Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE TERRIBLE. , TI know it.” a “But, you see, I serve two masters and tel that takes place Lene aa ’ ell Ivan of all “Just so, All Forgers are obliged to d . to the band.” ged to do that by their oath “True ; but there’s many a w i pieces that we don’t tell Tan of.” nha ue Boras old “ I know that well. Goon; Iam listening,” ae Well, Morton knows well enough that Harry Percy is violently in love with that little girl, Lizzie Ashton, and is determined to marry her,” eee that,” ut you don’t know that Ti 1 ; 1 uae y ae that marriage is the very thing ‘“Why so?” - : “Because Harry may be disinheri d it.” baer are is y erited through it, “ He may get killed, you know ; by accident, of course.” “IT see, I see.” “ By accident, you know.” “Oh, yes, just so. Well ?” “Then, if Morton succeeds in marrying Lady Laura, the king may by royal patent transfer the earldom on Morton after old Percy’s death.” “What?” “You seem surprised.” _ “Surprised? no, I am dumbfounded !” “What about 2” “Why, that thin-legged, crooked old villain can’t have such high notions as that.” “ But he has, though, and higher ones still.” “What do you mean?” “T mean this: old Morton claims that he is by right of mood and birth a distant relation of the earl’s by the Percy side.”’ ‘“ Well, a very poor snecimen he is, that’s all I can say.” “ That’s nothing at all to do with either you or me.” ‘I don’t believe the old rascal !” “But it is said he has got documents to prove it. He is a lawyer among other things,” ‘Well, if he is a lawyer, as you say, we needn’t look far to know how or where he got his precious documents. A lawyer could trace his birth and origin to the king himself in less than four-and-twenty hours, if he was only well paid for it, and had any chance of succeeding to the throne, All lawyers, as a class, are a race of greedy, hungry, bloodless, conscience- less rascals !” His companion laughed softly at this, and shook so much | that the leaves around him rustled. “What if he has got documents,’ the other continued ; “King James would never believe his claim,” “But some other king might.” “What do you mean by some other king? I do not under- stand.” “Well, if King James wouldn’t listen to him, the Prince of Orange might.” r exh “The prince? But he won’t be king; he is in Holland. He has nothing to do with England.” “He is in Holland at present, I know, but he won’t be there long if the conspiracy succeeds. You have heard of it ?” “Yes, some little. Is Morton in it?” ) “Deeply. If the old earl refuses his daughter in marriage to Morton, he may suddenly disappear, and if the Prince of Orange succeeds in overthrowing King James, Morton’s title will be considered valid whether his documents are genuine or false,” bak “ But how or why should the earl die? ‘Because Morton has denounced him to the king as an enemy, and also to the prince as a deadly foe. peek: you see, is handling a two-edged sword, which will cut | is way to the earldom whatever way he thinks proper to use it, r “T never thought the old rascal was so cool and bitter. “Qh, he’s all that, and a great deal more than you Gag oe ea don’t you think he may play as false to you as to others ?”’ 251 ‘‘T am certain of it.” “Then why let’s trouble ourselves with his dark con- spiracies?” ‘As long as he pays well I care not what he does, or what he thinks ; he can’t harm us,” < “T don’t know that.” “At all events ’'m determined to have a last good pull at his purse, and then he may plod along alone.” “But don’t you think the king is aware of the conspiracy ?”” ‘No, he is not ; if he is he doesn’t know half of it.” “Are there many engaged in it ?” 74 Veg? . “Suppose the earl was to get wind of it and go to the king ?” ‘‘ He wouldn’t be believed.” ‘T doubt it.” ‘But I’m certain he would not. Old Morton has so under- mined the earl at court that all he might say would have no avail ; he might swear till he was black in the face, and then King James would not believe it.” “You seem to know all about the earl’s affairs,” grumbled the other ; ‘‘ who told you this?” ‘Not Morton, you may be sure,” ‘‘T know that, for, from all you say, I judge him to be the deepest old rat that ever breathed.” ‘A perfect oyster,’ chuckled the other; ‘he knows when to open his mouth and to keep it closed, Z canstell you.” “T should think so, But what if the earl knew all this?” * How should he ?” “ Ah, that I don’t know.” “Surely vow would not prove traitor?” “Me? why you must be dreaming; it’s the very last thought in my mind. I dare not; it’s more than my life is worth, as you know. Ivan has no mercy on slippery-tongued fellows, as we know of old.” “Just so ; and, now that I’ve told you so much, let me add anothér word. I fear old Morton.” “T know you do,” bs ‘Why do you suppose it, I’m more than a match for him ?” “T know that, but it’s my conviction, and has been all along, and particularly to-night, that you so fear the old rascal you don’t want or much care to be alone with him.” The other villain grinned. “ That’s the reason I brought you with me,” “T know it.” “ And you know why ?” c No,” , “Well, the old serpent always sits beside me—close, mind you—when he has anything to say, and whispers in my ear, for fear any stray birds or even the wind might hear him.” “T thought as much,” “ And, after he had got out of me all he could, or after he had ‘used’ me as much as possible I thought——”’ “He might suddenly plunge a dagger into your neck when least expected, I suppose, so as to keep your tongue from tattling, or to rid himself of your presence?” the other answered, coolly. ** Just so.” ‘‘And not a very bad idea either; that’s the reason you asked me to bring my pistols with me.” “Exactly ; and if he wanted to speak to me in confidence I should have brought him right under this tree, so that you might see and hear all, and be ready with a pistol cocked to finish him on the spot if he meant any mischief.”’ “JT thought so. You ain’t much of a fool, I see.” “No, not half a one, I can tell you, whenever I have any ticklish jobs on hand with such a slimy old eel as Morton.” At that moment the barking of dogs was heard. “That’s him ; I must be off and meet him in another part of the shrubbery. You stay here nntil I return?” & Vex.” “But suppose the old devil won’t come under the tree? Suppose he turns nasty and shows his teeth on a sudden, what then ?” ‘‘In that case I'll borrow your pistols, and be.ready for him,” “But how do you know thatit is Marten Oolcee Gomi