Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

‘ IVAN THE “ again ere you depart to London for execution, and hope you may be willing to hear my instructions. You have refused to listen to me time and time again ; but I hope you will not do so now at least,” : “Not a bit of it, Mr. Chaplain,” Blue Jacket replied. “Thank you all the same. I would listen to you with plea- sure ; but you speak to me, and of me, asif I were a dead man instead of a living one. I’m not going to die yet, I can tell you,” said Blue Jacket, with an air of merriment, “ Well, then, unhappy man, if you will not listen to me, if you have any objections to me personally, let me beg of you to accept the ministrations of another.” “ Oh f certainly,” Blue Jacket replied, with indifference. ‘“ Z don’t mind how many parsons come to see me; but one at a time is quite enough, I can tell you, for their faces are generally so long and cadaverous that it gives a man the horrors to look at them. Send whom you like, sir, but, if you please, some- body that’s got a more pleasant countenance than yours.” “ Alas! my heart and will have been good to serve you; but, as you wish it, there is a young travelling curate at the present moment staying with me who is very zealous. He has heard much of your notorious doings upon the king’s highway, and feels ambitious to convert you from sin and wickedness, and prepare you for the scaffold,” said the chaplain, with a pious groan. ‘ “ All right, then, send him when you like.” The minister departed. ing. The heavy doors were locked, and Blue Jacket began to sing loudly and merrily. As best he could he amused himself by carving his name on the prison walls with a long nail. He did the same upon the large, heavy oak table. Haying clambered up to his window bars, he looked out upon the beautiful face of the country, and like a young caged skylark he sighed to be on the wing again. Towards evening the gaoler introduced a young clergyman, saying, as he opened the door, “Blue Jacket, -the Rev. Mr. Nelle Lovedale has come to convart ye. I hope you'll be werry serious and good.” The sinking sun shed its rays through the prison bars. Blue Jacket sat in the shade with an averted face. He seemed for once dejected and sorrowful. “Myr. Lovedale! Oh, yes, I forgot,” said Blue Jacket, dreamily and musing. “Take a seat, if you can find one ; but——” He turned his face round, The young minister was weeping. “Ah! look at that! look at that, you hardened young rascal,” the gaoler said, as he moved towards the door to go out. “Look at that now. Why even the young minister is crying at your hardness of heart.” ‘The gaoler thought it incumbent upon him to follow the example of the minister, and wiped his eye with the tail of his coat, and pulled a most ugly face before he retired. The door had been but a moment shut, when the handker- chief dropped from the minister’s face. “ What |!” exclaimed Blue Jacket, as he narrowly scrutinised the features of the young minister. “ Ellen Lovedale *” “ Hush |” said the minister, “or all is lost! I heard of your arrest, This is my disguise !” Blue Jacket fell, upon his knees and kissed the girl's hands again and again. At that moment the cell door opened, and the gaoler entered ! The young minister turned upon the gaoler haughtily, saying, ‘‘Can’t you see that the prisoner is upon his knees, and silently praying with me? How dare you intrude upon our devotions ?” The gaoler blushed deeply, and retiring, said, “ Bes pardon, sir. Thought as how you couldn’t make any good of him, and so [1-——” “Well, my good man, leave us to our devotions, Ibeg.” - ‘You see, sir, I goes off duty at eight o’clock, and another comes on for the night, then, sir,—and——” “Begone, prattler,” said the minister, “once more leave us in peace ”’ TERRIBLE. 11 The door closed. > “ Another comes op, at eight o'clock for the night!” the minister mused. “Capital! The thing is easy ; it could not be better! To-morrow night at this time you are free!” Blue Jacket conld do no more than fling his arms rouad Ellen’s neck. He kissed her a hundred times, and asked to hear of her strange adventures down from London; but she deferred the narration, saying, “When you are once more free, and galloping towards London with a light heart, I will-tell you all that has befallen the ‘ Fly-by-Nichts ; but until then wait patiently. For the present, adieu!” Blue Jacket kissed her again and again. She departed ! ; ; A white cambric handkerchief was held to her eyes as she eff. “ Poor young man!” said the gaoler, feelingly, “ I’m afeercd its no usé 0’ talking to that hardened young willin.” With that the outer gates were opened, and the Rev. Nelle Lovedale left the castle, Blue Jacket was more jolly that night than ever. He sang and danced, and rattled his chains, until the day turnkey thought his prisoner had gone crazy. The moon arose, and shed its rays within his dismal cell! When the tower clock solemnly tolled the hour of midnicht, Blue Jacket listened at the door of his dungeon. All was still ! Ellen Lovedale had given him two small saws and a file ! She had concealed them in the leggings of her boots. With these the highwayman began to work. ‘+ Before morning his irons andghackles were all but loose. With little more labour he might have totally divested him- self of them. He knew, however, that his cell would be examined early in the morning. He therefore left the rivets in the irons and shackles which kept them together, but could remove them at a moment’s notice. The gaoler visited his prisoner early on the morrow. i He found Blue Jacket intently engaged in reading a prayer- ook, Altogether his face and general demeanour wore an unusual and commandable aspect of sincere piety. The bread and water were left on the table, and the unsus- pecting turnkey departed, : During the day the Rey. Mr, Nelle Lovedale called, accom- panied by the chaplain, The latter was particularly struck by the altered demeanour of the hitherto obdurate prisoner. Prayers were said, and hymns were sung, in which Blne Jacket’s voice could be heard high above, and louder than the rest. It was, however, observed by the chaplain, and with evident pleasure, that his young brother minister and the prisoner often hung their heads very low, and applied handkerchiefs to their eyes ! , Such contrition and happiness the worthy chaplain did not expect to see in one who had so stoutly resisted all his pre- vious exhortations aud admonitions, Whether the pocket handkerchiefs were to dry up penitential or joyous tears, we leave our attentive readers to surmise. Sufiice it to say, however, that when the chaplain offered up a final prayer, the Rev. Nelle Lovedale and the prisoner knelt side by side with handkerchiefs to their eyes, and any one could have easily observed how the frames of both individuals heaved and shook with emotion ! The chaplain and his brother minister took their departure, shaking Blue Jacket cordially by the hand. The minister had not departed .more than a moment when the prisoner burst out into a quiet latgh ! He -shook again with merriment. The gaoler entered, however, and Blue Jacket resumed his prayer-book very devoutly. “ Well, 'm very glad they’ve done ye some good,” said he, “ but ye be an unkimmon rogue, Master Blue Jacket, for is takes a brace of parsons to conyart thae!, Th comin Pe MeCONMMGOOOkSsconn