Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

: x ™ ae , Rin et) ee, <4 oma” _ seont, and beyond that ati Tom ei n to grow tired of his long walk. : All at once his guide tapped at a door, which was {:0- mediately opened. _ Pe) | a Admittance was allowed, end Tom found himself in se presence of a very plainly-dressed, middle-aged mau, Who was seated at 2 table. Before him were a quantity of leticrs and other ments, with which he seemed to be busily engagd. * _ ___ *Phis gentleman,” said ‘'om’s guide “4 fourd among the guests. Ie says he ccines here upot sonst service, and d to see the King.” ge So saying, ho abreptly left, awd his Majesty's private secretary looked at him inquiringly. | “Secret service?” be said. -* What secret service?” “Excuse me,” said Tom, bowing and speaking with the utmost respect, “but [ assure you my business is with his Majesty, and his Majesty alone.” ' _ “But,” said the secretary, half-angrily, “do you not _ know that nothing can reach the ears of his Majesty cx- | cept through myself? Speakon, and let me knew what --—-your business is without any further delay. I have no time to waste.” *T regret very much to decfine,” said Tom King, “but IT again most positively assure you that the business is of ‘ _. s0 private and personal a nature thas 1 can only com- ‘municate it to his Majesty himself.” Rite “Bah !—nonsense! I know all his Majesity’s private business; and let me hear this—be quick! If you refrie, you will have to goas you came; it is quite impcss.ble > for you to see the King—you might know that.” Yom King hesitated. % He was puzzled how to act. Should he indeed trust his message with this man? Should he confide the locket to him and await the re- oy pull e ais No. _____ Had not Dick Turpin positively enjoined him te piace era on in the hands of no one but the King him- There must be no circumlocution. _ Tt yvexes me exceedingly,” he said, addressing the secretary, “to appear so pertinacious; but believe me Tom made up his mind instantly. __-—s again when I say that not even to you can I confide my business.” A akg “Then,” said the secretary, “I will have you arrested! ‘¥en to one it issome bold, audacious attempt to assassinate the King. Your story about secret service must bea + mere subterfuge. Here, guard—guard!” He shouted out the last words at the top of his voice, and even while he did so he struck his hand upon a bell that stood upon the table before him, and which no doubt was an additional summons for immediate assistance. ~~ ie CHAPTER DCCCLXIII. __-«-FOM KING BECOMES SOMEWHAT ALARMED AT IIIS POSI- Ree? TION, BUT MEETS WITH AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE. re. _ ‘Pres energetic proceedings on the part of the King’s Sis private secretary were so sudden and so unexpected that ‘for a few seconds Tom King was half bewildered, and a _ searcely knew how to act. ___ The sound of hasty footsteps in the corridor served to grouse him from his state of indecision. ss With one bound he reached the door. a Se = It was his intention to secure ié effectually. ~ But the only fastening he could perceive consisted of a small brass bolt. ‘9 _ This he slipped rapidly into its socket, snd, when ha ; turned again, he saw that the secretary hed hastened to one of the windows, which he threw open, while he again 2 cried: “Guard—guard! Here—a spy—a traitor? Guard— “* ay? guara! Tom King sprang towards him as he cricd, tosee the King ” ‘ 4 oe in aloader key inan oFex. massive panels of the door a succession of he *zuccks, = which the secretary was conscious was that he was lying £6) TES ENIGHY OF TBE ROAD, “ Silence—silence, or your life! Once more I de mand | But the secretary only continued his gaciforstmsa} 144 OE there was another and ancther, | #4 decidedly damaged condition underneath one of the toles. It so happened that this table was covered with a loag crimson cloth, so that when he rolled under it he vanished comcietely from sight. s All hope of Tom King ketping his presence in the -} gaztxe 2 secret was now at an end. | The first thine hs had .o ao wns to secure his own satety. : How this could be tone was more tisn he scald tell, vet he resolved to suffer an thing rather than abandon the task of deliverin,y the locket to the “Rm, The blows on the outside of tne door now much in- creased in violence, and there could be no doubt that those without were endeavouring to force an entrance. ie glance round the chamber was given by Tom ing. Then, finding there was no other dcor save tho one by whicn he had entered and at which the soldiers of the guard were doubtless now standing, he turned again to- wards the window. It. was very dark outside. But below him he could just distinguish goma of the shrubs and plants in the garden. The distance to jump was somewhat alarming, but, then, Tom was aware that the soil was soft, and would serve most materially to break the force of his fall. Without further delay, then, he jumped through the window, and, as he had fully anticipated, alighted on the soft mould in safety. As soonas he had recovered his feet, however, and took a glance around him, he saw [fights flashing through the gardens in various directions, and he could hear voices shouting to each other. Almost at the same moment a party of soldiers made their appearance at the window through which he had just escaped, and in loud tones they called upon those who were inthe garden to search narrowly for the in- truder. Tom felt very anxious and distressed. If his own safety was all he had to care about, it would have been s very different matter. The question was, would it be possible for him to find some pleco of hiding that would serve to conceal him from the alose search that was about to be made? He shook his head while asking himself the gues- tion. Such a thing seemed very far from likely. Close to where he stood, however, was one of the wine- ing gravel-paths which spread like a net-work over tho entire gardens. On each side it was planted with some kind of prickly shrubs of a very ornamental character, and growing to a ereat height from the ground, but as impenetrable and as insurmountable as a high brick wall. There was something of a very private and secluded character about this path, It was plunged in total darkness, aod it seemed to Tom that it offered him by far the best chance of concealing limself. Without further consideration, he turned down it, and ran hastily forwards for some distance. Despite the darkness, he was able to follow its windings and turnings tolerably well. All at once he came to a sudden stop, and a cold perspi- ration began to break out upon his forehead, for he feared that he kal taken a wrong step, and had fallen into a trap. At the ealremity of the path he hed been pursuir@ wag @conseryatory, from the glass windows of nich Tom could see rare plants growing in greet sjyxurience and beauty. But % noncur of the iestival that had that night been © jtebrated, this conservatory had been prettily lighted up by a uamber of coloured lamps suspended either from the ceiling or from the branches of the ornamental trees. ™}:a effect of these coloured lights was to shed an aro2zi.t of iilumination around resembiing twilight. ¢o yonture into this conservatory, Tom felt would bs c.ciness, for the probability was that such a place would Finding remonstrance of no avail, and hoar’az on the! ta much resorted to by the guests. & He tried to turn either to the right or te the left, bus % _ om King doubled up his fist, and tho next thing of | {ound this impossible, owing to the density of the prickly vegetation, JOO | & (ECO AMC % CSE(E(O)