Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

148 t for putting into execution a plan for the arrest of Ivan him- self. How they proceeded will quickly appear. Several persons were arrested for rioting, however, and among these was Nat Fathom, who had taken an active part with the Apprentices against Ivan’s gang. Ivan himself, however, when he heard of the hasty execu- tion, raved like a maniac. It was useless to attempt to do anything against the enraged Apprentices and the royal troops. He, therefore, contented himself with remaining quietly in his stronghold at the “ Forge,” plotting and planning all manner of schemes. He was dying to have revenge on Will Winter, but he knew not in what manner to accomplish it. To solace his drooping spirits, and to drive away dull thoughts, he repaired almost constantly to the.‘‘ Raven,” a low public-house which was patronised by the lowest of the low. Ivan, in this house, was more master than the publican him- self. In his drunken moments, he delighted to call himself “ Ivan, King of the Forge.” Night after night for years had Ivan frequented that public- house, and it was boasted by his friends and followers, that no officers of justice dare lay ahand upon him there, so power- ful was he, and backed by so many conscienceless ruffians who were at his beck and call. All this time intoxication and every kind of debauchery was telling its usual'tale upon the iron constitution of Ivan. Each day saw him become more bloated in frame and face, more wayward and ill-tempered in speech and fancy, Between his drunken fits he was but an infant in strength and mind, but when a certain amount of spirits had been swallowed his energies once more rose, The drink deluded him into a belief that it was his support, while, in reality, it was sapping his strength and seriously impairing his constitution. The amount of money Ivan always had at command seemed inexhaustible, A small fortune had already accumulated in the till of the landlord of the “‘ Raven.” No one knew where it came from, though nobody believed it honestly come by. Indeed, one man, a secret spy, had actually intimated some such suspicions to a magistrate. That gentleman, haying reasons for not interfering with Ivan, at least, at present, as he said, dismissed the informer with cold politeness, saying that he saw no reason for inter- fering with the drunkard so long as no breach of the peace was committed, Amongst those who attached themselves to Ivan in a par- ticular manner and helped him to spend his cash was a butcher, a man capable of swallowing an enormous quantity of liquor, and, being coarse in language, strong in frame, and brutal in manner, he seemed in every respect properly qualified to become the friend of Ivan in his almost constant drunken- ness, and accordingly the two seemed almost inseparable. One eyening Ivan, flush of money, held high revel in the tap-room of the “ Raven,” Many of his band where there also drinking and carousing. The butcher occupied the head of the table, and before them was a large bowl of steaming rum punch, from which they dipped up great draughts in pewter measures, The rest of the room presented the usual aspect of a low, common public-house tap, Persons of all kinds and ages were there, shabby genteel and otherwise, Liquors of eyery description stood on the tables, and dense clouds of tobacco smoke filled the room, The noise was fearful. Some were quarrelling, some singing hoarsely, while here and there brawny men were in the maudlin state peculiar to drunkards, Above all the voice of Ivan resounded high o’er the din, Greeted and looked up to by all asa kind of monarch of the Forge he took care to proclaim the fact in loud tones, | ee Ss 8 ed IVAN THE TERRIBLE, Did any one presume to laugh orehout so loud as himeelf, the butcher, as prime minister to the self-elected tap-room monarch, was commissioned to give the offender a rap over the head with a pewter pot. Jugs of strong ale had just been placed before every one of the company by Ivan’s command when the landlord entered with an excited look on his face. “ Here’s a pretty piece of news, gentlemen !” “ What is it? tell us?” cried a dozen voices. “Now, then, what the devil means. all this blessed row?” roared Ivan. “If I wasa cat instead of a king you couldn’t be more disrespectful.” “ A nice old tom you’d make,” said one, in a half whisper. “ Butcher, just go and give that fellow a good rap on the skull,” said Ivan, half drunk, addressing the butcher. Accordingly the offender received such a blow on the head that he was perfectly silent for at least half an hour ! ‘Now, then,” continued the drunkard, addressing the land- lord, ‘just tell me what’s the row in a proper manner ; re- member, I’m king of the Forge.” ' “Well, your majesty, I beg your pardon ; but the news is of a fire, and of a murder that took place some time ago at the clothworker’s.” ; Ivan now rose from his seat, and his face assumed a look of intense anger as he replied, ‘‘ Who the devil dares say that ?” ‘‘ Tt’s the news,” replied the landlord. ‘© You rascal ; you shall see I can use my hands as well as ever if you don’t look out ! The fire was accidental ; then no one set fire to the house.” The assembled guests gave each other significant looks as they heard the words, “T only repeated what I was told,” replied the landlord. “ They say there was a very mysterious murder, and the fire was done to destroy the body.” “ You are a liar!” cried Ivan, reeling with drunkenness. ‘‘ Show me the man that dare say that, and I'll beat his brains. out on the table,” The landlord, alarmed at his customer’s roughness, made a hasty retreat towards the door, ‘‘ Bless me if you don’t ought to be slaughtered,” observed the butcher, ‘ What d’ye mean by coming here with a tale like that to torment King Ivan, eh, landlord ?” ‘‘ There’s nobody to byrn,” shouted Ivan, with a low coarse laugh. “ It’s all a lie, a pack of lies ; and I tell you take care what you say about me, because I’m a tough customer when my blood is up, landlord. So, beware, I say. Remember I am King of the Forge.” The veins on Ivan’s forehead were swollen with rage. His voice was hoarse with the passionate vehemence with which he uttered his words, 7 The butcher laid a hand onhis arm, and led him back to. his seat, where he sat gasping for breath. ** Be calm,” said his blue-aproned friend ; “drink a glass of this stuff, and don’t care arap about what the landlord says. There, now, you can swear away in comfort, and if anybody says no, why I’m blessed if I don’t put six inches of my slaughtering knife into his stomach.” Ivan drunk deeply, and was quiet for afew moments, The cupful of hot punch the butcher had forced down his throat had nearlyschoked him. In the meantime the landlord thought it right and proper to say afew words for himself, being almost frightened at the row he had unintentionally created. “T beg anybody’s pardon ifI have offended ; but I say there is a fire even now, and report says at Michael the cloth- worker’s shop, and they do say a murder was —” “Stuff and nonsense—not now!” exclaimed Ivan; “ the murder was some time ago.” ‘Yes, true, King Ivan; but if you look ont of the back window, you can see the sky now as red as possible,” “Oh | then it’s to night! Oh, nowI understand you,” ; “Yes; one of the ‘Forgers’ told me there had beena — murder there some short time ago,” ; of ‘‘ Well, that’s—that’s nothing to me—nothing. What the devil have Z to do with it, I should like to know ?” said Tyan, . Eomicbooks.céom —_ ~_—— M