Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

_ hen, bidding farewell to Matthew, ke marched of with them, our old friend starding on the steps of his house and watching them until the intervening Leases hid them from his view. Then, rubbing his hands briskly together, and with a a - Biiile of satisfaction on his lips, he turned round and hastened to the bar. : As he passed the gir} who served the customers ho . ae + 2p ee f r. ee ae ot _ said, in a hurried whisper : => “Are you quite sure all tha ofacers «avo ler. the st house ?”’ ig! “Tam not quite sure,” was the response. “ Biy belief is that one or more are in hiding some where.” “Well, well,” said Matthew, ‘all you can do is to - keep your eyes wide open. I will go back into the - _ parlour, and if you see anything in the least degree sus- ____ picious, give the signal instantly. I shall be on the look- out. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Better have thousand false alarms than give the signal of dauger too late.” ay fj Te lige e &. , et a ~ CHAPTER DCCCLXXVLI. OLD MATTHEW RELEASES THE HIGHWAYMEN FROM THEIR PLACE OF CONCEALMENT, AND SHOWS THEM A NEW MODE OF LEAVING TIIE PREMISES. KNOWING that he could place tho fullest trust in his _ dependant, old Matthew turned at once into the parlour, closing the door carefully, and, for greater security, _ slipping a small bolt into its socket. | _ ~~: Before opening the secret hiding-place to conceal the _ highwaymen therein, he had taken care, by a rapid glance at the only window in the room, to ascertain that _ the shutters were close shut, so that there could be no overlooking him from that quarter. _ ss Hee placed his hand upon the mantelpiece, and looked ee ae ascly at the little clock. wv —_ - ding the signal remained unchanged, he rapidly ____ pulled the fireplace out, and liberated our friends, who -__were not a little rejoiced to make their escape. “Are they gone, Matthew ?” asked Tom, eagerly. +“ believe so. At any rate, all we have to do is to watch the dial.” “Yes, I know; but if you will tell me the best way to do it, I will leave the place at once. Theo night is wear- ___Ing on, and there is no time to be lost.” “Prue,” said Matthew; ‘tand yet I should recommend __—s* you to wait for a few moments, in case any of the officers should yet be lurking about.” > “We will stay, Matthew, if you think it best, cf --—s- sourse.”” +“ Well, do so, and tell me what you think of yeur __- hiding-place.” 4 ~~ 8 4 eld “Qh, excellent, so far as security goes; but decidedly ___-«‘ Unpleasant if you have to remain in it.” Tas . : Sk oe PRs a ~ see * And especially with such a roaring fire a3 you have __--—*how,” said Claude. “It was decidedly uncorvortable.” ae “And hot as an oven,” said Sixteen-String Jack, ____-wiping the perspiration from his face. eee “You must not mind such little drawbacky #3 those,” paid Matthew. ‘Is it not an excellent idea?” et © Most excellent; and I should think would have og -_ gecurred to no other person than yourself.” _ -——s * Oh, I don’t know,” said Matthew, modestty. “I was looking at the chimneypiece cne day, and the notion caine into my head: so | set to work, and accomplishad it all with my own hands.” **Did you, indeed ?” “I did; and worked so welz, that, in spite of the per- ___ petual interruptions to which the officers subject me, I suc- $ ceeded in completing it without the knowledge beirg __ shared in by anyone saye myself.” ae “ Well, it has done us € good turn,” cried Tom, “ there’s Ge no doubt about that.” - i. *“ None; and it has ampry repaid me for the troubie of _. eonstructing it. But,” he added, “did you not cyerhear _ the conversation I had with the officer?” — “We did,” said Tom, looking at him, searsbing!y; “every word of it.” 7 ee “TJ thought you would,” he answered, quietly. “ You _—s- @uessed my object in speaking as I did 2” : _ * Well, scarcely.” Rea ~ Zoa did not think thai I seriously intended to buisay =< . ww LF aoks , - : = re es wt " od p (EE SER ee > hee OS ec ae . * nS ASS wv - : - ” 3 ms . - : * < . es ’ : ¢ 44, -— Y ae THE BSIQNT OF THE ROAD. | would be difficult indeed for anz95¢s- 7721) 00) “No, no; I would never think that, Matthew, fom it you played us false, we could never place dependence on any human being again.” “Q'hat’s all right, then. It would have grieved me very much had you doubted me,” “ But your object, Matthew, what was it ?- “Why, I thought if I pretended to fall in with theiz views that I should get on better than if I uttered a positive refusal. The cflicers, no doubt, will now hang off and on for a gecd while, expecting that, at the right moment, I shail deliver yor futo their hands. But there's no fear,” he added; “I am e¢nly fooling them, as I hava done many a time before.” | ‘“‘ Tt was good policy to act in this manner,” said Tom. “But now do you not think sufficient time has elapsed ? Iam growing uneasy, and anxious to leave.” “Yes, I think you may vertare tc go. Hut is there anything I can do for you curing your absence ?” ‘Nothing that I know of,” said Tom. “If I could only form some reasonable idea ag to the contents of this letter, we should then be able to make a better arrange- ment. just as they are.” “Very well. Butif there’s any chance of my render- ing you a service, don't fail to let me know.” “Rest assured of that. What time is it now ?” ‘‘ Close upon half-past eleven.” “Ts it indeed so late? Then it is really time we left, otherwise the Governor may not take it into his head to look at this letter till the morning.” “Come, then,” said Matthew, taking down a key that was hanging on a nail, “you may as well go this way as . any other.” While speaking, he advanced to the window, which he opened, and threw back the shutters. “Now,” he said ‘follow me through here and I qwiil show you out by a fresh route.” With an agility and ease that, considering his size, were truly remarkable, old Matthew stepped on to a chair and passed through the window into the yard at the back. The highwaymen followed immediately, and by his directions the window was closed again and the shutters ut to. J ‘‘Now,” he said, “there’s a stable here, the existence of which is well enough known to the police, but the loft over it looksinto a small yard at the back of a house in Blackmore Street. When you enter the stable, get up into the loft as quickly as possible, pass through the window I speak of, and drop into the yard just mentioned. Do you understand me ?” “Yes, perfectly.” “Then take this kez, and with it unlock the door at the back of this house. into the doorpost, and, having crossed the threshold, shut the door behind you, but don’t fasten it on the inside.” “ But what house is this, Matthew ?” “ An empty one,” he replied ; ‘‘one that, by a lucky acci- dent, was placed in my hands to let as soon as I could find a suitable tenant; but,” he added with a chuckle, “it will be a long time before I find one, Ill warrant.” ‘You're sure the house is empty ?”’ said 'T'om, laughing. “Yes, quite sure. Walk boldly along the passage ; there’s nothing in the way, and you will come to the front door. It is fastened only by a latch, but that latch can- not be raised from the outside. Open the door can- tiously, watch your opportunity, and emerge. Pull the dcor shut, and the latch will fasten itself. Then the rest depends upon yourselves.” “Thanks, Matthew—thanks,” said Tom King; * you are indeed a friend well worth the having. By taking this rote, surely we shall bafile the officers.” “Thepe so,” said Matthew, “ yet it is impossible for me to say where they may be hiding ai the present moment. Your chief care will bo to keep y-urselves as much out of sight as possible.” : With this caution they parted, tho highwaymen wring- ing Matthew’s hand. Successfully following his instructions, they soon aatered the stable, mounted into the lIcit, and paused a reoment at tho little window, or, rather, opening in the wall, that he had described. : About eight fest below them was a small, dirty yard, pouuded on each side by high brick walls, over which it LE) @ As it is, we must trust to chance, and leave things Hang the key on a nail driven | cS7GO