don't know me," interrupted Tony, eagerly; "but Mr. Ross brought
me here, a year ago now, and they cured me, and set me up stronger
than ever. They was so wery kind to me, that I couldn't think of
anythink else save bringing our little girl to 'em. I'm sure they'd
take her in, if they only knew it was her. You jest say as it's Tony
and Dolly, as everybody took such notice of, and they'll never turn her
away, I'm sure."

"I wish we could take her," said the lady, with tears in her eyes; "but
it is impossible. We should be obliged to turn some other child out, and
that could not be done to-night. You had better bring her again in the
morning, and we'll see if there is any one well enough to make room for
her. Let me look at the poor child for a minute."

She lifted up the collar of Tony's blue jacket, which covered Dolly's
face, and looked down at it pitifully. It was quite white now, and was
pinched and hollow, with large blue eyes shining too brightly. She
stretched out her arms to the lady, and made a great effort to smile.

"Put Dolly into a pretty bed," she murmured, "where the sun shines, and
she'll soon get well and go home again to gan-pa."

"What can I do?" cried the lady, the tears now running down her face.
"The place is quite full; we cannot take in one more, not one. Bring her
here again in the morning, and we will see what can be done."

"How many children have you got here?" asked old Oliver.

"We have only seventy-five cots," she answered, sobbing; "and in a winter
like this they're always full."

"Only seventy-five!" repeated the old man, very sorrowfully. "Only
seventy-five, and there are hundreds and hundreds of little children ill
in London! They are ill in houses like mine, where the sun never shines.
Is there no other place like this we could take our little love to?"

"There are two or three other Hospitals," she answered, "but they are a
long way off, and none of them as large as ours. They are sure to be full
just now. I think there are not more than a hundred and fifty cots in all
London for sick children."

"Then there's no room for my Dolly?" he said.

The lady shook her head without speaking, for she had her handkerchief up
to her face.

"Eh!" cried old Oliver in a wailing voice, "I don't know whatever the
dear Lord 'ill say to that."

He made a sign to Tony that they must be going home again; and the boy
raised himself up with a strange weight and burden upon his heart. Old
Oliv