Chapter 36

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ISAVERYSHORTONE，ANDMAYAPPEAROFNOGREATIMPORTANCEINITSPLACE，BUTITSHOULDBEREADNOTWITHSTANDING，ASASEQUELTOTHELAST，ANDAKEYTOONETHATWILLFOLLOWWHENITSTIMEARRIVES

‘Andsoyouareresolvedtobemytravellingcompanionthismorning；eh？’saidthedoctor，asHarryMayliejoinedhimandOliveratthebreakfast-table。‘Why，youarenotinthesamemindorintentiontwohalf-hourstogether！’

‘Youwilltellmeadifferenttaleoneofthesedays，’saidHarry，colouringwithoutanyperceptiblereason。

‘IhopeImayhavegoodcausetodoso，’repliedMr。Losberne；‘thoughIconfessIdon'tthinkIshall。Butyesterdaymorningyouhadmadeupyourmind，inagreathurry，tostayhere，andtoaccompanyyourmother，likeadutifulson，tothesea-side。Beforenoon，youannouncethatyouaregoingtodomethehonourofaccompanyingmeasfarasIgo，onyourroadtoLondon。Andatnight，youurgeme，withgreatmystery，tostartbeforetheladiesarestirring；theconsequenceofwhichis，thatyoungOliverhereispinneddowntohisbreakfastwhenheoughttoberangingthemeadowsafterbotanicalphenomenaofallkinds。Toobad，isn'tit，Oliver？’

‘IshouldhavebeenverysorrynottohavebeenathomewhenyouandMr。Mayliewentaway，sir，’rejoinedOliver。

‘That'safinefellow，’saidthedoctor；‘youshallcomeandseemewhenyoureturn。But，tospeakseriously，Harry；hasanycommunicationfromthegreatnobsproducedthissuddenanxietyonyourparttobegone？’

‘Thegreatnobs，’repliedHarry，‘underwhichdesignation，Ipresume，youincludemymoststatelyuncle，havenotcommunicatedwithmeatall，sinceIhavebeenhere；nor，atthistimeoftheyear，isitlikelythatanythingwouldoccurtorendernecessarymyimmediateattendanceamongthem。’

‘Well，’saidthedoctor，‘youareaqueerfellow。ButofcoursetheywillgetyouintoparliamentattheelectionbeforeChristmas，andthesesuddenshiftingsandchangesarenobadpreparationforpoliticallife。There'ssomethinginthat。Goodtrainingisalwaysdesirable，whethertheracebeforplace，cup，orsweepstakes。’

HarryMaylielookedasifhecouldhavefollowedupthisshortdialoguebyoneortworemarksthatwouldhavestaggeredthedoctornotalittle；buthecontentedhimselfwithsaying，‘Weshallsee，’andpursuedthesubjectnofarther。Thepost-chaisedroveuptothedoorshortlyafterwards；andGilescominginfortheluggage，thegooddoctorbustledout，toseeitpacked。

‘Oliver，’saidHarryMaylie，inalowvoice，‘letmespeakawordwithyou。’

Oliverwalkedintothewindow-recesstowhichMr。Mayliebeckonedhim；muchsurprisedatthemixtureofsadnessandboisterousspirits，whichhiswholebehaviourdisplayed。

‘Youcanwritewellnow？’saidHarry，layinghishanduponhisarm。

‘Ihopeso，sir，’repliedOliver。

‘Ishallnotbeathomeagain，perhapsforsometime；Iwishyouwouldwritetome--sayonceafort-night：everyalternateMonday：totheGeneralPostOfficeinLondon。Willyou？’

‘Oh！certainly，sir；Ishallbeproudtodoit，’exclaimedOliver，greatlydelightedwiththecommission。

‘Ishouldliketoknowhow--howmymotherandMissMaylieare，’saidtheyoungman；‘andyoucanfillupasheetbytellingmewhatwalksyoutake，andwhatyoutalkabout，andwhethershe--they，Imean--seemhappyandquitewell。Youunderstandme？’

‘Oh！quite，sir，quite，’repliedOliver。

‘Iwouldratheryoudidnotmentionittothem，’saidHarry，hurryingoverhiswords；‘becauseitmightmakemymotheranxioustowritetomeoftener，anditisatroubleandworrytoher。Letitbeasecretbetweenyouandme；andmindyoutellmeeverything！Idependuponyou。’

Oliver，quiteelatedandhonouredbyasenseofhisimportance，faithfullypromisedtobesecretandexplicitinhiscommunications。Mr。Maylietookleaveofhim，withmanyassurancesofhisregardandprotection。

Thedoctorwasinthechaise；Giles（who，ithadbeenarranged，shouldbeleftbehind）heldthedooropeninhishand；andthewomen-servantswereinthegarden，lookingon。Harrycastoneslightglanceatthelatticedwindow，andjumpedintothecarriage。

‘Driveon！’hecried，‘hard，fast，fullgallop！Nothingshortofflyingwillkeeppacewithme，to-day。’

‘Halloa！’criedthedoctor，lettingdownthefrontglassinagreathurry，andshoutingtothepostillion；‘somethingveryshortofflyingwillkeeppacewith_me_。Doyouhear？’

Jinglingandclattering，tilldistancerendereditsnoiseinaudible，anditsrapidprogressonlyperceptibletotheeye，thevehiclewounditswayalongtheroad，almosthiddeninacloudofdust：nowwhollydisappearing，andnowbecomingvisibleagain，asinterveningobjects，ortheintricaciesoftheway，permitted。Itwasnotuntileventhedustycloudwasnolongertobeseen，thatthegazersdispersed。

Andtherewasonelooker-on，whoremainedwitheyesfixeduponthespotwherethecarriagehaddisappeared，longafteritwasmanymilesaway；for，behindthewhitecurtainwhichhadshroudedherfromviewwhenHarryraisedhiseyestowardsthewindow，satRoseherself。

‘Heseemsinhighspiritsandhappy，’shesaid，atlength。‘Ifearedforatimehemightbeotherwise。Iwasmistaken。Iamvery，veryglad。’

Tearsaresignsofgladnessaswellasgrief；butthosewhichcourseddownRose'sface，asshesatpensivelyatthewindow，stillgazinginthesamedirection，seemedtotellmoreofsorrowthanofjoy。