Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE cards, the king stood under un old oil-lamp, and by its dim light, read thereon, ‘* LEONORA TEMPEST, ‘‘No. 7, Adelphi Terrace, “‘Inner Temple.” “This discovery is worth a fortune,” said the king, in a whisper. ‘‘ The handkerchief, too, let me examine it again. Ah, what do I see in the corner? Why, it bears the initials of Louis XIV., and the royal arms of France !” Lord Summers and his corpulent friend stood aghast with wonder and surprise. ‘There is some deep, dark mystery here,” solemnly mused the king. ‘What if she belongs to, or knows anything of Captain Blue Jacket’s gang, of the terrible Ivan, or others of the secret societies that infest the realm.” | The two lords looked on with distended eyes to the words of the king. ‘Come, let us at once away,” said the king, “I will not sleep this night until I have, in part, unravelled this mystery. We will to Adelphi Terrace on the instant.” So saying, and despite the heavy clouds that began to gather, and a drizzling rain, the king and his two attendant nobles started forth to ascertain, if possible, something of the strange, romantic and mysterious girl with whom he had but lately conversed, a CHAPTER XV. THE RENDEZVOUS AT AARON’S THE SLOPSELLER IN THE BOROUGH—RED JACKET, HANDSOME NED, AND OTHERS OF THE ‘‘ FLY-BY-NIGHTS ’” ENJOYING THEMSELVES—NAT FATHOM THE PIRATE—JACK ARNOLD THE PRISON- BREAKER—TOMMY THE ‘' EEL ’’—THE ‘“ INFORMER’’—THE SURPRISE—NAT FATHOM’S VENGEANCE ON AARON THE SLOPSELLER. RED JACKET, Handsome Ned, and others of the “Fly-by- Nights,” as we have seen in a preceding chapter, had been doing, and had successfully accomplished “a neat job of night-work,” irrespective of the many kind attentions and inquiries which had been made for them time after time by “the Ferret’? and other Bow Street officials who “wanted ”’ them. In order to keep out of the way until the late robbery should have become forgotten, or at all events stale upon the public ear, Red Jacket, Handsome Ned, and the others re- solved to retire from “ public life” for a few days until they might glean some tidings of Captain Blue Jacket, who was thought to be then in Cornwall, if not actually kneeling at the feet of the lovely Laura in Percy Castle. With plenty of wine, and a good supper smoking before them, they were enjoying themselves amazingly well at the house of “ Aaron the Slopseller ” in the Borough. Song after song had been sung, and all were merry-making. Toasts and jokes, and tales and songs were the order of the evening, for the Fly-by-Nights were not the only ones that patronized ‘Aaron the Slopseller’s,” for on the night in question there were a dozen or more persons who felt it con- ducive to health to keep out of the way of Bow Street for a few days. Among those present were Jack Arnold the house-breaker, who had just broken out of Newgate for the second time. Tommy, otherwise called “the Eel” by those who knew him, a flash swell mobsman, was also in his glory at Aaron’s, for Master Tommy had eased a gentleman of a bundle of bank notes the evening before, and had sought Aaron the Slopseller’s, where he knew he could be safe for a time, or at least wntil all his money mas spent. Aaron, it must be confessed, loved gold more than anything else on earth, and although his tall, many-roomed wilderness of a house, with its spacious yard, stables, cellars, ke. gave every accommodation to his friends and customers, his doors were shut to all but “gentlemen,” a word in Aaron’s mouth which simply signified those who had plenty of ready cash at their disposal. ‘Nat Fathom” was also there, a distinguished nautical gentleman, who had escaped hanging several times while in TERRIBLE. 29 the navy, and who had turneu part pirate, part smuggler, and part everything else, whatever that “brought shot to his locker,” as he termed it. He carried on business usually at the mouth of the Thames on very dark nights, and had robbed and scuttled many a ship. His last “ adventure,” however, had been rather expensive, for the coast-guards were put on the scent; he was dogged and watched and chased until a few days before the coast- guardsmen had assailed his swift-sailing craft with great fury, and almost blown it out of the water. Nat, in his own language, was for the present “on his beam ends,” but he had a few “fivers” by him still, and these he determined to spend ere going afloat again, a reso- lution which Aaron loudly applauded since he liberally supplied Nat with rum at fabulous prices, the same rum in truth which Nat had sold him previously almost for nothing, Besides these there were other worthies congregrated in Aaron’s house on the occasion of which we speak, but as Red Jacket, Handsome Ned and others of the “ Fly-by-Nights ”’ were Aaron’s very best customers, he paid more attention to them, and accomodated them with seats of honour at his long and well-provided table. Indeed Red Jacket and Ned, with their companions, were secluded in a comfortable room by themselves, nor would they allow any one else to enter it unless especially invited. While toasts and songs were at their height, and while old Aaron, glass in hand, was tossing off a bumper to Ned’s good health, a loud knock at the door was heard, and a well-known voice shouted out “‘ House, ho !” in a cheery voice. “Blue Jacket’s voice, by all that’s lucky !”’ said several. On the instant Red Jacket opened the window and looked out. He quickly shut the window again, and said, “ Gentlemen, you never were more mistaken in your lives.” “Not Blue Jacket? Who is it, then? It sounded very much like his voice. Who is it?” ‘‘ Well, if I’m not mistaken, it is the Ferret.” “The Ferret ?” they all exclaimed. ‘““The Ferret?” gasped Aaron, in horror, “Then we are undone! He never goes ou alone. You may rely upon it that there are a dozen or two very near and ready.” “Oh, you need not pretend to be surprised, Aaron,” said Red Jacket, with a sneer. “‘ You knew that he was coming.” 6c I a2? “Yes, you. Nay, don’t-walk backwards to the door; it's no use, Aaron, you gave the ‘office’ to the bloodhounds of Bow Street, in order to get the reward offered for the Fly-by- Nights, eh?. Isn’t that. your game?” “Upon my soul,” gasped Aaron, in alarm, “upon my soul, I didn’t.” “ You are an old liar, Aaron! Men, seize him!” said Red Jacket. “That old scoundrel has instructed the ‘ Ferret’ how to dress, and how to speak so as to appear like Blue Jacket, but it won’t do. Jknow you of old; we are not the first ones you have endeavoured to betray. I have heard strange stories in my time, but you have met with your match this time,” Aaron, who was struggling to get away from Handsome Ned and others who held him, cursed and swore like a mad man, but all to no purpose, for those around him held him with a vice-like grip, and he turned deadly pale. Nat Fathom, hearing the noise of angry voices, rushed into the room, looking as fierce and ugly as a half-starved bear, “How now, my jolly mates?” he said, hitching up his trousers, and turning a huge quid in his capacious mouth, ‘‘ How now, my jolly mates? What’s in the wind now? Any strange sail in sight ?” “ Aye, Nat,” said Handsome Ned, adapting his words to Nat’s nautical comprehension. ‘“ We were sailing along pleasantly enough, when Mr. Aaron did the ‘dirty’ on us, and run us foul of land-sharks, The Ferret is at the door, and, no doubt, didn’t sail into these waters without a strong escort.” “What, the Ferret?” roared Nat Fathom, with an awful oath, ‘ Where is he?” “Look out o’ window, and you will see,” said one, Nat did so. comicwiooksscom