Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 250: what you’re looking at

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

i Wow. Care yey “e e A - ata" Veer, mad «> Mae 97 hee a! 4 * 4 - é 4 amd 4 et he T Veta Ae ions waa" fe Ay ie tape baa A? Ys PSY Slits on of Pan Tee Oth: eh teh eee Se Vary & te ee Caee Ba 4 hy / 2 bed be Oe OF Ae he a" ? a det, ? Ar 7 € : » Tet «8 Ome ees ce ON ee OHAPTER OMLXXXI. DICK TURFIN 19 MADE ACQUAINTED WITK THE RESTS WF TOM DAVIS'S TEIAL. * THEN,” replied old Matthew, very gravely, “you may make yourself quite sure, Dick, that I shat) mot be tho one ever to betray you.” ‘‘T believe that,” answered the kighwayman, grasping him by the hand—‘‘T fully believe it; indeed, should you prove false I should lose all faith in human nature.” “But this is profitless talk,” said Matthew. “Sup-~ posing, now, that I go downstairs for a minute and lock round ?—there can be no harm in that.” * But will it look suspicioug ?” “] think not, and if thore is any dengsr at nand I ghall let you know it in good time.” ick made no further oppasition to this course. Old Matthew was not absent long, but when he came Sack his face had rather a grave aspect. ‘Ts there danger ?” asked Turpin. ‘Not immediate,” he replied, ‘but I hear there is a tremendous commotion going on in and about Bow Street.” ‘* Are the officers still searching for me ?” ‘‘T believe they are—at any rate, they were a short time ago. Your mysterious disappearance puzzles them exceedingly, and they seem to be impressed with the idea that you are concealed in one of the houses there.” Dick gave a contented, satisfied smile, “Now,” said Matthew, ‘‘I will do my best to keep you in safety while you are beneath my roof. Look here.” Old Matthow went, as he spoke, to a large oaken cup- board which completely filled up a recess on one side of the fireplace. He threw open the large double doors with which it was provided, and then it turned out that it was not really & cupboard but a closet, Various articles of apparel were hanging around it on different nails and hooks fixed in the walls. Apparently this closet was formed entirely of wood. Matthew, first bespeaking Dick’s attention, stepped into it. “Now, Dick,” he said, “there’s a hiding-place hero which I don’t thiak even you could discover, even if you knew it to exist.” ‘“‘Indeed,” said Dick, ‘then that is saying a great deal in its favor.” “It is, and yet not more than it deserves. Look here.” As he spoke, old Matthew stooped dawn and inserted his fingers in between the floor and the bottom of the back of the cupboard, wdaich did not fit so closely as to prevent him from introducing the tips of his fingers. Putting out his utmyst strength, Matthew then raised this back, just in the manner that one might raise the sash of a large window. When this was done, a small chamber in the wall was discovered, and in it was a chair. But the place looked as though it had never been pried into or entered for many years, for it was thickly loaded with dust, and everywhere huge cob- webs were suspended. “What do you think of that?” said Matthew, as he stepped back to look at it with admiration. ‘It is very good so far as security is concerned,” said Dick, “but yet by no means a comfortable place to think of taking up one’s quarters in.” ‘You are right enough there; but then, safety is the thing you have to consider.” “Just so. But how in the world, Matthew, came vou to make this discovery ?” “‘Oh, I have known of it for a long time,” was the reply. ‘The hiding-place has been made many, many ears, and I firmly believe that it is now forgotten or un- nown-—at any rate, there is no other place in the whole house which holds forth so good a prospect of affording safe shelter.” “J shall take your word. Mathew,” replied Diclk, ‘and be guided by you entire:y.” “You cannot do better, thourh I say it. Mow, what I have to tell you is this: Wienever you receive any intimation of coming danger, quit this roam; BS be cares 21 to leave no token of your presence hohind you, and sator this chamber—then I firmly believe that the officers su. lonart without finding ven.” v h ODA. Orf0 tke Ae at hee an ely OO eee “Then, the next ting I have f> say,” resumed = Matthew, “is, that I am going toshr)/upthe house for the night. I feel the wantof sleep, aud Ishallbeableto snatch a fow hours before morning; so will you, forwhen 1 fasten up the house at night I do it in so secures manner that no one could enter it unawares.” “That is enough,” said Dick—“ indeed, te tell you the truth, whenever I am here I feel as though I am within a strongly-fortified castle.” Matthew laughed at this idea and jeft the room, leaving Wick to compose himself as well as he could upon the couple of chairs which the apartment contained. Dick drew them near the fire, and having got into as comfortable an attitude as circumstances would allow, he dropped off into a deep slumber. e was aroused from it by s sudden disturbance of some kind in the street, and having ascertained what wasthe ‘a matter, he advanced cautiously to tae window. eds Looking down, he then saw a large crowd of people —S assembled, and among them a body of police officers. wa te They were all looking up at the front cf the White er! Horse, and Dick began to feel that he should soon Have to ioe take up his quarters in the secret chamber. hg To his surprise, however, the officers, after conferring ye with each other, departed. ics Then, by degrees, the crowd dispersed as well, until the St: street was left in tolerable quiet. As soon as this was the case, Dick heard a faint tap at the door, and directly afterwards old Matthew entered. Gis ‘‘ Have you looked out, Dick ?” ho asked. “Yes,” was the reply, ‘‘and I am puzzled at what I saw. What did you make of it?” | ‘Well, I may be wren, but my idea is that the officers | having failed to find you anywhere in the vicinity of ‘ Bow Street, have imagined that you have sought shelter here, but the quiet aspect of the place, now that it is shut up and in darkness, seems to have laid their suspi- clons.” “‘No doubt that is it,” sald Dick; ‘ but, however, as morning cannot be far distant, I shall not attempt to sleep again.” ‘* Nor shall [.” The remainder of the time was then spent by Matthew and Dick in discussion. Hs In the end, old Matthow, after a great deal of trouble, ay succeeded in persuading Dick Turpin that it would be > best for him not to venture to Newgate—that, in fect, he > was running a needless risk by doing so, and not doing the ieast good to anyone. Secretly, Dick felt the full force of this, though he would not allow it. Ife did not like on any occasion to change an opinion or a determination that he had formed. Old Matthew carried the point, however, and having partaken of a good, substantial breakfast, he set out for the Old Bailey, leaving Dick to pass the time as best ho might in the room alone, 3 Before the landlord departed, he again impressed upon 3 the highwayman the necessity of seeking shelter in the 3 secret room the moment the girl told him there was any occasion to do so. | “In fact,” he said, ‘‘ upon the approach of danger you will hear a bell ring violently ; when you do, then, lose no time in concealing yourself, Dick promised obedience, and his last words to old Matthew consisted of an earnest entreaty that he would return and let him know the result the moment the trial was concluded. It was at quite an early hour whon Matthew set out from his house; but then, he knew very well how much difficalty there was in forcing a way into the narrow, confined court at the Old Bailey, where the trials were held. Tho first half-hour or so after his departure passed toler- ably wall to Dick, but after that time he began to grow impatient and restless, and continued to get more and more so as the day advanced. He was yet, however, quite unmolested, . Beyond a doubt, the greater part of the police officers who bad interested themselves in the capture of the high- wayman were just then present at the Old Bailey, waiting the result of the trial with as much anxiety 9a mny- ean a - ‘ Pe) ae ENE Se 4 ea AD, . a r ~ey ) . ° “on ‘ ‘ . Cees 2 3: 4% (E(0)