and blew it to and fro every instant

His voice was hollow and tremulous as hetook me aside, and in broken words recounted a long catalogue ofsickness and privations, terminating as usual with an urgentrequest for the loan of a trifling sum of money. I discount links london put a few shillingsin his hand, and as I turned away I heard the roar of laughterwhich followed his first tumble on the stage. 　　‘A few nights afterwards, a boy put a dirty scrap of paper in myhand, on which were scrawled a few words in pencil, intimatingthat links of london charm the man was dangerously ill, and begging me, after theperformance, to see him at his lodgings in some street―I forgetthe name of it now―at no great distance from the theatre. Ipromised to comply, as soon as I could get away; and after thecurtain fell, sallied forth on my melancholy errand. 　　‘It was late, for I had been playing in the last piece; and, as itwas a benefit night, the performances had been protracted to anunusual length. It was a dark, cold night, with a chill, damp wind,which blew the rain heavily against the windows and house-fronts. 　　Pools of water had collected in the narrow and little-frequentedstreets, and as many of the thinly-scattered oil-lamps had links london beenblown out by the violence of the wind, the walk was not only acomfortless, but most uncertain one. I had fortunately taken theright course, however, and succeeded, after a little difficulty, infinding the house to which I had been directed―a coal-shed, withone Storey above it, in the back room of which lay the object of mysearch. 　　‘A wretched-looking woman, the man’s wife, met me on thestairs, and, telling me that he had just fallen into a kind of doze,led me softly in, and placed a chair for me at the bedside. The sickman was lying with his face turned towards the wall; and as hetook no heed of my presence, I had leisure to observe the place inwhich I london of links found myself. 　　‘He was lying on an old bedstead, which turned up during theday. The tattered remains of a checked curtain were drawn roundthe bed’s head, to exclude the wind, which, however, made its wayinto the comfortless room through the numerous chinks in thedoor, and blew it to and fro every instant.