Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

1460 “Have you a mind to linger here and make a further examination,” asked Turpin, “ or will you seek the way into the street with all speed ?” “‘] leave the conduct of affairs entirely to you,” was the response—“ it seems to me that you are better gble to judge which is best.” i “Then I advise that we gain the street with all speed. Who can tell how many accomplices those miscreants may have? And if we stay we may find ourselves opposed to a superior force, and so have to pay the penalty of our rash- ness with our lives.” ‘* Ag you will,” answered the young man; “the wery air in this place seems to choke me.” There was indeed, either in fancy or reality, a sickening odour pervading that apartment. radly enough, then, ‘Turpin left it. ‘The door opened upon a large square lanaing-place. Here he paused in order to look around him before he took any fresh step. ‘The staircase was broad, with massive, old-fashioned balusters. It ascended to the upper floors, and descended into the hall, commanding a view of the front door of the house. CHAPTER DCCCXCIYV. DICK TURPIN M4KES HIS WAY TO THE THREE SPIDERS INN AT EALING. Dick Turpt, having attracted the attention of his com- _ panion, raised one arm and pointed down the staircase. ‘¢'T here,” he said-—“ there is the way to escape; that’s the front door which you see before you, and surely we shall have but little difficulty in descending the stairs and passing out of it unseen.” ‘Very little, I should think,” replied the young man. “Devas try it without more delay.” Dick was glad enough to find that this yoang mau was willing to leave the house. As for himself, the reader need not be told he was anxious to depart. _ Maud and his comrades would all be wondering what had become of him, and anxiously expecting his re- turn. Gently descending the staircase, then, for about half a dozen steps, they paused. Some faint, sweet notes of music struck upon their ears. After listening for a moment they felt sure they pro- ceeded from a harpsichord. The air was indeed a delightful one, and whoever it might be who was then playing was most certainly a per- fect master of the instrument. Merely raising his finger in token of silence, Dick con- tinued the descent. On gaining the foot of the stairs, however, his com- panion stopped, and, touching Dick upon the arm, he said, in a faint whisper : ‘hat is the door leading into the room where I drank the drugged wine; that’s the room from which the music proceeds, for 1 remember seeing a harpsichord standing in one corner.” Dick nodded, and would have passed on, considering that had nothing to do with him. But other thoughts were evidently in the mind of the stranger, for, in the same cautious whisper, he continued : “Perhaps by this time some other victim may have been picked up, and that music is played (hn order to sooth» him into a kind of repose, when he will fall all the more unsuspectingly into the snare.” Dick started and wondered how it was that this thought had not occurred to him at first. “ Closer,” he whispered—“ let us get closer. thep we may overhear something.” The next moment they were standiug on the threshold of this room, and then, for the first time, they noticed that the door was not properly closed—it was ajar, but oni” yer slightly. his indeed accounted for the: fact of their paving heard the low, sweet strains of the musical instrament. All at once the music ceased, and then the two listeners distinctly heard a voice say, in thick, guttural accents: ‘Very pretty, my love--very pretty; but I have had phough musicof this room to», for that matter. Osma doy WTS chow she way ” BLACK BESS; OR, “Te a moment,” said a female voice. ‘Excuse me just @ moment, I will soon return, but I am not certair whether all is ready ” ‘“‘ Allisready ?” repeated the other voice. ‘ What do you mean by that ?” “Qk, nothing—don’t trouble yourself about matters that do not concern you. There’s wine on the table—don’t spare it,” There was a rustling sound, and Dick whispered to the young stranger: ‘Seize her when she comes forth—hold her fast.” He had scarcely time to pronounce the words before the door opened. The girl—for the stranger recognised her instantly was quitting the room precipitately; and was made a fast prisoner before she was aware of it. Feeling herself firmly held, and seeing, too, the pallid countenance of one she had so recently betrayed, she uttered a piercing shriek and became insensible. ‘I'hese strange occurrences had the effect of arousing the inmate of the room, and now, with a staggering and unsteady step, he came towards the door. “ Hullo!” he cried. “‘ What the deuce does it all mean ? What is it—-what is it? Why, curse me, I feel quite drunk and stupid, and yet I’ve had nothing—only a glass or two of winel” ‘You have been drugged,” shouted Dick, “and but for our accidental presence you would in a few more minutes have been murdered.” Certainly, if any words whatever would be calculated to enable a person to cast off the influences of a drug, such as those just uttered by Dick would have that effect. He wasa tall, stout man, expensively dressed, and with many ornaments of great value glittering about his person. By his countenance, his guttural articulation, and his general appearance, it could be told at a glance he wasa foreigner. Probably he had only just arrived in London, Hearing these words spoken, and comprehending their purport, he clasped his hands over his forehead, doubt- less with the endeavour to stop the swimming of his brain. “Get into the open air,” said Dick, ‘‘ and raise what outery you can, and return thanks that you have had so narrow an escape.” . Like one in a dream, the foreigner found his way to the front door. With difficulty he undid the fastenings and gallied forth. . While he was thus engaged, Dick spoke rapidly to his companion. “rom what you know,” he said, “I cannot take any part in bringing the inmates of this house to justice. I myself should be immediately taken prisoner. I can, however, leave all to you. My immediate object now is to make my escape. ‘That girl is now incapable of doing any mischief. Haise what alarm you can, and relate the whole to the police.” “T will—I will,” replied the young stranger, with a slightly bewildered air. ‘‘ And since we are to part, accept my thanks for the very valuable services you have ren- dered me.” : “Nota word on that pomt—not aword. Farewell! Most likely we shall never meet again.” With these words on his lips, Dick turned round and quickly darted from the house. ‘I'he last he saw of the foreigner was as he stood near the front door endeavouring to save himself from fall- Ine, it would have been no slight satisfaction to Dick could he have remained and witnessed the clearing up of this transaction, but regard for his own safety made him aware this was impossible. Keeping a keen look-out on all sides of him, Dick hastily made his way through the streets of London in the direc- tion ef the Three Spiders Inn at Haling. The clocks gave forth the hour of eleven. He was surprised, for he imagined it was much later. In tha perpetaal darkness, however, which prevailed in old ah ye it was difficult indeed to keep any accurate note of the flight of time. ‘Bo far as be could tell, no police officers had obser: od mts Uaparbacé, Eomichboo CS (E(o) ‘ x"