Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE “ Silence !” said the old man. “ Yes, yes, I only —” A significant gesture to one of the party from the old man induced that one to approach the king, and to place the point of a poniard against his throat. ‘‘ Speak again,” he said, “‘unless in reply, and you area dead man! Be discreet, and you shall live !” Leonora up to this moment had been in by far too great an agitation to speak, but now, rising from the chair upon which she had seated herself, she gasped out, “There must be no violence—there must be no murder !” “ Silence, fool !”? growled old Dreadnought, with looks of scorn and derision. He now approached the king, and motioned to the man who stood over him with the poniard to stand aside, and then, while the others looked on, the old man pointed to the pros- trate form of the unfortunate and astonished Tippler in the corner, and asked the king in a clear, stern voice, “Ts that man, or that frightened fool, there, a clergyman ?” “Tt’s all a dream !” said the king, “Task you, is that man who appears in church robes a clergyman ?” ‘ Eh 9» Tt was quite clear from the appearance of the face of the unlucky Tippler that surprise and terror had, for the time, deprived him of all power + f reasoning, and tne look of vacant dullness that he regarded ‘Ye old man with was both ludicrous and painful. ib “You will obtain nothirth from the king,” said one, “ ques- tion the clergyman himse tH “ We may try to do so ,#%ring him here.” Poor Tippler was sitting in the corner of the room, looking very dolefully about him, for he had recovered in some degree from the firm grasp that the savage Sorcerer had had of his throat and was breathing freely again. The parson’s robes in which he had attired himself to play the cleigyman for the purpose of deceiving Leonora looked rather the worse for the struggle he had had, and his face was blue with apprehension. A couple of the followers of the Sorcerer went up to him and assisted him on to his feet and brought him forward to where the king was sitting. The appearance of this scion of nobility and mighty fine gentleman as he was in the habit of thinking himself to be, was now ludicrous and humiliating in the extreme. Imagine such a person depending upon theatrical “make- up,” and that all rumpled and disordered ! Without the juvenile wig, that fitted so well, and looked so natural that he flattered himself no one in all the world but his valet and his hairdresser knew of its existence ! Without the false whiskers also, that lent, as he considered, an air of manliness to an old, wrinkled, and effeminate face, and with a complexion extremely dingy from fear and astonishment ! Could Tippler have seen himself at that moment he would have been horrified at his own appearance. The wig and his false whiskers, and some remnants of his parson’s robes were in the corner into which the savage old Dreadnought had thrown him, and so Tippler, upheld by the two men who had been ordered to bring him forward, faced his interrogators. ““Who are you ?” said the old man. “Eh? I am—Oh, I am nohody.” “Your name ?” “My a—a name?” : “You fool !” “Yes, sir, if you please.” “‘ He equivocates,” said the old man, sharply, “and there- fore the best thing that can possibly be done with him will be to put him ont of the world !” “J think so, Ukniss,” said another, “How shall it be done ?” ‘Oh, no, no!” cried Tippler. ‘Spare my life, and I will tell you all, everything! All I ask is my life—my life ! I will answer, indeed I will !” . “ We will try you once again, then,” said old Dreadnought. “Thank you, Oh, do!” TERRIBLE. 43 * Your name?” “Oh! 'Tippler, Lord Tippler, if you please.” “You are no clergyman ?” *“ Oh, dear, no !” ‘“‘ How came you, then, in the robes of one ?” “ Why, you see, a—a—you see—that is——” “Hnough! He prevaricates again,” growled Dreadnought, “ No, no, I don’t! Have mercyupon me, and [ willtell you all! I adopted those robes for the purpose of conducting a mock marriage between the king and a young lady, whose moral scruples, it was thought, would only yield to such a course. But I am very sorry, if you are the friends of the young lady, I assure you.” The old man turned slowly and looked at his trembling victims, as he said, in a low voice, “Tt is as Isaid it would be. The girl was destined to be the victim of the king’s knavery.” A deep and sudden flush of anger, indignation, and shame flitted across the face of Leonora. She did not, however, make any observation, but hung her head sadly and sorrowfully. The old man’s remarks, however, had@been heard by Ivan, who, stepping up to the king, said to him, in a low but deter- mined voice, * Did you, sir, plan this ?” “Eh? [—what—plan. Oh! in mercey——” “T ask,” Ivan repeated, with much emphasis, ‘ did you, in your wisdom, or wickedness, make or suggest this pretty little plan for the shame, dishonour, and sure destruction of this sinless, guileless girl, that you might thereby learn something of ws, eh ?” The king turned an anxious side glance at the speaker, but he did not make any reply. Tippler, however, trembled in every limb, and his face was pale as ashes. And well he might feel fear, for, as he looked around at the dark and swarthy band that surrounded him on all sides, he could see their eyes flashing fire through the masks they wore, and he felt certain that something very un- pleasant was in store for him. “Well, then,” continued Ivan, “if your majesty do not deign to reply tg my question, I take your silence as an acknowledgment of your unmanly, guilty designs upon the maiden, and consider that you are not deserving of the treat- ment due toa gentleman, What say you?” he asked of those assembled. “Perfectly right; kill °em both!” was the angry chorus of the black and swarthy band of determined men. *“Oh, Lord have mercy! I'll give anything to get out of this! Recollect, ’m a married man, and father of a large family, ye band of rascally villains !” said Tippler. “Hello, hello! what’s he saying?’ said one and another, in indignation and anger. ‘“ What’s the fool preaching about ? Here, let’s hang him first |” “Oh, a thousand pardons, good gentlemen |” Tippler ex- claimed in horror and fright. “It was only a slip of the tongue, believe me! I meant to call you gentlemen—kind and obliging creatures, as I know you are—but I forgot! Believe me, it was only a slip of the tongue !” whined Tippler, in serio-comic horror. " “Slip o’ the tongue, eh?” said one. ‘‘ Well, then, keep thy tongue inside thy mouth in future, or, look ye, I'll cut it out for ye, and in no time, mind me !” So saying, he brandished a long knife, that flashed horribly in the lamp-light. CHAPTER XXII. THE PLOT THICKENS—THE SOLITARY SOLDIER THAT GUARDS THE RED ROOM—IVAN’S MYSTERIOUS BURDEN—THE Con- SPIRATORS IN COUNCIL—TIPPLER IS FAST BOUND AND NOISY—MASTER ANDREW, DREADNOUGHT AND IVAN—THE SEARCH COMMENCES—LEONORA’S ALARM, “No more of this noisy quarrelling,” said Dreadnought. *This is no time for words; it is a precious moment for action. Do not let any one <eOniG boos qa Om