Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 350: what you’re looking at

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

co Ae 7 ~~ = . en 5 FE onl Ca we. 2 a - of. - ” é i. + a CN ; aA ‘ [= bes A peas). ae ? ¥ xf, 4 nf ane wr ; - . ER ifs ‘BLACK BESS: 02, wR SS ERATE cok 7 “ Well, then,” began the landlord, after a second appre~ bensive glances rou-d the yard and particularly towards the housa, “you must kaow that I am at tho present time afflicted in the game way tha: you say you wero.” “ Witha scolding wife?” “Yes; but however bad yours may have been, I make bold to affirm than mine is ten times worse,” HTmmys “ice t” “But I get not a second’s rest night or dar; I live like atcad under ao harrow.” “Bo did 1.” “Then, sir, as you know what it is like,” said the landlord, beseechingly, “kave pity upon me.” “What do you want me to do?” “Why, be kind enough to exercise your art upon her.” “ Transform her?” “Yes. I should then be ever your debtor—I should indeed, believe me, You must know that by an accident I have recently lost the very best horse in my stable. Trade is so bad that I cannot afford to buy another to take his place. My wife I could well spare, and there- fore if you would only——” Dick now found himself in another dilemma. But his ready invention quickly helped him out of it. “ Do you know,” he said, “that if what we have been talking about was to come to the ears of a third person it would cost us our lives ?” ‘* Yes, yes—I know that.” “ We zhould be hung, drawn, quartered, and afterwards burnt if we were known to have plotted anything oj the kind against a fellow-creature.” “Yes, yes—I know that too. But excuse me, sir, you ran the risk, and I am quite willing to do so.” Dick saw that the landlord’s anxiety to get rid of his scolding wife made him credulous to the utmost de- ec. ON o imposition would be too gross for him to swallow. ‘‘T consent,” he said, as it appeared, after a few moments’ reflection—“ I consent, out of the fellow feeling Ihave for you; but upon condition that one stipulation is scrupulously observed by you——” “Yes—yes. Anything—anything!” “In ae for my spells to work, time must be had. I havo many things to prepare, and you must yourself go through a preliminary course.” “Eh? How?” “Why, for nine days you must eat nothing but bread, and drink nothing but water. Do you promise to observe this faithfully ?” ‘‘T do,” answered the landlord, who, as his appearance denoted, was strongly addicted to the good things of this life, therefore he pronounced the words somewhat unwill- “in the next place, aot a syllable must be mentioned about what you have seen to-day, nor respecting your intentions. Lastly, but not by any means the least in im- rtance,” continued Dick, laying his hand upon the land- ord’s shoulder, ‘‘ money must be provided, in order that the necessary preliminarics can be carried out fully and properly.” _ “ How much will be zequired ?” '“ Well, of course you cannot expect me to take all this trouble for nothing; besides, it is worth something to possess such a secret, and it cannot be made use of unless weil raid for.” *Bow—hsw—niuch ?” askea “ke landlord, breathlega pow with impatience and anxiety. ; “ Why, to commence with, I shall wan. fifty pocnds.” “ Fifty pounds ?” “Exactly. That you must pay down to me before the business can be carried any further.” “ And how much afterwards ?” * Are you in the mind to find the first fifty ?” “Well, you see, sir, my wife is a miser—-a regular miser, and that’s the long and the short of it, sacan never get hold of any money; but she has plenty.” “ How shall you manage ?” “ Why, it happens most provideatially. But this very morning, sir,as true as I stand here, I discovered one of my wile’s secret receptacles for money, aud I should say twere is as nearly fifty pounds there as can he.” ve — purpose shio was saving up bor money, aia she a a a “* No, no—I'll warrant not.” e “ Well, then, this fifty pounds must be placed in my hands at the earliest moment possible, and the rest-——” ‘* Yes—yes, the rest-———” “That will be fifty pounds more you must bring on the ninth night from this to the ruins of the old castle ciosa — by here.’ “You mean Comynage Castle ?” “ T do.” The landlord’s teeth chattered with fear “I have heard frightful stories about that place,” he said—*“ yes, truly frightful stories.” ‘“‘ Disregard them, You must meet me there in the courtyard; at the hour of midnight I shall be with you.” “ Midnight ?” “ J have said it.” Clearly, the landlord did not refish the concluding portion of the adventure, but doubtless he considered he had now gone toc far to retract. “* T—TI will be there.” “ Give me ycur hand, then.” A mutual grasp followed, and then Dick, after many more injunctions about secrecy, and particularly bidding him to bring the money at once, he accompanied him to the house. Dick’s comrades followed. As soon as they had entered the room, and the door - was closed, they everyone indulged in a hearty but yet by no means noisy laugh. Dick held up bis hand for silence. “ Oh, captain,” said Sixteen-String Jack, in whose eyes the tears caused by his suppressed laughter were stand- ing, “I will give you credit for ingenuity, though I could never have believed that any man would have been sach a gudgeon as to swallow so monstrous an invention.” ‘Nor I,” said Dick, “only 1 discovered his intense gulloility as I went on.” “ Do you think ho will bring the fifty pounds ?” ‘“* | have no doubt of it.” “ And shall you meet him at the ruins?” “ That I can’t tell at present.” “T only hope,” said Tom King “that he will not be fool enough to leak out anyt*iag; if he does, there will be so much curiosity raised that our recognition mus - "nevitably follow ; then who can say what trouble will ensue ?” ‘*T don’t think there is much need for apprehension. We will keep a sharp watch upon everything that goes forward.” ‘‘ And we shall only stay here till dusk, I suppose?” said Claude Duval. “ Not a moment later. And now things having been so far settled, let us occupy the rest of the time in deciding upon our future movements,” answered Turpin. At this moment there was a faint tap at the door ‘* Come in!” gaid Dick. Tlie landlord entered, carryiug in his hand a well filled leather bag, which he placed in Dick’s hand, “IT have performed my part of the contract so far,” he said, significantly, “‘and I fancy that ought to be sufé- cient proof of my sincerity.” He pointed to the bag as he spoke. **T have no doubt of it,” answered the highwayman, ashe very contentedly consigned the money to hf pocket ; “and if you ure only careful to be discreet all wats ce we...” ‘“‘ Depend tpoa me.” “T will. But understand, the least disclosure—tke slichtest allusion to what is going to take place, and we shall both be ruined in this world and the next.” The landlord made so many protestations of his deter- mination to preserve strict secrecy that if. wonld be tedious to repeat them. Much pleased with the prospect of getting rid of his scolding wife, he left Dick and his companiens to them- selves, though not until the former had ry seers upon him the importance of being at the ruins at, the appointed hour. “ Now, my comrades,” said Dick, “let us dismiss this fellow from our minds. Perhaps it is as well that we “That will be the very thing then. phe Lite thought | Dave nad tuis iittie incident to divert cur atteanes . -at ; 4 i. ¢ ' — sy’ = Se * Sf}