherentexclamationsofjoy，Rosereadtheaddress，whichwasCravenStreet，intheStrand。Sheverysoondetermineduponturningthediscoverytoaccount。

‘Quick！’shesaid。‘Tellthemtofetchahackney-coach，andbereadytogowithme。Iwilltakeyoutheredirectly，withoutaminute'slossoftime。Iwillonlytellmyauntthatwearegoingoutforanhour，andbereadyassoonasyouare。’

Oliverneedednopromptingtodespatch，andinlittlemorethanfiveminutestheywereontheirwaytoCravenStreet。Whentheyarrivedthere，RoseleftOliverinthecoach，underpretenceofpreparingtheoldgentlemantoreceivehim；andsendinguphercardbytheservant，requestedtoseeMr。Brownlowonverypressingbusiness。Theservantsoonreturned，tobegthatshewouldwalkupstairs；andfollowinghimintoanupperroom，MissMayliewaspresentedtoanelderlygentlemanofbenevolentappearance，inabottle-greencoat。Atnogreatdistancefromwhom，wasseatedanotheroldgentleman，innankeenbreechesandgaiters；whodidnotlookparticularlybenevolent，andwhowassittingwithhishandsclaspedonthetopofathickstick，andhischinproppedthereupon。

‘Dearme，’saidthegentleman，inthebottle-greencoat，hastilyrisingwithgreatpoliteness，‘Ibegyourpardon，younglady--Iimagineditwassomeimportunatepersonwho--Ibegyouwillexcuseme。Beseated，pray。’

‘Mr。Brownlow，Ibelieve，sir？’saidRose，glancingfromtheothergentlemantotheonewhohadspoken。

‘Thatismyname，’saidtheoldgentleman。‘Thisismyfriend，Mr。Grimwig。Grimwig，willyouleaveusforafewminutes？’

‘Ibelieve，’interposedMissMaylie，‘thatatthisperiodofourinterview，Ineednotgivethatgentlemanthetroubleofgoingaway。IfIamcorrectlyinformed，heiscognizantofthebusinessonwhichIwishtospeaktoyou。’

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