The Old Curiosity Shop

om the main street, there lingered one, who, having taken up his position when the twilight first came on, still maintained it with undiminished patience, and leaning ag

directed towards one object; the window at which the child was accustomed to sit. If he withdrew them for a moment, it was only to glance

ty and surprise, glancing at the clock more frequently and at the window less hopefully than before. At length, the clock was hidden from his sight by some envious shutters, the

shoulder at the same window; and from the precipitation with which he as often returned, when a fancied noise or the changing and imperfect light induced him to suppose it had been softly raised. At length, he gave t

alleys and narrow ways until he at length arrived in a square paved court, when he subsided into a walk, and ma

urning sharply round, ‘who’

other,

ired you lo

hasn’t been at the window at all.’ With which words, he sat

t an ironing-table; a young child lay sleeping in a cradle near the fire; and another, a sturdy boy of two or three years old, very wide awake, with a very tight night-cap on his head, and a night-gown very much too small for him on his body, was sitting bolt upright in a clothes-basket, staring over the rim with his great round eyes, and

s-basket, and from him to their mother, who had been at work without complaint since morning, and thought it would be a better and kinder thing to be good-humoured. So he rocked the

a great piece of bread and meat which she had had ready for him, ho

said Mrs Nubbles; ‘and that there are, or ought to

rks like you do, and gets as little, and does as much, and keeps his spirit up the sam

ding the point, ‘your beer’s

‘my love to you, mother. And the parson’s health t

t your master hadn’t gone out t

d Kit, ‘wo

,’ returned his mother, ‘because Mis

e luck, because I’ve been watching ever sin

oor thing — is sitting alone at that window, you are watching in the open street for fear any harm should come to her, and that

ng like a blush on his uncouth face; ‘she’ll never kno

hile she rubbed it on a board and dusted it with a duster, but said nothing until she had returned to her table again: when, hold

ome people wou

t with a perfect apprehen

ople would say that you’d fallen in

d by sympathetic contortions of his face. Not deriving from these means the relief which he sought, he bit off an immense mouthful from th

thoughtful, and like you, to do this, and never let anybody know it, though some day I hope she may come to know it, for I’m sure she would be very gratef

he wouldn’t do it — I do consider, mother, that he wouldn’t do it for all the go

and why does he keep it so clo

never have found it out, for it was his getting me away at night and sending me off so much ea

y somebod

p to listen, ‘and coming very fast too. He can’t have go

to move. The footsteps drew nearer, the door was opened with a hasty hand, and the child hersel

the matter!’ cried mo

d, ‘grandfather has been taken very ill

it, seizing his brimless hat. ‘

there, you’re not wanted, you — you

’ roar

’t know. Pray don’t ask me why, pray don’t be sorry, pray d

wide; and opened and shut his mouth a grea

he child, ‘I don’t know what you have d

!’ roar

ust not come near him or he will die. You must not return to us any more. I came to tell you. I thought it would be better that I should

harder and harder, and with eyes growing wider an

little more, for he was always good and kind to me. I hope he will be sorry and do well somewhere else and not take this

e she had left, the shock she had received, the errand she had just discharged, and a thousand painful

ccounted so strangely, having been occasioned by some unlawful pursuit; flocked into her brain and rendered her afraid to question him. She rocked herself upon a chair, wringing her hands and weeping bitterly, but Kit made no attempt to comfort her and remained quite bewildered. The ba