Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 274: what you’re looking at

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

> * ra ~ aad PS re ie Pe > the? S be be! SO ee «i ~a 4 eh SY Kae 4 : Sana Dee ‘os 8 1646 BLACK BESS; OR, Bre going tar, however, Turpin encountered another soldier on guard, and this one was more particular. ‘‘ Your business ?” he said, briefly. “ Be good enough to look at this ring.” He extended his hand as he spoke. The sentry made as good an examination as the dark- meas permitted: but it seemed a satisfactory owe, for he said : ‘“ All right—pass on! Knock at the fourth dow vos coine to on your left hand.” “‘ Does your beat extend so far ?” “ Yes—just beyond, sir. Why ?” “ Because, if you like, I will leave you in charge of my mare. She will be no trouble whatever, as she will stand quietly enough by the door if she is not interfered with ; and as you go by, if you will just keep an eye upon her, that is as much as will be required.” “ All right, sir.” Dick rode on till he reached the door mentioned by the guard. Then dismounting, he assisted the little girl to her fect. ‘“Woa, Bess,” he said, in a low voice—‘“ steady, lass! Wait here till I come back.” Having thus spoken, he knocked loudly at the door, eaising a thousand echoes in the silent courtyard. His summons met with a speedy response. Without waiting to say or hear a word, Dick coolly crossed the threshold. ‘Who are you, sir?” said a man, clad in the cos- tume of a yecman of the guard. ‘“ What do you want?” Dick held out his hand. “ Just look at that ring, will you?” “ All right, sir,” said the man, respectfully, after a hasty elance—‘' pass on. Ascend the stairs. At tne top you will be challenged again.” The little girl walked by Turpin’s side with tho air of one who had long been accustomed to tread beneath that royal roof. Indeed, if Diok had thought of applying to her, she would have made an excellent guard. . Sure enough at the top of the stairs they were stopped again—this time by a man who was not attired in auy uniform whatever. Having looked at the ring, he gazed upon Turpin with no little surprise and curiosity. “‘ You cannot see him to-night,” said this plainly-attired individual. 7 Dick was strongly inclined to ask, ‘See who ?” for he had not the least idea to whom the ring belonged. But the manifest impolicy of saying anything of the kind made him silent. In a moment after he replied ix a very different manner. “J must!” he said, curtly. “‘ Tmpossible !” “But I say I must; and if not now, £ will wait till I can !” “If your business is urgent you can confide it to me.” Dick shook his head resolutely. «Then you can just go back the way that you came; and the next time, if you do not chouse to tell me your business, you will havea great deal of difficulty in getting this far, let me tell you!” “ What's that, eh—eh—what’s that ?” said a voice. A door was opened hastily, and some one stepped forward with a hurried, undignified, ungraceful step The gentleman in the plain suit no sooner heard this voice than he uttered an ejaculation of dismay, and seemed ready to fall flat to the floor. He faced round, however, and began to mutier some excuses. Dick lookea up, and at once recognised the stranger he bad befriended. His countenance showed the marks of the injuries be had received. “Your Royal Highness—~—” gasped the gentleman in black. The words filled Dick with amazement. At tov “ame time he felt th> little girl tugging et Ris hand, and lookec down to ascertain the cause of her dotag 80. “It’s the Prince of Wastes,” she said, in a whispor. “ Be careful what you say 2nd “>, for he has got an awful baceser,” a eee ee eee ~- i ae a aS CHAPTER CMXOIIL. FOLLOWS THE ADVENTURES OF DICK TURPIM AND BLACK BESS. THE way in which Jittle Ruth spoke wuuld at any other time have brought a smile to Dick Turpin’s lips. But on the present occasion such an expression of feel- ing was altogether impolitic and not to be thought of. It was not possible, however, for Dick all in a moment to overget the astonishment that was produced by the discovery that the person he had saved from such im- minent danger, and whose behavior seemed so eceentric, was no less a personage than his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and grandson of the King. But much of the eccentricity of his behavior was n.# accounted for.. He was not allowed any further time for thought, how- ever, for the prince said: ‘“‘ Cameron !” “Ye—ye—yes, your Royal Highness!” stammered the man. “Be off, and don’t attempt to pry into my private affairs again.” “But, your Royal High——” Be off, I say !” Warned probably by the tone of the prince’s voice that it would be unwise to exasperate him any further, Cameron beat a retreat. “‘ And now, sir,” said the prince, addressing himself to Dick, ‘‘may I ask your business with me ?” : Once again by way of reply Dick simply held out his and. ‘‘ What, is it you?” said the prince, in accents of sur- prise. ‘* Well, well—never mind. But you must be some- thing more than a man, that is all I can say.” ‘ woe your Royal Highness, you requested me to call!’ “‘T did—I did; yet never thought that you would be foolhardy enough to do so.” ‘¢T am here.” “JT see youare. Follow me into this room, where we can converse in private.” The prince led the way back into the room from which he had so unexpectedly emerged. ‘Shut the door and sit down,” said the prince, as he flung himself into a luxurious easy chair. ‘I don’t want to Rey the prince just now—bah! I am sick of it.” Dick complied with the greatest readiness. “TI told you,” began the prince, “that if you liked to call here some night you would hear something to your advantage.” “ Your Royal Highness was good enough to say so, but beliove mg, I had not then the remotest idea of who yoa were.” “‘T believe not; but I expected you would come alone. What little girl is that you have with you ?” “ Does not your Royal Highness recognise her ?” The prince stretched his little sleepy-looking eyes as wide open as his fat cheeks would let him, then said, slowly : “‘T fancy I have seen her before. “Your Royal Highness, thisis the Lady Ruth Oom- ynge.” “Oomynge ?” repeated the prince, while a black, por- tentous-looking frown almost hid his eyes altogether. “Yes; and if your Royal Highness will only be kind enough to listen to what I have to relate you will at once take this poor child’s part.” “T don’t know that!” muttered the prince. This was by no means encouraging—moreover, Dick was considerably puzzled. Nevertheless, he steadily began his narrative, se1ating everything in connection with the little girl. He pro- ceededat some length, for the prince listened with avidity, but what was strangest of all, with evident gratification. Dick trusted ere leng to be able to solve all these mys- terics. When he had brought his narrative to a conclusion the prince said: “ This is the second service you have rendered me.” ” “Second service?” ejaculated Dick, amazed. ‘How so ?” “In this way: This girl’s uncle, Comynge, is the King’s confidant. He has his ear in everything, and, what ig EomMIEebooks. went ‘ a in = a, «iM, " ' 4 yi “eb % OA at we ms - é ; ¢ as ale Valerie eal o o9