The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, CHAPTER IL THE ARMOURERS DAUGHTERS, THAT day seemed an age to Harold. Thrown on the world at such an age that he could remember ncither father nor mother, nor friends, he could trace back no line of family, had no hereditary sympathies, had no name to be proud of, had no future to look forward to but one marked by drudgery and toil. His first remembrance of life was when, driven from a low coal-shed to run on an errand, he had returned to find the place closed, and the proprietor in the hands of the police. He had sobbed on a doorstep then for an hour, and been led away by a strange woman, and made one of a new family. And then, when he was twelve, he had been turned out into the streets again, and was made to roam hither and thither for his living, picking up unconsidered trifies, but never ob- taining them dishonestly. His latter life had been very hard, No kind word, no whisper of love had tended to soften the roughneas of his path. Fortune had seemed to scowl on him from his birth, and he had scowled on every one (in return, never feeling anything but bitterness of heart, and scarcely ever meeting with a soul that did not cuff and menace him. Now, however, at length a change for tho better seemed coming, and eagerly and wist- fully he looked forward to the night. Many a rueful glance he gave at the ragged clothes that covered him as he fancied how Master Frank Leslie, the armourer, would despise him for presenting himself in such a guise. He kept very much aloof from his companions on that day, feeling a little above them, if the truth must be told, and not caring to talk, moreover, but rather to think and dream of the fature. At length the darkness of the autumn day came down, and, with a beating heart, Harold Fordyce—as we may now call him—made his way towards the armourer's shop. It was a quaint, odd-looking place, with figures of men in armour supporting impossib:e- looking vases, and guns, and pistols, and coats of mail and gorgeous cloth trappings in the diamond-pointed windows Altogether, it was so grand a place to Harold's eyes that he almost feared to knock; but, at length, he summoned up courage, and gave a rat-tat at the door, which was open, be it said, so that he could have walked in had he chosen. He had not long to wait. An elegantly-dressed young man about eighteen came to the door. n spite of the elegance of his attire, how- ever, it was easy to see that he did not disdain hard work, for his spotleas white sleeves were rolled back, and his ds were broad and dis- coloured. He had a fine handsome, open face, and he smniled genially at Harold as he saw him stand- ing there in his rags and tatters, timidly trying to get out a speech. “Ab, you are the new apprentice P” he said, laughing. “Come in; you are expected.” These words cheered Harold’s he and, murmuring a faint “ Yes,” Le followed the young man along a dark passage into a workshop at the back of the house, where the clanging of hammers showed that the men were still at their labour, He was quite dazed when he entered, for what with the chink—chink—chink, clang—clang— clang of the hammers, and the gleam of the eteel and the brilliant lights, it seemed as if he had suddenly entered a new world. In one corner of the long worksbop was a dwarfish creature, about a year older than Harold, working away at a breastplate. His hair was red and curly, standing stiff all over his head, which rested forward on hig chest, while his shoulders formed a broad prominent hump at the back, His head was large and his face broad and white, with round eyes bolting from beneath shaggy colourless brows, a round nose looking as if it had been stuck on anyhow, and a wide gaping mouth whose colourless lips were dis- torted into a hideous grin. By his side, directing him, was a man whose stature can only be described by saying that he was & giant, His head was a fine massive one, with a face full of brute beauty and courage ; his shoulders broad, his arms brawny, his height full six feet eight. He stopped from his work and leaned on his hammer as Harold entered, and then burst out into a roaring laugh which echoed throughout the whole building, his broad sides shaking, his features lighting up with a smile of genial humour. “Well, so you are our new apprentice, eh ?” he said, after hie laughter had expended itself. ‘There, don’t colour, my boy. You've an honest face, with all your torn feathers, You came with a good recommendation, so get you gone upstairs and dress, that we may see what ou look like in decent clothing. Quelf, see im up to his room.” With a stammered “thank you, sir,” Harold followed the dwarf up a narrow staircase with a ceiling so low that he wondered how the giant could ascend at all, until they reached a room on the third floor. “ Here’s your room, and these are your clothes,” said Quelf, with his ghastly grin. ““Do you want mc to stop, eh?” “Not if you don’t wish it,” said Harold: “only I don’t know what I’m to put on.” Quelf looked at him sneeringly. ‘Can't you see the clothes?” he said, pointing to a suit of snuff-coloured things, lying ona white-sheeted, comfortable bed, “‘Yes, thank you ; and is this my bed ?” asked the young apprentice, " “ Yes, you want to know anything more 7?” “No,” cried Harold, irritated by the dwarf’s surly manner. ‘No, I can do well by myself now,” The dwarf grunted out some unintelligible \ tye y COMTICISO OSU ee a. &,