Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

138 IVAN THE ‘«‘ How know you my name?” exclaimed Jessie, in surprise. 4 “No matter ; Ido know it. You have had friends inquiring for you. You seek to escape hence ?” “Tdo. Can you assist me ?” “Tecan, but not without difficulty. My Lord Barnaby has too niany prying eyes about him to make this an easy matter, but itis worth the trial. I must consider how this is to be done. Retire for the: present, or you may excite ‘suspicion, then good-bye to success. I will be back in an hour, The same song will serve to bring you to the window. Farewell! Some one approaches !” . ; She heard him retiring, and closed the casement hastily. Having dressed herself for immediate escape in her street attire, she fastened her door and sat in sickening excitement, for the return of her new-found friend, Nearly three hours elapsed ere he gave his summons, and then was immediately beneath her window. She quickly opened her casement, and the man whom she recognised cried, ‘“T have made the best arrangements I can; the rest will depend upon yourself. Have you any courage?” “Quite sufficient to dare anything in order to leave this place.” “Enough. Catch this ladder of ropes which I will fling to you, and draw it up into your room until'we are ready to_use it, I must get a horse, for speed alone will enable us to get away. it’s worth the risk of a gallop, eh?” ‘‘ Worth anything, 80 that I get away.” She heard the man lightly laugh in reply. She scarcely liked the sound, but there was no time to think, for he immediately said, “T cannot get the horse until daybreak, so lay down and rest yourself until then, but be ready at a moment’s call to get away.” . “You will not find me lagging,” she returned. Once more she heard the fellow laugh, which grated strangely upon her ear. — ‘ He flung the ladder up, and she drew it hastily into her room. As she did so, -he cried, ‘‘ At daybreak, remember.” . “ At daybreak,” she repeated, She retired to bed, but not to sleep. She lay down in her dress, too much excited to woo the gentle goddess, Sleep—nay, to suffer her to possess the slightest influence over her, She could think of nothing but the prospect of release. Her light was still burning when she heard the sound of a stealthy footstep in the next room. : She listened ; it approached her door, and she fixed her eyes upon the bolts. Simultaneously these were removed from their matrixes and a force was applied to the door, which, but for the spring, would have forced it open. That, however, held bravely, and though repeated efforts were made to effect an ingress, the door would not move. A voice, scarcely above a whisper, exclaimed, “’Sdeath ! this isa marvel! To-morrow it shall be seen to |” The footsteps retreatedy and all was once more as still as the grave, “ T'o-morrow,” thought Jessie ; “to-morrow will, I trust, see me in the arms of my dear Lady Laura, and removed far from this frightful place and the designs of wicked men !” Daylight broke, but the waterman came not. Each moment Jessie expected some attendant as usual to summon her to breakfast. ” This took place, and yet no signs of the waterman, She dismissed the dumb page, quietly expressing as well as she could by signs that she wished to be alone, She watched the river where men and boys were assembled to enjoy the sports of fishing and boating. It was noon, and Jessie was startled by the sudden sound of a voice beneath, murmuring, r “Jessie! Jessie!” She approached the casement, and looked out, TERRIBLE. The man was muffled in a mantle, so that nothing but his eyes were visible, “ Quick, quick |” he cried ; “this is the moment for flight ! T have been watching hours for it; if you do not secure this present momenf, all is lost.” ; be A hint was sufficient for Jessie, who had everything pre- ared, : : The rope ladder was fastened and thrown out. She followed it so quickly that she was in the man’s arms before he could steady the rope. — © He laughed, and muttered, “Thisis well. We havea wall to surmount; keep close under the building round to the right, you will see the ladder- Mount, and over with you.” : Jessie flew round as directed, saw the ladder, sprang nimbly into it; there was one leading to the other side, which she descended, and saw a boy holding asteed. She gained its side, and stood trembling for fear of being overtaken and borne back again. : The leap of her deliverer to the ground made her heart bound within her, for he had not waited to descend the ordinary way, and she expected no less than to be seized, and returned to her prison house. " | She was not relieved at hearing her companion shout to the boy, as he sprang into the saddle, ‘Stand clear; give the beast its head! Now, Jessie, up with you, we have been seen, and are pursued ; if the beast does not befriend us, the game’s up.” \ Saying which, the unknown horseman plunged spurs into the beast, which dashed off at a fearful rate. CHAPTER LXX, THE TREACHERY OF BOB, THE BULLY—JESSIE IS RESCUED BY WILL WINTER, «& SO great was Jessie’s anxiety to escape that she neither asked ~ nor cared to know the name of the boid man who had plotted so well for her deliverance. | That it was.not. Arnold she could.tell from his voice. She thought it might be Arnold's friend ; but so great was her excitement she looked not at him, but turned her face towards the spot she had but just left. She perceived that an alarm had been raised, and that she was already pursued, ~ Shouts and cries. were raised far behind them. . The farther they advanced the louder became the shouts. Dogs barked, men jumped out of the way of this fierce horseman, as, with whip and spur, he rode on his mad career, “Stop him! stop him !” was shouted, with loud stentorian tones by his anxious pursuers. | “Thief! thief! Seducer! Abductor!’’ yelled one and another. Yet onward dashed the horseman with his prize, and as he turned his head, he perceived that his pursuers were fast gain- ing on him, ‘“‘T must take the fields for it,” he said; track me through the country lanes.” With this intent and purpose he turned round very sharply into a long, dirty, rilly way that led into Moorfields. What was his mortification, however, when he discovered that he was riding right into the midst of some score of London Apprentices or more, who were out in the fields enjoying themselves in various athletic sports. _ “they can never ‘*‘ Damnation !” swore the horseman; ‘this is worse and ~ worse. I am pursued, and now am riding direct into a hornet’s nest,” scape was impossible. i He dared not return up the lane again for fear of being caught by his pursuers. | a He did not like to risk running through the Apprentices, for they would quickly recognise him, and with sticks and staves, and stones, could and would unhors? him, if they sus- pected any foul play. , There was no help for it, however. Gomicboo S Eom