Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE “ You needn’t whisper anything of this to Miss Lizzie,” said Darby. “No, certainly not ; if she for a moment thought where she was, and in the midst of ruffians, all courage {would fail her ; besides, as I haye before said, the old man and woman have made us very comfortable, and gone to much trouble through us, and I have the highest opinion of their honest intentions.” “Well, I am very giad to hear you say so, young man,” old Maberly dryly observed, entering the back parlour in a very mysterious manner that neither Harry nor Darby could understand. ‘‘lam very glad to hear that you do believe me, for I would never tell a lie to such as you are.” “ But how did you enter?” asked Darby. “You did not come in at the door?” Harry,remarked, in surprise. : “ No, I didn’t come in at the door; but I came in ata door, one that neither of ‘you would never find out if you searched ever so long,” Fs Harry and Darby were much surprised, “You needn’t be surprised at such a simple thing as a secret door, my boys, for we’ve got plenty of that ‘kind of thing in and around the ‘ Peacock,’ I can assure you.” He laughed out heartily at Harry’s bewildered looks. “T’ve just been up stairs to see that the young lady is well provided for.” And is she ?” “You needn’t ask that ; she is‘in the hands of my wife, and a kinder woman than she is does not breathe.” “T do not doubt it,” “Such a girl as that would make friends anywhere in the world ; such eyes, such hair, and such a face! Ha! poor girl, she looks as if she’d seen a world of trouble though, for all she’s so young.” “You speaks truly, Mr. Maberly.” ‘‘T heard her telling my wife all about it, and ‘the old woman was whimpering likea child, poor.old girl, I couldn’t stand it, so came down stairs, and it was then I heard you speaking of me.” “ And you heard all we said ?” “T did; but now that you’ve had some refreshment, I'll trouble you to leave the parlour, and come with me to another room.” « But we wish to depart as soon’as convenient, Mr. Maberly.” “‘T know you do, and so you shall ; but not yet awhile. I wish you to have a good proof of all I’ve told you about the Forgers that are here.” *‘ But is there no danger ?” “No, not the slightest. Come, I hear some heavy-footed gentleman moving this way.” “Ts it one of the Forgers?” “ Most likely ; come this way.” Old Maberly closed the parlour door, and, by some means well known to himself, one of the panels of the wainscoting was pushed aside. Through this gap Harry and Darby passed. They found themselves in a small room, lighted by a single diminutive window that looked into a spacious garden. “You remain there until I come to you,” he said ; ‘‘ you will find two holes through the panelling of the wall, through which you may observe all that passes.” With these directions old Maberly left, then closed the panel again, and sat down to his pipe and mug of foaming ale. Harry and Darby, each at a hole in the panels, observed all that passed. The publican had not been left long alone, when a heavy- footed ruffian opened the parlour door, and entered. He was a tall, powerfully-built fellow, roughly dressed, with heavy boots, and carried a long knife in his breast. “You are stirring early,” said the publican ; ‘‘have you Lies See wall; not so bad, cone ere it was only a hay-loft we in,” said he in a loud voice. ae well, it’s not a bad place you know, and in case of any trouble, you could soon get out and take to the road with your horses.” “Yes, true ; but give me the Forge for my money ; there’s TERRIBLE. 237 good feather-beds there, Deaf Un, and we don’t pay so much as we do here,” ** Where are the others ?” “Oh, they are coming.” “ They are a long time coming.” F “Yes ; they seem to like the hay-loft much better than I Oras “ They are tired after last night’s work.” “Yes ; it wasn’t a very easy job bringing up those kegs of brandy from the coast, and them rolls of tobacco,” said the Forger, still speaking in a loud tone. “Just so; do you go again to-night ?” “ No, not to-night,” 3 “Why not ?” “ Why, Allan has just got word from Ivan that we must all watch the roads every night, for the girl he spoke of may escape into the country.” poke sure ; and do you watch the roads to-night ?” CBs “ We shan't see much of you, then, till morning?” “Perhaps not ; what they want making such a fuss about a girl for, I can’t see.” “True ; nor can I,” “There must be some mystery in it, Master Maberly, or they wouldn’t be so anxious, I think.” ““Yes, yes, you may be sure there is some mystery about her or they wouldn’t take so much pains, as you say.” At that moment several other rough-looking throat-cutters entered. They threw themselves down upon the chairs in a heavy, reckless manner. Brandy in bottles was served by old Maberly, and each of them drank off a large draught, an operation which seemed _ to please them immensely. “ Some of last night’s haul?” said Maberly. “Yes,” replied Allan, the leader ; “I could tell that a mile off ; there’s not such another drop of spirit in the country.” “ Who ordered this cargo?” “ Well, if you must know,’’ said Allan, “it is part of a large order which Ivan apd Andy have undertaken for three or four very distinguished gentlemen of his acquaintance.” “ Distinguished gentlemen of Ivan’s acquaintanceyeh ?” said Maberly, in a droll manner. All the Forgers laughed out loudly. ‘Who are they ?”” Maberly inquired. “Well, as we don’t keep any secrets from you, landlord, I might as well tell you that the gentlemen I allude to are old Jefteries, Sir Humphrey, and Morton.” ‘‘But it is not all for their own use? They can’t want so much brandy and tobacco ?” “ We know that; it is not all for their own use, but they can sell it to their friends, can’t they, stoopid, and make money out of it? How are half the big fortunes made, if not by evading the law ?” “ The nobler the thief the less suspicion.” “ Just so, Maberly. Now, what would be downright roguery and robbery in you or me, is winked at by several high nobs as I knows on.” “But if you were caught by the revenue officers, what then ?” “Why, if old Jefferies tried us we should get off, and very . likely he’d hang the man who accused us. If he did not try us, and the case was bad, he’d try his best to get us off ; but if he couldn’t, why, then the hangman would scrag us.” Allan said all this with a serio-comic air of indifference, in which his hearers more or less coincided. ‘‘Tyan has done all sorts of odd jobs for these three gentle- men before now.” “J believe you,” said Allan, puffing out great clouds of to- bacco smoke. “I believe you; they have been good customers to us; I don’t know what the Forgers would do without them, for the d d Apprentices on the river are so quick and active that we can scarcely do any job at all without them knowing it. Will Winter and them have nearly spoiled all our sport.” “ Ah, them apprentices are a bold lot of young devils,” said Maberly, coughing so that Harry and aie ight hear him, COMMENSO KS COMM