The Armourer's Apprentice — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

“Tt shall be done, my lord.” “ My uncle, Sir ge Ss de Boischene, will) > v6 on board with his followers. I will let them know my business. You understand?” “I do, my lord,” replied the seaman. “It shal) be done.” * manded George W “But what will this benefit me?” de- L yard, who had been watching the speakers with no httle sus- _ picion, “How will this make the girl listen to me?’ : _ “Tut! you are too hasty, Master George,” _ paid DeCourcy. ‘“ Now, then, you must pen me a sweet note to the fair Alice, and our oung friend, Rufus the Rip, shall take it to er P a Cave be torn up, dashed on the oround, and trampled on as she has treated my others.” “Yes, if you write it in your own hand; but you must counterfeit that of Stephen. - Send her a note to be at the foot of London- _ ° bridge at nine to-night to say farewell to > 2a s ee . J ea we. y _ wa ho od ; _ ‘ ae po Je . 4 i * ‘~ 9 Se. Captain Brissot commands. Stephen. She will come. She will think that Stephen is on board the vessel which | We will get her on board the vessel, drop down the river to the village of Leigh, and then, Master George, she will be a bride. Do you under- stand? LTS -“T do!” cried George, inrapture. The money shali be paid out at once.” . _ “Good! The captain must also haye some fifty marks. We leave you at Leigh, and sail away for the Holy Land, where the dare devil a SB, ours and his jealous ally, Philip of France, are about to lead us. So the money must be paid at once.” . “it shall! it shall! I will at once to the ‘work. Wait for me here, and I will return anon with the money and the letters. I can so forge Stephen Sternhold’s writing that she shail not doubt it.” . Seizing his cap he hurried from the room. _ “And do you mean this good-looking fool to win and wear the fair Alice?” asked - Bnissot. “No: once on board your ship I shall impress this city youth into my service. The king has given us sundry powers in that way, for he wants- men, and he cares not how he procures them. Then the fair Alice becomes mine, and if my uncle Sir Bidulph’s suspicions prove true I shall . become Earl of——. But it were better to keep quict on this matter until all my wishes are fulfilled. You know your work. See that itis well done.” . Pula eo ee) — ae et ee * THE ARMOURER’S APPRENTICE. LL LAL LLL LOL LLL es ai ttt a tt beens os a anieze oe , : CHAPTER IN. THE FATR ALICE FALLS INTO THE TRAP 60 ARTFULLY PREPARED FOR HER— STEPHEN TO THE RESCUE—DEATH OF © WYNWARD—ALICE IS CARRIED OFR 4A feed Master Rufus the Rip returned ~ home he met with a greeting far more warm than pleasant, for Dame Mar- ag gery had had enough that day totryeven her amiable temper, and as Rip was the: only one who had openly done wrong, he ~ was, according to the unfair course of human nature,madeto pay forall, “T did but go out, mistress. to a grand assembly of knights at Smithfield,” — he cried, as he wiped his eyes after haying — received the good dame’s blows and buffets. — “ There was no great crime in that. Why, — all the court ladies were there, and - warrant you if you had seen how they cast sweet eyes at our brave Stephen you would te have been proud too.” a eae “Ah,” eried the good dame, who was always ready to hear anything in favour of a her dear boy Stephen, whom she had ~ reared from a baby, “And did they really look at Pie ten yy | faves Fae ah “Aye! Marry did they! And smiled and smirked when they saw him in suitof mail, as much as to say, ‘Come back with ] your gold spurs and be lord of all the fair for him.” oe lands I hold,’ Oh! it was a proud moment. “ And he—” commenced Alice, and then paused. a “ He? : - / = y - -,@ Oh, he was calm .and quiet. enough, Looking after hismen, and seeing — no one—except me. Hedid see me,” con- © tinued the lhttle liar, who, as the reader ~ knows, had weyer been near the place. 3 “He beckoned me to him.” Melia er “ And what said he?” demanded Alice, “Not much—sent his love and all that — sort of thing,” and here the little wretch ai managed to show the forged note to Alice rate in such a way that the dame did not see it. “But he said this—‘ Tell Alice to be — true as steel; she will understand what I mean. Say that a dagger that isnot true — to its lord, but fails him in his extremity, — should be aceursed and cast into the But the faithful weapon which obeys is ~ worthy of being worn next the heart” “ Forsooth! the poorlad must be mad,” cried the dame. “But Iwill give yousome food, for you must start back at once to the camp and find out your master, my good man, who, I believe, intends taking ui you with him tothe Holy Land.” = “Hurrah!” cried Rip: “who knows but what I shall win my spurs? The race ia ~ comicbooks.com. i" , as 4) 5° -s noe 7 b wl ae a ie ee SP a em . mr »*