The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

LG oi aad ‘ 4 v 88 ‘‘ Yes,” cried Raymond, warming with his subject and the strong ale, “yes, riches and honors await nfea who would thus strive to save his majesty. Charles, once more at large, we should, in London alone, be enabled to raise an army. ad advisers alone have hitherto kept him from his metropolis. Had he ventured long since to visit his loyal citizens he would not now have been in his present condition.” er good sense there might have been in these remarks was entirely lost upon the fire-eating Alsatian, whose attention was now attracted by the dazzling brilliance of a diamond croas which glistened on Lord Raymond's breast. Hewever, he knew well that it would not do to allow Lord Raymond to think him inattentive or unenthusiastic, . When, therefore, his companion had finished speaking, he said, “True. The king, no doubt, has acted im- prudently, and he is now reaping the rewards of this indiscretion. But are you able to out this plan of yours? Have you the cas necessary for such an attempt ?” “ Certainly,” said Lord Raymond, “I know that to fight without money is mere folly. I have plenty of money with me.” “ Then come hither,” said the desperado, “ and sit closer to me while I give you this sage advice. My friends here are nearly all dropping off to sleep one by one, so they won’t hear the cha- racter I give them,” ‘The Alsatians, in fact, were now formed into the most grotesque groups. Here one man lay snoring upon a form, here another lay with his head bent down in heavy sleep upon a table, while here and there two or three ruffians were supported only by leaning against each others shoulders. Quelf the dwarf was curled up in a corner like some mishapen animal, and was snoring loudly. Lord .Raymond accordingly crossed over to where the desperado was sitting. ' This was exactly what Capt. Lackland wanted. The lights were burning dimly. - It was difficult to distinguish the faces of any of the sleepers. “ My friend,” said Lackland, as he leaned for- ward confidentially, and quietly withdrew the diamond cross from Lord Raymond's breast, “ I you have not got much money with you.” “Pray, why ?” “Well,” said the captain, as he stowed away the stolen cross in one of his capacious pockets, “well, you see, you don’t find many such con- scientious fellows as me here. You'll be apt to lose most of your property before long. You have not missed anything yet, have you ?” “‘No, not at present ; nething, at least, except the diamond cross you have just placed in your pocket !”” The captain started baek. “The devil !” he cried. ‘Ah, sure enough it is here. Mere absence of mind, my friend ; mere absence of mind. You see, in auch places as this, one has an unfortunate knack ot becoming astounded. But I will not be hard upon you. What is this cross worth ?” “Five hundred pounds.” “ Then, to show my magnanimity, see here, I will let you have it for ten guineas. Hand over the money, and it is yours.” THE YOUNG APPRENTICE. mond smiled, “You are a cunning and bold roguc,” he said, as he handed over the guineas and took back his brooch; “ but you must remember one thing. 39 ‘ And what is that ?” “That, in all future transactions, there must be less of an equality between us.” Oaptain Lackland stirred the fire, and placed his huge-booted feet -on the croes-bar of iron. ‘¢ Ob, as for that,” he said, ‘* we’re all on an equality here in Alsatla; we don’t care a ag here for titles and distinctions. We have al come hither for some reason or another, and we are all sure to say that we have done no wrong. You say you have come here for some ‘political reason, How am I to know that you have not poisoned your father, or cut the throat of your neighbour ?” rd Raymond laughed. “ You speak your mind pretty freely,” he said. “ What is the good of doing anything else 2” returned the Fire-eater. “In this place we do aswe like, and say what we mean, and if any one does not like it he is obliged to do the other thing. Where are you going to sleep to-night ?” “You ask me what I don’t know myself,” eaid Lord Raymond. “I sup that in this tavern there is accommodation to be obtained 7” The desperado chuckled audibly. ‘Yes, accommodation surely,” said he, “ such as you see round you now—the floor, a form, or a table. You don’t find feather beds in Aleatia.” As he spoke these words there was a loud outcry without— “Down with the tipstaffs !” “Down with the writ servers !” “To the rescue! To the reacue !” Such were the cries which broke out so sud- denly on the night air. “What is the matter?” said Lord Raymond. a — disturbance is this in the middle of the nicht ?” ‘ Ob,” cried Lackland, looking uneasily to- wards the door, “it is those rascally tipetafis and writ servers with some writ from the Lord Justice, to seize upon some r devil. Ah! see, there are the lights. Quick, comrades, rise ! We are surprised !” On reaching the street after picking their way through the groups of sleeping and drunken men who were distributed about the room, they found the whole of that portion of Alsatia. Shouts and yells of every conceivable deacri tion resounded from the windows and from doorways, which had been opened by the excited crowd, “Down with the tipstaffs! Down with the writ-servers !” was the Every inhabitant of the sanctuary was linked with every other inhabitant against these emissaries of the law; and, indeed, there was scarcely, at this time, a single person within this temple of safety who was not interested in resisting all the attempts of the officers of justice, On reaching the corner of the street th found that some of the braver spirits had arm themselves, and were making a bold stand againat the invaders, And again the cry rose— ‘‘To the rescue! to the rescue !” a | Se CO) pf t = ( ~ - d } Vine NOTIOB.—With our last Namber was GIVEN AW AY another splendid Piotare ted in Seven A QE — Colours. Others will follow, to make this Book a Volume for ° 7 GOMTGEIO.O OLSHEON