Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 127: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

IVAN THE until a full atonement had been made, and the villains dis- covered and punished. The sight of the pale face of the youth, white to ghastliness, his delicately-traced fingers made almost transparent by his bloodless skin, his long, fair hair in graceful curls, and his fragile form, which seemed to be the tenement of one who could not be the author of any ill or evil, inflamed the minds of the Apprentices, who gazed upon him with the bitterest rancour against all who had been his enemies, The dress, too, of the youth betokened him one of their own body, while the garb of Blue-Jacket was that of a class for whom they entertained not very unfriendly feelings on ™~ account of the part whieh he, Red-Jacket, and others had ‘taken in past and present events with both Apprentices and ~ the people against the tyranny of masters and kingly oppres- * * sion, Soon Will Winter's sad story was whispered among the crowd of excited Apprentices, and they swore deep, deter- mined oaths to have revenge on the authors of his mock trial and barbarous execution. They quickly hurried him away to the nearest surgeon, Clappergut by name, an old man, who was noted as a staunch tried friend of all Apprentices. He quickly got out of bed, and examined the patient ; he sighed, but smiled in an encouraging way, predicting to the excited crowd that Will Winter would soon recover if properly cared for and nursed. “You need not fear,” Ellen replied, with a proud smile. ‘“ While I have a roof to shelter me he will be well cared for.” ‘But the great danger,” Blue-Jacket whispered. ‘Think of that. He had better hide in some other place.” No, he shall live with me; if he dies, it shall be in my arms; he is innocent. I fear not the law, and unless any one here tells the secret, his place of retreat can never be known,” ‘« Brave girl,” said several. ‘*She loves the lad, whoever shé is,” said others. ‘*Who are you, and where dost abide ?”” asked an apprentice, who seemed to be a chief of those then assembled. The cloth-worker’s fair and brave daughter mused for a moment, and then gave an address which raised from Will Winter—who had now partially recovered both sight and hearing—a feeble exclamation of joy and surprise, wHich she checked with a smile by raising her finger and bidding him be silent and trust in her. Old Clappergut, the grey-haired surgeon, by this time had compounded a mixture as weil as some powders. He placed them in the hands of the young girl, and said in a quick but hum-strum tone, “ Assoon as he is snugly in bed give him one of these powders, the mixture every two hours. Before your medicine has all gone, I will come and see how my patient is getting on. Put up your money, my girl,” he said, testily, as the cloth-worker’s daughter offered him her purse, “put away our money ; we will talk of that anon. Lift him gently, my ads ; there’s good boys, carry himsteadily. Away with you! Carefully, now ; there, that will do very nicely. I will see you again, never fear. I shall come, trust me. Good-night, good-night ; hurry away. I hear the night-watch bawling ; they will be presently here. Away! hide! conceal him! Away, or you are lost !” —_ ——— CHAPTER LXIV. THE SEARCH FOR WILL WINTER— THE NIGHT WATCH THWARTED BY THE OLD DOCTOR. THE old surgeon had scarcely closed his door and the appren- tices gone, when an officer of the night-watch knocked loudly, aud said, “Where is the youth you had here just now?” Old Clappergut started at the question. i He gazed at the officer with his door partly ajar, and then at the armed men who accompanied him. He did not like their looks, and Jess the purpose with which as he surmised, they made the inquiry. His sympathy for the unfortunate youth and the maiden ee EA TERRIBLE. 123 had been strongly aroused. It was true he was totally unac- quainted with all the circumstances of the case, but his ex- perience was great ; he was a shrewd observer, and he believed he was not far wrong in looking upon his late patient as one who had been unjustly treated, and had endured some cruel injury. He therefore paused before he made his reply. He was desirous of gaining time to resolve what course to pursue, and if possible to detain the officer until the Appren- tices had safely housed Will Winter, The officer angrily repeated his question in gruff, hasty tones. The old surgeon slowly replied, “ Why dost thou ask of me the question ?” “ Because we traced him here, and I hold a warrant from the Right Honourable the Mayor to arrest.and throw him into prison ; that’s why.” “A great criminal, I suppose ?” said the old surgeon, strok- ing his chin and smiling. “cc He is” Ho! indeed. Slain any one?” 2 “Yes ; which crime he ought to have died for on the gal- lows, only that he was rescued by a lot of villains.” ‘So I hear, so I hear ; but there’s no time to waste words. Produce your warrant; let us have a look at it, You have been hasty inthis matter.” “The Right Honourable the Mayor deems his escape from the gallows to be an atrocious crime.” “Aye, that he does,” said another. warrant of instant committal to prison.” ‘‘ Whom hath he committed to prison?” the old surgeon asked, smiling. ‘“‘ Art thou deaf or a fool ?” the officer foamed. “ The youth, I tell thee, who murdered his master in cold blood, and after- wards stole sundry bags of gold; and apretty clipping he is likely to get for his foul crimes.” “] should like to see the warrant. Will you show it to me?” the old surgeon coolly asked, with a smile. ‘For what? Do you doubt my calling? Fool meno longer, old man. Where is the young rascal ?” “‘T should quietly remind you, good officer, that you are upon the floor of my house at this moment— that this, accord- ing to the law, is my castle, mind ye, and it is not to be tres- passed upon by man, woman or child, but by my permission, or by warrant of the law, signed and sealed by the proper authorities,” said the old surgeon, very pompously. “I ques- tion thy authority to invade my premises, unless I see that thou hast it. Ishall request your immediate departure, or apply to the law for a remedy against it, having trespassed upon my property without being properly qualified to do so!— ahem !” , The officer seemed staggered at this display of legal now- ledge on the part of the old surgeon. He was not so ignorant but he had a glimmering that the surgeon was not far wrong in his assertion ; and foreseeing, with some tact, that he was more likely to gain his object by conciliatory measures rather than by violence, he produced the necessary document. “There it is,” he said, as he handed it to the surgeon, ‘« There, wiil that satisfy you?” he inquired, adding, “ You_ see it’s no use to trifle with me now a moment longer, so produce the youth and let me bear him to prison.” The old surgeon stretched ferth his hand and took the proffered paper with great gravity and coolness of manner. He perused it, and then returned it to the officer with a smile of contempt. He asked, with a twinkle of the eye, ‘Whom art thou to arrest ?” The officer looked at him in amazement, almost foaming with rage and passion. “ Have I not told you who I want? Have I not shown you who I want?” “No !” responded the surgeon, calmly ; “ you have told me you desire to take into custody @ youth who did something or other. The warrant also states a youth, an hig vanes but there is no name given of the youth you require. By virtue of that warrant any one might be the delinquent, I want to CoOmmiclookxs.con ‘“‘ He hath granted a